New Order's third consecutive live album since the release of their 2015 studio album
Music Complete,
Education Entertainment Recreation was recorded at their only U.K. concert in 2018, which took place at London's Alexandra Palace. While their previous release, 2019's
∑(No,12k,Lg,17Mif) New Order + Liam Gillick: So it goes.., was an unconventional set of mostly deep cuts that featured a 12-piece synth ensemble, this one is a lot closer to the more straightforward
NOMC15. The main difference is that
Education Entertainment Recreation only has a pair of songs from
Music Complete (plus "Tutti Frutti" on the Blu-ray edition), and two more tracks overall, which means there's more room for hits and
Joy Division tunes. "Disorder" and "Sub-culture" have fortunately remained in the repertoire since the last release, "Love Vigilantes" makes a welcome appearance, and it's hard to go wrong with standbys like "Your Silent Face," a gleefully audience-assisted "Bizarre Love Triangle," "Crystal," and the "Street Hassle"-referencing arrangement of "Temptation." The trio of
Joy Division songs concluding the set, naturally finishing with "Love Will Tear Us Apart," feels like a goodwill gesture to the audience, but the band generally seem more committed to the
New Order material. Essentially, this is all well-trodden territory for
New Order and their fans, but for anyone who has an emotional connection to their music, it's still a potent reminder of how vital and life-affirming their best songs are. ~ Paul Simpson