Hear the Complete 18-Minute Version of New Order’s Ian Curtis Tribute ‘Elegia’

More than a quarter century after the band released a severely edited version of the track on its 1985 album 'Low-Life,' the complete 18-minute version of New Order's tribute to Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, titled 'Elegia,' has surfaced online.

Penned in the wake of Curtis' 1980 suicide and his bandmates' subsequent reformation as New Order, the full-length 'Elegia' was previously released as part of the (exceedingly hard-to-obtain) five-disc version of the band's 'Retro' box set. Fans should find it easier to get their hands on it now that the song is being reissued as part of a three-track vinyl EP that also includes another Curtis tribute, 'The Him,' and a live version of '5-8-6.'

After enjoying a wave of critical and commercial success throughout the '80s and early '90s, New Order have weathered some bumpy times over the last 20 years or so, going on hiatus for most of the '90s before reuniting for a pair of albums in the early aughts and disbanding again -- seemingly permanently -- following the release of 2005's 'Waiting for the Siren's Call.'

However, the band reunited without bass player Peter Hook last year, mounting a world tour over Hook's objections (and his insistence that his replacement in the group is miming Hook's recorded parts in concert).

Listen to New Order's 'Elegia'