| An Ideal For Living EP | 1978 |
| Unknown Pleasures | review #2 | 1979 |
| Closer | review #2 | 1980 |
| Still (compilation) | 1981 |
| Substance (compilation) | 1988 |
| The Peel Sessions (live) | 1990 |
| Permanent (compilation) | 1995 |
| Heart And Soul (boxed set) | 1998 |
| Preston Warehouse 28 February (live) | 1999 |
| The Complete BBC Recordings (live) | 2000 |
| Les Bains Douchs 18 December 1979 (live) | 2001 |
How do you review Joy Division? We're not talking about an exceptional band here. We aren't speaking about a depressing band. People use these words to describe Joy Division, but the truth is that they were something much more than that. To describe them as a just another great band would be more than a disservice to who they were. In two albums they created two sets of songs that, to many people, have meant more than the Beatles or Stones ever could. And whether or not you agree with that, it's true that Joy Division at least mean something different from anything the Beatles did, and, in a strange way, seem even more special for it.
The fact that they have a mere two proper albums makes them even more special in my mind, the fact that there wasn't a lot of Joy Division, the band wasn't around long enough to ever slaughter the memory of their first two releases. After vocalist Ian Curtis committed suicide, the band disbanded, right as they began to taste commercial success. That's something to admire, I think. Most bands would have ridden off of the success as far as they could, but instead they abandoned Joy Division altogether and formed New Order, which was fairly well received critically, and more commercially successful. And so Joy Division's first two albums still feel as if they are immortal, and can't be touched, but still something that a listener can really connect with, as they never had the time to rise too far above cult status. There's no overhyping holding these albums back, since in many ways they've been forgotten by the masses. But the critical acclaim still stays, and most people who listen to Joy Division love them as much now as people did back in their prime.
And they're certainly an important band too. Many people will tell you their the first post-punk band, and they may be right. Then again, some people would tell you other bands, and they may be right too. But Joy Division were the first major post-punk band to both be a) as endlessly acclaimed as they are and b) as dark as they are, inspiring the goth movement. What does this mean? It means that that their influence is almost endless on most rock bands following them. College rock, post-punk, major 80s bands from The Smiths to U2 to R.E.M. even to The Stone Roses owe something to what Joy Division were doing here. It even reaches into the 90s, with Nirvana, Radiohead, and others still expanding upon (though not necessarily bettering) what Joy Division had here. Their existance is a milestone in rock history, much more important than the things the Clash were doing around the same time.
The one song, though, that defines all of this, who Joy Division were and what they did, is of course, "Love Will Tear Us Apart". It's not on either of their first two albums (or any album until the release of Substance), despite being their best known song and biggest hit. It shows one thing that many other depressing artists that whine about supposed problems, lack: sincerity. It may take talent to make a band as dark as My Dying Bride, but it's obvious that Stainthorpe's girlfriends aren't dying as much as he's singing about them doing so. Ian Curtis, on the other hand, sang about hopelessness, as shown in their major hit, that eventually took his life. It was tragic, but the tragedy breathes an even greater sincerity into his words that makes the music even more powerful, and assures Joy Disivion, despite their short-lived career, a spot as one of the greatest bands ever.
--Robert Grazer
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COMMENTS
joy division was the best band right after jim morrison died but i think they should find another band like me i have a Jim in me if youre a real person to talk to here is my email so you guys or girls can write me back [email protected] peace out.
(Robert Grazer's review)
HIGH POINTS: New Dawn Fades, Day of the Lords, She's Lost Control, Insight, I Remember Nothing, Shadowplay, Candidate, Disorder. LOW POINTS: None.
The debate among Joy Division fans as to which exactly is their better album between this and Closer really will never really find a sure answer (even though Closer is probably the generally prefered album). The only answer I see is that the two are different. As far as the band's musical sound goes, Closer has a thicker sound, whereas this here seems to be more of a 'fresh' sound, which is due in large part to the styles of production. The general musical styles between the two albums are pretty much the same, though Closer shows a step forward (and downward) in terms of the slow meloncholy of the music. It goes without saying that both albums are dark and depressing, but it wasn't until the second release that the full length of the band's sorrow was reached.
But the thing that makes Unknown Pleasures the (slightly) better release for me (and it's still not uncommon for me to have a day when I'd call Closer the better release) is that, while Closer presents Ian Curtis completely drowned in his depressed mental state, Unknown Pleasures presents him drowning into the pain that would eventually take his life. As such, to me, this remains an overall more moving display in a completely diferent way, as we listen to a man who is screaming for his life and yet still at the same time know the fate that he met. We hear a man who is desperately fighting a losing battle, a truly terrifying and unique experience, unlike anything else I've experienced in my music listening experiences. So don't discount Unknown Pleasures as just a great collection of songs -- it's so much more than that.
Each song represents another look into a collapsing mind, beginning with the almost upbeat pop of "Disorder". Truly, if there's anything close to an uplifting melody on the album, it's here. It's kinda bouncy. The melody is, at least. The lyrics contain lines like "New sensations barely interest me for another day/I've got the spirit, lose the feeling, take the shock away" that contrast the melody, but still seem to work quite well. But it's "Day of the Lords" that begins the true journey, an amazing ascending guitar riff placed over cries of "Where will it end?" bring out the first clear glimpse into the dismal outlook Curtis has on his life. The lyrics present the pain of life with a clarity and poetic language that is captured perfectly here, some of the most effective lyrics I've ever read.
"Candidate" slows the pace down for a minute, foreshadowing the endless gloom of the following release. The bass line in "Insight" propels the song on to great heights, while the lyrics present a truly frightening painting of memory ("Tears of sadness for you/More upheaval for you/Reflects a moment in time/A special moment in time/Yeah, we wasted our time/We didn't really have time/But we remember when we were young") and a longing for a better, past time. Another truly moving movement.
But even that isn't comparable to the climactic scream for life in "New Dawn Fades", which may be Joy Division's overall most powerful moment. The intro builds, leadng up to Bernard Summer's guitar lines and more of Curtis' desperate vocal delivery, but this time it's even more intense than before, everything has been leading up to this point, reaching the final decision point in his life, and the look toward suicide is no secret ("Directionless, so plain to see/A loaded gun won't set you free/So you say"). It's a painful and powerful example of what Curtis now sees his life as -- completely hopeless. He spent his life sadly fighting, a losing battle, and here is where he reveals more of that than anywhere else. It's a perfect way to close out one of the most perfect sides of music ever recorded.
The second side doesn't quite have the same endless song after song masterpiece quality that the first side does, mosly due to "Wilderness" and "Interzone". Both tracks are still very good, but they're also more toward the vein of the band's punk rock roots, an while this isn't a major distraction, it does betray the overall mood of the album a little bit. Nevertheless there's still "She's Lost Control", probably the prefered song on the album. Another great bass line pops up (which reminds me -- this is one of those albums that every bass player should have, just for the overall high quality of nearly every one of Peter Hook's bass lines). "Shadowplay" reveals a twangier guitar sound (not to mention a damn great guitar solo), but still the same quality with the bass line and vocal delivery.
Closing things off is "I Remember Nothing", the longest song on the album, and a slow, slow pace, making a strong final impression. It's something to be experienced only when the other nine songs have already been played, and not just on its own, since it sums up and completes the disc, all of the pain experienced before has now dropped into the depressed state that would be further explored on the following album. as for now, Unknown Pleasures shows a true struggle, it's an extremely difficult listening experience, but one that you'll find yourself strangely drawn to again and again.
HIGH POINTS: Shadowplay, I Remember Nothing, New Dawn Fades, She's Lost Control, Day Of The Lords, Insight. LOW POINTS: None.
This wasn't technically Joy Division's full length debut (they actually recorded a self-titled, punk-influenced effort the previous year which was scrapped on account of the producer adding synths without their consent) but man, it might just as well be. When comparing the songs on Unknown Pleasures to their earlier material (a lot of which can be found on the Substance collection, reviewed elsewhere on this page), it's not only considerably more bleak sounding and more robotic, but the immediate thing that jumps out at me when discussing this band is what a friggin' great sound they have. The rhythm section of Peter Hook and Stephen Morris practically define simplistic and repetitive, but in practically all the songs, the basslines are awesome melodic hooks in themselves, and the drum sound (helped out by producer Martin Hannett, I guess) is one of the absolute scariest and intimidating that I've ever heard on record. And the guitar work of Bernard Albrecht features some extremely interesting, harsh textures as well.
However, the heart and soul of the sound here lies in Ian Curtis, and there's no questioning that. It's on here he establishes himself as one of the greatest, most heartfelt and poetic lyricists I've ever heard (and belive it or not, his lyrics on the next album are even more impressive). He's very similar to Jim Morrison in terms of vocal tone, sure, but vastly superior in terms of uh, poetic intelligence (I'd take, to use one example, lines like 'Forced by the pressure, the territory's marked / no longer the pleasure, Oh I've since lost the heart / Corrupted from memory, no longer the power / It's creeping up slowly, that last fatal hour' over "Celebration Of The Lizard" any day of the week). I should also add that, when those lyrics are coupled with the trademark Joy Division sound, the vivid pictures of a tortured mind painted within are sometimes enough to almost make me cry, and that's something not much music can do to me. And Unknown Pleasures is just the beginning of that! The songs, they await!
The amazing thing is, there's really not too much going on within this album musically (nor does the bleak mood vary that much), and yet I still feel like many of these songs manage to be spectacular in totally different ways. Take, for instance, "She's Lost Control", in which the main character's epileptic fits in the lyrics actually mirror what Curtis suffered from himself (probably a contributor to his suicide, too...), and the music reflects that perfectly, going from a spectacular opening bassline and a truly odd drum sound (which by the end sounds like a ping pong ball hitting a wall or something!) to loud guitar riffs that seem to be playing against the melody in several stretches during the song, yet it still manages to work. Or how about "Day Of The Lords", which places the listener in a cold, dark room, emphasized by the chilling opening riff and the gradually building melody, off of which it eventually evolves into an intense 'WHERE WILL IT END?' plea. An introspective mini-masterpiece.
There are a few other songs here just as impressive as that one, though, and in some cases even better. "Insight" is a minor highlight here, a haunting bass-driven tune with a rather cynical and miserable take on past reflections, but a brilliant one in its' direct sincerity. It also has some odd space invader noises in the instrumental breaks, and I'm not quite sure what they're supposed to symbolize, but nevertheless, they provide an effective rise in intensity. Meanwhile, "New Dawn Fades" is often cited as a huge highlight, an assessment I'll have to agree with - it's perhaps the closest Joy Division ever got to an epic, that towering chord sequence letting you know what's to come as the vocals rise in power, as Curtis declares his hopeless suicidal intentions within the lyrics. The impact of this song is pretty difficult to describe for me, and it might take a couple listens to really get, but let's just say it can easily leave the listener speechless by the end.
I have to confess, though, that my favorite song on here has less to do with the despair of Ian Curtis (not that I'm not extremely moved by it - see my Closer review for even more evidence) and more to do with the great sound of the rest of the band. Sure, the lyrics of "Shadowplay" are still damn bleak ('In the shadowplay, acting out your own death, knowing more / as the assassins all grouped in four lines, dancing on the floor'), but the power in which it rocks really knocks me across the room more than anything else, as that twangy riff is spectacular in its' mind-numbing power, not to mention the frightening rhythmic embellishments throughout, or the fast way in which the melody is delivered. It's also got an absolutely awesome guitar solo, another oddity on the album, but a totally classic one. Wow.
Also, my other personal favorite comes right at the end in the extremely slow and soul-draining gloom of "I Remember Nothing", which goes on for nearly 6 minutes at a lethargic, but utterly hypnotizing tempo. It can be really hard to perfect these types of songs, in my opinion, so much so that they often lead to disaster (*cough* "The Overload" *cough*), but in this case it's an absolute classic. The cold, reverb-laden atmosphere is about the perfect foil for the despair reaching its' concluding point, and I can't really think of many things that are more captivating than the 'weeeeeeeeeeee were straaaaaaangerrrrrs....' yell that serves as the main vocal hook here. Plus, those glass-breaking sounds placed almost randomly in the song scare the crap out of me every time, and that's just one of the psychologically exhausting features present here.
The other four songs on here don't impress me as much as the rest, which is probably why I'm giving this a really strong 9 instead of a 10 (which in my view Closer attains easily) but they're still pretty darn good, just not overwhelmingly classic in terms of impact. The slow "Candidate" strikes me as more of an interlude in between "Day Of The Lords" and "Insight" than anything else - the despair is definitely inherent, but it definitely doesn't grab me emotionally like those tracks do. Also, I don't really love the opening "Disorder" as much as I probably should - maybe because the upbeat tempo of the music seems a bit too at odds with the darkness of the lyrics, and the dissonant bass notes that appear occasionally really bug me, though maybe that's the point of the song. It's damn catchy and emotional, though, and those synth whoooshes throughout are rather neat.
Finally, rounding out the album are the two 'short' numbers in the latter half of side two before "I Remember Nothing", of which "Interzone" seems very out of place. In fact, it reminds me a lot of a superior, more full-sounding take on the earlier sound (think "Warsaw"), sounding more like edgy, call-and-response rock and roll than anything else, but it remains exciting, nonetheless. Elsewhere, on most albums "Wilderness" would undoubtedly be a highlight, with its' scary booming drums, an atmosphere that really evokes walking through a dark forest, and an extremely catchy 'what did you see there?' melody, though here it's overshadowed by several other more worthy tracks. Too bad, cause it's a sleeper track here on a fairly brilliant album, definitely one of the strongest debut efforts I've ever heard, not so much a collection of songs as an overall emotional experience. The 'emotional' aspect of Joy Division would gain an even stronger edge on the 'what a great sound' aspect of them on Closer, though, which might be why I prefer that one. Ahh... both are essential, anyways.
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(Robert Grazer's review)
HIGH POINTS: Decades, Twenty-Four Hours, A Means To An End, Atrocity Exhibition, The Eternal, Isolation, Heart and Soul. LOW POINTS: None.
I listen to this and wonder about my comments concerning Joy Division and My Dying Bride. On the surface, maybe My Dying Bride could be considered the bleaker band, but once again, the sincerity is lacking, especially on this level, where you know that Ian Curtis believed every single word he wrote. I suppose I'd have to say something like, while MDB are a more depressing band in and of themselves, personally, Joy Division depress me more. If that doesn't make sense, forget these statements and skip to the next paragraph to find a proper introduction.
The music itself isn't as clean sounding as Unknown Pleasures, the bass sound is thicker, the drums have a rawer snare sound (particularly on "Isolation", where they sound almost grunge-like), and in some songs guitar is either not present or inaudible. And still a couple tunes reflect the band's past sound. This blend or continuation of previous sound and interesting ideas, along with the album's increased popularity, leads me to declare it one of the ten or so most important albums of all time, officially beginning the rock (not pop, which was better defined by Michael Jackson) scene of the 1980s. It's a common statement to say things like 'the 80s suck' and so on, but I'm sure that if an album like this is given a serious listen, even if you don't like the decade any more, you should at least learn to respect it.
Perhaps I find myself writing things like this because Joy Division really aren't a band to be 'enjoyed' in most senses of the word. To appreciate Joy Division, you need to respect them and what they created. And if you do so, their music will reward you greatly. Why do I say this now and not before? Because Closer is now Joy Division reaching a sound and state of melancholy for nine straight songs that they'd only hit a few times on their other works, and hiutting that mark in a way that no one would be able to quite match, even with their most desperate attempts. And when you reach a level, any level, be it of depression, joy, or any other mood, in a way that you can truly claim as your own, ahead of all others, you've created something truly special.
And in nine songs that's what Joy Division have done. I still prefer Unknown Pleasures ever so slightly, but musically Closer is probably a more consistent set of songs, and in a different way, perhaps even more difficult than the band's debut. Curtis' lyrics have imporved, which is hard to believe considering how great they were before. Now he's capturing all of somber fellings and topics with an even greater clarity, subtlety, and poetic beauty than I would have ever thought possible. "Atrocity Exhibition" (great song title) opens with an infectious drum beat with almost chant-like repetition of "This is the way -- step inside" that sits as a truly frightenting moment, and this effect is only increased by the rest of the song's exceedingly dark lyrical sebject matter.
Following this is a cry for help in the short "Isolation", probably the closest thing to the band's punk roots that's present here. A synthesizer works wonders, as does the simplistic bass line, with some fascinating lyrics ("I'm ashamed of the things I've been put through/I'm ashamed of the person I am") to make it another sure highlight. The first real taste of the famed 'robotic' vocals of Ian Curtis' final months comes through with "Passover", and then through with "Colony" (with the memorable "God in his wisdom...") lines. The next track is another huge highlight here, the brilliant "A Means to and End" boasting of a simplistic but catchy vocal melody along with more great bass work, and the drum rhythm sounding like it's pounding the listener's soul into the ground with every measure.
"Heart and Soul" follows, with a truly haunting sound to it, and even within Joy Division's small career, it still manages to sound unique, completely unlike anything they'd done before. Don't ask my how or why, because describing Joy Division isn't easy in the first place. The lyircal aspect of the album (and maybe the band's career altogether) peaks completely with "Twenty-Four Hours", which flows effortlessly back and forth between the faster style the band has and the slower, suicidal stretches. And with brilliant lyrical passages like "Oh how I realized, how I wanted time/Put into perspective, tried so hard to find/Just for one moment, I thought I'd found my way/Destiny unfolded, I watched it slip away" and "Let's take a ride out, see what we can find/A valueless collection of hopes and past desires" capture the very essence of Joy Division better than any other I'm aware of. It's an exciting track, a true masterpiece.
Rounding things out are the slowest and two of the most incredible songs on the album. Any 'excitement' is now gone, no more melodies even the slightest bit upbeat, no hope anywhere in sight. "The Eternal" may seem slightly minimalistic, but the presentation of more of Ian's best lyrics seems to fit in perfectly nonetheless. I can understand why it may be dismissed as 'boring' by some people, but not for me. For me it's a beautiful song, worth all six of its minutes. And finally, we reach perhaps the best track on the album altogether, "Decades". Wow. The synth melody is very catchy (the guitar is hardly the major instrument here), and the way the bass line reflects that as the drums slowly beat shows songwriting the way only these four could do so. Curtis' vocals oddly seem both robotic and sorrowful at the same time, and as the song slowly finishes with the repeated wondering of "where have they been?" a feeling of satisfaction with what the band has just completely shines through, and you know that you've just finished listening to one of the all-time greats.
Which it is, most definitely. Closer secured Joy Division a larger cult following and even more critical acclaim. Unfortunately, this would be their final release before dissolving into New Order, who I don't know much about at all. And I know tens to both of Joy Division's albums may seem a little generous, but for showing us a frightful and extremely powerful journey through the depths of depression to the edge of madness and finally into absolute hopelessness in two albums and under twenty songs is indeed an incredible achievement. And when they've got music that's stunning enough to make a strong case for album of the year for both releases, no, I don't think another perfect score seems inappropriate at all.
HIGH POINTS: Decades, Heart And Soul, Atrocity Exhibition, Twenty Four-Hours, The Eternal, Isolation. LOW POINTS: None.
I'm not exactly sure how to start off a review for this, the album that will always be associated with, for many people (myself included), the death of Ian Curtis, but I'll try to anyway. I suppose the main difference between this one and Unknown Pleasures, besides the finality of it, is that many of the songs here are lengthy mood pieces, on several occasions stretched to 5 or 6 minutes long, and musically often repeating basically the same patterns. Needless to say, it takes a few listens to really get into this album, I think, because Joy Division were taking a big risk here - this is one of those albums where, if a particular atmosphere or groove of a song doesn't seem to work for the listener, most of the song's appeal will be flushed down the drain. But fortunately, I think just about everything here works, and the overall soul-crushing vibe taken together gets even more effective once you get past the repetitive arrangements, adding up to one of the most cathartic, yet still strangely 'mechanical', experiences I've ever heard. And the circumstances surrounding Curtis make it all the more depressing.
As far as the musical style goes on this album, it hasn't really changed too much from before, other than the longer arrangements and the keyboards taking on a more prominent role (to the point where they're the lead instrument in a few songs), but in terms of lyrics, I don't know how, but they're somehow even more brilliant than before, and this comes to the forefront right away in the opening "Atrocity Exhibition". Trust me, this song is as frightening as its' title suggests, and it has one of my favorite album-opening verses ever ('The silence when doors open wide / Where people could pay to see inside / For entertainment they watch his body twist / Behind his eyes he says I still exist'), with a scary chant of 'this is the way, step inside...' after each verse. But that's not all - the equally menacing tumbling drum pattern and steady bassline, as well as the scathing guitar noises throughout, combine with those vivid words for a stunning effect, like you're actually in a real life 'atrocity exhibition', for lack of a better phrase. What a way to open an album.
An even stranger track to figure, though, is the followup "Isolation". Like "Disorder" before it, this song attempts fuse together upbeat pop hooks with grim lyrics, some of Curtis' most revealing and tortured he would ever write, and it does so even better than before, with an incredibly catchy vocal melody, bassline and Kraftwerk-esque synth part that drives the song. Plus, the production has an oddly detached quality to it (especially the drum sound), as if the individual members of the band are playing in different rooms (as Brian Burks pointed out). It's not only atypical of the album in that way, but it's also a short, under three minute number, one of the rare places in which Joy Division are still hanging on to their roots here.
The next three track stretch sees the album beginning to build to its' eventual climax, and while this stretch isn't quite as impressive as the rest, it's still mighty in its' power, and only comparatively weaker to the others. "Passover" finds the lyrics becoming even more introspective and uncertain, as Curtis wrestles with his past and present over even more robotic vocals than usual (with quietly building guitar lines throughout), while "Colony" is an absolute raw-sounding burst, with this incredibly fat-sounding and threatening tone to the guitar and bass interplay (that's the only way I can describe it, pretty much) and an alienated approach to the lyrics. Ending the first side, appropriately enough, is "A Means To An End", with its' bouncy, but not quite upbeat, tempo. How can it be when the walloping drum sound and vocal melody is so intense, or the way Ian sings 'I put my trust in you...' in a not exactly reverential tone?
Then we get to side two, a musically simplistic and repetitive as hell pit of hopeless death. In fact, I pretty much figured out how to play most of the music to every song here on my keyboard in like 10 minutes, and I'm no amazing musician - I don't even think "Decades" or "Twenty Four Hours" use more than two chords prominently, and they both use the same ones! But goddamn, are they brilliant. To start off with, "Heart And Soul" uses a simple two-note bassline, basic drum rhythms, and subtle keyboard arrangements, but the way it all sounds, together with Curtis' strangely mixed calm echoing vocals (like he's singing from a cave or something), is absolutely stunning. Three things get to me here in particular - the chilling way 'heart and soooooul... one wiiiiiill buuuurrrrn....' is sung, the way the guitar rises in drama during the instrumental breaks, and the way the drums without warning get louder towards the end of the tune. All of these features don't seem like much on paper, but trust me, the atmosphere is unexplainable here. I don't know how it comes together, but it does.
That song might be my second favorite on here, but the last third of this album plays out like the dramatic end to Ian Curtis' life, and it's almost impossible not to make that association if you're even remotely familiar with Joy Division history. "Twenty-Four Hours", to me at least, conveys the tension he must have been going through in just about the perfect way - the song seamlessly shifts between dark, slow, atmospheric and introspective stretches (with a watery main bassline) and "Shadowplay"-styled fast, energetic rock that rattles the speakers when played loud, as it should be. Just like I said, it sounds like it has like, two chords total, but if that's the case, this is minimalism combined with dark production quality at its' absolute finest. Oh, and those lyrics! Needless to say, those are just as gripping as the music, and that says a lot.
Following that one is "The Eternal", a track that divides a few people, some who seem to claim that the song is a slow and boring nothing, but I ain't gonna do that myself. Sure, the slow part is correct - at 6 minutes on pretty much the same piano-driven, dirge-like tempo and occasional odd sound effects, it can test one's patience at first, but this song has probably the most effective depressing funeral atmosphere I've ever heard, and given the record that it's on and the quality of the lyrics contained within (emphasized by the opening verse - 'Procession moves on, the shouting is over / Praise to the glory of loved ones now gone / Talking aloud as they sit round their tables / Scattering flowers washed down by the rain') it gains an even greater resonance than it already might have. If you ask me, this is still a damn brilliant song.
Not quite as brilliant, though, as the closing "Decades", quite possibly the band's finest moment ever, and considering the quality of what came before, that's no small feat. Again, it's very simple musically (also sounding like it uses a cheap-sounding keyboard), but here Joy Division transcend simplicity and enter an even higher realm of God-like music. That aforementioned keyboard line is pure minimalistic, depressing brilliance, the absolutely devastating orchestrated epic arrangement (which builds to the 'where have they been?' climax), and the lyrical matter - it's almost like Curtis' final message to the 'young men with the weight on their shoulders' even though he was only a young man himself - all combine for one of the greatest songs ever written. At least in my opinion, anyway. Just listen for yourself and see if you agree.
Phew... that was a long one. In case you don't realize exactly how highly I think of this album, Closer has personally grown on me from a long mood piece I respected and liked quite a lot, but wasn't really hugely affected by, to probably my favorite album of the 80's, and one of the most devastating emotional experiences I've ever been through in music, a mindblowing effort that is such even despite the simplistic playing, arrangements and vocal tone often sounding quite robotic. What a band. Of course, that aspect of the album is a bit of a flaw, but it's about the only thing that makes it fall short of making my top 10 albums ever. Only a minor flaw, though, as Closer is a special experience which isn't exactly easy to get into, but it becomes one of the more powerful emotional albums out there once you do. An absolutely essential swan song.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Dead Souls, Exercise One, A Means To An End, Something Must Break. LOW POINTS: Sister Ray, Decades.
The first of several posthumous Joy Division releases, though it's hardly the most essential one out there. Most of the band's best non-album singles and B-sides wouldn't be officially released on a compilation until Substance six years later, leaving several of their lesser songs for this one. The other noticeable problem here is that there's hardly any cohesion between the two flawed segments of this collection, a double one that now fits on a 79 minute CD. In the first half, you get a set of studio songs that aptly shows their limitations as songwriters and arrangers (i.e. using very similar chord progression and grooves), and a set of live songs that aptly shows their weaknesses as strong concert performers (i.e. excessive sloppiness, wrong notes and lack of energy is compounded by often subpar sound quality) and how much of a critical factor studio atmosphere is in their career. Just goes to show you that no band can ever be totally perfect in their career.
Nevertheless, this is still friggin' Joy Division we're talking about, and several moments of greatness show up even here. "Exercise One" and "Something Must Break" are certainly among them - riding on a buildup of hellish feedback noises that sound as if they were influenced by David Bowie's 'Eno trilogy' and an evil pounding rhythm section groove, the former is as close to a musical equivalent of Hell as I've ever heard, and the latter is another atmospheric triumph, boasting a freaky carnival-styled keyboard pattern and an incredibly depressing melody that catches my attention (especially given that it's Ian Curtis singing). To a lesser extent, "Ice Age" is about as close to a fast-paced 'singalong' rocker as you're going to get from this band (hardly an upbeat one though), "Glass" is dark and rhythmic if not all that catchy as far as vocal melody, and "The Sound Of Music" is pretty much a brother to "Atrocity Exhibition", with an extremely similar bassline and rhythm, only without the horrific and epic qualities.
Of course, good as they are these songs don't quite compare with "Dead Souls", the absolute highlight on here. It's got yet another lengthy instrumental buildup, some of the most intense drum sounds yet heard on a Joy Division song, a gloriously ominous chord sequence and bassline (yet another one to add to Peter Hook's supply of great 'hooks') and the vocals almost suddenly appearing out of the murk. The musical backdrop, already portraying a tension-filled, hellish sort of place, is made all the more stronger by the desperation in the vocals during the 'someone take these dreams away' and 'they keep calling me!' lines. The vocal melody is also just as well-structured as the music and lyrical matter, making for yet another classic song not to be missed. It certainly towers over the other studio creations, which might be good, but nothing special ("The Only Mistake", the punkier "Walked In Line" and "The Kill").
It's the live stuff that's more problematic, though, especially their 7-1/2 minute cover of The Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray" that ends the first half for some random reason. I hated the original in the first place, and Joy Division don't even improve it by making it 10 minutes shorter. Ian Curtis sounds incredibly awkward trying out Lou Reed's vocal intonation, plus Joy Division are about the worst possible choice to attempt the VU's improvised crazy feedback jamming, and the whole thing sounds extremely sluggish and awful, making it the worst released performance of their career almost by default. No, Ian, I don't want to hear your version of "Louie, Louie", and a little more energy probably wouldn't hurt.
In a way, the live portion of the album (a recording of their final show) is actually better than the studio since it's mostly made up of Unknown Pleasures and Closer stuff, but Joy Division just aren't a very good live band, and poor sound quality doesn't help their case. The faster songs like "Digital", "Shadowplay" and "Isolation" are lacking in energy (the last one with the bass mixed ridiculously high), while "New Dawn Fades" and "Transmission" are marred by playing mistakes, and they even screw up "Decades"! I don't know how they did it, but they made one of my favorite songs of all time painful to listen to - I'm guessing someone spilled their drink on the keyboards or something went bezerk in their wiring causing them to go horribly out of tune, leaving the most critical musical hook of the song (especially during the 'where have they been...' parts) an absolute ugly mess, and the vocals barely make an impression either.
I suppose the inclusion of New Order's future first single "Ceremony" (the only official recording of Ian Curtis singing it) is a neat historical curiosity, but a lot of the beginning seems to have been cut off, and the vocals are almost completely buried for the majority of the song, so there goes that. Don't get me wrong - except for "Decades" and "Sister Ray", all of these performances are good if you don't think too much about the studio versions, and I actually like "A Means To An End" here better than the original (it's got more energy and a great compact arrangement, plus the 'I put my trust in you lines...' are screamed for a powerful effect), but most of this stuff isn't really essential either. Combine that with the occasionally brilliant but ultimately just enjoyable studio side, and that makes for an album you should only get after the two studio classics and Substance.
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COMMENTS
yeah, the live portion of Still isn't great...........but don't write the band off on one performance, you should get the CD Les Baines Douches 1979 as it's MUCH more powerful, energetic and driving than Still's live section, and is, quite frankly, an amazing live disc.
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Atmosphere, Love Will Tear Us Apart, Transmission, Dead Souls, Warsaw. LOW POINTS: Autosuggestion.
Although Unknown Pleasures and Closer are certainly the greatest aspects of Joy Division's legacy, this collection, released a year after offshoot band New Order's own Substance compilation, is undoubtedly the most vital in rounding up the essential tracks they left behind in the form of non-album singles and B-sides. It almost entirely avoids overlaps with the albums - not including "Dead Souls" and "Glass" reprised from Still, only "She's Lost Control" reappears again here, and even that one is in a longer and more raw-sounding take (for comparison, I ultimately prefer the Unknown Pleasures version, but this one is interesting in its' own less chaotic, more rhythmic way). It's also important to mention that the original vinyl issue of this album contained 10 songs, but when it was released on CD, seven bonus tracks were added as an 'Appendix' of sorts here, which mostly follow the same chronological order principle as the rest, though they're not as excellent as the main bulk.
When discussing those first ten tracks, though, it adds even more convincing evidence to the argument that this band was one of the greatest of the last 25 years, as a few of them are just as incredible as the actual album highlights. Even more than that, it's also really interesting to hear them evolve from an almost pure punk outfit on their debut single "Warsaw" in 1977 - here, there are no traces of the atmospheric side to them that would be come so prominent in three years time, but there's still a considerably melodic conviction and dark aura even here that makes things intriguing (also, check out those well-placed cymbal crashes as an example of their talent for minimalism). This evolution continues within the next couple tracks, specifically the slower "Leaders Of Men", a catchy, somewhat politically-charged, tune with dark guitar buildups in its' condensed structure, and the bouncy, but tension filled New Wave of "Digital", with yells of 'feel it closing iiiiiiiiiiiiin.... day in, day out! day in, day out! day in, day out!' done in a captivating manner.
Unfortunately, this is followed by one of the very few misguided Joy Division songs in the almost completely boring dirge "Autosuggestion", featuring a weak melody, Jim Morrison-imitating vocals at their most obnoxious, and an unbearably plodding 6 minute structure (it does rock out a little at the end, though that's not enough to save the song). No matter, though, as we get our first taste of total brilliance following in "Transmission", a candidate for the single catchiest upbeat number they ever did. I really love that fantastic joyous riff, bassline and the snappy, incredibly infectious 'dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!' chorus, and the lyrics are an awesome example of the power of music as release in particularly dark times. Then after the aforementioned alternate version of "She's Lost Control", we even get a neat raw-sounding instrumental in the form of "Incubation", which sounds pretty exciting to me.
However, the next few tracks (the ending stretch of the original release) are Substance's hugest reminder of the jaw-dropping quality of this band's best work. Any stretch that starts off with "Dead Souls" (which sounds more at home here than on Still) can't be bad, but even more amazing are the following two songs, which show the band moving into a more 'poppy' and accessible direction, I suppose (as proved by the future musical output of New Order), but they prove to be just as brilliant in this area as they are in the mood piece direction of Closer. First off, "Atmosphere" - doesn't this song predate The Cure's majestic sound on Disintegration by like, 9 years? It has more accessible but brilliant melodies, the booming drum pattern here is huge, the keyboard background is eerily beautiful (especially with the chime sounds right after each verse, which is perhaps the greatest climactic moment here) and in this context, the sadly prophetic chorus ('don't walk away, in silence...') attains a sort of beauty not quite like any song I've ever heard. It's probably in my top 3 Joy Division songs, and probably one as worthy of such a simple song title as any.
Coming right behind it, though, is "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - if you don't take "Decades" as Ian Curtis' final statement to the world, the band's last single will probably fill that spot nicely. By now, the Joy Division sound has gotten really poppy, so it's no surprise that this song was their biggest and best known hit - the life-affirming jangle of the guitars, the amazingly melodic keyboard part and 'looooove.... love will tear us apaaaaart.... again' chorus, the calm, almost muffled, Sinatra-ish singing of the verses, all of these key elements to one of the most beautiful songs ever. Of course, the lyrics aren't exactly happy, as you might have guessed from the song title (it's also been debated one of the main reasons Curtis killed himself was over a bitter love triangle, after all), but it still has that peaceful feeling to it, you know?
For the record, when rating this an 8.5, I'm mainly considering these songs, or else I'd have to drop it slightly when fully including the bonus tracks. Oh, not that the remaining songs are at all bad, but most of them are among the more unassuming and melodically okayish stuff in their catalog. I won't go through all of them, but I will point out a few notable tracks - "No Love Lost" is another fine 'buildup' song, with some of the rawest production quality they ever had, and "Novelty" and "These Days" are reasonably moving guitar-driven moments, to name a few. All these bonuses are good, of course, but I just don't get a huge amount of emotion or brilliant ideas flowing through, so I'm not exactly sure what to say about 'em. The really great stuff, on the other hand, is the reason to get this. I can't imagine anyone interested in the band at all not having "Love Will Tear Us Apart" or "Atmosphere" in their collection, and these are just two of the essentials here.
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