Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures: Collector`s Edition [10/30]

Artist:

Joy Division

See Also:

Other Two (The) Electronic New Order Public Image Ltd.

Description:

Joy Division: Ian Curtis (vocals); Bernard Sumner (guitar, keyboards); Peter Hook (bass); Stephen Morris (drums).
Recorded at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, England.
If U.K. punk was the outward expression of nihilism and youthful rebellion, the music of Joy Division signaled a sea change toward its bleaker, darker, more introspective side--in the process, giving birth to an influential, highly original sound that was to have recurring echoes in the subsequent goth, new wave, and post-punk movements. Quickly following on the heels of an aborted album for RCA, the band regrouped with producer Martin Hannett for their 1979 debut, UNKNOWN PLEASURES. A landmark release in the history of modern music--being sui generis to the social and spiritual landscape of post-war England--the album is perhaps the most powerful and evocative statement of existential dread ever recorded.
Pruning away at the band`s brash, ragged energy to reveal cavernous spaces filled with decaying chords and hollowed-out rhythms, UNKNOWN PLEASURES is as much a testament to Hannett`s bold production touches as it is to Joy Division`s powerful performances--Bernard Sumner`s caustic riffing, Peter Hook`s melodic basslines, Stephen Morris`s martial rhythms, and Ian Curtis`s potent, focused verse. Hannett wisely sidesteps naturalism in favor of noir-like claustrophobia, draping the instrumentation under spectral phantasms of found sound (breaking glass, elevator shafts, and footsteps). From the breathless, punk thrash of the opening track, "Disorder," to the melancholic despair of "Candidate," the songs form arcs of shade and light, revealing layers of energy and emotional intensity. Continuing with the taut, doom-laden rattle of "She`s Lost Control," its snapping synth drums seem to signal some agonizing form of psychological restraint from which to escape. The album closes with the harrowing, apocalyptic denouement of "I Remember Nothing," in which Curtis`s sorrowful croon declaims, "we, we`re strangers," over crashing drums and a funereal drone--a suitably dramatic end to one of the most cathartic, devastatingly powerful albums ever recorded.
Hailing from Manchester, England, Joy Division profoundly affected the alternative music scene. Arriving as punk music was waning, UNKNOWN Joy Division`s music inhabits an eerie, twilight world. Decay and alienation envelop singer Ian Curtis, whose cavernous, but dispassionate, voice belied the intensity he brought to bear. Rolling drum patterns, thudding bass lines and uncluttered synthesizer combine to create a dank, brooding atmosphere, chillingly supporting the songs` bleak lyrics. Yet listening to Unknown Pleasures is not a depressing experience. The group generate a terse excitement, emphasizing individual strengths and avoiding unnecessary embellishment. Their sense of commitment is utterly convincing and few debut albums can boast such unremitting power.

Track Listing:

DISC 1:

1. Disorder
2. Day of the Lords
3. Candidate
4. Insight
5. New Dawn Fades
6. She`s Lost Control
7. Shadowplay
8. Wilderness
9. Interzone
10. I Remember Nothing
11. Ceremony - (Original Album)
12. Shadowplay - (Original Album)
13. Means To an End, A - (Original Album)
14. Passover - (Original Album)
15. New Dawn Fades - (Original Album)
16. Transmission - (Original Album)
17. Disorder - (Original Album)
18. Isolation - (Original Album)
19. Decades - (Original Album)
20. Digital - (Original Album)

DISC 2: THE FACTORY, MANCHESTER LIVE 13 JULY 1979:

1. Dead Souls - (live)
2. Only Mistake, The - (live)
3. Insight - (live)
4. Candidate - (live)
5. Wilderness - (live)
6. She`s Lost Control - (live)
7. Shadowplay - (live)
8. Disorder - (live)
9. Interzone - (live)
10. Atrocity Exhibition - (live)
11. Novelty - (live)
12. Transmission - (live)
13. Sound Of Music, The (Town Hall, High Wycombe - Live 20 February 1980/Soundcheck)
14. Means To an End, A (Town Hall, High Wycombe - Live 20 February 1980/Soundcheck)
15. Love Will Tear Us Apart
16. Glass

Album Information

Release Date:

10/30/2007

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Rock & Pop

Label:

Rhino Records (USA)

Catalog Number:

330940

Original Release Year:

1979

# of Discs:

2

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Mixed

Runtime:

131 : 21

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