Joy Division

Certain Songs #826: Joy Division – “Dead Souls”

March 22, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Still
Year: 1980

Still was, of course, a posthumous mop-up operation that was one half odds and sods and one half live album. And as such, it was pretty much, both in terms of sound and style, aimed at completists, as opposed to the casual fan.

(Which raises the question of whether or not there are any casual fans of Joy Division, though I guess that the enduring popularity of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” probably means that there are.)

Certain Songs #825: Joy Divsion – “Atmosphere”

March 21, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Single, 1980

Joy Division’s music has been classified as so dark and moody — some might even use the term “gothic” — that what is frequently missed is how breathtakingly beautiful it could be, as well.

And nowhere was that beauty more breathtaking than the dark and moody “Atmosphere,” which was released twice as a single in 1980: first in France as a limited edition, then posthumously everywhere else.

Certain Songs #824: Joy Division – “Twenty Four Hours”

March 20, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Closer
Year: 1980

This is all about the contrasts. Light and dark, fast and slow, floating and driving. The way that Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris fall apart during the slow parts and come together during the fast parts.

I’m sure that to some of you, the words are important. But I’ll be honest here, I’ve listened to “Twenty Four Hours” countless times in the last 35-plus years and I couldn’t quote you a single line.

Certain Songs #823: Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

March 19, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Single, 1980

From the outside, the spring of 1980 should have been a great great time for Ian Curtis.

At least, from the artistic standpoint, right? After all, Joy Division were about to unleash the follow-up to Unknown Pleasures upon the world, not to mention that they had two more killer singles — this song and “Atmosphere” — already in the can, and on top of all of that, they had written “Ceremony,” so clearly, they were just getting going. The future was totally theirs.

But instead, on May 18, 1980, love tore Ian Curtis apart once and for all, a scant two weeks before the world heard what will no doubt be his most-lasting artistic achievement.

Certain Songs #822: Joy Division – “Isolation (Birmingham 05-02-1980)”

March 18, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Still
Year: 1980

There is so much backstory here, right?

Still came out in late 1981 in order to fill in the gaps / close the door on Joy Division, whose surviving members had already moved forward and formed New Order, and as such the first disc was an odds-and-sods and the second disc a recording of their last concert, a scant 16 days before Ian Curtis killed himself.

Certain Songs #821: Joy Division – “Transmission”

March 17, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Single, 1979

Alone in your room, late at night, and that song you love comes on the radio, and you want to share it somebody else. You want to dance. But not by yourself. Not this time.

But you can’t, because you’re alone in your room. As usual.

And then you realize, wait a second, there are other people alone in their rooms listening to this song at the exact same time!!

Certain Songs #820: Joy Division – “Disorder”

March 16, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Unknown Pleasures
Year: 1979

Side one, track one of Joy Division’s landmark debut — featuring a cover that might even be more iconic than the music — is one of those “hey world, check out this whole new thing!” career-openers that very rarely come around.

I guess that it isn’t a pure career opener — there had been an EP — but, spiritually, “Disorder” is the song that kicked off what turned out to be long, extraordinary careers for nearly everybody involved.