Joy Division

I wanted some new music to listen to and decided to pick up Unknown Pleasures and Closer last week. I've always been aware of this band, but my God these albums have blown me away. I have spun them dozens of times in the span of a few days.... There's no depressive feelings listening to them, maybe because I'm late to the party and knew years ago what happened to Curtis so I'm not associating the music with that. These two records are simply brilliant.

 

Bit late!

Don't forget the Substance comp which collects the many unique singles and rarities, which arguably, has their best work on (Atmosphere, Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart, Dead Souls etc).

 

Better late than never

I was going to ask what else was essential. I'll grab that comp.

 

I'd recommend Jon Savage's documentary DVD. I must have watched it a dozen times. It really is a labour of love by a writer who was one of the first to cover them back in the late 70s.

 

Thanks. Added to my list.

 

Unknown Pleasures is the greatest by them.
My favorite on there is Day Of The Lords.

This live version I found on you tube is killer:

 

I'd buy everything you can, they're so great. But Substance next, for sure.

 

Well this is weird, I also picked up Over the Edge Recently. I'm not really into the that kind of music but I love that album. His guitar work is fantastic. Day of the Lords reminds me of The Doors. Brilliant track.

 

Great, truly great band. Inspiring and important music to me. One of my alltime favorites.
And yes, I have Unknown Pleasures tattooed on my arm
If anybody is on the fence of becoming interested about the band, get all the stuff you can, it's that great really.

 

This is worth grabbing. It's the 'RCA album' recordings, including early versions of some UP songs and both sides of the Transmission single, plus some earlier stuff from their 'Warsaw' days.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/473141?ev=rb

Not all of this is included in the excellent 'Heart and Soul' 4cd set, which is a really nice package.

 

Substance was my first purchase - the tie-in with NO's Substance is what got me interested. It's stunning how much of their best stuff didn't go on their two actual albums.

Also, the Corbijn movie Control on the essentials list? And Deborah's memoir Touching from a Distance?

 

Is everything from the 2 studio albums on that comp?

 

No, it's all non-album material.

 

Still rounds up the other non album tracks and has the final JD concert.

 

Check out the live album'Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979' for a raw energy filled session.

 

I have to admit that I also am late to the party. I recently got into Joy Division within the past year. 38 and my musical palate is bigger than ever.
Yes buy them all!!!

 

I like the film but I prefer the first half of 24 Hour Party People which basically covers the same story, but in a funny way.

 

Never too late. I discovered them in the 90s when these records came out on CD simply because they'd never been available on vinyl in my country and was immediately blown away by them. You have just bought two milestone slabs of the most important post-punk ever commited to plastic. Glad you're enjoying them.

 

There's been few topics dedicated to Joy Division here already:
Search Results for Query: joy division | Steve Hoffman Music Forums »

I had heard both UP and Closer-albums but my first bought thing of any JD was "Heart And Soul" boxset when I started to seriously get into them.
"Heart And Soul" is essential and perhaps best way to get into JD's gloomy world.
Then I started to collect few different editions of the albums on cd (older pressings, deluxe-editions) and vinyl (original pressings, reissues and remasters).
Also, I got somewhat nice and little comprehensive collection of live-shows (not bought any bootlegs, only shared and copied from other people).
Control is really good movie and so is the Jon Savage's 2007 documentary where the Joy Division is told by themselves, so I would recommend it.

I have the 3dvd edition of "Control", it has also the 2007 Jon Savage's Joy Division Documentary aswell the "24 Hour People"-movie and some bonuses too.


Nice to see people finding Joy Division, great band and welcome, you will be in for some nice treats!

 

Excellent live document, a must have for the complete picture of what they were like.
Also, if you just want to dive in, the Heart and Soul box is the way to go, collects just about everything you need in one place.

 

Was it this show, that I think there was some bootleg that sounded even better than the released version?
I might be mixing things, places and gigs here so apologies if I remember incorrectly.

 

There might have been (the Preston gig?), but I always thought this one sounded fine.

 

Right. Yes, I just checked some info and it's definitely like you said.
Just streaming "Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979" and it sounds good.

 

I'm always surpised someone never played it allready a long time ago, but maybe it's more telling my age.
I discovered Joy Division just AFTER their concert at Paradiso, Amsterdam, and I still hate myself for that.

 

It wasn't considered cool or "punk" to put singles on albums at the time - shouldn't rip off the fans into buying the same songs twice ! Factory records were generally above that sort of crass commercialism. How times have changed.

It wasn't until 1985 ("The Perfect Kiss") that JD/ New Order put a single on an album.