Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Atrocity Exhibition
2. Isolation
3. Passover
4. Colony
5. Means To An End
6. Heart And Soul
7. Twenty Four Hours
8. Eternal
9. Decades

Disc 2:

1. Dead Souls
2. Glass
3. Means To An End
4. Twenty Four Hours
5. Passover
6. Insight
7. Colony
8. These Days
9. Love Will Tear Us Apart
10. Isolation
11. Eternal
12. Digital

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8728 in Music
• Released on: 2007-09-17
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered

CD Description
Remastered and expanded version of Manchester band Joy Division's seminal 1980 album. Produced by Martin Hannett, the album is an aural patchwork of dark Mancunian post-punk, matched by the dark lyrical subject matter of Ian Curtis. Includes the tracks 'Isolation', 'Atrocity Exhibition' and 'Passover', as well as a bonus disc of live material.

Customer Reviews

redefining what music could do
Joy Division have recently been at the hands of a critical resurgence, aided by the Anton Corbijn film "Control", the "Joy Division" documentary, the namechecks from the large number of up-and-coming-bands who will never be as good as Joy Division, and the recent messy split of NewOrder. This then, is an ideal opportunity for the band to rectify the unsatisfactory original CD releases, and follow the latest trend for deluxe editions by adding extraneous live material (one can hope that a similar attempt occurs with the New Order releases to ensure the more obscure ends of their catalogue are made available in digital form).

"Closer", the second LP, and Joy Divisions final actual album, came a mere 11 months on, but the difference isn't merely time, but distance. Since the debut, the band have moved on from the frozen wastes to a glacial desperation. Curtis - plagued by ill-health, domestic strife and infidelity, has become ever more entrenched in his battle against life. Musically, Hannett's production is stronger than the debut - the drums no longer sound like blocks of ice but a fierce, clipped military power keeps the rhythms barely in restraint. As was the bands preference this album does not feature the 'big hit' singles (buy a copy of "Substance" or "Heart And Soul" to get those), but instead 9, seperate standalone tracks which will be barely familiar to the casual fan. Opening with the escalating "Atrocity Exhibition", the album - and it is an album, a suite of songs designed to operate together as a cohesive experience, not just a bunch of songs in some dumb order - move the listener through all manner of emotional crevices before the final strata. Clearly, this is the song of a band at some kind of precipe. It's easy to retrospectively fit this, and claim it be Curtis' suicide note, but in reality, like "In Utereo" it's no such thing. It's the sound of the eternal struggle between what we want life to be, and what it actually is. The album draws to a close with the harrowing trilogy of "Twenty Four Hours", "The Eternal", and "Decades" : as if the fight has gone out towards the end of the record, the music draws to a haunting keyboard motif that gently fades into nothingness. Possibly in fact, the most poignant closing song on any album of all time.

As per "Unknown Pleasures", the second disc contains a live recording (taken from London's ULU during the Closer sessions), and reflects the bands ethos of the time. A well honed, near-fierce aural assault played by committed, passionate, troubled men. As one could expect, the sound of the time, and the limitations of the technology are such that the live experience doesn't reflect the latest in audio standards, but captures the spirit and feeling of the time (as much as I can tell) accurately. The recording is by no means a stunning example of audio fidelity, but it provides a snapshot of an evening in the groups life. Good value for money, definitely.

Five stars - what else?
If you are reading this, you probably already know Joy Division. But for good measure:

Joy Division was a post-punk band, and among the most trend-setting bands for the genre called 'new wave'. Their style was dark, monotonous and gothic in the correct semi-religious sense of the words.

Most of the dark experimental rock of the 80's owed allegiance to this band - such as The Sound and The Cure (before they became a disco band).

While many people I've met tend to regard the album 'Unknown Pleasures' as 'the best', I have a personal preference for 'Closer' which can arguably be seen a the most melodious and transcendent of their albums. The final track 'Decades' is, in my opinion, one of their most original and beautiful. (My other personal favourite being 'Atmospheres', originally released as an EP and found today only on compilations).

Whether you like this band or not, it is one of the most important bands of its decade, just as The Doors (from which Joy Division has obvious inspiration) was in the 60's.

So a remastered reissue can only be recieved with five stars, unless you simply want to put down something that made a difference and did it well.

This edition includes a bonus CD with tracks that you had to find on bootleg records at the time. It will probably mostly be interesting to fans. The real important stuff is the original 'Closer' album. But the extras are not a bad thing at any rate.

Wallow in the melancholic wonder!
Joy Division are probably an acquired taste and are a bit like Marmite in that you either love them or hate them with not much in between. If you like introverted, deep, meaningful and an insight of what a depressive would write and record just before his death (Ian Curtis) then you are not really getting into what this album is like. The remastered version brings to life the old vinyl and I still love this record. Heart and Soul is my favourite JD track and started side two of the original record with that fantastic drum and (synth?) bass fade in. There are times when you can be in the wrong mood to enjoy this record but if you are in the right one, sit back and wallow in the melancholic wonder.