Joy Division
Joy Division represents everything that is good about the best music, design, art or architecture; they had an edge and most importantly, they did what they did because it was right for them.
l could trace the steps back forever to understand the beginnings of why l like the music l like but at some point you’ve just got to draw the line at a place that makes sense. My connection to Joy Division came through New Order. And without wanting to get too deeply into New Order now, l will say that the first time l heard Blue Monday, on the radio a life time ago, I immediately connected to the sound that was futuristic or at least, not bound by the past. But l will write about New Order another time because this story is focused on Joy Division, the precursor to New Order.
Joy Division members, Stephen Morris, Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner, Ian Curtis (left to right).
Joy Division formed in under the name Warsaw in 1976. As a side, another reason to love Joy Division was that their original name Warsaw was taken from the David Bowie song Warszawa. Another music hero, David Bowie. Joy Division change their name in 1978 to avoid confusion with London band Warsaw Pakt. After a few changes in band members through 1976-77, the Joy Division line up settled with Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Ian Curtis and Stephen Morris. The cloud of Tony Curtis’ death at 23 years old still shadows Joy Division but it shouldn’t distract from the progressive attitude of their music. Joy Division band members grew up in grime of 1960’s and 70’s England, at a time of Post punk and a pre-cursor to electronic trance and dance music heard everywhere today.
Ian Curtis, Joy Division.
Love Will Tear Us Apart is probably Joy Divisions most well know track and still sounds amazing almost 40 years after its release. The opening guitar is raw, keyboard melodic, drums basic and Ian Curtis’ vocals are almost spoken word, linking the sounds together, almost tribal. From the death of Ian Curtis, New Order was formed and from which they (New Order) released their debit single Ceremony (which Curtis wrote). Maybe its the grainy footage from the 1970’s but Joy Division also has had an aesthetic; black, white, grain, shadow and this was expressed in their imagery, their photos and album artwork. They married working class and future; a sense that there is more out there.
Artwork for album cover, Unknown Pleasures, 1979.
Strangely Joy Division isn’t music that is enjoyable to listen. It is not easy, background music but rather challenging and committed. Made before internet and mobile phones, Joy Division sprung from a time in which the youth ‘had a go’ because there was nothing else to do. 40 years on, this sounds like a good ethos to me.
SW.