Unknown Pleasures

8/10 odd production choices mar an otherwise excellent album (with an iconic cover) favorite song: She's Lost Control

6/10

eh

3.9 Used to love this album a lot more a few years ago, but i've always loved new order more. other than the big ones, the songs tend to get a little samey. Fave songs: Disorder, She's lost control, candidate, shadowplay

Couldn't get into it. 1/5

Honestly, don't love it. I quite enjoy a lot of Joy Division / New Order's music but I'm not obsessed with this record. A good amount of it falls flat with me. A great job but not entirely my vibe. My first three star.

I appreciate hearing Unknown Pleasures end-to-end to remind me that some of the most iconic artists of an era could deliver an uneven record. This album is excellent, but not without some warts and wobbly moments that tend to get erased with collections and greatest hits. Sometimes you only get some of the substance with those things and I understand why. This record is near perfect Joy Division.

I'm more of a New Order guy but this is not as grimly depressing as I remember 🥲

Nebolo to nepočúvateľné, ale strašne mi to brnkanie liezlo na nervy. Mohla by to byť 3, ale dám len 2.

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of this one. There are some fantastic songs (Shadowplay, Disorder, Interzone), but there is a lot of dud/fillers.

非我菜但是好听

Hits you over the head like a jackhammer, full of early 80s paranoia and fear. Sounds like the threat of nuclear war is looming, so what's the damn point of anything. If the aim of art is to impact the emotions of the audience, this is most definitely art. Not a great deal of nuance, but that's not what they were aiming for!

Star ratings suck

Not loving it.

The drums are clean. The lyrics are very 70s with repeating words. The album builds its drive in the first few songs.

YESSSSS.

Uhmmm also not my cup of tea. Kinda liked the sound in the album, but not the lyrics really.

3.5/5

Good but not great to me. I'd recommend to someone who enjoys this sound but personally I won't download it or listen to it again. 3/5

I wish I could have seen them play a live show

Amazing instrumals, terrible singer ruining the songs

если я захочу послушать альбом в одной тональности, я включу Брюса Спрингстина! (нет)

I am personally disappointed by this record. I had never heard anything from this band, but I have seen a lot of people wearing merchandising by them. I received good opinions about them also. So in one way or another, I had set very high expectations on this album. Maybe they were unjustifiedly high or maybe they are overhyped in general. Do not get me wrong, though. The record is not bad at all, and I really appreciate the sound they establish in this album. At some point the tones are too low for my personal taste, but that's just me again. Good and interesting listen.

Em va agradar més la samarreta. Una mica repetitiu, les cançons estan bé però no són res de l'altre món.

I just listened to some New Order and Closer which I’m sure is on here so super excited to get this one. I remember not liking this one the first time so interested to see how I feel now that I really like 80s new wave and gothic sound. After listening again, I respect this one more for how it influences the music after it. Don’t think I like as much as Closer or Power Corruption and Lies. It feels like post punk as a genre just getting its footing, Also has one of the best album covers ever. Rating: 4.2

One of the most iconic album covers of all time. Can't go wrong with this one, will be hard to not give it a perfect score. Love the variability of the emptiness that each instrument uses; there is always sound to listen to, but the back-and-forth between each part of the music makes it very interesting to pay attention to. The music videos paired with these songs are very 80's but in the good way; feel very fitting to the music being portrayed. Hard to believe this was made in 1979, has an extremely modern feel even by today's competitive standards. The number of other bands that this album influenced must be uncountable, it is so familiar. Wow, the last song, 'I Remember Nothing' is AMAZING. Sounds extremely similar to Swans. Loved it. Great album, nothing else to say.

Slow and dark sounding with druggy references TODO: become homeless and listen again

The quicker tempo pieces are what Like although I do really like the closer which may be the slowest song on the album. The sound when good is definitely unique and striking, other times I just find the depressing element too strong for me to want to hear those songs even all the way through that makes it hard for me to give it a 4.

Absolutely amazing album. One of my all time favorites. 5 stars easily.

Very moody blah which is the point but not for my purposes

Not their best album

Boring

Boring. But quality.

Heard many times. Truly a classic. Aged very well. Dark, danceable and genre creating. Ahead of it's time really. This reminds me of the Velvet Underground where a band proved all you need is good core songs and interesting instrumentation and you can define a unique sound. This on top of the fact that these guys had better chops than the velvet underground IMO. Ian curtis's very unique vocality. The reverbed/washed out instrumentation. Upon relistening, I found deeper cuts like "Insights" weird synth passages or "She's Lost Control" ear worm bass line more compelling on top of what I think are the better know songs such as "Disorder" which is one of my favorite opening tracks of any album or "New Dawn Fades" rocking guitar passages. The album really is the cover. A straight grid of white lines that turn into mountains. In the sense that you recognize all that went into this album in term so instrumentation and style but the way it's done makes the songs gargantuan in comparison to other acts still to this day.

3.5

A bit boring.

Pakkend maar niet iets waar ik nou echt blij van word of dat er echt iets word geraakt in mij

Interesting but too simple.

Love will tear us apart and disorder still stick out for me. An album that I’ve always wanted to love, but I never have been able to - except for disorder, a phenomenal and catchy song. It’s a little too dark for me and it can be challenging to understand the context that really makes this a revolutionary album.

I liked the sound, no songs really hit tho

Insane album. First 5/5

can't rate this too low for aeri purposes but also this had a vibe to it

made me wanna smoke a cigarette and call the 4 corners

it was a division of joy

ian curtis i get you...

i'm scared to rate this one low

seminal work for the goth girls and i get it! somehow, existential dread feels good in a place like this!

the voice and the intense longing for someone to pwease listen to his emotions do NOT match

i'm sorry aeri!!!!!! i can't help the inner claire in me!!!! i hate this man's voice! 😭

i will not listen to slander

Unique band release a unique album at a unique time. I know, I was there.

reminded me of my goth club days

Turn the reverb up to 11. Liked it pretty good.

Instrumentals were solid but didn't love the vocals. Could see it being an album that gets better the more you listen to it tho.

When I was a teenager I really tried getting to this album. I thought you either loved it or you stupidly didn't get it, and I was terrified I was the latter. After maybe 40-50 listens over the years, and caring a lot less about what other people think, I can happily say Joy Division are one of the most overrated bands out there. By far the worst album-rating-per-t-shirt sold ratio in the world. Disorders a great opener. And then it's 35 minutes of shite. 1.5*

One of the big things I've learned about myself over the last 470+ albums is that I didn't realize just how much I like punk but especially post-punk. While I am familiar with this album cover (does every Gen X dude own a t-shirt with it on the front?), I'd never listened to it before. I was excited to see it pop up this morning. Anyway, I definitely dig it. I'll be listening to it again.

Really basic

These guys make The Cure sound like Katy Perry. What a snoozefest.

First note....so many current bands attempting this same sound today. And failing. The Depeche Mode/Joy Division for me, has been settled. Joy division all the way. Added 6 of 10 tracks to 1001 Playlist. Could've been more.....

Another one where I knew a lot of the songs but never listened to the album all the way through. Thia really delivers something

wasn't for me -- not really my style

Disorder is great, Shadowplay is alright, the rest are just.... not good. I want to like Joy Division. But I don't.

Highlights: Disorder, New Dawn Fades. Overall: 8/10

English precursor of Sigur Roz

good album, but Ian Curtis' voice is a tad distracting.

Loved it. Totally awesome album. The percussion was complimentary to the whole album.

For a while I really thought this album was carried by disorder (which it still kind of is), but actually the rest of the album is really cool. still kind of mad at it for making me think all post punk was sad goth stuff

I hate that I keep giving 3's but nothing has really impressed me so far. Another album that was just okay, but wouldn't listen to it again.

got bored

Heard before: Yes Favourites: Disorder, New dawn fades, she's lost control Great stuff. Dark sound but dancey at the same time. Guitar and bass riffs so good and drums are unique.

Really not the kind of music I like, largely didn't stick with me like some of the other albums on this list, and actively made listening a bit of a chore, not any notable songs over the others they all kind of blended the same in my opinion; probably great to those that like the genre but definitely not for me

It’s good

Un grand classique, très efficace, du post-punk glacé et sophistiqué comme une dépression à Manchester, 5/5

Ah ben c'était top. Fait partie comme d'autres de cette liste d'albums que j'ai dû écouter littéralement plusieurs centaines de fois, mais à raison. C'est super de bout en bout, c'est dark et gloomy comme Manchester dans les années 1980, et pour autant ça reste de la très bonne musique. 5/5, et sans surprise ça sera pareil pour le deuxième s'il est bien sur cette liste (y'a intérêt)

Classic. One of the best Joy Division albums.

I respect Joy Division for being a stepping stone to what great music we have today.. With that being said, this music is horrible…

I know it's groundbreaking, but I just couldn't get into it on a full listen.

Like their album cover, the songs just kind of stack and blend together.

This is dark. This is beautiful gloom laced with an ounce hope. I have plenty of favorite moments on this fantastic record. My one and only issue is sequencing on side 1. I've seen the movies and documentaries suggesting it was all experimental production at Factory Records in the late 70's, etc - and for the most part it captures a feeling very well. Disorder - a great opener. You can feel the darkness, but see light in the distance - then you get slapped in the face with: Day Of The Lords - Too gloomy for a track 2 in my opinion. You've hooked the listener with a great opener and pull the rug right out from under them with this slow doom number. And then you have Candidate - talk about darkness. Light is no longer in the room and the chains are getting wrapped around your wrists at this point. All hope is lost. Insight - which I think would have benefitted the album at track 2 (only my opinion) It's a great step into the darkness, while light is still in the room - but you can feel it fading during the course of this song. New Dawn Fades - a perfect side 1 ender. Slow and interesting guitar chords underneath (actually on top of) typical and gloomy vocal delivery. Side 2 She's Lost Control - probably Joy Division's best song. hollow, dark and minimal with a fantastic build up at the end. A perfect S2 opener. Shadowplay - a song where the rhythm section stands out the most. The cymbal-heavy drums and opening bass riff (that continues throughout) make for the heaviest song on the album. I imagine metal bands like to cover this one. Wilderness - dark and kinda playful, both lyrically and (again) with that rhythm section. Repetitive guitar chords weigh this one down a bit, but it sets a great post-punk tone that the band would be forever known for. Plus, the song has a perfect ending. Interzone - the "punkiest" song on the record. Feels like they wrote and recorded this one while they were still called "Warsaw". Finally - I Remember Nothing. - Definitely an experiment in the studio. Ian Curtis is actually "singing" on this one (and not well). It is a great ender, due to the dark, minimal tone. Overall - put INSIGHT before DAY OF THE LORDS and it's a perfect album. the ART - I can't think of an album cover that sets the stage for the music within as perfectly as this world famous photo of Radio Waves (out of an Encyclopaedia of Astronomy) reverse engineered by Peter Saville. A very important album which I believe more people in the world are familiar with the cover art than the actual music... which is a shame. 10/10

Dark, spooky vibes. Hypnotic instrumentals and haunted vocals. First time I've heard Joy Division and definitely interested in checking out their other record.

Deep and brooding masterpiece

Not as big of a fan of this album than I thought i would be. Really enjoyed the title track but the album in general is really conceptual. Not a bad thing! Just not my cup of tea.

I would give this 6 stars if I could!

Al chile está bien aburrido.

It sounded good and I enjoyed it but didn't have much of a specific impression tbh and wasn't paying that much attention

Disorder is a classic. A few of the other songs tend to drag on. Definitely see how this band inspired a lot of punk sound in the 80's and onward. Listened to on a walk in October, definitely set the mood for spooky season. Overall more misses than hits.

First half I enjoyed much more than the second.

listened to this a long time ago and couldn't get into it this time around it's solid disorder new dawn fades she's lost control shadowplay transmission dead souls interzone

Oh, whatever.

Not that enjoyable to listen

One of my all time favorites already!

I thought the guitar was quite good in some of them, and the tempo matched, however some had a poor rhythm and I wasn't that keen on his vocals, so a solid 2.5/5

It quite melancholy and slow. It feels a bit like a shorter Swans album. The drumming has its highlights but no song really jumped out at me. 3.5/5

As others have mentioned, I never properly got the hype with Joy Division. Always thought they were good but not incredible. They should be my favourite band and they have certainly influenfed my favourite bands, but I never properly got them. Its been years since I’ve listened to this but I think I’m coming round to them a bit more now. Maybe it’s because time has passed and I still remembered bits of songs? Who knows. I think what possibly lets this down is the production value: sounds a bit sloppy at times. Yet at other times it sounds way ahead of its time - maybe the ‘loose’ nature is intended? If so, it’s not as successful for me as Atomiser by Big Black, who really nail that type of production for me. The entire record is full of great songs, just not executed great at times. Anyway, this is well ahead of its peers for the time, and I’m certain in a world of Sex Pistols and The Damned Id have been a Joy Division fan. Day of the Lords / Candidate / Shes Lost Control / Disorder are my highlights. Will definitely pay this one more attention

I don't really get Joy Division, feel like I'm missing something everyone else hears. Guess this is a bit like when Jack listens to the Talking Heads? They aren't bad, kind of thrown together 80s sad indie. Ian Curtis does sound pretty troubled and I think people probably have a deeper connection with it due to that. Nothing grabs me though. Don't understand where the mythical status comes from at all.

It was just a bit dull. I quite liked Shadowplay but many tracks felt like they never got going. Disappointed.

Thought this was okay but it's a bit too dreary for my liking. Has a bit of that New Wave sound to it which I dislike. The guitar work is the best thing about this album and I enjoyed it a lot more than Talking Heads. Highlights: Disorder Interzone

On paper joy Division should be right up my street... I do like them, but clearly don't get them like some people do. This seems to be a theme in the public reviews too. Would've heard this a lot growing up, my dad's favourite band. I definitely get it more now than I did as a kid Massively distinctive sound and voice. The off beat drums and bass are quality. Some of it is great, some not so much. The start of disorder gives me goosebumps, which is pretty rare Highlights: Disorder New dawn fades She's lost control Shadowplay

RIP Ian Curtis

I've always had a block on Joy Division. I've never listened to them until today. I had only read about them and every description includes the phrase "post-punk". To me that meant they were just like the Cure, Talking Heads, or The Smiths or something. I REALLY dislike those bands and that kind of music. I couldn't have been more wrong. I would give this album 5 stars just for Day of the Lords. It's the second track and I didn't even bother moving past it until I listened to it 4 times in a row. Awesome song! The entire album is now in my rotation and I'm a new fan.

very bad! oh my ears

Spooky and quite nihilistic. It's decent. Day of the Lords is a banger. Not all of the songs hit which makes for some lost momentum which makes me tune out. But it's definitely influential and one wonders what would have happened if Ian Curtis didn't take his own life. New Order may not have existed or would have come about in the 90s.

I was born in 1979 when this came out and never really got this album until I got way older. It was groundbreaking and I realized that some of my favorite artists today wouldn't be around if it wasn't for this album.

Growing up in Midwest, this wasn’t around much. Very much needed but not as widely known.

How much did I dislike this album? It was so much more than lead singers voice. But why go on?

It was like the moody punk rock of the 80s. There were a couple of good guitar riffs sprinkled in there.

Didn't do anything for me. It was ok, but still didn't enjoy it.

The late 70s UK music scene must've been so depressing if you had the slightest touch of taste, all these post-punk bands are just pure dogshit.

The cooler Daniel 😎

je ne pourrai jamais être elle (tumblr girl)

Contemporary classic that still holds up today. Beautifully haunting to its core.

Always have loved this. Most seminal of seminal albums!

I just really like Joy Division. It's the atmosphere, the rhythms, the sound of the instruments. It all just comes together for me even though I generally do not care much about the genre.

didn't download any songs, iconic imagery. had an intense hold on tumblr but does not have an intense hold on me!

Wasn't really my vibe, but I didn't hate it.

Sounds like the late 70s

A classic

Very strange album, not really to my taste. I don't really get it

This album would easily be a 4/5 if not for the awful vocal style. The music itself is fantastic and I really liked it. This is the second or third album of theirs that I have gotten and this is by far my favorite. So close joy division.

Lucid feelings make me feel heavy, screaming into my steering wheel as I drive I just wanna go home

/ Disorder - one of the greatest, if not the greatest, post punk songs. The drums, bass, and guitar will never not hit. / Day of the Lords- such a slick but bleak sound. Sounds like the moonlight reflecting off an oil stain on the pavement, like black paint running down a brick wall. /Candidate- the drum fills are cool. Extremely moody, make man wanna wear a suit and walk down an alley. Nice subtle yet unbelievably dark sound /Insight - the video game lasers going into the drums and chord progression were too good. Painful nostalgia vibe on it. Drum buildup in the last 45 seconds is heavy but I wish it would’ve had an explosive ending. /New Dawn Fades- dirty bass off the jump. Very cinematic. Preparation for war. Almost hypnotic guitar throughout the whole thing. Peter Hook and that bass are sumn else /She’s Lost Control- never been one of my favorites, but I get why it’s popular. Song does have a good drive on it, always moving forward. The middle instrumental section is really good, maybe I been sleeping on it. /Shadowplay- sounds like liberation but still has restraint. Damn good riffs on this. sounds like the shadows of a crowd on a dark wall. /Wilderness - crazy driving bass. Gives me slaughterhouse 5 vibes for whatever reason. /Interzone- super energetic, probably the most punk sounding one on here. Song feels like speed, driving on a dirt road in the dark /I Remember Nothing - Starting off slow, controlled, and dark. Super angsty yet cute vocals. I can feel the isolation and loneliness dripping off this track. Very subdued and angry closing track. >I can definitely see why and how this album is so influential. Every member brought their own aspect to the mood of the album and played off eachother beautifully. It perfectly captures the angst, anguish, and isolation of adolescence, but with some interesting political/societal lyrics. The album sounds like taking a stroll through the dark, wet city streets. Favs: disorder, day of the lords, insight, shadowplay Least fav: candidate Overall: 97/100

joy division is fucken awesome

Dark, schwer

my body likes moving to this. mum recommends more meditative music.

I guess I am going to add this to the list of "acclaimed records that everyone seems to love that I really do not get" the songs were fine, albeit a bit boring. you can see how influential this album really is, because so much music after it lifts sounds and feel from this album. the singer's voice i did not find compelling and at times it felt like a bad jim morrison impression. i see people find his vocal delivery to be meaningful and i do not want to detract from that, but it just felt off in a bad way for me. sorry! not for me. i want to give this album another listen sometime because it is just so acclaimed that there has to be something i am missing. for now, i just sort of shrug, hoping it will click in the future.

Flawless can be as boring as a diamond in a vault or as overwhelming as a Frank Auerbach landscape, and Joy Division’s debut is dead on the latter. While I respect how distinctive and groundbreaking Hannett’s production was, I prefer most of these songs on the posthumous official bootleg, “Les Bains Douches”, most especially Curtis’s coruscating Insight.

controversial perhaps, but I think this album is hugely over-rated; it sounds like nothing else and has an essential influence on modern studio techniques but doesn't really have many tunes. Joy Division were a great singles band!

I really wanted to be into this but I think ultimately not for me

Painful. And not in a good way. Boring. Sounds like dracula took a bunch of quaaludes. I will never trust that anyone could possibly enjoy this. They seem to also be responsible for influencing a lot of shoegazey british droning that came after it, and I really don't understand the draw. Anyone that says they like this has to be just feeling pretentious or something.

i hated this album as a teenager but now that i’m 25 and have had a small taste of life’s miseries i’ve really come around to it! great record.

Brilliant album, brilliant band.

Chill vibes, good background music

Really enjoyed Disorder and Day of the Lords. Got a bit bored during Candidate. The rest of the album become a blur other than She's Lost Control. Wild to think this came out in 79. My buddy said he'd prefer the album if it were instrumental and now I can't stop imagining that.

7/10 disorder, shadowplay, and she’s lost control stay groovy but day of the lords rlly dragged for me - very cohesive sound but maybe a bit too cohesive at some points

Good bass Cool guitar lines Don't like the singing much

Brooding, occasionally driving, occasionally dirgey.

Fantastic. Maybe goth is my new genre? Who knows. Much more subdued then what I'm used to, but the vibes were there.

Prima album heb lekker schoongemaakt met dit aan, vrij intens soms maar over het algemeen ook wel casual te luisteren

The tracks are as bland as the singers voice and delivery.

Unknown Pleasures indeed! Prior to this I didn't know this group existed and I have to say I liked it. I can see the linkage between this group and how it influenced future musicians.

Not for me.

Hubris alert. This reminds me of every garage band I started when I was at University. But in a good way. Wish I stuck with that. Maybe I could have been the next Joy Division.

AJ: pleasantly surprised. Maybe. I didn’t listen. Just a hunch.

Found it pretty bland on the whole, disorder and shadow play are great though

Dark and brooding, UP is a masterclass in post punk. Every track is dominated by both the drumming and the crooning of the late Ian Curtis, to brutal effect. A must listen album

Rating: 10/10

Captivating and strange. I'm not sure why I like this album, but I do. But if it took "Joy Division" to get us to "New Order", I'm OK with that. Ian Curtis was clearly a troubled and tortured soul, and this album proves it. But it's a good listen and definitely worthy of "the List".

ok

This is an album that has never personally clicked with me. If you’re someone interested in punk music this is considered a touch point, so I’ve listened to it many times before, but as always I’m just not terribly moved by it. However, I almost have to give it a good rating because of how important it is. It really sets out and defines a mood that would become so influential it’s impossible to ignore. I feel a bit plebeian saying it but other than a couple songs, I really don’t enjoy listening to this album.

The sound they captured is unreal, but it feels like they don’t know what to do with it yet. There are high highs, and a handful of meandering songs as well. The 4 star rating comes more from what they’re doing sonically, not so much from the compositions themselves

This is one of my lifelong faves but an album I haven’t listened to in a while. I have to say, parts of it don’t hold up like I remember. Candidate is kind of a dud of a track to have in the first few tracks, and the closing track I Remember Nothing has a melancholy crawl that doesn’t quite have the emotional pull to keep it engaging. That having been said, this is still a phenomenal record. I could go on and on and on…but I just want to draw attention to one moment in particular. On Shadowplay, there is the moment where the guitar switches from the low rhythm power chords to the lead part interlude between verses. It’s in this moment that the guitar truly embodies the loneliness and isolation that permeates this album, just a soft quiet lead part that sounds like a human cry for attention. It’s great stuff that really brings the record to life. I know this is nowhere near the musicianship or quality of production that would come with the later New Order record after Ian Curtis passed away, but what this album does have is unflinching sincerity. Ian’s vocals sound like they come from an old broken man, and it’s easy to forget he’s a 22 year old man at this point! Watching live videos it’s clear they’re all still novice musicians (Bernard Sumner can barely play the guitar parts live at this point) but they still worked their ass off to hit out of their weight class and make a weird, unique thing. All and all, it’s a very emotional and strange piece of music history that for the most part really holds up. It’s dripping with atmosphere and genuine energy. Very good, I still love it, but it’s not the perfect album I remember it being. Maybe their other record is???

The first track immediately made me think of Fred Armisen singing in "The History of Punk" skit, which I think speaks to the distinctive sound associated with punk (and SNL's ability to spoof it well.) Heading into track two, a bait and switch reveals itself...  nothing else on this album is punk. The album is interesting to hear as part of the cutting edge of a New Wave of music, but I lost interest somewhere in the middle of the album. By the last few tracks I was hoping it would just end already and let me move on to some Brian Eno or something to clear my ears. I'd probably enjoy it more as an instrumental compilation. Sorry, this is a solid, "meh" to me, but I offer the artists all respect for the road it paved for others.

I'm generally not a fan of what gets classified as "80s music" so this one didn't do it for me. However, it was fun to discover that they did the original version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" I first heard that song as a cover by Nerina Pallot and absolutely loved it; it's worth checking out.

I was kind of into it for the first couple songs, but I didn't hear much after that that made me want to come back.

Favourite tracks: disorder; day of the lord's; she's lost control

A bit too melancholic for my taste.

A great album 5/5 I love the melancholic atmosphere created by the bass and electronic drum sound.Ian Curtis’ vocals are amazing and the guitar licks are simple and memorable just like the album art.I love this album

10 out of 10, delightful record.

The prototype of industrial! A great representation of the genre, though not my favorite thing to listen to. Musically they are in a groove that they do very well

Disappointing, didn't hear anything remotely memorable. Wanted to not resort to the stereotype of characterising JD as dour, miserabilists but evidence is all there

Meh... Besides a couple of tracks (Disorder, Day of the Lord) the rest is a bit forgettable. The distortion is great though :D

Great opportunity to hear the whole album. I don’t quite get the appeal or the importance of this band but I’m glad the music exists.

I just can't seem to get into Joy Division. 2/5

I wanna rate it 0. Fuck this piece of crap of a band.

8.5/10

I was intrigued by this band name because I'm in a band called the Joy Collective. And yes, I had heard of them before but didn't know a single one of their songs, or had the slightest idea what they sounded like. Now that I've listened to this album, well... much to my disappointment, their music isn't very joyful. In fact, it's kind of depressing. Not to say there weren't a few songs I really liked and even related to. "She's Lost Control" even made me cry, because the lyrics were such that I was able to attribute intensely personal meaning to them that was probably as far from the writer's intended meaning as you could possibly get. Favourite tracks: She's Lost Control, Insight, New Dawn Fades

Całkiem spoko, fajny basik, trochę zwykły wokal, ale nie wsłuchałem się w tekst.

A bit boring, don't like the singer's voice

Pretty good album!

Very atmospheric and emotionally heavy. Really impressed by the production job, I’ve heard some Joy Division before but had no idea their live style was much closer to “normal” punk. A great example of how production can wildly change your sound. It’s quite a downer and none of the songs really hit for me, so I probably won’t come back, but it’s a fascinating and well-constructed album. Best song: She’s Lost Control

Felt kinda boring at first but then I got high and it all made sense. Not sure if the second half is really that much better than the first or if the weed just made me understand it better. Either way it deserves a second listen.

Music sounds ahead of it's time for 1979. I liked the upbeat songs more than the one's that droned on a bit. Some fun tracks in there, I liked Shadowplay. A few times, the singer sounds like someone's 60 year old uncle trying kareoke, kinda took me out of it. Interesting recording style, very echoey.

4 stars

4 stars

Disorder // Day of the Lords // New Dawn Fades // She’s Lost Control //

Not love at first listen

Second listen (actually listened to this for the first time very recently), although I really don’t have anything to say about it.

Sweet deep dark bliss!!

I feel like I should like this album but it just fell flat for me.

I could here so much influence on bands I listen to and love.

This sounds like a more recent alternative album. Pretty darn good album.

Love this. Read the 33 1/3 and also the oral history of Joy Division. Strongly recommend.

Ik ben geen fan. Sowieso niet van de stem (inluiding van de jaren 80 lijkt het), maar de rest van de muziek vind ik ook gewoon niet heel boeiend. Gewoon niet mijn ding. 2 sterren.

OK

i don't get this one... it's nice and i see why people like it but for me it just doesn't enthrall me at all. listened to this a bit before as well, had the same feelings. good performances all around, just isn't for me.

A Classic, stumbled upon it a little late but not too late

Never understood the hype.

Style over substance to be honest. I'm not sure why this album is considered so iconic

It's an alright album. It wasn't bad but not great. I didn't skip any songs. I will round up.

а что вы ожидали от меня?

Честно: первый раз я этот альбом послушал чисто на хайпе. Где-то классе в 9-10. Начитался каких-то чуваков в интернетах, что вот, хочешь быть трушным мрачным пацанчиком - послушай жой дивижн. Ну я послушал. Честно говоря, тогда я его совсем не понял: скудновато и старовато он звучал. Ну то есть - не выкупил стиль. Возвращаясь не раз потом к этому альбому, я всё больше втягивался в этот мрак и минимализм. Потом, когда начали хайповать всякие современные пост-панк группы в российском пространстве (Молчат Дома, Дурной Вкус), я начал проводить связи и осознавать, откуда ноги вообще у всего этого растут. Наверное, этот альбом - не самый идеальный с точки зрения продакшна и наполнения, но ему обязаны многие последующие альбомы этого жанра, потому что так не делал ещё никто.

Yks maailman hienoimmista äänitteistä! 5/5

Hieno on. Parhaimmillaan kaiuttimista kovalla, ei minusta oikein sovi kuulokkeille bändin tuotanto.

Ah t-paitalevy. Toimiihan se, 4/5

I've always been just a touch disappointed in this, the way some people go on about it. this as much as many people do. There's no doubting there's some masterful stuff in the band's short lifespan but it isn't all here. Some of it is. It's stuff like Candidate I can't quite get on board with, it doesn't seem to go anywhere. Also with Wilderness and Interzone where the soundscape is absolutely on point but the overall tune maybe just isn't quite. Stark contrast with New Dawn Fades which absolutely does go somewhere and is a masterpiece. As is She's Lost Control. Lots of proto-new order to enjoy here also, in Disorder. I'd give it a 5 if the non-album singles were here instead of a couple of tunes.

Entiendo porque esta. Es raro, pero medio hipnótico. No se, me gustó el estilo pero se quedo un poco corto musicalmente. Lo tendría que escuchar de nuevo.

El post punk no es lo mío.

Hopelessly miserable, dark, sparse and depressing. It gave me sorrow. Would not listen again. I am not sure about how to rate it, because if I wanted to be desperately unhappy, I would go here. It is a musical feat to compose and arrange music so bleak.

Listened Before? Y Amazing album. Universally loved. I'm no exception. There are a few rough spots but not many. This one influenced a generation of new wave and goth fans. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Disorder

It's good for a few songs, but they start to blend together for me after a while. Sounds like one, long sad song.

I liked it better on a second listen but still nothing really hooked me.

Gloriously and perfectly grim and moody, but the whole album is a lot to take at once.

My first listen through this album was a bit of a slog. I made it. The next day, I tried again and it wasn't so rough. Because it was so short, I even got a third round in. It didn't improve any over the second listen. So, it amounted to a little less rough than a bit of a slog for me... When I returned to try to pinpoint a favorite track...so this would be a 4th time in fewer than 24 hours, I hardly recognized most of it.

Yep, that's Joy Division. Lots of bass and talky-singing. It's not something I'd choose to listen to but I don't mind it.

Did I need another album from the paradoxically-named Joy Division? I’m not sure. Still, I did play this while working on a construction project and it repeated three times and I was starting to feel it a bit more. Still a bit more misery than I might generally gravitate toward in my music but that third listen rounds this up to a 4.

Really love the way this album starts. Great energy. Didn't keep me engaged as much as it went along. I'd revisit if in a particular mood.

I don't really even know what to feel here. Maybe it was something on my end, but I left this album feeling empty. It felt like some songs would go on forever, despite only being a few minutes long, like time wasn't moving properly. I just had a weird feeling the whole time I was listening. I feel like the album didn't click for me. I mean, I understand why it would be cool for the time and why people would like it, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. That sucks, because I do want to like it. I assume I'll listen to it again when I'm older and finally understand it. My favourite song was Disorder.

Adding to the rotation.

mora biti baš taj trenutak da ovaj album bude top topova, inače meni je Closer draži, ali opet ne vidim razlog zašto bi dao manje od 5, iako bi dao negdje 4+.

Just kinda funky and weird

This is pretty sick 2 tracks in. Its a heavy goth ambient record, see She's Lost Control. Pretty cool!

Alright, no bangers.

What makes this album so great is that the full on desperation is kept on a tight leash. Constantly threatening to explode but just keeps desperately pulsating. Make sure not to miss the amazing live version of Shadowplay on the collectors edition.

it was fine.

When will it end? It got worse as it went on. So dark and blah. not for me

I don’t know which I like more, this or Closer. Both are classic post-punk albums, I got nothing critical to say about either. Listening to Joy Division, I’m always so impressed with how tight they are, the drums are so clean. The whole record is great, Interzone is an under appreciated track of theirs. This is another easy 5 for me

What an amazing album!

The album from the T shirt meme!! We did it folks. It's softer and more melancholy than I remembered but I guess that's post-punk - I get more predecessor to Thom Yorke than I do contemporary of the Sex Pistols. Personally doesn't resonate much with me, I can't honestly call it a truly enjoyable listen but I get why it would be included here.

What an album. Disorder is one of the strongest debut songs of all time. Those drums, the live wire bass line, the lyrics - outstanding. New Dawn Fades, She’s Lost Control, and Shadowplay is a killer sequence. The only thing you can ding this album for is its bleakness - it’s not something you want to listen to on a sunny day. But that’s part of the fun. Essential listening, easy 5.

Definitely darker that a lot of punk I've heard. It still has the simplicity of punk in terms of instruments but the sound is darker and more complicated than I'm used to. I mostly liked it

One of the all-time rock tragedy stories. But this is all about the music and this is magnificent. Dark, brooding, post-punk doesn't get any better than this. The heavy influence of Bowie's Berlin work (and by association, Iggy Pop) is apparent, but Joy Division amps up the sense of dread and closed in feelings to 10. It all works and the second greatest tragedy (after Ian Curtis' death) is where they would have gone after this.

Dark and somewhat depressing. I like the New Order version of this band better.

I had never heard this before and liked this a lot more than I expected to. The opening track was my favorite.

dark, disturbing, unique - great stuff though!

Gave it two listens and couldn't connect with it. Music is ok as background music, vocals made it hard to engage with the lyrics. Might revisit at a later date, but a 3 for now.

Not one of my favorites, but an influential early new wave record.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Interzone (9) 2 - Disorder (1) 3 - She's Lost Control (6)

-already i like this joy division album better than the last one i listened to -i’ve heard disorder before -favorites: disorder, wilderness -idk this stuff is moody but not in a tickle my brain way -im trying so hard to like joy division i really am -idk. like this music is a little dull to me -i do like it better than the other one tho DEFINITELY

4.5 stars. Creative basslines, catchy guitar riffs, steady drumming, this album derives a lot of it's feel and mood to the production which creates a dark and eerie, atmospheric sound. Only Joy Division record before death of front man Ian Curtis and spinoff of New Order. Standout is the leadoff "Disorder" which is phenomenal.

I like Joy Division and New Order.

This album is good, but I don’t adore it like many do. Maybe I don’t appreciate its importance in music history, idk. 7/10

I love this album entirely

Está bueno, tiene sus cosas, pero es muuuy igual todo el disco. Termina cansando.

Dark, poetic, silencing. Pure beauty. Album reflects the days of Thatcher and Reagan and their croonies. Youth unemployment, nuclear arms race, social welfare being slaughtered, trickle down economy.

Cliche to say but there's no skips here. Easiest 5/5

Pretty damn good. "Insight" was my favorite, but I liked the overall sound and mood of these tracks.

I own this on Vinyl! Now that I've established my superiority, this is such a fucking great album. Also Peter Hook is a fantastic bass player, New Order's "Age of Consent" was one of the first songs I was able to figure out on bass without any sort of chart. It just so happened to be by complete accident trying to come up with some cool riffs and it caught my ear because I recognized it. Now that is technically a different band, but my connection to the music stands. I have heard the songs on this album so many times that nothing on it surprised me in how good it was. But it just holds up so much better than most of the post-punk albums of the late 70s. I will say the same as I did on my review of Joy Division's Closer, it should be a crime that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was never released on an album. This is just such a fucking good listen! 5 stars every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

A dark crooning album mainly because the lead singer had such a distinct deep voice. I never listened to Joy Division until recently and found their music to be hauntingly nice. The band was short lived and this album is known for being great. Shadow play was a song by the killers I always liked and found this version equally great. I find it good and the instrumentals are solid. This is a stronger version of the band than New Order. Overall this is solid and will get replays. 7.8/10

Bit samey towards end but very soothing, class drums throughout some nice synth as well. Just scrapes a 4 no higher

Poor Ian Curtis... 23 years old!

Great, even though it peaks with the first 2 songs

If I could vote 6/5 I would

classico e tals mas nao curti muito, som meio monótono

This is the number one album that just doesn’t click for me.

This is an influential yet awful album. I hadn't listened to it in ten years — while I never really loved the album, I definitely don't like it now.

Wow this was 1979. This is a good album and one of the OG's for the post punk sound.

I think the words I used to describe the other Joy Division LP, the one released after this, were dark, moody, disturbing, etc. Same this time around. I was thinking the song-writing here wasn’t as good, but it picked up as we headed to side 2, with songs like “She’s Lost Control” and “Shadow Play”. Ian Curtis had such a great voice, as is the interplay with Peter Hook’s bass hooks. A definite blueprint for decades of gloom to come.

Simply an iconic album, and cover. It’s astonishing that a bunch of 20 something-year-old kids could have such vision, because they basically created a new genre - post punk and could be so influential for the music yet to come. I think the only other band that can rival them in this genre would be The Cure. Also credit must be given to Martin Hannett for his brilliant production. No band ever sounded like this before - the haunting vocals, the reverb on the drums and death spiral guitar and bass. This band also is remarkable for its evolution into New Order which was a completely different kettle of fish. And did I mention that album cover - one of the greatest ever. Now if I could only find that T-shirt I bought over 40 yrs ago

The "unknown pleasure" was not listening to this album. What the vocalist lacks in skill he does not make up for in passion. I'd say he needs a bucket to carry the tune but buckets aren't good at carrying keys. Instrumentals are fine but I can hear the same, similar, or (usually) better sound from any garage band or subway station one man band busker

It's okay; not one of my favorites. I liked it a little better than Bob Dylan though

Enjoyable

Eh, I remember liking this more than I actually do.

I like it a lot. Not much to be said that hasn’t already been beat to death. Not my favourite genre typically but this album excels. Certified classic.

album notes got deleted >:( but great atmosphere created 5/5

Instant 5 stars.

I enjoyed this album more than I expected, but was it enough to make me dig out the Unknown Pleasures T Shirt my auntie unknowingly bought me? Nah. A bit too droney for my taste.

Warsaw in manchester

W album listened to some of it while running 🤪

what’s left to say? A masterpiece from start to finish - production, the driving bass and guitar, brilliant drumming and an amazing vocal performance. Best tracks: disorder, new dawn fades, she’s lost control

- Heard this album many times before - Classic - Not ideal for a Monday morning, but perfect for this type of music - Fav songs: Disorder, She's Lost Control, Shadowplay

Favorite songs were "Disorder" and "I Remember Nothing"

There are parts I love but they don't seem to mesh into something I truly dig. The music is awesome, I like Ian's singing style - I felt Morrison vibes at times, which I like. Perhaps will give it a few more listens.

Undeniably one of the most influential and one of the best albums ever made. Perfect album cover as well 10/10

I've heard to so many albums and adjacent to this through this project that I was honestly surprised I hadn't actually listened to this one yet. I feel like I've read about the short life and unhappy end of Ian Curtis half a dozen times while following Wikipedia articles around on prior albums and artists. As well, I've been seeing this album's iconic graphic since my tweens. So with all this build up... as with a lot of this genre, I'm kind of underwhelmed. Certainly it is foundational and ahead of its time, but foundational of what? A whole lot of British mopecore, with that vocal thing... Maybe the real gold is in the lyrics, I didn't listen to this with absolute attention. But at the end of the day I think it's just not my thing.

Love it! The bass is awesome, really drives the music while the guitar layers weirdness on top. Goes downie sounds a lot like the singer.

Cool album art. New Dawn Fades was pretty good, but idk I just don't think I'm a fan of this guy's voice. Ok the next song confirmed, not a fan.

One of those albums that I’m just not sure why it’s on the list. Nothing terrible, but uninspiring.

The best thing happened to this band was eventually becoming New Order

Not nearly as good as I was led to believe. I see a lot of comments about so and so being a genius, but nothing to back it up.

Shit

Det var slet ikke mig.

What a tragedy that this is the only Joy Division album Ian Curtis lived to see. His raw expressions of alienation and sadness set a new, glittering standard that alt bands are still copying today.

I'm deligthed by this record! Now, I'm listening to it while I work and it calms me down a lot.

Unknown pleasures - Joy Division: disorder - 4/5 day of the lords - 3/5 candidate - 2.5/5 insight - 3/5 new dawn fades - 4/5 she's lost control - 3.5/5 shadowplay - 3.5/5 wilderness - 3/5 interzone - 3.5/5 I remember nothing - 2.5/5 favs: disorder new dawn fades she's lost control interzone

Brilliant

Dark and droney and much more powerful on headphones.

A moody post punk album that’s been very influential in the genre. I need to be in the mood to enjoy Ian Curtis’s vocals but love the instrumentation. The rolling drums and plucky bass high in the mix is quite catchy.

Good in places, mediocre in others.

Really good rock album. Fun to dance to.

Pretty cool album. His voice kinda sounds like Jim Morrison’s but without the ability to do the scream vocal

- There's something in the production of Joy Division I just don't hear in anything else. It's so dark in tone but so light in weight. I don't even know if that makes any sense. Joy Division might be what you get if you went through a list of what I love in music and created a band from it. Yearning vocals; production which simultaneously sounds like they've spend hours crafting the perfect sound but also sounds like they've just struck up a bunch of shit instruments in the house next door and you're hearing it through the walls; clever use of repetition; over a shifting background; careful use of effects but basically still four people with guitars and drums singing about their lives. I've talked a lot on albums that the context of the album sometimes makes it more important than the music itself. This is one of the albums where both things are huge. Everything about this music and the context and story behind it feels huge. Sitting in here in my adopted city of Manchester it feels even bigger. There was no way this was ever gonna be less than 5 stars.

Found Joy Division late and love it. Great sound and album. Shadowplay is one of my top 50 songs

Kanskje karakteren er påvirket av to dager på rappen med Joy Division? Jeg likte godt Closer, jeg liker dette enda bedre. Instrumentene er enkle, men aldri kjedelige; hovedvokalistens stemme er monoton, men fortsatt interessant. Jeg nikket i takt i 40 minutter, heldigvis er nakken ikke støl. Mine høydepunkter: Shadowplay og She's Lost Control

faggot shitter

A cross between Nick Cave and Jim Morrison, not too sure how I feel about this as yet, interested to save most of the album into a post punk playlist, I guess good enough that I made a playlist so it has that going for it. I'll have to listen to it some more and might change my mind later.

Joy division- They have a thing with the minimal guitar and bass parts. They kind of compliment eachother well but also rub with tension too. I could hear their influence on frusciante and flea. I really didn’t like the vocals. The melodys are not good, the tone is bad, and he’s out of tune a lot too. Disorder- wow those are some bold note choices in the bass, actually my favorite part of the song perfect example of “wrong but strong” Didn’t like the next two songs at all Insight-cool synth toms Shadow play- vocals sound like David Byrne trying to sing like Jim Morrison in the worst way Wilderness- cool bassline and intro. I like the reverb and delay on the drums I remember nothing- I like the ominous vibe and textures of the instrumental and sound effects but the vocals are soooo out of tune. 1.5

Candidate and I remember nothing are possibly the worst vocal performances in recorded history. Day of the lords reminds me of Alvin’s sludgefest. I hated this record. 1.1

How boring.

I lowkey forget this album because I listened to it a while ago, but it was pretty good. kind of overrated tho.

overrated oops

Wtf same band. Oh shit, Disorder is a song on skate 3 i think. me likey. Might even actually save this album, i like it.

I absolutely love how focused on the bass is in this album, often being the main part of a song, and it makes it so even the songs I don't like as much are still fun to at least bop your head to at various speeds. I was worried I would end up not liking this album too much, as I got their second album already and I figured they had honed their craft more at that point, but this was far more enjoyable. I liked the manic energy that I assume spawned from the punk influences, but the dreary sound makes it so each song doesn't really sound the same, which is my main issue with a lot of punk albums. A really solid four, and I imagine re-listens would only help its cause.

This album makes Closer seem even more haunting. Even the tone in Ian Curtis' voice is noticeably brighter throughout this album, and the lyrics aren't even close to being as self-tortured. That being said, a lot of the music didn't grip me as much as I'd have liked. It was definitely good, but not one of my favorites. Favorite track: Day of the Lords

I never cared for these guys. I don't like the vocals or the sensibility. Very depressing stuff.

Strange, that despite the ubiquitous artwork, I didn't know any of the songs on this album except She's Lost Control. Pretty good though

I really enjoyed this. Way better than the previous Joy Division album on this list (Closer). So much so that I had assumed (wrongly) it was the earlier of the two. This album is much more accomplished and the band sounds more confident. I wonder what went wrong with the second album? But apparently everyone else in rock-critic world has it the other way round, so I must be wrong again.

Less musical and more of a dirge than their best albums

eihän siinä menny kun pari tuntia että löyty sopiva rima... noh LIIAN KORKEALLA! tiiäkkö miltä tuntuu ku kokelee.. NO PELOTTAA... pelko iskee... pitääisi maa olla heti siinä että hypyllä pääsee ylös.. ei ollut PITI KIIVETÄ.. ei siinä uskalla mitään temppuja tehdä.. ja mutenki jaksa talvella kylmällä. kesällä sitten, kun oon siellä. auta yhtään mihinkään tollanen muutenkaan, pelkkä show trikki semmonen... candidate

I don't have much to say about this one, it's an incredible album but obviously quite dark! I have to be in the right mood to listen to it the whole way through.

Love this album, Want the t shirt. Love the emotional intensity and brooding darkness. Just brilliant stuff.