Reviews (page 13 of 15)
not bad, i like their earlier stuff more now because of the vocals
first listen meh
Post-punk immortality. Cold, callous, cunning, claustrophobic. Perfect.
Kept liking it less as it went. Started as cool mix between interpol and depeche mode, ended as a bit of a chore. Why does everyone wear this shirt?
Need to listen again
This album has a really comfortable sound, like an overcast day waiting to rain. It generates atmosphere and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Very enjoyable.
Did not like this
This is another album that I was introduced to by the No Dogs in Space podcast, and if you like this album, I would recommend checking out their series on Joy Division. This is one of those albums that seems weird at first, but gets more comfortable the more that you experience it, at least in my experience. It's an absolutely revolutionary album for 1979, and is one of the many great albums that marks the close of that decade. The slow fusion of punk rock and electronica that occurs through out this album is so interesting. The drumming sounds like a drum machine at so many points. The raw emotionality of the lyrics bring real depth to the album, and provide the perfect compliment to the music 5/5, an absolutely iconic album in so many ways
felt like regular 70s rock at first with monotone vocals but got better as the album went on. unexpectedly proggy and experimental?? comes out pretty good overall, prob not one i'd come back to often tho. 6/10
Joy divided by zero. Horrendous, I think there's one track on there that I could classify as a song.
I guess it's really just not my jam. Non of the songs really jumped out at me and the whole album kinda just felt like a boring drone
Excellent excellent album. Only listened to a very small amount of Joy Division before. What i learnt listening to this is that so many bands i like that came after Joy Division borrowed so much of their style. Just everything here is great. The singing, the heavy atmosphere. Just great
Joy Division were one of the bands me and my friends loved whilst growing up. This still sounds fantastic, but I always rated their second album, ‘Closer’, as their masterpiece.
The songs are amazing, the album cover iconic, and the band at it's height. What's not to love? This is Joy Division at it's best and the beginning of punk/new wave's transformation into what the 80s will be.
I liked the most popular song Disorder. The album was kind of drony. I usually like that sound but here it was just generic to me. Overall in a style I enjoy but nothing remarkable to me. I imagine this album influenced a lot of stuff I like but it's simply too old.
Definitely need to listen to with good sound staging headphones, sounds wild
wonderful
A couple of nice Joy Division stereotypical songs start the record, then comes the hard-to-hear vocals on top of some decent dirge... then a few more pretty good songs. I'll add the first few cuts to my library but won't add the record.
Seems like the parent of the Sonic Youth album I rated a few days ago but slightly easier to take.
I'm in a good mood today. IDK if I typically give this a 4 but it just felt right this morning. So sad this band ended so soon but at least they spawned another great band.
Where's the Joy? This album was pretty depressing.
I have never heard anything by Joy Division, though I've heard of them. There were a couple of good tracks, but the rest was just kind of depressing to listen to, not really to my taste, mostly because of the vocals. Favorite track: Interzone
not really my vibe, but I've seen this album cover on t shirts my whole life without really knowing what the music sounded like. I'm glad I know now! very broody teen.
Pretty shit. Like 2 good songs
For a long time I hadn’t heard any Joy Division but I suspected they might be a bit depressing. And they totally are. But maybe that’s the point. I couldn’t get excited about any of this though. It almost becomes ok in a couple of tracks but then returns to subdued bleakness.
One of my favorites
I really wanted to like this album more, but I found to be a little too dark for me. I like the guys voice and I like a few songs. I mean you can feel his energy when he sings, but just didn't quite get there for me. Really enjoyed first 2 songs, Disorder and Day of the Lords, but then it took until Shadowplay before I found another I enjoyed. I think this is an album you would enjoy when you are shrooming....maybe.....and maybe not, due the darkness of this album. I was surprised this was from the late 70's and happy to listen, but not much I would download although Day of the Lords was catchy to me. I'll rate a 3. I was expecting a little more..... 3
Unknown Pleasures is like the "Requiem for a Dream" of music in that it's great and groundbreaking but I don't like to experience it often. The sorrow and the dreary sounds make me feel like I'm listening to an iceberg turned into music. This album differs from Closer in that there are moments that almost maybe sound hopeful whereas Closer has no hope. No positivity left to give. 3.5
5 Come on, it’s Unknown Pleasures. I’m not sure that I have much to say about this one that hasn’t already been said a million times already, but I’ll take a stab at it. This album isn’t like anything else I’ve heard, nor something I think anyone else had heard prior to its release, yet its influence is still felt in music today. You could argue artists like Siuoxsie Sioux and Kraftwerk helped pioneer the bass-driven gothic sound we associated with post-punk today, but Joy Division was truly the band that popularized and expanded it, and I think much of new wave and even modern indie has them to thank for that (if you want say New Order too, sure, but same diff). And much of that success and influence I think can be chalked up to the sheer talent of the band - Ian Curtis, brilliant lyricist, and while not everyone’s cup of tea, iconic vocalist. At the forefront of the goth and emo subcultures, I think it’s fair to credit Ian as among the first frontmen to sincerely utilize melancholy and personal anguish into popular music (yeah yeah Brian Wilson whatever). Sadly, we all know where that story goes - if you haven’t seen his biopic Control, I’m going to plug it again here, but know what you’re getting into. Continuing on, Bernard Sumner is also an incredibly talented composer and frontman by his own merit, and I think a large chunk of New Order’s identity and success comes from him. Peter Hook is an absolutely insane bassist, and his development to the aforementioned bass-driven sound really helped lay groundwork for numerous genres and artists even today, with his recent contributions to Gorillaz being a case in point of that. And finally, shoutout to Stephen Morris for a technical ability so good it almost sounds like a drum machine (though it may actually have been on later New Order releases…) Not just a great album, but probably one of the most important ones out there. Disorder is one of the greatest songs ever written, though She’s Lost Control, Interzone, and Shadowplay are also personal favorites here - if you haven’t heard The Killers’ cover of that last one, I would strongly recommend giving it a listen. Honestly though, every track is great and flows perfectly into the next, creating an immersive and broody atmosphere unlike anything else. Like it or not, this is a mandatory listen for any music fan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-KvyKNSV7U
Post punk New Wave classic short and punchy right to the point
Excellent album. Jagged, dark, mournful, forceful guitar music with mild industrial electro on occasion. More deep, existential and serious than the 80s goth movement that it spawned. True nihilist post punk. Musical, lyrically unique and quietly compelling. Think grey, hopeless, northern, gruelling, yet - despite what The Wombats want you to believe - actually quite good to dance to.
Alrighty. So I must admit that although I do enjoy Joy Division's music generally, I have more love for the punk music scene of the 70's than the 80's melancholic post-punk movement. Frankly I just find it to be a bit dull. Unknown Pleasures is Joy Division's debut album, and I can honestly say that I certainly find it innovative. It clearly showcases the band's unique sound, but ultimately, in my opinion, it falls short of its potential. The album is a dark and brooding exploration of depression, anxiety, and isolation, which is conveyed through Ian Curtis' haunting vocals and the band's driving, post-punk instrumentals. However, some tracks lack the necessary energy and diversity to keep the listener engaged throughout. Overall, while I wouldn't consider Unknown Pleasures to be a masterpiece, it's still worth a listen for fans of the genre or those interested in exploring the roots of alternative music. Or for those who bought the t-shirt and actually want to be able to tell people that they've listened to the album - though it doesn't seem to be a prerequisite nowadays.
I've always really loved this album and Joy Division in general. Really solid songwriting and sound, though I see the band's issue with the production not being a powerful as they'd like compared to their live sound. I was waffling between a 4 and 5 on this one but since there's no 4.5, I'm gonna have to round up to 5. New Order is great but I wish we could have heard more from Ian Curtis and Joy Division as well because I feel like they were just getting started. Bonus: some of the coolest album art out there. Standout Tracks: Disorder, Day of the Lords, Insight, She's Lost Control, Shadowplay, Interzone
they should put this album cover on a t-shirt
A masterpiece, one of my favourite albums of all time.
I get where this album has been influential to other albums and artists I do like. But this album isn’t just sullen. It’s boring.
Not the happiest album out there.
I listened to this one twice, and I'm glad I did. Probably the most recognised and celebrated album cover for a group of seldom celebrated songs. I appreciated this the second time through. Some great production and some heartfelt content. On the cusp of post punk and ready to shape something new, Joy Division we're finding a place and have etched a spot in music history. I'll never really love this, but others who lived it the first time were there for something special. The tapestry of music-time is wonderful.
I gotta be honest, Joy Division got better later on. A bit glum for me.
Seminal album
Oh no. How could they do this to me? 15 minutes before I leave for work on a cold cloudy Manchester Monday morning this pops up. Bleak, industrial, grandiose and intensely emotional, this is the genius of Ian Curtis and Martin Hannett together with the style of Peter Saville and Factory producing an album inside and out that still resonates today. My favourite album. Always has been. There's no pose and total integrity. This is one of the elite.
Pretty good
Not really been a fan of his vocals, but I like the music.
Album sympa mais mal enregistré, l'ingénieur son n'arrive pas a séparer les instruments et parfois c'est un peu un cafarnaum
ntm guillaume PREFS : TOUT MOINS PREF : RIEN
Moody as hell. Nihilism manifest.
Post-punk. Un tanto repetitivo. Ni fu ni fa.
I want to buy this vinyl
It's alright, but not really my cup of tea. I sort of feel like this is the type of music Jim Morrison would have been making if he had been around in 1979. 3 stars.
Jesus christ this was bad. One of those bands you assume have bare good tunes but this was 10 songs of absolute dreary dog poo. Potentially the crappest album so far no 🧢
The meme cover album! Very moody. Headman sounds like Stan Marsh at times. Not a big fan.
The first time I've listened to Joy Division besides that track in Donnie Darko. There's much more distortion than I expected and that's a good thing. For me, a lot of this album functionally does the same thing as bands like early Queens of the Stone Age or CAN--gives me solid droning rock but it's a bit less radio friendly. Favorite tracks: She's Lost Control, Shadowplay Least favorite tracks: Candidate, Insight
Best listened to on a Sunday night with your head in a bucket. Emotive as hell, and a stand out for 1979. Many of the best Joy Division songs never made it to an album though (Love WTUA, Transmission, Atmosphere). Still, a breath of fresh air and I feel a cool cat just for having listened to it
Gloomy, dark and tortured. You feel like you’re in the depths of Ian Curtis’s mind
British Industrial version of The Doors. Guitar technique is pants compared to the majority of what came before but it held its own and influenced many. Sot Disorder Insight She’s Lost Control Shadowplay 4/5
Somewhere, Stephen Morris is still practicing that drumbeat on the roof.
4.25
31/01 oscuro, like
Slower pace with large amounts of bass guitar. Not a huge fan of the vocalist, but overall decent
Best track(s): She's lost control, I remember nothing Worst track(s): The rest I've listened to the 2019 remaster. This man sounds like he's singing in a can.. He also doesn't quite seem to know about melodies. Terrible listen, will probably never listen again. The saving grace of this album might be the basslines.
I see why folks adore this album. Lovely dark bits make for some bright points. So different from anything else at the time.
i’ve always found this overrated, bias confirmed
I've been wanting to get into more gothic music so I'm glad this one was so early on the list for me. I knew maybe one or two songs before this so I'm interested in learning more. I think a couple of the songs sound pretty similar but that's not completely a knock of it. My favorite song is probably New Dawn Fades, just something about it is really nice. This album is honestly really relaxing. Bass is one of my favorite instruments and you can hear it really clearly here.
Interestingly I got this album straight after a New Order album, praise be the 1001 Gods. The template for new wave, you can almost feel the cold walls in the room this would have been recorded in, filled with smoke and an old rug stopping the drumkit slipping around. This sounds like what all the early bands I was in wanted to sound like, but of course couldn't because we weren't actually Joy Division. It's one of those albums that everyone knows the cover from it cos it's been on a million t-shirts but I'd have struggled to name most of these songs as being the tracklist. Anyway, I loved it.
best pair of oven gloves i've ever owned.
Washing hot piss through my hair I realise that this is the most joy I've felt since the time I found my dad getting a tit wank off my mum in the back of our old vauxhall nova. I was 12 at the time and it was my first sexual awakening. Listening to this Joy Division record and being pissed on by my friends is the only thing that has come close to that wonderful afternoon. I miss them dearly.
Known pleasures. Better than Little Man Tate.
Low 3
Classic
5/5 big into the gothic vocals and subdued punk sound
With the exception of the explicit gothic, which I went in expecting less of (thank New Order), the iconic elements of Unknown Pleasures, of which there are many, kinda passed by. I was more attracted this time to the substrate, the whooshes evident on studio album and not live. Both experiences, though, are good, and the album is fine enough to return to with hope for a more holistic journey.
I feel like I should be listening to this in a dungeon.
I liked the drums a lot, as well as the guitar bass and singing. His voice was very powerful and I like his accent. Best songs: Disorder, Day of the Lords, New Dawn Fades, Shadowplay, I Remember Nothing. Overall great album.
Terrific album. Joy Divisions debut album really hit the high notes and delivers a well produced album that epitomize gothic rock. It's atmospheric and gloomy but never gets dull. I feel like their follow up album Closer doesn't get the same attention as this one but they're equally marvelous.
The darkness that Curtis expresses in his lyrics and vocal performance of said lyrics is underscored perfectly by the gothic/industrial instrumentation. It's hard to explain exactly how I like this and don't like it all at the same time. I appreciate the artistry and the raw expression, I dig the music. But I just don't want to spend a lot of time with such a depressing act. I don't want to get sucked into Curtis's melancholic and despairing vortex. I do respect it though.
Nothing short of memorable, Joy Division's debut album is a dark and somber reflection of living in the modern age. Where will it end? Admittedly, I mainly adore the album's opener. Disorder is a sleek song with undeniable atmosphere. It embodies the finer production of Unknown Pleasures that receives much praise, and rightfully so. It's a beautiful masterclass in auditory space that puts the listener right in the room where the band is performing. Unknown Pleasures requires you pay close attention to the overall sounds, that which encompasses the music, rather than the music that encompasses the sound. Every time I revisit this album I appreciate more about it. Best heard with eyes closed and mind open.
I don't know, I had higher expectations
One I already know about, but great to re-listen. Clearly a precursor to 80s/90s alternative and grunge
Good alt album
Would’ve been pretty cool to be emo in the 70s and 80s. The mixing was weird 8/10
8/10. Solid as an album, didn't blow me away
It doesn’t scratch the same itch for me that it must for a lot of people. Sure, it’s good! The album cover is cool! But it’s just not in that upper echelon. And the vocal performance is pretty meh. 7/10
Helt okej men jag gillar andra plattan mycket mer.
already listened to it, pretty good
a bit monotonous but i enjoyed it
Ekan biisin alku nosti punaiset liput, mutta turhaan. Keskinkertainen ja ajoittain erittäin arsyttävä levy.
Masennuin lievästi tätä kuunnellessa
Not as good as CLOSER
The second best Joy Division album.
It’s good. Important. Not blown away.
I don't really get it, but it's not terrible.
This seems much darker than I remember Joy Division being.
Not much to say about this one, it's ok I guess, but also nothing really caught my ear on first listen...
Meh
Peter Hook is a genius. This album isn’t flawless, but it bridged the gap between punk and post-punk and launched the sale of millions of tshirts. “Disorder” and “She’s Lost Control” are classics not to be missed.
I thought these were the guys that did blue Monday, cause why else everyone would be wearing the album art on shirts and stuff? This album sucked, it sounds like karaoke at my local pub but instead of being funny or moving it's just a drunk guy telling the bar how his wife left him at Christmas while "Thats why they call it the blues" plays in the background. 2/5 - made me google and listen to blue Monday hence the 2 star rating
Cool sound and vocals, but the lack of songwriting diversity leaves you feeling kind of underwhelmed.
Not sure what it was exactly but something about this album that just sounded so relaxing and cool
An obscure indie album you've probably never heard of Masterpiece
Love will tear us apart is a classic.
Classic post punk
Sounds like if Jim Morrison lived long enough to be on early 1980s college radio. I don’t hate it? Not really my thing though
olidlig sång, basen är rätt otajt emellanåt. får en tvåa för att det trots att detta är ett okej sound ibland.
FACT 10!
p432. 1979. 2 stars. Dreary and depressing meh for the most part. Ian Curtis sounds like Jim Morrison on Valium. Bonus star for the bass work.
Overall decent. A little too melancholy for my vibes.
favorite tracks - disorder, new dawn fades, wilderness, interzone least favorite tracks - day of the lords Appreciate this one as a piece of art reflecting Ian Curtis's turbulent, and ultimately tragic, struggle with mental and emotional health. Definitely not a daily listen. Slow burn and at times patience testing. That said, each track tends to payoff.
I can appreciate what joy division did musically for the industry. Simple repetitive single note guitar lines, writing melody over drone notes etc. but not what I’d choose to listen to.
This album was a little bit too grungy for me. Two dark and foreboding. I realize that that is probably the point of this entire project, but I probably wasn't in the right mood to listen to something so brooding
Some real gems here, but not a front to back listen for me
A couple of good songs, some just not what I am into
2/5
THE BEST DEBUTE ALBUM EVER ALONG WITH PEARL JAM TEM.. INCREDIBLE MUSIC AND LYRICS.....MASTERPIECE..A GAME CHANGER OF AN ERA.. YOU LEFT TOOOO SOON IAN FROM THIS PLANET.....ALL SONGS ARE POEMS...UNREAL...A MUST LISTEN ALBUM
Honestly, this is pretty boring for the most part. Who would ever actually dance to Joy Division?
Feels a little cold and emotionless somehow
A couple of good tunes, but not may favorite genre
Known pleasure
Semi chill
You don’t have to hear this album before you die because in all likelyhood you already have. Even if it’s reputation exceeds it’s quality, it’s still a great album
Klassik
The song "Disorder" i really loved (its also the song that everyone knows), but the rest didn't catch me at all. I really wanted to like the album, because its such an influencual album for the time it was released in .. The total abundance of melody in the voice of Terry Mason and his plump singing really bothered me troughout my lisiening experiance. It got so bad that i wanted to skip hole songs. Beeing a drumer myself i really didnt understand why he just sticked to drums, because the drumming does suffer from him singing. Maybe thats the hole thing playing punk. I can totally understand that it may be fun to play that way, but listing to it while siting on a chair is just not. Maybe it still needs time to grow onto me, i will defenitly relisten in the future and maybe then i will be enlighend. Cheers
Dark music, for listening in dark times…
Very influential album. I imagine that nothing else sounded like this when it was released. The singer's struggles with mental health are relatable.
I've never heard of this band. But I enjoyed this album. Great vocals
3/5. A fairly good album but the singer can be annoying at times. Dig the cool instrumentation though.
JD mean a lot to me. Their two albums are untouchable bedrock post punk classics Some people will complain that it is too depressing. They have not lived. This, the first of their two albums, is bleak, haunting and essential. "Here are the young men....the weight on their shoulders." These songs are born from despair. Utterly brilliant. Five
Pop inglés un tanto falto de chispa y de entusiasmo. Demasiado plano y que no me ha gustado especialmente. Parecidos a The Cure
I figured this was going to be a 5/5 album, but I think I love the idea of Joy Division more than I actually love listening to their albums front to back. 4/5
My oldest brother loves Joy Division, so I have an inherent bias towards wanting to like them as well. But, I find their music quite same-y, and I've always found it odd that the singer's vocals are so understated. To me, Love Will Tear Us Apart is THE Joy Division song, all the songs on this album were just worse versions of that song.
Great record... more goth than I expected!
Does the term "space punk" exist? That's the only way I could describe how Joy Division's music is like. This album was basically a perfect debut, and marked the start of the post-punk movement alongside many other contemporary and previous albums. I love this record, it is accessible and funky while also being 100% punk and borrowing from experimental genres like industrial. Definitily has a place on this list.
I will listen again
Absolute Classic - 4 stars
Intense, dark but also varied and melodic. This is another album that I listened to a lot when I was a kids but haven't in a while, and I'm happy to say that it still holds up for me.
they made an album out of this shirt design?
This is just one of those bands/albums where I feel like everyone is playing a trick on me when they say they like it. I found it basically unlistenable.
This still sounds so fresh. Love the bass lines. The slashing guitars. Floating synths. The vocals and lyrics. Excellent.
Fajne
Dark. Brooding. Influential.
I understand the impact and acclaim this album have achieved, but the detached roboticism of the delivery doesn't connect with me.
Definitely my favorite album of the two. The atmosphere is spare, with the perfect amount of texture. Similar to the iconic cover in that sense. The reverb and mixing give it so much space to breathe and envelop you. I enjoy all the experimental flourishes throughout, and delighted by the dark hypnotic power they wield when they bring the tempos down. The stiff soulessness of it is like narcotic to me. Perfect pairing of artist and producer, and great example of how big a difference a producer can make. Practically pulled a new genre out of them.
This is one of those legacy albums that I wish I liked more, but the early 80s production holds back my enjoyment. There's a lot of cool guitar and other instrumentation work that is buried in the mix and the vocals are too up-front. It's also got that 80s digital-coldness sound, although not sure how the production went. Seems like some of the band members agree that they are not happy with the result in comparison to how loud/intense their live shows were. I *like* everything here on paper, it's just not presented in the best way it could be. Regardless, this is the Joy Division sound. Spawned so many great bands so glad this existed. So, about a 3 for enjoyment but 5 for legacy, split the difference and there's a 4.
classic joie de vivre
real doomer music
It had moments but was often tuneless.
2+
meer van verwacht, niet zo wauw
OOOH erg solide, ik ben fan
I’ve liked all the Joy Division that’s come across my radar for this project, but haven’t been able to access, like, true enthusiasm for them yet. They are a definite, definite influence point for a lot of great acts that came after
2/10, 20%
4.5
I was 10 when this album was released so it fell through the listening cracks I suppose, but wow it is good. Everything about it is wonderful. The sound, feel, lyrics, performances, mixing, and the rest. Love it.
Good moody album
Opens with shit reverb drums. Bad sign. Lou/Bowie influenced talk-singing. Tyler probably thinks this is good. 2nd song ok Pretty amateur musicians, but I guess that's their thing Ian Curtis cult worship is odd...much like Syd. New dawn fades sounds like something Oh good now we've got layers of echo on the vocals
Highlights for me were Insight (laser guns!), she’s lost control, and wilderness. Overall the album gets a solid 2.
Kind of weird, I guess this is post punk or new wave or the start of emo I don't know. Appropriately depressing for a dreary, gray October morning.
Boring, droning, morose dross. I could scrap to 2 stars if it wasn’t so iconic. Knocked down to 1 start by the Primark T-shirts.
I reckon a lot of things sound better if you make it dark, moody, and punk rock, and this is no exception. The thing that strikes me the most about this album is the fact that it sounds insanely fresh, while also sounding exactly like the building blocks for alternative, synth-pop, new wave, punk, rock, - you name it. Also the bass guitar sounds delicious! Favorite tracks are Day of the Lords, Candidate, and New Dawn Fades.
Why is this on here, this was such a boring album, the sounds were drab, the pace of the music left me wanting more. Boo do better.
Best Song: Interzone. Finally something mildly uptempo. Worst Song: Day of the Lords. When WILL it end? Overall: This sounds like music created by and for people on Valium. Really don't see the appeal here. I like the prominence of the bassline throughout the album, but the vocals sound like a tranquilized Jim Morrison.
Very good. Drums sound amazing. It’s post punk but you can see the start of the evolution to that 80s synth sound.
All the songs sound the same🤷♀️
Decades is the reason I bumped it up to a 4, otherwise would be a 3 for me
Well, it's a hugely seminal album and *arguably* Macclesfield's biggest contribution to music, so I feel a kinship to it for that. Half of the tracks are classics (the run of New Dawn Fades - She's Lost Control - Shadowplay is dark, twitchy brilliance), while the other half are still big on those atmospheric studio textures, but lacking something in terms of songcraft.
I was pleased to see this album crop up, as Joy Division is one of those bands that, every time someone mentions them, I think "I really need to check them out." But then I never get around to it, and the cycle begins again. I was *really* hoping to have my noggin blown by this album, but it just wasn't. It appears I'm not too into Ian Curtis' vocals, which sound a bit flat to my ears. None of the songs really jumped out at me, with the possible exception of "New Dawn Fades" and "Interzone," the latter of which features vocals by bassist Peter Hook instead of Curtis. In fact, the only thing that truly caught my attention was Hook's bass playing, which I found intriguingly unpredictable. (Oh, and the album cover, which is a classic.) I don't know. Maybe I'll appreciate it more if I give the album another listen or two, but I'm not in a rush to do so.
Dark, moody, intense. One of my favorite albums of all-time.
Talk about an iconic album cover! My love of Joy Division got its start from the moment I first heard Disorder. That opening riff just does so much for me. It's such a shame that because of tragedy, we didn't get more Joy Division. I mean, I love New Order, but still.
Perfect. No notes.
yuh yuh sounds the same but bangin
Cool cover. Sounds like smiths + current joys with lots of reverb. Kinda got less interesting as it went on.
This album meant so much to 16 year old me lol
I've just never clicked with this album. Not sure why as I feel like I should like it, and I enjoy Closer a lot more, I just find a good chunk of the middle of the record to be quite tedious
Not for me.
That feeling when you lose a feeling. 4.5/5
Chill album, not any parts that stuck out as great, but it wasn't bad
Amazing first track. It propels forward like a train locomotive. There is something surprising here, despite the simplicity.
Good tunes
It's great!
needs multiple listens not the indie rick i expected going in much more gloomy, slow, atmospheric did not hugely enjoy on first listen but i think it is music i would really like
I'm a huge fan of New Order, so should love JD too. However, everything I listen to Unknown Pleasures I feel slightly disappointed. It's powerful and dark and heavy, but I'd rather listen to the JD singles collection, Substance 1977-1980. Awesome LP cover.
It was pretty good. I still don't really understand the amount of hype, or the amount of joy division albums on the list. But I did enjoy this one
I didn't really feel this album. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood for the songs to hit, but it just seemed a bit too slow and moody for me in most cases. I certainly didn't hate this though, and I may revisit it someday. Favourite: She's Lost Control
Okay so realistically, this should be a five star album for me. But I don't know why but this album just annoys the crap out of me. I've gave this album at least a half a dozen listens the past year and every time I thought to myself "why do I not like this?" I love a lot of post-punk artists and albums but this one specifically just does not do it for me. I wish I could go more into detail on why but honestly I don't even know.
Great music to go indefinitely to. In any direction with little regard. Its aggro but also somewhat delicate -There is a deep sense of urgency in the music. Not for everyday listening, but they were really true originals.
Yesssssssss. So much better than Morrissey. One of my favorite albums ever.
Yeh aight
Fucking classic album. One of my all-time favorites. Beautiful and haunting from Ian Curtis Great guitar work from Hooky and Sumner Morris' drum work is like a machine. The production is spacey and really adds to the sound.
More proper 80s music
Absolute quality, sombre, melancholic but with driving beats and intense guitars. This is music at it's finest.
Iconic band, iconic cover, iconic sound. Loved this and still do
Nice. Sounds more modern than 1979!
I always dig the Joy Division basslines, and the artwork is iconic! As much as I know some of my mates adore this album, I tend to get bored halfway through each track.
I wasnt listening very attentively but i liked it 4/5
Hmmm I dunno, I'm not going to listen to music that will make me miserable. And if I feel miserable I want something that says "that's OK, feel better." This definitely has real moments but it's also quite dark
Easier to get on with than the other joy division I got.
Just an incredible record. Just can’t understand why Transmission was a non album single, had that track made the record it would be 5/5
Meh
Great album. Was interesting to listen to more Joy Division after really only listening to "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
Really good but extremely depressing
I enjoyed this. They’ve got a big, cavernous sound that feels designed for live shows. It sounds great on record but the songs must have really come alive in concert. This would be a perfect example to play for someone curious what “post-punk” sounds like. The label can be pretty broad but I tend to think this sound is the core of the style. Moody, dramatic, spacious, big emotions. I’m not sure I’ll ever completely love Joy Division. Right now I respect and admire the music (they’ve obviously had a major influence on a million bands) but I don’t connect deeply to them. I wonder if I just need a certain time in my life when nothing but this sound will do. 🤷🏻♂️ In the meantime, I dig the energy.
Never actually fully listened to this album! Overall - I'm surprised by the amount of reverb along with the type of reverbs used; the snare drums often have this big room / cathedral type of reverb patch on them and its really unique when there are other instruments that don't have much reverb on them at all. The vocals are much lower than I thought they would be, and some of the songs are much lower energy than I was expecting. I know this is THE t-shirt you have to have if you are an indie head (I guess I'm not an indie head) and I was expecting a little bit more of an upbeat-moving type of sound that is typical for indie rock music. I don't love love the album but I did enjoy listening to it and I do recognize that it is monumentally influential.
Not my favorite
I get why people love Joy Division, especially for the time that Unknown Pleasures was released, it's just not really my cup of tea--it was hard to listen to the whole album in one setting, it was a little boring to me. I like the raw sound of the vocals and guitar, reminds me a lot of The Doors
no spoko, mroczne takie depresyjne, ale dupy nie urywa
An album that I can imagine listening to in some phase for sure. Opens pretty nicely. Is pretty coherent, although I don't remember the second part at all. I can imagine it being influential in the time of the release. Overally, not bad at all, and might return to it. I'd put it at like 7-8/10.
I can’t understand all the fuss about Joy Division. It’s fairly miserable and I don’t think there was even one stand out track for me on this album so it’s a meagre 2* from me.
Tough one. I think its better than a 3 but not quite a 4.
really enjoyed this
liked the last three-four songs more than the rest of the album tbh
fav - shadowplay - great blend of energy and dissonance least fav - insight - felt like it didnt have the same emotional drive as most of the other songs
Niet mijn ding.
Solid dark rock
A classic
Me impresionó el uso de efectos, tanto en los instrumentos como en la voz. Buena atmósfera y un sonido muy fiel.
Very atmospheric and sonically interesting album. Like the opener more - bit of a nervous angsty energy over the darker more somber parts of the album.
Amazing album.
Nog nooit eerder geluisterd, uiteraard wel zo nu een dan een nummer maar niet als album. Lekker donker, passende stem.
Joy Division, zo vet!
Bizar, toen ik dit voor het eerst hoorde na het zien van Control vond ik dit heel indrukwekkend. Maar nu vind ik het bij tijd en wijlen vals, onsamenhangend en irritant.
De mythe is misschien de helft van waarom ik deze band zo tof vind, maar ik ga ik wel hard op. Tikkeltje aan de zwaarmoedige kan ;-) maar erg indrukwekkend!
Mij te somber. Wat ik wel indrukwekkend vind is dat zo'n jonge gast zo'n doorleefde, zware stem kan hebben.
One of my favourite albums of all time
Oozing influence one of the best ever
Interesting, but not stand out.
I had honestly never listen heard this album before. It wasn’t bad. I’d listen to it again.
Really leans into that classic 80s thing I hate where the super deep vocals have this weird distorted echo effect layered overtop.
Some classic industrial rock from the 1970s. Shadowplay is great! Fun fact, my brother saw them live last week and they played this album in full! Not enough for a 4. 3.5 rounded
So dull.
This was surprisingly boring
Fairly unmemorable, but not unpleasant.
1979! Listened to the Sex Pistols and said we’re going to do something just as subversive but totally different. Really at 4.5 album, but giving it 5 stars for the goth in me.
After track one, the first half is really hard work. Dour drudge after dour drudge. The live versions of all these tracks are far more compelling so I get why the band were pissed off when they heard it. As a Manc and a post-punk fan this should be an instant five stars, but I have to be honest and say it's not quite there. Atmospheric, miserable, almost amazing.
Dawn faded
Absolutely legendary album. Shadowplay is one of the best songs ever written and The Killers cover of it is phenomenal. I prefer "Closer" to this one but only because I'm a sad little emo kid.
Manchester had proven itself to be the nucleus for innovative music by the late 70s and its status was further confirmed by the release of one of the all time greatest debut albums and one of the more essential pillars of the post-punk sound, Unknown Pleasure. Almost 45 years on, it's still providing the blueprint on how to execute ice cold emotion and abstract, unconventional rhythms that convey meaning that goes beyond t-shirts and thousands of notes of the album cover gif on Tumblr. Regardless, if the band had never made another album they would still be classified as one of the most important bands that ever came out of Manchester. Godspeed Ian Curtis, Godspeed Martin Hannett and Godspeed Tony Wilson.
Superb. Dark, brooding, melancholy, this is one of the all-time greatest indie records ever made. Ian Curtis' haunting vocals forbode a terrible demise, but the genius is timeless.
I can't quite gather my thoughts enough after listening to this to properly articulate my dislike it's like my melon got dropped on a sidewalk... just unpleasant.
Goth rock is not for me
On dirait qu'il est meilleur à chaque fois que je l'écoute. Définitivement un album landmark
This is one of those albums that is so incredibly influential and important that music that followed would undoubtedly taken a different turn had it not been released. 'Unknown Pleasures' is a post-punk statement piece and remains probably the best known album from that genre. The music itself is ominous and driving. The use of echo gives the impression that the band is playing in an empty warehouse, further adding ambience to the loneliness and isolation expressed in Ian Curtis' lyrics. Ian Curtis' delivery reminds me of Jim Morrison including the charisma. The vocals here become a steward of isolation, guiding the listener through dark soundscapes. The closing track is phenomenal and drives home the separation and detachment the album so skillfully conveys.
4.4 + It's hard to think of a record that creates a more dry, dark and austere atmosphere. Amazing how they accomplish this sound with minimal layers and little formal training. But the elements coalesce impeccably. I especially love the unusual bass sound - loaded with gain and played as a separate voicing rather than as pure accompaniment. Ian Curtis adds another off-kilter element with a voice that at times sounds like he's on the verge of a breakdown ("I Remember Nothing"). Standouts: "Disorder", "She's Lost Control."
The laser percussions are cool and the guitar rythms are infectious. The distortions are gritty. Very cool album and so ahead of its time. 4.5⭐
Rarely does a debut album enter the world so fully formed and confident, much less containing a complete sonic world within itself. With only sparse drums, minimalist guitar lines, a bit of synth, and a dash of hall reverb, Ian Curtis and company construct an endless cavern of solitude and isolation, a melodic landscape built a single note at a time in the darkness. The MO is clear from the start with the fake-out cheerfulness of 'Disorder,' a 3.5-minute death spiral perked up by a singular, catchy bass line. It's all downhill from here through the various melodic fugues and monotone pleas from Curtis. Less is more as the bright, trebly guitar rebounds off seemingly infinite space, sneakily bolstering the minimal instrumentation while increasing the sense that these are the last dispatches from some place of emptiness and desolation. 'Shadowplay' manages to feel so immense only because it's the first song on the LP to let actual full chords ring out - by holding so much back, the album imbues the song's 3-note solo with more import and feeling than entire tracks on modern releases. Much like Nirvana's 'In Utero,' knowing what comes next in Joy Division's short history paints this LP as an obvious warning sign of Curtis' failing state. Even without the grim context, however, it's clear to see the album exudes darkness and singularity from the cover art to its musical core. Perfect albums are often personified as having a unifying soul at their core, but 'Unknown Pleasures' wears its dark, bleeding heart on its sleeve instead.
Não me pega não. Até percebo a qualidade do instrumental, mas o vocal e melodias ficam cansativos.
Ok album not sure i agree with it being on the best albums ever.
The first masterpiece by a team of extraordinary musicians. This is their rawest, with synths used sparingly to create the atmosphere rather than form the base. Instead, that role belongs to the intricate and repetitive basslines and punchy drums that really slam in your face the gloominess of it all. The synths do get their time to shine, such as the intergalactic-sounding, anxiety-driven "Insight" and the fun "She's Lost Control." The instruments are well-mixed, with everyone being heard well, and the drums and bass strong enough to produce their intended dramatic effects. Some may complain about the rawness as it sounds like they're being played through a filter, but I think it works to their advantage to create the fearful atmosphere. My only wish is that it was louder... it's too quiet on max volume on my speakers, but that might just be Spotify's problem. Ian Curtis is one of my favorite vocalists. Speaking through a black hole, his deep and monotonous voice can express hopelessness, desperation, content, and so much more. It's a fairly innovative vocal style of its time, to be adopted by the gothic rock and synthpop movements among other genres. In fact, my interest is maintained throughout each song by a curiosity to see where the emotions are carried, most represented by Curtis's vocals. Every song is a masterpiece. They're not reusing formulae. Each song has a unique hook that pulls you in if you're into this sort of gloomy music, with periods of dance, introspection, or heavy emotion. I'm a huge fan of the track order, with the highlights well-dispersed, pulling in audiences with the memorable "Disorder", and immediately sliding into the moodier "Day of the Lords" which has an accessible hook to intrigue listeners not used to this kind of music. I think it's greatest weakness is that people could lose focus after "Shadowplay." It could feel like that with "Wilderness," but "Interzone" reminds us this is a post-punk album. And I love Peter Hook's vocal contributions, reminds me of the more energetic New Order tracks they'll produce. But by far "I Remember Nothing" is one of my favorite closers, gloomy and distressing with its effects and prolonged ending that takes forever to finish. Favorites: Disorder, Day of the Lords, Insight, New Dawn Fades, Shadowplay, I Remember Nothing
I tried to put aside my highly personal distaste for Joy Division, but my review is still incredibly biased. It was boring as hell. “She’d Lost Control” wasn’t the worst.
Wow, what an album! It starts very strongly with the up tempo Disorder, then takes on a mellow tone before springing back to life with She's Lost Control. Disorder, Wilderness & Interzone being particular highlights. A post-punk album that can be considered one of the founding fathers of indie rock. 92/100 gecs
Oh hey, it's that album I see on shirts all the time. I feel like I should be more familiar with Joy Division, I just always thought they were the same as New Order and it turns out they don't really sound very much alike. Although most of the album is kinda boring the middle run of New Dawn Fades, She's Lost Control and Shadowplay was pretty good. The guitar on New Dawn Fades seems super familiar, I get how this is so hugely influential. Overall I'd rather listen to the music that seems heavily inspired by it like Turn on the Bright Lights. 59/100 gecs
Middle of the road for me. None of the tracks really stuck out. Sounded familiar but not in a way that made me excited or wanting to hear more.
This album checks so many boxes for me, but somehow I just couldn’t get into it.
I weirdly really liked this. It fit my dark mood today. For some reason I had it in my head that Joy Division was upbeat 80s music. I now understand why this album was so influential, and can actually say I've listened to this very famous album. Really liked the following songs: New Dawn Fades, and Shadow Play.
It sounds really, really good but there's like ZERO contrast so it gets old quickly. Shadowplay is differentiated a little bit. I would put any two songs on a nice long playlist for getting a ton of work done, but no more than two--otherwise I'd be distracted by thinking it's repeating itself.
I never really liked them, I don't understand the hype. Overrated for me.
From the UK, what a surprise. I mean I expected this to be here somewhere but fuuuuck. Album cover is great, one of those really iconic artworks. Music is bog new wave as you'd expect from the UK in the late 70s. Having heard a few songs from this before I expected the whole thing to be a bit more ... musical. Lots of kinda proto-goth crap going on here. 2/5.
Great listening for a stormy night. Fave track: Disorder
Maybe the greatest album artwork. If only the songs matched. I’ve wanted to like this album for years but just can’t get there. Perhaps the context of the release is essential to understanding why this is such a standout.
for a specific mood
ZsasttDd des@Ezdswb
Good
Dark, moody, cool, atmospheric, strong bass-line. Favourite song - New Dawn Fades. Least favourite - I Remember Nothing.
They have only made two albums, but it was two perfect ones.
Exquisite. This album stands proudly in my top 20 of all time, without a doubt.
Masterpiece, this album right after Pet Shop Boys gave me my smile back even if it's uppose to be a downer album ;)
I listened to this album for the first time when I was a teenager and I hated it. Fortunately, tastes can continually evolve. At the point where I am now, I can say that it is one of the best albums that life can offer us. It's the definition of "dark, but uplifting". "I've been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand, Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man?". It's one of the best album opening line ever, isn't it? It's also unbelievable that they came with a so mature and accomplished sound/lyrics in their early twenties. Ian Curtis' voice, words and interpretation are so neat and refined. Unknown Pleasures is a timeless masterpiece without a doubt.
I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this...
Meh
Reminds me of Love and Rockets
Nyer.
I thought this would be better. Some good beats and riffs but couldn't get past the singing. Think their other album was better.
Somehow it´s very appealing and addictive, u just gotta keep listening once u got into it.
TDK D90: Side A: Unknown Pleasures Side B: Closer Both, very obviously, 5 stars, just like all the other JD material on Still and Substance.
Curtis' not quite hitting the high notes is a little annoying for me, but I nevertheless enjoyed the hell out of this album.
Þetta er svo dimmt og drungalegt. Ef emo hefði verið til kringum 1980, hefði þetta verið prime kandídat í það. Plokkar nokkra hjartastrengi. Hlustaði ansi mikið á þetta á myrkum tímum í lífinu.
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!
Beautiful, haunting, groovy
Wow it's the album that's on the t-shirt that all the people who are "really into music" wore in college. If I had known that that t-shirt represented such a lame ass band I would have treated it like the obvious "kick me" sign it was. Yet another post punk album for the author to pop a boner to. PEOPLE JUST STARTING THIS JOURNEY BEWARE: THIS LIST IS 500+ POST PUNK ALBUMS. Honestly this deserves closer to 1 star, but it's not as bad as U2 so it gets 2.
Honestly this album is such a joy to listen to. It is so bright and colorful in its imagery and always gets me in an upbeat mood. There are so many great dance tracks on this LP --I really don't know how they ended up changing their name and releasing such dark and dreary material later on with tracks such as Age of Consent, True Faith, & The Perfect Kiss--still good stuff though. Favorite Tracks: Disorder, Day of the Lords, Candidate, New Dawn Fades, She's Lost Control, Shadowplay, and I Remember Nothing (honestly just all of it)
The template of post-punk. Or, should I rather say, the first temple, given the peculiar 'space' felt throughout this record, which is wide-sounding and yet claustrophobic at the same time. Martin Hannet's production ideas were one of a kind, for better (most of the time) or for worse. Yet the band also had a very dark vision of how late-20th century music should sound after punk, no matter how many times Hannet pulled the rug from under their feet with his off-kilter ideas (like putting that simple, propulsive yet very melodic bass forward in the mix, instead of the guitar--with great effects on tracks such as "Disorder", "Insight", "She's Lost Control"). From this battle of minds, some essential spark came forth. And this spark fully transcended the bum notes here and there, a few clumsy rhythm transitions and some off-key instruments in short yet clearly discernible moments. Ian Curtis had such a powerful presence anyway, such a sepulchral aura, both vocally and as a lyricist (not to mention his persona onstage), that all those minor flaws up there didn't matter anymore. And they still don't today. This record (with admittedly a very few others down the line, by Wire, The Cure, Gang of Four, or Siouxsie and the Banshees) gave birth to a whole genre. Of course, it's got to be a mandatory listen... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 881 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 64 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 29 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 27
So. It's nt a *great* album. But it is good, and it did things that no one else in the post-punk period were doing, and it set a template for a style of music that is – literally – timeless.
It's taken years but I think I'm staying to appreciate this album.
Great album. Don’t know it as much as I should. What i have heard is excellent. 3.5/5
bIt's the most famous album by Joy Division innit. A classic.
06/05/2022
A classic album, unsettling and grim but darkly lovely in its way. When you hear Joy Division you know them right away, they're such a singular band, but they're also in the bones of so much music that came after them. The lyrics are harrowing, really. They're difficult to hear knowing how this story ends. Fave Songs: Disorder, Shadowplay, She's Lost Control, Interzone, Wilderness, New Dawn Fades
i honestly don’t completely remember how they sounded and i just listened to them which maybe proves something.. i didn’t hate it but i also didn’t enjoy it
I wonder if Interpol have ever heard of these guys....? Spooky. The album sounds like you can vividly picture them playing in a dank grey dimly-lit-by-singular-flickering-flourescent-bulb concrete basement room - but way way in the back of the room, and we're all on the opposite side just feeling cold. This is not a critique. I've grown to like this kind of post-punk gloom and doom rock. Ian Curtis' voice is *definitely* tough to take at times but I almost find that i have to dial myself in to that mood. Things that I don't like are jusssst a little of the low-fi aesthetic in here (which i hate) and some frankly sloppy playing at times (e.g. "New Dawn Fades") but it's not enough to make it terribly distracting. Personal favourite: "Shadowplay" Will never be my favourite kind of music but I was glad to have finally been exposed to this a few years back and it's occasionally the perfect record to put on when that mood strikes. Important record to hear for how much these guys clearly influenced so many bands not just in the immediate aftermath but for decades... 7/10 3 stars.
i hate to say it but i think this album is overrated
This one really grew on me. On first listen, I'd probably have given it a six. However, after falling in a love with New Order, revisiting this one gave me a greater appreciation of the sheer musicality of this record. This is a masterpiece. 9-10/10
It's fucking Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, of course it's good. Goddamn every song still hits to this day. It's super depressing, headbobbing post-punk that every band after has been replicating. One of the most important albums for me.
Legendary and one of the landmark albums to define the whole postpunk/ goth scene that followed
It's Joy Division so of course it's a solid album. That said, I don't enjoy the style enough to listen and re-listen...but there were some strong tracks here. Fave track: "She's Lost Control"
It was ok I guess, not really my thing
Absolutely love this album ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5
Well known to me. Still sounding so fresh.
This sucked. Annoyingly bad singing, forgettable album. 4/10.
I just love the way this album feels from start to finish.
Almost perfect - started a revolution in music. The genius is in Hannett taking the very good punk songs the band had written and then twisting them in to a different shape, thus creating the future.
4.5