Unknown Pleasures

Soooo verrryyy depresssssing. I like music that is evocative, but I don’t wish to evoke the grave.

One of those rare albums that feels as though it just materialized out of the aether. No matter how many threads you pull, or how many influences you track, the sheer austerity and bleakness of this was an unprecedented shift in the attitudes of alternative music. Simply put, Joy Division innovated darkness—not invented, but they basically gave an entire generation of rock artists a palette with which to express their misanthropic urges. All that said, I do find myself always (slightly) underwhelmed whenever I decide to revisit this album. Several songs (“Insight,” “Day of the Lords”) feel too skeletal, and for a record with such a slim runtime, it can drag at times. I’m nitpicking, however. The majority of the album is phenomenal: “Disorder” is in contention for best songs ever made, and the punk energy of “Interzone” and the angst-ridden riffage on “Shadowplay” are definite high points. RIP Ian Curtis, and shoutout New Order. Fav Tracks: Disorder, New Dawn Fades, She’s Lost Control, Shadowplay, Interzone, I Remember Nothing Least Fav: Day of the Lords Score: 8

This godforsaken visual. Okay. Okay. Ignore the visual. Listen in earnest. Okay actually I don’t want to ignore the visual bc i didn’t actually know what it was and now it’s cool again. Take that t shirt over saturation! But also comedy that the intro on Wikipedia is like 90% about the image. Which fits with the fact I’ve never heard a single song from this album but can see the cover behind my eyelids. Okay I’m being too flippant about this in light of how devastatingly short Joy Division’s life was before Ian Curtis died (vague memories of Control, must rewatch). This would probably hit better if it wasn’t stuck amidst 500 albums of similar genres and he sounds genuinely groany. I see some of them were initially annoyed by how mellowed out this was produced relative to how it’s performed live, so maybe you had to be there. HA Lo reminded me we literally just listened to this album while on the peninsula (“remember ‘weeeeee’”) but i “talked through it” and im not sure if that means i was just rogue or uninterested. In rare form, ive gotten much more invested in the album as its progressed.

Joy Division is about Ian Curtis. You either like him or you don’t. The voice is deeper with almost a robotic singing style. Their music had the energy of punk but was post-punk and it was danceable. Disorder is a great opener. She’s Lost Control is also good. The rest is good but not great. An interesting thing to me is that as I listen to this I hear the progression to new order in the music. It was always there from the beginning

really enjoyable. never heard music by joy division before but was fye

TL;DR: It might be influential, but the music itself is an absolute slog. BEFORE: I've typically struggled to enjoy Joy Division but let's see how we go. AFTER: I really don't understand why this is so well-regarded. This was only 40 minutes long and I couldn't wait for it to be over. The production occasionally sounds great but mostly sounds like the work of someone who didn't know what they were doing - muddy and inconsistent, but not in a way that actually serves the music. Ian Curtis sounds miserable and can't really sing. The instrumentation is rarely interesting enough to overcome those problems. I like a lot of dark / bleak music but this mostly does nothing for me. HIGHLIGHTS: Peter Hook's bass is an obvious highlight - the only good thing about some of these tracks. Stephen Morris' drums are great when he is given more to do. Disorder and Shadowplay are propulsive tunes with some interesting sonic details lurking in the background - far and away the best tracks on the album. She's Lost Control is a decent song that just needed better execution. Interzone is surprisingly fun and Hook is clearly a better singer. LOWLIGHTS: Day of The Lords, New Dawn Fades and I Remember Nothing are turgid, boring and overlong. Insight has some interesting instrumental sections let down by a particularly off-key vocal from Curtis. Candidate and Wilderness are more sketches than fully realised songs. VERDICT: I don't really get it. There are a handful of good tracks here and a couple more with potential, but it is largely a depressing mess that sounds like it was recorded in an underpass. 2 stars.

Its experimental, clinical and Germanic and has a huge gothic element. I find it interesting that with the name Joy Division they have made happiness feel very clinical, here unknown. I like it a lot, it resonates.

Nice. Not as gloomy as I feared it would be.

I'd give this one star if there weren't shoegaze indie bands who are far worse (Beck; Giant Sand etc), and whose music needs differentiating from stuff I just don't like. But that notwithstanding, I don't like this one bit. The Smiths aside, the Manchester music scene is almost completely not to my taste.

I'm a bit surprised that there are so many high ratings for this album. It's by no means bad, but I personally found it to be a bit bland.

Den beste t-skjorteplata.

En personlig favoritt. Blir aldri lei. Klink 5

Æ e så jævlig conflicted. Musikalsk høres de tidvis ut som et ungdomsskoleband, men det funke jo. Legg godsida til her.

På grensen til monotont, men nesten alle låtene har et suggererende/hypnotiserende driv. Omslaget er en klassiker, og plata lever nesten opp til det.

I wasn’t really familiar with Joy Division before getting this album, but they’re okay. Not a big fan of the lead singer’s voice (he kinda sounds like Fred Schneider from the B52s, but not in a good way) but the band is good. However, I like my rock a little more angsty. I didn’t finish this album, stopped halfway through because I’m not getting the hype. A DNF is max a 2 for me, so that’s what they’ll get.

Erm idk not my favorite. Honestly there was a song towards the end with lots of broken glass noises which I didnt like. The whole thing could be a vibe I think if I was in the right mood (bummed out)

So do all of you wear the shirt because you like the album art? The musics fin, nothing that exceptional

Weirdly good album, lots of vibes and a sound I've never heard before. Loved the goth vibe

Dark and brooding, Joy Division answers the question "What if Depeche Mode were even MORE depressing?" That said, I enjoyed this album and wish I'd gotten more into them earlier in life.

As a depressed teenager, this album totally resonated with me. I played it hundreds of times, I memorised all the lyrics, wrote many of them on my college folders, I dressed like Ian Curtis... I've not listened to this in many years, but can still sing along to every song, like I'm in the most miserable karaoke bar on the planet. My wife and cat are both staring at me 😬

Interzone and I remember nothing - decent tracks. The hits as good as ever. Solid album

3.5

This is a really great album. It does have a similar somber sound to most of it. However tracks like “Disorder” and “Interzone” break it up and show Joy Division’s more punk side. Everyone in Joy Division is great at their respective instruments. Ian Curtis with his deep almost Jim Morrison voice and amazing lyrics, Peter Hooks melodic and intense bass playing, Bernard Sumner playing some of his best Riffs and Bar Chords , and of course Stephen Morris who’s drumming is basically A HUMAN DRUM MACHINE but even better. This album is really great tracks like “She Lost Control” and “Shadowplay” are major highlights. Though I love this album it is very similar as stated above and I’ve always believed Joy Division's next album “Closer” is their true Masterpiece Still it’s pretty iconic and great overall Tempted with a 5, but I’ll do 4.5/5

The album from every indie boys tshirt. It's a classic for a reason, it's a complex but easy listen.

Sometimes the best albums are the ones that take long time to understand. I remember wearing the album cover shirt at school and thinking "But I don't love this album, I like it". I should be wearing a shirt for something I love like how I wear The White Stripes. Today, I declare my love for this. Ian Curtis, rest his soul, one of the greatest frontmen when it comes to matching the haunting, uncertain feeling of the music he's leading. Every slow track has gone from something I was impatient about to something I'm immersed in. I Remember Nothing and The Overload are cousins, if not siblings in what they do for their albums. This is a perfect album for what it represents. Great joy (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)

Brooding, gloomy, and unsettling, this isn’t exactly a feel-good album. It explores the darkest part of songwriter and lead singer Ian Curtis’s soul. And sometimes you need to hear the pain; you appreciate the sun more. A few tracks sound like their subsequent project New Order, with synths, heavy bass, and electronic elements. And while it’s painful, sometimes great art needs to show that.

Probably the best album that I rarely listen to. Dismal and perfect

Like the pace / rhythm of Disorder and Shadowplay / She’s Lost Control. Day of the Lords a bit more intense - where will it end - when will it end more like. Generally slower starker ones here don’t really do it for me -(eg the last track was hard work) - New Dawn Fades an exception. 3.9.

Not entirely sure why i haven't listened to this properly before. Was never a big fan based on my slight dislike of Curtis' voice based on the album i did own - Still. Seems like a started with the wrong album, so thanks 1001 albums for putting me straight..this was excellent

Quite the emotional statement, and definitely an album I love to nerd out to Hannets "faster, but slower" production with. Had no idea until this listen just how dubby this album is! A slight precursor to PIL Metal Box, Slits, Gang of 4 debut etc. Always preferred this to Closer - more accessible, less sepulchral...it's been a few years since I last played it, but can see me giving this more listens, time and the other 500+ albums permitting..

Now here’s a lot of exploratory mediocrity saved by a couple of cracking songs.. Overall it’s not an enjoyable listen to my ears, whereas its cult status brings a pressure to pretend to like it due to a promise which I feel ir fails to deliver upon. Not an album I’d choose to listen to again.

Whilst the world was on disco this started a fresh genre

Influential

Certainly accomplishes what it is going for, just left me wanting more.

It's good. But the vocals start to grate after a while.

I love post-punk, and I dream of one day dancing to Joy Division somewhere in a basement club with other people who feel it the way I do. But when it comes to Joy Division, the beauty lies more in the overall vibe than in any particular song. 6/10

Love this one!

Really solid - chill industrial punk vibes throughout … enjoyed the ride 4

Eerie, dark and a certain sense of coldness... inimitable. hasn't aged that well sonically compared to other post punk records though

I get what some reviewers are saying about this album being a bit of a downer, but it's meant to be that way. It hits a tone, and stays there, wallowing in it. There is actually a fair bit of light and shade if you listen carefully, and the music is interesting in that post-punk late 70s type of way, with early electronic sounds that date it but still sound cool today. Great for if your wanting to feel better about the world, as you might just realise you have it better than Ian Curtis thought he ever did.

One of my favourite albums since I first heard it 45 years ago.

Some albums/groups that I've never heard of hold so much aura before I listen to them. This is one of them. Was so excited to finally listen to Joy Division, but I finished the album thinking "this is what everyone was raving about???" It was fine but only fine, nothing remarkable to me

Sorry but this just isn’t for me. It’s not very nice music. Decent cover art though.

Glad this was not my first listen as I did not really care for it, but I guess I have trained my ears better since then cause this time around it seemed to click with me and I finally got it. Great atmospheric album that deserves close listening ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For mange år sidan forstod eg ikkje greia med Joy Division, men det var då. No er det ein eigen sjanger for meg, og dette er ei prima plate.

Denne plata er nesten perfekt, og nesten perfekt er mer enn godt nok til 10/10.

Skikkeleg god plate. Unikt - både lyden, uttrykket og stemninga den byr på. Det er slikt eg tenker på når eg set den på, og det blir ikkje oftare med åra. Sagt på ein annan måte, så likar eg det men tenker sjeldan at “nei vettuka, no hadde det passa med noko Joy Divison”. Glimrande, men ikkje heilt Stevie Wonder der altså. 8/10

https://ibb.co/tpsPLp09

Fantastisk og for en åpning

Ikonisk omslag og musikk. En tverr og vrang type som meg må da finne noe å trekke for her? Men i det She's Lost Control fader ut og Shadowplay overtar, blir det klart at dette må bli full pott. To så gode låter etter hverandre orker jeg ikke å krangle med. Så får det heller være at det er sjelden jeg hører plata fra start til slutt. Ikke fordi den noen gang blir dårlig, men fordi dette er musikk som krever sin mann. Musikk som på samme tid både gir liv og tapper energi. Plata er nenlig bleik og livløs, men også farlig og sexy. Fascinerende greier.

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures Den mest deprimerande plata eg har høyrt etter The Cure si "Pornography". Sistnemnte gir ei kvelande kjensle, mens denne gir ei meir tom ei. Trommene ligg og piskar heilt fremst i miksen mens den monotome stemma til Ian Curtis minnar oss om at det ikkje fins noko håp. Midt mellom ligg dei ein gitar og ein bass som fyller inn gapet mellom dei to, men minimalistisk er det tydelegaste stikkordet her. Partiet frå og med "New Dawn Fades" og ut "Shadowplay" er så intens og fantastisk at ein nesten blir i fysisk ubalanse av å høyre det. Verdas kjøligaste plate. 8/10

Found myself liking it more than the first time I gave it a listen. Ian Curtis was never the best singer, but JD’s overall sound draws me in. Experimental and ahead of its time, featuring who would later become New Order after Ian’s death. 3.5 Top tracks: New Dawn Fades, Shadowplay, Interzone, I Remember Nothing

booooooooooooooring. new order is much better. 2/5

Too melancholy for me

Fav song: Day of the Lords

A prefect post-punk brooding album. Probably in my top 10

I’m not brooding enough for Joy Division.

Can’t concentrate on it somehow 😅but always have a good start

Dark and broody debut, but a great album that influenced rock, alternative, and industrial music. Peter Hook was fantastic to see in concert. Amazing bass lines that keep the tracks moving.

Found it quite boring and monotonous

One of my favourites of all time, when have you ever heard an album so driven by i bass lines? Peter hook is the real genius here, that bass through disorder an shadow play really make them the stand out tracks. Ian Curtis is so raw, it couldn’t work without him wailing and shaking. I haven’t listened to it in a while and it does get a bit bogged down on some of the middle tracks, and made me realise how much I lean on other singles in their narrow catalogue. Still, nothing like it.

Sounds nice but didn’t finish

Occasionally brilliant. Loses it here and there. And probably could do with lightening up. But never uninventive. And lyrically adventurous at all times. Lots of songs saved by powerful anthemic chorus or crescendo. Bit too much big musical infill. But a real achievement!

Perfectly fine, but samey and lacking a bit of punch to turn it into a great album.

First of the albums I've reviewed that I find just a bit boring and one note. From listening to this, I can see how Joy Division inspired better bands who followed, including New Order as the successor, and that they laid a groundwork for better indie rock and punk. Very meh.

Just felt like one long 40 minute song

Stone cold bangers and basically the blueprint for any post-punk music today

Meh! A couple of okay tunes but listening again reminded me I never really had much time for them

Disorder is a brilliant song. Rest of the album is a bit dreary for me and not something I'd listen to again in a hurry

outstanding, seminal

One of my favorites!

Haunting lyrics and vocals given greater prescience because of the demise of the singer. There are a few good songs on this album and that lifts it above the mediocre but it's not album to return to

Legalzinho, um punk com voz parecida com Ramones, mais tranquilinhos, sem tanta raiva.

Shadowplay

Fine, not amazing but good.

Day 19 Somehow enjoying this album means you're both pretentious and a normie. I agree Fav track: Day of the Lords

masterpiece

Ooh, I totally love this. The only song I recognized as having heard before was the first, “Disorder,” which was (maybe) my least favorite - and that only serves as a compliment to the rest of the album, because it’s still quite good. This is the exact kind of dark, sort-of gothic sound that I adore. I’m not sure how I’d never listened to this before, despite knowing of it (everyone’s seen the shirt); I fully expected it to be bland and overrated. I was certainly wrong. 4.5

刺耳，酸涩，依旧此生必听之一

I have been curious about band being a fan of such bands as New order,etc. I listened to it on headphones and it was bvery enjoyable. Somewhat dronish and somber at times.

I love the darkness and moody feel to it all. Consuming.

(Light 8/10) Dark and depressing, as it's reputation holds, there's songs like "Disorder" and "Interzone" that actually pump up the energy and propel this into a more dancey kind of post-punk album than you would initially excpect. Which makes sense due to the band's future trajectory into synthpop as New Order. Ian Curtis sounds absolutely deadpan and dejected on this record, his voice oftentimes sounding like it's on the brink of falling apart, but the snappy drums, and the unorthodox bass and guitars bring him back from the edge. This record is definitely going to be a grower for me, especially seeing as how I'm not quite in the mood to be THIS depressed lol, but it's status as one the most influential albums of it's kind is well-deserved.

Very pleasurable

Highlight of the album is the album cover

Nope

Utterly monotonous, forgettable melodies and insanely boring songwriting

Songs you've heard before but didn't know it. Solid guitar, clear individual instruments, deep vocals. Danzig + early punk / pop + Lou Reed. Great combo vocals. Worth another listen, a great album.

Pretty good sound from this band. Def step up that punk/new wave scene.

Meh

Couldn't get in the groove with the musical vibe.

I wanted to like this one, as it's considered a classic. But nothing stands out. Not offensive, just not hitting anything much at all.

So this is what the wombats were referring to with "let's dance to joy division"?! I don't think this is my dancing music (I have looked up the background to that song and it is referencing the irony of dancing to a sad song). I enjoyed the 80s sounding noises and vibes.

Not their best album but still always good

2.1 it didnt have too much going for it imo. The instrumentals were good but i dont feel like the vocals gave me anything

Ian Curtis era el gotico supremo. Tan melancólico, tan perturbador, tan triste incluso. ¿Cómo algo puede sonar tan bello y deprimente a la vez?

Sounds decent but doesn’t do anything for me personally

I was expecting to like this more. 2.5

Not that impressive, I get the intention but doesn't work for me, I liked some repeated melodies, catchy

This bassist is doing things that make my body do things. Every criticism I can think of is evaporated by just how interesting this is. Very moody if a bit rough around the edges.

This album's got one of the most iconic covers in punk, Ian Curtis has the mythos around him, but ironically enough, it's one of the most unassuming post-punk albums there is. Everything about this album sounds like it was recorded down the end of a long hallway (the cover on vinyl, which has a smaller image of the pulsar, is actually quite a good representation of the sound of the album); though Peter Hook worried it came off sounding like Pink Floyd, it totally lacks that self-important grandiosity of superficially similar albums like Dark Side of the Moon. Personally, I've never *loved* this album, though I recognize its importance, and there's a few songs on there that I truly do really like! Martin Hannett's production here is one of the high points of post-punk, even if all too often the songs Joy Division turns in sound a bit too much like the Doors if Ray Manzarek were on vacation. But hey, I can't argue with "Disorder", "She's Lost Control", or "Interzone", so it's still pretty good!

To quote "Day of the Lords": WHERE WILL IT END. Pretty much exactly the same thoughts as the other Joy Division album on the list. Repetitive, dreary, uninteresting riffs with some pretty awful vocals. Maybe I'm just not in the mood for it but I think I'm actually enjoying this album even less. The out of tune moaning in "Candidate" is just dire. Most of the write-up on this album is about the cover art, presumably because there's nothing worth talking about in the music. This was heading for a 2, but then the last track ("I Remember Nothing") came on and secured a 1. Dire.

So in my last joy division album I said about how good Atrocity Exhibition was because the layering and interesting effects being overwhelming and the rest of the album was subpar because of how good Atrocity Exhibition was. Every song in this album is as interesting as Atrocity Exhibition was in their other album, with this being their debut I guess they struggled to come up with new ideas in a year. Seems like they were under a lot of pressure with being forced to do a world tour and release a new album in a year I think every song is great but I will say the album got worse as it went on. Mid 4

254. ok

Real good work of joy division indescribable

Way too familiar with this one to offer an objective review. It's the music of my heart and soul (which, incidentally, is a great boxset if this album resonated with you).

Oh dang, so that’s joy division ? Why’d I sleep on this for so many years? I thought this was rather brilliant.

Perfectly fine! Had some tracks I really enjoyed! Also it’s one of my f/o’s favorite albums so bonus points for that.

I can see why people love this, especially if you are of the right age, but I've never been able to enjoy Joy Division. Glad I've finally listened to it all the way through, confident I never will again.

as a young teenager than loved new order, it took me a while to get joy division. but once i did.... perfection

Big fan of the t shirt.

4.5

trop punk

It's pretty good! But I think the artwork has had a longer-lasting impact. I see the art and font modified to fit other bands, etc.

“let’s dance to joy division, and celebrate the irony” a lyric by the wombats is all i knew about joy division. i had a good time

Favorite Track: Shadowplay

Enjoyed most of this album.

I think I mostly get it. I’ve given many, many listens to ‘Unknown Pleasures’, since first hearing it 6 years ago I want to say I’ve listened to it around a dozen times, and aside from some excellent moments, it never really clicked with me. Obviously, I thought it deserved to be on here; there’s a reason why it’s so acclaimed and its influence cannot be overstated, but I was kind of dreading it. And I think it mostly clicked this time! There are moments I don’t love, and I think the album is somehow front-loaded on both its A and B side, but there’s nothing really bad here, and it has a fantastic atmosphere to it. ‘Disorder’ is obviously an all-time great opener, and I’ve always loved ‘She’s Lost Control’ for its great bassline and hook, but I also think that ‘Day of the Lords’ and ‘Interzone’ are pretty great too. Kind of on the cusp of a 3 and a 4 for me, but I think its highs and influence just push it over the edge for me.

Fantastic album

Duh

Ephemeral, spooky, quite creepy. Enjoyed the realness of the singer's voice in contrast to the music.

so good

i love this album so i’m biased but it’s just so wonderful to drift away to

Bin bei Joy Division tatsächlich nie so eingestiegen, obwohl ich eigentlich großer Post-Punk-Fan bin. Wahrscheinlich, weil ich "Love Will Tear Us Apart" nie so geil fand. Die Platte gilt ja als Klassiker und ich kann definitiv verstehen warum. Gerade für die Zeit muss das vom Sound schon bahnbrechend gewesen sein. Aus heutiger Sicht ist das natürlich schwierig zu bewerten, weil es halt mittlerweile so viele gute Bands in dem Genre gibt. Mir gefällt die Ästhetik der Platte, ich mag Ian Curtis' Stimme, aber es fehlen ein wenig die großen Hits oder ikonischen Gitarrenriffs, die einem auch Tage später nicht aus dem Kopf gehen (ok, der Opener geht am ehesten noch in die Richtung). Könnte in Zukunft definitiv noch wachsen. Deswegen bleibt es auch hier bei 4 Sternen.

Es macht mich weder besonders an, noch finde ich es schlecht oder besonders langweilig. Müsste ich mich wohl mehr mit beschäftigen, um die kulturelle Relevanz der vielen Shirts mit dem Albumcover zu verstehen.

Ich gebe zu ich habe mir etwas mehr erwartet basierend auf dem Legendenstatus und dem einen Song den ich kenne und liebe. Schlecht ist es auch definitiv nicht, aber hier bin ich wohl Opfer meiner ERwartungshaltung geworden. Trotz allem gefällt es mir gut und ich finde es enorm athmosphärisch

Don't know what all the fuss is about. This is miserable

Undeniable classic. So much stuff that I love probably wouldn’t exist if this didn’t come first.

depressing, 80s goth rock, it's great

This album is full of mean tricks, starting with the note-perfect, propulsive, gorgeous "Disorder," which sets expectations that the next several tracks proceed to subvert. As good as those songs are (the Morrisonesque "Candidate" in particular) you never stop wishing to feel the way you felt at the beginning - for the return of movement and hope. And in that way this album mimics perfectly the experience Ian Curtis was having at the time - epileptic, medicated, downcast except when his mood would swing wildly and unpredictably. "Directionless, so plain to see," he laments on "New Dawn Fades," which feels like a faded-out Sabbath tune. The back half of the album does another glorious, crushing cycle of the same thing. "She's Lost Control" wrings both horror and pitch-black humor out of the physical experience of a seizure, while the Iggy Pop-py "Interzone" takes the Teenage Tragedy Song formula and speeds it up into garage-punk, Jan and Dean by way of the Sonics. And "I Remember Nothing" mashes up the Doors "The End" with the Velvets' "Venus in Furs" into a potent mix of Gothic eroticism and sadomasochism. Throughout this, you are aware you are unsafe; what's worse, you are given just enough occasional flickers of what safety felt like. That's part of what the Sabbath and Doors references are doing here - giving you just enough of a landmark that you can tell how lost you are. I'm amazed at this every time I hear it.

Eh, helt ok. Sista låten bäst

i listened to it. i know i did. but for the life of me i cant really remember what it sounded like. maybe will revise the 3

I definitely like New Order better

Not really my style, but it was fine. Seems like this album might be more notable for the cover artwork.

Could barely get through this.

i am a fan of the IDEA of Joy Division.

Listening to this as the Gann fire burns near my town. Middle of August, temperatures rising, smoke and ash in the air. I have loved this album for a long time. It has meaning to me, and feels right in this very moment

First couple of songs were too slow for me, but other than that a melancholic album with some good, but depressive songs. Best: New Dawn Fades; Shadowplay; She's Lost Control; Disorder Worst: Candidate

I got nicely immersed in it. It's got a couple of good songs, and a couole of songs I've heard covered well. But I get why it's not for everyone.

Didn’t get it then and it sounds really dated now.

sad noise. sorry ian

Wasn’t really a fan

Dreary and dark.

Aunque el disco tiene algunas fallas, vale como inventaron un sonido tan original.

Perfect album one of my all time favourite. Incredible production by Martin Hannett. The only album released before Ian Curtis suicide. I could listen to it every day. So influential and a post punk milestone. Timeless.

I know I’m supposed to hold this album on some pedestal and I’m a post-punk fan and it’s got early signs of that. But I’m just not a fan of these type of vocals. I know Joy Division are iconic and this album itself is as much a modern fashion piece, but it just doesn’t quite click with me. It’s obviously not a bad album, so my 3 comes from personal taste over objective scoring.

I can hear the influences on music I love, but this isn’t quite there for me. The song that has lasers definitely got my attention (although I couldn’t figure out if it made me like it more or less), but then when they went back to the lasers in the outro it didn’t work…you can’t go to the laser well more than once…

Oh neat, someone made an album based on that shirt! This is one of those albums I'm not sure I've properly heard, but I'm treating it like I have in my record-keeping for the year. It's always had a Bauhaus vibe to me, both in overall mood and in their most famous (and arguably best) song being annoyingly just a single. That makes me feel like I MUST have heard it. Or maybe not, because this is definitely not particularly sunny music, but it does have a lot more pep and production than my “memory” suggests it should. Even so, this is the early goth sound writ large. It's still kinda wild that these guys ended up being New Order later on, but I guess it's like Early Cure to Disintegration pipeline. Even if you didn't know, hearing this would probably clue you in that lots of music was deeply influenced by this. It's not truly my thing… I tend to simply know it when I hear it if I dig something in this vein… but it's definitely a worthwhile listen. Unexpectedly I feel like it picked up a bit in the back half, which is rare. Certainly the big bassy plod of I Remember Nothing was a highlight but there's also something about the groove on Shadowplay, Wilderness, Interzone… or maybe it just means I was getting more accustomed to the album by then. Who knows. I think we're looking at a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ for me, but i also think it's worth taking some more time with this

Sombre and haunting- a bit of Iggy there.

Dark, melodic, hypnotic without being repetitive, lush without losing it's raw edge

Rate: 9/10.

this was so boring sorry

9.7/10

i like it but sort of feels like vampires hahahahaha

old but sounds new. cool album

It was alright. Didn’t really grab me

In a way, it’s kind of funny that I’ve avoided this for so long, because I knew I liked New Order and I’ve clearly been liking the descendants of this album for most of the years I’ve been listening to music, but y’know, there’s just something intimidating about its presence and its ubiquity and those squiggly lines on the front. That all said though, yes it’s a fantastic album and yes I was foolish to avoid it all this time and yes I can see why so many people have been so obsessed with it ever since - it has a cold distant sound all its own, Curtis’ voice fits that energy so well, and it all just feels so angry but despondent in an exact way that clicks as definitive post-punk, holding onto the core but pushing further in ideal ways. I think it’s probably still got some room to grow in my heart with familiarity but yeah, chalk up another cool one to Manchester.

Fine but not really a Joy Division fan

So good and unique. My only issue with it is that Disorder is such a superior song in my opinion that once it's over, it doesn't reach that height again. But overall, amazing production and a band truly doing things their own way.

Very promising debut. These guys have a bright future.

modern classic. Just great.

Excellent album, still sounds relevant and interesting.

naja

Yeah solid

alright

Gave it an extra listen just to make sure... Cool cover art tho

Kinda melancholy. Not doing it for me.

4/5

I definitely like it. but i believe that its legacy better developed in other authors and more local bands

This is definitely an album I appreciate more for the music it influenced (DM after Dave took over) more than the album itself but it's still a strong album on its own. I really do dig the low-finess of early goth, but I'm not quite sure if it's necessarily my style as a goto. (8.33) ★★★★

Gothic post-punk is not my favourite ,but this is quite good. 4 stars

Joy Division is probably one of those bands I respect for their influence more than I actually like listening to them, but I can't deny their impact, and when they're on, they can be really cool. Peter Hook's bass playing is really rad, and there are some bangers here, including "Disorder" and "Shawdowplay". 4 stars.

What a bloody brilliant album! Back of the net! Jurassic Park! Just one of those albums where every detail from the music to the production, artwork and life stories behind it is iconic to the max. And it’s so influential that most good music from the past 47 years actually derives from this album. It’s singularly on the cover of my 2013 edition of 1001 albums which is the year it should have ended tbh. Overall it’s Ian Curtis’s show but Peter Hook is such an extreme bass legend on this as well. Highlight tracks Disorder, New Dawn Fades and Shadowplay. There is the gritty biopic Control but I think the first half of 24 Hour Party People offers a better dramatisation of the making of this record that is worth checking out until it veers off into the Happy Mondays and collapse of Factory Records in the second half.

My initial impressions is that this album feels like Talking Heads after their light had been snuffed out by Ritalin. I appreciate the mood that the band establishes with the generally forward base and spacey guitar but I couldn't help feeling like it was too repetitive, making it's short runtime feel anything but.

Joy Division's best album. Atmospheric, desolate, and moody.

This is a top tier album. I'd probably give it a 5 if I wasnt fully focused while listening

A bit dreary. Some awful singing in places.

Obviously a five.

Ok

Depresivos total

Yeah it’s just kinda ended up being a forgotten listen. The album cover looks very modern for the sound inside

Great album - might work better as a T-shirt though. So good and new (at the time). They really figured out the high-end / low-end sound. One of the best voices obviously. Disorder is awesome with the chaotic bass. There are a couple 5 star songs but I'd basically always rather listen to a selection of Joy Division songs rather than a full album.

Everybody from the cure to the smiths to the killers in the alternative world owes joy division a little debt for putting the genre on the map with this album. Songs like disorder and interzone set the blueprint up for future alternative music that persists even through the early 2000s. If I was rating on influence alone, this would be 5 stars. While it is at times dry, draggy, and slow, most of the songs are fairly interesting, at least atmospherically. Many of the songs are samey sounding with the ringing/delay guitar notes and the same bass pattern from the drum over almost every song, but it’s more texture for the singer and bass guitar, which feature more centrally. The album also has a drum machine like feel- so much so that I looked it up, and found that it’s not a machine, but that every drum was recorded individually and mixed together to sound like one- creative. 3 stars on its own, +1 for influence on music I like later ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fine not for me

3.5. Pretty good album with one great song in New Dawn Fades

An all time favorite. I listen to a lot of music, but mostly song by song. I've returned to this record twice a year since it's release.

I really enjoyed this, haven't heard this particular Joy Division album before but I was always more of a New Order fan for sure. This was good and dark though and a solid 4 stars for me.

so dark, atmospheric and scary. love this

Amazingly moody and dark. Carries this through with groovy sounding guitarwork. Beloved for a reason.

I didn’t feel too strongly about this but it is very much not my cup of tea.

Peak post-punk. Still sounds great.

I think what I'm learning here is that I don't actually like Joy Division. I just like the Wombats.

Copy/paste from the last Joy Division album we had. I definitely don't think we need multiple JD albums on this list... Anyway: "Torn on what to give this. I love a lot of what the New Wave sound has become. I like some of the underlying beats and melodies that this album provides. I cannot stand the singer and their style. So where to put this?"

Joy Division are still considered the godfathers of the wave and gothic movements, and *Unknown Pleasures* is the legendary album that comes to mind in this context. In that sense, it’s one of the most influential recordings of the past 50 years, and it rightfully belongs on this list. The question is: is it actually good? As always, that’s a matter of taste and individual preference. Personally, I’m impressed by what these four guys managed to achieve with such a minimalist production; I like the dark atmosphere and think many of the song ideas are great. So, is it yet another legendary, iconic album? Not quite - the songs are too monotonous for that. Honestly, it’s only worth four stars. But out of sympathy for the Wave & Gothic scene, I’ll add half a point and round it up to five ;)

im unfamiliar with post punk, but joy division does bring lots of dread to the table. clean production, scratchy vocal. hmmmmm. again, not my cup of tea. i think its definitely more emotional than the stuff i usually listen to, and so its rather difficult to immerse myself

Confession time: Until I got this album I always thought Joy Division was a 90s alternative/indie band and not a late 70s post punk band. There was always something about the album cover that gave me 90s vibes. That being said I thought this album was just ok. I understand that this album is very influential for the post punk genre but it didn't do much for me. Not bad, just not great either. Maybe I don't like post punk, or just havent found the post punk album that clicks for me? Props to the band for having an album cover that has been parodied maybe only second to Abbey Road. 3/5

Joy Division has always been one of those bands you are supposed to like but I admittedly have never gotten it. All respect to the musicianship - just have never connected with it.

It’s definitely a sound and a vibe, but it’s not one that I was amazed for the last 40mins.

Found this album generally rather dreary. Not especially offensive but also not that interesting.

I was expecting to love this. I did not.

Some interesting songs

yes have listened before

A groundbreaking album that was highly influential to the 1980s music scene. Well written, well mixed, and definitively unique.

Pretty good, I liked New Dawn Fades best

Not bad, definitely not good 2 stars

It's a classic and not just for the art

HUGE influence on many of the bands I love. Some have covered songs from this album, others have admitted to outright stealing its riffs. When I think of post-punk, this is the album that comes to mind.

What’s there left to say about Unknown Pleasures? This album is everywhere - it influenced so many artists in the past and present, and it will probably also in the future. This album is raw, the emotions in the lyrics and in the singing are crystal-clear, supported by amazing instrumentation. Yet they do not diverge into cliché or kitsch, it almost feels callous. The music here is so purposeful - like everything you hear was picked specifically to be here, nothing is there that isn’t supposed to be. Joy Division knows when to go all in and when to leave space in the music, which creates such a powerful atmosphere, you can basically touch it. And i also really love Grace Jones’ cover of She Lost Control. Such a great song.

A dark moody depressing classic! Shadowplay is one of the best tracks of the era. So original at the time and not really been matched since.

This is one of those albums that I've never been obsessed with but I 100% understand the hype. It's so dark and haunting. The gold standard for post-punk. Favorite track: New Dawn Fades 4.5/5

iconic cover

It sometimes suffers from being so sparse and plodding, but most of the songs are downer bangers. Stick around for Control where they actually perfect their sound though.

Good album, nothing to say

Last interest after the third song.

Great album, I love everything joy division does. New dawn never fades is such a banger

1/2

Dark and yet captivating. Could be improved if was sung in multiple languages.

hmmm...

Classic one of my fav 80s albums

Ah, I’ve never sat down and listened to Joy Division, but I’m realizing now who Interpol took a lot of notes from. This is decent (not as good as Interpol though), though I wish they’d mix up tempos a bit. Yeah, this is decent, but no better than that. 7/10

I feel that Unknown Pleasures as a whole is lauded more because of its cultural impact, and to an extent its marketing, than strictly the quality of the music. Plus, Curtis's abrupt death in 1980 making him a sort of "musical martyr". The music is good but not "worldwide dance-punk phenomenon" good. Curtis's singing is pretty poor, though compared to the rest of the punk world it probably sits just above the average. Disorder is instantly recognisable. That fast, punky bassline, simplistic ultra-compressed drumming (is it a drum machine?), completely deadpan vocal delivery... Yeah, that's my Joy Division. That outro outshines the rest of the song. Smiths-esque in its approach to melody: hammering the same couple of notes over and over again until you can't get them out of your head. Not until you've participated in some kind of sociopolitical revolution. Sophomore track Day of the Lords has some decent moments, but my favourite is the almost forlorn wailing of the title. An argument could be made that this song is bad – everything is played kind of unskilfully – but it gets a thumbs up from me. Candidate and Insight, though... bleh. Just bland, unskilled, uneventful. There's extremely little to enjoy here. To those of you giving this 4 or 5 stars (and there are many), tell me, how can you justify a high rating when Joy Division consented to including hogwash tracks like these? New Dawn Fades, though? Now this I can get behind. A vocal performance brimming with pain and emotion, some interesting countermelodies happening between guitar and bass, and the whole thing just feels... alive. It makes me want more. She's Lost Control is excellent: danceable, a really strange combination of textures I haven't heard before, and a guitar melody the Arctic Monkeys clearly took inspiration from several decades later. Shadowplay is similar. Again reminds me of the Smiths but with more dynamic melody and a vocalist who sounds depressed rather than narcissistic. Wilderness and Interzone are both just a little too short to really develop, but they're still enjoyable, especially Interzone with its warm, full, classic-rock-esque bass part. It also kind of sounds like Disorder Part 2, which I guess is a good thing. The final track, I Remember Nothing, acts as a harrowing examination of Curtis's psyche. At least sonically. (I tend not to listen to lyrics unless they're horrendously bad.) 3/5 Key tracks: Disorder, She's Lost Control, Shadowplay

dark, edgy aura going on here. i don’t think i’m used to songs on albums sounding the same :/

Alright

I'm not sure about this, I enjoyed the moody instrumentation and overall atmosphere but found it dull and repetitive. I do see how it is a good album but just not for me.

Meh, boring. I can appreciate the attitude and the vibes but I don't get the hype. High 2/low 3

Chalk another one up to the "Lead Singer Killed Themselves But Before That Put All Their Stuff Into The Music" list. Which is unfortunately quite long and is usually quite good. This album is overrated but it's still an all-timer, and showing up in 1978 feels like time travel. It gets too samey and it's really depressing but the highs are super high.

Very strange, surprised I didn't give it a 2 but there were a couple... ok i guess songs on here.

As a whole, post punk is a genre I typically struggle with. This is a groundbreaking album in the genre and my main takeaway is “these guys sound really bored.” The monotonous vocals, the meandering songs, and the music that ultimately doesn’t have a whole lot of movement beyond the lead guitars slurred tracking just makes for a fairly uninteresting listen to me. I’ve tried Joy Division and the genre as a whole multiple times and it just really isn’t for me.

One of the most perfect albums. Production work is fantastic.

Its a vibe bur actually try to listen to this thing front to back and like fully enjoy it. It gets annoying for me. Thanks for what u did for music i guess

Not only does it sound like the singer needs a better microphone, but the singing is just bad straight up. The instrumentals are lame. It's mostly basic drum beats and repetitive guitar chords with weird electronic sounds occasionally thrown in. 1.5 stars.

Super boring and super bad.

Pure classic. As fresh now as it was upon release

What an album, and ahead of its time. A goth masterpiece, the album is understated, bit you can still hear the punk roots and hints of their on-stage energy, especially in Peter Hook’s sublime bass playing.

Gloomy, gothicky post-punk. Feels dirgey knowing Ian Curtis wouldn't stay much longer. While the overall ethic is pleasing, I would have trouble actually naming a particular song that stood out to me.

I’d give it 10 out of 5 if I could.

Seems to me this is either one you get or don't. I spent a minute reading the allmusic review and it's describing a different band than the one I was listening to.

yeah, this is obviously an influential beast of an album, though my goodness it's gloomy. one can only goth so much. the other thing is they were better live.

🌀

I really wish I had enjoyed this album more, but I didn't. This album is not bad, but it's not that good either. I think this album has no particular bad songs (with the exception of "Candidate"), but still, I think this album could've done much more than what it did, because after listening to it, I felt like something was missing. I thought some songs were going to be really good but I felt like most of them didn't go anywhere. The only song that did something was "Shadowplay" Overall, I think this album is meh, I'm probably going to listen to this again but not anytime soon.

A couple of these tracks changed modern music forever, the rest is the most depressing sad music ever put out. I really like the bass forward and cymbal-centric sound

Meh

I still don't have a lot of love for Post Punk or Britrock. I found this album pretty rough around the edges and don't really understand the hype. The vocal performance felt lazy and offbeat, the drums overplayed and barely kept time, and overall I didn't find much here I liked.

One of the most influential albums in the annals of rock music, essentially launching the whole of 80s and 90s alternative music from the ashes of punk.

it was alright but a little too emo. i did like the drums alot though.

This album was really nice to listen to, but the vocals didn't really stand out to me that much. Instrumentation was amazing, and I really liked how the guitar sounded. But it wasn't a favorite honestly. I might recommend this to punk fans because it sounds kind of "punky" to my ears.

I liked how the songs sounded because of how sad it sounded and I also. Like how the album is waves mixed with some mountains in the middle. Of the album and it looks like the waves are taking. Over the mountains and I would recommend it to people who are sad and what not and tell. The person of who I shared it with of how living is better than being dead. :D

This is gothic rock and its ok but if you like this kind of music I reccomend it

It was pretty good, I like punk, and the drums were really good.

I kind of like this album, the lyrics are pretty dark but I like how the bass was played for the last song. I would give this album 3 stars.

A good album. I like Joy Division but I just give this record a 3. Like it, but not love it.

I'm more of a Closer guy but still what a fucking great album.

Sounded good, but would it kill him to show a little emotion?

отличный пост-панк! Послушал несколько раз. Буду слушать ещё.

A classic post-punk album that is unto itself. The soundscape is as visceral as Ian's lamenting vocals.

Helped me better understand the origin of Interpol's soulless concrete intoning ragas, but other than that, practically put me to sleep.

What is this? I've seen it on Tumblr.

Onaj album s one majice, volim jako, rip ian curtis

It's the album cover from all the shirts! This music isn't really my jam but it's getting an extra star for just how awesome this album cover is.

Disorder - 5/5 Day of the Lords - 4/5 Candidate - 4/5 Insight - 4/5 New Dawn Fades - 4.5/5 She's Lost Control - 5/5 Shadowplay - 5/5 Wilderness - 4/5 Interzone - 4.5/5 I Remember Nothing - 4/5 Once I saw Ian Curtis dance erratically in one of the band's few live performances on both Transmission and She's Lost Control, I knew this band was something special and was equally tragic. This album drapes you in a blanket of gloom and despair as it takes you on a ride. This album will make you feel worse, but you'll be better for listening to this in its entirety. Overall: 5/5 Favorites: Disorder, She's Lost Control, Shadowplay, New Dawn Fades, Interzone

I like the Nazi's first album better than the second. Starts off stronger than gets weaker.

Better than Closer for sure. Still had a couple of poor tracks though

Ég veit að ég á að fíla þetta, en geri það bara alls ekki. Sögulegt mikilvægi be damned, plötur verða að vera amk. svolítið skemmtilegar til hlustunar en hér er ekkert skemmtilegt.

incredible debut, joy division doesn't have a single bad song (that I've heard), this is a solid 9/10. first listen tracklist ranking: 1. New Dawn Fades 2. She's Lost Control 3. Day of the Lords 4. Disorder 5. I Remember Nothing 6. Shadowplay 7. Wilderness 8. Interzone 9. Candidate 10. Insight

A really interesting mix of post punk, indie, proto grunge, goth rock. I thought for sure that Love Will Tear Us Apart was on this album tho.

I like the style but his warbling out of tune is unpleasant.

It was so nothing, I forgot it was on and it chuntered away almost to itself. Couldnt tell you much about it.

This is a better tshirt than it is an album. Quite boring with a flat, depressing vocal. Another that you can tell they killed themselves, and you wish they'd done it sooner.

Rather samey, though I enjoyed a couple of tracks

This did not spark joy

Drawling, constantly grating, and meditative. I did not enjoy the sound but would assume the lyrics are deep and introspective

It was okay. First ever listen too slow for my liking. 2/5.

Iconic sound, though only a few songs stand out to me.

Absolutely haunting yet deeply appealing as a punk record.

🫪

Always a fun one to revist

i didn not like

It felt like I was missing something. I don't understand why this album is so highly rated. It's perfectly fine, but doesn't do anything above that.

It was a massive influence on the Crow comic book, so all the praise it gets is deserved

Very good. It was gray and rainy outside when I came home from work and put this on over my speakers. I had gotten Closer a month or two ago and really liked it. I think I like Unknown Pleasures slightly more.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee were strangers Fave track: Day of the Lords

Yeah I just don’t really get it. 3/5

No sabía que ese tipo de música era joy division, pero definitivamente los había escuchado antes. Un par de temas están buenos, pero es bastante repetitivo y por ahí se hacen cansadores, más que nada por la voz monótona del cantante. Musicalmente, es interesante. Me llevo new dawn fades. 7/10 son los puntos.

Not my fave. Shadowplay and Wilderness more ok than the others.

Puede que las letras estén buenas pero más allá de eso, es un álbum totalmente normal y hasta roza lo aburrido.

One of the best albums of all times

Very tantalizing, but I can't quite get into it. I do enjoy shoegaze but I think there's not quite enough for me to hook into here.

Ya, that’s a 10

One of the albums that shaped me into the person I am today (for better or for worse). The ultimate sadcore album, full of dark energy, the playlist of my angsty teenage years is still one of my favourite albums of all time.

I like this but not as much as some peers of theirs. In the goth rock sphere there are just more energetic and interesting bands out there. Not that this record is devoid of anything worthwhile. There are some cool sections. One song opens woth an incredible cymbal section. But once thays over I loose a decent bit of intrest. I was certain this would be a 4 but after some time thinking on it im just not that into it. Maybe in a different day I get it better but today its just OK.

This is one of those albums that I’ve been meaning to listen to for forever. And perhaps because it’s been so hyped, I didn’t find it quite as good as expected. I did love the bass lines, moodiness, and gloomy vibes and plan to revisit. This feels like an album that takes time to settle in.

Just not my thing.

I just straight up don't get Joy Division. It's not bad, and I was hoping that listening to this all the way through would give me some better understanding. But try as I might, I just don't get it.

4/5

With as iconic as the album cover is, I really thought I'd like this album more. It was pretty disappointing.

My enduring image of Joy Division is a kid from my high school who was so obsessed with them that I can't separate the two. It makes me really happy to think about Robbie because he was such a wonderful teenager. It's not my kind of music, but it does make me really happy.

Strong 4

I was late to the Joy Division train but now I'm well and truly on it! I went through their entire song discogs a few years back which was really the first time I'd listened to them significantly beyond Love Will Tear Us Apart. I instantly became a fan of both albums and although I slightly prefer Closer, this is responsible for birthing an iconic sound and lore that influenced many that followed. The album cover is iconic and the album contains my fave song of theirs, New Dawn Fades

Este disco fue una decepción. Después e descubrir a Joy Division en los 80 me compré Closer pensando que ahí estaba "Love will tear us apart" y no era así. Luego junté ahorros y compré este disco con su icónica portada ... y tampoco estaba. ¿Qué broma era esta? ¿Quién se rie de mí? Esa decepción me hizo no disfrutar el disco, y sinceramente me parece interesante y muy diferente de Closer y además obnubilado por su hit no vi ese brillo por ninguna parte. Con el tiempo este disco puntúa muy alto, pero en mi opinión Closer es su magna obra.

Known enjoyment.

Mostly meh with some Not meh sprinkled in