Unknown Pleasures

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

It’s good

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

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

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

je ne pourrai jamais être elle (tumblr girl)

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

Sounds like the late 70s

A classic

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

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

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

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

8.5/10

Pretty good album!

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

4 stars

4 stars

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

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

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

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

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

Ah t-paitalevy. Toimiihan se, 4/5

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

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

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

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

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

Adding to the rotation.

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

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

dark, disturbing, unique - great stuff though!

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

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

I like Joy Division and New Order.

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

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

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

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

Great, even though it peaks with the first 2 songs

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

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

Enjoyable

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

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

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

Dark and droney and much more powerful on headphones.

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

Really good rock album. Fun to dance to.

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

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

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

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

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

not bad, i like their earlier stuff more now because of the vocals

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.

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.

Definitely need to listen to with good sound staging headphones, sounds wild

wonderful

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.

Moody as hell. Nihilism manifest.

I want to buy this vinyl

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

4.25

31/01 oscuro, like

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 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.

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.

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.

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

already listened to it, pretty good

a bit monotonous but i enjoyed it

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.

Not sure what it was exactly but something about this album that just sounded so relaxing and cool

Love will tear us apart is a classic.

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.

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

I've never heard of this band. But I enjoyed this album. Great vocals

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

Great record... more goth than I expected!

I will listen again

Absolute Classic - 4 stars

Dark. Brooding. Influential.

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.

real doomer music

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

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.

That feeling when you lose a feeling. 4.5/5

Amazing first track. It propels forward like a train locomotive. There is something surprising here, despite the simplicity.

Good tunes

It's great!

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

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.

Yeh aight

More proper 80s music

I wasnt listening very attentively but i liked it 4/5

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

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

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.

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

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.

Nog nooit eerder geluisterd, uiteraard wel zo nu een dan een nummer maar niet als album. Lekker donker, passende stem.

Joy Division, zo vet!

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!

I had honestly never listen heard this album before. It wasn’t bad. I’d listen to it again.

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.

Great listening for a stormy night. Fave track: Disorder

Good

I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this...

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.

Beautiful, haunting, groovy

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.

06/05/2022

Legendary and one of the landmark albums to define the whole postpunk/ goth scene that followed

Well known to me. Still sounding so fresh.

4.5

I love an album that carries its energy all the way through, this is what separates a great album from a great collection of songs. And while it's far from uplifting, the peak songs on this come at moments which make them feel sublime.

Really fun, def a great vibe. 4/5

Excellent album as a whole- big fan of Disorder, and I enjoyed the other songs I listened to more than previous listens. Solid 4-4.5.

Really good slow, sad rock.

Stilprägend. Killer Lieder, aber auch einpaar schwächere.

Liars + Airborne Toxic Event + _________. Not bad, loved the guitar tones and noodly sections.

I liked it and I'll come back to it

I like the dark atmosphere of this album. Definitely worth a listen. Good bass. I liked Interzone.

Brilliant

Not actually happy music but nice for the background

fuck yea

A very enjoyable listen

The best of this album IMO: - Candidate - She's Lost Control - Shadowplay - Wilderness - Interzone I like how imperfect it sounds. But it's almost grating at times (especially the vocals). That's the charm I guess. I had high expectations for this album and was not disappointed. 3.8/5

If dystopia had a soundtrack, this would be it. Pretty awesome, but some of the songs at the beginning were a bit repetitive. May not be my favorite Joy Division album

Ur-goth spaciousness.

7/10

It's great, but honestly a bit samey for me to give it the full 5

I’d seen the album cover art plenty of times. But had never listened to the album. I liked it

Weird how I don't think this is that good but it somehow draws you in

Neat little album! That first track is a bop.

I recognized a few songs, a very harrowing but enjoyable album.

Considering my only exposure to Joy Division is through Love Will Tear Us Apart, this was certainly an experience. Really liked it, it's going into the répertoire as a firm favourite

Love this music, but it's so depressing

Francamente creo que lo estoy calificando más mejor de lo que me gustó pero creo que se lo merece.

post punk greate album nice cover / // lov the voice and my fav is Candidate //

Fantastic

Now That's What I Call Goth Rock: The Early Years™️

Pretty good

Very loose and fun. Bassdriven riffs with a very punky attitude.

5/5 - not my jam, but interesting for what it is

It’s quite hard going. There is so much sadness behind it. Isolation, loneliness. The up tempo tracks are thrilling. The production is excellent.

This album is different from what I normally listen to but I like it. The mellow moments throughout the album are really calming and add to the odd sense of nostalgia the album gives me.

Nice, chill, and rock-esque

Eerie,simple, synth. 2/3rds of the way I dug it particularly. Can't believe it was a debut LP in 79.

A true classic but perhaps a little dark for me

Album Song Ranking: Day of the Lords I Remember Nothing Insight Disorder Wilderness Shadowplay New Dawn Fades Candidate She's Lost Control Interzone

Very melodramatic, but a great post-punk album. 8.0/10

Nice, if a little short

Tolles und besonderes Album. Endlich mal gehört und nicht nur gesehen. Für 5 Sterne fehlt mir der Gitarren-Fokus!

Wenn noch Gitarre dabei wäre… aber große Songs

Dark and uncompromising. Let's dance to it.

Schönes düsteres kraftvolles Album. Shadowplay ist stark. Kathi, wir haben doch mal die Doku über den Sänger im Kino gesehen, fand ich sehr berührend.

This is a great album and also a great example of the bands work. Every track throughout thoroughly represents the genre at the time. I’m certainly more interested in digging into more Joy Division albums because of this one. 4 Stars!

Duistere muziek en een inspiratie geweest voor veel New Wave. Op zich niet erg fan van het genre, maar dit album vond ik wel oké. 3,5/5 voor de muziek + 0,5 Nerdpunten voor de artwork

An obvious post punk classic. "New Dawn Fades" "Day Of the Lords", "Shadowplay", "Remember Nothing" are my favorites.

Nazwa znana, ale raczej nie slyszalem nic z ich dorobku przed tym listowym pickiem, a bylo to dosc unikalne doswiadczenie, jedno z najprosciej zagranych rokowan post punkownia nowej fali jaki ta lista obrodzila, oczywiscie po stronie brytyjskiej, pierwotna nazwa bandy to warszawka zainspirowana warszawka bowiego z lowa ktory juz byl na liscie wymieniony, a skad ta unikatowosc wsrod brytyjskiej punkowosci, glownie z tego ze ze wszystkich stron zamiast buntu zlosci, walki z czyms wylewa sie depresyjna apatia w ktora sluchacz jest zanuzany, za sprawa wyeksponowanego basa i wrecz sterylnego druma, pomaga tutaj rowniez maniera wokalna ktora posiada Curtisa, ktory poza spiewem byl glownym tworca tekstow, ktore opieraly sie na jego wierszydlowaniu, co dosc wyraznie slychac, nie ma typowej budowy i podzialu zwrotkowo refrenowej, dopiero po przesluchaniu dowiedzialem sie, ze dlugiej kariery nie mial, bo zakonczyl ja na sznurze od prania i sluchajac na slepo tej plyty da sie to wyczuc, to nie sa smithy i ich depresja wieku mlodzienczego, tylko cos bardziej na ksztalt pogodzenia sie z nia i apatyczne wspolzycie z nia, zagadka tak surowego brzmienia moze tkwic rowniez w tym, ze banda w swoich 3 latach dzialalnosci zprogresowala od calkowitego zera muzycznego do tworzenia czegos czego jeszcze nikt nie gral, bo historia poznania sie bandy na koncercie sex pistolsow juz sama w sobie brzmi jak bajka punkowych kopciuszkow, kazdy moze grac skoro sex pistolsy moga, tak tez zrobili i zaczeli bandowanie, ale nie same granie czy spiewanie czyni plyte, bo produkcja rowniez stoi na wysokim poziomie, wykorzystujac proste granie stworzyc odpowiedni mu klimat przez odpowiednia ekspozycje, zwlaszcza jesli chodzi o bas, to bedzie jeden z tych albumikow ktory trzeba przesluchac w calosci, ale na plejke wrzuce trzy traki ktore najbardziej do mnie trafily, otwierajacy disorder, candidate i shadowplay

Classic overall album and sound but wouldn't say the songs are that strong individually

I really liked this album. The vocals sometimes turned me off, but I got a Doors vibe with some of the spoken lyrics. The music took it over the top for me. Pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. Made me feel like an angsty teen. Great shirt.

Pretty dark, but definitely interesting

Hmmm

A fitting companion piece to one of the best-selling t-shirts of all time.

4.3 * great album, too short

So ahead of its time. Can be forgettable in some parts, but when it’s going, it’s doing wonderful

I can't listen to Ian Curtis' voice without replaying images from the film 'Control' in my head.. I felt a bit heartbroken all the way through

Yuss, great album, even better cover art. This was hugely influential on post-punk, gothic, and darkwave, and probably a bunch of other genres too. Fave track - I dunno, "New Dawn Fades"? "Shadowplay"? "Disorder" is a cracking tune. Or for campy melodrama, "She's Lost Control"!

one of my favorite bands, and one of their best albums. From the instrumental compositions, to the sometimes gut-wrenching lyrics, it's fucking tragic that someone so young, and had so much talent, took his life. i could listen to this band all day,

It’s weird that the songs themselves didn’t make me eargasm but it was so cohesive and unpretentious that I found myself immeasurably drawn to it.

classico porém não é meu estilo

Cmon.

Love the driving guitar and heavy bass. Some interesting songs.

I really like the soun although, it's very very dark, almost like a soundtrack to a futuristic sci fi movie. Prefer side 2 to side 1, especially tracks like shadowplay, she's lost control and interzone. Not an album I'd just throw on to listen to music, and perhaps slightly monotone but no denying it's brilliance.

Very good, nice and unique

Joy division. Enough said

Meh.

Dark, and rolling. I felt like I should be sitting on a tie-dye couch smoking a fat one with some guy under a funky light. Reminded me a bit of the Smiths.

nice

Not usually my cup of tea, but this is really solid.

Really quite nice. I should have known I would enjoy this.

It's a classic and not just for the art

Good album, nothing to say

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

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

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.

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 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.

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

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.

Rather samey, though I enjoyed a couple of tracks

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mostly meh with some Not meh sprinkled in

Parti trop tôt rip

like the artwork more than the album

I'm listening to this on a day when my daughter broke up with her boyfriend, it's foggy and overcast. I have another child home sick and I have a headache. It is perfect music to slash your wrists to. This is a pretty dark and moody album, which has left me feeling non plussed, not for me I think. I'm going to listen to the Wiggles instead.

I feel like a should enjoy this more than I do. I don't dislike it, I don't mind the dark gloomy tone just not something I think is go out of my way to listen too again. 3*

Love how this album blends and has such rich bass n vocals a cool ambient listen

DARK & BROODING: the album

Love the music. Vocalist is a little monotonous. Still worth listening to. Like a more pissed off version of The Cure.

NOT MY MOOVE

A fledgling band crossed with an unchained producer create something dark and haunting. Lots of echo as if it were recorded in an empty warehouse. Early synths and drum machine abound, joined by Peter Hook's unmistakable staccato upper-octave bass melodies and Bernard Sumner's crude rhythm guitar. Random noises creep in regularly. Ian Curtis sounds like a morose monk chanting and lamenting. Side one is mostly dirges, but it picks up steam briefly on side two with She's Lost Control and Shadowplay. All the components are here for the evolution to New Order - synths and drum machines, Stephen Morris' frantic yet robotically precise drumming, Hook's unique bass style, Sumner's naive guitar work - but it started as something more experimental. While this may sound like old news today, it was completely revolutionary back in 1979 where disco, punk, and rock were still dominating music and it influenced and inspired a slew of goth and alternative music. The singles collection Substance shows more range and is a bit more accessible - there's no Love Will Tear Us Apart here, this is more of a cohesive and unrelenting proclamation of gloom, dread, disaffection, and despair.

Didn't know about the tragic story of the singer. Nonetheless this is a band that I had heard about but never listened to. Overall decent but I think the story of the band gives it more credit than it deserves.

Vibey but ultimately just did not hit for me. Really liked the bass though

I liked it, but nothing really made it stand out from other New Wave artists.

I can’t decide if it’s a 2 or a 4 so I’m just sticking it in the middle. I think I ultimately just like the one Joy Division song that’s not on this album but didn’t hate this

skate 3

I'm known among my friends as a Joi Division hater. Which I think it's not fair, I just don't crazy love them. This record is... Fine. Is good, consistent, unique. But nothing more than that.

Very repetitive sounding music. Not bad though

Haunting, dark, brooding, and really interesting musically. Not the feel good album of the summer, but worthy of attention. Like others, I lean more toward New Order, but if you can take the gloom, you have all the elements of great music and potential on parade. Peter Hook's bass is off the chain, to boot!

Progressive and kinda cool. Bet it was super rad at the time. Not something I'd choose to listen to these days.

This didn’t really connect with me. I enjoyed Closer and gave it a weak 4 but this just didn’t feel as good. Not sure if I just wasn’t in the mood today or what it was. “Disorder” is a great track. Also I enjoyed “She’s lost control”, the rest gets a meh. Weak 3 from me.

I think I prefer New Order. This was a little too moody for me. Still understand why it is so influential.

I used to think this album was iconic when i was 16/17 and I can still appreciate it, but I fear its not hitting the same as it used to. Im not that emo anymore 😔

Overall: 3.4 (rounded to 3) Consistency: 3.6 Originality: 4 Enjoyment: 3.5 Virtuosity: 2.5 1. Disorder - 4 2. Day of the Lords - 5 3. Candidate - 3 4. Insight - 2 5. New Dawn Fades - 3 6. She's Lost Control - 5 7. Shadowplay - 5 8. Wilderness - 4 9. Interzone - 3 10. I Remember Nothing - 2

I wasn't moved right away by the album on first listen. Needs another one just for the benefit of the doubt as this should be an album that I'd normally gravitate towards.

It’s ok

Спи спокойно, старина

It’s fine. You can hear the early catches of mope rock and the direction of the punk adjacent movement for the next 20 years or so taking root here. That said, it’s a slog to get through and its angst and malaise don’t really hold up all that well some 50 years on.

Quite honestly, at the risk of being "blasphemous", I cannot for the life of me figure out why people think this band is so "important". They're a fairly typical early Brit-pop/new wave sounding band. I don't care for his nasally voice and spoken-more-than-sung vocals. There are a couple of good punky heavier songs ear the end that I really like, but overall, I'm not in a hurry to revisit this just to re-affirm that I don't care for it.

i’ve always thought to myself that Joy Division would be a great band if Ian Curtis wasn’t singing. coincidentally, i do really enjoy New Order

It was pretty good. The last song was good, but everything else wasn’t great. I wasn’t big on his voice, and that ruined a lot of the songs for me. Overall, I would give this album a 3.6/5!

Decente pero no mi estilo

ist natürlich sehr bekannt, finde es aber ziemlich langweilig und jedes lied hört sich gleich an. natürlich cooles gothic feel und gut im hintergrund i guess aber alleine underwhelming

Pretty good

Pretty low energy but chill..

Põnev instrumentaal, kohutav vokaal, mis alati ujub õigetesse kohta. Mingil hetkel ei saa enam seda ebatäpsust vabandada tolle ajastu stiiliga, see lihtsalt ei kõla hästi. Aga selle albumi cover art on legendaarne ning inspireerinud nii mõnegi kontseptsiooni andmeteaduses ning tegelikult on pillimäng siin ülimalt hea ja huvitav. Kuulatav kraam, isegi kui vokalist seda pole. 3.2/5

I didn't notice this was from the 70s at first, and thought 'this is just less impactful interpol', 2/5, but flipping it around these guys deserve some credit; some tracks remind a lot of ultravox

solid and fun

Reminds me of the talking heads. I like this it's very north east us campus movie. Big fan of this vibe walking around in fall. This is super interesting I don't know that I've heard many things like this. This is perfect for that melancholy feeling that's not sad but just introspective, walking on an overcast day with this playing would be crazy. This does feel kinda repetitive tho. Oh wait hold on this one's doing something different. Very timely. Ok let's hear it. Me when she's lost control. Just a little boring. Favourite: New Dawn Fades Least favourite: Shadowplay

1 - Disorder (and here we witness the birth of all post-punk. Cavernous and black as night, the guitars sound like alien transmissions, and the whole thing has an oddly outer-space feel. I would argue this is one of Curtis' best performances considering he was never much of a singer. I love how it builds and builds in the final verse before essentially collapsing in a flood of noise, or like a massive star (the album cover is a graphed image of the first observed neutron star; go figure.) A titan of post-punk that arrived at the very start of the genre) 5/5 2 - Day of the Lords (much more grounded than the opener, Sumner's massive chords and Hook's relentless bassline lead a solemn marching quality to this song. Curtis sounds so much like Jim Morrison on this song. Though it pulls the same "flood of noise" trick at the end I found this song plodding and a little overlong; it sort of grinds all of Disorder's momentum to a halt) 3/5 3 - Candidate (this one is empty and hollow, with only some loose drumming keeping any semblance of structure. The guitars grind and whine like they're stalking an industrial abattoir's ground floor. Some incredibly vivid industrial imagery help put this album back on the right track) 4/5 4 - Insight (a kind of ordinary instrumentation backs Curtis here, and all it really does it show how glaringly weak his voice was when it wasn't covered by loads of instrumentation. The electronic flourishes are a nice replacement for a guitar solo on a song as restrained and near silent as this one. They return towards the end and, honestly, they're the only real highlight of this song for me) 3/5 5 - New Dawn Fades (Sumner returns in full form with the rockiest riff on the album. This song can be considered the origin point of so, so much gothic rock. The sparser sections are forgiven as Curtis gives another actually good performance as the song builds up for a big climax at the 3-minute mark. It all simmers back down to end the first half on a high note; I was starting to get worried) 3.5/5 6 - She's Lost Control (one of their best-known songs, which I forgot starts with some strange percussion and an instrument that plays a vaguely Arabic-sounding melody with its chromatic, minor-key riffing. The bass finally sounds as gravelly and ominous as Hook always wanted it to be as it lends a sinister edge to this one. Honestly I forgot how much this song modulates from minor to major between verse and "chorus" (there's no real hook on this song.) A very strong addition to this album and a sure highlight) 4/5 7 - Shadowplay (after about 45 seconds of sizzling hi-hats, this song turns into a rather conventional post-punk song; easy to say now as pretty much all post-punk aped this, but it's interesting that there's a real guitar solo on this, especially for an album that's avoided them almost entirely to this point. Stephen Morris gets to shine on this song as his drums carry this song where he was previously snugly in the pocket. Another solid trakc for this album that has been pretty inconsistent if you ask me) 3.5/5 8 - Wilderness (there's an actual groove to start this song! Up until now it's been like the entire band has fought each other instrumentally. That aside it just sort of meanders for its 2:40 runtime, so there isn't much else to say that hasn't been said about several other songs on this. Curtis' performance is above average too though the higher his voice goes the less and less he understands what key the band is in) 3.5/5 9 - Interzone (the shortest track on the album and the closest they ever got to an actual punk song. It has a raw, sneering attitude, which is subverted once you hear Curtis singing from 3 rooms over. It's actually pretty convincing as a punk song and a nice change of pace from the morose atmosphere of the other songs, but it's still not any less gloomy itself) 3.5/5 10 - I Remember Nothing (while the opening with a stomping bass and kick drum is promising enough, Curtis' inability to find the actual key detracts a little at this point - I wonder if I'm being too harsh on his vocal performance sometimes. Regardless, the song has an incredibly sinister atmosphere and sounds like the wheels turning on a horse-drawn carriage slowly plodding through a forest on a moonless night. A fitting enough way to end this album) 3.5/5 OVERALL - 7.4/10

6 maybe?

Joy Division får mig altid til at tænke: meh Jeg har endnu ikke set lyset. Om ikke andet er det sjovt at gå fra New Order i går til Joy Division i dag - sikke et tilfælde. Det er et meget lille udsnit (af især New Orders diskografi), men sammenligningen er næsten umulig at undgå, og jeg gav New Order 4 stjerner. Og jeg syntes, at New Order var federe. Det gør ikke, at dagens album ikke også kan være et glimrende album - jeg forstod bare gårsdagens album bedre, tror jeg. 3.4

Don't think I've ever been much for new wave or post-punk like JD. As much as I want to like it, it's a bit grating after awhile. Especially Curtis's vocals. Up until the last track though, where he reminds me a little of D. Boon from the Minutemen. So that left me a bit uplifted, for whatever that's worth. In the moment, I could probably have named more stand out tracks, but listening to it back to point out my faves, they all blend together. Overall, I liked it I think, but I don't know if it's really something I'd need to listen to more than once in my life. Glad to have experienced it after having written it off for so long because of the fanbase surrounding it. (Regardless of how warrented I think its 'overrated' label is) I go back and forth between wanting to say this is a 2 or 3 for me. Fave Tracks: New Dawn Fades, I Remember Nothing

Good, I like it

6/10 Medio soso, no me llamo nada la atencion, pero tampoco estuvo feo. No descarto tenerlo de fondo

bass is good, but the guitar is just not that great

Torn with this one. Obviously its an iconic album but the artwork more so than the track list. In my opinion Substance is a much better album..... there I said it.

This wasn't bad but not amazing.

me encantaron las guitarras eléctricas y bajos. no amé que todas las canciones sonaran igual, pero estaban buenas. guarde 1

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this album. I liked the deep, moody vocals of Ian Curtis, and the bass lines and the driving drums were enjoyable, but overall the album was a little boring, like a punk album on antidepressants. It had a few positive moments, with Disorder probably the standout track, but this definitely feels like an album that some people will find amazing, and others just don't really care for. I liked parts of it, but overall it was just fine.

Kinda good

obviously I have to give this props (it is THE gothic rock/post punk album, after all). HOWEVER it’s just okay. The moody, echoey atmosphere is unsurprisingly great and I can hear a lot of this album in later favorites of mine, but there’s a few too many empty stretches of repetitive basslines and extremely simple drum patterns to warrant listening to this full album again. one of the many albums I respect more than I actually like.

6/10

instrumentals are awesome but man that shaky new wave voice only works for me sometimes. i would be getting really into it until he started singing lmaooo. really liked shadowplay.

More dark and brooding, no signature riffs Disorder She's lost control Shadowplay

average rock? 2,8

Unknown Pleasures is an important album. It may even be a great one. But importance isn’t the same thing as connection. I tried it in 1979 as a 12 year old and revisited it today as an adult, and both times it left me unmoved. Sometimes the most honest response to a classic is simply to admit it isn’t for you.

Confession time: I didn't actually know what JD was about until today. I had seen a ton of people wear this album art on a t-shirt and I know a lot of people who are really into them, but I've just never sat down and listened to them (except for maybe one song off this album that had somehow been saved before). Ultimately my take is that it's fine. Maybe I was just expecting something else from the hype, but it didn't really wow me in any meaningful way. A lot of the songs felt to me like they were just missing a little oomph that I needed to make it more interesting.

Not bad

fine. not really my vibe but it's ok in the background

Album was OK. Gave it multiple listens and didn't find that there were any stand-out or memorable songs for me. Wouldn't turn it off if they came on the radio, but not really my thing.

Well it was nice touch of classic post punk music, which I usually enjoy to listen for its easily recognisable style. However, this album sounds a bit too raw for me. Few tracks deserve your attention, about 30-40% of material is not that great.

Listening again really brought home how this was an evolution of punk, keeping the raw and ragged qualities but exchanging the anger and boisterousness for melancholy and navel gazing. Not really my bag, but can see how it would be for some.

This feels like Metallica for people who don’t get Metallica. Ultimately the tshirt is far superior to the music. Extra star for goth elder status.

Best Song: She's Lost Control I hate to say it, but for me, the best thing about this album is the album's art. Maybe because I am listening to this for the first time almost 50 years after its release, but I don't really hear any new ground here. I saw a few "critics" compare it to Velvet Underground which I, honestly, don't hear. I'm not going to rate it too low since I don't find it offensive and I know some people who are really into this, it just doesn't do anything for me. 3/5.

Fair play to JD. Not my normal the kind of thing I'm into but I don't mind it.

This is solid, pioneer of the genre. The album in a vacuum is fine

Joy division did not bring me much joy.

good

This was a moody and gloomy album just like rainy days in Manchester, the prduction is good and wxperimental at the time, butI feel people did better with their influence in the 00s. It is an ok album, I think it deserves the place on the list for its impact, but it is not for everyone and it definitely takes some listens and ssome mood to get into the sound. 3/5

Ikkje revolusjonerande, men heilt fint å høyre på.

Jeg har hørt noe gjennom et par ganger, og jeg synes det er kult. Samtidig kan det være litt slitsomt, og det er ingenting som helt fester seg.

this was good of course, but i do like new order better 🤓☝🏻

This was nice. I could listen again

2.75. I’m normally all for sad and depressing music, but this might be too depressing even for me.

Sí me gustó la vibra del álbum, pero no sentí una conexión que me permitiera disfrutarlo. Algunas canciones me gustaron, y en general el sonido del álbum es de mi gusto, pero no llegué a conectar con ninguna canción en específico.

God, it's so serious, isn't it? Inhabits the early 80s John Peel space perfectly.

Eh album

Μου άρεσαν πολλά ριφάκια απο κάποια τραγούδια έχω να πω. Επιπλέον, τα εκρηκτικά 16α γεμίσματα απο τα ντραμς ήταν τοπ. Ένιωθα όμως πως η φωνή του τραγουδιστή ήταν ελαφρώς παράφωνη, δεν ξέρω πως να το εξηγήσω αλλιώς. Σαν να προσπαθήσα εγώ να τραγουδήσω Day of the Lords

I more appreciate everything this album unlocked rather than loving it outright. Ian Curtis’ voice is a little tough for me by the end, but I love Disorder

Me gustan mucho los instrumentos, sobre todo. Pero las letras son super acotadas y el cantante meh. Las únicas que me gustaron son Disorder (3.5⭐️ porque el efecto de sonido que le ponen atrás es horrible y al final hace cualquier cosa el cantante) e Interzone (3⭐️) pero el álbum no es muy mi estilo.