Closer

Not much to write home about

Should pre-face this by concluding that post-punk is not my thing at all. Less so after hearing this. Found the record to be weak sounding overall. Most of the record didn't speak to me at all, though the latter end was certainly much better than the rest, with 'The Eternal' being a really dark and moody song that I enjoyed a lot. A bit sad that their whole album didn't sound like that, they really were on to something there.

Hm… My connection with Joy Division is a few of their hits and how those hits were often played at indie music venues. None of the songs I know of Joy Division are on this record though. I found quite a few good, dark, songs on this album. Mainly in “Isolation” and “Twenty Four Hours”. This holds up even though you haven’t heard of Joy Division but I’m not sure if I would tell all my friends about it. I think there are quite a few duds between the gems. I think the vocals work in general but sometime it ends up feeling just a bit too pretentious. It ends in classic strong 3, weak 4 territory. I guess I’m going to be generous and give it a weak 4.

What the hell am I listening to right now. What. Where. Why. When. Love love love the album cover though. Do you know the way?? It's interesting I just don't really know what to make of it to be honest. I don't think I like it but it's interesting. Reminds me of the talking heads. PK vibes. Like I kinda don't gaf. Very very 80s. Yeah I don't like it. Favourite: Decades Least favourite: Passover

I like Joy Division but wasn’t super wowed by this. It sounded kinda samey to me.

Meh. Not really for me. Neutral.

Not for me.

This album gets "closer" to you than you might normally expect. It's truly dark, and it's truly brilliant. Not an album for everyone, but an album you should know.

Though I didn’t personally enjoy this album all the way through, I can certainly appreciate the clear influence their sound would have in the music of the next decades.

My rating 3.4

Turns out I'm not a Joy Division fan. The production on this one is something. I like the bass being more forward but the lyrics sound like they were sang into a bottle in the next room. The band was good. I prefer them playing to the lyrics. Maybe if I could understand him I would enjoy it more.

Top album

Iconic maar niet iets wat ik heel vaak hoef te luisteren

Zo oppressive en maar ook zo cool.

I think I finally understand the hype of this band. after listening to all the garbage post-punk bands on here, this really does the best of the genre. It feels special. Probably won't listen to it much but It's definitely an album that needs to be on this list.

OK. Iconic sound.

Need to be in the frame of mind it can be a maudlin vibe killer. But can be great in the right context.

Meh!

Gotta Find My Destiny, Before It Gets Too Late 1001 Albums Generator 245 (3/11/2026) I do like this album more than Unknown Pleasures, but Joy Division just isn't my thing. 3/5. Favs: Atrocity Exhibition Twenty Four Hours Decades Least Fav: Passover

Love me some fun goth music, especially from the group that basically started the genre... But I couldn't help feeling that Unknown Pleasures is more than simply one of the best album covers of all time, it's also the better album (personally) from Joy Division.

Lacks a standout song - should have included “love will tear us apart”

better than the last JD album I listened to but I wouldn't listen again on purpose

Listening to Closer is a seriously haunting experience, it's an epic piece of art that feels more like a personal confession than just a record. The production makes this huge, cold space where everything sounds heavy with that post punk clinical darkness. Peter Hook's bass is totally menacing all the time, driving the songs with this edgy, relentless feel, which is perfect for grounding the more dreamy, synth heavy tracks like "Isolation" and "Decades". Even though it's super influential, you can't ignore how bummed out it makes you feel. Knowing what Ian Curtis went through makes his voice sound so raw, like a real cry for help. It's a solid album, but it's so heavy that I can only listen to it in small chunks...

i actually do not like this. it was all skips for me.

Fantastic album. Really pleased this made the cut. Amazing muscianship throughout. Many highlights and in paricular, 'exhibition atrocity' and 'heart and soul'. Berlin era Bowie influences throughout. Superb.

I like a few songs by Joy Division but it’s hard to get through an album. This one was no different

I'm really tempted to give this 1 star because I really do not like Joy Division and am upset about having to sit through a whole second album here. And the problem is I keep getting annoyed by it and stop listening and then forget where I was in the album, and because it all sounds alike, I keep having to go back. But the drums and bass continue to impress you so you all get an extra star. Sorry critics and hipsters this is where we diverge.

Surprised by how boring this was. Yikes.

Not my cup of tea

nah

Det va aldeles ikke fornærmanes i det hele tatt.

Good bad

Decent album great band First song is atrocious tho

Even more down trotted then other I listened to, not much stood out but busy day. Sold 3

Great music wrapped in an excellent cover designed by Peter Saville and Martyn Atkins. Front layout is well considered with a fine border and some delicate type. The reverse and inner bag have been laid out with care. Factory records allowed the band's name to appear on the reverse and just the album title on the front. Very intelligent and mature attitude towards design from the record company, whilst not towing the major record company folklore about a record not selling unless the band's name was big and at the top of the sleeve. The photograph of the Appiani family tomb in Genoa's Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno was taken by Bernard Pierre Wolff in 1978. The tomb is a large work created & sculpted by Demetrio Paernio in 1910. Various versions printed on different card grades could have been on purpose, but more likely the printer's lack of consistency. Still, the overall package is lovely and enjoying the sleeve is part of enjoying the music.

Eh, not for me but not bat

Atrocity exhibition - 4 Isolation - 4 Passover - 4 Colony - 3 A means to an end - 4 Heart and soul - 3 Twenty four hours - 4 The eternal - 3 Decades - 3

Subpar and a little maudlin as far as British wailing goes.

Ian Curtis is like a robot that became conscious and allowed to start a band but everyones mean to him and he's really upset about it twenty four hours was my favourite song

Isolation & Heart and Soul big standouts Ian Curtis' voice is crazy for making this at ~22 sounds so much older and like he has such a clear sense of himself as an artist Weird how fun so many of the songs are despite also being depressing & sad

Overall: 10/10 I was surprised by how much I like this. I already knew I liked Unknown Pleasures so I knew I'd be down with this too, but I didn't expect to like it more than that one. Honestly, its the bass. The bass lines on this album are all timers. I have a 4 year old who wants to learn how to play bass and I might start by getting him to learn this album. Fav Song: Atrocity Exhibition

So desolate and bleak. I don’t love it but I respect it. Fave Tracks: Passover, Decades 4/5

Du rock, mais badant

Sympa cet album

Pas du tout ma came

Really, really bad.

Я люблю перший альбом і досить спокійний до цього. Для мене це десь 3.5. Багато настрою, але пісні мені видаються просто ок

3.5. Я не те щоб фанат джой дівіжн, але звісно ж цей гурт не просто так є культовим і конкретно closer містить декілька сильних пісень, безумовно. Втім, не можу сказати що я справді сильно люблю цю музику.

2.5

Might ruffle some feathers with this one, but what a slog to get through in 2026, man. It's really a 1 star album, but it gets an extra solely because 23 years ago I would've given it enough chances to enjoy a few tracks.

Eeyun Curtis knock it outta de park!!!

Could never get into Joy Division, and never understood the praise for this album. Dreary music and Ian Curtis's mediocre singing are a losing combination. Pass.

It goes

A lot of the songs sounded the same. Won't be revisiting this one. 2/5

I have heard of this album but probably never listened to it. It has quite the reputation. It is from 1980 but doesn't really sound that much like it; it is timeless in that regard. This is rock with elements of post-punk and I feel like Spiderland took some influence from this as well, with post-rock. I feel there's a lot going on here that will reward multiple listens. I I am interested to listen again.

I can appreciate this but from a distance

Grim!

Joy Division is so shit

It's like talking heads but bad

Closer to the end and closer to the beginning

Really interesting musically, especially the rhythm section. Vocals reminded me of Jim Morrison. 4.0/5.0: Great

darker than unknown pleasures but much more interesting

Found this dull. Not even depressing or moody, just a bit plodding. Prefer the debut.

i cannot express how much both this and unknown pleasures mean to me. this album is very haunting in a way, when it comes to tracks like isolation and the eternal i feel like you can hear how truly troubled ian was. and i think decades is absolutely brilliant, it has such a hopeless tone to it. i love the synths here and i do really wonder what they could have done if they had the chance to make a third album.

crucial album to jess.. i think i might prefer unknown pleasures but damn what an achievement of an album

Love this one. Would have been fascinating to see where they went from here. It is just an incredible album . Beautiful atmosphere.

Nice

Didn't tickle my pickle.

I mean .... 6

i don't get it, but i'm glad people find it so beloved

Always a good time but Transmission isn't on here :(

I'm not going to attempt an actual review of Joy Division. This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

Huvitavad mõtted, rütmid ja harmooniad, aga täiesti kohutav vokaal. Ei jäänud midagi kummitama ka. 2.8/3

good but I've never liked it nearly as much as unknown pleasures, which I'm also more or less fine on. cool riffs and sounds and stuff but generally just washes over my brain. plus since i like it less than unknown pleasures it's easier for me to hold ian curtis's legacy of inspiring a generation of the world's worst vocalists against it

Super depressing but an incredible record. Basically seems like they influenced most bands I grew up with. Excellent stuff

Not good. I have a lot of sympathy for him the lyrics are very intense and it’s not hard to see the trajectory towards the end of his life soon after but I just don’t like the sound overall.

✅ Sad ✅ Atonal ✅ Challenging I was on the periphery of this aesthetic in high school - my 'weird' friends listened to Peter Murphy and Skinny Puppy and Joy Division, and my jock friends listened to Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli. I quite like a lot of the darker music, Swing the Heartache became one of my favorites from that time. This one just feels hard, not really enjoyable or musically remarkable. I know the backstory and can appreciate the outpouring of emotion in this album, but it wasn't listenable. 2 days ago The Downward Spiral popped up on my list - arguably a very similar 'suicide note' type of album. That one felt raw and visceral and textured in a lot of ways that Closer didn't. 2.5

Yes. Very good.

isolation 5/5 heart and soul 5/5 twenty four hours 5/5 the eternal 5/5 underrated

this was good, but I'm definitely more of a New Order girl. It was fun to hear what the original band sounded like, and how elements of it would later live on. 6/10

C'était sympa, mais je ne suis pas tombé sous le charme, j'ai eu l'impression d'écouté des champs religieux à des moments

Très bon rock ténébreux

It honestly felt like it was the same song over and over again. Cool instrumental I guess but, didn’t feel much out of this album.

I know Joy Division is a foundational modern alt rock band but these blase vocals just cannot do it for me.

It's got a fuller sound than Unknown Pleasures, and it certainly sounds more goth, but it's just not for me. I don't like goth music all that much (not even the Cure!), and it's the emptiness of Unknown Pleasures that makes it work for me to the extent that I actually enjoy it (admittedly not that much). So what's left to like here?

Interesting listen not totally my thing

This album is cool, not really my favorite.But it's all right

однажды надо вернуться к этому

Miserable but classic

I'd heard a song or two of Joy Division's before but I don't think I ever really paid attention before. I liked this a lot.

Excellent

Beautiful in the bleakest possible way

Yup

the joy boys

This sounds like the awful band Glen put together for the Letterkenny talent show. "I want to be close to Christ, and Wayne."

Less enticing than anticipated.

I feel like I am supposed to like this but I don't.

Na

When this album started, I wasn't really connecting to it again, like what had happened with their debut. But thankfully the albums got better as time went on and I ended up loving it by the time it finished. Ian Curtis is haunting here

Spectacular album.

Atrocity Exhibition Isolation Colony A Means to an End Twenty Four Hours

Atrocity Exhibition Isolation Passover A Means to an End Decades

Finally something i haven’t listened to HOLY. i’ve listen to unknown pleasures but whatever

The seventies must have really sucked.

Undoubtedly extremely influential and a remarkable achievement, subjectively speaking this is all a bit too slow and gloomy for me. Love the bass and drum sound, and some of the faster tempo numbers were fun, but all in all a bit of a slog.

Just not a Joy Dvision kinda fella, but I’ll give it 2

The greatest album. A vision into Ian Curtis’s heart of darkness. A masterpiece

background music

The sound of someone’s health, marriage, and ultimately their life unraveling. The seeds of New Order are there, even feeling a little dancy at times. Overall this album feels cold and distant, understandably so. 4.5⭐️

Dark, gloomy, industrial. I liked this, but it didn’t blow me away. I think it might be the production (e.g. reverby echoey drums). A very atmospheric listen and would listen again, probably in a dark room.

Love Joy Division and their sound but this album is a lot weaker than their first, not really any standout songs. Still enjoyable overall

Enjoyed it

The album started strong, the drum loop in the first track was funky and I liked it. As the album progressed I liked the songs less and less, I liked the music itself at times, but the vocals and mixing seemed so random throughout the songs and annoying at times. From the promising start I really wanted to like this, but ultimately the singing seems to end this album into the territory of nope and I was happy it ended.

Ah I see, the "Joy" part of the name is ironic... Honestly just not for me, I didn't _hate_ it, but I won't be listening to more. The first track was experimental in the sense that it made use of some weird sounds (still not sure what, some kind of powertool?), the rest was repetitive drum/guitar with some dreary (and flat) vocals - basically every track suffered from one-riff-syndrome and I really didn't see the appeal. Highlights: - "Atrocity Exhibition" - I didn't massively enjoy this track, but it was different and experimental. - "Decades" and "The Eternal" - Grouping these together as I felt similarly about them. Again, no major enjoyment, but they were atmospheric and felt more powerful than the rest of the album. The vocals had a haunting feel and they at least moved about a bit.

much prefer the punky tracks on the second half compared to the synth-heavy tracks with compressed vocals. highlights: heart and soul twenty four hours (apparently written in 1979 before experimenting with synths, assume i’d like their older stuff when they were considered more of a punk band) the eternal

Standouts Atrocity Exhibition Atrocity Exhibition is a solid start. An array of discordant sounds and layered instrumentation which I found immensely enjoyable. The next 3 songs (Isolation, Passover, Colony) didn't particularly stand out to me, they had good endings but fairly bland otherwise. I think it improved from there on out but never managed to reach as high as the first song. I appreciate the variety of sounds and experimentation a lot but I feel like they never managed to create a moment where you could dig into the layers like you could in Atrocity Exhibition I feel like this should be a 4 but I can't really justify it High 3/Low 4

Very long monotonous songs. Sound not great, mostly boring. The Eternal was ok.

4.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/joy-division/closer/ Influential for so much I listen to and just amazing throughout. Overshadowed by Unknown Pleasures a bit, but should listen to this more as it might be the better album.

I was not vibing with this album. I liked the 80s synth drum sounds, but the vocals were monotone and hard to get through. I did some reading about the album and learned that this was released a couple months after the lead singer's suicide, and that actually made me appreciate the lyricism a bit more. However, that fact wasn't enough to sway me.

Another day another hard miss 😒

This ain't it. Don't enjoy the vocals, all of the songs sound largely the same, and just seems like a meandering album.

I get it. It’s Joy Division. I just couldn’t get into it. Give me New Order

More garbage post-punk. Not a redeemable song on the album.

This album is a notable improvement over their first release, so, for that, I'll give an additional star, but I'm on the fence about that.

actually we are already good on atrocity exhibitions right now!! thank you!!!!!

Monday and a cold ass 21 degrees out. This album fits the scenario. I've had a pulled muscle in my back all weekend, but my dog loves this type of weather so I'm out in the elements trying to get over myself. The bass playing of Peter Hook is standout for me. Too bad they didn't have more albums. I think they had a pretty unique thing going at the time.

Album No. 0127 on my list. I am somewhat conflicted about Joy Division's "Closer" album. A lot of other reviews praise the album's lyrical quality and how well it represents the feelings of Ian Curtis shortly before his tragic suicide. And on an intellectual level, I certainly get how incredibly dark this album is lyrically, and how well this darkness is represented by the album's lyrics. But at the same time, I have to admit that I still find the album somewhat dull. Maybe the album's mood didn't match mine when I listened to it, but the album's darkness doesn't really stick with me. I mean, it's certainly not a bad thing that I didn't want to kill myself after listening to this (I still have so many albums left), but I would have expected the mood of the album to somewhat reflect in my own. But it doesn't, really. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe I just don't like Ian Curtis' voice and style of singing, maybe it's the music that is somewhat repetitive and lacks some dynamic. I dunno. It's certainly not a bad album on the other hand - you really get why Joy Division was so influential at the time. Look, I guess Joy Division is just one of these bands that you're supposed to like, but I guess it's just not my cup of tea (so far). The album was okay I guess, but so far I don't like the band as much as I should be; especially in comparison to New Order, which I actually like very much. I'll add "Atrocity Exhibition", "Isolation", and "A Means to an End" to my playlist. 3/5 stars.

New order is more fun to listen to, I said it

3.4 stars rounded down.

I know these guys influenced a lot of people, and some of my friends really love them. I liked a lot of the music instrumentally. The vocals made me think I can sing. (I can’t.) But they grew on me as the album continued. The 2nd half of the album was awesome, I was almost a little disappointed when it ended. Best example so far of why to listen to a full album before making a decision on it, and to give the whole thing a chance.

Not my cup of tea I’m afraid - a bit drab.

Let’s go

Always been a JD and NO fan. I wonder if NO, or JD, would have ascended if Curtis did not kill himself. This album certainly hints at the much more polished music that was to come. While the keyboards are noticeable on this, the songs are rather subdued. Ian’s voice sounds almost depressed at times.

I can see why someone would enjoy this album but it's just not my particular cup of tea. Drab vocals and bland drums. 2/5

Interesting sound, very experimental goth

Hasn't clicked for me yet. I'll try again another time. Favorite track: Atrocity Exhibition 3.5/5

Closer is an album that is kinda in the middle for me. I always thought of Joy Division as a band that i had never heard much of but one that i would enjoy because i like indie rock and i thought their name was pretty cool too. Though, from what i have listened to, it's not something that i have a lot to say about. Most of it sounds kinda like video game music like what you would probably hear in the dungeon of an RPG from the late 90s to early 2000s. It definitely wasn't bad, the album definitely did have it's moments and it is one of those albums where the longer songs shine more but it's just not very special. Its not bad, just not great either. Best Song: The Eternal Worst Song: Isolation

I was slightly familiar with these guys - having really liked Love Will Tear Us Apart and 3 of the songs on their first album Unknown Pleasures - but for some reason I never listened to this particular album. I can definitely hear their influence on bands I like - such as The Cure, Interpol, and She Wants Revenge and somewhat U2 and Radiohead. I really like the music on all of these - it does a great job of setting a mood. For example, the drums on the first song (Atrocity Exhibition) and many other songs are really cool. Also love the way they combine the guitars and synthesizers on many of the songs, and their use of the swirling and chiming guitars for ambient mood setting. Also they use the bass to drive melodies and mood in a cool way. I ended up liking all of the songs - just because the music is so good. Biggest issue for me is the singing - on some songs I find his voice very annoying but on others it's less so. I do think it sorta grows on you though, but I can't help but thinking how much better these guys would be with a better singer or if they did some as instrumentals. Maybe I need to take a closer look at New Order. Liked songs on Spotify: 9/9 (Perfect Album) Rating: 5/5 I have to give it 5 because I ended up liking all of the songs - but the voice still turns me off somewhat - so I'll have to listen to this when in the right mood.

this is the first time i've listened to any of these songs, and i really liked them! i've already listened to some joy division but mostly the mainstream songs. the fact that this was their final album as jd before ian curtis took his life makes it very... overwhelming, for lack of a better word.

So dark

Hat gestern perfekt zu einem winterlichen Spaziergang gepasst

Moody. Have had a lot of these sad-boy 80s records and although there’s some Joy Divisions songs I enjoy, like The Smiths, and early Cure, whole albums sometimes feel like a lot.

i mean it’s fine but definitely not for me.

I wanted to really love this album but it didn’t really do it for me. I think it would grow on me with multiple listens

Not an easy listen, but one that is rewarded by some patience and time. I'll admit that it took me awhile to get used to Ian's voice, but now I couldn't imagine these songs with any other singer. Exceptional.

Slow and sad

Traust gammel skranglerock. Litt kjedelig å høre på i dag.

What a strange and haunting record.

Ziemlich düsterer Rock. Auch die Stimme des Sängers ist nicht der Knaller. Passt irgendwie nicht zu meinem Verständnis von Musik. 2/5

The drummer was driving me nuts in some of these songs... Or is it a drum machine? Regardless, it's repetitive and grating. The singer sounds drunk or high or both, and not in a good way. Some good music to be heard, but not very much. Top: Means To An End Not Top: Heart and Soul

2.5

"the planes of his face did not seem to intersect correctly."

ts so buns

It's a dark and poignant album, with Ian Curtis's real-life pain apparent on every track. The songs are powerful and the recording is excellent, with Martin Hannett's production emphasising the starkness of the songs. It's not something I want to listen to all that often, but it's a landmark album all the same.

Really dissapointing. And that's how I always feel with Joy Division. They influenced so many of my favourite artists but how?

this shit was great dude, holy moly, not perfect by any means but I can start to see the framework and skeleton of my kinda shit being made here. 4/5

I wished i liked this but I really can't stand joy division.

This is #day510 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… let's take a ride out, see what we can find, aka what a record to end the year with. Each song on Closer feels different from the next, almost as if they're uneasy being placed side by side; yet, together, they form a captivating narrative. Dark, lunatic, anxious, desperate, pensive... Musically and atmosphere-wise, this album is unlike anything else from its era: experimental, eerie, and unsettling. Lyrically, it might be the most poetic and emotionally exposed post-punk there is. I can't single out highlights, but "Twenty Four Hours," "Heart and Soul," and "Decades" will always remain special to me. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day511.

Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Sehr geiles Album.

Joy Division is one of those bands that countless of my favorite artists have cited as an influence. Listening to this album I can tell why, it's very interesting and unique, I imagine that was especially true when it came out. At the end of the day, however, it just really isn't my thing, not one I'll be revisiting much. Gets points for originality though! 3.5 -> 3/5

I’ve heard much about the bass lines of Peter Hook. Turns out they’re pretty cool. The vocals do tend to sound monotonous over time, but I like the band.

5 für all die Erinnerungen und Geschichten, die damit verbindbar sind. Und weil es unfassbar klingt. 4 weil es dann doch gar nicht so viele passende Momente gibt, in denen man das auflegen mag

Joy Division a.k.a. wie nervig kann man Lyrics recorden. Not my Cup of tea

Good good gimme gimme m6 head hurtda 3.5

this had aspects that I really enjoyed but the 80s production continues to tank the rating for music that i would otherwise probably enjoy

I love the sound of Joy Division, especially the drums. I did not fully listen to this album before, but this also full of bangers.

I’m a bit Manchester’d out. In space of a week I’ve had two New Order albums and now this served up. This album though is a big improvement on those New Order ones. I bought this on vinyl at the time. It was hyped up by the music press and radio. I had heard snatches of it and was attracted to the dark depressive nature of it. Once owning it I cannot remember playing it a lot and only occasionally since. It will always be an album associated with Ian Curtis’s death. Can’t say I’ve studied the lyrics to reveal what was in his head but the music itself does this. The Eternal for example just reeks of death as does the album cover. Listening today has revealed a lot more to me than when I first bought the album and will be certainly played a lot more than previously. 4/5 23/12/25

Bon, on arrête de rigoler deux minutes. On range les disques de pop acidulée, on éteint la lumière, et on regarde le monstre dans les yeux. On parle de "Closer". C'est marrant, parce qu'en bossant chez le disquaire dans les années 90, je voyais toujours deux types de personnes acheter ce disque. Il y avait le corbeau gothique qui voulait parfaire sa panoplie "je suis mystérieux", et puis il y avait le type normal, souvent un peu fatigué, qui savait exactement ce qu'il tenait entre les mains : une boîte de Pandore. Une fois ouverte, tu ne refermes plus jamais le couvercle. 5 sur 5 ? Évidemment et ce n'est même pas une note, c'est un constat de décès. Mettre moins, ce serait comme dire que la gravité est "une option intéressante". Oubliez le punk, oubliez l'énergie de "Unknown Pleasures", leur premier album qui était la crise d'angoisse dans la rue. "Closer", c'est le moment où tu as arrêté de courir, où tu t'es assis au fond du trou, et où tu as commencé à décorer les murs. Ce qui me fascine toujours, plus de quarante ans après, c'est à quel point ce disque sonne comme s'il avait été enregistré dans une crypte réfrigérée. Martin Hannett (ce producteur génial et totalement cinglé) a réussi l'impossible : capturer le son du vide. Écoutez cette batterie sur "Atrocity Exhibition". Ce n'est pas une batterie, bordel ! C'est le bruit d'une machine industrielle qui broie des os au ralenti. Stephen Morris est un cyborg, c'est pas possible autrement. Et puis Ian Curtis arrive. "This is the way, step inside...". Merci pour l'invitation, Ian, mais ça pue la mort ton histoire. Et c'est bien ça qui est le plus terrifiant, car il ne joue pas, il ne fait pas du "théâtre rock". Il est en train de nous lire son testament, calmement, méthodiquement. Quand on sait qu'il s'est pendu deux mois avant la sortie, chaque phrase prend une lourdeur insupportable. C'est du voyeurisme auditif. On écoute un fantôme. Moi qui aime le Post-Rock et les trucs qui t'écrasent la tronche, je sais que la "lourdeur" n'est pas une question de décibels. C'est une question d'atmosphère. Prends "Isolation", le titre est une arnaque totale. Ça commence avec un petit beat synthétique presque guilleret, on dirait presque de la New Wave naissante, et puis Curtis te balance : "Mother I tried please believe me...". Le contraste est violent, c'est comme danser sur des cendres encore chaudes. Mais le vrai cœur du réacteur, là où ça fait mal, c'est la seconde face. C'est là que le disque bascule dans le sublime absolu. "Heart and Soul", "The Eternal", "Decades". Sur "The Eternal", il n'y a plus de rock, il n'y a plus de structure couplet-refrain. Il y a juste cette plainte, ce piano qui semble jouer sous l'eau, et ces bruits de fond... Ce "fchhhhhtt" permanent qui ressemble au vent qui souffle dans un cimetière abandonné. C'est d'une beauté à pleurer, mais c'est une beauté toxique. Et "Decades"... Putain, "Decades". C'est la fin du monde enregistrée sur bande magnétique. Ces nappes de synthés qui ne finissent jamais, qui s'étirent comme l'horizon, et cette voix d'outre-tombe : "Here are the young men, the weight on their shoulders". On sent le poids, on le sent physiquement sur nos propres épaules. C'est l'apothéose du désespoir, c'est magistral. Ce disque a inventé le Post-Punk, la Cold Wave, le Goth, et a pavé la voie à tout ce qui est sombre et intelligent depuis 1980. Mais le problème, c'est que personne n'a jamais réussi à refaire "Closer". Pourquoi ? Parce que les autres "jouent" à être tristes. Joy Division ne jouait pas. Les groupes actuels qui mettent de la réverb sur la voix et s'habillent en noir pour faire "style", ils me font marrer. "Closer", c'est du marbre, c'est froid, c'est dur, c'est éternel. C'est un disque qui te demande de l'attention. Tu ne mets pas ça en fond sonore pendant que tu fais la vaisselle (ou alors tu finis par te noyer dans l'évier). C'est une expérience religieuse, mais une religion sans dieu, où le seul dogme est la néantisation de soi. Alors oui, 5/5 parce que c'est la perfection formelle. La pochette de Peter Saville, le son de Hannett, la basse de Hooky qui chante la mélodie pendant que la guitare fait du bruitisme, et la poésie macabre de Curtis. Tout est aligné. C'est un monolithe noir posé au milieu de l'histoire de la musique. On ne critique pas "Closer". On se tait, on écoute, et on remercie le ciel d'être encore en vie quand la face B se termine, parce que Ian, lui, est resté de l'autre côté.

This has changed my opinion of Joy Division. The first album I heard in this list was just not for me. This one, however, is far superior. It's a cool dark vibe that works throughout

I know this album was really influential and before its time, but out of its historical context I think it's just pretty good. Better stuff came later (eg Cure, Depeche Mode). 3.4

For some reason I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. It just wasn't for me. Maybe it was just my mood on the day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

TBH the first half has a few good songs, but the second half is really what makes this worth this a listen. It's weird, it's dark. Even though I've heard plenty of other bands try and mimic their aesthetic, no one could pull it off.

Discazo.

Second Album proposé après 'Unknown Pleasures' que j'avais trouvé assez intéressant (noté 3/5). La section rythmique reste originale, surtout la basse, mais un peu moins la batterie (électronique sur certains morceaux). La guitare est intéressante sur certains morceaux. J'ai apprécié aussi l'ambiance, par contre je n'aime toujours pas le chant : les morceaux plus longs avec des plages instrumentales sont bien plus réussis ('Heart and Soul' par exemple). Je l'écouterais probablement de nouveau, mais il ne rejoindra pas ma collection. =>3/5

Pretty good.

This is an era defining band. An amazing sound that was so new in the post punk era and was highly influential for so many indie bands.All tracks are quality.

I'd never given this album the attention it deserves. Ian Curtis transformed his suffering into something hauntingly beautiful. It's a real shame we only got two albums from him.

Starts off with a pretty cool track in Atrocity Exhibition. Isolation is a pretty cool track as well. I swear I'd listened to this album before, but then again it doesn't sound super familiar. Passover is a great track as well, and at this point it's starting to sound like this might be a great album rather than just a couple of good tracks. 5/5

Eh, too noisy & atonal for me.

Bleak and perfect.

Astonishingly brilliant. Ian Curtis was simply an enormous loss and Peter Hook did some simply incredible work on the bass here.

I love the darkness and intensity of this album. It’s a much more challenging listen than Unknown Pleasures, but there is also the very early sound of New Order in some of the tracks. It’s a mood dependent album for me. I wouldn’t reach to put it on unless I was in the mood to hear it. But when I am in the right place, and in the right mood, it’s starkness and bleakness really resonates with me.

Not my style

Favorite Track: Decades

I never realized JD only had two albums before the tragedy. They least quite a mark. I don’t love his droning voice, but the guitar work is cool.

Nothing on this record jumped out of the speakers at me, unlike 1979’s Unknown Pleasures. But actually, if you pulled “Disorder” and “Interzone” off of that record, you’d end up with a muddled collection of dark, hitless, 80s goth songs very similar to this record. If that’s what you’re into, you’ll love this. I understand having Unknown Pleasures on this list, but the entire Joy Division catalogue shouldn’t be required listening.

2/5

150 Joy division las tiene todas para que me encante, pero no pasa nada. Creo que es la voz? No sé.

Respect the music. The vocals are not for me.

i tried to get through it... couldnt. so boring I'm so sorry. so repetitive. i could see how this album would be much better live

Hypnotic. Darkness in the vocals always, but not the music. It’s that dichotomy that is one of the aspects of the album and of Joy Divisions music generally that is so intriguing.

- essa época entre 1979 e 1980 foi interessante porque marcou o fim da primeira onda punk e o crescimento do new wave e post-punk. - esse álbum tem elementos de ambos, mas com uma temática bem gótica, pra mim é o melhor álbum deles

i generally love the monotonous slow meandering instrumentalization of this period. however, this album is just not entertaining enough and it feels like a more boring version of depeche mode

Man we listened to some real gloomy stuff. Great album.

A bit slower than what I'd like, but not bad at all.

crazy story mitwm ian curtis. het sich nach sim tod zu new order gändered

I don't get the hype

As someone that’s only heard love will tear us apart, excited to dive into this. Hm ok I’ve pieced it together, the vocals are odd and guitar is discordant and that’s the point, the lead isn’t enjoyable but the riffs and the drums are bangers 2.5-3

I liked Joy Division a lot as a teenager, but I found this a little dull listening in 2025. Maybe I'm just happier now?

Still creative, still expressive, just not as good as unknown pleasures

= The Beatles

Ian Curtis heard that you want it darker. Well, here's a supermassive black hole you can wither away in.

Great album, I think I prefer it to Unknown Pleasures. It abandones most of its semblance to punk music and is incredibly dark. There isn't another album that sounds quite like it or makes the same statement.

Miserable, love it

Depressing as shit and every song sounds the same.

Moody

Whilst I much prefer Unknown Pleasures - this is still a good listen albeit much darker and less immediate. It's cold and pissing down today and this feels like the right record for the weather.

Closer I don’t listen to this as much as Unknown Pleasures, but I should as it really is an excellent, if not always fun, listen. Obviously the cloud of his death hangs over it and colours much of it - atmospherically and lyrically it is slate grey and relentless. And while musically it echoes that greyness, it definitely feels more dancey than UP, and you can definitely hear much early New Order in it, particularly the synths and drums, although it still has the austere and vaguely oppressive feel of JD. The tom-toms are immediately noticeable on Atrocity Exhibition (a Holy Bible song title if there ever was one) and recur throughout, and are also great on Colony, an excellent track and the the equally superb Twenty Four Hours. A Means to an End is the template for a lot of mid 00’s indie dance, a brilliant bass and drum groove. The Eternal is very Bowie (both Low and Black Star) and Decades is particularly New Order-esque. And Isolation is surely one of their best tracks, a superb song. It’s a simple 5, a great album. 🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿 Playlist submission: Isolation

The difficult second album - that is, difficult to listen to. An album more stark than Tony, Joy Division created a genre of anxiety-driven, mood music that I love, and yet I really have to work to appreciate this album. The tracks were developed out of jamming sessions and it shows. Droning is the (new) order of the day. 'Passover', 'Colony' and 'Heart and Soul' are minimalist pieces of desolation which keep chord changes to a minimum, and dispense with any notion of a verse, chorus and middle eight. 'The Eternal' the same, a song so bleak it should be used in a Shane Meadows film. It draws from the Berlin period, sets a new standard for atmospheric mood, and ushers Inna host of wannabes. That being said, I shy away from awarding an album top marks that has such an adverse effect on my blood pressure, and an album that has no shades of colour.

80s sounding, new wave, lots of reverb everywhere. Vocals are not super melodic and 'gothy' sounding, they sit a little back in the mix so it's a bit hard to understand all the lyrics, you really have to be listening to make them out. It's early electronic music where it sounds like a dude put his poems to the beats and melodies, into song form.

Ya that was weird. Talking Heads-esque.

I didn't get it before, I don't get it now, and I can't imagine getting it in the future. I understand that Joy Division is like this religious thing, but the lyrics are depressing, the synths are annoying, and . . . well, there isn't much to redeem it. I guess it's kind of cool to hear another precursor to grunge? Influence 4. Hits 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. I do not like this Sam I Am 1.

One weird song after another. Just when you think it’s getting cool, it isn’t.

2.5

First time listen. Long overdue.

Not bad but I'll probably never listen to this again. Plus one for cultural relevance.

I bet these vocals are divisive. I'm not a huge fan, but they work well for this music. The bass lines and tight percussion are really the selling point for me here. The overall sound they're going for is a lot of fun and danceable. Overall, cool album to start my day with.

Recall it being better,,,

Quite simply one of the greatest post punk albums of all time. Probably one of the best in any genre in fact. It’s also why people tend to think they were a moody, depressed band.

Slow repetitive crap. Ian Curtis groaning about how sad life is for 45 minutes. His voice reminds me so much of Lou Reed, I hate it. There’s nothing particularly interesting here, never understood the hype of Joy Division

Found this to be so boring

Ooo, fuck yeah! Unknown Pleasures sm miljonkrat, Closer samo parkrat. Fak, ker dobr začetek ("Atrocity Exhibition"). Manj 'tinny' bobni k na UP. (O moj bog, zj k še enkrat poslušam, koji kurac un misli, da so povsod isti bobni?! V prvem so tok unique napram pol. Niti enga komada ni poslušal, grem stavit.) Všeč mi je, k se sliš, da je isti band k na UP, ampak se jim je mal stil začel spreminjat že kle. (Bas je kul throughout.) "Heart and Soul" je kul. Sm nardila to napako in šla brat reviewe drugih uporabnikov & je en napisal, da so bobni skoz isti?! Tko da, sm extra pozorna na bobne & let me tell you - niti slučajno niso cel cajt isti. Moram ne brat te reviewe, k me sam razpizdijo. Dejanko je solidno razgiban album (ugh, to me na en drug ali celo isti review spomne, k trdi, da so si vsi komadi podobni). "The Eternal" je čist samosvoj do zdej. "Decades" mi je tud zanimiv & se mi je zdel, k da je neko čudno glasbilo vmes - wiki pravi melodica! V glavnem, ne brat shitty mnenj drugih, ustvarite si svoje. Js grem pa koj še enkrat tole poslušat.

"Now that I've realised how it's all gone wrong Gotta find some therapy, this treatment takes too long Deep in the heart of where sympathy held sway Gotta find my destiny before it gets too late"

5/5

Have just never been a big fan of joy division. I guess they’re just not melodic enough for me. I did like a couple of these songs (24 hours and the eternal) but not enough to like the album.

A bit depressing in places (obviously!) but that there are a few catchy tracks. The first track is a drag, as are the last two. At least the album doesn’t contain the awful “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. That song is an abomination. “Closer” is a real mixed bag, so a 3/5 seems fair.

I like the minimalism, but I was hoping for more Peter Hook. It's kind of a bleak album. I prefer New Order, but it had to come from somewhere.

Unknown Pleasures is a personal favorite of mine. I’ve listened to it a lot and it was one of the first albums I ever bought on vinyl. For some reason I just never got into Closer as much and haven’t listened to it nearly as much. I really don’t know why because relistening to it now, I realized it really is great and a worthy follow up to Unknown Pleasures. I guess this is another good reason to do this project, not just to discover new music but to give a second chance to stuff that I didn’t connect with as strongly before

I have tended to enjoy New Order more than Joy Division. This album deserves a spot on the list though. I feel like I prefer their debut album though. It's crazy to me that Love Will Tear Us Apart is not on here, as it would be the best song on the album. Unknown Pleasures is the better album in my opinion.

It's an okay album. A little too sad for me, but is a really good version of sad music. On a few songs, it seemed like the lyrics and music didn't match, which was kind of odd. 3/5 Probably won't listen again

Irritating and, ironically, joyless.

Even better than Unknown Pleasures, I think, though it's really close. This is excellent stuff.

WELL DUH. This is the way... step inside!

I thought they were kind of interesting, but not really my kind of music.

Already got

I've listened to this a good few times, but it never really stuck with me the way Unknown Pleasures did. I think it's one where credit has to be given for influence on other bands. I can hear a lot of inspiration for the likes of U2 for ex. I really like the drumming and some of the melodies, but find the lyrics a bit inscrutable.

easy for me to hear it and like it

It's interesting that unknown pleasures has the famous album cover when arguably this one has a much nicer one. never been a big post punk guy Fav song: Decades

Singing is very depressing,not the best for when the clocks have just gone back and it's dark and rainy in the morning

First time listening to any Joy Division, definitely won't be the last. I hear their influences in the music of so many bands who followed.

Decent background music, 80s rock, nothing really stood out, tonality was meh

# 604 : Closer Closer – Funeral Hymns for the Emotionally Numb This is a grumpy, depressed mishmash of musical ideas, overlaid with thick, tuneless vocal mumbling. It’s trapped in the past and doesn’t feel relevant in the modern age. I can objectively appreciate what it was, but subjectively? This is decidedly not for me. Someone once described this as “arty, pretentious shit with a vocalist who can’t sing.” Hard to argue, really. It’s like a collection of funeral hymns recorded in a concrete bunker. The atmosphere is heavy, the pacing is glacial, and the emotional payoff is… nonexistent. Best Track (if you must): Heart and Soul – which was okay, but still nothing that made me want to stay in the room. Verdict: ★★ for historical value. File under “albums that make you want to check on your plants instead.”

Este sí, algo más guay.

Dark, sad album. I only know the lore and have listened to Joy Division peripherally. not convinced by this body of work. Never quite pulled me in

On a really long streak of mid

This album is dark and the suicide of Ian Curtis makes it more troubling. The live versions on the collectors edition are better.

Tedium Division.

It kind of dragged on and on for me, cool as those bass lines were.

Timeless and essential.

A pretty good album, I liked Isolation the most.

Is it "Closer" or "Closer"? Who knows. Joy Division's last album as Ian Curtis joins the tragic list of musicians who killed themselves and joined"that stupid club" as one person put it. His death hangs over this record seeing as it was released 2 months after his suicide - but it was always going to be dark anyway. Musically, it's all cold wet socks in a grotty bedsit with no heating and no carpet on the floor. It's bleak, but I think it has more to do with being from Manchester than anything else. Best Tracks: Isolation; Heart and Soul; Twenty Four Hours

I despise the label "important" regarding records, but this record has undeniably left it's mark. It is one of those records that just needs to be listened to. Despite individual tastes, most people would probably agree that this is good record that captured lightning-in-a-bottle.

1 stern

Awesome

Not really my thing.

I understand there's some greater context at play with the album but it just made 0 impression on me.

This album was a whole bunch of nothing for me. I'm writing this mere minutes after finishing it and don't remember a single song.

I get it. The promise of this band pitted against the tragic death of lead singer Ian Curtis has elevated their albums to pillars of gothic and post-punk scenes. The songs are sparse, haunting, filled with dread and unease. On a rainier, gloomier day this might be perfect.

Couldn't get thru a single song

I enjoy Joy Division in general but most of this album was just okay for me.

Always been a Joy Division fan, but haven't actually given this album a full spin for a long time now. Experimental, noisy, raw, abrasive yet comforting. Right up my alley, love it.

Pretty solid

Mother, I tried, please believe me I'm doing the best that I can I'm ashamed of the things I've been put through I'm ashamed of the person I am Isolation, isolation, isolation But if you could just see the beauty These things I could never describe These pleasure's a wayward distraction This is my one lucky prize while I will never ever choose to put on joy division when I’m looking for something to jam to, there’s such a gift with this song and album. It’s easy to look back and mystify the lyrics of Ian Curtis, but isolation is just so human.

Every time I hear Joy Division, I wonder if they ever considered making good music

People on this one lying about how they like unknown pleasures better… like that album isn’t a dumpster fire too. Come on, hate it with your chest now lmfao

3.75 j'ai adoré les premières chansons mais les dernières c'était long

solid stuff!

This became one long droning song. I enjoyed "Unknown pleasures" but this just didn't do it for me.

Not really my kind of music, but I didn't enjoy a couple of songs: Colony, A Means to an End, and Heart and Soul.

more self conscious than the “unknown pleasures” both in terms of lyrics and in terms of sound

109/1001 :: Joy Division - Closer Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 9 Listen before you die: Yes Fav Songs: Twenty Four Hours, A Means to an End, Decades Do you like torture? Because when I listen to this album all I hear is pain. The most beautiful, darkest, wonderful pain… Ian Curtis was not well and it comes through here. There’s also just not much like this. The production is haunting, while the rhythm section is just laying it down and the eerie guitar crashes over the top. When I reach for Joy Division I usually go for Unknown Pleasures but after many listens today I think I maybe be neglecting this album. Actually I know I am. I’ve always thought this album was really good but it’s great.

The desperation of a band trying catch more lightening in a bottle, whilst falling apart between eachother and within themselves. The result is something moody, heartbreaking, eye opening… it’s Joy Division and I’m an emo, it’s a. 5. 5.0/5.0. Best Song: A Means To An End

What is there to say really? One of the most influential albums of the era, they really set the tone for British music for the next couple of decades. It’s so powerful and haunting, everything sounds so sparse like it’s played in a big empty warehouse. Best tracks: Colony or Decades

Legacy.

Emo alt

Early new wave

So much better rock music out there

A truly depressing album. Not quite as good as unknown pleasures but the atmosphere it generates is strong.

This is one of those albums that make you really depressed. In a nice way

Melankolista ja aika junnaavaa. Aluksi en tykännyt tai alkupään kappaleet ei ollut niin omaan mieleen, mutta aloin ymmärtää levyn viehätyksen loppuun päin mentäessä. Varsinkin The Eternal kappaleen tunnelma oli tosi siisti. Parhaat: The Eternal, Twenty Four Hours

I'm not sure I've listened to this before. In first listen I think I prefer their debut.

Strange group from the 80’s. One hit wonders.

i dont think i like this necessarily, it drags on quite a bit and the songs float into each other too much whether intended or not... even disregarding the reading of this album as a suicide note, it still feels quite dull in a way that i dont appreciate

This sounds like music I'd hear in a Goodwill in 2007. Very white noise...

Well, turns out I only like the one Joy Division album. If I heard any of these on their own I might like them more but it’s a rough listen in one go through. Wanna make it close to a three, but it ain’t quite.

Nothing stood out, pretty repetitive

The last summer day has already long past. The skies have changed their palettes; azure, cerulean and even lavender have faded to endless shades of grey colourlessness. The ceiling of looming clouds seems to come down slowly, one inch per hour, steadily compressing the world and the atmosphere below into some increasingly dense material, working up the gravity percentile by percentile, draining away ever more noticeable amounts of our breathing air. I know you've got a hard time ahead. Life's never all that easy for you, but during these months, the gloomy weather has a way of wrapping itself around your throat. I've already seen it in your eyes, you're scared. But please hold on. Soon it will be Christmas and the uncountable lights will be swimming all around you, there may even be snow, and then spring will be just around the corner once again. And I will be here for you whenever you need me. You can do this. In the meantime, just remember all those oversized woolen sweaters stowed away at the back of your wardrobe, you can wear them all you want. And above all, you can listen to Joy Division, if you need to be reminded that this weight is not only yours to bear.

I enjoyed some tracks from this record, but the rest I did not really care for. I'm not really into post-punk, but I think this has been one of the better records that I have listened to. Favourite Track(s): Atrocity Exhibition, Twenty Four Hours, Decades Least Favourite Track(s): Passover, The Eternal

Yes, the singing sucks. The songs are not great either. But the album probably holds some historical importance. That's not enough to make me want to hear it again. 3/10

I used to love and hate them.. not sure where i land today

Ei vaan lähteynt Joy Divisionit. Pari ihan ok biisiä mut ne ei jaksanu pitää tätä levyä pinnalla. Johonkin tilanteeseen varmasti sopivaa. Ihan ku joku olis tilannu Depeche Moden syntsat Temusta

Tämä oli hyvin ristiriitainen albumi kuunnella. Tykkäsin erityisen paljon levyn miksauksesta, mutta laulajan äänestä en täysin pitänyt ja yleinen tunnelma oli liian synkkä itselleni. Myöskin levyä kuunnellessa läpi, tämä tunnelma ja synkkyys nappasi välillä otteeseensa ja toimi ihan kohtalaisesti, mutta yleisellä tasolla jäi negatiivinen fiilis. Eri laulajalla voisi toimia itselleni paremmin, ehkä jopa nelosen arvoisesti. Toisaalta, sopisiko eri laulaja tähän synkkään tunnelmaan yhtään sen paremmin. Bändin ja levyn taustoja lukiessa tuli fiilis, että laulajasta pitäisi tykätä enemmän (kevyt mullat hänelle, kun 23-vuotiaana itsemurhaan päätynyt). Lopputulemana irtoaa albumille taas vaihteeksi kolmonen, mutta vahva sellainen. Taas tarvittaisiin puolikkaita tähtiä. Kehityskaarta albumilta löytyi, koska olin ensimmäisten biisien jälkeen antamassa kakkosta. Kuten arvostelustakin huomasi, oli hieman ristiriitaiset fiilikset tästä levystä.

Ei tää kyl oikein. En jaksanu ees koko levyä kuunnella. Synat oli ihan hauskat mut laulaja oli valittu samoin perustein ku 90-luvulla futisjengin vasen pakki tai veska

Olipahan sekavaa settiä… Kannattais jätkien syödä muutakin kuin sieniä.

Nonii nyt päästiin taas näihin kesäisiin saundeihin ja romanttisiin iltoihin kesämökin laiturilla. Tai no nii, kyl tää sittenkin taitaa olla se marraskuinen Kouvolan betonihelvetti tai hylätty paperitehdas Jämsässä. Oon taas tän suhteen vähän huijariasemassa kun on tullut kuunnellut aiemminkin nautintodivaria, mutta ohan tää tunnelmallinen teos. Varmaan ekaa kertaa kuunneltuna esim. töiden ohessa voi jäädä hyvinkin kolkko fiilis ja pohdinta, että saatana mitä kolinaa. Mutta audioKUVAhan tässä on mitä upein ja musiikille harvinainen immersiivisyys on läsnä. Tossa yks tän ryhmän kuulijoista sanoi, että mänsesteri oli helvetin ruma mesta kun siellä kesällä vieraili. No tää pumppu on sieltä kotosin ja varmaan kyllä kuulostaa siltä miltä kyseinen paikka näytti seisarikasarin vaihteessa. Mut joo, tän pändin kahdesta levystä tää on aina ollut itelle enempi mieleen. Ei siis muuta kun lisää paskaa housuun ja hyvät pisteet kehään.

Nyt ei napannut. Levyn alkumetreillä reaktio kolinaan oli niin raju että harkitsin antavani suoraan 1 tähden, mutta oli levyllä onneksi myös musiikkia. Kyllä tästä kuitenkin rehellisesti myös välittyi jonkinlainen tunnelma ja artistin tuska, mitä paremmin tutustuttua pääsisi(?) kuunnellessa kanssakärsimään, mutta taas näin "kerran töiden taustalla" -ympäristössä ei oikein iskenyt

Ehkä tästä saisi enemmän irti, jos kuuntelisi enemmän, mutta kertakuuntelulla jää vähän junnaava ja itseääntoistava fiilis.

Ei ihan itsellä ole koskaan ilodivisioonakaan lähtenyt. Vähän liikaa synkistelyä itselle. Sinällään hyvät soundit, mutta laulajan äänestä en vaan pidä. Myöskään ainakaan näin yhdellä kuuntelulla ei jäänyt yhtään yksittäistä biisiä mieleen, kaikki oli vähän semmoista sotkuista mössöä. Hauska kun levyn päätteeksi Spotifyn algoritmi lähti soittamaan jonkun ihan toisen bändin kamaa, niin en edes huomannut että levy oli vaihtunut. Ei nyt kuitenkaan mitään ihan kauheaa kuraa tämäkään, solid kaksi tähteä.

Finally listened to a full Joy Division album.. had only heard famous songs before like Shadowplay. Musically I love many of the songs, but vocally Ian Curtis is tough to get into. I also didn't read the lyrics which would probably enhance it. Despite their fame, I didn't think I'd like it due to his voice but pleasantly surprised with some of the songs.

A stunning record. Haunting and beautiful, JD’s growth just from their debut the year prior to this is still shocking. It’s spooky, atmospheric, and ultimately a devastating look into the doomed psyche of Ian Curtis. In my all time top 20 and 80s top 10.