Closer

Carino, energico ma non 100% il mio.

Has moments, not as good as unknown pleasures for sure Will I listen to again: 50%

Joy Division's brand of New Wave music struck a joyful chord with many listeners. For me, it's rather about Division, because I just can't seem to get into them. 2.5/5

I found this quite boring - I do like Joy Division but here I felt a lot of the songs sounded the same.

Meh. Het is wel goed, maar het is ook duidelijk dat het niet voor mij gemaakt is

I do not think that I want to dance to joy division and celebrate the irony

lowkey i dont get the hype. its cool tho, i just need to sit with it more, theres some great songs on here

I did not use a private session for Spotify. Love the complicated drums, didn't love the keyboards, the voice I have mixed feelings about. This album is another fine example of a 70s band embracing the keyboard heavy 80s.

Inte min typ av musik. Klickar inte alls. Svårt att sätta fingret på. Tycker det är "ljud" utan finess. Det är inte dåligt dock. Men har svårt att känna "najs" på en enda låt. Först 30 sek på första låten är bäst.

More raw and less melodic - if that’s possible - than the first album. Quite a difficult listen but not a terrible album.

Ok. Not loving it. Now of the opinion that Interpol shamlessly stole their sound from them.

Yeah pretty good Sad and mopey in all the right ways. Reminds me of early Cure. Good, very good

Good and dark but I found it to monothematic, lyrically as well as musically.

I’ve rated Unknown Pleasures (5/5) some time ago and was expecting more of that today, but I liked this album quite a bit less unfortunately. It did grow on me as it went on, but I was missing the stripped punky sound of their debut here, this was a bit too artsy. 3/5

#531. I should really go back and count how many one hit wonder's wrong albums are on this list. This strategy is confounding to me. 3/5: fine.

This album was decent, but kind of sad knowing the story after the album was made.

Not the most uplifting album

Okay, I can recognize what they're trying to do here with the stripped down, bare sound reflecting the message of their lyrics. That doesn't mean I enjoy it cause the dude's voice is icky and it's not a very pleasant listen. However I can appreciate it to some degree, hence the 3.

80's brit synth rock, overly synth, techno sound is not my thing. tracks ramble & dither on. kind of blend together. overall boring-however, compared to yesterday's horrific album (looking at you octagon) I'm feeling very generous. 2.5 stars

It is cool, but just not for me as much as I wish it was.

Dark, brooding, spooky. The first few tracks bored me but it got better as time moved on. Incredibly repetitive in melody but I guess it works? Its okay.

Sounds like punk for people afraid to get their hands dirty or their jeans ripped.

Day425 - i don’t really love the music, but I think they’re cool. i hope this is the year that joy division/ new order get into the rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame

Some good stuff on this one, but the some tracks that just didn’t connect with me or at least my mood at the time I listened to it.

It's been about twenty albums since I was given a landmark, challenging one. Glad to finally have another. I actually listened to half of Closer ~5 years ago, though I don't remember a lick of it. I've somewhat avoided it in the time since then. I find it pretty offputting how a lot of people in the music community romanticise and obsess over death. I want to try and "get" this album, but after listening to it twice I'm not sure whether I do. I like the heavy production, but those vocal performances push me away - they're all thoroughly unmoving. It was very difficult to make out the lyrics on the album, though I didn't care much for what I was able to discern. "The Eternal" is my favourite song on here. I thought it was pretty alright on the whole. However, the song that succeeds it, "Decades", is awful. I was hoping that there would be grand climax to this album that made the listening experience worth it, but I came away with pretty sour feelings overall. Hello! Me after two *complete* listens here. It's good! I thought the first half in particular was strong, which managed to be gothic and macabre in some pretty unique ways. The synth is an unusual addition to an album of this tone and nature, but I thought it was used to great effect, especially on "Isolation". The sudden epiphany I'm having is not enough to save this album from the three-star slot after having one-and-a-half listens of not getting it, but I am more than open to giving this one another go in the future. I'm glad I could have this breakthrough. Just as an aside, I've always liked how ominous the title for this album is. "Closer" as in the final part of Joy Division's discography, but "closer" as in something getting nearer. The album cover is great too. Definitely iconic and I like how the lighting of the photograph elevates the dramatic tension of an otherwise barebones cover.

nelabai ką pamenu, tik kad porą patiko, bijau būti įprasta

I didn’t realise they made so little music before Ian Curtis died. It’s super moody gloomy music I think it went on a bit after the first couple of songs but then picked up again at Twenty Four Hours Therapy? did a cover song of Isolation but also had some lyrics from the first song too - I had no idea it was cover until today 🤣 Favourite song: Twenty Four Hours

I thought I knew all 80's music but I had never heard this and it was quite a pleasant surprise.

It was ok 3/5

It's just dark. But still enjoyed it

Really never listened to these guys. May heard a song in passing but really never listened to them. Very interesting. Very goth, industrial.

Не очень понравилось.

New Order was a phoenix.

Sounds pretty gloomy, but other than that it sounds pretty alright.

This is clearly well done. It's got a dark vibe and an aura that carries it well. Totally makes sense to be on the list and with more attention I could see this having a chance to fight to a 4.

Geez, this is dark. It's fine at what it does. I'm just at a place in life that this isn't for me. I find it a bit dull. A well constructed album.

I like the darker vibes of the album (I'm the one of us who likes Depeche Mode), but I'm not really getting thing out of the lyrics, and the sounds are dissonant without my really getting much out of it. Compared to, say, sisters of mercy or Siouxsie and the Banshees, which are goth, but feel like there is intentionality behind it. It feels like the post punk era people know they have a new genre on their hands, but haven't quite figured out what to do with the sound. That said, I could see myself coming around on this if I listen more. But that seems unlikely.

If you had told me this was early LCD Soundsystem I would’ve believed you. This album inspires me that anyone can be the frontman of a band, they don’t even have to know how to sing. Favorite track: “Decades”

It's fine

Atmospheric and some spine tingling tracks

6/10 I know, I know, I get it. It’s a very well made album that does exactly what it wants to. Musically excellent, very very good production. It establishes a vibe and keeps it running. Clearly influential right up to the current day. But that vibe was misery. Nothing against it, but it was intense and not for me. Didn’t love the lyrics & delivery of them either. Best: Decades

Meh.

5.5/10

A meh album from an overrated band.

Pretty good. I liked it.

I like Joy Division a lot but I listen to their albums and don’t really know why.

Never listened to this album in its entirety. Certainly stylistic, very obviously joy division. Overall this album is ok

19/12/24 This album wasn't for me. I couldn't really work it out.

5/10

It's like a type of grunge rock that drones a bit. Honestly it sounded like an edgy B52s a few times. But it was good

Post-punk. After death of lead singer. 80s pop. Synths. New wave. Very tragic lead singer story. Dark. Some dark and gothy tunes I really like.

Some post-punk records just feel thin. Expansive and enough to create a home in but not enough for me to return to rn. Probably would rate this higher after listening to Unknown Pleasures. I'm also tempted to start thinking about UK music as an empire. Why do w care so much about chaps that churn out like 2 albums. Or are called brilliant after like an EP. Is this music making or culture making?

Closer started interesting, but I couldn't get over the lead singer's voice. As the album went on, however, I feel like Joy Division really nailed an interesting new sound that must have been revolutionary for 1980. Best Songs: Heart and Soul, Decades Worst Songs: Atrocity Exhibition

The problem with unique sounding bands is all the songs can end up sounding the same. I really like a few JD songs, but none of them are on this album.

Eccoli tornati noiosetti

Is eerlijk gezegd een beetje als een waas aan mij voorbij gegaan tijdens het luisteren Ik hoorde wel dingen die ik vet vond maar moet het echt nog een keer luisteren om een duidelijker beeld te hebben In principe ben ik nooit into Joy Division geraakt, op een paar nummers/hitjes na. Ik geef het een 3 omdat ik er wél potentie in zie en wat goeie dingen hoorde, maar geen 4 omdat het eigenlijk ook niet helemaal aanslaat in eerste instantie

My second Joy Division album. This one I actually enjoyed a bit more. The songs had deep, goth rock undertones but the presentation was varied- sometimes more synth-i fluenced, sometimes more rock elements. Overall- a solid album.

A 'seminal release of the post-punk era', which didn't particularly move me all that much, but I respect it for what it is.

Dated but there's enough good tracks to keep this thing going. Very influential which helps its cause as well. Ian Curtis is a downer and his voice is a bit grating.

One of the better post-punk projects I’ve heard but I might just not like post-punk that much :/

I enjoyed it more than I have previous listens.

Man this is a slog to get through. Therapy? did Isolation better in my opinion.

Spooky

The musicality is great. This album would be so much better with a vocalist worthy of a microphone. So hard to enjoy with his voice moaning over everything else.

Definitely need to relisten. Really liked a couple of tracks but not sure how I feel about Joy Division quite yet

I love a lot of things that take inspiration from Joy Division, but I can't seem to completely fall in love with this. I can compare it to my feelings of much classic literature — there is something there that I want to explore, but my aesthetic reflex does not allow me to sink as deeply into it as I want to.

I like this one slightly more than Unknown Pleasure!

Great music that I don't necessarily want to listen to

I love depressing music. Way more than I probably should. But I didn't get get Division. I've tried a bunch. But I just don't get this.

dull, nothing stands out

What a vibe. Now I want to commit arson, but in a sad way.

I'm a bit sad about this one, since I didn't like it as much as I thought it would. Unknown Pleasures grabbed me right away, but I don't feel like there's as much for me to latch onto here. It's not bad by any means, it just suffers by comparison. However, I could also see this being the type of album that starts to grow on me after a few listenings 3/5

Käsitteellinen suuruus taivaasta. ///// Suomalainen, ruotsalainen ja norjalainen kilpailivat kuka on pisimpään kummitustalossa. Norjalainen meni sisään ja oli siellä 10s. kun kuului: Punaiset silmät, punaiset silmät. Norjalainen juoksi ulos. Sama kohtalo oli ruotsalaisella. Suomalainen meni sisään ja oli siellä 20s. kuului: Punaiset silmät, punaiset silmät. Suomalainen sanoi: Turpakii tai on sulla kohta mustat silmät! Kummitus juoksi ulos. heh... klasikko. Suomalainen, Amerikkalainen ja Turkkilainen istuivat junassa. He kiistelivät siitä,kenen maa on rikkain. Amerikkalainen heitti rahaa ikkunasta ja huusi: Näitä meillä riittää! Turkkilainen heitti kebabeläimen ikkunasta ja huusi: Näitä meillä riittää! Suomalainen heitti Turkkilaisen ikkunasta ja huusi: Näitä meillä riittää! atrocity exhibition

Memories of college. This music represents a moment in time. I still like it but never go back to it.

first listen i find zero joy in the music of this band. i strongly disliked having to listen to another album from this band.

I can enjoy this as art from an analytic perspective, but for my own enjoyment, it doesn't do much.

Prog rock - it's fine. Nothing stands out to me again until Twenty Four Hours.

I like their story, but man the music is such a downer

Until today I had known Joy Division only by name. I love the music (⭐⭐⭐⭐) especially the drum and bass work. But as soon the vocals start I don´t like it that much any more. Favourite: "Passover", "A Means to an End", "Twenty Four Hours"

muy oscuro musicalmente y por el contexto de su release, y por ello pesado y melancólico

Dios que difícil terminar de escuchar, en un punto se volvió muy repetitivo para mí pero bueno ta bien I guess, un poco inquietante

Classic JD sound, but no real bangers to hook me in. Needs to be listened to by a teenager who has to save to buy it on vinyl and then only has that album to listen to while they save up for another album.

I’ve heard a lot about Joy Division, but this is my first deliberate listen. Gotta say, I hate the B-52esque voice at first… but the band makes it fit and you get used to it. Other than that, the overall sound of the music is great! I’m guessing pioneers for the REM and Tragically Hip crowd. For that I can give this a High 3

3.7. Decent

Gritty and tough 80s sound. Some of the only 80s I really can dig, and of course this was at the beginning of the decade. Great rock sound.

Enjoyed this one. I didn't realize how much they sounded like old Cure, which I wouldn't have known but for the Seventeen Seconds album assigned to our group a few weeks ago. Good times.

I liked it. It was kinda boring. Don’t love his voice but I liked the songs. Reminds me kind of of the smiths

There is not too much to say about Joy Division that has not been said yet. I liked this album, even though I prefer "Unknown Pleasures." I'm unsure if they deserve this second spot on the list, but okay, 1001 of anything is a lot of things.

Nothing that rocked my world but solidly enjoyable. 3.5

Also fine...but didn't hold my attention.

Just what I expected from Joy Division. Not exactly my groove but fine enough in small doses.

This was fine but this style isn’t really my cup of tea. Can’t foresee myself going out of my way to throw this back on but appreciate it fwiw

My second favorite Joy Division album. 6/10

I like joy division, but feel that closer is nowhere close to unknown pleasures. Ok listen but not great

I'd never heard Joy Division before this, so it was a novel experience for me. All in all not terrible.

To be honest the vocals weren't my favorite and the rest of this album was quite boring.

Very reminiscent of the Doors, but without the charismatic lead singer

Never had a huge love for JD despite enjoying the hits. This hasn't changed much, but i did enjoy it

Nothing wrong with this one, but just too much of a downer for me to want to listen to again. You can hear the influence on so many later bands, so it definitely has relevance (see Interpol, The National, et al). Really sad to read about the lead singer as well.

Pretty ok

Although not my favourite album this is so influential on later artists

I liked this the more the longer it went on. I didn't like the more industrial songs. My favorites were Twenty Four Hours and The Eternal (which was quite beautiful. I only listened on my phone speakers while shooting a house, so not much of an in depth review or listen. Album Cover: A-

Didn't love it

Not for me. Super repetitive and just a generic 80s sound that gets old fast.

Solid goth album.

This really didn't do anything for me. It's not a bad album by any stretch. There's just nothing here that grabbed me. It's strange because I've quite liked some of their contemporaries. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood Idk.

I don't know really. I suppose it's different which I like. It's the mix of genres I greatly enjoy. But it gets boring for me. The careful use of instruments doesn't work for me.

has really interesting ideas that glimmer trough on parts of the album, but is also incredibly wonky, with a mediocre singer and a cluttered instrumental. the first half of the album also seems really repetitive, however the album gets much clearer and more listenable on the second half.

This one didn't really leave an impression, I'm sure it was good, just not very memorable.

Good album. Never heard it before. I listened to their first album too. I think I liked that one a little more.

Bad running music - good album though

I love so many Joy Division songs. But I was a little let down by this one. Nothing really hooked me. And the first song I thought was kinda bad. There’s still a couple of standouts. But this is something I’ll have to return to and see if it rises in my estimation. 3.5/5

The songs on their other album are better. Production of this one is better. I like the other album better. Favorite song: Passover

This was reminiscent of the sound of this era

Maybe a 4, need a relisten.

I know Joy Division is HUGELY influential, and I wanted to like it, I just couldn't really connect to it. I gave it a second listen, and I liked it significantly better. I'm not sure I love the singers voice, I'm not big into goth, and those are the vibes his voice gives me, even if the music isn't particularly goth. Overall, I can't say it's a bad album, so 3 stars it is.

I don't think that I'm a fan of Joy Division, but i know they're not bad, they have cool songs in this album.

I really liked this album until Ian Curtis started singing. I’m not really in a position to talk, but the goofy nerds who sung for these alternative bands of the 80s really don’t do it for me.

Almost a four. Obviously depressing but also enjoyable to listen.

"Let's put on some Joy Division to cheer us up", said nobody ever. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating album: hypnotic, unsettling and oddly compelling with echoes of Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk and "Low"-era Bowie. It wasn't to last.

Previously rated: Unknown Pleasures (2/5) ****************************** Despite the vocals being what they are, there was some decent stuff going on musically. But again, those vocals are so depressing. Can’t give it any more than a 3/5. Best track: Twenty four hours.

A more striped down album, it seems he hasn't found his voice yet but I really enjoy the long painful droning songs with whiny guitar and jangly synth

44/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

It was an okay album, but the songs could get monotonous.

good album

Undoubtedly a masterpiece of its time. As much as I love the bass (especially) and a lot of the guitar work, I’m afraid I just don’t like Ian Curtis’s vocal. I know it creates the overall mood but the music does that enough for me. ‘Heart and Soul’ and ‘Twenty Four Hours’ are absolutely brilliant, and shine so much more than the rest of the album.

While I don't actively listen to this music on a regular basis, I always enjoy some raw 80s post-punk. It feels like Fugazi + Talking Heads, but I know this came before all of that. The raw / non-heavy effects is fun and makes a natural sound. This album is pretty moody and kind of depressing, but I like the swings they're taking.

This didn't do much for me at first but grew on me when I listened a second time. I don't know how often I'd come back to it, but I would listen to this again.

Sound mixing bothered me lol

that one goth that lowkey doesnt fw joy division. i wish his voice was nicer idk and this was very slow paced compared to unknown pleasures. 3/5

Another colossal album out of Manchester. First of all, I truly dislike brutal, angular, cold industrial type music, yet immediately I didn’t not Atrocity Exhibition, thanks to one of my favorite bands, The Tea Party ripping off the chorus. First time through, I aggressively hated Side A and absolutely love Side B. The raw, cleaner Twenty Four Hours with its driving bass and guitar is without a doubt the standout, the haunting synthy Eternal and Decades. With the hindsight of Curtis’ death, these songs are as dark as it gets. Closer gets warmer and better as it goes. 7.5/10

I wish I liked the voice. In such atmospheric music, the voice really matters, its an instrument that needs to fit in the mix. I just don't think it does.

Listening to it with the context that the lead singer committed suicide between recording and release made me give it more of a chance than I normally would. I already encountered the first album and really didn't care for it. In this album, I still can't stand the vocals but I do find the grooves to be more energetic and found myself bobbing along. Still too 80s sadness for me, but a step up from the previous showing.

I will never listen to again

I have never listened to Joy Division and am only aware of them because of their iconic album artwork that seems to be ubiquitous now. Obviously I know they were a precursor to New Order and Peter Hook and the Light, but it's never really been my area. This album was fine, time and a place and so forth.

mi gasa devo dire, comunque molto piu' experimental della roba che si sente in giro di sti tempi (tipo biennale venezia e simili) devo dire e meno sgradevole soprattutto

more melancholic than new wave

Good but not great, I give it 3 stars

All the songs sounded the same. Had it on in the background. Wasn’t pulled into to this one as much.

Decent, don’t see any strong reason to revisit though

I probably should have focused on listening to the lyrics, but it was ok.

I think I like their other albums better, but still enjoyed this a lot

Very despondent album. I appreciate the melancholic post punk instrumentals as well as the lyrics. However, I think the vocals and choruses sound at times more annoying than raw. Sounds like the album would take place in a haunted house. 3.5/5

3/5

A little disappointed, I expected better

My previous exposure to Joy Division was "Love Will Tear Us Apart". I've always thought that was a terrible song mostly due to lead singer Ian Curtis' inability to carry a tune. With that out of the way, this album was a pleasant surprise and better than I expected. I can definitely see how Joy Division became New Order.

Ian Curtis' vocals are just not for me at this stage in my life. Expressive and melancholic, sure, but they've never sat well in my mind. My opinion here will no doubt change as I explore more of this punk and post-punk era. It's a good album, but not quite there for me, yet.

Interesting. Still have to check it out at a better time.

Mellow, kinda spacey rock

Overrated

Ikke helt min musikksmak, men nærmere enn de 2 forrige!

It was alright. For some reason I was expecting more.

This album and Joy Division as a band are always noted for their influence on what was to come for industrial, new wave, and electronica. I never really got it. His vocals are flat and atonal. The innovation is the electronic beat and ambient sounds from guitar. They have a few songs that are great. But this album, like much of their music, is kind of shit.

Not one of my favourites. Not keen on the depressing singing voice and I like a bit of post punk groove but couldn't get into this one

I like elements of this album: the haunting atmosphere, the isolationism and anxiety in the lyrics, the noisiness of the production, and the power of the drums. But I always struggle to get past Ian Curtis’s voice—like someone straining to sing lower to do their best Jim Morrison impression. It’s not that he’s a bad singer, but their’s an uncertainty to his tuning and a vagueness to his melodies that I have trouble accepting. Nonetheless, I recognize that there is something special here and the album feels voyeuristic in a way that is morbidly appealing. And while I like some songs by Joy Division, they are mostly in their non-album singles, rather than off this record.

The band developed a unique sound which caught the zeitgeist of late 1970s northern England and this album reflects those dark times. Four decades later, those who were there at the time can look back and wallow in the dank, bleak atmosphere that they grew up in, remembering the reality that JD invoked. For younger folk, born in the optimism of the 90s or beyond, this album will be an archeological mystery of tuneless clattering, banging and misery.

Nothing offensive, but also pretty forgettable. For people who did like this, from my high school memories the other album is better.

Good but not great/monumental like Unknown Pleasures. Still a cool listen

I'm surprised that I didn't vibe with this album as much as I thought I would. I really enjoy the driving bass and atmospheric tones, but I guess I was just hoping for more energy or something.

This was fine, also not what I was expecting. I don't know why they chose this album and not the Mountain Wave one that everyone loves.

I really like Joy Division, but not necessarily this album.

I've Tried to listen to this album like 5 times and can't seem to get through it. So I must not like it too much. But I do like the sound.

Wanted to like this more then I did but guess I’m never that into post punk

Dark, mesmerising and industrial. Joy Divison’s sound is unique and the death of Ian Curtis hangs over it all.

ik vind dit echt een heel erg sad bois album zeg. De muziek, de tekstent, alles is heel erg naargeestig en tragisch. Ik vibe dit niet heel erg moet ik zeggen. Waarom is zoveel muziek zo erg depri? Had hier van tevoren juist heel veel zin in, want ik zag New Order al een beetje voor me. Maar dit is veel tragischer en downer enzo. Goede nieuws is dat ik blijkbaar momenteel positiever ben dan Joy Division van je vraagt!

Meer synths meeer vage stemmen! Ik ging over van OMD naar dit en had niet eens door dat het een ander album was haha Iets meer gitaren hier, en net wat meer tempo, minder melancholie. En dat bevalt me eigenlijk wel prima! Helaas pakt het tijdens mijn werk niet enorm mijn aandacht, dus ik kan het niet meer dan een prima geven Favorieten: Isolation, Decades

Passover Nice basslines, all a single one hour song but it is a good one

Didn’t give it my full attention, but then again, it didn’t grab my attention.

Heretical opinion time: Joy Division were just a band (apologies to Scroobius Pip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWrMGXwhFLk&t=6s), and a barely competent band at that. But the way they channel the Velvet Underground through a Krautrock filter helped define what post-punk could be, and the tragic tale of Ian Curtis is now canonical rock and roll lore. Much credit to Martin Hannett for the production that presents the shortcomings of the band (noisy, minimal, basic, intense) as features, creating an austere and claustrophobic setting for their weird charisma. As any self-respecting alternative music fan would, I own a bunch of Joy Division records. But I never, ever listen to them. Truth be told, I just find them too bleak. I admire the achievement, the atmosphere, the influence. But I can't shake the feeling that they are over-rated, that the actual records are over-shadowed by the legend of Ian Curtis and the band, which are, now, 40 years later, inextricably linked by too many magazine articles, books, movies, and a million t-shirts. It's hard to listen to the record without the freight of all that baggage. If I squint hard and try to listen afresh, it's a pretty good album, focused and powerful, and unremittingly dour. Not a fun day at the beach, though. I'm thinking 3.5 stars, which I am rounding down because I own the record but never listen to it.

Don't remember which album was on here earlier, but this one is a little better.

This was great in the 80s, but doesn't hold up to the test of time for me at all.

Not my bag, but still an enjoyable listen. I'm probably not going to come back to this one, but if it showed up at my door I'd invite it in for a spin.

Album 139 of 1001 Joy Division - Closer Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Track : Isolation Post Punk English Band. Didn't really resonate with me. I've enjoyed some post-punk, along the way, but this just didn't hit the mark. Didn't suck but just never went anywhere.

Pretty interesting, but not my favorite sound.

Honestly always found Joy Division overrated. Tried and failed quite a few time to get into them. They're ok, just don't get how they're held in such acclaim. Closer is pretty average. First half definitely the weaker side. Just can't do Ian's voice most of the time. Latter half saves it. Very atmospheric, almost cure-like

I think the production really let's this one down which is a real shame as most of the sharm of Joy Division comes from their ability to pull of their melancholic sound while still being a song you can dance to - it's like the musical version of the sad clown.

Haunting album when you have the context behind it. Not going to be something I listen to on repeat but not bad.

Is Joy Division overrated? Yes and No Of their own admission, they didn't try too hard to make this album. They're talented musicians that shot the shit and got darker and darker until they would hit record and improvise jams and lyrics into a tape recorder. Bernard Sumner's suicide certainly helped propel the band a bit more into notoriety especially with these posthumous releases. All of that being said, Joy Division is one of if not THE seminal band in Post-Punk. Their style was certainly their own and has influenced a great many people. Some take it deep to heart and some just wear the T-shirt for clout. Joy Division is a cultural and musical icon, no matter how you look at the quality of their music or artistry. Even if it's not for you, it's important to appreciate the steps of musical history.

I think I get it but I'm still not sure if these guys are for me. I might get in big trouble for this but it kinda reminds me of goth REM

Lyrics sind ganz fine, aber weder die Musik noch der Gesang ist sonderlich gut finde ich.

I’ve never REALLY gotten into Joy Division and I have to say, this also did not do the trick. Sometimes you need someone really passionate about a band to guide you through a discography, but for right now, they’ll remain a bit lost in antiquity for me. This lacked in variation and interesting melodies for it to be great for me. I will give it another go, but let’s see…

This is a darker album than unknown pleasures. You could get a sense of where new wave got a lot of their style from off this album as it contained a bit of a more 80s synthesizer into it. Overall this isn’t as good as unknown pleasures but it’s still decent. Having Curtis kept the band in check with a cooler less poppy style. 7.3/10

Moeilijke om een rating te geven. Er staan 2 types nummers op deze plaat: die met opvallende synths, en die zonder. Ik vond die zonder iets beter

-very excited to finally listen to joy division --favorites: a means to an end, twenty four hours -has a very cool sound -the darker sound makes sense for that genre at that time -i don’t hate it but i don’t Love it -i have a feeling joy divisons other album is better

I enjoyed this.

When I consider this album at the time of its release, it's got some interesting approaches that I don't think were widely prevalent at the time. They are very skilled musicians and performers.

3,5

Very timely - saw Peter Hook & The Light playing Unknown Pleasures and Closer just last week! Musically more sophisticated, intricate and occasionally heavier than Unknown Pleasures. More synths, which I like, but I don’t think quite as entertaining as the debut. 3 out of 5.

Pretty good. Nothing crazy considering I don’t even remember it from the last list eh ben u pissed?

“Weary inside, now our heart's lost forever; can't replace the fear, or the thrill of the chase.” …just some of the closing lyrics on Joy Division’s second and final album, one of the most infamous posthumous releases in music history. If you’re reading this, you’ll likely already know that “Closer” has always been held up by listeners as a window into Ian Curtis’s final days before his suicide, capturing his fragile and tormented state of mind. It’s soaked in a no-way-out kind of despair which makes it difficult just to comprehend, let alone sit and write a few hundred words assessing its value or importance. Anything I say about “Closer”, particularly within days of first hearing it, is going to be reductive by nature, and it doesn’t help that it hasn’t completely struck me as something to revisit. Nonetheless, let’s have a look at the songs… Bleak as it is, “Closer” brings Joy Division more in line with New Order’s sonic palette than I’d realised before. Songs like “Isolation” and “Heart and Soul” seem to bridge the gap between Joy Division’s early guitar-based post-punk and the electronic, synth-friendly approach perfected by New Order. The production is great here, too: crisp, clear drums, crunchy and fuzzy guitars twisted into abrasive soundscapes, Peter Hook’s basslines in the foreground. The wonderful “A Means to an End” exemplifies it all. Elsewhere, there’s “Twenty Four Hours” laying bare the template for The Cure to take and run with for years afterwards, foreshadowing “Disintegration” by nine years… and the slow crawling dread of “The Eternal” and “Decades”. But most astounding of all is the opener, “Atrocity Exhibition”. The drumming pattern (allegedly an attempt to evoke Pink Floyd’s “A Saucerful of Secrets”) is engrossing, as is the abrasive guitar squalling left right and centre. Curtis fills the void by alluding to insecurities around his epilepsy, describing his own body twisting and writhing while an adoring public gawp on. It seems to hint at his deep discomfort with being romanticised, fetishised, trapped in a warped narrative by fans and the press. Forty-five years on, the background of “Closer” has sustained that narrative even more, immortalising the album as a source of morbid fascination. Uncomfortable, confrontational, unsettling… this is a hard album to stomach and not a personal preference, but it’s inarguably vital listening.

Relentless and bleak. Hard to describe this any other way.

classic JD's joye de vivre

ok i will listen to it.

Not as good as Unknown Pleasures, I find it grows a bit trite.

Closer on a Monday morning? Are you trying to thin the heard? Murky, moody, generally not as good as Unknown Pleasures. I imagine that album three with 'Dead Souls', 'Ceremony' and 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' on it would be a stormer, but this one is a downer.

Dystert men på ett bra sätt

Such a tough rate after the perfection of 'Unknown Pleasures.' The same driving energy and dark creativity are still at play but fail to coalesce into any kind of piercing image unlike its predecessor. Manages to pull a 3 based on strong tracks like 'Decades' and 'Means,' pillars which suggest a larger form the other tracks just can't sustain due to some poor choices in lyricism or repetitive instrumentation. This album still wows with its experimental verve, it just feels stuck in a weird space between the guitar-born darkness of Joy Division and the synth-happy splendor of New Order.

yeah alright

More light than usual.

I liked the first half of this much better than the second half. After a while it seemed to get a bit dark and a little monotonous. But it was ok for me.

Bit sad and grumpy.

3.4/5 Best: Twenty Four Hours Worst: Heart and Soul Singing is a bit out of tune sometimes but still liked it

3.5

I enjoyed as much as one could enjoy a Joy Division album

6/10. Not bad, not great.

3.5

Sad banger, need to up the volume on the vocals tho

This is a weird kind of dark, mainly because of singer’s voice and the production, still pretty good

Solid New wave, good for occasional listens. Didn't compare it to Unknown Pleasures yet.

Very dark album. I like it though, not too experimental or different but enjoyable nonetheless. Definitely something to listen to on rainy days. Fave track(s): A Means to an End, The Eternal

Interesting and I can see why important but not enough distinct songs to get over three. Obvs huge influence on loads of other bands. Ian Curtis sounds like singer from Editors.

The singer is perpetually out of tune but exudes aesthetic. The songs are great at evoking emotions, the the voice of the lead singer makes it feel like its an actor filling in for the actual lead singer.

I love Peter Hook's bass playing. This is great punk album but I wasn't in the right head space. The overall album was rather depressing but I know I could enjoy it under the right circumstances. It's still not an album with a great "wow" factor but just raw underground night club music.

It’s not really my thing. I can see the appeal because I really like the singer’s voice and the guitar, but overall I couldn’t really get into it. It’s probably just a me thing, because I think it sounds pretty sick, I just wouldn’t want to put it into one of my playlists or listen to the album over again. Favorite track: Isolation

Daniel

If only they sounded more like New Order.

I don't really know how to classify this music, new wave probably best describes it, but it's not upbeat pop new wave. Slow, driving, the singers voice reminds me of talking heads.

Kinda emo LOL

this is the album that shows where they would have gone. it would have been good. they werent there yet. but im sure it inspired others. it lead to a couple good to okay new order albums. soooooo…. thats cool.

good album to put in the background and vibe to

I've haven't listened to much Joy Division, but what I've heard has been fine. I must admit the music didn't grab me and pull me in, instead it served as good background music that was enjoyable.

meh, not a fan of the 80s as much, and dude can't really sing in tune

It's not you; it's me. As incredible as you might be - I just can't find any joy.

i dont really see the appeal tbh, long repetitive tracks with not much pretty stuff, but it ain’t bad euther

Joy Division sets a dark tone that would become synonymous with the New Wave genre. The blend of gothic themes with electronic beats, synths, and strumming guitars that would be their calling card stand out. While not their most complete album from a mainstream standpoint, this album has an artistic element that their other may be lacking. It is impressive how much they accomplished in two albums.

I've never been the biggest Joy Division fan, I actually prefer New Order. But they did some remarkable things to pioneer a post-punk scene of melancholic and brooding alternative rock, opening the doors for other amazing acts like The Cure and The Smiths. Ian Curtis considered this album the band's creative pinnacle before sadly taking his own life so we'll never know if that was true. This is a very atmospheric album, I feel like I'm on a walking tour of Curtis's depression. There's some truly beautiful poetry in the lyrics, The Eternal is particularly haunting. This isn't casual listening, it's for catharsis or wallowing, what you get depends on the condition of your soul on any given listen.

Maudlin, morose music for the perpetually sad.

Granted, there are only two, but does every Joy Division album need to be here? Had the singer not killed himself, would this album merit a listen? Still a good album from the time period. 3/5.

Pretty decebt

pretty good, but not the best album i’ve gotten.

Was ok

sad people music but just made me bored

live songs were best. other than that quite boring

Way too experimental on the A side. I did however enjoy the more "classic rocky" side B with my favorite track being The Eternal.

I totally understand their influence and why they’re such a seminal band for so many people. I think I just missed my opportunity to get into Joy Division and have them have any meaningful impact on me. I also think I just like too many bands that took their whole thing and did it better.

It's insane how no one bothered to listen to any of the lyrics until after Ian Curtis killed himself. Maybe the guilt of not recognizing dude was extremely depressed is why everyone is so quick to over praise it. This is still a good if not great listen. New Order was formed from the ashes of this band. And let's be honest: New Order's catalog is better.

never heard of them, good to listen too.

Ahh yes, the division of joy. Meloncholy at it's best.

wow, I didn't know Joy Division only put out 2 albums before their singer killed himself. This is interesting. I can't say I love it and at times the tin can production on the vocals just annoys me... but it's unique and somewhat peaceful

Haunting, desperate, urgent,… But not something that hooked me (no pun intended).

Ok

Not their best, I’m usually a fan so maybe I wasn’t in the right mood

Depeche Mode vibes

Okay. Not bad but also nothing special

Good, but not outstanding.

Yea this album ain't bad

Wasn't in the right mood for this. Still great though!

This album strangely passed me by. I've never listened to it before from start to finish. I held it up as some iconic recording, almost afraid to give it a try. It isn't, and I shouldn't have placed so much trust in it. There's a fresh European sound. But nothing that screams out CLASSIC to me. I wonder how would Joy Division would have developed if you know, hadn't have happened. I think I prefer the New Order outcome.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Heart and Soul (6) 2 - Twenty Four Hours (7) 3 - A Means to an End (5)

great!!!

I can hear the obvious influences. But man, it is a bit of a downer. The singer suffered from depression? Couldn't tell at all from the songs. The singing reminds me of the tonality the Clash used for "The Guns of Brixton." It's ok, but as a whole it just didn't quite move me the way I thought it would. Kinda meh.

Not for me

This album is a difficult listen, knowing what came after. It has a dark, despairing, defeated quality, which is ramped up from 'Unknown Pleasures', which was itself dark and brooding. 'The Eternal' in particular feels like a funeral march. Artistically this is tragically on point, but too unremittingly bleak for my tastes. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Twenty Four Hours Date listened: 01/08/22

Not an album I've ever heard before. In the past I've felt about Joy Division the way many people feel about Morrissey (I like most of Morrissey). I always hoped that Joy Division would contextualize for me and have their moment knowing how influential they are. While I'm not a huge fan of the sound of Curtis' vocals (like a less talented Ian Asbury), I discovered some bass-lines and guitar I enjoyed more than on prior forays into the Joy Division catalog. Occasionally, the guitar was as good as some of the best Cure songs (Twenty Four Hours).

Joy Division and New Order were bands that I was raised on. While it isn't the sound from my childhood that I latched onto the most, I do love their music. This album is not as good as Unknown Pleasures to me. It is also a tragedy that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was never released on an album. All in all a good album that reminds me of childhood.

I know it's more a vibe than an album bit for me, that's the problem.

Creo que tienen cosas muy interesantes pero no es lo mío. Entiendo las raíces en el punk y luego post-punk pero me he dado cuenta con el primer tercio de la lista que estos géneros musicalmente no me llaman. Las letras pueden ser buenas y entiendo el aporte pero me costó mucho trabajo. 2.5 que sube a 3 porque sí encontré algunas cosas buenas.

Ok, lo jinxeaste… aunque sea un poco. Es que no me termina de pasar Joy Division. Sé que es de las bandas que más influencia tiene en lo que nos gusta hoy en día, pero en serio en serio me cuestan trabajo. La voz es difícil y la música, aunque no es mala, le faltan subidas y bajadas y todo el tiempo se mantiene en una tonalidad y melodía parecidas que terminan por hacerme querer ir a pedirles que por Dios cambien de acorde aunque sea. Se llevan de churro la 3a estrella.

Not as good as 'Unknown Pleasures,' more slow/ambient stuff on this album

2.7 - Dark, very 80s album. Post punk style without the Cure-like rhythm of some of their other stuff. Will likely not be revisiting soon.

lacked gyle

Interesting to get to this, which had never attracted my attention before - given that it doesn't have their bigger songs. I found it atmospheric, and rewarding for multiple listenings

Ambiance intéressante, un peu linéaire.

Had my fill of intense northern grimness

Joy Division is a great example of how a band can be very important and wildly influential and still be a drag. As I listen to Closer I can hear the hallmarks that make them interesting, but they also re-implement those same tricks over and over again, so that every song on this album sounds the same and it all sounds the same as the album before it. No one else sounds quite like Joy Division, but Joy Division always sounds too much like themselves. Some of the things I like best about the album are the raw dynamics as instruments come up and down in the mix and the song Twenty Four Hours stood out as really great.

3.5

terrible singing, music is good at points

Good background music while working. Not particularly memorable.

Entire album feels like a huge downer. A lot of bands I've liked are influenced by Joy Division... but I find I like a lot of those bands more than I like actual Joy Division.

Not really my thing. Maybe at the time this was pretty ground-breaking, but didn't hold up for me.

Musically I find ‘Closer’ easier to digest than ‘Unknown Pleasures’. Lyrically however, it’s hard to separate this album from Ian Curtis’s death and to think of it as anything other than a suicide note.

Pretty creative- I even got some industrial vibes off it

I've only been listening to Joy Division over the past year or so when I started hearing a couple of their songs on the Alt Rock channel I listen to. They have a very unique sound. I think the song that stands out on this album is "The Eternal". "Both beautiful and deeply moving, it depicts his struggle to communicate with remarkable empathy" -Alexis Petridis. My next favorite is "Decades". 3/5

It was good, different vibe, especially the first couple songs 3/5

Good listen. Not the best Joy Division album, but good listen.

i like how easy listen it is even though it's not what i would call good. 3 for being easy? else 2.

Good album. Very distinctive sound.

sounds like a joy division album.

Een klassieker van de topzware soort. 24 Hours is nog altijd een van mijn favoriete tracks, maar hier moet je wel echt voor in de stemming zijn. En om heel eerlijk te zijn vind ik Curtis niet zo'n beste zanger (refererend aan mijn vorige post)

Niet alles op dit album is even sterk, en echt opbeurend is het ook niet, maar ik blijf het een fascinerende band vinden.

Helt swag!

OK. Enjoyed the New Order sound better.

Unfortunately not my favorite Joy Division record. I wanted to enjoy this much more than I did, but still found it pleasantly haunting and wouldn't mind giving it a re-visit somewhere down the line.

Harsh but interesting

I've not listened to Joy Division much in the past. Really enjoyed this.

Bien aimé l'album, mais ce n'est pas tant ma tasse de thé. On voit par contre la majeur influence que ça a eu sur les styles new wave, gothiques, post-punk, etc.

Macclesfield's finest. Solid 3. Prob not as good as Unknown Pleasures. Never spent a great deal of time listening to their stuff but always found it really eerie and intriguing. Sounds experimental but ahead of its time. 3/5

3/5

The dial didn't move one way or the other on this. It is ok.

I just don't understand the intrigue of bands with lead singers that can't carry a tune. I'm giving this a three because musical arrangement was good. Vocals are abysmal.

Such an irritating voice and use of vocals throughout. Music is what balances it out to a 3, but nothing special.

Yet another post punk that disappoints. Really did not like the way the singer's voice sounds and how it's almost more spoken than sung

Sympa

I liked a few songs. "A Means to an End" stuck out as a good one. But overall it didn't really click with me and I found it a little difficult to get through. Maybe a bit too cold and electronic for me. Seems like a record I should have liked more. Still, an interesting record and maybe something that would grow on me if I gave it more time (which I probably won't...)

Not really my style but I didn't hate it.

Good instrumentals vocals ok

I’ve heard some Joy Division before—the one album with the one cover that is like a bat signal for hipsters—and I don’t remember much of it sticking with me. The same could be said here. Pretty good listening, but didn’t make much of an impact. I like knowing that Danny Brown got the name of his album from this band. I’ll return to a few tracks, but not much here for me on a first listen. Favorite tracks: Atrocity Exhibition, Heart and Soul, Twenty Four Hours. Album art: What am I even looking at here? Reminds me of a few tarot cards. Not bad, but not great either. 3/5

2.5/5. Very monotone and boring. I feel like I didn’t really listen to anything.

Some of the music is interesting, but I have a hard time getting past the creepy sounding vocals. Just not a big fan of that style. 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3.

This is one of those where I struggle as to whether ratings should just be on a pure, instinctive emotional reaction or if I should be trying to inject some sort of qualification of its importance/worthiness of being on a list of truly essential albums … Significant, influential, all of that: yes. Did I massively enjoy it? Not really. Perhaps if I’d caught it on a different day.