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lbworshiper
Take On Me
67 Posts |
 Posted - 06/04/2005 : 13:04:15
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Ok, now that Joy Division hit numero uno with their hit single, "love will tear us apart" in the top New wave songs...a "little" review of the Joy Division's Closer from me to you.
Upon its release in 1979, Joy Division’s debut “Unknown Pleasures” was becoming an underground hit in the U.K. while it won fans with the critical press both in the U.K. and a smaller group of them in the U.S. As their fan base began to grow, it seemed likely that Joy Division was going to become a band filled with a lot of promise. Sadly, it wouldn’t be the case as singer Ian Curtis began to have epileptic seizures on stage while suffering from manic depression and mental illness. Things got worse during the European tour in late 1979 and early 1980 when Curtis’ condition was worsening and he was becoming weaker and feeling suicidal. When the tour ended, Curtis and the rest of the band immediately returned to their home of Manchester to begin work on their second album.
“Closer” in comparison to the debut “Unknown Pleasures” is a much more darker, emotionally driven album than its predecessor. While “Unknown Pleasures” carried dark overtones filled with cryptic lyrics, hollow rhythms supported by dense production and warbling bass and guitar riffs, “Closer” is an album that sounds more like a requiem than an actual rock album since a lot of the lyrical content contains lyrics pertaining to death as Ian Curtis’ state of mind at the time was growing more and more melancholic. While Joy Division didn’t use a lot of synthesizers on “Unknown Pleasures” and in early non-LP singles, they used more of the instrument to convey its eeriness supported by Martin Hannett’s brilliant and atmospheric production.
In a lot of ways, “Closer” does sound like an album of someone who announces he’s ready to die as the music is more menacing with Stephen Morris playing more hollow, machine-like drums that at times can sound like a drum machine while bassist Peter Hook belts out memorable and catchy bass lines that at times, drone or wobble while being accompanied by Bernard Albrecht’s screeching, jagged guitar riffs and his calm, melodic synthesizer. Then there’s Ian Curtis who brings out his deep, low-sounding vocals that is filled with torment and sadness as the lyrics in the album is filled with regrets, detachment, and often melancholic as his life was starting to fade away. Released a few months after his death, “Closer” is one of the most brooding and melancholic albums in rock history.
Opening the album is “Atrocity Exhibition” as it begins with Stephen Morris’ Can-like drums as he pounds the bass drums relentlessly as if it would never end as it is followed by screeching grinds from Bernard Albrecht’s guitar and Peter Hook’s wobbly bass lines as the track begins to screech as if it was talking thanks to Martin Hannett’s brilliant production. Ian Curtis begins to sing in his deep, low growling vocals as he sings about craziness that is followed by the chorus line of “This is the way, step inside” as Curtis goes further with more mind-numbing lyrics like “In arenas he kills for a prize/Wins a minute to add to his life/But the sickness is drowned by cries for more/Pray to God, make it quick, watch him fall” as it leads to the chorus and Albrecht’s guitar comes in slithering like a demented snake as Curtis continues to sing. Next is the classic song “Isolation” as it opens with Morris’ snare hits that sounds like a machine hitting relentlessly as it is followed by Hook’s melodic bass lines and Albrecht’s sweeping synthesizer riffs as Curtis begins to sing his lyrics of isolation that includes an eerie chorus of “Isolation, isolation, isolation” as Curtis goes further into his tormented lyrics as he sings, “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” as it leads to the chorus as Curtis goes further into his bleak mind.
“Passover” arrives with Morris’ sparse but hollow beats while being followed by Albrecht’s ringing guitar riffs and Hook’s droning, melodic bass lines. Curtis then sings lyrics of torment as each verse is filled with descriptive words of isolation, sadness, and torment as he sings, “Moving along in our God given ways/Safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles/Left with a mark on the door/Is this the gift that I wanted to give? Forgive and forget what’s they teach/Or pass through the deserts and wastelands once more/And watch as they drop by the beach” as each verse is followed by a ringing guitar solo from Albrecht. “Colony” opens with grinding guitar riffs from Albrecht as Hook’s wobbly bass lines follow it along with Morris’ kinetic drumbeats. Curtis then sings his dark, brooding lyrics filled with demented overtones as he sings, “A worried parent’s glance, a kiss, a last goodbye/Hands him the bag she packed, the tears she tried to hide/A cruel wind that blows down to our lunacy/And leaves him standing cold here in this colony” as he goes further into the verses while repeating the word “colony” and the verse of “God in his wisdom made you understand/God in his wisdom took you by the hand”
“A Means To An End” is led by Peter Hook’s thumping bass lines and Stephen Morris’ slow but hammering fills while being followed by Bernard Albrecht’s ringing guitar riffs. Curtis then sings in his growling vocals filled with regrets and sadness as he sings the verse of “We fought for good, stood side by side/Our friendships never died/Our stranger waves, the lows and highs/Our vision touched the sky/Immoralists with points to prove, I put my trust in you/I put my trust in you, I put my trust in you” that continues with his lyrics of disillusionment. “Heart And Soul” opens with droning bass reverbs and menacing drum fills as it is followed by Martin Hannett’s dense, atmospheric productions and Albrecht’s jagged, ringing guitar riffs. Curtis then sings in a higher yet uncomforting pitch as he sings his brooding lyrics that includes the chorus line of “Heart and soul, one will burn” that is followed by the verse of “An abyss that laughs at creation/A circus complete with all fools/Foundations that lasted for ages/Then ripped apart at their roots/Beyond all this goes is the terror/The grip of a mercenary hand/When savagery turns all good reason/There’s no turning back, no last stand”.
“Twenty-Four Hours” arrives with Hook’s droning, melodic bass lines as it is followed by the slow, hollow beats of Stephen Morris as he pounds the bass drums relentlessly as the song begins to intensify with Albrecht’s ringing guitar riffs. Curtis then sings his bleak lyrics filled with dementia and sadness as he sings, “Oh how I realized how I wanted time/Put into perspective, tried so hard to find/Just for one moment, thought I’d find my way/Destiny unfolded, I watched it slip away”. As the song slows down, Curtis then goes further into his demented mind as he sings more brooding lyrics filled with regret. “The Eternal” opens with slithering atmosphere from Martin Hannett’s production that is followed by hollow, droning bass lines from Peter Hook. Albrecht then plays a melancholic piano track followed by Morris echoing drum fills as Curtis then sings his death-driven lyrics filled with bleak overtones as if he’s ready to leave the world for good. With Hannett’s slithering, dense production accompanying the track, Curtis then begins to sing lyrics filled with immense darkness of “Cry like a child, though these make me older/With children my time is so wastefully spent/A burden to keep, though their inner communion/Accept like a curse an unlucky deal/Played by the gate at the foot of the garden/My view stretches out from the fence to the wall/No words could explain, no actions determine/Just watching the trees and the leaves as they fall”.
The album closer and most haunting piece of the album is the mournful “Decade”. Opening with soft, hammer-like beats that is followed slow, wobbly bass lines, Albrecht then brings in a chilling, striking synthesizer track that is filled with discomfort as it grows more with Curtis’ smooth, deep-sounding vocals. He then sings, “Here are the young men, the weight on their shoulders/Here are the young men, well where have they been? We knocked on the doors of Hell’s darker chamber/Pushed to the limit, we dragged ourselves in/Watched from the wings as the scenes were replaying/We saw ourselves now as we never had seen/Portrayal of the trauma and degeneration/The sorrow we suffered and were never free”. The song then goes into a more atmospheric tone from Martin Hannett’s dense production as Albrecht belts out sweeping synthesizer melodies and Stephen Morris playing more intense but slower rhythm as Curtis sings the chorus of “Where have they been/(repeat 3 more times)” as it leads to another instrumental break and Curtis singing another verse of “Weary inside, now our heart’s lost forever/Can’t replace the fear, or the thrill of the chase/Each ritual showed up the door for our wanderings/Open then shut, then slammed in our face” as it returns to its atmospheric bridge leading up to the chorus as the song starts to fade away with its layers of synthesizers and throbbing rhythms.
When sessions for “Closer” was finished in the spring of 1980, the band also cut the classic non-LP singles for “Atmosphere” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart” which became their biggest independent hit in their career. More good news came when Factory Records boss Tony Wilson and band manager Rob Gretton told the band about an upcoming U.S. tour they’ve booked. For Joy Division, it seemed like a good chance to finally capture some success but for singer Ian Curtis, he was growing weaker and more depressed as his marriage began to disintegrate along with the relationship he was having with a girl from Belgium. Finally in May 18, 1980, Ian Curtis was found dead when he hung himself in his home just two days before the band would leave for America.
Curtis’ death marked the end for Joy Division as the U.S. tour was scrapped and the remaining band members decided to disband Joy Division. “Closer” was eventually released in July of 1980 to massive acclaim and excellent album sales as the single “Love Will Tear Us Apart” became a massive U.K. hit and an underground U.S. hit that made Rolling Stone magazine declare the best single of 1980 by the end of the year. With Joy Division finally achieving success, but it didn’t matter to the people involved with the band as the remaining members decided to continue as New Order with Bernard Albrecht (who changed his last name to Sumner) taking over the singing duties with Stephen Morris’ girlfriend Gillian Gilbert joining the new band as a keyboardist.
With the recent acclaim the film "24 Hour Party People” received, the music of Joy Division sparked a revival as New Order began to play their Joy Division material for the first time in twenty years mixed in with their work as New Order. While Joy Division’s music can be heard in some of the stuff that New Order has done, their influence can be easily traced to bands like Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, the Smashing Pumpkins, and most recently, new groups like Interpol and the Division of Laura Lee.
While today, “Closer” is a hard record to find now that Factory Records is currently in its rebuilding stages since its bankruptcy in 1992, it’s definitely one of the best albums of the 1980s. With its brooding musical textures, dense production, and bleak lyrics, it’s also one of the most depressing albums of all-time, which doesn’t mean it’s still an enjoyable listen. For anyone who loves Joy Division must have this album in their collection along with “Substance” and “Unknown Pleasures”. While it was their last album, “Closer” was definitely one hell of an album that fond a farewell to its listeners.
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mar√
Der Kommissar
7305 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2005 : 16:01:02
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quote:
[i]Originally posted by lbworshiper[/i]
While today, “Closer” is a hard record to find now that Factory Records is currently in its rebuilding stages since its bankruptcy in 1992, it’s definitely one of the best albums of the 1980s.....
Wanna hear something funny? Some homeless guy on the street sold me Closer on CD for $3 the other day! That's one thing I love about living in NY. You never know what treasure you'll find in the city from the most random of sources. I love to see what these bums find in the garbage and try to sell. I always go through the cd's.
Anyway, you seem to be hitting all my favorite albums in your reviews, lbw. Keep 'em coming! |
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WolverineSyr
Room at the Top
USA
5302 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2005 : 16:31:37
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lb you definitly have a way of writing that gets me interested in albums I previously had no desire to hear.
I've heard a few tracks from Joy Division and probably was not in the right musical frame of mind to appreciate them. I'll have to give them another chance. |
Edited by - on 06/04/2005 19:20:40 |
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KYYX4ever
Room at the Top
4614 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2005 : 12:21:05
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| Awesome. Closer is my favorite JD album. Sends chills up my spine each time I listen to it. |
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caroline
Running Up That Hill
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2005 : 02:00:37
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| nice review :) |
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