Closer: the ambiguity of titles

I was talking to a friend about JD the other day and he insisted on pronouncing their second album as "Closer," as in "to close or end," while I've always thought of it as "Closer" like "closeness in distance or proximity to something." Obviously the title was chosen for its ambiguous nature, and is especially appropriate given it being the end of the band's proper studio output.

So what definition of the word do you automatically associate the title "Closer" with (or what way do you pronounce it)?

I pronounce it 'Closer'

Sorry that doesnt help does it. No, as in 'closer to the end.'

Or, closer to the beginning.

Or, closer to the middle.

How was my Paul Morley impression? ;)

How do you pronounce "closer" in more than one way anyway it's closer to my tea time than i thought so im off to see what unknown pleasures await me in my fridge :D DAAAH!!looks like cheese again...

My take: Closer to understanding what all those songs were about now that Ian's dead.

I've got pharyngitis at the moment so i'm pronouncing it 'closer'.

Wasim wrote: How was my Paul Morley impression? ;)

Closer to Paul, Closer than Close, or just pain old Closed. I Me am Close. Close to the end, or close to the begining - or is the begining the end - the begining of the end - am I close? - or just closing in?

As Rob Gretton said "I've always thought Paul Morley was full of shit"

its ambiguous, just like JD were. Atleast I've always thought they were kind of ambiguous.

I always thought of it as 'nearness', but it's an interesting observation!

I never really cared. still dont.

cracking artwork though.

Closer- as in 'nearness'

I have heard friend pronounce it 'Clozer' and had fantastic all-night debates about it...

The end. The final record. The curtain coming down on Ian Curtis.

Clockwork C wrote:

Wasim wrote: How was my Paul Morley impression? ;)

Closer to Paul, Closer than Close, or just pain old Closed. I Me am Close. Close to the end, or close to the begining - or is the begining the end - the begining of the end - am I close? - or just closing in?

As Rob Gretton said "I've always thought Paul Morley was full of shit"

Biggest chuckle I've had today since I saw the Celtic result

Well it obviously reflects the nature by which Ian Curtis, perched on the edge of an unending abyss of untempered and existential yearning and dawning loss of the edgewise footing upon which his band found itself at the dawn of a new decade (or is that "decayed"?) thus endeavored to what am I saying? It means what it means, or does it not mean what it means? What does "means" mean, anyway? :p

How was that for a Morley take?

Anyway, I've always thought of it in terms of nearness. They obviously had the title picked out before, and I think they would'nt have named it "Closer" in the sense of "ending" if Ian had come into the studio and said "right, boys, after this it's off to the pub for a pint, and then I might go home and top myself. Trust me, you'll be fine without me, this is just the closer to our brilliant career together"

Sorry for being so flippant, it's the heat (and lack of AC)

One Brain wrote:

Clockwork C wrote:

Wasim wrote: How was my Paul Morley impression? ;)

Closer to Paul, Closer than Close, or just pain old Closed. I Me am Close. Close to the end, or close to the begining - or is the begining the end - the begining of the end - am I close? - or just closing in?

As Rob Gretton said "I've always thought Paul Morley was full of shit"

Why say something in a sentence when you can say it in twenty seven pages?

I have never managed to read "Nothing" in its entirety. Just try to guess why.

Think I made it about a third of the way through, and then I think the sun started shining again outside, and I haven't picked it up since.

I always viewed the Closer title as an ending to all that had preceded before.

Taboo # 7 wrote: I think they would'nt have named it "Closer" in the sense of "ending" if Ian had come into the studio and said "right, boys, after this it's off to the pub for a pint, and then I might go home and top myself. Trust me, you'll be fine without me, this is just the closer to our brilliant career together"

I know exactly what One Brain and Green mean re Nothing. Paul doesnt need an invitation to get going does he, although he had his heart in the right place with his writing about Joy Division.

Closer to the more chaotic and aggressive sound that they originally intended for the first album.

Closer make me think of "being nearer" to a feeling...

IMO, it meant closer to what Ian wanted to reach and to achieve. Thus done, after such a PERFECT album, he could die... So, what was in the heart of this music was at the same time at the end. Nobody noticed. The title of the album is the whole drama.

UNKNOWN PLEASURES.....CLOSER......STILL:D :D :D

That is how I have always figured them album titles out...

Have "Amsterdam" bootleg on tape permanently welding to the truck tape deck...20-somethings have no a clue what it is.