Confession: belated appreciation for JD

I try to do it as quickly as possible, although I'm not entirely sure they qualify as "decent."

Ah yes, I remember......nothing, sorry

I've probably told this story a million kajillion times, but when I first heard JD and Ian's voice, I thought "This guy's just ripping off the Doors!". But, like beer Ian's vocals are an acquired taste. I suggest waiting until late at night to listen to the entire Permenant, as you seem to already be doing.

This brings up an interesting thought: How many people here listen to JD during the course of the day? During summertime? In general, do you prefer cozying up with a nice volume of Kierkegaard or Camus late at night with Closer gently providing relief, or during the day doing a crossword (struggling with "4-letter slang for male sex organ", of course) while Les Bains or the Paradiso blares away in your ear?

Basically, are JD better for night time listening or during the day? Some days I can't even force myself to put in a JD cd during the afternoon, but evening comes and I can't wait to pop in some live show and lay flat on my back (as I seem to have developed minor back troubles--nothing serious). Anyways, which do you prefer?

I can listen to Substance during the day, but the rest is preferable at nite. ORrrr if its not dark out yet, I just close the curtains and make the necessary accompanying atmosphere. Didn't notice til now I like JD at nite/in the dark. :sleepy: Definitely atmospheric, mood music.

Joy Division seems to work during a lonely, cold winters night.

Originally posted by Paul Roy Joy Division seems to work during a lonely, cold winters night.

My thoughts exactly! It's drizziling rain and cold where I'm at right now (though I guarentee we'll hit the 90s a few days from now), so I might put in disc 1 of H&S for a view on how a box set SHOULD be.....

i like to listen to JD before bed, lying in the dark. somehow, i can't really get into them while driving in the car...NO are more suited for that (teenage fanclub are a damn good driving band as well).

joy division is winter music. i consummed so much JD during the winter that JD will always make me think of winter...and street slush.

or overcast, rainy days...which in britain means, oh, almost every day! perhaps that's why i always end up listening to them more often over there than here in florida. (the main exceptions being digital and transmission--good sunshine tunes).

been breakin' out the '70s soul/funk lately. must be the heat. :D

Originally posted by Patrick OK, I guess I should just buy everything!

Buy heart and soul the box set

Originally posted by Ian Pillar > Originally posted by Patrick> OK, I guess I should just buy everything!>

Buy heart and soul the box set

yeah. good booklet with it, as well. informative little thing.

Patrick Member of the Movement

Posts: 1868 Member Since: 2001.07.27

i am very surprised you have only got into this joy division thing

My belated Joy Division appreciation was belated because my introduction to them was on paper and instead of bumbling across someone's critical accolades I bucked the odds and bumbled across a truly unfortunate, dispiriting description of the band in a book, which led me to believe their music must be so extreme as to never come near my interest. I was so stunned by that passage that I filed it away in the back of my mind and hoped to forget it. But I was 14 and impressionable at the time and at an age of discovery and it began to dawn on me that many of my new favorite bands had a lot in common with JD, or used to be JD!

So I became curious, and when I finally heard JD, I loved it immediately and I was instantly, permanently hooked. I can go a year without hearing them and then put on a live album or UP and stand back and look out! wow, it's like a new experience all over again and it's so intense I have to remind myself to breathe after each song.

I did notice in my early JD days, that there was something weird about the singing, like Ian sounded totally different from one song to the next some times, and at the time I had no idea what they could have been doing that would make this happen.

I agree with statements above about Ian's singing not being particularly out of place considering his peers in postpunk, straight through to the present day. His off-key-ness does grate on my nerves at times but not to the point of "OH i just can't listen to this band, I have perfect pitch and this is an insult to my ears" type of thing which I've encountered in other people. I think he must have improved along the way as a singer, though. There are parts of Closer that are as high-pitched as his Warsaw days and he's still singing along rather melodically. I don't know if that's all from the varispeed or what. He definetly changed his approach from punk shouting to singing, and I wonder how he would have continued. If you think about it, having to muck around with two different tools when you sing could make it even harder for a guy who struggled to carry a tune, especially using the harmonizer live. You feel your voice coming out of yourself not in tune to the music and this gadget is supposed to tune it to the music??eeesh Deliberately sing out of key so the gadget can make your voice lower? How confusing for the singer who can barely carry a tune to begin with.

On to the second topic, where do you listen to Joy Division?

Usually in the dark, backyard facing music room at night. Sitting on the floor across from the stereo. Or dancing in the room. I have trouble listing to JD without motion. Usually in autumn or winter, but if we're on a big JD kick, all year. Closer in the house on a cloudy day In the car on a hot summer's night, sunroof down unknown pleasures blaring or better yet, this Paradiso bootleg bought at a flea market in Lake City. Driving around the city at night. Watch the accelorator!

25 miles down unpaved hole-in-the-rock road in Escalante National Monument in Utah, not a soul around for who knows how many miles, nothing but red rock and pink sand and grass and anthills and a clear starry sky: Unknown Pleasures on the rental car stereo. In the middle of Shadowplay, unearthly shrieking zooms in from nowere, we've attracted a burrowing owl, which flies from bush to bush making big eyes and whinnying sounds at us. Many birdwatchers attract owls by playing owl recordings; we've discovered an alternate method!

Alyssa

Still listen to JD anytime anywhere anytime of the year, same as it ever was. We had bright sunshine today and 65 degrees, and The Sound Of Music sounded especially good.

on the bus and at home. actually, whenever i listen to closer, i think of waiting for the bus at a subway station in the winter time, cuz that was when i listened to that record the most.

I know this has been discussed recently, but what was the story about the two versions of LWTUA on Permanent? I actually don't particularly like this song (I find the string sounds very hard to take) but the track 16 version is a little more palatable than the track 1 version.

Permanent was the name of a studio they recorded LWTUA, some days after the original, the 'Permanent' version is included on the Permanent CD. To add confusion the labelling is incorrect on the CD and the 'Permanent' mix is actually the original mix (which is a 'different' version to the original original version as found on the 12").

The above is a potted history of the recent threads on this subject.

Personally, I believe that the 'Permanent' compilation was spiced up for fans by the inclusion of a slight re-mix of the original LWTUA, the 'Permanent' version. This is based on subtle differences in drums (cleaner, more 'digital' sounding), additional vocals which appear to be added in accordance with how the song was perceived and played after the original release (for example, the continuous 'tweaking' of Barney's own lyrics on Tempting Miss Daisy). The final mix is far more synthetic than the original and accordingly is topper.

In response to your blatant disrespect for the magnificent string sound on LWTUA, might I suggest you seek out a potent nasal spray, which should hopefully dislodge any unwanted spinach entwined in your ear hairs which may be causing a muffling of certain top quality groundbreaking sounds.

It appears, H, that we agree that the track 16 version is preferable to the track 1 version, but to me the most obvious difference is that the guitar seems to be a much stronger presence on the track 16 version. Am I wrong about that? Thus, for me, the stronger guitar helps to offset the string sound. But of course you may be right; it could just be spinach in my ears!

And of course there is the question as to what other instrument would have worked with the string sound melody.

You mean, instead of?

I doubt they would have inserted another sound. I think the guitars would have sounded strong enough thus the song is thick enough without Bernard's home made synth. Of course, it's far better for it and adds an eerie feel which enhances all those powerful JD classic elements. Like Atmospheric Conditions, the strings add much provendasity.

Yes, the guitar is more prominent on the correct version on Permanent. Patty, best thing to do is ignore the 'Permanent' LWTUA on Permanent, pretend it doesn't exist. It's easier in the long run. Not many JD re-mixes, this one is an oddity. A product of our time, if you will.

(have you got Closer yet or what?)

Yes, I meant instead of, Huntsy.

So it's track 1 I should ignore? If that's your advice, I'm already taking it.

Yes, I now have Closer, Unknown Pleasures, Substance, Still, and Live at LBD, but I'm still mostly listening to Permanent, nearly every day. Of the others, I am most familiar with Closer, and I believe it is tracks 5 and 9 that I enjoy most, not counting those on Closer.

What I don't understand is why JD are considered "dark." The songs I like seem pretty lively.

Time has elapsed, and the intensity is now hard to imagine.

In the late Seventies the UK was a different place, and JD (for whatever reason) somehow managed to capture this sometimes depressing mood on certain songs. Lost hope, desolation, no future. Seek out upbeat classics like Shadowplay and Transmission and you will hear only quality punk rock, stomping tunes.

Next time it rains P, next time you feel lousy, play Closer again from beginning to end, and let the dark veil shroud you.

I will take your advice, H, perhaps as soon as tonight, although it's not raining and the "lousy" index is no worse than usual.

Originally posted by Ian Pillar PatrickMember of the Movement Posts: 1868Member Since: 2001.07.27i am very surprised you have only got into this joy division thing

I've been a NO fan since 1985, so yes, the lateness of my discovery of JD is hard to explain, as the Strokes would say.

But what a great year to get into NO.

If I'd known about them earlier, it would have been sooner.

The band Orgy was what got me into New Order: "Blue Monday" is awesome!

Then i heard that New Order used to be Joy Division, so i checked out "Dead Souls", cuz NIN did a cover of it.

So "Dead souls" is the first song JD song i heard. This was only last year.

Why so late? Cuz i was born 5 years after Ian Curtis died.

Originally posted by Zebulahn Why so late? Cuz i was born 5 years after Ian Curtis died.

that ist no excuse!!!!!

Only kidding, but thinking Orgy's Blue Monday was "awesome"? Jeez.......:D

Originally posted by Taboo # 7 Only kidding, but thinking Orgy's Blue Monday was "awesome"? Jeez.......:D

I thought Blue Monday was awesome but i liked the New Order version(s) even more! What does that tell you? :D

Originally posted by Zebulahn > Originally posted by Taboo # 7> Only kidding, but thinking Orgy's Blue Monday was "awesome"? Jeez.......:D

I thought Blue Monday was awesome but i liked the New Order version(s) even more! What does that tell you? :D

That you are alright by me, dude (or chick? Dunno what you are, really).

Even though they've done better, Blue Monday is the one that would be the best intro to New Order. I'm sorry, but it's true.