Favorite JD Album

[tanzmusik]

I've long since stopped trying to choose. Unknown Pleasures has more angst and drive, Closer is more matured and weary. They're two very different albums but equally brilliant.

[DoktorH]

As others have said, it's a tough choice. Joy Division was not around long, so there's a limited selection to choose from, and it all fits together into a single thing so well. there's the remasters and the different live recordings and whatnot, but my fondness for any joy division i can get my hands on makes choosing really hard.

favorite studio album: Closer, since it has 24 Hours and Decades on it.
Favorite compilation: heart and soul, for sheer volume of Joy Divisiony goodness in one package.

[ElHI]

By a strange coincidence, I was wondering yesterday evening wether I should take Unknown Pleasures or Closer for the drive to work this morning. I finally took Unknown Pleasures.

But... I think Closer is still my favourite. Incidentaly it was one of the first 3 CDs that I bought, just after buying a CD player, quite a while ago now... The 2nd one was Carmina Burana by Carl Orff conducted by James Levine, and the 3rd...

I'm just too embarassed to tell. That is one of the secrets I'll take with me to the grave.

[DoktorH]

Quote Originally Posted by ElHI

I'm just too embarassed to tell. That is one of the secrets I'll take with me to the grave.

to quote a Freezepop lyric, pop music is not a crime. it was the 80s. there were a lot of really catchy songs out there at the time that may look embarassing today. What matters is the enjoyment they brought you at the time.

and the same could be said of the 90s, from what i recall of them.

[tanzmusik]

Quote Originally Posted by SwansSoilMe/SwansSaveMe

I think Les Bouches-whatever Paris live almost sucks. Typical rock band live: rush thru the songs. Plus no good studio sounds and for all their "now we can really let go," it sounds stillborn. Many think the producer gave them their best sound, and I'd have to agree. Was really disappointed w/ the live stuff. Have the box set, thought, their extras are pretty good. Substance, yep, great. But the two big albums rule.

I somewhat agree, I think the fans who moaned about New Order mumbling their way through Joy Division songs live should listen to the Les Bains Douches album and realise they couldn't generally play them to an audience at the time either. That said, I like the versions of Disorder and A Means to an End on LBD, and some of the live stuff on the Heart and Soul boxset, especially from the Factory and Lyceum Ballroom gigs, are immense.

[Robin Davies]

I think the live Joy Division releases provide a useful complement to the studio albums. At their best (i.e. when Barney isn't hitting the wrong note) the live versions have an awe-inspiring ferocity. The version of Day Of The Lords on Here Are The Young Men is terrifying.
The studio albums have an eerie, spaced-out, airless quality that is compelling in a different way. If I had to choose one it would be Closer, mainly for Isolation and Decades.

[LeglessSaltyDiogenes]

Quote Originally Posted by Robin Davies

I think the live Joy Division releases provide a useful complement to the studio albums. At their best (i.e. when Barney isn't hitting the wrong note) the live versions have an awe-inspiring ferocity. The version of Day Of The Lords on Here Are The Young Men is terrifying. The studio albums have an eerie, spaced-out, airless quality that is compelling in a different way. If I had to choose one it would be Closer, mainly for Isolation and Decades.

Right on about Barney, I've seen some New Order live vids that were tragicomic. He's a genius in the studio though.

I always thought Day of the Lords was kind of funky. Shrinebuilder (metal supergroup with members of Neurosis and Melvins) used to cover it live, not in a funky way though.