Wednesday, April 11, 2012

J is for Joy Division



The post-punk band, Joy Division didn’t last long or produce many albums. One of the band members committed suicide in 1980, so the group barely made it to the 1980s. The remaining members became the band New Order.

That didn’t stop me from listening to their two alums over and over when I was in high school. Their biggest song was “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. And, yes, it was as uplifting as it sounds:


The lyrics are apt for a relationship that’s no longer working. Most of us have experienced that, right? I still listen to this song:

“When routine bites hard
And ambitions are low.
And resentment rides high,
But emotions won’t grow.
And we’re changing our ways,
Taking different roads.

Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.”



This next video has been debated. I think in the lyrics and video, it’s referring to the Ku Klux Klan. Perhaps I’m taking the masks too literal. Could be a metaphor. Could be about religious figures.



There’s a movie about Ian Curtis, who suffered from seizures, and eventually committed suicide: Info about it is HERE.

Here’s a clip of the movie + this bloggers list of top Joy Division songs. Watch it HERE.


Though short-lived as a band, Joy Division had a profound effect on me.



Honorable Mention: Joan Jett, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Journey, Michael Jackson, Olivia Newton John, J. Geils Band

39 comments:

  1. Yes, GREAT band. My partner, being an events organizer here in Greece, brought New Order to to play Athens :o) Peter Hook also brought copies of his book, "The Hacienda: How not to run a club". Got a signed copy! :o)

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  2. PS: I really really had no idea we had the same taste in music, Theresa!!!

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  3. Great song Theresa. Love the lyrics and can see why you still listen to them today. They're timeless.

    Denise

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  4. Your making me feel old girl. :) But looking back through your A-Z entries you have a great taste in music. I so hope you can forgive me for being so sporadic lately.
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  5. I have to admit - I was so glad when New Order came about!!! But Love will Tear Us Apart is great! Bless his talented soul. Take care
    x

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  6. Good music. This is exactly the stuff I listened to in high school. And, yes, I still like it today, too.

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  7. You are THE queen of music! Those lyrics are insightful. You are right! Everyone has gone through a broken relationship. We can all relate. I have not heard them, pal. But they are very talented. :-)

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  8. Holy Crikey! Where on earth did you dig up Joy Division?! This is trippy.

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  9. I love Joy Division and listen to them all the time.

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  10. I never heard of Joy Division. Thanks for the introduction.

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  11. I've heard this songs before, but I didn't know who sung them. Thanks for the enlightenment!

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  12. Okay, now I'm just learning something new! Never heard of Joy Division but they certainly look interesting!

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  13. I am enjoying your selections Theresa. And, I do like vocalist that I can sing better than--good for my self esteem.

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  14. I'm loving all the new music I've been introduced to with this A to Z blogfest! I've never heard of them but am listening right now. I'm thinking KKK for that video as well... but you're right, it could just be the hoods.

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  15. I just had a small Theresa readathon, from A to J. You have great taste, musically speaking, for a young 'un. I must say, reading the lyrics is interesting though, because despite the fact that I love the songs, mostly I think the lyrics are not very good. The Eurythmics really stuck out for me, like real poetry. Not that I know anything about poetry... I'll be back when you have a few more letters.

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  16. Wow, I'd forgotten about Joy Division - they were in their with the Smiths and Bauhaus and the like. Did you do Echo and the Bunnymen? Loved them, too.

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  17. Is that top picture a black and white photo of the mid-Atlantic trench?

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    Replies
    1. From Wikipedia:

      The front cover image comes from an edition of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy, and was originally drawn with black lines on a white background.[15] It presents successive pulses from the first pulsar discovered, PSR B1919+21—often referred to in the context of this album by its older name, CP 1919.[15] The image was suggested by drummer Stephen Morris[15] and the cover design is credited to Joy Division, Peter Saville and Chris Mathan. The back cover of the album contains no track listings, leaving a blank table where one would expect the listings to be. The original release came in a textured sleeve.[1]
      The original LP release contained no track information on the labels, nor the traditional "side one" and "side two" designations. The ostensible "side one" was labeled Outside and displayed a reproduction of the image on the album cover, while the other side was labeled Inside and displayed the same image with the colours reversed (black-on-white).[1] Track information and album credits appeared on the inner sleeve only.

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  18. Hi! I'm stopping by from the A to Z Challenge. I'm looking forward to reading your posts.
    Giggle, Laugh, Cry

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  19. I love your honorable mentions too!

    I've always adored this song. And that album cover is brilliant.

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  20. Don't know this band, but I love me some Olivia Newton-John!

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  21. I always hear mention of Joy Division, but I don't know their songs. New Order on the other hand, I quite liked.

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  22. Wow, it's been years since I heard that band's name mentioned.

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  23. I was into New Order. I heard Joy Division (they were a staple on KROQ). That was the sound.

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  24. Loved your J post and the songs!

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  25. I must be a tiny bit older than you; don't remember this one but love to learn.

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  26. Have to admit I've never heard of these guys! I do know/like most of the groups in your runner up list though!

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  27. I'd not heard of this band at all. I must've had my head in the sand in the 80s, lol

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  28. It's been years, but I remember the band.

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  29. My fave of theirs is "Dead Souls" (and the cover of it by Nine Inch Nails ain't bad, neither).

    Ian Curtis' story is tragic, poor guy. :-( I wish he could have held on.

    Some Dark Romantic

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  30. Now I'm sure we have the same taste in music. :)

    I didn't know he committed suicide... Wow. He has such a dark voice though, it's kind of fitting.

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  31. I have a few of their songs. I didn't know some members became New Order, another group I love.

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  32. Oh yes, I remember these. It was the band that the cool kids liked :-)

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  33. Brilliant choice. oh, now I'm going to be listening to this all day...

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  34. My husband bought a Joy Division CD a few years back and loved it. There is a little Joy Division section at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, too that we saw when we visited there.

    Killers have a good cover of Shadowplay and Gavin Rossdale sang "Love Will Tear Us Apart" on a Criminal Minds episode that he guested on a few years back.
    Love these music posts!!

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  35. Kelly, you are THE expert. I love The Killers's version of "Shadowplay". Have it on my iPod and I saw them sing it in concert a couple of years ago. I'll have to check out Gavin Rossdale's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Thanks!

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