Joy Division Live (Out Of Print)
For someone my age to get a really good idea of what Joy Division was really like, I think it’s best to check out some of the groups live recordings. Because of their song “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, Joy Division has got grouped in with the pasty faced goth kids hanging out in graveyards, and all that darkness bullshit. Imagine if Nirvana was remembered as a pithy goth act just because Kurt got depressed a lot and ended up killing himself. It just isn’t right. And like Nirvana, it’s in Joy Division’s live shows that we see how raw and raging they were.
There is a really awesome live Joy Division recording called Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979, which has been out of print for a little while and sells for a lot. Well, I guess we’ll see how much it sells for, since I just added one to eBay yesterday. Check the auction here.
Here are a couple songs off that recording.
Friday, May 9th 2008 at 8:11 am
Please don’t ever leave the record post. This is great!
Friday, May 9th 2008 at 8:14 am
College radio in Jr.High was my introduction to Joy Division. At this time(late 80’s/early 90’s) you would find the fan base to be folks who enjoyed Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus and even some Metal.
Considering the lyrical subjects were very dark due to Ian’s own depression and his battles with having seizures, it would make sense that the “darker side” of the music spectrum’s fans would take interest in him. The song”She Lost Control” (12″ single version, to this day is my favorite)is actually about a woman Ian would see day to day in a park who suffered with the same/similar symptoms as he did. Until one day she was never seen again. Later finding out she died. So it does make sense that people refer to JD as a group that catered to “Death Rockers” or later known as “Gothic.” I was a borderline Death Rocker at this time. It tied in well with my love for Metal and say something like The Cure. The perfect middle ground.
I was a black sheep when it came to finding interest in their live material. I enjoyed it, but to me, none of it compared to the genius works of their producer Martin Hannet.
But don’t let my opinion get in the way of trying out JD’s live material as a introduction to the group. If anything, it shows that their energy came from the post punk scene, yet they were able to create their own sound. Quite a feat at the time. Still one of the best groups ever. Very timeless.
Friday, May 9th 2008 at 8:48 am
Thanks Travis,
You’re totally right. They are dark, and their lyrics do capture that goth image. I haven’t seen that movie Control, but I hear it will make want to kill myself. Yea!
I say it’s because of their song “love will tear us apart” because, man, that is pretty much the flagship anthem for suburban emo-goths that love Donnie Darko and think its the best thing since burnt toast.
That’s just me being bitter.
Friday, May 9th 2008 at 11:10 am
Oh I hear ya there! “Love will tear us apart” is up there with”How soon is now?” by The Smiths. I can go on living never hearing it again.
Friday, May 9th 2008 at 12:04 pm
great post! love those tracks and a perfect illustration of how JD was a postPUNK band..
Tuesday, May 13th 2008 at 8:17 pm
Absolutely right on the live vs. studio Joy Division recordings. Transmission is actually a great example: the studio version is very tinny and there are just excessive amounts of reverb. The live version has crunchy driving guitars and makes you want to get in fist fights; it’s way more moving. The same can be said for nearly any song they’ve done live.
Friday, May 16th 2008 at 11:58 am
This CD sold for about $35