Unknown Pleasures

It's quite simple: if you want to listen to Joy Division's finest hour, then look no further than this, their first album. Like many fantastic albums, this is not 'immediate', nor is it particularly accessible or masses friendly, nor should it be. Most life-affirming albums grow on people. I estimate that most people will have to listen to this album roughly five times before they start to appreciate all of it's many details, subtleties and nuances, lovingly arranged like some aural landscape. It's starts off with 'Disorder', in which Ian Curtis declares that he has been waiting for a guide to come and take him by the hand, setting the lost and helpless tone of the entire album. Disorder is a fast and emotionally charged song, climaxing beautifully with Ian Curtis hollering "I've got the spirit, don't lose the feeling", thus encapsulating the fears and attitudes of so many other intelligent young songwriters, bubbling with emotion. 'Day Of The Lords' is an almost perfect example of foreboding and fear, perfectly encapsulated in both it's lyrics and musical sound. It is rife with atmosphere, vibrant and alive, yet painfully unhappy. The desperation with which Curtis demandingly shouts: "Where will it end?" is almost tangible. This is probably the most powerful song on the album. 'Candidate' continues on in similarly bleak fashion, nonchalantly describing the "blood on your fingers", whilst the hazy, threatening music compliments the lyrics perfectly. It is difficult to describe exactly how effectively Joy Division have used sound to create atmosphere on this album, and it is probably even more difficult to achieve. This atmospheric sense of ominous threat is also used successfully on 'Insight', which contains mechanical sounds in the background, as the music gently eases it's way in, and Curtis sings perhaps one of his most poignant vocals, proclaiming: "I don't care any more, I've lost the will to want more... tears and sadness for you, more upheaval for you". Millions of troubled young music fans must have breathed a sigh of relief that they finally had someone to relate to, a posterchild for the disaffected. Remember, this was the pre-morrissey era, and despair was still a relatively new concept within music. 'New Dawn Fades' is what many people consider to be the best song on this album, and perhaps the best Joy Division song ever, containing the disturbing lyric: "A loaded gun won't set you free... so they say". More understated, yet highly affecting and skilful music sets the scene for Curtis to sing more of his beautiful poetry. Yes, Ian Curtis was indeed a poet, profound through and through, probably more so than the vast majority of contemporary published poets. 'She's Lost Control' is probably one of the more accessible songs on the album, containing one of Joy Division's many forays into electronic sound, but still with a suitable thought-provoking and sober lyric. The very title is unique and descriptive - those three little words suggest so much, subtly encouraging the listener to get their imagination going. Of course, 'Shadowplay' is vintage Joy Division, as any self-respecting Joy Division fan will attest, from it's fantastic opening riff, to Peter Hook's simple yet hugely effective bassline, to lyrics such as "The assassins all grouped in four lines dancing on the floor". Most lyricists would give their right arm to conjure up such visual imagery - Ian Curtis did it casually! 'Wilderness' and 'Interzone' are also exercises in how to perfectly marry music and vocal so that a perfect relationship is created. This was a band who worked well together - mind-boggling and skilful lyrics, juxtaposed with subtle yet well-made music. No gimmickry, no fancy showmanship or cliched rock-star posturing, just four men making impeccable, life affirming music. Furthermore, they were a band who created 'moods', through sound and experimentation. Fittingly, 'I Remember Nothing' takes in all of the elements mentioned above, also boasting the startling sound of smashing glass, whilst Curtis eerily howls "We were strangers", like some uber-gothic phantom. What occurs in this song is the Joy Division calling card: an amalgamation of sound, mood, music, vocal and lyric creating a piece of art, rather than just a mere song. It almost seems disrespectful to call such a unique and experimental musical collage a 'song'. This is not backing music, it is an event, to set the mind racing and the imagination ticking over. The fact that the last thing you hear on this album is breaking glass is hugely significant. The album begins and ends the same way, embracing sound, rather than the bog-standard fare of 'intro, verse, chorus'. This is pure aural poetry, lyrically and musically, and it in turns bleak, oppressive, moody, challenging and adept. Joy Division are peerless, that much is patently clear. Even by their standards, however, this is a stunning masterpiece, alternately timeless and moving. It is both Joy Division's finest moment and the lasting legacy of a man with a razor-sharp mind and a poet's creativity.

Bought for my son who absolutely loves the album. Can’t fault it

Simply put - I was blown away with this pressing! - Everything about it portrays quality and attention to detail. The depth and clarity of sound on this release, for me, enhanced the pleasure of listening to one of the greatest albums from one of the greatest bands ever! Every throb of Hook's bass, the intensity of Ian's voice, every snare, beat and kick of Morris' drums - the atmospheric, spacious sounds of Sumner's guitar and keyboards - all truely resonate throughout each track with clarity and intensity - adding to the listening experience. The album sounds fresh energetic and alive. Several times I found myself literally having to catch my breath! I listened to the whole album from start to finish stood in the middle of my room - transfixed, lost in the moment and wishing I was once again looking over the industrial warehouses of Manchester instead of the rolling fields in Cornwall! If you buy only one album this year make sure it is this! Listening to this pressing of the album caused me to fall in love with Joy Division all over again. The added bonus being, that I feel sure that I will feel the same when I listen to it tomorrow, the next day and the next... you get my drift! Fingers crossed that Closer has the same treatment on it's anniversary release! If you are lingering over the add to cart button - don't! Just press and look forward to listening to and owning one of the best albums ever.... enjoy!

10 out of 10

Absolutely beautiful, dark and magnetic an album which grips you from start to finish. Clashing metronomic drums, twitching industrial neon glimmer in the northern gloom and that perfect almost electronic scything rhythmic base from Hooky.. A combination utterly unique. Never had any Joy Division on vinyl and this version on record doesn’t disappoint as it is a clear crisp but warm and layered sound on my turntable and just trounces the sound on my cd album. You need to already be in an ok mood when you choose to put it on, as it’s darkness at times is intense but amidst the night is still an odd glint of hope. Occasionally. Weirdly dancey and beat driven in its own way (enough so I could potter comfortably with some DIY simultaneously!) with some beautiful strands of melody, which counterbalance the sparse nature of those heartbreaking Curtis vocals. An uneasy beauty you should really own.

Great album obviously. sleeve in horrific condition see photos. what on earth do they do to them ?

I own a repress of this album from some years ago and have always regarded it as a superb piece of work from the post-punk era. Joy Division simply sound like no other artist and the sparse, dark style of both music and vocals was hugely influential and is a gripping listen. Many tracks are outstanding and all others are at least very good. Although not remastered again (based on 2007 remaster) this repress has much quieter surface quality than my existing copy, with less surface noise and far fewer pops, ticks and crackles. I always wet clean my records from new and I have a very revealing system which is ruthless of poor quality mastering and pressing. There are no frills here...no extra liner notes, no booklet, no extra tracks, just the superb original album, this time in red vinyl in a reversed tonal scheme sleeve....black on white instead of white on black. It is one of those essential albums and comes somewhere in my top ten of all time.

An amazing pressing for an amazing album! A must have for any music lover. No matter what is your genre

Livraison rapide, très bon état. C'est super

Selbst ich sollte meinen, dass es völlig überflüssig ist noch eine Rezension zu Unknown Pleasures, der ersten Joy Division Aufnahme aus dem Jahr 1979, zu schreiben: ein Meisterwerk der Musik-Geschichte, das allerdings in dieser Form nur vor dem Hintergrund tobenden Punks entstehen konnte. Doch was ist so Besonderes an dieser Musik - ist sie doch reichlich ungeschliffen, geradezu amateurhaft, klingt als hätten die Musiker gerade erst entdeckt, dass es E-Gitarren, Drums und Bass gibt und ein Mikro, in das man....sich hineinstürzen kann. Und da sind wir beim Punkt: über die Depression Ian Curtis' ist so ziemlich alles und noch viel mehr gesagt worden, was ärztliche Bulletins, Schwarz/Weiß-Regisseure und Boulevard-Zeitschriften wie Rolling Stone et al. zu sagen wußten. Das macht sicherlich den morbiden Reiz der Aufnahme aus, doch ist das noch nicht der Schlüssel. Den findet man erst in der geradezu radikalen Archaik der Aufnahme. Ein Rock-Musiker, vielleicht jeder Musiker, ist gut beraten zumindest den Hut in den Ring zu werfen, wenn er sich der Selbstentäußerung, die Musikmachen immer mit sich bringt, aussetzen will - alles andere ist Halbherzigkeit, davon gibt's mehr als genug. Doch Joy Division warfen nicht nur den Hut, die warfen sich selbst, setzen sich schonungslos den Schlägen aus, die sie aus ihrem eigenen Seelenleben zogen....und sich selbst versetzten: eine Musik wie ein Bild Francis Bacon's - Three Screaming Popes oder Figure With Meat - ein Bild und eine Musik so radikal in seiner Selbstentäußerung: wie ein Klumpen nacktes blutiges Fleisch, an fiebrige Nerven gebunden, in neurotischen Kuben der Angst gefangen: "According to Gilles Deleuze, painting is hysteria. Painting in the throes of hysterics attempts to go 'beyond representation,' morphing 'cerebral pessimism into nervous optimism.' - Francis Bacon, zitiert aus In Perspective by Camer Onafzal....und Ian Curtis? Nur das "optimism" fehlt. Der Manchester Live-Gig aus dem selben Jahr unterstreicht dies nur noch, indem er nun auch den Aspekt radikaler Bildhauerei hinzufügt: ein Monument, wie mit der Axt aus einem Stamm geschlagen. Nein, neu und einzig war das nicht, wie die Verwendung von Sister Ray auf ihren späteren Live-Konzerten beweist. Dieser Song ebenso wie I'm Waiting For My Man, beide von Velvet Underground, The End von den Jim Morrisson und den Doors, I Wanna Be You Dog von Iggy Pop und den Stooges - sie alle lebten diesen überreizten Expressionismus, dieses alle Sicherheit negierende radikale Spiel um niemals weniger als Alles.

I often visit record stores, whether in physical stores or online, but I always miss this classic post-rock record. I bought it from Amazon Japan It was still cheaper than buying it in a store in Taiwan. The entire delivery process was also smooth and fast.

Fantastic price and album.