Search - Joy Division :: The Complete BBC Recordings [IMPORT]

Transmission: Intensity Times Two

Little Knives Guy | Bucks County, PA USA | 04/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"More than 25 years after the death of Ian Curtis, the loss magnifies, and the impact made by Joy Division becomes ever more apparent. Moby. Nine Inch Nails. Interpol. The list of artists influenced by Joy Division are too many to mention.



Begin with Unknown Pleasures or the Substance Collection, but pick up the BBC sessions not only for better versions of Transmission and Exercise One -- untouched by producer Martin Hannett (just as C. Roark "tri-zeta" pointed out in the first review posted here [though I will point out the Pink Floyd influence is impossible, as Joy Division's Peel session was from January 1979 and Pink Floyd's The Wall was not released until November that year]) -- but also for what used to be rare recordings of Transmission and She's Lost Control (tracks 9 and 10 here) from Something Else (recorded for Radio One in September 1979).



When all's said and done, it's the two versions of Transmission that are worth the price of this BBC Sessions disc. The first, from the John Peel show, is a different and superior arrangement than what you'll hear on Substance. The latter, though a little raspy, is just plain intense. And that intensity is what Joy Division is all about."

A lot of great stuff "Heart and Soul" left out

ifutureman | NJ | 08/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Heart and Soul" is an amazing and comprehensive overview of Joy Division's brief but crucial recorded legacy. HOWEVER, it omits the following BBC Sessions: "Insight," "Transmission," (both versions), "She's Lost Control" (both versions), "The Sound Of Music" and "Twenty Four Hours." This means almost all of this CD is NOT on Heart and Soul. Which means you should buy it. Now here's my review:



True there were occasional overdubs of a guitar here or vocal there, but Peel Sessions, at least from the punk era, were a great chance to get a "live" recording, but with studio conditions more conducive to solid band performances. Joy Division, never a particularly proficient bunch of musicians, benefitted tremendously from the setting the John Peel Show offered.



Ian's voice on both these sessions was thankfully in good shape. He sounds strong and, relatively speaking, his pitch is solid. His yell at the end of "Transmission" still gives me chills, 15 years after I discovered the 12" vinyl of Session 1. Stephen, Bernie and Hooky all turn in their most consistent, assured performances of the Joy Division era.



Personally, I consider the versions of "Exercise One," "Insight" and "Sound Of Music" to be the definitive versions of these songs. But all eight of the original two Peel Sessions are nothing short of stellar. Of particular interest are the different lyrics in verse 2 of "Colony" and the overall feel of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" without the overdubbed high-hat part on the studio version.



The extra versions of "Transmission" and "She's Lost Control" come from a different British radio show, "Something Else" and were recorded on September 15, 1979. Both are good, but a tad inferior in sound quality. "She's Lost Control" is absolutely manic - a little too fast for my taste.



More than anything, it was the Peel Sessions that got me into Joy Division. If you are not a big fan of the (over)production style of Martin Hannett, then you should love this. In any case, this is top quality live-in-the-studio material from a great, unique band."

Don't buy this, get the imported version of the Best of Joy

Brandon C. Yu | Seattle, WA USA | 11/01/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The rating above does not reflect my views on the importance or the quality of this release. John Peel's radio sessions often caused bands to reimagine and recreate their music in new and challenging ways, and Joy Division is no exception. All of these versions, with the band performing these songs live-in-the-studio, give a fresh perspective on the originals since these contain little overdubs, compared to their studio counterparts.



My 2-star review reflects the case that this is out of print, very rare, and quite expensive when found. The actual album itself has been re-released as the bonus disc on the UK version of The Best of Joy Division, which is still in print and available, and cheaper as well. All of the songs on here are available on that, even the interview with Ian Curtis and Stephen Morris. Overall, I suggest you do buy this album, only in that format."