"I feel embarassed to admit I had never heard this album until this week. I saw a movie last week which featured one of the songs in it. (The movie was called "Reprise" (amazing film!) and the song was "New Dawn Fades.") Then I got the album the other day, put it on and was BLOWN away. The fact that more radio stations don't play the song "Disorder" even now is criminal. It's truly a classic song and the CD just takes off from there. Sure, it has dark themes and can be depressing at times. And I'll admit I've been a big fan of so-called goth music for decades, which is why I honestly feel embarassed to admit that I've never heard this album before. I've had "Closer" for years, but somehow missed this dark, beautiful, haunting gem. What a find!"
Prefer Over Closer
Lisa Quesada | Miami, Florida | 09/27/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Love ALL that is Joy Division & I've gotten pretty much everything I can get that's available. As a whole, I prefer the first CD, UnkPleasures, to the last but not to say Closer isn't fantastic also. So unfortunate the band did not continue with it's original sound. However, the fact the original band members overcame tragedy, and continued playing together, is surely a testament to their musical talent and personal stamina. I'm checking out New Order now - don't know yet what the verdict will be - haven't received the music yet."
One of best rock albums ever recorded
Counterbalance | Seattle | 01/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I know that's an extreme statement. But time distills truth.
And the truth is, this album distilled rock into a minimalist art form. Add the shockingly simple but profound lyrics, and this album anniliates pretentious rock. This album can't go out of style, because it was never in style.
Dark and foreboding, Unknown Pleasures uncovers too much reality to ever cross over into pop. It's not for the trendies. And that's what makes it monumental. And one of the best rock albums ever recorded."
One of a kind
Seth A Eigenmann | Clearwater, FL USA | 05/14/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many people regard "Closer" as the best Joy Division album,but I find "Unknown Pleasures" to be the better of the two studio albums. In Rolling Stones top 500 albums of all time,"Closer" was ranked 157. "Unknown Pleasures" should have been in the top 25. They broke a lot of ground with this offering;from Martin Hannett's legendary production to the first use of the energy of punk channeled into a deeper lyric and sublimely dark music. The first appearance of the Gothic template in music. The way the album was recored by Hannett had only been done a few times before; isolating the drums, bass, guitar, and vocals on different channels and then mixed together. The first use of a digital delayer was used as well; a machine Martin Hannett helped design. It is well documented that besides Ian,all the other members of Joy Division didn't like the way "Unknown Pleasures" sounded, at the time, feeling like the recording lost the energy of their live sound; they also felt like the album was too dark and hard to listen to because of the blackness surrounding the tracks, but thirty years later they can all finally agree, the album is groundbreaking. The way it was recorded has made it timeless and impossible to be dated. "Unknown Pleasures" has inspired countless artists and producers since its' release. Joy Divisions dark cavernous spaces and ever darker lyrics are deeply envoking and stir the heart and soul within the listener; sublimely dark, intimate, and very haunting. A message crafted by their legendary front-man, Ian Curtis. A man who was the bands eyes and ears; a man who used a public-artform, music, to air-out his worries, problems, inner demons, medical problems, and failing marriage. The courage that took, I still can't wrap my mind around. Their music defined a time and place and is still relevent today; it still sounds modern seeing it came from the 70's. "Unknown Pleasures" is my favorite album of all time. This collectors edition comes with a live show at the Factory, Joy Divisions' home turf, on July 13, 1979. A show in front of about 400 people to promote their new album, "Unknown Pleasures", unknown pleasures it most definitely is. The same live show can be found on the "Heart and Soul" box set and the re-mastering on this collectors edition is amazing; night and day to a degree. The re-mastering on "Unknown Pleasures" is intresting; much louder with a lot of thump in the drums; different than the orginal recording. All and all, the re-mastering on the live show makes this collectors edition worth it alone. Keep in mind that "Les Bains Douches" and "Preston Warehouse" are the best live Joy Division shows, as far as sound quality goes, they can be found on Amazon; a must have since there are two stories to Joy Divisions' music; studio albums and live material. The Factory concert that comes with this edition is one of my favorite Joy Division shows, mainly because of the set-list. Songs like "Candidate", "Novelty", and "The Only Mistake" can not be found on any other official release and "Candidate" is the only song that can be found on a few bootlegs. This show is the only place you can find "Novelty" and "The Only Mistake" performed live. Also keep in mind, Joy Division were a live band first and a studio band second. Joy Division is not for the faint of heart or the casual listener; they are reserved for those who have a dark streak in their soul that needs to be tamed or fed. "We knocked on the doors of Hells darker chamber, Pushed to the limit, we dragged ourselves in." Ian Curtis, Decades."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
