Even if you are a casual Joy Division fan you surely know the brilliance of their song “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” But perhaps that’s all you have heard? Or maybe, like some of the young friends of my son Rhombus, you only know of Joy Division because you heard the song “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” by The Wombats. Regardless, despite a relatively small discography, Joy Division is rightly lauded as one of the all-time great bands. I thought I would mention five of their songs that aren’t “Love Will Tear Us Apart” that are favorites of mine.
The Kill – This is their most straight-ahead punk song, which makes sense because this is one of their earliest tunes. It dates from around 1977 when they were known as Warsaw. I don’t believe it was ever released until it turned up on later JD compilations. It’s barely over two minutes of energy and out.
Digital –That awesome Pete Hook bass kicks off this track. The tension builds with Ian Curtis singing “I feel it closing in…” Then release with aggressive guitar and shouted chorus. The pattern repeats several times. It’s exhausting but amazing. This first appeared on “A Factory Sample,” an early Factory Records compilation composed of two 7-inch records which included other artists.
She’s Lost Control – This is my one selection that appears on one of their two studio albums, specifically the undisputed classic Unknown Pleasures. Strange sounding electronic rhythms, echoes and sparse guitar draw us in. Ian’s lyrics talk about “she” but probably somewhat describe his concern about his own epileptic seizures.
Transmission – This was released as a single. Again the bass starts us up, but the band quickly joins with a solid danceable beat and typically enigmatic lyrics. On the surface he seems to sing simply about dancing to the radio. However, his vocal performance suggests it might not be that simple as Ian gets more and more desperate until the song suddenly trails away. “Dance dance dance to the radio” indeed.
Dead Souls –No doubt my favorite JD song. This was originally released as the b-side of a limited edition single. As with many of their songs, there is a build-up of tension, then the guitar introduces some violent energy, before it ebbs as if the energy can’t be maintained for the duration. The song then builds and explodes again. It’s over two minutes before the singing starts. Haunted vocals repeat “they keep calling me.” It is intense, but I guess “Intense” is the word that probably best describes Joy Division.