Joy Division
Still

THE REVIEW

Many adjectives have been used to describe the music of Joy Division: alienating, hallucinatory, gloomy, distorted, among many others. Yet there is no definition that can truly encapsulate the music of the Manchester quartet. The most sensible thing to do is listen to their two studio albums, and "Still" to realize how fundamental and influential they have been for generations of young and tragic indie bands that followed. That said, here's a rough attempt to review one of my favorite bands, if not the one I absolutely love the most.

This anthology is divided into two parts (and is double in the vinyl version): in the first, we find rarities and assorted tracks like "Ice Age", which I must admit scared me almost like the soundtrack to a horror movie the first time I heard it, and "Dead Souls", with its long instrumental intro dominated by guitar slashes and the metronomic nature of the rhythm section (THAT drum.....! it sounds like it was recorded in an empty warehouse, and I like to think so). Also making a good impression is the lengthy live cover of "Sister Ray" by the Velvet Underground, which leads to the second part of the work: the live part. The multiple facets of Our Guys' volcanic performances are recreated in the rather good quality recording of the last concert before the tragic death of Ian Curtis, on May 2, 1980, at the Grand Hall of the University of Birmingham.

It starts with a frantic "Ceremony", extended to the limit due to issues with the vocal system, and continues with "Shadowplay" and "New Dawn Fades", among others, supported by Peter Hook's bass with surgical precision, culminating in a scream-worthy "Transmission", punctuated by Ian's low and unsettling vocals, which in the final part, explode, as if he had barely held himself back until then. Not to forget "Isolation", where Bernard Sumner appears in the unprecedented role of keyboardist. In short, it's certainly not an album for completists: the Joy Division b-sides had nothing to envy of the other, so to speak, "official" tracks, and indeed, the live recorded part makes it an excellent introduction for those who want to get closer to this stunning post-punk combo.