Killing Joke: Love Like Blood (1985)

I have a UK 12"which contains am extended mix plus Blue Feather.

Killing Joke: Night Time (1985)

This record contains what is perhaps the band's most recognizable tune. I would say that Love Like Blood might be the band's best track. Wikipedia's summary of the record is interesting and, I think, accurate:

In his retrospective review, Ned Raggett of AllMusic opines that the album finds the band's music "caught between their earlier aggression and a calmer, more immediately accessible approach. This turned out to be the band's Achilles heel in the end, with later albums in the '80s evidence that the group had turned into an unbelievably boring, generic modern rock band. At this point, however, the tension between the two sides had a perfect balance, and as a result, Night Time is arguably the quartet's freshest album since its debut, with a warm, anthemic quality now supplementing the blasting, driving approach that made the band's name". Adrian Begrand of PopMatters opined that, with the album, the band "perfected" their "balance between antagonism and accessibility" and that "the band are simply on fire on this record" [source]

The tune Eighties is interesting because many people felt that Nirvana ripped off the guitar riff and used it in Come as You Are. I see the obvious similarities, but I am not sure what to conclude. Allmusic is more direct: "Nirvana, of all groups, thoroughly cloned the watery guitar line at the heart of the track for "Come as You Are." [source] 

I have a UK pressing.

Killing Joke: Me Or You? / Wilful Days / Feast Of Blaze (1983)

This UK 12" has three tracks: Me Or You?, Wilful Days, and Feast Of Blaze. Two of these are (or were) undressed at the time. Both unreleased tracks were included on the 2008 reissue of Fire Dances. I have to say that I love the sleeve design of KJ singles. 

Killing Joke: Let's All Go (To The Fire Dances) (1983)

This is a UK 12" single. A live version of The Fall of Because appears on this EO, along with a version of Dominator. 

Killing Joke: Fire Dances (1983)

"Fire Dances bridges Killing Joke's primal past with their more melodic, accessible future and without compromising any of their thunder." [source]

I'd say that the above is a very apt statement. I regret that I have never seen this band live. It's also strange that I am totally unfamiliar with the band's more recent output.

My copy of this LP is a German repressing from 1986. $15 to $20 is probably a reasonable price for this record.

Killing Joke: Revelations (1982)

This record is either a disappointment or a triumph, depending on which music critic you read. That says everything you need to know about critics. I think that this is a really great record. I love the sound.

Killing Joke: Birds of a Feather (1982)

OK, so this is a 1982 12" single with three tracks: Birds of a Feather, Sun Goes Down, and Flock the B Side. I have a Canadian pressing. 

Killing Joke: "Ha" - Killing Joke Live (1982)

This record was recorded live at Larry's Hideaway, Toronto (yay!) on August 9th and 10th, 1982. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to go to Larry's Hideaway. It was closed before I moved to Toronto, and the building was later demolished. About Larry's, Wikipedia says this:

"The venue was notable for being one of the first venues in Toronto to open itself to punk and new wave music acts, as well as hard rock. The venue was well known for its good acoustics." [source]

A number of seminal acts played there. Here are a few: Bauhaus, The Cult, Einstürzende Neubauten, The Diodes, Goddo, Nina Hagen, Max Webster, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, R.E.M., Rush, They Might be Giants, The Fall, Hüsker Dü, Richard Thompson, The Cramps, and The Demics.

But, back to the record. Most of pressings were released as 10" records, but I think there were 12" imports. Ha has six tracks.

Pssyche
Sun Goes Down
The Pandys Are Coming
Take Take Take
Unspeakable
Wardance

Killing Joke: What's THIS For...! (1981)

I guess the real title is What's THIS For...? Shouldn't there be a question mark and not an exclamation point! See what I did there! Again! The second Killing Joke record is also awesome. It might not be as good as the first, but it's pretty fantastic.

What's THIS For...! was generally well received by critics. Trouser Press described the album as "nearly as terrific" as their debut album, "bringing funk to ambient music, implying feeling sublimated in a chaotic world".

Paste magazine's Josh Jackson listed the album at No. 48 on his list of "The 50 Best Post-Punk Albums", noting that "the real genius here is the human emotion that comes through such spare efficiency" [source]

I think more than a few people recognize that Ministry was influenced by this record.

Killing Joke: Killing Joke (1980)

It's argued that Killing Joke paved the way for acts such as Metallica and Nine Inch Nails. They have been described as post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, industrial rock, industrial metal, alternative pop/rock, alternative/indie rock, punk, and dance-rock. I 'm really uncertain as to which label fits better, and it needs to be pointed out that the sound of the band shifted over the years. But, new wave, I think not. Let's just read the entire Allmusic review:

Since 1980, there have been a hundred bands who sound like this; but before Steve Albini and Al Jourgensen made it hip, the cold metallic throb of Killing Joke was exciting and fresh. The harshly sung vocals riding over the pulsating synth lines of the opener "Requiem" have a vigor and passion that few imitators have managed to match. The precise riffs and tight rhythms found in songs like "Wardance" would influence a generation of hardcore musicians; yet "The Wait," with its thrashing guitars and angry vocals, would find itself covered on a Metallica album only six years later. That such a bleak and furious album could have such a widespread influence is a testament to its importance. Certain parts of the album have not dated well; the vocals and drums are mixed in such a way that they lose some of their effectiveness, and the fact that so many other bands have used this same formula does take some of the visceral feeling away. But this is an underground classic and deserves better than its relative unknown status. Fans of most kinds of heavy music will probably find something they like about this band, and this is a good a place as any to start the collection. [source]

I love this record and I love the cover art. I have a Canadian pressing. Enough talk, more listen:

Greg Kihn: Citizen Kihn (1985)

This is Greg Kihn, no Band. The title is obviously a take on Citizen Kane. It's OK.

Steve Khan: Tightrope

Steve Khan is an American jazz guitarist and Tightrope is his debut solo release. Beyond that, he has appeared on a number of recess from the likes of Steely Dan and Billy Joel, etc. This is OK, but it doesn't knock me out. I should probably part with it. 

Greg Kihn Band: Kihnspiracy (1983)

Jeopardy is the big hit from the record. By the way, I hold mention that I paid no more than $1 for each of these Kihn records. 

Greg Kihn Band: Rockihnroll (1981)

The centrepiece of this recording the Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em). Every one has heard this one, right? It's catchy.The record jacket in a crime against humanity, though (even if you excuse the terrible photograph.

Greg Kihn Band: Next of Kihn (1978)

I am not really a fan. I like some tracks, but all-in-all, I am not impresses. Kihn's catchy hits are cool, though. 

Nik Kershaw: Human Racing (1984)

A couple of years back, I had some friends over for dunner and drinks. One of my friends laughed and exclaimed loudly when he saw this record. I get it. This is probably weak 80s music, more like weak top forty 80s music. But, I will admit that I don't mind Wouldn't it be Good. But, shouldn't that have a question mark at the end? Is not "wouldn't it be good" a question?

In contrast to that song, the rest of the album really does nothing for me. Elton John once said that Kershaw is "the best songwriter of a generation." [source] That's not a great endorsement, especially from a man whose entire catalogue post-1977, or so, is more or less uniformly awful. Maybe I like Wouldn't it be Good simply because the remainder of the songs are uninspiring.

Lostboy! A.K.A Jim Kerr: Lostboy! A.K.A Jim Kerr (2010)

I guess I could have filed this under L for Lostboy, but I put it under K for Kerr.

Jim Kerr, the lead singer of one of the top Scottish Bands -- Simple Minds -- released his first solo record in 2010. What took him so long? The vocals are credited to Lostboy, not Jim, and yet Jim's name is on the jacket. I wonder what he is trying to say? The Peter Pan reference is a bit bizarre.

I'd say that this is an OK record, but I am not blown away. I wonder why he bothered, at this point, with a solo record. The LP version was pressed only in Germany. I think I paid under $10 for it, which is probably what it's worth. I'm not crazy about the jacket design.

John Kay: Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes (1972)

I find it interesting that Canadians do their best to claim Steppenwolf as a Canadian band. John Kay did live in Canada, beginning in 1958, when he was 12 or 13 years old. At some point, he shuffled off to the USA where the pastures are greener. Others refer to the band as Canadian-American, which seems fair enough to me.

Anyway, John Kay (born Joachim Fritz Krauledat in East Prussia) was the lead singer of Steppenwolf, which was formed in 1968. I'm not up on my Steppenwolf history, so thank you Wikipedia for the details. Anyway, on to this record.

Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes, Kay's debut solo record, is pretty good. In fact, I recall being surprised by how much I liked it upon first listen. Half of the record is comprised of original tracks, while the other half are covers. It seems to work quite well, but I gather it fell between the cracks, as has happened to so many good songs and records.

I think that perhaps some were expecting a raucous record with tracks like Born to be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride, but this is a mellow countryish, bluesy affair, and maybe some were disappointed?

I'm pretty sure I paid a dollar or so for this one. 

Kansas: Point of Know Return (1977)

This record contains the other really huge Kansas tune, Dust in the Wind. By the way, some people think that this record is entitled Point of No Return. It's close, but it isn't right.

I think this record is not so great. Maybe I just don't get it. I find it almost to be a job to force myself to listen to the record, and that's saying something. I will admit that Dust in the Wind is probably a very good rock song, but its bot really my cup of tea.

Kansas: Leftoverture (1976)

The best thing about this record is the title. It's pretty clever and it's an authentic title too, from what I've heard, since they used bits and pieces of older material after failing to come up with new material.

Prog rock mixed with classic rock and pop is probably a good description of this band, who I think are still staples of classic rock radio. I just learned that this band has released records through the decades, including a new collection of songs in 2016. Who knew? I thought they were dead and buried. But, then again, who knows what the lineup is? I'm too disinterested to care.

This record was either a lawn sale pickup, when I was a teenager, or something passed along to me sometime by a person long forgotten. I do not recall the last time I listened to it. I'll likely never listen to it again.

I am relatively ignorant of Kansas, but my uninformed argument is that Carry On Wayward Son has to be the band's biggest song. This portion of the Allmusic review made me chuckle:

...an impenetrable conundrum of significance that's capped off by nothing less than a five-part suite, appropriately titled "Magnum Opus," and featuring such promising movement titles as "Father Padilla Meets the Perfect Gnat" and "Release the Beavers." Of course, there's no telling whether this closing opus relates to the opener, "Carry On Wayward Son," the greatest single Kansas ever cut -- a song that manages to be pompous, powerful, ridiculous, and catchy all at once. That they never manage to rival it anywhere on this record is as much a testament to their crippling ambition as their lack of skills. [source]

I can't add anything to that. I have a Canadian pressing

Joy Division: Live at Town Hall, High Wycombe 20th February 1980 (1984/2019)

Herein, we have:

The Sound Of Music
A Means To An End
Colony 4:02
Twenty Four Hours
Isolation
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Disorder

Atrocity Exhibition
Isolation (Sound Check)
The Eternal (Sound Check)
Ice Age (Sound Check)
Disorder (Sound Check)
Sound Of Music (Sound Check)
A Means To An End (Sound Check)

This bootleg was originally released under a deferent title in 1984, with my copy being a repressing from 2019. I gather that this item was mastered from a CD, but it sounds really fine. Apparently, the opening acts were Killing Joke, A Certain Ratio, and Section 25. This would have been an amazing show. 

The Kane Gang: The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang (1985)

Hmm, what can I say about this. I picked it up blind in a thrift shop for $1, having only read a brief snippet on the web. It's a mellow affair, more pop than substantive. I think downtempo is the word that is often used in these cases. I cannot recall the last time I listened to this. I don't think that it resonated with me. 

Just West Of Something Big: A CFRU-FM Compilation Album (1987)

This LP contains 15 tracks from obscure bands from the Guelph scene in the mid-late 1980s. A copy of this record is currently for sale on Discogs for $53.29, which is asking far too much, if you ask me. I paid a buck for my copy. I don't think any of these bands made it big, but I could be completely wrong about that. There's not much information about this record on the interwebs. It appears to be the only release from No's To No's Records. I wonder about the apostrophes in that name.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that the title refers to the fact that Guelph is west (just a bit west) -- geographically speaking -- from Toronto, which is a big city.

So, here are the tracks:

Right Nostril (Side 1)

A Single Voice - Ripping Susan
This Ill File - Step In Time
Belinda Wu - Facelift
Rigor Mortis - Life Cycle
Built With Lego - Not Your Fault
Maggot Fodder - Down And Under
Strings And Shades - Last Fall

Left Nostril (Side 2)

The Bird Sisters - Big Plans
Love's Ugly Children - Teeth Marks (Cannibal Bliss)
The Exploding Postmen - S.N.A.F.U.
Garden Bower - Stockholm
The Nationals - Workin' For A Living (Just Don't Work)
2 Below Subway - Are Ye Able
The Weathermen - Record Of The Time
Smash To Death Inc. - Condoms

The name some people might recognize from this release is that of Chris Bottomley, who produced the track from Love's Ugly Children. Chris's brother -- and former band-mate from Tulpä -- John Bottomley, went on to have a promising solo career. Sadly, John passed away a few years back.

(Being in the Ju section, I remember that I once had some Juluka records, which I purged from my collection).

Valerie June: The Order Of Time (2017)

There are four pressings of this LP, three of which are on black vinyl. My copy, pressed in the USA, is a limited edition version of 1000 copies. pressed on purple vinyl and available exclusively from Urban Outfitters. It looks as though it did not sell out, and I got my copy for $10.49. It sells for more than that on Discogs.

I love her hair :) and her music.

July Talk: July Talk (2012)

The original pressing of this record was on White Girl Records, and it has a white cover. My pressing, from the next year, is on Sleepless records, and it features a black cover. The first pressing is now outrageously expensive, with a media sale price on Discogs of $277.00!

This is a pretty cool Canadian band.

Juluka: Stand your Ground (1984)

I remember everything about buying this record. I remember parking my car and jay walking across the street to the second hand record store the I liked. I remember running into two women I knew in the store, though I forget their names. I danced with one of them a few times in a campus bar. She had spiked hair. I wasn't looking for any particular record, and I ended up with this one. I could have done better, but this is OK.

From Allmusic:

Perhaps the least conventional group to emerge in South Africa in the 1970s was Juluka. The brainchild of English-born White anthropologist Johnny Clegg and traditional Zulu musician Sipho Mchunu, Juluka offered an electrifying dance music that combined the best of African and Western styles. Clegg scandalized the White establishment by appearing on the cover of Juluka's first album dressed in full Zulu costume next to Mchunu. [source]

Today, that would be criticized as cultural appropriation and he whole be cancelled. 

Joy Division: The Peel Sessions (1986)

My copy is the first UK pressing, in nearly mint condition. This 45 RPM EP contains four tracks: Exercise One (spelled correctly), Insight, She's Lost Control, and Transmission. Here is some stuff from the rear of the cover:

Recorded 31st January 1979.
First transmission 14th February 1979.

This is a record that I rarely see in the shops, though it seems a copy is readily available on Discogs. In this condition, it will probably cost you about $50.

Joy Division: The Peel Sessions (1987)

This is the second Peel Sessions release, again with four tracks. My copy is the first UK pressing with the Special Metallic Finish Limited Edition Sleeve. The tracks are: Love Will Tear Us Apart, 24 Hours, Colony, and Sound of Music. From the rear jacket:

Recorded: 26th November 1979
First transmission: 10th December 1979

The version of Love Will Tear Us Apart on this EP is untouchable. 

Joy Division: Live In Holland (Live at the Paradiso Club in Amsterdam, January 11, 1980) (2015)

This unofficial (bootleg) record was released by DOL, a trademark of Vinylogy, a Russian "reissue label" (bootleg label) evidently specializing in jazz and blues. My understanding is that the source for this record was an FM radio broadcast or a cassette of the FM radio broadcast. I believe that there have been several versions of this record, some on CD and some on double vinyl and with different names. Such is the nature of bootlegs. This particular version comes on 180 gram virgin vinyl. The sound is really great, for a bootleg.

Joy Division: Live In Blackpool 1979 (2008?)

The record was recorded illegally at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool on July 27th, 1979. One hundred copies were pressed on orange vinyl and three hundred copies were pressed on black vinyl. I have the latter. The sound sucks. It's a truly awful recording.

Just how bad is it? Imagine you were in a club listening to a band ripping through their set list, and you realize that you have to have a pee. You can hear the music as you are walking towards the bathroom. You pull open the door and, as it closes, the music becomes a muffled noise behind the door. Now, imagine that someone in the bathroom has fired up their auto-stop portable Panasonic cassette deck while occupying a toilet stall and recorded the entire concert while sitting on the throne. That's what this record sounds like: the shits. On the other hand, if you are willing to put up with the atrocious sound, there is information to be gleaned from this record. But, I just can't listen to it again. Still, I will hold on to it, for whatever reason.

Joy Division: Out Of The Room (2006)

Herein are eight tracks recorded live at various locations. The jacket is even more precise: we have coverversions (which should obviously be "cover versions"), jam sessions, and soundchecks.

Side A;

1) Gimme Some Lovin', recorded at Eric's, Liverpool on August 11, 1979
2) Sister Ray, recorded at Plan K., Brussels on January 17, 1980
3) Wild Love, a jam with Section 25, recorded at the Winter Gardens, Malvern on April 5th, 1980
4) Nobody Counts, a jam with Section 25, recorded at the Ajanta Theatre, Derbyon April 19, 1980

Side B

1) Atmosphere, which is referred to as a "Lost Track" from September 22, 1979 at Nashville Rooms, London
2) The Only Mistake, a soundcheck from Pavilion, Hemel Hempsteadon November 5, 1979
3) Ceremony, a soundcheck from High Hall, Birmingham on May 2, 1980
4) Decades, a soundcheck from High Hall, Birmingham on May 2, 1980

If you didn't already know that this is a bootleg, the sound quality would give it away. Just listen to this:

Warsaw [Joy Division]: Warsaw (1994)

As you may or may not know, Joy Division was originally known as Warsaw, a name the band borrowed from David Bowie and Brian Eno's composition Warszawa, from Bowie's Low album. Both are good names, but I think Joy Division is more ironic, given the nature of the music the band recorded.

Some of the tunes on this record date back to 1978. It was to be the planned debut record from the band, but the enterprise was abandoned. This version compiles those previous tracks and adds a few so-called bonus tracks (dating to 1977). Despite being an unofficial release, there is quite a lot of contact information on the record. One would think that this would lead Interpol straight to their door in the Netherlands, but I guess they have no concerns about that. The other odd thing for an unofficial release is that the sound is truly spectacular.

The record is an interesting look at early Joy Division. To my ears, the band sounds a little more punk than they did on the first Joy Division record. In any case, if you are a Joy Division fan, this record is a must-have.

An earlier version of this record, without the bonus tracks, was published on CD in Germany in 1989. This copy is from 2007 in an edition of only 1000 copies. I'd really like to know if there are really only 1000 copies. After all, more than 2000 people claim to own this exact version of the record on Discogs.

Warsaw [Joy Division]: An Ideal For Killing (2002)

This bootleg was released in 2002 and also, it seems, in later yers. The matrix runout on my copy indicate that is was manufactured by Eldorada Records inSpain. However, my exact copy is not listed on Discogs. The matrix on my copy is ELDORADO CMF1 - O 493-64 B DMM H.P. and ELDORADO CMF - O - 493-64 A DMM H.P., but my insert isn't printed on matte paper and there is no Made in Spain on the version of the jacket. Other pressings have a different matrix or no matrix listed. It may the one lacking matrix IDs in the listing. In any case, this LP contains:

1 Inside The Line 
2 Gutz 
3 At a Later Date 
4 The Kill 
5 You're No Good For Me 
6 At a Later Date (live) 
7 Novelty 

8 Warsaw

9 No Love Lost

10 Leaders of Men
11 Failures

12 Ice Age

13 Walked in Line

14 The Kill (2)

Tracks 1 - 5 from the Warsaw Demo session, 18th July 1977.

Track 6 Live: Electric Circus, Manchester. Taken from the Short Circuit LP.
Track 7 from RCA sessions 3rd / 4th May 1978
Track 8 - 11 from Ideal For Living session, December 1977
Tracks 12 - 13 from RCA sessions 3rd / 4th May 1978
Track 14 from Unknown Pleasures session April 1979

Discogs no longer permits sale of bootlegs on its site, so one has to look elsewhere for pricing. On eBay, there are a couple of copies, one for $42.34 (plus $21.35 shipping) and one for $64.73 (plus $63.29 shipping).

Here are the Warsaw Demo Sessions: 

Joy Division: Peel Sessions (1990/2010)

This record compiles the two Peel Sessions releases onto one disc. The 1986 and 1987 releases contained four tracks each and, in 1990, they were united on this LP with a spelling mistake. My copy is unofficial, or a bootleg, from 2010. Both sessions were recorded way back in 1979.

On the original pressing, Exercise One is misspelled as Excercise One. In the bootlegger's zeal to capitalize on a long out-of-print, and now expensive record, they carried forward the misspelling. I guess they wanted to make an exact as possible copy, and they did. It looks amazing, but there are some differences in text on the rear jacket.

This copy sounds pretty good to my ears.

Joy Division: Substance (1988)

From Wikipedia:

Substance compiles the four singles released by the band that did not appear on albums — "Transmission", "Komakino", "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and "Atmosphere" — as well as most of their B-sides. It also collects tracks released on extended play singles, the band's first release An Ideal for Living, and two samplers issued by Factory Records, A Factory Sample and Earcom 2: Contradiction. The single "Atmosphere" had been originally issued in France as "Licht und Blindheit" with "Dead Souls" on the B-side. Following the death of Ian Curtis, it was reissued as a posthumous B-side of the "She's Lost Control" single in an alternate version from the track that had previously appeared on Unknown Pleasures. The vinyl version omits the single "Komakino" and does not include the complete titles from the extended plays. [source]

This record was important because, unless you had the singles, it was the only way to own Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart, and Atmosphere. I have the original Canadian pressing. This, like the other JD records, have all been repressed.

Joy Division: Still (1981)

Cynics would argue that Factory Records was quick to capitalize on Joy Division's untimely demise by issuing an odd collection of things found lying around the studio floor. That may be partially true, but it doesn't diminish the fact that there are some outstanding tunes here, most notably Dead Souls and Glass.

Someone take these dreams away
That point me to another day
A duel of personalities
That stretch all true realities

....

Where figures from the past stand tall
And mocking voices ring the halls
Imperialistic house of prayer
Conquistadors who took their share

Apart from the previously-unused studio tracks the record contains a recording of Joy Division's last concert in High Hall, Birmingham University on May 2nd, 1980 plus a version of the Velvet Underground's Sister Ray, from The Moonlight Club in London (April 2nd, 1980).

There are several versions of this release. I have the 3rd UK 2xLP pressing from 1981. The original UK pressing was bound in cloth. A friend of mine has the original UK pressing, but I don't think he would give it to me, no matter how nicely I asked. In addition to the LP, I have a Canadian CD from 1987, a copy of which is for sale on Discogs for over $90. WTF?

I've always loved the understated album cover design.

Joy Division: Closer (1980)

I've always read the title of this record as an adjective, for something nearby or the opposite of distant. Baseball players, baseball fans, and some salespeople know this word as a noun that means either a relief pitcher or someone who can bring things to a close. Given that this was the last real Joy Division album, the latter might be the better interpretation. And, it's a damn fine closer. It's difficult to believe that Joy Division could have written an album to equal Unknown Pleasures, but they did it, somehow. In fact, this LP might even be better than the debut record.

So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.
A cloud hangs over me, marks every move,
Deep in the memory, of what once was love.

Oh how I realised how I wanted time,
Put into perspective, tried so hard to find,
Just for one moment, thought I'd found my way.
Destiny unfolded, I watched it slip away.

Excessive flashpoints, beyond all reach,
Solitary demands for all I'd like to keep.
Let's take a ride out, see what we can find,
A valueless collection of hopes and past desires.

I never realised the lengths I'd have to go,
All the darkest corners of a sense I didn't know.
Just for one moment, I heard somebody call,
Looked beyond the day in hand, there's nothing there at all.

Now that I've realised how it's all gone wrong,
Gotta find some therapy, this treatment takes too long.
Deep in the heart of where sympathy held sway,
Gotta find my destiny, before it gets too late.

These are chilling lyrics, in light of Ian's suicide. The album commences with one of my favourite JD tracks, Atrocity Exhibition. One always wonders what Joy Division would have done next, and there are clues on Still, especially the track Ceremony. It's too bad we never got to experience it.

As with Unknown Pleasures, this is a truly beautiful album design. I have an original Canadian pressing.

Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980)

When the routine bites hard
And ambitions are low
And the resentment rides high
But emotions won't grow
And we're changing our ways,
Taking different roads
Then love, love will tear us apart again

Why is the bedroom so cold
Turned away on your side?
Is my timing that flawed,
Our respect run so dry?
Yet there's still this appeal
That we've kept through our lives
But love, love will tear us apart again

Do you cry out in your sleep
All my failings expose?
Get a taste in my mouth
As desperation takes hold
Is it something so good
Just can't function no more?
When love, love will tear us apart again

Love Will Tear Us Apart was dropped in June 1980. I would love to have an original 12" UK. Instead, I have a Canadian 12" from 1983, when it was re-released. These Days is included in addition to two versions of the title track, the original and the Pennine version. The Pennine version is fine, but it can't compete with the single version.

For many people, Love Will Tear Us Apart is the Joy Division track. I think people who only know this tune should dig deeper. In fact, it rather irritates me that there are so many people who only know this song from the band. I've always felt the same away about Lou Reed. For many people, the only Lou Reed track they know is Walk on the Wild Side, and that's a shame.

Just when I  convince myself that my favourite JD track is She's Lost Control or Disorder or Atmosphere or some other tune, I hear this and remember just how epic this song is. The other thing I should say is that I love the cover photograph.