Closer (Joy Division album)
Encyclopedia
Closer is the second and final studio album by the English post-punk
band Joy Division
, released , two months following the suicide
of lead singer Ian Curtis
. The album was originally scheduled to be released on . The record was originally released on the Factory Records
label as a 12" LP and reached #6 on the UK Albums Chart
. It also peaked at #3 in New Zealand
in September 1981. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year
, and was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
The album cover was designed by Martyn Atkins and Peter Saville, with photography from Bernard Pierre Wolff. The photograph on the cover is of the Appiani family tomb in the Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno in Genoa
, Italy
, by Demetrio Paernio.
, features a sound which is both lusher and more sombre than the band's previous album, Unknown Pleasures
, with more use of synthesizer
s and studio effects. Many of its songs have a despairing, funereal feel, and its cover art appears to reflect this, although it was chosen by Peter Saville before he had heard any of the music. Both the cover art and the bleakness of the music and lyrics amplified the already strong mystique surrounding the album after Curtis' suicide.
The opening track, "Atrocity Exhibition", shares its name with The Atrocity Exhibition
by J.G. Ballard, a book that Curtis read and loved, but only after writing the bulk of the song. Several of the songs on Closer feature a down tempo vibe and droning synthesisers, such as the final two tracks "The Eternal" and "Decades". Keyboards (including Mellotron
) are featured predominantly on four of the album's nine tracks, a trend the surviving members would extend in their subsequent incarnation, New Order
.
and Still
was remastered and re-released in 2007. As with Unknown Pleasures and Still, the remaster comes packaged with a bonus live disc, recorded at the University of London
.
' s "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s" and 72nd on NME's "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". A reviewer from Pitchfork Media remarked "Closer is even more austere, more claustrophobic
, more inventive, more beautiful, and more haunting than its predecessor. It's also Joy Division's start-to-finish masterpiece, a flawless encapsulation of everything the group sought to achieve", and gave the album a perfect 10.0. In 2003 the album was ranked at number 157 on Rolling Stone
' s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2006, Q magazine
placed the album at #8 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".
, Peter Hook
, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner
.
Side two
CD Two - Live at ULU 8 February 1980
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, released , two months following the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of lead singer Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
. The album was originally scheduled to be released on . The record was originally released on the Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
label as a 12" LP and reached #6 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. It also peaked at #3 in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in September 1981. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year
NME album of the year
Every December, British music magazine NME compiles a list of what it considers the best albums of the year. It was started in 1974. The list is usually published in one of the issues sold before Christmas – in 2006 it was published in the issue for December the 9th...
, and was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
.
The album cover was designed by Martyn Atkins and Peter Saville, with photography from Bernard Pierre Wolff. The photograph on the cover is of the Appiani family tomb in the Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, by Demetrio Paernio.
Sound
Closer, produced by Martin HannettMartin Hannett
Martin Hannett , sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer and an original partner in Factory Records with Tony Wilson...
, features a sound which is both lusher and more sombre than the band's previous album, Unknown Pleasures
Unknown Pleasures
Unknown Pleasures is the debut album by the English post-punk band Joy Division, released in 1979 through Factory Records. Martin Hannett produced the record at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, England. The album sold poorly upon release, but due to the subsequent success of Joy Division with the...
, with more use of synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and studio effects. Many of its songs have a despairing, funereal feel, and its cover art appears to reflect this, although it was chosen by Peter Saville before he had heard any of the music. Both the cover art and the bleakness of the music and lyrics amplified the already strong mystique surrounding the album after Curtis' suicide.
The opening track, "Atrocity Exhibition", shares its name with The Atrocity Exhibition
The Atrocity Exhibition
The Atrocity Exhibition is an experimental collection of "condensed novels" by British writer J. G. Ballard.Originally published in 1970 by Jonathan Cape. A revised large format paperback edition, with annotations by the author and illustrations by Phoebe Gloeckner, was issued by RE/Search in 1990...
by J.G. Ballard, a book that Curtis read and loved, but only after writing the bulk of the song. Several of the songs on Closer feature a down tempo vibe and droning synthesisers, such as the final two tracks "The Eternal" and "Decades". Keyboards (including Mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
) are featured predominantly on four of the album's nine tracks, a trend the surviving members would extend in their subsequent incarnation, New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
.
Reissue
Closer, along with Unknown PleasuresUnknown Pleasures
Unknown Pleasures is the debut album by the English post-punk band Joy Division, released in 1979 through Factory Records. Martin Hannett produced the record at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, England. The album sold poorly upon release, but due to the subsequent success of Joy Division with the...
and Still
Still (Joy Division album)
Still is a compilation album by Joy Division, consisting of previously unused studio material and a live recording of Joy Division's last concert, performed at Birmingham University. Originally planned for release in August, it was eventually released on 8 October 1981. The CD version was...
was remastered and re-released in 2007. As with Unknown Pleasures and Still, the remaster comes packaged with a bonus live disc, recorded at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
Reception
The album has been highly acclaimed, and is often cited as being Joy Division's finest work. It has made a number of best-of lists; for example, it was ranked 10th on Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms...
, more inventive, more beautiful, and more haunting than its predecessor. It's also Joy Division's start-to-finish masterpiece, a flawless encapsulation of everything the group sought to achieve", and gave the album a perfect 10.0. In 2003 the album was ranked at number 157 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
placed the album at #8 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".
Track listing
All songs written by Ian CurtisIan Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
, Peter Hook
Peter Hook
Peter Hook is an English bass player, musician and author.He was a co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division along with Bernard Sumner in the mid-1970s. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them throughout their career until...
, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
.
LP (Factory FACT 25)
Side one- "Atrocity Exhibition" – 6:06
- "IsolationIsolation (Joy Division song)"Isolation" is a 1980 song appearing on the post-punk band Joy Division's second album, Closer. The song is based upon an industrial beat by Stephen Morris, accompanied by a high-pitched keyboard line by Bernard Sumner...
" – 2:53 - "Passover" – 4:46
- "Colony" – 3:55
- "A Means to an End" – 4:07
Side two
- "Heart and SoulHeart and Soul (Joy Division song)"Heart and Soul" is a song by English band Joy Division. It opened up the second side of the band's second and final album Closer. The song also appears on the Heart and Soul box set and on Permanent...
" – 5:51 - "Twenty Four Hours" – 4:26
- "The Eternal" – 6:07
- "Decades" – 6:10
CD 2007 remaster (Warner 2564697791)
CD One - Closer- "Atrocity Exhibition" – 6:06
- "Isolation" – 2:53
- "Passover" – 4:46
- "Colony" – 3:55
- "A Means to an End" – 4:07
- "Heart and Soul" – 5:51
- "Twenty Four Hours" – 4:26
- "The Eternal" – 6:07
- "Decades" – 6:10
CD Two - Live at ULU 8 February 1980
- "Dead Souls" (live) – 4:58
- "Glass" (live) – 3:42
- "A Means to an End" (live) – 4:00
- "Twenty Four Hours" (live) – 4:05
- "Passover" (live) – 4:53
- "Insight" (live) – 4:01
- "Colony" (live) – 4:04
- "These Days" (live) – 4:17
- "Love Will Tear Us ApartLove Will Tear Us Apart"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar...
" (live) – 3:13 - "Isolation" (live) – 4:41
- "The Eternal" (live) – 6:30
- "Digital" (live) – 3:14
Personnel
- Ian CurtisIan CurtisIan Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitar on "Heart and Soul", melodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
on "Decades" - Bernard SumnerBernard SumnerBernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, bass on "Atrocity Exhibition" - Peter HookPeter HookPeter Hook is an English bass player, musician and author.He was a co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division along with Bernard Sumner in the mid-1970s. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them throughout their career until...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar on "Atrocity Exhibition, backing vocals" - Stephen Morris – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, electronic drums, percussion
Technical personnel
- Martin HannettMartin HannettMartin Hannett , sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer and an original partner in Factory Records with Tony Wilson...
– producer, engineer - Michael Johnson – assistant engineer
- John Caffery – engineer
Sources
- Curtis, Deborah. Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division. London: Faber, 1995 (2nd ed. 2001, 3rd ed. 2005). ISBN 0-571-17445-0