There is no question the influence Ian and the boys have on modern music. This countdown is my personal favorites for reasons we'll get to. I don't really care if they are their biggest hits or most popular songs though a few of those might crop up, these are just the songs that have the most of what I'm looking for when I listen to Joy Division.
10- Interzone : this is just fun punk, a thinking man's rowdiness, while they were pulling from their idols like the Stooges , this song carries the sound many young band a currently imitating.This is the bridge to post-punk.
9-"Insight": Another one from "Unknown Pleasures" . This has some of the drone , but always has melody amongst the brooding. If you haven't seen the movie "Control" and you consider yourself a Joy Division fan then shame on you it puts , the lyrics to songs like this in perspective. The electronic freak out laser fight interlude is random, gives the song personality and what other punk bands were doing that in 1979?
8-"She's Lost Control" : I really like the 2007 remastered version of this song because some of the weird effects stand out more. Live they give this one a much different feeling and they transition of dynamics is smoother. The weird layers of noise that build around this in the studio must have been blowing punk kids minds when this came out.
7-"Disorder" : This list is pretty "Unknown Pleasures" heavy at the moment, but it's hard to argue against that album. This songs encapsulates every thing I want from Joy Division. A really taunt bass line driving things as the guitar is allowed to ring out around Ian's narrative that is sometimes crooned. He's got the spirit...
6-"Love Will Tear Us Apart": Of course as an old goth kid from way back this was my entry point to this band so it will always have a fond place in my heart , but much like "War Pigs" a little goes a long ways.
5-"Eternal" : This song does drone a bit , but it is beautifully dark and crosses them over into goth more than "Love Will Tear Us Apart' , but you are less likely to hear it on 80s night unless the d.j. is totally smacked out
.
4-"Heart and Soul": Did you think I would not remember "Closer"? This song has the perfect balance of atmosphere and drive to it. I like Ian Curtis' more sing song croon on this one. There is some awesome guitar on this song that brings a slow burn.
3-"Shadowplay": This is without a doubt one of their heavier song. It chugs without being metal and has more convincing angst than most metal bands. The guitar playing on this song is the bands most rock n roll and some of their best.
2-"Dead Souls": There is a reason Nine Inch Nails covered this song...it rocks. The dynamics of this song are pretty fucking powerful.
1- "24 Hours" : While "Dead Souls" has powerful dynamics this song edges it out from the top spot because it gets more sonically heavy while still embracing it's melodic darkness. One of the best songs not just in their catalog but ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment