Closer | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 July 1980 | |||
Recorded | 18–30 March 1980 | |||
Studio | Britannia Row (Islington) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:16 | |||
Label | Factory | |||
Producer | Martin Hannett | |||
Joy Division chronology | ||||
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Closer [n 1] is the second and final studio album by the English rock band Joy Division, released on 18 July 1980 by Factory Records. [4] Produced by Martin Hannett, it was released two months after the suicide of the band's lead singer and lyricist Ian Curtis. The album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart [5] and peaked at No. 3 in New Zealand in September 1981. [6] Closer was also named NME Album of the Year. [7] [8] It was remastered and re-released in 2007. [4]
Today, Closer is widely recognised as a seminal release of the post-punk era. [9] Following the release of the non-album single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" in June 1980, the remaining members re-formed as New Order.
The songs on Closer were drawn from two distinct periods. The earlier guitar-driven compositions were written during the latter half of 1979: "Atrocity Exhibition", "Passover", "Colony", "A Means to an End" and "Twenty Four Hours". All were played live during that year, with some being recorded for various radio sessions. The album's other songs were written in early 1980, and included more prominent use of synthesisers: "Isolation", "Heart and Soul", "The Eternal" and "Decades". [10] Most songs were written or structured during jam sessions in the band's practice room. [11]
"While we were working on Closer, Ian said to me that doing this album felt very strange, because he felt that all his words were writing themselves. He also said that he had this terrible claustrophobic feeling that he was in a whirlpool and being pulled down, drowning."
Bernard Sumner, recollecting on Ian Curtis's mindset during the recording sessions for Closer. October 2007. [12]
Regarding the album's lyrical content, Bernard Sumner recollected: "We'd go to rehearsals and sit around and talk about really banal things. We'd do that until we couldn't talk about banal things any more, then we'd pick up our instruments and record into a little cassette player. We didn't talk about the music or the lyrics very much. We never analysed it." [13]
Closer was recorded between 18 and 30 March 1980 at Britannia Row Studios in Islington, London. [4] It was produced by Martin Hannett. His production has been highly praised, with Pitchfork describing it as "sepulchral." [14] However, as with their debut album, both Hook and Sumner were unhappy with Hannett's work. Peter Hook later complained that the track "Atrocity Exhibition" was mixed on one of his days off, and when he heard the final product he was disappointed that the abrasiveness of his guitar part had been laden with effects and toned down. He wrote; "I was like, head in hands, oh fucking hell, it's happening again. Unknown Pleasures number two ... Martin [Hannett] had melted the guitar with his Marshall Time Waster. Made it sound like somebody strangling a cat, and to my mind, absolutely killed the song. I was so annoyed with him and went in and gave him a piece of my mind but he just turned around and told me to fuck off." [15]
The 1970 collection of "condensed novels" The Atrocity Exhibition by J. G. Ballard was an influence on the album, and shares its title with the opening track. [16]
The album cover was designed by Martyn Atkins and Peter Saville, with a photograph of the Appiani family tomb in Genoa's Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno adorning much of the sleeve. The photograph was taken by Bernard Pierre Wolff in 1978. [17] [18] In a 2007 documentary on the band, designer Saville commented that he, upon learning of singer Ian Curtis's suicide, expressed immediate concern over the album's design as it depicted a funeral theme, remarking "we've got a tomb on the cover of the album!" [n 2]
Closer was released on 18 July 1980 by Factory Records, as a vinyl LP. The album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart. [5] It also peaked at No. 3 in New Zealand in September 1981. [6] Closer was also named NME Album of the Year. [7] [8] The album, along with Unknown Pleasures and Still , was remastered and re-released in 2007. [4] As with Unknown Pleasures and Still, the remaster was packaged with a bonus live disc, recorded at the University of London Union. [4]
Factory boss Tony Wilson was pleased with the final album and predicted it would be a commercial success. Sumner recalled him saying at the time, "You know, Bernard, this time next year you'll be lounging by a swimming pool in LA with a cocktail in your hand." Sumner was less optimistic and "just thought it was the most utterly ridiculous thing anyone had ever said to me." [13]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | A− [21] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 10/10 [23] |
Pitchfork | 10/10 [14] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Select | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 10/10 [27] |
Uncut | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
At the time of release, Sounds critic Dave McCullough wrote that there were "dark strokes of gothic rock" on Closer. He described the album as "breathtaking rock music, a peak of current peaks, a sharing of something that's in [...] others at this time, but at the same time defining those black notions and leaving them unmatched." [29] Writing for Smash Hits , Alastair Macaulay described the album as an "exercise in dark controlled passion" and wrote that its music "stands up on its own as the band's epitaph". [30] Writing for Melody Maker , Paolo Hewitt described the album as "probably some of the most irresistible dance music we'll hear this year [and] a far cry for sure from the almost suffocating claustrophobic world of the debut album," adding that "the best (and most subversive?) rock music has always dealt head-on with emotions and thought rather than clichéd, standardised stances; that's what makes Closer and Joy Division so important." [31]
At the end of 1980, Closer was voted the 22nd best record of the year in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published by The Village Voice . [32] Robert Christgau, the poll's supervisor, deemed the album an improvement over Unknown Pleasures in a retrospective review: "Curtis's torment is less oppressive here because it's less dominant—the dark, roiling, off-center rhythms have a life of their own. And if last time the dancier material had hooks, this time even the dirges have something closely resembling tunes." [21] Rolling Stone 's Mikal Gilmore, in a 1981 profile of the band's work, wrote: "The music turns leaden, gray and steady because it means to fulfill a vision of a world where suffering is unremitting and nothingness is quiescent." [33]
A book titled 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die , published in 2005, Closer is defined as a "quantum leap" in terms of progression when compared to the band's debut album. [19] According to Colin Larkin, Closer has since been "deservedly regarded by many critics as the most brilliant rock album of the 80s"; Larkin himself found the record flawless, writing in his Encyclopedia of Popular Music (2011) that it showed Joy Division at their creative peak and "maturity in every area" of their music. [22] In his review of the 2007 reissue of the album, Pitchfork critic Joshua Klein described the album as "even more austere, more claustrophobic, more inventive, more beautiful and more haunting than its predecessor", calling it "Joy Division's start-to-finish masterpiece; a flawless encapsulation of everything the group sought to achieve." [14]
Closer has been highly acclaimed, and is often cited as Joy Division's finest work, being considered by music critics such as Mark Fisher to be "the crown jewel of post-punk" [9] and receiving praise from artists such as George Michael. [34] The album was voted number 1 in the 1980 Albums of the Year poll conducted by music magazine NME , [35] and would be listed as number 157 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, maintaining the rank in the 2012 revision, and dropping to number 309 in the 2020 edition. [36] [37] [38]
By 1982 Closer had sold over 250,000 copies worldwide, with the posthumous single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" having also sold over 160,000 copies. [39] In 1995 Closer was ranked one of the top 100 alternative albums ever to be released by Spin magazine (placing at number 69). [40] In 2002, the American online magazine Pitchfork listed Closer as the 10th best album to be released in the 1980s. [41]
The album placed at number 72 on NME's list of the 100 greatest British albums ever to be released.[ citation needed ] In addition, Q magazine placed Closer at number 8 in a list compiled of the 40 greatest albums to be released in the 1980s. [42] In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at number 7 upon their compiled list of the best albums of the 1980s. [43] In 2020, Rolling Stone included Closer in their "80 Greatest albums of 1980" list. [44]
All tracks are written by Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Atrocity Exhibition" | 6:06 |
2. | "Isolation" | 2:53 |
3. | "Passover" | 4:46 |
4. | "Colony" | 3:55 |
5. | "A Means to an End" | 4:07 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Heart and Soul" | 5:51 |
2. | "Twenty Four Hours" | 4:26 |
3. | "The Eternal" | 6:07 |
4. | "Decades" | 6:10 |
Total length: | 44:16 |
Note: the original vinyl disc only contained a small etching on the disk marking the A and B sides.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Dead Souls" | 4:59 |
2. | "Glass" | 3:42 |
3. | "A Means to an End" | 4:01 |
4. | "Twenty Four Hours" | 4:06 |
5. | "Passover" | 4:54 |
6. | "Insight" | 4:01 |
7. | "Colony" | 4:04 |
8. | "These Days" | 4:17 |
9. | "Love Will Tear Us Apart" | 3:14 |
10. | "Isolation" | 4:42 |
11. | "The Eternal" | 6:30 |
12. | "Digital" | 3:14 |
Total length: | 51:44 |
Joy Division
Production
Chart (1980–1981) | Peak position |
---|---|
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [46] | 3 |
UK Albums (OCC) [47] | 6 |
Chart (2017–2020) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [48] | 68 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [49] | 124 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [50] | 27 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [51] | 13 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [52] | 13 |
Irish Albums (OCC) [53] | 31 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [54] | 31 |
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [55] | 23 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [56] | 43 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [57] | 4 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [58] | 39 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [59] | 23 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [60] | Gold | 100,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris. Their integration of post-punk with electronic and dance music made them one of the most acclaimed and influential bands of the 1980s. The members regrouped after the disbandment of their previous band Joy Division due to the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. They were joined by Gillian Gilbert on keyboards later that year. They were the flagship band for Manchester-based independent record label Factory Records and its nightclub The Haçienda, and they worked in long-term collaboration with graphic designer Peter Saville.
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was best known as the lead singer, lyricist and occasional guitarist of the post-punk band Joy Division, with whom he released the albums Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980). He was noted for his distinct on-stage behaviour and unique dancing style influenced by his experiences with epilepsy, as well as his dark baritone voice. Retrospectively viewed as "one of the finest songwriters of his generation," his intensely introspective and dark lyricism has provoked "visceral and raw emotions" among fans.
Peter Hook is an English musician, best known as the bassist and co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division and its successor New Order. He often used the bass as a lead instrument, playing melodies on the high strings with a signature heavy chorus effect. In New Order, he would do this, leaving the actual basslines to keyboards or sequencers.
Bernard Sumner is an English musician. He is a founding member of the bands Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, and Bad Lieutenant. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including the post-punk, synth-pop, and techno music scenes, as well as their various related genres, and was an early influence on the Manchester music scene that presaged the Madchester movement of the late 1980s centred on Factory Records and The Haçienda club in Manchester.
Unknown Pleasures is the debut studio album by the English rock band Joy Division, released on 15 June 1979, by Factory Records. The album was recorded and mixed over three successive weekends at Stockport's Strawberry Studios in April 1979, with producer Martin Hannett contributing a number of unconventional recording techniques to the group's sound. The cover artwork was designed by artist Peter Saville, using a data plot of signals from a radio pulsar. It is the only Joy Division album released during lead singer Ian Curtis's lifetime.
"Ceremony" is a song written by Joy Division, and first released as New Order's debut single in 1981. The track and its B-side, "In a Lonely Place", were recorded as Joy Division prior to the death of Ian Curtis. Both were re-recorded and carried over to Joy Division's re-formation as New Order.
Movement is the debut studio album by English rock band New Order, released on 13 November 1981 by Factory Records. Recorded in the wake of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis' suicide the previous year, the album is a continuation of the dark post-punk sound of Joy Division's material, increasing the use of synthesizers while still being predominantly rooted in rock. At the time of its release, the album was not particularly well received by critics or audiences, only peaking at number thirty on the UK Albums Chart; the band would gradually shift to a more electronic sound over the course of the next year.
Still is a compilation album by English rock band Joy Division, consisting of previously released and unreleased studio material and a live recording of Joy Division's last concert, performed at Birmingham University. It was released on 9 October 1981 by Factory Records.
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by English rock band Joy Division, released in June 1980 as a non-album single. Its lyrics were inspired by lead singer Ian Curtis's marital problems and struggles with epilepsy. The single was released the month after his suicide.
"Isolation" is a song by English rock band Joy Division. It appears on their second and final studio album Closer (1980). The song is based on an electronic drum beat by Stephen Morris, accompanied by a thin, trebly keyboard part by Bernard Sumner. Midway through the song, a rushing drum and hi-hat motif come in, propelling the song toward its dramatic end.
Permanent is a compilation album by English post-punk band Joy Division. It was released in the United Kingdom on 8 May 1995 by London Records and in the United States on 15 August 1995 by Qwest Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album charted for three weeks and peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart.
"Atmosphere" is a song by the English post-punk band Joy Division. It was originally released in March 1980 by the Sordide Sentimental label as the "Licht und Blindheit" package, a France-only limited edition single featuring the track "Dead Souls" as the B-side. Following Ian Curtis's death in May, it was re-released as a 12" single by Factory Records in August with "She's Lost Control" as the B-side.
1981–1982, also often known by its catalog number "Factus 8", or "1981-Factus 8-1982", is a five-track EP released by British band New Order in November 1982 by Factory.
The discography of English post-punk band Joy Division consists of two studio albums, four live albums, twelve compilation albums, three extended plays, and five singles. The list does not include material performed by former members of Joy Division that was recorded as New Order or related side projects.
Peter Hook & The Light are an English post-punk band, formed in May 2010 by bassist and vocalist Peter Hook, formerly of the influential post-punk bands Joy Division and New Order. The band also features Hook's son Jack Bates (bass), as well as Andy Poole (keyboards) and Paul Kehoe (drums), who both played with Hook as part of Monaco, one of Hook's previous groups. From the first gigs in May 2010, Nat Wason was the group's guitarist, however in July 2013 he was replaced by David Potts, another former member of Monaco.
"Atrocity Exhibition" is a song by the English post-punk band Joy Division. It is the opening track on their second and final album Closer. The song was produced by Martin Hannett and Joy Division. It was recorded at Pink Floyd's Britannia Row Studios in London.
"Disorder" is a song by English rock band Joy Division, released as the opening track of their 1979 debut album Unknown Pleasures. It was co-written by band members Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner (guitar) and Stephen Morris (drums). The music for the track emerged through their usual method of jamming through long practice sessions, and had been played live a number of times before its studio recording. It was produced and engineered by Martin Hannett, who was also a partner at the band's label Factory Records.
"Dead Souls" is a U.S. 1980 B-side by the English post-punk band Joy Division. It was never released on a single in their native UK. Co-written by band members Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris (drums). Centred on a circular bassline by Hook that had a significant influence on 1980s Gothic rock, the song was named by Curtis after Nikolai Gogol's 1842 novel Dead Souls. The song contains a lengthy intro designed as the opening for live gigs. The track was recorded in late 1979 during the same sessions as "Atmosphere".
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Young men in dark silhouettes, some darker than others, looking inwards, looking out, discovering the same horror and describing it with the same dark strokes of gothic rock.