Still | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 9 October 1981 | |||
Recorded | October 1978 – 2 May 1980 | |||
Genre | Post-punk | |||
Length | 83:25 | |||
Label | Factory – FACT40 | |||
Producer | Martin Hannett | |||
Joy Division compilations chronology | ||||
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Joy Division chronology | ||||
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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.
Still was released after the death of the band's frontman Ian Curtis. It consists of previously unused or unavailable studio material and live recordings. [1] The album includes the only live performance by the group of the song "Ceremony", which later became a New Order single. The recording abruptly begins just before the song's first chorus; like all surviving Joy Division recordings of "Ceremony", Curtis's vocals are barely audible, though in this instance the final chorus is unusually clear. Another song featured is a cover version of the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray", recorded at the Moonlight Club in London on 2 April 1980.
Originally planned for release in August, Still was eventually released in October 1981. It reached No. 5 in the UK upon its release, [2] and peaked at No. 3 in New Zealand in February 1982.[ citation needed ]
The CD version of the album was released in March 1990 and was the first edition to delete "Twenty Four Hours".
Still, along with Closer and Unknown Pleasures , was remastered and reissued on 17 September 2007. The remaster was packaged with a bonus disc of live recordings from the Town Hall, High Wycombe on 20 February 1980. [3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
BBC Music | (mixed) [5] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 8.4/10 [7] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Joshua Klein of Pitchfork called the album "a ragged, enigmatic coda; an uneven odds-and-ends collection of lost tracks that fills in some gaps in Joy Division's history and legacy". [7] BBC Music called it "a partly frustrating compilation". [5]
All tracks are written by Joy Division (Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner), except "Sister Ray", written by John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Lou Reed and Maureen Tucker
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Exercise One" (recorded in April 1979 at Strawberry Studios, Stockport during sessions for Unknown Pleasures ) | 3:06 |
2. | "Ice Age" (recorded in October–November 1979 at Cargo Studios, Rochdale during sessions for the "Licht und Blindheit" single) | 2:24 |
3. | "The Sound of Music" (recorded in January 1980 at Pennine Sound Studios, Oldham during sessions for the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" single) | 3:55 |
4. | "Glass" (recorded in October 1978 at Cargo Studios, Rochdale; originally released on A Factory Sample ) | 3:56 |
5. | "The Only Mistake" (recorded in April 1979 at Strawberry Studios, Stockport during sessions for Unknown Pleasures) | 4:17 |
No. | Title | Length |
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6. | "Walked in Line" (recorded in April 1979 at Strawberry Studios, Stockport during sessions for Unknown Pleasures) | 2:47 |
7. | "The Kill" (recorded in April 1979 at Strawberry Studios, Stockport during sessions for Unknown Pleasures) | 2:15 |
8. | "Something Must Break" (recorded in July 1979 at Strawberry Studios, Stockport during sessions for the "Transmission" single) | 2:48 |
9. | "Dead Souls" (recorded in October–November 1979 at Cargo Studios, Rochdale. Originally released as the b-side of the "Licht und Blindheit" single) | 4:53 |
10. | "Sister Ray" (The Velvet Underground cover; recorded live at the Moonlight Club, London on 2 April 1980) | 7:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
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11. | "Ceremony" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 3:50 |
12. | "Shadowplay" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 3:57 |
13. | "Means to an End" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 4:01 |
14. | "Passover" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 5:10 |
15. | "New Dawn Fades" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 4:01 |
16. | "Twenty Four Hours" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980; extra track on original vinyl and cassette versions only) | 4:26 |
No. | Title | Length |
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17. | "Transmission" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 3:40 |
18. | "Disorder" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 3:24 |
19. | "Isolation" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 3:05 |
20. | "Decades" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 5:47 |
21. | "Digital" (recorded live at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980) | 3:52 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "The Sound of Music" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 4:19 |
2. | "A Means to an End" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:57 |
3. | "Colony" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 4:06 |
4. | "Twenty Four Hours" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 4:20 |
5. | "Isolation" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 2:49 |
6. | "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:14 |
7. | "Disorder" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:13 |
8. | "Atrocity Exhibition" (recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 5:58 |
9. | "Isolation" (soundcheck: recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:00 |
10. | "The Eternal" (soundcheck: recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:36 |
11. | "Ice Age" (soundcheck: recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:16 |
12. | "Disorder" (soundcheck: recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:14 |
13. | "The Sound of Music" (soundcheck: recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 4:05 |
14. | "A Means to an End" (soundcheck: recorded live at High Wycombe Town Hall on 20 February 1980) | 3:45 |
Total length: | 53:12 |
Chart (2022) | Peak position |
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German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [9] | 56 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [10] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming 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.
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.
Closer is the second and final studio album by the English rock band Joy Division, released on 18 July 1980 by Factory Records. 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 and peaked at No. 3 in New Zealand in September 1981. Closer was also named NME Album of the Year. It was remastered and re-released in 2007.
James Martin Hannett was a British record producer, musician and an original partner/director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. Hannett produced music by artists including Joy Division, the Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, Magazine, John Cooper Clarke, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Happy Mondays. His distinctive production style embraced atmospheric sounds and electronics.
Peter Hook is an English musician, best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Joy Division and New Order. Hook 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.
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.
"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.
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"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.
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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.
Preston 28 February 1980 is a live album by English post-punk band Joy Division featuring a performance on 28 February 1980 at The Warehouse, Preston. The album was released on 24 May 1999 in the UK by record label NMC Music and in the US on 13 July 1999.
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The discography of English rock 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.
The Best of Joy Division is a compilation album of material from Joy Division. It was released 24 March 2008 and the UK version includes The Complete BBC Recordings as a bonus disc. The US release is a single disc. The Best of Joy Division reached #97 in April 2008 in Australia, which marks only their second appearance on the ARIA Charts after Substance reached #53 in 1988.
"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.