The story behind She's Lost Control is pretty heartbreaking, Ian Curtis had a job as a work coach helping people with special needs find employment, and worked with a young women who had epilepsy. He would later learn while checking up on her that she had died from an epileptic fit, near to the time he himself was diagnosed with the same condition.

This album gets way better the longer you listen to it.

Sad to think Ian never got to see how loved his work would become over time, one of the most iconic albums of the 70s

So happy to be from Manchester we have some of the best music ever

You’re on a roll with these reactions with BCNR, MCR, Kendrick, and now Joy Division. Extremely grateful

As a drummer, you might be interested to know the producer made the drummer completely dismantle his kit in Control and a few other songs and he had to play each part of his drum kit separately so there wouldn't be bleed through like there would be playing the whole kit together. Also, what sounds like a lead guitar line is actually the bass guitar playing high up the top frets and strings.

Glad you're checking this one out! This was the record that every post-punk band wanted to make and basically wrote the rule book of gothic rock. I'm excited for you to check out their followup Closer. Their non-album singles are also definitely worth a listen.

I also recently heard this for the first time. It hit me tonaly first. The sound really connected with me, some kind of punk meets The Doors. There is a genuine raw quality that can't be faked. Lyrically it opens everything and lifts it to another level. I dug it big time.

FIRST TIME?! Yo this album is a treat! Love them.

One of the most classic albums... ever.

Such an amazing Album that was so far ahead of its time. Shadowplay is one of my personal favourites off this Album. More Joy Division would be fantastic, I think 'Closer' is an even better Album.

Love your reactions luie! You manage to highlight things that I may not have thought of, especially with your wholly unique perspective on the lyrics you analyze. Actually helps me enjoy music I have previously listened to more, as well as get a little bit of the same feeling i got the first time i listened. Solid reaction format and a wonderfully unique perspective! Refreshingly you ❤

Shadowplay is such a badass song, great reaction bro.

Great reaction Luie- Joy Division only released 2 albums but they released a few non-album singles as well. Some of their best songs were singles, such as Dead Souls, Transmission, Atmosphere and Love will tear us apart. Those are definitely worth you checking out.

That will grow on you with more listens. I can't get bored of them for 20+ years

I was a bit too young when this was released. In the early 80¨s, I listened to Human League, Depeche Mode, Adam and the Ants, The Specials, Kissing The Pink Soft Cell and eventually The Smiths. Then I discovered Sisters of Mercy, New Order and Joy Division at the same time about 1985. "Blue Momday" was a staple song, but i didn't think much of it, 'cos it was so so dancy. Then I heard "Closer" before "Unknown Pleasures". My life has never been the same after finding Joy Division. They where somethig else. Thanks for a great reaction, sir.

Great Reaction!! You should react to Interpol's turn on the bright lights, it's very melancholic

Beautiful reaction dude.

This is the only record I personally consider as a PERFECT Album. The gothic atmosphere that drench throughout the setlist, Ian's haunting vocals, immaculate production & just the flow from one song to the next is absolutely mastery!!!

One of the most influential band out there.

This is a heavy album, sonically and lyrically. It doesn't sound depressing, it's the sound of depression. Not an album I want to hear every day but like all good works of musical art, it stands up to repeated listens.

Unknown pleasures is fantastic, Closer is the masterpiece

So amazing when huge fans like me and so many others explains all the context of those days. A masterpiece work, thats transcend art. His literary influences, the origin and development of illness, how their precarious equipments gave to the producer the freedom to did avant-garde studio experimentarions. Its incredible to imagine that four poor guys did two another artistically revolutions in same place; in an aesthetics approach and in (no)market. The same working class, same foggy escape, that same city once changed the human being conditions. The dispair and angry was the same, in 1879, 1979 and probably nowadays, but I cant imagine a new Marx or New Joy Division. A despite of all scenarios, the resilience of New Order must give us the power to our strungles. Go ahead, mate. Dreams never end.

you should watch the movie Control! it's about Ian Curtis's life and it was directed by Joy Division's photographer

I dont think this is a toxic album at all. For me this album is all about introspection, personified in lyrical form, through the lens of the life of Curtis at that time. The lyrics document his mental turmoil's leading up to his eventual suicide. Its also obvious through the lyrics that he is trying to work out and work through the issues that existed in his life, even if the eventual conclusion is self destructive. He is obviously racked full of indecision and self doubt but he isn't really blaming anyone else other than himself ultimately and he is apologetic of his apparent detachment. See the song Isolation on Closer "I'm ashamed of the things I've been put through, I'm ashamed of the person I am" He does feel and recognise the emotion, what he is unable to do, is show it!. See Closer Passover "This is the crisis I knew had to come, destroying the balanced I'd kept" Ian was a modern day Hamlet! Unknown Pleasures is a seminal album because no one had attempted to record an album full of songs like these before, but It wasn't a conscious decision to do this by the other members of the band, they thought, as Tony Wilson says, it was just being arty, however, what they didn't realise was Curtis meant it, so it happened largely by accident and the prophetic production of Martin Hannett.

Many pleople don't like Ian's voice cause they say it sounds emotionless and monotone, and say their music is too sad, I don't necassarily desagree but I think it reflects how tired he was and how he didn't feel joy or pleasure n anything (especially in the Closer album), yet I can definitely feel the emotion, and those who deal with depression can understand that, his voice wasn't very "expressive" most of the time but he was actually suffering a lot internally, mentally and had a lot of issues (depression, epilepsy which caused him to have very bad seizures, a failing marriage), which ultimately led to his suicide so of course their music wasn't particularly "happy", espacially the lyrics, yet it was very real and it was about real life problems. Anyway I'm happy you liked this album and can't wait to see your reaction to Closer (it's very heavy tho, lyrically and emotionally).

The vocal rhythm for how the lyrics are delivered in Disorder reminds me of something David Byrne would do.

The Closer album is actually far more grim and hopeless than this one. In fact the last 4 songs, Heart and Soul, 24 hours, the Eternal, and Decades, as if written as a eulogy to himself, reminds one very much of a funeral dirge. These are also my 4 favorite Joy Division songs behind single Love Will Tear Us Apart. The album cover, also chosen I believe mostly by Ian Curtis, shows a wake where the women are mourning their deceased loved one. His tragic death doesn't seem like a spontaneous decision. He left no note, but his songs were the note. Its just that nobody realized it until after the fact. So sad. He was a true poet who spoke from the deepest recesses of his soul. So reminiscent of Jim Morrison and the Doors that it almost feels like he became the temporary vessel of the same spiritual entity, which uses its chosen to communicate its message before eventually internally destroying them and moving on to another. Curt Cobain? Who else? Side note: I had just gotten into the Post punk/New Wave scene a couple months before his death and already knew this was my favorite band, as it still is today. Reply

31:26 Verse 2 of 'Shadowplay' is a synopsis of the 1960s Twilight Zone episode of the same title.

Shadowplay will always be my favourite JD track, Atmosphere and Dead Souls not far behind

Don't know if you know but the cause of Ian's death was actually suicide, by hanging, he suffered from depression and epilepsy having bad seizures sometimes even on stage and the meds actually seemed to make it worse, he gave many signs through his lyrics and even the tone of his voice, and on their 2nd and last album Closer those signs became even more pronounced, it's sad that the band members didn't took the lyrics more seriously, since he wrote all of them, one of the members said they thought it was "just lyrics", he was only 23 :(

Joy division are great. Would love to see interpol's turn on the bright lights album

The producer of both Unknown Pleasures and Closer was Martin Hannett. Hannett was kind of a mad professor in terms of production and sound, and would do things that no-one else - including the band - would contemplate. He had a sound in his head, and he'd put that sound onto tracks as layers. While the band wrote the music, Hannett shaped Joy Division's sound to the point where the band members weren't entirely happy with it, but it made them sonically different to other bands of the time. It's also made their music stand the test of time as well. He was essentially Joy Division's George Martin.

Hi mate. Really like your reaction videos. You have great musical taste and your comments are always very insightful. Hope your channel takes off!

It's just wonderful that when people discover to Joy Division, they start to hearing them in the songs of The Cure, Jesus and Mary Chain, Editors, Interpol... Even so oposite in styles artist like Moby, U2, The Killers, Depeche Mode or Nine Inch Nails declare their love to JD... PS. about the synths and noises. The band New Order said that one day Ian came with records from Kraftwerk (Autobahn & Trans Europe Express) saying that was the thing. The started they concerts with "Autobahn" sounding, he loved the aesthetic of the Germans and that any member of the band were more important than other.

Ian Curtis was an avid reader and was a fan of both William S. Burroughs and Aleister Crowley. Both Burroughs and Crowley were involved in and wrote about the occult to some degree, and I can't help but think that this has also influenced Curtis' lyrics, particularly on songs like Wilderness.

good reaction ! glad you enjoyed this record and the great thing is that joy division only get better and more interesting the more you listen to them .......should also check out the Closer LP

She's Lost control is really about a girl he watched having an epilepsy atack... It was a marking episode in is life once he suffered from the same desease and it was a great issue for him... Possibly played a part in is depression and helped in his tragic ending... Great álbum, great reaction, do watch the live for this song, I Leave the link...

Great stuff, keep it up

Definitely think there are heavy metal undertones with some of the riffs and song titles. IC was quite a sci fi reader, apparently.

I wish I could listen to this album for first time again

There's also another album, "Warsaw", which was going to be their original debut album with RCA in 1977, but they didn't like the production at the time and canned it. But it did later get re-released in 94. It's actually pretty good and you can tell they're not as polished. It also seems to be a it punkier from what I remember. They were just such a great band that influenced so many others. Radiohead are big fans of them and has covered at least one of their songs. I think it was "Ceremony". Also check out some of the rare live footage. Especially "Shadowplay" in Paris(I think) as well as a few other songs. One of the few shows, or part of a show, that was caught on film. It's truly amazing. Anyway, nice breakdown, especially for a first listen👍

Joy Division. Sweet! Subscribed.

I look forward to your reaction to Closer.

love it

Nice review! Have you considered doing one for Song Machine by Gorillaz? In my opinion, easily their best work since Plastic Beach!

Love JD. My favorite song is hard to choose! Maybe "Disorder," maybe "Dead Souls," maybe "Digital"??

Day of the lords possibly the darkest song EVER made. - C

Urban Goth

Can you react to "Daydream nation" and "You're living all over me"?

Goth rock did not yet exist in 1978 - 1980.

closer is much more experimental, versatile, and dare I say emotional, in my opinion

watch the movie Closer - great story about the band

OMG YESSS I LOVE THIS ALBUM WOOF WOOF WOOF BARK BARK LISTEN TO CLOSER NEXT IT'S BETTER

Pleasee say you'll react to Closer ❤

Мама, я стала готкой

Editing this great work of art is a travesty, why bother ?

This is the album that try-hard poser Trent Reznor wished he could write and produce during the "pretty hate machine" to "the downward spiral" days. Instead, lyrically, he came out as a spoiled snotty teen brat with all his "oh! Youse all have no ideeeah how darky dark dark my brainy eez" 😂. Pretty hate machine has some really good music don't get me wrong. But the lyrics...

🌝

Joy division was post punk not Goth !!!

With this album Joy Division were the first band who clearly said That the punk movement is dead, and something else was emerging, and not for good.... after the death of Ian Curtis, The Cure clearly continued in the step of joy division with their dark trilogy (Seventeen seconds, Faith and Pornography) between 1980 and 1982... far away from their Pop/rock hit that made them superstars.....