Suggested Listening #1

So check this out. Joy Division: The Complete BBC Recordings

Since Joy Division was only a band for two years (only finishing two albums before Ian Curtis committed suicide in Spring 1980), "Complete" doesn't mean a whole lot of tracks. But the tracks offered in this live album are all great. Supposedly, the band never liked the way they were produced; they felt that producer Martin Hannett took off a lot of the edge from their sound. The live albums offer a slightly edgier, harder Joy Division. And as I said before, there are not a whole lot of tracks here. In fact, there are two versions each of "Transmission" and "She's Lost Control", but it's interesting to hear the differences between the performances.

Stay tuned for more Suggested Listening. And on a side note, check out the Ian Curtis biopic Control. I just saw it this week, and it's an excellent movie.