New Wave music reviews

I was introduced to The Cure in 2004, when I heard "Pictures of You" in an HP commercial, and liked the song. If I get a Cure CD, I might get this or "Galore." I think this is their signature album!

Honestly, I'm having difficulty thinking of what to say about Disintegration. What hasn't already been said about this album? It really is one of the greatest albums of musical history, and easily the best album by The Cure. However, I will admit that I am not a Cure fan in regards to the volume of their works. The only albums I enjoy are Disintegration, Bloodflowers, and Wish, in that order, which I guess you could say are their most accessible albums. The rest of the albums are a great big meh for me, and I just don't find them interesting or very listenable. As for Disnitegration, it is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. The songs are all perfectly written and produced, with no subtle sound being out of place, and no track over-wrought with excessive production. The vocals are brilliant, the lyrics are haunting, and the music is varied and majestic. Between dark rockers like Lullaby and poppy love songs like Pictures of You, Disintegration covers the gamut of fantastic music, and no song is mediocre on this album. If you can't listen to the album from start to finish, there might be something wrong with you. If you don't own it, buy it. If you don't like it, get some taste.

From the opening notes of Plainsong to the final bits of Untitled, Disintegration grabs the listener and envelopes them in its own dark atmosphere. Everyone has heard of Pictures of You and Love Song, But the true gem is the incredible Same Deep Water as You. Each note is clear and distinct, without distraction and overlapping sounds. Every instrument is precise and vibrant. In Lullaby, Robert Smith practically exhales every word as beautiful strings play in the background. This is an album that brings the listener into its world and shares its wonderful story.

Damn just thinking of the title songs makes the hairs on my neck stand up...

FLAWLESS ALBUM.

This has to be my personal favorite Maiden album! I would play it non-stop when i first bought it from the record store and memorized all the songs. The album opens with the hit "Aces High," it has a spine chilling solo in my opinion. The album fowards to "2 Minutes To Midnight," a long but truly amazing song. "Losfer Words; Big 'Orra" is an instrumental song with great musicianship. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith's dual guitars combined with Steve Harris' precise and melodic bass lines. "Flash of the Blade" is not one of Maiden's hits, but i think it is an amazing song. The Duelists isnt my favorite song, but it is decent and is well constructed. I think Back In the Village is a very amazing song too, but i just have to get to my favorite track on the whole album, "Powerslave" Bruce's vocals are mind blowing and excruciatingly beautiful, and the guitar solo on this song is an amazing and spine chilling.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner drags out a little, but it is a good album ender. UP THE IRONS!!!!

Before you read this you should know that i havent heard every maiden album but i have 4 of them and have heard many songs from their other albums. overall POWERSLAVE seems to be the maiden album i always listen to. Bruce's vocals are amazing and steve harris's bass is spellbinding. some say beast is maidens best but i find that this album is ust a bit better. i mainly base that on one song. "Rime OfThe Ancient Mariner" is a 13 and a half minute long epic and its worth the long time it is my favorite maiden song of all time and its in my 10 favorite songs (believe me i listen to alot of music and my favorite band(GNR) has 3 or 4 songs in that list). anyway i love this albuma nd any fan of classic metal will also love it.
albums highlights
ACES HIGH
2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
POWERSLAVE
RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

'1999' is funky, fresh, and very catchy....He's got some pop-friendly cuts like '1999' and 'Little Red Corvette' that are impossible not to love...Then he's got some crazy 'out there' but infectious songs like 'automatic' 'all the critics love you in NY' and 'lady cab driver'....And of course the clever balad "international lover"....

Although I was too young (I might not even have been born yet) to remember those days, I think the general consensus is that this was the album that propelled Prince to super-star status and solidified his position as one of the most creative and unique musicians of his time, or any time period for that matter....

I bought this CD in a nostalgia-induced music buying bender and have had it in heavy rotation ever since. Unlike Def Leppard's often cringeworthy 'Pyromania,' (my sincere apologies, guys)1999 has stood the test of time--and then some. If you haven't listened to this album in a long while or if you (gasp) have never heard it, you owe it to yourself to give the early genius that is Prince a listen.

While I used to choreograph dance routines to 'Little Red Corvette' in my basement when I was in sixth grade, now I vacuum my livingroom with it cranked. (Sad but true.) At least I have Prince to ease the pain of aging.

Released in 1982, Prince's hard-driving double album was his first recorded masterwork. "1999" holds up beautifully and features a wealth of terrific music: "Little Red Corvette," "Delirious," "Automatic," "Let's Pretend We're Married," "D.M.S.R." and the apocalyptic title track. Breakthrough rock and funk from one of the medium's few geniuses.

I'm reading the Amazon reviewer "Dan Leone" he says Heads fans were "pleasantly stunned". The way I felt at the time was pissed off! I was 16 living in the New York area and totally into music and going to concerts when I should have been totally into school. Fear Of Music was one of my favorite records and groups at the time (along with DEVO, Elvis Costello, The Clash, and The Specials in no specific order), I was soo looking forward to seeing them in Central Park. Here's where the pleasantly stunned part comes in, NOT! They play nothing from anything they did before, as I remember it was all Remain in the Light, I was pissed off! I had this same feeling when The Specials broke up after their second record (the original lineup), and also when Talk Talk totally went off the cliff on their fourth release. Some groups were just too freakin hopped up on drugs to let a good thing mellow a little, they had to screw it up. Remain in the Light of course grew on me a little with the video Once In A Lifetime playing again and again on MTV (and Crosseyed and Painless is great), I also worked with this weird looking dude (kinda looked like David Byrne) who was always diggin on me with those lyrics "where is my beautiful house, where is my beautiful wife?" it was so sad you just had to laugh or go insane. But I mean if you look at the Heads greatest hits Sand In The Vaseline release, Fear Of Music has four songs, 77 has 3 songs, More About has 3 songs on it and Remain In The Light HAS TWO SONGS. I saw the Heads in 1980 and out of those 10 songs from the first three albums they played ZERO, I was NOT "pleasantly stunned", I was VERY PISSED OFF! If your a diehard Heads fan you'll get their entire catalog, if your on a slight budget get the first three releases and Sand In The Vaseline, I'm out. Oh and in case you were wondering, I got rid of that C##T and did get my beautiful house!

Adrian Belew makes this an incredible Cd. Great sounds come from his fingers and leaves you wondering how in the world did he make his guitar make that sound? Listening Winds is a great tune with terrorist's point of view. I am not all hot on terrorists but it's a good song. And of course the song about the water going under is the bomb from way back. This CD still holds the same place in my heart as it did 20 years ago.

No one agrees on the exact definition of punk, and even if some consensus was reached, the word "punk" would still evoke images of leather clad snotty young men hammering out 3 chord anthems. New wave is considered by many to be nothing more than danceable punk music boasting synthesizers and pop melody. For these reasons, I feel uncomfortable labeling Remain in Light as either a punk or a new wave album. I could say it is an alternative album, but alternative is such a broad and vague term that many fans of the alternative chart-topping groups of the 90's would tilt their head and furrow their brows in puzzlement upon hearing said alternative masterwork Remain in Light, and I wouldn't blame them. This album doesn't have the "cool" of other alternative touchstones such as The Velvet Underground & Nico, Unknown Pleasures or Nevermind. In fact, Remain in Light at times sounds downright nerdy. My utter worship and perhaps even over romanticism of this album did not take root instantly. In fact, when I first heard it, I laughed. This is what inspired bands such as Radiohead? This is what the most respected indie critics cite as the perfection of alternative music? It cannot be, as this is simply a bunch of panicky inarticulate noise! I was right in a way, but I was wrong in a way as well.

From the first seconds of the album, you must engage complete and undivided attention to the music or else become instantaneously alienated. Casual listening is not an option if you wish to completely appreciate Remain in Light. At first, the instruments all seem to be defiantly independent of each other, unaware of what any of the others are doing. The guitars sound almost as nervous as the vocals of front man David Byrne, and the beat is multifaceted and waterlogged with almost African-sounding polyrhythms, hardly danceable, at least not right away. But in reality, this apparently uneasy mess of noise is as exact and calculated as one of Mozart's symphonies. One complaint that is common among those who hear this album but don't truly listen is its apparent lack of hooks. This almost seems the case, but the closer you listen, the more you realize that every single song has numerous hidden hooks. The problem for pop fans is that these hooks are not out wide in the open. It takes many listens to grasp the musical feel and purpose of even one track. You aren't supposed to get an album like Remain in Light. An album like Remain in Light is designed to get you.

Much of the album's sound can be accredited to the participation of ambience master Brain Eno. His production gave Talking Heads a sound that was spacey, expansive and ambient, but not drenched in unnecessary reverb or delay effects that less skilled producers used to try and mimic the sound of this record. But as big I am a fan of not only Eno's production skills but his own compositions; the biggest contribution to the sound is of course due to the band. Every song has a thousand things going on at once, and at first this can cause it to be perceived as messy and unorganized. But as I have said before, these noises were meticulously crafted. How can so much be going on at once, yet not conflict? It seems to be comparable to a situation such as Da Vinci spilling his paints and looking down to find the Mona Lisa.

Remain in Light is rarely, if ever, discussed as a concept album. This baffles me, because to me it is absolutely clear that this album is about self-realization or lack of it. Shape-shifting is a recurring theme as is societal confusion. The now famous single "Once in a Lifetime" deals with the aimlessness of life, even among those who proclaim to have "made it". One of the most terrifying tracks is "Listening Wind" which empathizes with a man who finds himself committing an act of terrorism (suicide bombing?) against "the American man" in a last ditch effort to preserve his culture. But David Byrne's lyrics are something not meant to be analyzed or written about, but to be heard and interpreted by the listener. This principle actually applies to the whole album, and is why I had shied away from reviewing it in the past, and I feel that I have still not done it justice.

Remain in Light is not for everybody. Usually when I like an album that I find to be as complex and wonderful as Remain in Light, I cannot help but consider myself somehow superior to those who cannot appreciate it, and as snobbish as it sounds most music fans are guilty of this at one point or another. But with this album this is not the case. When somebody comes to me and says that they cannot find any merit in this alternative opus, I feel genuine pity. Remain in Light is indisputably one of the greatest albums in rock history and totally ahead of its time; but to me, it's influence and essential status among other alternative masterpieces are not near as important as its seemingly never ending well of merit that reveals more surprises and intrinsic worth with each careful listen. Buy this album. If you don't like it, don't keep it on the shelf. Give it to somebody else who could end up appreciating it. The plastic on which this album is burned should never go to waste or be forgotten among the millions of others. Remain in Light is an album every rock fan should hear, whether they end up liking it or not is unimportant. Remain in Light is a twisted journey every music fan should be required to take.

I've ALWAYS considered this the greatest live metal release of all time. I don't care what other band you can name, live metal doesn't get (or sound) as good as this, ever. I remember way back when this actually came out, I'm that old!, on Halloween, walking into the record store and seeing a massive wall of Live after Death albums (yes, back when there were records!) all out on display. And what a display! Maiden has always come through with their cover art. You can never get tired of Eddie artwork. I'm a power/melodic metal freak, and have also maintained that Maiden was the first true, power metal band. Hearing them live on here, just blows you away. I don't think there's one night since this came out, when I've chosen to play it, that I didn't have to hear the whole thing: you can't just slap on 5 songs on this and flick over to another disc; you have to hear it in its entirety. If you don't own this, or are a new Maiden fan and want to hear the best musicians in this genre live, at the height of there career back then, then get this immediately! I'd give a 20 star rating if it went that high. ***** 5 STAR LIVE METAL LOUDNESS RATING! Cheers from Scraggy's Tomb! PS... and when you play this, play it the way it was meant to be played: LOUD!!!!!!!

By the release of this album, 1985, iron maiden were, via the release of Powerslave (1984), the biggest metal band on the planet. live after death captures the power of the band at their peak. From the untro of churchill's speak leading to the rat ta tat of aces high to the extended version of running free which closes the album it does not let up. the track listing leans towards peice of mind and powerslave with eleven out of the eighteen tracks coming from those albums. the majority of the songs are delivered faster than the originals. Special mention must be made be of possibly definitive versions of hallowed by thy name and powerslave. musically the band is on top form which is to be expected considering the length of the world slavery tour which the album is taken from (August 1984 to July 1985). The lung capacity of the bruce dickinson is quite frankly amazing, but his intersong banter is rather odd, for example, his introduction to the rime of the anicent mariner. however the version of the song which they deliver is very good as well as being atmospheric. for a defintive example of maiden live this album has yet to be surpassed

To me, this album has special meaning, as it was the first metal album I ever bought - it was back in 1986, the month that "Master of Puppets" was released, and I was [drawn] into several years of heavy metal addiction when I was only 13...!

Sound, performance and songwriting on this album are really awesome - Iron Maiden until 1986 (including "Somewhere in Time", excluding "7th Son of a 7th Son") are probably the most CLASSICAL act in Heavy Metal, the one that can't be missed. Since then, the band has continued to expire their creative energy, relying heavily on recycling ideas from ten years ago although the ones from twenty years ago were far superior. Sometimes I think they should listen to their old albums from time to time just to see how imaginative they were then and how many brilliant songwriting tricks they never used again...!

And here is a suggestion to EMI: It is a great idea to include the beautiful Hammersmith Odeon tracks, which were always missing on the CD version. However, the climax of their concerts on the "World Slavery Tour" (and the last of several sets of encores) was "Sanctuary". A live version from this tour was published on the B-side of the "Running Free" single and is probably the band's most powerful and frenetic live recording EVER (possibly, of ANY other band as well). So, wouldn't it be great to include this amazing piece as a final song?

The Police, founded in 1977 by drummer Stewart Copeland, was a rock band like no other. Though much of their early work is clearly punk rock-inspired, the band is most popular due to a style of music which they invented: reggae rock. From the release of their first single in 1977 to their official disbandment in 1986, The Police garnered legions of fans, thanks to their creativity and unique style and sound. Sting led the band with his prominent bass lines, vocals which fluctuated from furious to calm and dreamy, and intelligent lyrics. Andy Summers' atmospheric guitar work was always flawless; as was Stewart Copeland's fast, inventive and often unpredictable drumming. To me, one of the greatest parts of the band is that each member seemed equal. Though Sting is obviously the most famous of the bunch, he seems equal with the other members of the band when you listen to their music. All in all, The Police were most definitely a force to be reckoned with.

MESSAGE IN A BOX: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS collects every studio recording The Police ever made, as well as some live recordings. It consists of 78 tracks spread over four discs. Along with the songs found on the band's albums, MESSAGE IN A BOX also contains rare B-sides as well as compositions from the BRIMSTONE & TREACLE soundtrack. To top it all off, there's a huge booklet filled with all sorts of juicy info about the band, including interviews and a Police timeline. Also, every song in the set has been digitally remastered. It's an offer no Police fan can refuse.

Disc one opens with three songs previously unavailable on CD. Two of these, "Fall Out" and "Nothing Achieving", are from the band's first single; the third is "Dead End Job". These are very different from the group's later work, as they're all punk rock bits, made blatantly clear by Henri Padovani's loud guitar (Padovani played the guitar part for the band's first two songs), Sting's fast singing, and Stewart Copeland's high-speed drumming. Though I enjoy "Nothing Achieving" - primarily for Pavodani's guitar work - I am especially fond of "Fall Out". The tune is catchy, and each of the band members is doing great. I'd go so far as to rank this among the band's best recordings.

From there, we move on to the songs from OUTLANDOS D'AMOUR, the first album of The Police. The quality of the songs is good, but they sound a little tinny, possibly due to the low-quality of the recording tools available to the band at the time. OUTLANDOS D'AMOUR stands apart from the later Police recordings. Half of the album is the sort of reggae-rock which the band would later produce; the other half is made up of punk rock songs. It's an underrated album, in my opinion. Though it's famous for featuring such greats as "So Lonely", "Roxanne", and "Can't Stand Losing You", the album has other impressive songs as well: "Next to You", the opening piece; "Hole in My Life"; and "Truth Hits Everybody". OUTLANDOS D'AMOUR didn't do so well upon its release, due in part to a bad rap from the BBC and a few critics. However, when "Roxanne" was re-released as a single in 1979, the album became a hit.

After the OUTLANDOS songs, we're treated to two less-than-spectacular live recordings of "Landlord" and "Next to You". I've never been very impressed by the live work of The Police. The songs sound too raw and fast-paced to me. After these we get another rarity, "Landlord", which is notable for the awesome guitar part beginning at 0:05 and ending at 0:14. Then we get the first half of REGGATTA DE BLANC.

REGGATTA DE BLANC, the second album of The Police, was the first indication of what the group was really capable of. It's an excellent album which is far better than their debut. It includes some of the band's finest work, such as "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon", as well as some lesser-known songs like "Bring on the Night", "The Bed's Too Big Without You" and "No Time This Time". There's also Stewart Copeland's quirky composition "On Any Other Day". Here we have the one flaw of MESSAGE IN A BOX. Due to the limit in running time for each CD, REGGATTA DE BLANC is split in half. The first half, which begins with "Message in a Bottle" and ends with "Deathwish", closes off the first disc; the second half, beginning with "Walking on the Moon" and ending with "No Time This Time", opens the second disc.

Disc two is possibly the best disc of the set. As soon as REGGATTA DE BLANC ends, we get "Visions of the Night", a B-side with abnormally furious vocals by Sting. This is succeeded by an interesting mono version of "The Bed's Too Big Without You", which may even be superior to the album version. Next is a live recording of "Truth Hits Everybody". Then we have "Friends", another rare song and a particularly bizarre one. It's about a cannibal, eerily voiced by Andy Summers. One you've endured that song, ZENYATTA MONDATTA begins.

ZENYATTA MONDATTA is possibly the group's greatest album. It's definitely their most balanced. It opens with the classic "Don't Stand So Close to Me", an outstanding song with outstanding lyrics by Sting; it's possibly the band's best song. "Driven to Tears", another excellent song, follows. There's hardly a moments pause between that song and the great "When the World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Around". "Canary in a Coalmine" is as close to a traditional reggae song as the band ever recorded. The next two songs, the repetitive "Voices in My Head" and "Bombs Away", are not amongst the band's finest work; "De Do Do Do, De Da Da", however, is. Andy Summers' guitar sounds especially beautiful in that song, while it sounds harsh and dry in the indstrumental "Behind My Camel". "Man in a Suitcase" is a short, fun song of which I'm rather fond, partially because of Sting's tongue-in-cheek lyrics. "Shadows in the Rain" is inferior to the re-recording which appeared on Sting's debut solo album. ZENYATTA MONDATTA, and the second disc, end with "The Other Way of Stopping".

Disc three opens with the rare "A Sermon", a nice little song followed by a high-voltage live version of "Driven to Tears". This is followed by the rare "Shambelle", which is my personal favorite of the band's instrumental pieces. Sting's bass meshes especially well with Andy Summers' guitar in that song. After that, GHOST IN THE MACHINE begins. It was here that the band really perfected their reggae rock; it's also the group's political album. Most of the songs here seem rather dark and grim to me, but they're also quite good. Especially notable on this album is the frequent use of saxophones, which really enhances the songs. The great opener "Spirits in the Material World" is followed by one of The Police's all-time greats and classics, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", a sweet little romantic song that just sounds beautiful. This is in sharp contrast to "Invisible Sun", which sounds cold and industrial, but which also ranks among the group's best songs. "Hungry For You (J'Aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)" is sung almost entirely in French, and it's a great song. "Demolition Man" was later remade by Sting and used in the Sylvester Stallone film of the same title. The saxophones are especially prominent on "Too Much Information", which is followed by the catchy "Rehumanize Yourself" and the sax-heavy "One World (Not Three)". "Omegaman", written by Andy Summers, is an excellent song which I consider to be one of the group's best. "Secret Journey" is a cool and mysterious song. The last song of the album, "Darkness", has a nice piano part and has an oddly claustrophobic feel to it.

The four rarities which follow are interesting, but only one is really good. The first is the dull instrumental "Flexible Strategies", made up for by "Low Life". Then we've two songs from the BRIMSTONE & TREACLE soundtrack: "How Stupid Mr. Bates" and the rather disturbing "A Kind of Loving". On that rather poor note, we close the third disc.

The fourth disc is excellent, and possibly the best of the bunch. It contains SYNCHRONICITY, the final album of The Police. It was a major hit upon its release and is widely regarded as a classic. Not without reason - most of the songs are flawless, and Sting's lyrics have never been better or more visually-stimulative. The album opens with the memorable keyboard opening on "Synchronicity I". "Walking in Your Footsteps" is a departure from the usual style of The Police, but "O My God" is classic Police. It's hard to endure Andy Summers' shouting in "Mother", but the lyrics make it worth a try. Stewart Copeland wrote the nice, calm "Miss Gradenko". Everything which follows that is pure gold. "Synchronicity II" is one of the band's best songs, an energetic piece entirely different from "Synchronicity I". This is followed by the band's all-time biggest hit, the almost-legendary "Every Breath You Take". Needless to say, this is one of the group's best. "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" are both among the band's very greatest songs, featuring outstanding lyrics by Sting, particularly on the latter. "Tea in the Sahara", is a beautiful, dreamy song with a perfect vocal by Sting and some of Sting's finest lyrics ever; undoubtedly, this is one of the band's best. SYNCHRONICITY closes with "Murder by Numbers", another tongue-in-cheek composition which stirred up some controversy when it was released. And there ended the final album of The Police. MESSAGE IN A BOX, however, has more to offer.

There's a nice live recording of "Man in a Suitcase". Andy Summers gets the lead vocal part on the mega-rare "Someone to Talk To", which is definitely one of my favorite Police songs and very likely one of the group's best songs. The live recording of "Message in a Bottle" which follows is good, but unremarkable. "I Burn for You", originally featured on the BRIMSTONE & TREACLE soundtrack, is a beautiful, atmospheric song which also deserves a spot with the group's best work. "Once Upon a Daydream" is an interesting, eerie, and quite good rarity, succeeded by a nice live recording of "Tea in the Sahara". Finally, the career of The Police - and the last disc of MESSAGE IN A BOX - concludes with the infamous "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86", a revamp of the group's original hit which was the final song recorded by The Police. I like this song, though it has a more mainstream sound than the other compositions of the group. It goes without saying that it's far inferior to the original.

MESSAGE IN A BOX: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS is absolutely essential for any fan of The Police. It collects every one of the group's five albums and features a variety of highly intriguing rarities, as well as some interesting live recordings. It makes especially apparent the fact that The Police were not just one of the greatest bands of the 80's - they were very likely one of the greatest bands of all time. No Police fan can go without purchasing this, and I'd highly recommend it to everyone else as well.

Message In a Box is a 4 disc, 78 track anthology of all the Police's recorded studio work and a handful of live songs. Its title is a bit deceiving because it's not in a "box" at all; rather, it is a book or gatefold-style set. Also found in the gatefold is an attached booklet of color photos, a history of the band's career, a complete discography (with photos of all their releases) and, most interestingly, the stories behind the band's "B-Sides and other Obscure Releases," as told by Sting, Stewart and Andy.

The songs are more or less in sequence of release or their order on each respective Police album. Because of the volume of songs, the ordering's not perfect. The Regatta De Blanc album straddles discs one and two. It's a minor complaint - if a complaint at all - and is offset by all the cool added material.

The highlight of the set is really all the "B-sides and other obscure releases". A few of those are better than tracks that found their way onto albums. A true Police fan will want this set just for those songs. If you like the Police enough to buy all their stuff, you're better off buying this set instead of their 5 studio albums separately. It'll save you a few bucks.

The sound quality is good; there are certainly no glaring quality issues. As for the music, it's incredible! The Police are one of the best bands ever and are truly underappreciated. Their blend of reggae, ska, punk, rock and new wave sounds was quite astounding, even during the creative surge in pop music in the late 70's, early 80's.

I have hundreds of CD's but Message in a Box is, without question, in my top 10.

It's got EVERYTHING!! A MUST for every Police fan!
Plus, It's got REALLY nice photo's, a short bio for each band member, as well as an informative, chronological bio on the evolution of the band between the years: 1976- 1986.
A very nice compact set worth buying.

Ian Curtis plunges into the depths of post-existential, post-structural connotative ruminations on the implications of our "thrown-ness" (as Heidegger put it) into this world, into its light, its darkness, and the transluscent twilight of the ambiguity we confront as we try to choose between good and evil with nothing to guide us beyond the pull of our compulsive pusilanimity. Curtis's inept baritone proves the perfect counterpoise for Joy Division's disinterested, motoric rhythms and the barely competent guitar of whatsisname. All in all, an album for the ages. The early middle ages, to be precise, during the last few years of Pepin the Short's reign.

More than any band I can think of, Joy Division makes it plain that it's virtually impossible to underestimate the intelligence, or overestimate the gullibility, of Western Man. There's no arguing about individual taste, or one's ability to perceive the paradox of beauty in ugliness, or any subjective point of view when it comes to this band. Joy Division is objectively crap. Musically, lyrically, conceptually, aesthetically, even the production blows. In 35 years of obsessive record collecting, I've never seen any band even come close to Joy Division when it comes to pulling the wool over peoples' eyes. Come to think of it, why do you think you never see Ian Curtis and Karl Rove photographed together?

I don't know if this makes me strange or not, but when I hear most songs I have a subliminal image that pops into my mind. For this album every song's subliminal image is plain darkness. Ian Curtis is...well he's messed up. I don't know how people couldn't have figured out that suicide was in his future. Anyway all of the songs on this album have a very dark, sad theme to them.

Where to start...

My favorite genre of music is classic rock, becuase of that my favorite songs on the album are Disorder, New Dawn Fades, and Interzone. These songs all had some good guitar riffs in them, but after hearing the songs more in more I saw beneath the strong bass and constant druming that continues through all the songs to see that there was a lot of good electric guitar sections in every song (except I Remember Nothing, I don't really like that one).

The first time I heard this album, I regreted buying, but after the third time I listened to it, let's just say I can see why people think of it so highly. I would suggest that you make sure you know the band Joy Division before buying the album because of their unique sound. Try to understand music a little more before hand, don't just jump into it like I did.

My main thing to get across is that when you get the album (which I am suggesting) take your time, and be patient with the music.

This album is unlike anything I have ever heard. Joy Division was so ahead of it's time that 27 years later we still have not gotten to that level yet(besides Kate Bush ) and we probably will never get to Joy Division's level.
Yes "Unknown Pleasures" is depression compacted into an album. But that's not to say that this album is depressing, many people think so. I myself find this album very therapeutic. Esspecially when I am extremly sad and depressed.Because the music that is on this album is coming out of people (mainly, Ian Curtis) who know what depression can do to the human soul. You can feel that on every single track. You don't have to know Ian Curtis' story. The music says it so well. That's why Ian Curtis is one of the top 5 most brilliant people to ever live. He knew the effects of depression inside and out. He knew he would eventually be swollowed up by it. The only way he could fight was to take all of the pain inside of him and expose it. Unknown pleasures puts a huge twist on that.This albums follow-up "Closer" Ian Curtis did the same thing he took all of that dark stuff that was eating at him and exposed it, but that's all he did with that album. Just straight up bleakness, hoplessness, despair and the music goes right with it. So when you hear "Closer" you feel that darkness(wich by that time, Ian Curtis's "soul" was much more tortured than it was when they made "Unknown Pleasures".) So when you listen to "Closer" you just feel all of that sad, depressing stuff and it brings you down to the point where you yourself wants to die. "Unknown Pleaures" makes all of the despair, and hoplessness seem fun. because the music is just so "up" that subconciously your dealing with and even fighting your depression. Those bass lines are sooo killer you can't stop dancing. And you know that if your dancing you can't be depressed. Yet the words and feelings are still there going in your ears and in your heart, but the music makes it very easy to deal with and confront. Brilliant, taking psychiatry to a whloe new demension. No other band has ever done that.
Every single song on this album is great, but I will have to agree with the guy that siad that "She's Lost Control" doesn't
fit. It's a great song just doesn't fit with the others. "Shadow Play" is my favorite.

Really enjoyed the diversity yet intensity. These guys can rock hard without screaming their way to lung cancer. Well done! Recomeneded for any flexible classic punk fan. Not all punk is served raw powerful and full of oi!

I really don't understand why this is called a punk album. It is too diverse to be called punk. The only song that could be called punk is "Death or Glory", but that one is one of the best songs on the album. This one bounces all over the place, from hard rock, to rockabilly, to reggae, to ska, to pop. It was also orginally a double album, which is surprising, considering that it is so consistant. There is only one filler track, "Lover's Rock", but that can be excused, since every other song is so great. This is recommended to anyone!

It freaks me out that this album is 25+ years old, and that I've been listening to it for at least 20. A guy I worked with in the mid-80's turned me on to it, claiming it was the best album ever. It didn't take long for me to agree, putting it alongside "Sticky Fingers" as my all-time favorite. The ambition, musicianship, variety, sound, energy, lyricism...it's all here. Absorb this masterpiece, and then lament what a sorry state popular music is in today by comparison.

Really enjoyed the diversity yet intensity. These guys can rock hard without screaming their way to lung cancer. Well done! Recomeneded for any flexible classic punk fan. Not all punk is served raw powerful and full of oi!

I really don't understand why this is called a punk album. It is too diverse to be called punk. The only song that could be called punk is "Death or Glory", but that one is one of the best songs on the album. This one bounces all over the place, from hard rock, to rockabilly, to reggae, to ska, to pop. It was also orginally a double album, which is surprising, considering that it is so consistant. There is only one filler track, "Lover's Rock", but that can be excused, since every other song is so great. This is recommended to anyone!

It freaks me out that this album is 25+ years old, and that I've been listening to it for at least 20. A guy I worked with in the mid-80's turned me on to it, claiming it was the best album ever. It didn't take long for me to agree, putting it alongside "Sticky Fingers" as my all-time favorite. The ambition, musicianship, variety, sound, energy, lyricism...it's all here. Absorb this masterpiece, and then lament what a sorry state popular music is in today by comparison.

Really enjoyed the diversity yet intensity. These guys can rock hard without screaming their way to lung cancer. Well done! Recomeneded for any flexible classic punk fan. Not all punk is served raw powerful and full of oi!

I really don't understand why this is called a punk album. It is too diverse to be called punk. The only song that could be called punk is "Death or Glory", but that one is one of the best songs on the album. This one bounces all over the place, from hard rock, to rockabilly, to reggae, to ska, to pop. It was also orginally a double album, which is surprising, considering that it is so consistant. There is only one filler track, "Lover's Rock", but that can be excused, since every other song is so great. This is recommended to anyone!

It freaks me out that this album is 25+ years old, and that I've been listening to it for at least 20. A guy I worked with in the mid-80's turned me on to it, claiming it was the best album ever. It didn't take long for me to agree, putting it alongside "Sticky Fingers" as my all-time favorite. The ambition, musicianship, variety, sound, energy, lyricism...it's all here. Absorb this masterpiece, and then lament what a sorry state popular music is in today by comparison.