Unknown Pleasures
Encyclopedia
Unknown Pleasures is the debut album by the English post-punk
band Joy Division
, released in 1979 through Factory Records
. Martin Hannett
produced the record at Strawberry Studios
, Stockport
, England. The album sold poorly upon release, but due to the subsequent success of Joy Division with the 1980 single "Love Will Tear Us Apart
", Unknown Pleasures is now better known. Factory boss Tony Wilson
had so much faith in the band that he contributed his £8,500 life savings toward the cost of producing the initial run of 10,000 copies of the album.
was number seventy-one in August 1980, soon after the release of their second album, Closer
. It fared better, however, in the UK Indie Chart
, placing at number 2 in the first indie chart to be published in January 1980, and going on to top the chart when redistributed in July 1980, spending 136 weeks in the chart in total.
The album was critically acclaimed from the start. The New Musical Express staff put Unknown Pleasures at number 3 of their list of the best albums of 1979. In 2000 Q magazine
placed Unknown Pleasures at number nineteen in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. Pitchfork Media
placed the album ninth out of its 100 Greatest Albums of the 1970s while the 2007 re-release received the rare accolade of 10.0/10. In his 1995 book, "The Alternative Music Almanac", Alan Cross
placed the album in the eighth spot on the list of '10 Classic Alternative Albums'. Ned Raggett of Allmusic guide describes it as "all visceral, all emotional, all theatrical, all perfect -- one of the best albums ever."
comes from an edition of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy, and was originally drawn with black lines on a white background. It presents successive pulses from the first pulsar
discovered, PSR B1919+21—often referred to in the context of this album by its older name, CP 1919. The image was suggested by drummer Stephen Morris and the cover design is credited to Joy Division, Peter Saville and Chris Mathan. The back cover of the album contains no track listings, leaving a blank table where one would expect the listings to be. The original release came in a textured sleeve.
The original LP release contained no track information on the labels, nor the traditional "side one" and "side two" designations. The ostensible "side one" was labeled Outside and displayed a reproduction of the image on the album cover, while the other side was labeled Inside and displayed the same image with the colours reversed (black-on-white). Track information and album credits appeared on the inner sleeve only.
, a year later. Additionally, "A Porky Prime Cut" can be found on first UK pressings.
US pressing: The Inside reads "I've been waiting for a guide." This is the first line of the first track in Unknown Pleasures ("Disorder").
for the first time in April 1986. In the spring of 1989 LP Unknown Pleasures was released in Poland by Tonpress under license from Factory and sold over 20000 copies. After the demise of Factory Records, the album was reissued on CD/cassette in July 1993 by Centredate-London, and issued by US label Qwest in 1989 on vinyl, CD, and cassette. The CD was reissued in January 1990. The album, along with Closer
and Still
, was remastered
and re-released in 2007. The remaster came packaged with a bonus live disc, recorded at The Factory in Manchester, England on 13 July 1979.
Side two "Inside"
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, released in 1979 through Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
. Martin Hannett
Martin Hannett
Martin Hannett , sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer and an original partner in Factory Records with Tony Wilson...
produced the record at Strawberry Studios
Strawberry Studios
-Formation:The facility was originally called Inner City Studios and located above a music store in the town centre. In early 1968 it was bought by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Tattersall invited Eric Stewart – then lead guitarist and singer of...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, England. The album sold poorly upon release, but due to the subsequent success of Joy Division with the 1980 single "Love Will Tear Us Apart
Love Will Tear Us Apart
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar...
", Unknown Pleasures is now better known. Factory boss Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....
had so much faith in the band that he contributed his £8,500 life savings toward the cost of producing the initial run of 10,000 copies of the album.
Reception
The highest position Unknown Pleasures reached in the UK Albums ChartUK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
was number seventy-one in August 1980, soon after the release of their second album, Closer
Closer (Joy Division album)
Closer is the second and final studio album by the English post-punk band Joy Division, released , two months following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. The album was originally scheduled to be released on . The record was originally released on the Factory Records label as a 12" LP and...
. It fared better, however, in the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
, placing at number 2 in the first indie chart to be published in January 1980, and going on to top the chart when redistributed in July 1980, spending 136 weeks in the chart in total.
The album was critically acclaimed from the start. The New Musical Express staff put Unknown Pleasures at number 3 of their list of the best albums of 1979. In 2000 Q magazine
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
placed Unknown Pleasures at number nineteen in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed the album ninth out of its 100 Greatest Albums of the 1970s while the 2007 re-release received the rare accolade of 10.0/10. In his 1995 book, "The Alternative Music Almanac", Alan Cross
Alan Cross
' is a Canadian radio broadcaster and a writer on music. Alan’s obsession with music began at age six when his grandmother gave him a transistor radio—an old Lloyds—which spawned an all-consuming fascination with things that came over airwaves...
placed the album in the eighth spot on the list of '10 Classic Alternative Albums'. Ned Raggett of Allmusic guide describes it as "all visceral, all emotional, all theatrical, all perfect -- one of the best albums ever."
Packaging
The front cover imageCover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
comes from an edition of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy, and was originally drawn with black lines on a white background. It presents successive pulses from the first pulsar
Pulsar
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission is pointing towards the Earth. This is called the lighthouse effect and gives rise to the pulsed nature that gives pulsars their name...
discovered, PSR B1919+21—often referred to in the context of this album by its older name, CP 1919. The image was suggested by drummer Stephen Morris and the cover design is credited to Joy Division, Peter Saville and Chris Mathan. The back cover of the album contains no track listings, leaving a blank table where one would expect the listings to be. The original release came in a textured sleeve.
The original LP release contained no track information on the labels, nor the traditional "side one" and "side two" designations. The ostensible "side one" was labeled Outside and displayed a reproduction of the image on the album cover, while the other side was labeled Inside and displayed the same image with the colours reversed (black-on-white). Track information and album credits appeared on the inner sleeve only.
Groove notations
European pressing: near the inner groove of the Outside is etched in script: "This is the way" and the Inside has "Step". Both lines are taken from the song "Atrocity Exhibition", which was released on the follow-up album CloserCloser (Joy Division album)
Closer is the second and final studio album by the English post-punk band Joy Division, released , two months following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. The album was originally scheduled to be released on . The record was originally released on the Factory Records label as a 12" LP and...
, a year later. Additionally, "A Porky Prime Cut" can be found on first UK pressings.
US pressing: The Inside reads "I've been waiting for a guide." This is the first line of the first track in Unknown Pleasures ("Disorder").
Reissues
The album was redistributed by Factory in its original vinyl form in July 1980, and re-issued in 1982. It was issued on cassette in November 1984, and on compact discCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
for the first time in April 1986. In the spring of 1989 LP Unknown Pleasures was released in Poland by Tonpress under license from Factory and sold over 20000 copies. After the demise of Factory Records, the album was reissued on CD/cassette in July 1993 by Centredate-London, and issued by US label Qwest in 1989 on vinyl, CD, and cassette. The CD was reissued in January 1990. The album, along with Closer
Closer (Joy Division album)
Closer is the second and final studio album by the English post-punk band Joy Division, released , two months following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. The album was originally scheduled to be released on . The record was originally released on the Factory Records label as a 12" LP and...
and Still
Still (Joy Division album)
Still is a compilation album by Joy Division, consisting of previously unused studio material and a live recording of Joy Division's last concert, performed at Birmingham University. Originally planned for release in August, it was eventually released on 8 October 1981. The CD version was...
, was remastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
and re-released in 2007. The remaster came packaged with a bonus live disc, recorded at The Factory in Manchester, England on 13 July 1979.
Track listing
All songs written by Joy Division.LP (Factory FACT 10)
Side one "Outside"- "Disorder" – 3:32
- "Day of the Lords" – 4:49
- "Candidate" – 3:05
- "Insight" – 4:29
- "New Dawn FadesNew Dawn Fades"New Dawn Fades" is a song from the 1979 album Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. It opens with a backwards and heavily modified sample of a lyric from previous song "Insight", presumably added by Martin Hannett, post production. The song relies on an ascending guitar riff by Bernard Sumner played...
" – 4:47
Side two "Inside"
- "She's Lost ControlShe's Lost Control"She's Lost Control" is a song by British post-punk band Joy Division. It was first introduced in a concert in June 1978. Two separate single recordings have been released: a guitar-dominated version appearing on the band's 1979 debut album Unknown Pleasures, and a heavier and more electronic...
" – 3:57 - "ShadowplayShadowplay (song)"Shadowplay" is a song by the band Joy Division. It appeared on the 1979 album Unknown Pleasures. The song was covered by the Killers in 2007 and Carpathian in 2010.-Lyrics:...
" – 3:55 - "Wilderness" – 2:38
- "Interzone" – 2:16
- "I Remember Nothing" – 5:53
CD 2007 bonus disc: Live at The Factory, Manchester, 13 July 1979
- "Dead Souls" (live) – 4:25
- "The Only Mistake" (live) – 4:12
- "Insight" (live) – 3:52
- "Candidate" (live) – 2:08
- "Wilderness" (live) – 2:32
- "She's Lost Control" (live) – 3:47
- "Shadowplay" (live) – 3:35
- "Disorder" (live) – 3:29
- "Interzone" (live) – 2:05
- "Atrocity Exhibition" (live) – 6:14
- "Novelty" (live) – 4:29
- "TransmissionTransmission (song)"Transmission" is a song by post-punk band Joy Division, released on Factory Records in November 1979 on 7" and re-released as a 12" single with a different sleeve in December 1980....
" (live) – 3:50
Personnel
- Ian CurtisIan CurtisIan Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
– vocals - Bernard SumnerBernard SumnerBernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
– guitar, keyboards - Peter HookPeter HookPeter Hook is an English bass player, musician and author.He was a co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division along with Bernard Sumner in the mid-1970s. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them throughout their career until...
– bass - Stephen Morris – drums
- Martin HannettMartin HannettMartin Hannett , sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer and an original partner in Factory Records with Tony Wilson...
- production
Sources
- Curtis, Deborah. Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division. London: Faber, 1995 (2nd ed. 2001, 3rd ed. 2005). ISBN 0-571-17445-0
- Ott, Chris. Unknown Pleasures. (33⅓ series) New York: Continuum, 2004. ISBN 0-8264-1549-0