The Greatest Song of All Time

[unleasHell]

so, i'm surfin' the channels last night and i come across, vh1's: "the alternative" program and i see it, oh i probably saw it years ago and i've played the song a million times, but there he is, alive, lip-syncing, and alive, again, just for a moment, my mind races back to a distant time, a happy time, a time of learning, of exploration and experimentation, a time when musical trends were being turned upside down, certainly an exciting yet troubling time for many, ian couldn't handle it, his new found fame, his sickness, his addictions and rejection, it all came to a head and then to an end, and it robbed us all of the "joy" that would never grow, never mature, never reach it's full potential, listening to him and studying his every move, i am overcome by emotion, a calming feeling that allows me to float off and be carried along with the music, to a peaceful place, where there is no stress pulling at your daily lives and that is when it hits me, for in this moment of total clarity, i realize, what is before me, is the greatest song ever made.....

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

[Jim Clark]

Odd coincidence, I've been listening to Joy Division and New Order boots for the past few days pretty much non-stop. Pulled this out last night:

New Order , Berlin , Columbia Halle 15.nov.2001
Fm broadcast >CDR>Wave>flac

dt1.01Crystal 07:15
dt1.02Transmission 03:46
dt1.03Regret 04:13
dt1.04Ceremony 04:52
dt1.0560 Miles An Hour 04:52
dt1.06Your Silent Face 06:08
dt1.07Atmosphere 04:32
dt1.08Close Range 05:15
dt1.09Touched by the Hand of God 05:34

dt2.01Bizarre Love Triangle 05:20
dt2.02True Faith 06:18
dt2.03Temptation 08:29
dt2.04Love Will Tear Us Apart 04:29
dt2 05Rock The Shack [encore] 06:06
dt2.06Blue Monday [encore] 07:21

For the most part the Joy Division that I have isn't really all that great sounding, this is. As they say in the during the show, RIP Ian.

jc

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Odd coincidence, I've been listening to Joy Division and New Order boots for the past few days pretty much non-stop. Pulled this out last night:

New Order , Berlin , Columbia Halle 15.nov.2001
Fm broadcast >CDR>Wave>flac

dt1.01Crystal 07:15
dt1.02Transmission 03:46
dt1.03Regret 04:13
dt1.04Ceremony 04:52
dt1.0560 Miles An Hour 04:52
dt1.06Your Silent Face 06:08
dt1.07Atmosphere 04:32
dt1.08Close Range 05:15
dt1.09Touched by the Hand of God 05:34

dt2.01Bizarre Love Triangle 05:20
dt2.02True Faith 06:18
dt2.03Temptation 08:29
dt2.04Love Will Tear Us Apart 04:29
dt2 05Rock The Shack [encore] 06:06
dt2.06Blue Monday [encore] 07:21

For the most part the Joy Division that I have isn't really all that great sounding, this is. As they say in the during the show, RIP Ian.

jc

I'm not sure how I feel about New Order playing JD songs in concert. I'm sure I read that the band made a pact, before Ian's death to disband should any member "leave" the band. That's why they continued as New Order, not as JD. When I saw them in the mid '80s, the only JD song they played was Ceremony. Now, half their set is JD songs. I guess it's nice that they're keeping these great songs alive, but part of me thinks it is wrong.


so, i'm surfin' the channels last night and i come across, vh1's: "the alternative" program and i see it, oh i probably saw it years ago and i've played the song a million times, but there he is, alive, lip-syncing, and alive, again, just for a moment, my mind races back to a distant time, a happy time, a time of learning, of exploration and experimentation, a time when musical trends were being turned upside down, certainly an exciting yet troubling time for many, ian couldn't handle it, his new found fame, his sickness, his addictions and rejection, it all came to a head and then to an end, and it robbed us all of the "joy" that would never grow, never mature, never reach it's full potential, listening to him and studying his every move, i am overcome by emotion, a calming feeling that allows me to float off and be carried along with the music, to a peaceful place, where there is no stress pulling at your daily lives and that is when it hits me, for in this moment of total clarity, i realize, what is before me, is the greatest song ever made.....

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

Great post. Wonderful sentiments. Here's hoping that this is the year that the movie on Ian's life is released, or at least goes into production.

[Mike]

I'm not sure how I feel about New Order playing JD songs in concert. I'm sure I read that the band made a pact, before Ian's death to disband should any member "leave" the band. That's why they continued as New Order, not as JD.

Funnily enough I saw them (New Order) on the NME music awards the other night they received some kind of special award and then did a short set to see the programme out. The second or third song they did was - you guessed it Love Will Tear Us Apart, struck me as strange I don't think I've ever heard of New Order doing that song before.

I've never been a huge Joy Division fan but that's not to say I don't appreciate how important they were or enjoy the stuff I have heard from them. I like New Order but they have always struck me as the pop side of Joy Division. For me the longevity of Joy Division is as much to do with Tony Wilson/Factory Records and Curtis's death as it is the music.

Cheers
Mike

[kexodusc]

The Greatest Song of All-Time?

Didn't Tenacious D already prove it was "Stairway to Heaven" when they slayed the shinning demon?

[-Jar-]

I love the up-tempo, strummy, floaty, post-punk pop song.. possibly my favorite kind of song..

Yes, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was the greatest, and "Transmission" and PiL's "Public Image" were certainly the prototypes.

and if it wasn't for those songs, we never would have had..

"Age of Consent"
"In Between Days"
"Just Like Heaven"
"I'll Melt With You"
"Harborcoat"

and looking in different directions.. even "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Teenage Riot" owe debts..

I wouldn't argue that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is the greatest song ever. I certainly thought so when I first heard it.

-jar

[Ex Lion Tamer]

I love the up-tempo, strummy, floaty, post-punk pop song.. possibly my favorite kind of song..



Yeah, me too. "strummy" I like that.
and if it wasn't for those songs, we never would have had..




"Age of Consent"
"In Between Days" -- perhaps my favorite of them all
"Just Like Heaven"
"I'll Melt With You"
"Harborcoat"


...and; "Christine", "Oblivious" "Bring On The Dancing Horses", "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (my other favorite).

[unleasHell]

Hey JC, I have that DVD, very cool, Jar, Tamer great posts,(3) more items:

1) I just went to Cingular/ATT wireless and they have a Polyphonic Ringtone for "Love Will Tear Us Apart", it sounds a little hokey, but at this pont I am a little tired of the RHCP "Scar Tissue" so I bought it anyway..

2) Lyrics: Love Will Tear Us Apart

When routine bites hard
And ambitions are low
And resentment rides high
But emotions won't grow
And we're changing our ways, taking different roads
Then love, love will tears us apart again
Love, love will tears us apart again

Why is the bedroom so cold
You've turned away on your side
Is my timing that flawed?
Our respect run so dry
Yet there's still this appeal that we've kept through our lives
But love, love will tears us apart again
Love, love will tear us apart again

You cry out in your sleep
All my failings exposed
And there's a taste in my mouth
As desperation takes hold
Just that something so good just can't function no more
But love, love will tear us apart again
Love, love will tear us apart again

3) I love that old strumming style, Echo, did it, as did the Chameleons, Wild Swans, Smiths, and Dif Juz among others...

[mad rhetorik]

Yes! Brilliant post. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is THE post-punk single in my book, though I'm not sure if it's my favorite Joy Division song. "Novelty," "Shadowplay," "Transmission," "Twenty-Four Hours," "Decades," and maybe "Dead Souls" all qualify as well.

I don't think Joy Division ever wrote a bad song. New Order, on the other hand..

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Yes! Brilliant post. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is THE post-punk single in my book, though I'm not sure if it's my favorite Joy Division song. "Novelty," "Shadowplay," "Transmission," "Twenty-Four Hours," "Decades," and maybe "Dead Souls" all qualify as well.

I don't think Joy Division ever wrote a bad song. New Order, on the other hand..

Agreed: "Best post-punk single.

Also agreed not my favorite JD song. Actually, I'm surprised how easy it is for me to pick my favorite...Atmosphere...don't have to think twice. Disorder is probably #2, LWTUA, #3, the rest tied for third.

That's a good sub-thread: "Top three Joy Division songs".

[MindGoneHaywire]

Dead Souls is definitely at the top of my list. Tear Us Apart is a great single, a great pop single, but while I'm not going to go through the exercise, I could probably name a hundred or so pop singles I think are better, or that I enjoy better, or something like that. I think what Joy Division was about comes across more in songs like Ice Age, but that's just me. The problem is that there are technopop songs that came along afterwards that I think are just as good as Tear Us Apart, some of which come from pretty lightweight outfits that couldn't carry Joe Div's jockstrap.

Listened today to the remaster of Echo & The Bunnymen's Crocodiles, and a few stray tracks from Songs To Learn & Sing. Between them & the first couple Psychedelic Furs recs I think there's output to rival Joe Div even if they weren't as important or didn't have the same impact, or whatever. It's not a competition, of course. But I enjoy Dumbwaiters or Silver as much as any Joe Div toon. And I have yet to hear any act currently working in this genre turn out something that sounds as good to me as these songs. That may sound like the grumblings of a 'no good music anymore' curmudgeon, but the truth is I'm hoping one of these people comes along to prove me wrong. I ain't heard it yet, tho.

Just picked up Still on CD. My vinyl transfer that I attempted some time ago never took for some reason, and I think I was only able to get it onto 2 CDRs, it wouldn't fit on one. After not having played it in some time, when I played it for the transfer I found that it skipped. A real shame, considering the distinctive packaging. Was there some issue with the length? I vaguely remember someone mentioning something about this on this board. Based on what little research I've done, it kinda looks like everything's there. I'd hate to find out that they did something to it like what was done to the Minutemen's Double Nickels to fit it onto one CD, but on the other hand if something was cut I think I'll get over it. But...does anyone know?

[Gresh]

Hard to believe this spring will be 25 years since Ian took his life - I was also checking out VH-1's alternative show and caught Joy Divisions "Atmosphere" video - which is my fave JD song - I too find the music brings back memories of simpler times...

Anyone catch the movie "24 Hour Party People"? The section that focused on Joy Division was incredible (the movie for me was horrible after that portion) - the actor who portrayed Ian Curtis was great. I read a rumour that Judd Law was in the running to play Ian in the big Hollywood version - man, that would really be a bummer.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Anyone catch the movie "24 Hour Party People"? The section that focused on Joy Division was incredible (the movie for me was horrible after that portion) - the actor who portrayed Ian Curtis was great. I read a rumour that Judd Law was in the running to play Ian in the big Hollywood version - man, that would really be a bummer.

Lots of changes since I first heard about this movie. Here are a couple of links to the latest articles that I know about

The Independent (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/news/story.jsp?story=598815)

The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/music/story/0,,1389649,00.html)

[-Jar-]

That's a good sub-thread: "Top three Joy Division songs".

1. Atmosphere
2. The Eternal
3. Autosuggestion

Off the top of me 'ead.

-jar

[KEXPMF]

if any of you haven't seen "24 Hour Party People", get to the video store now! It's freezing outside anyway.