Cuttings

CHOSEN TIME It took mere months, following the death of Ian Curtis in May 1980, for Joy Division’s Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris to regroup, with a new name - New Order - a new member, Gillian Gilbert, and a new set of songs. In this new (reincarnation they bestrode the 80s like a colossus, propelled by new ideas and newer technology. With a Power, Corruption & Lies box set imminent ( review ), the band discuss their glorious decade of invention with Dave Simpson , and Daryl Easlea compiles a select discography from their 80s output. CHAPTER 1: NEW NAME, NEW ORDER "It was so weird, even I was nervous!” chuckles Gillian Gilbert, thinking back to the solitary performance of the “No Names” on 29 July 1980. Belgian Factory Records band The Names had suddenly pulled out of a performance at The Beach Club, a regular night in the tiny Oozit’s pub on Newgate Street, Shudehill, Manchester. At the last minute, their place was taken by Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Be...

INTERVIEW: IAN DURY WARTS THIS WAY Now approaching his half century, Ian Dury has been there, seen it, played it and acted in it. With a nostalgia-imbued live album released and a possible comeback in the offing, Don Peretta notches up the reasons to be cheerful There was a brief period when Ian Dury and the Blockheads were the biggest act in the British music scene. For those few weeks in 1978 when ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' was top of the charts, New Boots And Panties was the album for sixth-formers to be seen carrying around and the phrase "sex and drugs and rock'n'roll" was warmly welcomed to the English language.The world, momentarily, was a better place. The Blockheads were one of the hottest and most proficient live acts around, and Dury himself garnered great respect and admiration for his unique mastery of rhyme and his devastating simplicity of expression. But that was a long time ago and since then a great deal of water has passed under Hammersmit...

Power In The Darkness An artistic rebirth celebrated. By Tim Peacock New Order Power, Corruption & Lies - Definitive Edition ★★★★★ Rhino cat no tbc (2CD + LP + 2DVD ) They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and that old adage rings true when you consider New Order’s early years. The band themselves were the biggest critics of their flawed, but underrated, 1981 debut, Movement , but they had to endure the growing pains of making it to emerge from the long shadow cast by their recent past as Joy Division. In retrospect, it’s astonishing Movement was ever completed at all. Not only were the fledgling foursome still reeling from the loss of Ian Curtis, but their relationship with Martin Hannett hit rock bottom during the sessions. Movement still bore the mercurial producer’s stamp, but his increasing irascibility, burgeoning heroin habit and lack of faith in the band sans Curtis led to an inevitable parting of the ways. Few would have guessed...

  https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/toran-apart-the-legend-of-joy-division TORN APART THE LEGEND OF JOY DIVISION ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST INFLUENTIAL BANDS IS NOW THE SUBJECT OF A COMPELLING NEW FILM. PAUL LESTER TALKS TO PETER HOOK, STEPHEN MORRIS AND BERNARD SUMNER - AND TO FILM DIRECTOR ANTON CORBIJN Three decades after they formed and almost 30 years after their post-punk peak, Joy Division still cast a giant shadow over the music scene. There are reissues of their albums on their way, as well as a documentary, a major film called  Control,  and scores of bands, both British (Editors, Bloc Party) and American (Interpol, The Killers, whose version of JD’s Shadowplay closes the movie) making music under their influence. The enhanced version of their three monolithic albums ( Unknown Pleasures, Closer , the half-live  Still ), with their brilliant pristine production courtesy the late, great Martin Hannett, have been remastered by the surviving members, an...