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Joy Division Odds and Ends

Robert H. Lever | Seattle, Washington | 01/19/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I hoped that buying this disc would give me some of the early J.D. music which I heard in the new documentary movie about them. Sadly, this reissue disc slavishly copies all the flaws of the original disc's playlist, rather than trying to fill in the gaps of Joy Division material left out of their two meager studio albums.

For example, I hoped this disc would have the studio version of "Digital". It doesn't. There is a live version from a set that the studio put on "Still" to discourage bootlegging. The worst crime on this disc is the absence of "Love will Tear Us Apart", one of the greatest Joy Division songs, and one of the best post-punk singles ever. It does exist in live versions on these Joy Division reissues.

Also missing is "Atmosphere", one of J.D.'s most evocative tunes. The disc does have "Dead Souls", which was on the flip side of the single with "Atmosphere", and rightly so.

Instead we get a cover of "Sister Ray" which Curtis dismisses as their version of "Louie Louie".

As with the other Joy Division reissues, the other disc is of a live performance. I wouldn't have minded if the live disc were swapped out for one which filled out the additional gaps in the Joy Division repertoire. I know that most of these gaps are filled in the "Heart and Soul" box set, but having purchased both reissues of "Unknown Pleasures" and "Closer", I can't see paying more money for the redundant discs in the box set.

So while this disc will not fill out your Joy Division collection, it does offer some nice remastered versions of some of their early stuff, unreleased late stuff, and a Joy Division version of "Ceremony" which later became a New Order single after Ian Curtis' death.

SubstanceIf you already have "Unknown Pleasures" and "Closer" and you want a more complete collection of their early stuff, check out "Substance". Used copies are still available through Amazon sellers. This disc has the studio versions of "Love will Tear Us Apart, Digital, Atmosphere, No Love Lost" and other early tidbits missing from "Still", which are heard in the JoyDiv movie. There is even an alternate version of "She's Lost Control". The sound is quite good though I don't think it was remastered.

"

One of a kind

Seth A Eigenmann | Clearwater, FL USA | 06/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Still" was original released in October of 1981, finally making the remnants of Joy Divisions' recorded material available; along with a live show to keep up with the heavy bootlegging that was going on at that time and is still going on today. "Still" collects unrealeased material and singles, but its strange "Atmosphere" was left off and "Dead Souls" was included; consitering both songs where on the same single; the legandary "Sordide Sentimental" release "Licht und Blindheit". Ian was so proud of this single, once he expressed that he acomplished everything he wanted to accomplish in Joy Division with the "Unknown Pleasures" album and the "Licht und Blindheit" single. In the end,Ian Curtis gave his copy of "Licht und Blindheit" to Terry Mason, numbered 1106 of the original 1578 numbered copies. Another strange note is,"Digital" was left off but "Glass" was included. Both where on the same compilation album "A Factory Sample". If you have the "Heart and Soul box set", you have all the material besides the version of "Walked in Line" and "Sister Ray", along with the two live shows. This remastered collectors edition has two amazing live shows with great sound quality; 9 to 9+ with a 10 being perfect sound quality. The first being, Live at High Wycombe,Feb 20,1980. This show has 8 songs and as a bonus includes the soundcheck, another 6 songs. Most of the tracks are from "Closer". The last concert,the last time Joy Division ever performed live before Ian took his own life on May 18, 1980. Live at Birmingham University, May 2,1980. After this concert, Joy Division took two weeks off before their scheduled tour in America; a tour they never made. They used this concert to play a new song "Ceremony". Sadly the mic was turned off at the start of the show and the lyrics to "Ceremony" are cut off at the beginning and pick up near the end of the song. But there is a little known fact about "Ceremony". Besides the rehearsal version on "Heart and Soul",which its hard to hear Ian singing, and the live version on "Still", there is a audience recording that is complete. The whole May 2 show is complete along with the soundcheck. Joy Division played two songs in the soundcheck, "Decades" and "Ceremony". A full version of "Ceremony" can be found on the bootleg "Out of The Room" which is an LP, and since "Still' uses the soundboard tape and since New Order came out with the "Ceremony/In a Lonely Place" single Factory never really released a quality version. At the close of the Birmingham University concert while performing and nearing the end of "Decades", Ian stumbled off stage with assistance and returned for the encore "Digital". The last song ever performed by Joy Division. Even if you have the "Heart and Soul box set", which means you have all the singles and unreleaesed material, you still dont have the version of "Walked in Line", the live cover of "Sister Ray", and the two amazing live shows included in this collectors edition. This collectors edition is remastered as-well, the album and both live shows. The remastering was well done, and do the recording justice. I have "Still" and both shows without the remastering; the remastering alone warants the purchase. A must have for any Joy Division fan. "We knocked on the doors of Hell's darker chamber, Pushed to the limit, we dragged ourselves in". Ian Curtis, Decades."

"STILL", joy division: two disc collector's edition, CD.

Dr. Feelgood | USA | 01/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"They weren't together for very long, due to the fact that frontman Ian Curtis, died. In any case, they managed to put out some powerful, and influential music, that was ahead of it's time, and lives on today."