Joy Division – Closer

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Closer is close enough

..to a masterpiece.  Released not long after lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide, this was Joy Division’s second and last album before the remaining members reformed as New Order.

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The Album

This is an LP which I will listen to from start to end.  There’s variation throughout which swings the tracks from guitar laden to synth-driven which hints at the band’s future work as New Order.

This album is a stunning example of British rock in the early post-punk era. 

The Release

Meanwhile in Australia…

Local distribution ended up distributing an incomplete release (“pre-final”) and there are a number of gaffs present.  The labels (shiny and silver) contain some errors:

[From Discogs] “Specific label changes were the removal of “Sound recording by Factory Records. First publ. ℗ 1980 in U.K.℗ 1980 Factory Records” found above the boxed section only on this release AND removal of the the (duplicated) “FACOZ-1001 A” and “FACOZ-1001 B” found inside the boxed section only on this release.”

Additionally, the sleeve held an alternative folded sheet:

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Technical

Like most 1980s releases, the vinyl isn’t particularly thick, and the microgrooves not as deep as back in the 1960s, but a nice near mint copy such as this plays flawlessly.

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The labels, whilst quite Spartan, shine beautifully in silver-and-black.

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