Friday, April 11, 2008

Transmission

I bought a copy of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures a few months ago to replace my lost LP (the UK first issue vinyl with textured jacket). Mine is the US release, but I assume it's a first issue because it reads "Factum 1" on the matrix, the matrix being the blank section of a vinyl record, between the record's grooves (the songs) and the label. At any rate, while I was squinting at the matrix of my new LP to determine its authenticity, I found a statement scrawled into the vinyl, in the matix: "I'm looking for a guide."

It's appropriate, given their oeuvre--Factory Records; Post-Punk; their bleak prospects culturally, politically, economically. How difficult it was to get anywhere, meaningfully.

Do we look to a guide; should we, given the status quo?

The impulse tells us something about ourselves, our condition.

Joy Division, performing the song "Transmission" from their LP Unknown Pleasures:

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you're hanging out on the computer, um... doing schoolwork or something, and have a hankerin' to listen to Joy Division, The Best of Joy Division is streaming on Phawker radio.

http://www.phawker.com

Anonymous said...
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Michael Filas said...

Nice post, Gary. I dig seeing the real Ian Curtis even more than I have enjoyed seeing the compelling portrait of him in 24 hour party people. - M.