Complete BBC Recordings

Joy Division | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 26, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Navarre Corporation/
• ASIN: B0000DELSP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The ever-expanding log of BBC vault recordings is a decidedly mixed lot, with plenty of rubbish surfacing along with more than a few gems. This 10-song collection from the short-lived but vastly influential foursome Joy Division definitely belongs in the latter camp. Made up of radio performances cut in January, September, and November of 1979, The Complete BBC Recordings captures the post-punk outfit two years after they came together following a Sex Pistols appearance in their Manchester, England, base and a matter of months before frontman Ian Curtis took his life. Signaling a tidal shift in the punk mindset, Curtis's inner torment was expressed by melancholy rather than rage. His instrumental cohorts--the pre-New Order trio of Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris--created a sound that was as terse yet expressive as a rude remark. These John Peel and Radio One performances depict a band on a grim mission--to give their sense of paralyzing futility an undeniable momentum. Riveting from start to finish, The Complete BBC Recordings is a must-own for fans of the band and anyone interested in hearing where the '70s ended and the '80s began for a vital segment of British rock. --Steven Stolder

Product Description

Includes two separate performances at the BBC studios recorded in 1979, and 10 months apart. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peel Sessions +, October 28, 2000

By 

Christopher G. Huttman (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete BBC Recordings (Audio CD)

Despite London Records insistance that the Heart & Soul boxset would have every Joy Division recording on it, it didn't. It left out some key Peel Sessions (all collected here) and what was on Still. This disc also collects some other BBC sessions, but really, little in the popular music canon of the past 25 years can compare with these songs, some of which (Transmission) appear in their most realized recorded states.

As a bonus, the Peel version of Love Will Tear Us Apart is slightly different but just as good as the various released versions. Give this CD to someone who's only ever heard Nine Inch Nails and watch them become the toast of the underground rock community. Give it to someone who was there and watch a tear roll down their eyes. An excellent re-release. In summary, perfect music.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this, get the imported version of the Best of Joy Division instead., October 31, 2009

By 

Brandon C. Yu "dontmentionthewar" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete BBC Recordings (Audio CD)

The rating above does not reflect my views on the importance or the quality of this release. John Peel's radio sessions often caused bands to reimagine and recreate their music in new and challenging ways, and Joy Division is no exception. All of these versions, with the band performing these songs live-in-the-studio, give a fresh perspective on the originals since these contain little overdubs, compared to their studio counterparts.

My 2-star review reflects the case that this is out of print, very rare, and quite expensive when found. The actual album itself has been re-released as the bonus disc on the UK version of The Best of Joy Division, which is still in print and available, and cheaper as well. All of the songs on here are available on that, even the interview with Ian Curtis and Stephen Morris. Overall, I suggest you do buy this album, only in that format.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transmission: Intensity Times Two, April 27, 2005

By 

Little Knives Guy (Bucks County, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete BBC Recordings (Audio CD)

More than 25 years after the death of Ian Curtis, the loss magnifies, and the impact made by Joy Division becomes ever more apparent. Moby. Nine Inch Nails. Interpol. The list of artists influenced by Joy Division are too many to mention.

Begin with Unknown Pleasures or the Substance Collection, but pick up the BBC sessions not only for better versions of Transmission and Exercise One -- untouched by producer Martin Hannett (just as C. Roark "tri-zeta" pointed out in the first review posted here [though I will point out the Pink Floyd influence is impossible, as Joy Division's Peel session was from January 1979 and Pink Floyd's The Wall was not released until November that year]) -- but also for what used to be rare recordings of Transmission and She's Lost Control (tracks 9 and 10 here) from Something Else (recorded for Radio One in September 1979).

When all's said and done, it's the two versions of Transmission that are worth the price of this BBC Sessions disc. The first, from the John Peel show, is a different and superior arrangement than what you'll hear on Substance. The latter, though a little raspy, is just plain intense. And that intensity is what Joy Division is all about.