Although the band broke up in 1980, there is something about Joy Division that will not allow it to die. Whether it is the suicide of front-man Ian Curtis, the gruesome lyrics in JD songs, or the band's reincarnation, New Order, Joy Division is still very much alive today.
Their story begins in the fall of 1976, when Bernard Sumner (aka Bernard Albrecht, guitar), Peter Hook (bass), and Terry Mason (drums) would form Stiff Kittens in Manchester, England. In early December, Ian Curtis joined up with the band as lead vocalist. The band never recorded or played live with this name--it was changed to "Warsaw" in May 1977, after Terry Mason opted to be the band's manager. Warsaw did some shows and recorded a demo, but had problems with holding onto drummers, going through two others before settling on Stephen Morris.
With this line-up, the band changed its name again in January 1978--this time to "Joy Division". The name was inspired by the book "The House of Dolls" by Karol Cetinsky, which details how young female prisoners were forced into "joy divisions", lines of small huts where the girls were made to prostitute themselves to Nazi officers. With this explanation, the name "Joy Division" almost seems to shroud the band and much of its music with feelings of great disturbance, suffering, pain, and misery--feelings which are conveyed by Joy Division's lyrics with agonizing precision.
Permanent is part of a sudden outburst of interest in the band, including an upcoming tribute album (_Means To An End) and a book (_Touching From A Distance) written about Ian by his widow, Deborah, which has just been released in the UK. Permanent is a decent cross-section of Joy Division's work.
Unfortunately, it is little more than a compilation of previously released tracks. The only new track is the Permanent Mix of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (done by Don Gehman), which isn't too far removed from the Substance version of this classic. Some tracks on Permanent are also on the first Joy Division "greatest hits" and rarities album, Substance. Yet unlike Substance, it contains no rare tracks.
Yet, this was not a thoughtless compilation; the songs presented are fantastic. "Shadow Play" is a splendid example of the lyrical surrealism and hopelessness in many of JD's songs. "She's Lost Control" is a song about epilepsy, which afflicted Ian. "Twenty Four Hours", one of the best tracks, details one man's lost but sorrowfully unforgotten love. "Atmosphere" is a musical sliver of beauty within chaos present on the album, bringing about sensations of desolation and longing for home through its words. "Love Will Tear Us Apart", once called "the greatest song ever written" by Kurt Cobain and, of course, many fans, is included as well.
Although the best way to sample Joy Division's great lyrical talent is by listening to the four essential JD albums, Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Still, and Substance, newcomers will find Permanent a good place to start, even if Substance is a much better one. TRACK LISTING: Love Will Tear Us Apart, Transmission, She's Lost Control, Shadow Play, Day of the Lords, Isolation, Passover, Heart and Soul, Twenty Four Hours, These Days, Novelty, Dead Souls, The Only Mistake, Something Must Break, Atmosphere, Love Will Tear Us Apart (Permanent Mix).
