Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…
Here come Five Magnificent Albums, selected
by Turn Up The Volume turning 40 next year!
– 1. ‘Unknown Pleasures’ by JOY DIVISION –
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– ‘2. Metal Box‘ by PUBLIC IMAGE LTD –
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– 3.’Fear Of Music’ by TALKING HEADS –
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– ‘4. London Calling‘ by THE CLASH –
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– 5. Setting Sons‘ by THE JAM –
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The best of the past…
Every week Turn Up The Volume! jumps into the past! Relive 25 Crackers and
3 Top Albums per year/per week. Here’s another captivating year to remember: 1980.
The 25 KILLER TRACKS…
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The 3 Top Albums…
– ‘Crocodiles‘ by ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN –
Stream here…
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– ‘Closer‘ by JOY DIVISION –
Stream here…
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– ‘Remain In Light‘ by TALKING HEADS –
Stream here…
.
See/hear you next week, music junkies, for another historic year in music…
The best of the past…
Every week Turn Up The Volume! jumps into the past! Relive 25 Crackers and
3 Top Albums per year/per week. Here’s another firework year to remember: 1979.
The 25 KILLER TRACKS…
.
The 3 TOP ALBUMS…
– Unknown Pleasures by JOY DIVISION –
Stream here…
.
– Metal Box by PUBLIC IMAGE LTD –
Stream here…
.
– ‘London Calling’ by THE CLASH
Stream here…
.
See/hear you next week for the year of 1980…
27 September 2018
A few days ago we learned that PETER HOOK, legendary bass player of iconic post-punk band JOY DIVISION is set to revisit the group’s repertoire with Manchester Camerata
for a special date at London‘s majestic Royal Albert Hall on Friday 5th July 2019.
A couple of days ago Peter Hook spoke to NME about the upcoming event
saying ‘I shouldn’t have to defend myself on this‘. Full interview here.
As a devoted (Belgian) Joy Division AND Peter Hook fan I entirely agree with Hooky‘s genuine reasons for setting up this highly challenging concert. Here are a five of my personal arguments why he has all the right in the world to do what he did in the past, does today and will do in the future with Joy Division‘s magical oeuvre. Here’s my S/O.
1/ Peter Hook was/is a revolutionary bass player, actually the first bassist that did my
head in back then when I heard his work for the first time. His sound was a huge and essential part of Joy Division‘s successful appeal. He wasn’t only a co-founder, but a bloody remarkable and awe-inspiring key and co-songwriter of probably the most influential post-punk band ever. That surely gives him, unquestionably, all the artistic freedom whatsoever to do what he wants to with JD‘s tremendously captivating music. All the more as we – the fans who saw him playing with The Light in the past and will keep following them in the future – know very well how Hooky treated/treats the JD legacy. With total respect, with gripping passion and with a massive heart and a committed soul.
2/ Instead of keep on making dull albums with money-machine New Order (mind you,
I was a huge NO fan. They made some brilliant LP’s – with Power, Corruption & Lies and
Low-Life as my favorites – and I saw them playing some ace gigs in the early years but their last great album was 1993’s Republic, afterward it was all about take the money and run) the bass icon chose another, more honest path. (ps: I agree we don’t know all the details about the bitter legal fight between Hook & NO, but anyway he didn’t take the easy way, the NO cash-in way…)
3/ Since 2010 Hooky re-energized the timeless Joy Division catalog on stage in grand style and with tons of intensity giving several generations of JD fans (including me, of course) fantastic moments when playing all those fabulous songs like this eternal one…
Also since starting solo with his band ‘The Light’ Peter Hook is working his ass off to travel non-stop all around the planet to play in mid-sized venues performing for thousands of HAPPY and GRATEFUL fans for modest ticket prices. I’m pretty sure many overrated mega-business artists/bands (don’t make me start…) earn more money by playing top of the bill on only one major festival – because organizers charge the spectators a fortune to get in – than Hooky earns with his band and crew after a whole fucking year on the road. It’s not like his fans need to rob a bank or get a mortgage to witness the beauty he has to offer.
4/ It takes balls to stage something truly special as The Sound Of Joy Division Orchestrated
in that majestic Royal Albert Hall in London as many pompous press sharks and selfish Joy Division purists are waiting to see him crash.
5/ And, for the record… Hooky is one cool motherrocker!
Me, eye-to-eye, with the man last year at W-Fest in Belgium…
And it’s not always Hooky in the middle…
Now let’s hope we can get a ticket for the big event!
PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT: Facebook / ROYAL ALBERT HALL: Ticket Info
25 September 2019
PETER HOOK, legendary bass player of iconic post-punk band JOY DIVISION is set to revisit the band’s repertoire with Manchester Camerata for a special date at London‘s majestic Royal Albert Hall on Friday 5th July 2019.
Curated by Hook who acts as Executive Producer for the project alongside Musical Director Tim Crooks, the concert will be the first time that an original member of the classic group has participated in such a project and the duo are presently arranging the band’s decisive back catalogue for the concert. More info right here.
23 September 2018
A new JOY DIVISION book, entitled ‘This Searing Light, the Sun and Everything Else: Joy Division – The Oral History’ will be out on 7th March 2019 in the UK and a month later in the US. It’s written by former notorious rock journalist for NME, writer and broadcaster Jon Savage. He collected over three decades-worth of interviews with ex-band members and people who were very close to the legendary Great Manchester post-punks who turned into New Order sometime after charismatic and troubled frontman Ian Curtis committed suicide on 18 May 1980.
JOY DIVISION: Facebook – Fan Website
PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT – Het Depot in Leuven, Belgium – 26 January 2017
After a successful appearance at a Belgian festival last summer flamboyant bass player PETER HOOK, former member/co-founder of legendary bands JOY DIVISION and NEW ORDER already returned to my home country to play a staggering 31-song set. The almost 61-year-old, tireless Mancunian musician got into a nasty legal fight with his lifelong friends Bernard Sumner & Stephen Morris when they decided a few years ago to reform New Order without him. In return Hooky started to play extensively with his proper, excellent, band THE LIGHT, performing only songs from his two best known old bands’ repertoire and… with success. On his current tour the show starts with an elevating, dancy New Order set and continues after a short break with a Joy Division mix of early punk anthems and some of the dark greatest hits. Here’s the setlist…
Nostalgia drove the highly excited crowd, with a legion of loyal British fans in front of the venue, to ecstasy and spirited sing-alongs. Peter Hook isn’t the best singer in the world but his vocal achievement is genuine, intense and honest (a couple of ones are sung by his splendid guitarist). What struck me (again) was the timeless power of most of the songs. Like they were written only yesterday. In the end it’s that imperishable quality that turns a PETER HOOK (and his cracking band) show into a fantastic night out. Here’s some magic footage of an old Mexico City concert to illustrate yesterday’s atmosphere in Belgium…
TEMPTATION (New Order)
LOVE WILL TEAR US APART (Joy Division)
And some of my pics from yesterday’s triumphant gig…
Dance, dance, dance to the radio…
Classic Hooky pose…
Tireless and victorious…
Father and son…
Peter Hook also published recently a new book ‘Substance: Inside New Order’
You can read an extensive review by British newspaper The Guardian here .
ATMOSPHERE is probably both the saddest and most beautiful JOY DIVISION track ever, released just before and after IAN CURTIS‘s tragic death (18 May 1980). A drama loaded and truly gripping electronic symphony with spine-tingling Curtis vocals. At first, in 1979, the Manchester band recorded a demo of the song, then called ‘Chance‘, for a London radio session. In March of 1980, the pearl was released, quite strangely, as a France-only single – by small record label Sordide Sentimental – with ‘Dead Souls’ as the B-side. Following the unfortunate passing of the troubled young frontman Atmosphere was re-released as a 12″ single by Joy Division‘s familiar label Factory with ‘She’s Lost Control‘ as the B-side. Here’s a version by original bass player PETER HOOK and his band THE LIGHT (still touring the world successfully with tremendous performances of New Order and Joy Divison classics) featuring the fabulous Rowetta (who recorded and toured a lot with Happy Mondays) on vocals, dating from a few years back. Enjoy the epic rendition here. Really magnificent!…
PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT: Facebook – Tour – Twitter
Artwork of the legendary 12″ edition released two months after Ian Curtis tragic death…
Saturday 7 January 2017
photo by TUTV!
Bernard Sumner who co-founded legendary post punk band Joy Division and still fronts the imperishable New Order (and had some fun, along the way, with buddy Johnny Marr
in Electronic) was born on 4 January 1956. Happy 61 to the quietest Mancunian frontman ever. Here are 3 big ones to celebrate his birthday and career…
‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by JOY DIVISION
‘Your Silent Face’ by NEW ORDER
‘Get The Message’ by ELECTRONIC
