Greetings, from a Nyquil coma
I woke up about 4am this morning after a Nyquil coma trying to get over some watery eyes, nose and congestion from some type of sinus thing and started to go on some musical tangents.
i first started with the latest M. Ward album 'Hold Time'. I originally started into M. Ward a few years ago with his previous album 'Post-War' which really caught hold. Then a few months ago I got 3 of his earlier albums 'End of Amnesia', 'Transfiguration of Vicent' and 'Transistor Radio' after I got into the She & Him record after neglecting it for awhile. I enjoyed them all. He really has a special sound and ability to blend old influences with a modern feel.
Then, I decided to listen to the first Joy Division album 'Unknown Pleasures' again. Its been a favorite of mine for years. A few weeks ago I caught a midnight showing of the Joy Division documentary at IFC. It was fascinating to see where they came from and hear the what really happened with Ian Curtis. It started off with a great explanation of Manchester and the influence the city had on their sound. Even though I love Joy Division I had found it kind of depressing at times to listen to the entire albums. However, after seeing the documentary it made it easier to go back and listen to their albums somehow. I realized it was just Ian Curtis' time to go.
I was listening to some interviews on youtube a week or so ago of Joy Division after watching the documentary and came across a radio interview of Bono right after Ian Curtis died in 1980. He said he liked Unknown Pleasures much better than Closer. Which I don't necessarily agree with, I like both in different ways. However, I found it interesting to hear the perspective of someone who experienced them at the time they came out even though I'm not a huge fan of Bono. I decided to get the first 2 U2 albums I'd been meaning to try for many years. I've always liked Joshua Tree but U2 lost me with most of their later albums. Anyway, I was really impressed with Boy. They were a part of something great at the time. On the cusp of that movement in a way started by Joy Division although U2 was more on the pop side of it. There is a rawness to that album that still holds up well nearly 30 years later. However, Bono, it can't hold a candle to Unknown Pleasures of Closer for me.
