Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division

by Peter Hook

Joy Division changed the face of music. Godfathers of the current alternative scene, they reinvented rock in the post-punk era, creating a new sound - dark, hypnotic, intense - that would influence U2, Morrissey, R.E.M., Radiohead and many others. This is the rollercoaster story of Joy Division - the friendships, fights, fallouts; the rehearsals and recording sessions; the larger than life characters - told by the band's legendary bassist, Peter Hook.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, Audiobook, British Literature

328 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Peter Hook (née Woodhead) is an English singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is best known as the bassist and co-founder of English rock bands Joy Division and New Order.

Reviews

[Paul Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Demystify.” This word never appears in Peter Hook’s memoir of his former band, but it definitely describes the Joy Division bassist’s project. Hook’s raunchy and funny book demystifies Joy Division, presenting them as a postpunk Mötley Crüe, a band that partied hard and reveled in all the filth and the fury that the Sex Pistols left in the wake of their demise.

After finding out what Hook has to say, you’ll never stereotype Joy Division again. They’ll never only be the gothic and artsy band that took lyrics from Dostoevsky, Kafka, and William S. Burroughs novels, made machine-age dance-punk about urban decay, and whose effete lead singer and resident “genius,” Ian Curtis, hanged himself to death on the eve of their first American tour, the victim of chronic epilepsy, bad prescription drugs, and a failed marriage.

This last point about Curtis is crucial to the success of Hook’s book. Previous books such as Deborah Curtis’ Touching From a Distance and Mick Middles’ Torn Apart and films such as Anton Corbijn’s Control and Grant Gee’s Joy Division present the Joy Division story as a series of events leading up to Curtis’ suicide. These books and films depict Curtis as a tragic figure: a tremendously gifted young poet whose feelings of guilt over his epilepsy, marital problems, and extramarital affair lead to a suicide that’s somehow fated. And because Curtis’ suicide as tragedy makes for such overwhelming pathos, it overshadows Joy Division’s true identity as a band of four equal collaborators and songwriters that – surprise! – had a hell of a lot of fun being young guys in a rock and roll band.

Let’s take fun first. Hook writes about how Joy Division participated in all the rock and roll debauchery that’s always been associated with bands like Led Zeppelin and the Crüe but never artsy goths like Joy Division. To mention just one of the many great stories that populate Hook’s profanity-ridden text is to do an injustice to all the rollicking and hilarious memories that the bassist shares. But here goes.

Once, while on tour as an opening act for the at-the-time more popular Buzzcocks, Hook and his bandmates decided to jape their fellow Mancunians. What was involved in the jape? Maggots, the Buzzcocks’ drum kit, rats, and the Buzzcock’s tour bus. Who was involved in the jape? Hook, Joy Division’s manager and crew, and the rest of the band, including a certain Ian Curtis.

So it turns out that Curtis was a lot more complex than his “tortured-poet-genius” image would have us believe. One of Hook’s fondest memories of Curtis is of the singer walking the Rue Saint-Denis in Paris in search of prostitutes. “Girls,” Hook recalls Curtis asking passersby as he held his arms to his chest in the form of breasts, “Where are all the girls?”

Just as Curtis drank and partied with his bandmates, he collaborated with them on the creation of Joy Division’s songs. Transmission, She’s Lost Control, Disorder, Atmosphere, and even Love Will Tear Us Apart – these were not the work of an individual genius. Rather, as Hook shows in his insightful track-by-track breakdowns of the songs on Unknown Pleasures and Closer – Joy Division’s two albums – the band worked together on everything.

When Hook started playing melodic bass lines up high on his fretboard, he came up with many of the band’s most famous tunes. The bass lines were so melodic that many times Curtis would just sing the vocal melody and lyrics over them. With Hook and Curtis handling melody, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner could add color and atmospheric effects, and drummer Stephen Morris, under the tutelage of producer Martin Hannett, could craft beats that were at once mechanically precise and danceable.

All of this isn’t to suggest that Hook doesn’t write about Curtis’ suicide. But he doesn’t dwell on it throughout the book. This isn’t because he’s crassly cold and only interested in presenting the good times. Rather, Curtis’ suicide perplexed Hook at the time and continues to do so to this day.

By his own admission, Hook was never close to Curtis and neither bothered to understand his interest in literature and art nor actually listen to his lyrics, which on Closer can be read as an extended suicide note. Hook just knew that Curtis’ voice and words sounded good. Besides, he and Sumner just wanted to be as loud as the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, and the Sex Pistols. They wanted to lop your head off when they played live and were, until recent years, disappointed that the albums emphasized art over punk.

But in stressing artistic innovation over raw punk, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, Hook concludes, are timeless classics. And his memoir, while not scaling the heights of Joy Division’s masterpieces, is a tiny gem written by a monster musician. It’s the best document yet to be produced on Joy Division. There’s nothing like hearing the story straight from Hooky’s foul mouth.

A version of this review will appear in Rock Cellar Magazine

[Gregsamsa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rejoice! We are lucky, lovers of lit. You know what will never happen to us? We will never realize that the creator of the work of art we most adore is a dumb git. You just can't be one and write well. You can be one and paint. You can be one and dance. You can certainly be one and join a band. Even a fantastic band (like with so many 80's acts, it helps to ignore the vid and focus on the sound).

Because of this, it was ages ago I made the conscious resolution to avoid interviews with my favorite musical acts unless they were deliberately campy-dumb like The Cramps or dependably literate (if intolerably self-regarding) like Morrissey. I picked this book up because it was nearly Morrissey-adjacent and its morose black packaging reminded me of my own former packaging back when I was so unwittingly happy I had surplus sadness to fabrique into baggy black outfits.

Ohhhh, Joy Division, a band by any other ironic name. For you toddlers out there JD is one of those acts that old people like: Al Jolson, Alma Gluck, Yma Sumac, Bessie Smith, Karen Finley, Missing Persons, Lawrence Welk, etc.

But to a few senior citizens Joy Division has a place not quite at the top, perhaps not even near it, but certainly closer to it than the middle which upon consideration melts slowly downward while JD's place does actually seem to ascend, relatively,yet with the style of sinking, in the pose of a plummet.

OK quick poll: When was the last time you wound yourself up in black sheets redundant in total darkness and allowed bass notes to be your thick throbby circulatory system while crawly creepy scritches sounded out bone-surfaces and nerve-skeins as this was matter-of-factly narrated in a faux-announcer voice with deep vowels drawn out to seem like singing? If zero is never and 100 is oh even right now this review is only for the 70+ crowd. Retireez. SENIOR citizens.

This book. Oh but if only. The detail is so amazing that you can see the green lines of the ledger and smell the van-trapped body odor; you can hear the ring of unanswered phones and feel the length of a drive; you can intuit interpersonal tensions and anticipate technical difficulties. You can touch the nubbles on a ticket stub's edge and spy lint on the amplifiers. Unfortunately it's all as interesting as books about sports that try to pretend that's about something, while it's only what it is.

One does not get the impression that this tedious banal day-to-day breakdown of the abruptly abbreviated career of Joy Division is intended to demystify or demythologize the band or its leader's suicide, but that is exactly the effect, leaving the impression that the death of Ian Curtis was just another random casualty of maltreated epilepsy and untreated depression, associated in no way to the Romance of Art or fear of commercial success (he died right prior to a first U.S. tour).

The mythology imagines Curtis overstrained and unable to countenance the coming onslaught of adoration once The Americans hear Joy Division and Devour them Alive. I feel that's a delusionally optimistic pessimism about the impression they would have made. I can't imagine a splash. It's even difficult to explain the slow swelling wave that would take 20 years to achieve even decent t-shirt penetration.

(this book would have done well with WAY more cool trivia such as that the above graphic is a negative of an illustration of the pulses emanating from a quasar, lifted from an astronomy book, or that though the band didn't print any t-shirts of this image from their first album, the British tax man didn't believe so many could be bootlegged and levied them anyway).

To me it's not more tragic that they were about to be great. It's more tragic that they were not about to go big, but might have still made more music. It's more tragic that huge success would never have happened, but poor Ian was jazzed about touring The States (according to Hook's heretical account here as an actual band member).

It would be unfair to ask Hook to speculate about how the narrative, his narrative, became distorted into the stale tragic romance of super-sensitive super-specialness ruined by itself, and it wouldn't do any good anyway because he repeatedly reminds us that it's his book and he'll write it how he wants. He will not focus on anything but what he focused and focuses on and here is where the git factor comes into play. A "we didn't think about that" response to everything becomes so rote that it emerges as an unthunk guiding principle, not deliberately devoid of deliberation, just devoid. Default devoid. Having pointed this out, I won't make fun of the writing, not even that describing an under-attended gig: "One person turned up. It was diabolical."
OK. Elsewhere he seems to be responding to a roster of concerts they've done, given to him by someone else:

"I remember going to that gig, because I remember parking outside (which is always handy). I don't remember anything else about it, though."

That's all right. I'm more interested in the question: which version would dead Ian prefer we know, and what would he think now?

*They were becoming so popular his sensitive artistic soul was already so overburdened that a U.S. tour was something he'd rather die than endure.

* "Yay! We're going to America! Damn, I'm super-bummed out right now, though. Real bad. And with Real Bad all that counts is Right Now."

*I was a major womanizer obsessed with girls I can't have, so why were 70% of my fans pale sad gay dudes in smeared eyeliner?

*Why did my surviving band members go on to form another band (New Order) that did dance tracks that would become stale gaybar staples for another two whole decades?

Oh well. The tunes of Joy Division may ever be born anew, doing novel things with the dark (and the light!) so...

Rejoice!

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook in the library and got it out on a whim. Well, a whim informed by a teenage love of Joy Division, and having enjoyed another book by Peter Hook, the rip roaring 'The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club' which I highly recommend - Click here to read my review

It's another warts-and-all reminiscence of life, growing up in Salford, and being in Joy Division. Actually perhaps less warts and all, and more wart and warts, with just a bit of all. It's great. Hooky is completely unabashed about his less attractive personality traits.

I saw Joy Division at the Nashville Rooms in London on 13 August 1979 and it was wonderful to read a few pages covering this event which, it transpires, was significant for the group for a number of reasons: Annik Honore saw the band for the first time, the crowd was really into it, mouthing many of the lyrics, and they had a memorable accident in their vans on the way back to Manchester.

I recently read The Rhythm Method: Sex, Drums and Rock'n'Roll by Nicky Forbes and, like that splendid music memoir, this is another reminder of why being in a group can be particularly grim and dispiriting in the early days. Although in Joy Division's case, even when they have a critically acclaimed album to their name things still remain grim due to their contractual arrangement with Factory Records.

Of course the book all leads up to the suicide of Ian Curtis on 18th May 1980, and Hooky reflects on the extent to which those around him could and should have made different decisions. Given how young they all were this is often him looking back from a mature perspective and with a profound sense of loss.

I never tire of these accounts if they are done with honesty and self deprecation, and this has both those qualities in bucketloads. Fortunately I have timed my reading of this book so that I can go follow this up with Substance: Inside New Order Peter Hook's New Order book which came out a few weeks ago. I can't wait to read it soon.

4/5

[RandomAnthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy Division and New Order mean/meant a shit-ton to me. I can't imagine my life without them, and beyond hyperbole, only three or four other bands/musicians land in this personal category. Their history is so much bigger than the "Ian Curtis killed himself" mythology, and Peter Hook's (both bands' bass player, and don't think he was just a bass player, his sound was integral to their sounds) chatty, sitting-next-to-the-man-in-a-bar-while-he tells-story memoir fleshes out the picture in a heartfelt, humane manner. Unknown Pleasures reads more like an oral history (although I can't find any evidence this was an "as told to" deal) of a man looking back at his professional life with pride, regret (er, no pun intended, NO fans), humility, and as much honesty as he can muster.

There's no love lost (er, no pun intended, JD fans) between Peter Hook and his former bandmates. He takes shots at Bernard Sumner every few pages, deserved or not I can't tell, as I wasn't there, and if Sumner writes his own version, I'll read it. Hook's perceptions of Curtis are fascinating. He breaks down the legend while acknowledging Curtis's otherworldly talent. I mean, seriously, Curtis wrote his lyrics while in his early twenties. And perhaps better than anyone else I've read Hook breaks down Curtis's perceived desire to be everything to everyone at the height of his success and disabling epilepsy. Either extreme, the sordid rock star or austere artist, fits the truth, although Hook's assertion that the 24 Hour Party People portray of Mr. Curtis is more accurate than the arty-quiet Control portrayal seems like a good call. Hook makes it sound like Joy Division were friends playing music, until one of the guys killed himself under intense familial, medical, and professional pressure, and he looks back with love, anger, and empathy.

I've read a slew of books from/about musicians, and this, to my surprise, is one of the best. And if Hook sounds like he's feeling sorry for himself here and there, driving the van all the time, etc., well, think of him on a barstool after one too many beers, talking about the old days. Of course, his old days are rock and roll lore, about a great band who, perhaps, has been frozen too much in Ian Curtis's suicide. Unknown Pleasures surprised me with its depth.

[Maricruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si este libro fuera una playlist de Joy Division, comenzaría con una canción tan energética como “Digital” y acabaría con el tremendo bajonazo de “Atmosphere”, que para siempre estará asociada al suicidio de Ian Curtis. Peter Hook tiene bastante gracia contando anécdotas, y es un narrador lenguaraz y tan discreto como mi hijo cuando era pequeño, que iba al parque y le iba diciendo a todo el mundo que su padre se tiraba pedos (la comparación no es gratuita, de veras, la escatología es un componente importante en este libro). Otra cosa a tener en cuenta es que si puteas de alguna manera a Hooky, o le caes mal por algo, ten por seguro que en algún momento lo va a cascar a los cuatro vientos. En especial, a Bernard Sumner le habrán pitado los oídos unas cuantas veces mientras su ex-colega escribía Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division. Todo esto da una sensación de honestidad bastante cautivadora, pero no puedes evitar pensar que el bueno de Hooky seguramente barre para su casa al presentarse a sí mismo como un chaval de clase obrera fascinado por el punk, macarra pero esencialmente majo y de buen fondo. Estoy deseando echarle mano, aparte de a los otros libros de Peter Hook, a los de Bernard Sumner y Stephen Morris (que pena que Gillian Gilbert no haya sacado el suyo propio). Todo por la música, claro está, por la música, sí.

[Steven Tomcavage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Hook's "Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division" reads like a transcript of what you'd expect a conversation with Peter Hook at a pub to be, talking about Joy Division. This has its upsides and downsides. It makes the book, at times, a breeze to read, but other times, when Hook slips into colloquialisms that I, in Philadelphia, don't understand, the book is a bit disappointing. The structure of the book also seemed a bit off. There were sections where Hook would be telling the story, with occasional interjections in italics from someone who I can only imagine is the editor, and then there were sections called "Timelines" which recapped the previous sections from Hook in short snippets by date, but these also contained tidbits that weren't in the previous section. I would have liked an introduction that explained how the book was laid out, who wrote what, etc. I can only interpret this form as the punk ethos coming through in his writing, but I found that back-and-forth between times and styles to be jarring. On the whole, I found the breakdown of the two Joy Division albums by track to be the best parts of the book, and the ones that I wished were longer.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Run of the mill biography of joy division

[Andy Wenman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant! I read Hookys previous book about his disastrous experiences managing the Hacienda and was shocked to see this in my local bookshop. Didn't even know it was coming out. Ended up tearing through it in a couple of days. The great thing about Hooky is he has a workmanlike no bullshit approach to writing, much like the man himself, which provides a great antidote to all the pretentious pontificating and flat out nonsense that's been written about Joy Division and Ian Curtis in the past. This book in addition to Deborah Curtis' fantastic book 'Touching From a Distance' provide a great insight into the character of the late songwriter for anyone whose a fan of Ian Curtis specifically and also paints a brilliant picture of what it was like to start a band in the in the rough unforgiving landscape of Manchester in the late 70s. There are also some great anecdotes of life on the road for those who are into that sort of thing and let's face it, if you make a habit of reading these kinds of books you almost definitely are. Hooky is a master storyteller when it comes right down to it and telling these stories is where he really shines. Also of great interest are some brief but in depth discussions of what went into the writing and recording of different songs and exactly what made the Joy Division sound so unique. I recommend as Hooky does, listening to the albums whilst reading his track by track breakdowns, really encourages you to look at them in a whole new light. Can't wait until the New Order book comes out.

[Satyros Brucato · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazingly insightful book. Hook comes across as a bit a douche, but that's standard-issue for rock stars and he's at least honest about his obnoxiousness. Anyone interested in this era and its music MUST read this book.

[Colin Bardsley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear, oh dear! Total garbage. Love Joy Division and really, really like New Order. But I find it very difficult to like anything about Peter Hook. It was probably a mistake reading this. I thought I needed another perspective on the Joy Division story, to kind of complete the circle. But I was wrong. Long story short...
- Thick as pigshit scally forms a band to get girls
- Hits jackpot when talented guitarist mate from school has knack for great riffs
- Hits jackpot again when bonafide genius songwriter/lyricist/singer joins and brilliant drummer answers advert
- Accidentally develops distinctive bass style, because (by own admission) can't play instrument properly
- States that dislikes masterpiece album (until realises everyone else doesn't) and spends latter years of career cashing in on it
- States that dislikes synths, despite prominent role in making second band successful
- Calls everyone 'pair of bastards', 'bunch of bastards', 'twat' etc.
- Calls anyone with an interest in the arts 'poncey' or 'pretentious bastard'
- Writes book about incredible band/masterpiece album, but devotes 50% to detailed descriptions of childish 'japes', like convincing someone to 'drink piss' etc.
- Meanly refers to ex-wife as 'Mrs Merton' (which is weird that she is even mentioned as she's not part of the Joy Division story)
- The end

Enjoy!

[Marc Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I'm a massive Joy Division fan and in the days before everyone around the band or in it rushed wrote a memoir, or made a film, I was scrabbling around for any little clue about the band from clippings in the music press or whatever. I bought all the bootleg tapes of live gigs and listened to them for hours on end drawing my own interpretation of what was going on psychologically between the band members. And now that I've only slightly less desperately devoured the films and the books that have come out in the last decade, I feel they have added very little new insight to those I'd culled for myself twenty years ago. Which is odd because one of the books was written by the singer's wife and this one by the bass guitarist.

[PhattandyPDX · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The plan was to get The Buzzcocks with maggots during their performance. They’d think that was all we had to offer, but in the meantime, we’d have to put the live mice inside their tour bus and use the shaving foam on the doors and windows. They deal with the shaving foam, board the bus, see the mice, run, screaming off the bus and we’d egg as they came out. Brilliant. We were as good as inventing japes as we were at writing songs.”


“To make a group successful, you have to have the ultimate in self belief. You have to believe in yourself, your music, and your message. Your attitude and judgment have to be to the detriment of all else. Be prepared to fall out with your friends, your peers, your parents, your siblings, and sometimes even members of your own group, your own manager, and definitely your record company. Only self belief will get you through; once you start doubting yourself, you’re finished.”

[subversivagrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

como fã e admiradora do joy division, tenho que dizer: isso aqui é espetacular. e como leitora, digo que é uma das melhores biografias já feitas pela riqueza de detalhes, a catalogação dos concertos, a linha do tempo, cada mínimo detalhezinho pesquisado e colocado aqui faz dessa biografia um plato cheio. eu amei muito reler! já considerava incrível na primeira leitura, anos atrás, mas relendo percebi o quão interessante ela é também mostrando a cena punk de Manchester.
sei lá, só leiam!! se você tem interesse na banda ou é uma fascinada pelo joy division e pela música, cenário musical da época, como eu, vale muito a pena a imersão nessa obra.

[George Huxley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really makes you appreciate the artistry that went into Joy Division, the gut-wrenching pain the magnificent Ian Curtis had to endure to craft such elegant and compelling lyricism. If you haven't listened to Joy Division, hop on youtube and give it a listen. If you have, but it's been a while do the same. If you're listening to it as you read this, stop reading this and listen harder! Ian Curtis rocks. So hard.

[Teree · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 If you listen to Joy Division, you should read Peter Hook's book; he has a lot to share with us. I finished it this morning, cried for a while, reread the "Closer" chapter, and played all my albums and singles. After having read this book, their music sounds impossibly better, and feels even more special. I've been a huge fan for almost 30 years...

[Brian Gruidl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and fun read. Definitely focuses just on Peter Hook's experience, which is great considering the fighting between he and Bernard. Fun to read about one member's perspective without throwing knives.

[Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a music memoir, even without being a fan of the band's music, and this story is one worth hearing. Benefits from being narrated by the author.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I found out that Peter Hook had written a book about Joy Division, I was as excited as any super fan ever is. An opportunity to learn more about my favorite band, hopefully see some new photos and reminisce about younger days spent beside the stereo making mix tapes and day dreaming. But, when the library called to tell me that my reserve on Unknown Pleasures had come in, I was not so sure that I was up for it. Joy Division is not exactly light and airy. And depressing material is not what I need right now.

As every fan probably knows, Joy Division front man, Ian Curtis, hung himself on May 18, 1980 at the age of 23...days before a scheduled American tour and on the cusp of everything. That happened to be the weekend I turned 14. At the time, I had no idea who Joy Division and Ian Curtis were. I was still sitting miserably in my bedroom, French braiding my hair in an effort to fit into the preppie milieu and listening to ELO, Supertramp, Genesis and the Police. I wouldn't hear Ian's voice for a few more years.

Typically, I discovered New Order first. I loved that band. And then some guy at a record store took pity on me and clued me in as I was purchasing an early New Order album and raving about it. He told me about an 'even better band' called Joy Division that had come first. I checked into that. And the rest is history for me. I fell in love with the dark and driving force immediately. The power of the music and the fascinating lyrics reached right out of the stereo and grabbed my by the throat. It was overwhelming. "I was waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand...Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man..."

Ian Curtis and Joy Division pumped me up psychologically in some weird way. As depressed and fragile as Curtis was...physically and emotionally ill and exhausted...his music made me feel fortunate to be a socially unsuccessful 80s nerd. Sure I spent a lot of time by myself moping. But, had I spent the early 80s partying and dating I may never have found the time or inclination to learn about this band. And that would have been a huge loss. Imagine. Mindlessly spending the 80s listening to Hall and Oates and Huey Lewis...when there was Joy Division. Ah. It is too terrible to contemplate!

So I decided that I was going to read this book. If Joy Division could help me through my lesser problems as a teenager/early 20-something: (boys/lack of boys; zits; geometry; the social skills of a cadaver)...Perhaps they could help me through the current barrage of greater problems (both parents fighting serious cancer diagnoses; financial stress; zero spare time; and the fading of my face into a chronic mien of worried lines. Mid Life Crisis Anyone?)

And they did! More specifically, Peter Hook did. He is hilarious! Unknown Pleasures is as funny as it is poignant. Hooky shares several raucous highlights (er, lowlights) of Joy Division behind-the-scenes. And he does so in the laid back and conversational manner of a very entertaining friend who is sitting across from you at the bar and cracking you up all evening. Hook seems to have respect and appreciation for his fan base and this does come through in his writing style.

One such tale illustrates how narrowly we all missed out on hearing Joy Division. The band's first set of demo tapes were such crap that they were nearly dismissed out of hand. Here is how it went down:

"Terry, still our manager, had the job of copying the demos and sending
them out to venues. The idea was that he'd ring the venue a bit later,
find out what they thought of the tape, and see if they'd give us a spot.
'All right, it's Terry Mason, manager of Warsaw {Joy Division's first
name}--just wondered what you thought of the demo I sent you?' That
sort of thing.

But every time he rang someone he was geting the same reaction:
'Terrible'. 'Absolutely shit, mate.' 'Fuckin' awful'

So Terry was saying to us, 'No one wants you, lads. They all say
you're shit,' which we couldn't understand because other groups who
were much shitter than us (like the Drones, for example) were getting
gigs out of town. Us? Nothing.

So I said to Terry, 'Terry give us one of them tapes and let me have
a listen to it, and make sure it's all right.'

He went, 'All right, Hooky, here y'go.' and fished one of them out
his jacket, one of those tapes you get--or used to get--in a pack
of three; TDK, something like that. I put it on in the car and it
started out okay. Bit muffled, a little distant, but you could hear
my bass, Barney sawing away, Steve Brotherdale {Joy Division's early
drummer before Steve Morris} doing the business, Ian doing his punky
singing--yet to fully develop his baritone, of course; still doing
the punky shouting back then but sounding great. We're sounding like
a band, a good band. The kind of band you'd want playing at your
venue, surely...

Then suddenly I heard the theme tune to Cornation Street drown it
all out. And next I hear this voice, Terry's mum, Eileen, saying
'Come on now, Terry, your tea's ready...'

Now back then the only way you could record tape-to-tape was by
using two little flat cassette players, put speaker-to-speaker, which
was what Terry had been doing. But the dozy bugger had been record-
ing them while he was watching telly and waiting for his mum to do
his tea. No wonder no one wanted to book us."

Hook tells us plenty more like this. I had no idea, for instance, that the band was under suspicion by police as suspects in the Yorkshire Ripper murders. In Hook's words, it happened like this the night the police appeared on his doorstep:

" 'Right,' he said, when we were all sat down. 'We've had reports that your van has been seen in the red-light districts of Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Moss Side...' He looked at me. 'Want to tell me why that is, son?' -- For a moment my mind went blank. All I could think was: Yorkshire Ripper. This was during the time they were searching for him. He preyed on prostitutes in Leeds, Bradford, Manchester... -- 'Oh, hang on a minute,' I said. 'I'm in a group. I play bass in a group. Where you're saying, they're gigs we've played. --They looked at each other, all doubtful-like. 'What's your group called?' --'Joy Division' -- 'Never heard of them.' --Probably Level 42 fans. 'Really,' I insisted. 'I play bass and all the gigs that we play are in the red-light districts.' -- 'Why's that then?' --'Well, we're sort of a punk group and they're the kind of places punk groups play.' --'Can you prove that, then?' he said. 'What, that we're a punk group?' --'No, that your group has played in those places.' 'Oh, yeah, of course.' I said. 'Our manager's got all the dates written down. And proving it's no problem. We've had punters--I mean, audience--watching, you know. And we've been reviewed and stuff.' -- They seemed satisfied. 'Well, in that case, we won't ask you to come to the station or anything, but you must bear in mind that you're appearing in all these areas where there have been Ripper killings, so you can consider yourself under investigation.' "

So, Joy Division almost didn't make it because their manager was recording soap operas over their demo tapes...and then they almost got banged up for the Ripper jobs? (The band's drummer, Steve Morris, actually DID get hauled down to the station for the crimes.)

So Unknown Pleasures was not the dark and dreary saga of a doomed man that I was expecting. Certainly, Curtis' suicide and the epileptic fits and romantic drama that lead up to the tragedy are covered within the pages -- but Hook takes pains to portray all the various personas that made up Ian Curtis. He was a tragic genius who made a lasting impression on more than one generation of music fans certainly. But he was also a Manc lad who played elaborate pranks on his mates, drank at the pub, loved his dog and liked Frank Sinatra's voice. Who knew?

I played a lot of Joy Division while I read this book. Hook takes you through all their tracks, one at a time, and provides background to the construction of the songs and his impression of each one. It is recommended that the reader crank up Joy Division quite loudly while reading these sections.

I would highly recommend Unknown Pleasures (both the book and the album, of course) to any Joy Division fan. Also to any reader who is specifically interested in the Manchester scene during the mid to late 70s and early 80s. Although Hook is most definite in his decision that he will NEVER again play as New Order with Barney, Steve and Gillian...he does indicate that he may well write another book about the New Order days. I hope he does.

[djkb djkb · Rating 5 out of 5]

ალბათ 2015 წლამდე ჩემი მუსიკალური გემოვნება დღევანდელთან შედარებით დიდად განსხვავდებოდა, მახსოვს ლედ ზეპელინის პირველ ალბომს ვუსმენდი, ყველა ნოტი მუსიკაა იქ ... თუმცა თავს ვერ ვაიგივებდი მასთან ... შინაგანად ვხვდებოდი რომ ეს ჩემი მუსიკა არ არის ... ჯოი დივიზიონს ადრე ვერ ვიტანდი, რადგან ბევრი ბაძავდა მას, საქართველოში, ვოკალის ხმოვანებაში, ინსტრუმენტალურ სვლებში, ალტერნატიული როკის სახელით აკეთებდნენ ამას ... წარმოიდგინეთ ქართულ ენაზე მომღერალი ვოკალისტი რომელიც ინგლისურ დარტყმებს აკეთებს სიტყვებში და თან ჯოი დივისიონის ვოკალისტის, იან კურტისის ინტონაციით ... შედეგად ასო ბგერა "ვ" - ს მაგივრად ვღებულობთ "ვუეს" - "ჩუენ" "თქუენ" "სამშუობლუო" და მსგავსი "აუდიო ცოდვები".

მერე მოვისმინე ჯოი დივიზიონის სიმღერა "აშლილობა" "Disorder", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhCLa... გამაკვირვა იმან, რომ ბასი საკუთარ მუსიკალურ ხაზვს უკრავდა, სოლო თავისს, დასარტყამი თავისს და ვოკალი კი კიდევ სხვა მელოდიას ... რომ აღარაფერი არ ვთქვათ უკანა ფონის სინთეზატორზე ... ჯგუფის ყველა წევრი უკრავს საკუთარ მელოდიას და ეს ქმნის ერთ მთლიანობას ... ეს უკვე მიღწევაა. ანალოგიური განცდა დამიტოვა "მკვდარმა სულებმა" Dead Souls" მა, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGs0g... თანაც სიმღერა იწყება 2 : 54 წუთზე, ამას ბევრი ვერ გაბედავდა, ასეთ გვიან ვოკალურ ჩართვას და ასეთ დიდ ინსტურმენტალურ შესავალს ... ეს მიუთითებს თუ რა დარწმუნებულები იყვნენ მუსიკოსები საკუთარ თავში როდესაც ამ სიმღერას წერდნენ.

არ არის სასიამოვნო იმის მოსმენა რომ ჯოი დივიზიონი "დეპრესიულ" მუსიკად აღიქმება მსმენელთა ნაწილში, არც იმის მოსმენა რომ ვოკალისტმა, იან კურტისმა თავი ჩამოიკიდა ... წიგნის ავტორის, ჯოი დივიზიონის ბასისტის, პიტერ ჰუკის იან კურტის არ ახასიათება როგორც დეპრესიულ ადამიანს, მას უბრალოდ "აშლილობა" (ეპილეფსია) სჭირდა, რომლ��სგანაც სერიოზულ წნეხს განიცდიდა და შიშს, აი ამ სიკვდილის შიშისაგან იან კურტისი გამოიფიტა და დაიღალა.

წიგნში ბენდი "ჯოი დივიზიონი" არ არის გამოყვანილი როგორც კეთილი ჯგუფი, ავტორი მაქსიმალურად ცდილობს ასახოს ყველა სირთულე რაც თან დაყვებოდა ამ კოლექტივს, ის არ ახდენს არაფრის რომანტიზირებას, სარეპეტიციო სტუდიის აღწერისას ამაში დარწმუნდებით, განსაკუთრებით მაშინ როდესაც შეიტყობთ, რომ სარეპეტიციო სტუდიიდან რამოდენიმე კილომეტრში იყო W.C. ... გაუჩერებელი ჩხუბები სცენებზე, ბასისტი პიტერ ჰუკი დანანებით იხსნებს რომ ხშირად თავში წიხლის მირტყმა სჭირდებოდა ამ ახალგზარდებისათვის სცენის და ბენდის წევრების დასაცავდ. (ჯოი დივიზიონი თავის დროში აღიქმებოდა პანკ ბენდად, სადაც ჩხუბები ნორმად იყო ქცეული)

წიგნი საინტერესოა იმით რომ ის გვიყვება უდიდეს პოსტ პანკური ბენდის "ჯოი დივიზიონის - უცნობი სიამოვნების" შექმნის ისტორიას ... იმას რაც მუსიკის იქით არის ... ადამიანურ ურთიერთობებზე, ტკივილზე და ბედნიერებაზე. რაც თავი მახსოვს, ადამიანები ძირითად ამ ორ მოვლენაზე მღერიან, ტკივილი და ბედნიერება ...

როგორც იან კურტისი იტყოდა, "სიყვარული, ისევ სიყვარული დაგვაშორებს ჩვენ" ... ერთი რამ ფაქტია, მის მუსიკებს იქამდე იმღერებენ სანამ სამყაროს სიმღერა შეეძლება, ესეც მიღწევაა ...

https://youtu.be/3-yr9xKTcjg?t=1m

ვისაც გიყვართ მუსიკა გულწრფელი მუსიკოსების გამო, მათი "გალობანი სინანულისა" თქვენს წინაშეა ... ჩემი 5 ვარსკვალი და რეკომენდაცია "უცნობ სიამოვნებას - ჯოი დივიზიონი შიგნიდან"

იმედია ამ ადამინმა იპოვა ბედნიერება და დაძლია ტკივილი

[David Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I have 'Touching From A Distance' by Deborah Curtis, so was interested to read a version of events from a different perspective. I am so glad that I did! If you are thinking of reading this book, ignore the reviews and make up your own minds, as my opinion is completely different to some others, who seem to have taken away a completely different perspective on what was written.

I like how this is portrayed. Peter Hook is honest, funny and above all unapologetic about how he has put into words his memories of what happened. There is nothing pretentious about this book. There are sections that make you laugh out loud, there are sections that are pretty disgusting and there are sections that can be serious and quite sobering. Starting from the bass players childhood, we are led through the evolution of how the group met, the backgrounds and characters of the band, associates, and a warts and all history of antics in and out of the studio. You get to hear about rivalry with other bands, scuffles, lots of pranks and the evolution of a group of young men into the musicians of one of the most respected alternative bands that have existed. The sheer scope of work both in and out of the studio was incredible to read about. The relentless gigs, constantly fighting for a spot to get noticed and the toll taken on them all adds an insight (no pun intended) into just how hard things were. The affection that is felt for Ian Curtis is evident and his personality was quite surprising, but I was in no way disappointed to read about any of the band members being described as other than I had imagined them - they are human beings after all. Ians struggles to balance his band life, his married life, being a father and his ever worsening epilepsy show just how much a normal man had to deal with, and, although not in massive detail, there is enough to explain just how exhausting this must have been.The benefit of hindsight after Ians suicide is painfully felt multiple times throughout when it is mentioned how the author wishes he had stopped a show or intervened in some way, and I always used to wonder having read the lyrics how they didn't notice just how bad things were, but this book does go some way to explaining not only how it happened with Joy Division, but also how it may have happened with Alice In Chains too and their own upset. (My own thought, there is no relevance to this history).

If you are a fan of Joy Division / New Order then this is recommended. You will see Ian in a different light from 'Touching From A Distance, Control, and 24 Hour Party People'.

[E L K Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far, and I mean by very, very far, the best biography I have ever read.
And I am not saying just as both Joy Division and New Order fan, however, I am sure it's a factor, but mostly because Hooky wrote it as Hooky seems to be. There is approximately 0 % nonsense or pretentiousness.

There is a Czech word (which is definitely derived from German) for that type of pub where barely anyone but the real locals with no perception filter or survival instinct go, we call them "pajzl", and for some reason, I kept remembering the one from my old little town. Bands play every night; only one of them is really good, and most of them end in drunken fights. And reading this book, you picture yourself sitting with Hooky in pajzl and latching onto his every word as he talks about music, the beginning, the fun bits, the very hard bits, the music scene and production at the time, all of it. And it's all fascinating.

Even if you are not a fan of Joy Division, this book will turn you into one; however, how you are not a fan of such a musical jewel, I don't know. Do better.

Lastly, there are those "bang" review one-liners on the cover, and one of them from GQ says, "it's like you are the fifth member", but I disagree; rather, it feels like you're the poor bastard loading the equipment back to the van, helping Hooky while he tells you stories. But that's what makes this book so good and so captivating.

[Maria Felgueiras · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to read Bernard Sumner's Chapter and Verse but I ended up buying Peter Hook's Unknown Pleasures. It's a good book with interesting accounts about Joy Division, many other punk and post punk bands and the Manchester music scene in the late 70s, beginning of the 80s. What a turmoil it must have been! Hook also gives us some insights on New Order and his book Substance on the band. Some bits of Unknown Pleasures are too technical and therefore of less interest to me but it still is a good read and I'm looking forward to reading more by Hook and also Sumner's book in the future.

[Julie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and Devastating

A very thoughtful and well written book on what it was like to be Joy Division. My first college year was so influenced by this music. I still listen to it today. Ian Curtis would get more help now. It was simply different 40 years ago.

[Amanda Brainerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest and heartfelt account of the scrappy beginnings of Joy Division, the success, and the heartbreaking end. Peter Hook tells it like it was: they were kids, and had no idea how sick Ian was. Even if they’d been older, they probably wouldn’t have known. And the band was and is so much more than Ian’s tragedy. There are many fascinating anecdotes about goings on back and on stage, but I particularly loved the album track descriptions, where Hook explains the backstory behind the brilliant sons. For example how Day of the Lords was Joy Division trying to do what the Velvet Underground did on Ocean. Go listen. Of course! But Hook writes with humor, sensitivity, bold honesty about his intense experience. It’s a great book Hooky.

[Nicole Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew absolutely NOTHING about Joy Division before I read this book. I was familiar with New Order (which gets many references in this book but since it's not called "New Order," there's not a lot on their music). I do like a memoir, so I learned about the band as I read - getting angry when I'd tell people I was reading this and they'd tell me what happens to some of the band members. Instead of being super spoilery, I'll tell you the seven things I learned from this book that I will carry with me forever.

1. Just when I thought this rocker's memory was pretty fantastic, Peter went and brought me back to earth. "There are a lot of things I don't remember," he said by page 48. I guess these musicians must hear stories over and over, so they can recall events at a later (non-booze/drug influenced) time.

2. Peter's friend Terry learned something for all of us. "Then he became the sound guy, and he was shit at being a sound guy too, because Harry DeMac had taught him - as a joke, presumably - to turn things up with the 'gain pots' on the desk instead of the faders (ask your roadie), which resulted in some pretty wild mixes." Um, I don't have a roadie, so while I think this is probably important information I need someone to explain that to me.

3. I learned new slang. When the band was looking for a drummer, "Our first reply was from a student whose name I can't remember. We took him on but he really got in our tits, so even though he was an okay drummer we decided to get rid of him." I've never used "got in our tits," but I might now.

4. Their van cruised a red-light district where the Yorkshire Ripper was preying on prostitutes. People, if your wheels are the same as a serial killer's DON'T cruise his turf unless you want to meet the police OR you want to piss off the killer who's still at-large!

5. Who knew you could get health tips from a rocker's memoir? "Listen, right, if you lot don't stop spitting, we're not going to play," Pete Shalley begged before the crowd showered him with spit. Not only gross. "That's how Joe Strummer got hepatitis, from swallowing someone's spit. Disgusting." UNDERSTATEMENT.

6. "Never have a support band who are at the top of their game. As New Order we had OutKast supporting us once. Big mistake that was." Hey ya! That sounds like a crazy concert combination!

7. When roadie Twinny borrowed Peter's second favorite shirt (after promising he'd be careful with it), he was attacked and left bloody. "Later on his mum got the blood out by washing it in a bath of saltwater. The salt lifts the blood out, she told me later, and she was absolutely right because the shirt was fine. Little tip for you there." I've watched enough crime shows on TV to know this is just an appearance thing. CSI people can totally still find the blood on your clothes, so if you're a killer (and if you are, I think you're awesome so take me off your hit list) you'll need to get rid of your clothes.

[Tvermar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, he writes really well about the songs / technical (muso) bits. Docked half a star as too many “touring japes” stories for me but still very good and a great read even if you don’t know Joy Division / New Order very well

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Joy Division. Dark, vulnerable, beautiful, immortal. Ian Curtis's lyrics still stand as daring, staring unflinchingly at the faces of life and death. Curtis has become synonymous with the tragic, romanticized mythical figure of rock & roll, as legend is wont to do, but bassist Peter Hook tears it down and gives us the band's story in a very candid, we're-just-normal-lads-from-the-North kind of way.

It was actually very funny and blunt, like sitting down to a solid conversation with a dude who's learned a few lessons looking back on those young, reckless days where we were all immortal. Even just reading through the chapter titles is a laugh riot. Of course, that isn't to say this doesn't have its heartbreaking moments toward the end.

Probably three and a half stars, I'd say. Enjoyed the book, great for Joy Division fans. I didn't care for the book's organization, however, and found the editorial(?) paragraphs a little awkward at times. Also, for momentum's sake I would have preferred to have the timeline and the track-by-track notes for Unknown Pleasures and Closer all in one spot at the end. (By the way, I really loved the addition of the track-by-track stuff.)

"Ian had difficulty singing some of the songs he wrote because he didn't have the range in his key, but I've always felt very, very strongly that a great vocalist can write great music and doesn't have to sing it perfectly as long as the emotion's there. The emotion comes from the heart, the soul, the passion, which together make a perfect delivery. ... I mean, I know I keep saying it, but what you want in life is strength and belief, and if someone has that, it doesn't have to be technically perfect."

He gets it. Passion and honesty are everything. Thanks for the music, guys.

[&#x1f336; peppersocks &#x1f9e6; · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned:
“No we’re not fucking nazis, we’re from Salford”

I’ve enjoyed many elements of New Order through various playlists and musical moments, but only really know the main hits of Joy Division (and have even danced to them to celebrate the irony) and the many revered references from grateful musician fans. Peter Hook is a divisive character (in a revelatory offhand comment shows his wonderful Manchester shrug and tut - “i mean, how hard is it to spot a plane at an airport?!”) as are the rest of the familiar faces from the band without having hugely forceful celebrity personalities - to quote a friend, they were sneaky japester tossers... but that’s what the majority of this book is - some Manchester to Derbyshire recognisable places and characters, including a unexpected Mrs Miggins mention, but it’s about the friendship and the adventures in music together - a new band, a young band, a stumbling band, but they were there with determination and backed by people who believed in them.

As expected the last hour is very hard to listen to as the sudden upward turn of the career takes a shock of loss - as Lemmy said to Dave Grohl for a similar sad situation, getting to the real crux of an arthouse punk music, tortured soul tragic story - “sorry to hear about your friend...”

“...because when you’re 22 it feels like if you don’t seize the moment then it will be gone in a puff of smoke...”

[Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good book where a band or music is the subject involved. This book did not disappoint. Already a fan of Joy Division and New Order, I was extremely excited to give this a go! Peter Hook(I'll refrain from calling him Hooky mainly because I am not his "mate") is a fun and honest story teller. Even when he thinks he is being honest in his accuracy, he is corrected in the truth. He obviously starts from the beginning. Upbringing, first musical influence, the band that set his sails of to sea, and even how he manages to acquire the length of his bass strap.
Peter talks about his close relationship with Bernard and ultimately their unfortunate separation. Although I do get a feeling that there is remorse along with a possible hope of reconciliation.
Of course there is a lot of talk about Ian. Plenty of regret and hindsight on Peters end. But isn't that to be expected?
I won't spoil too much and let you, the reader, discover all of the juicy tales that are inside this wonderful read.
Oh one last thing. I would highly suggest you follow Mr. Hooks advice, and listen to the accompanying album while reading the appropriate chapter. That was a nice surprise.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy Division is probably my second-favorite band of all time (after the Beatles), and this past Monday was the fortieth anniversary of Ian Curtis' passing. So I picked up Peter Hook's great book about his time in Joy Division and his memories of Curtis. It's a book I've read before (common theme in my reviews lately, I know), but it's well worth revisiting some of the books that I've read before because they're like old friends. In this case, Hooky is the guy at the end of the bar with some of the best stories, a real piss-taker who lets you know that the image projected isn't always the truth. Hooky does a lot of soul-searching here about what he and others around Curtis might have done to prevent the suicide of not just a lead singer but a son, father, husband, and all-around complicated guy. Whether anything could've stopped Ian Curtis from taking his own life is hard to say, but Hook remembers the good times too. This is a perfect companion piece to Deborah Curtis' memoir of her life with Ian (indeed, I re-read both back to back), so if you're a JD/NO (for New Order) fan, you can't go wrong with either.