Record Play Pause

by Stephen Morris

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A unique and thoughtful musical memoir' Observer 'Gritty coming-of-age story . . . plenty of anecdotes to keep us hooked, and his memories of Joy Division's Ian Curtis are poignant' Daily Mirror Before he was responsible for some of the most iconic drumming in popular music, Stephen Morris grew up in 1960s and '70s industrial Macclesfield, on a quiet road that led seemingly to nowhere. Far removed from the bright lights and manic energy of nearby Manchester, he felt stifled by suburbia and feared he might never escape. Then he joined Joy Division - while they were still known as Warsaw - a pioneer of the rousing post-punk sound that would revolutionise twentieth-century rock. Following two landmark albums and widespread critical acclaim, Joy Division were at the height of their powers and poised to break the US, when lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide. Part memoir, part scrapbook and part aural Stephen Morris's innate sense of rhythm and verve pulses through Record Play Pause . From recollections of growing up in the North West to the founding of New Order, Morris never strays far from the music. And by turns profound and wry, this book subverts the mythology and allows us to understand music's power to define who we are and what we become.

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

405 pages, Hardcover

Published February 7, 2019

About the author

Stephen Paul David Morris is an English drummer who is best known for his work with the rock band New Order and, previously, Joy Division.

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Joy Division and New Order and have read and enjoyed all of bass player Peter Hook's books.

When I saw that drummer Stephen Morris had written this book - Record Play Pause subtitled Confessions of a Post-Punk Percussionist Volume 1 - I was keen to read it.

Curiously I have yet to read Chapter and Verse: New Order, Joy Division and Me by singer Bernard Sumner.

I always suspected that Stephen Morris was likely to be the most modest and clear eyed of the group and this book appears to confirm that perception. If you like Joy Division and New Order it's another essential read. From Stephen's early life in Macclesfield, through to his musical awakening, and then to becoming drummer of Warsaw, who were to change their name to Joy Division. Record Play Pause is especially good at evoking the 1970s, the early Manchester punk scene and the birth pangs of Factory Records.

The book ends shortly after Joy Division singer Ian Curtis's suicide and the first tentative steps as New Order supporting A Certain Ratio in America.

Here's hoping Confessions of a Post-Punk Percussionist Volume 2 will follow soon.

4/5

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite musician autobiography ever. I was going to say “easily my favourite….” but I suddenly remembered Tracey Thorn’s ‘Bedsit Disco Queen’. Unfairly to her though, Mr Morris has the advantage of having played in my favourite band and then went on to play in my second favourite band. Other than that, it’d be a tight match. Both seem to be very nice people to be around and both are good storytellers.

Ok, so focus on this one, shall we? I have read a bit on Joy Division/New Order in the last 38 or so years, but I’m not in any way a scholar. Even so, Stephen Morris’ own take is in many ways a nice perspective (and in quite a few ways verification of earlier accounts).

I really like his take on things, what he choses to focus on and puts emphasis on. The mostly healthy dose of humbleness and self criticism feels all ok (even if I doubt the narrative that seems to suggest that sometimes coincidence, awkwardness and luck combined with goofing around makes you become the best drummer in the world).

Some things around the origins of Joy Division still after this book seem a bit shrouded in fog. Especially with the death of Ian and all that tells about the dynamics and certainly the relationships between the involved. For me, it has always been a bit like trying to catch a whiff of smoke with your hands. Maybe we’ve been given the truth and the full story, bleak and common as it is many times now and are just holding out hope that is has to be more to it.

Anyway - this book is about Steve and it’s brilliant.

[Paul Ataua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ian Curtis, Joy Division, and that whole Manchester indie scene played a big part in my development from Tony Wilson’s ‘So It Goes’ days with Granada and on through the Hacienda and all the bands. It was the first movement I felt I was a part of and felt was a part of me, so I had to read this. As it happens, the first eight chapters are pretty uninspiring, a very ordinary and uneventful upbringing, very much like every other guys upbringing in the period with its airfix models, the drugs, the adolescent rebellion, and all told in that North Western banter style that was a part of just about every group of lads at that time. Skip over the first eight chapters and start when you get to Morris joining Warsaw and the beginning of the group. Even then the depth is very much lacking . I wanted more insight into the group, the people and the venues, and all I got was a lot of pretty shallow anecdotes. And yet, there I was there, right to the end, bathing in the nostalgia and stopping reading every time a track was discussed to open up YouTube and watch the video. Loved the nostalgic trip, but was not too much impressed by the book.

Ian Curtis committed suicide on May 18, 1980, and here we are just a few days from the 42nd anniversary of his death. He was something special and will not be forgotten.

[Matt Whittingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

My obsession with New Order, even after 35 years, shows no signs of abating. What is it about this collection of Northern lads and one lass, that managed to make such enduring music and provide a sound track to a good portion of my life? In Record Play Pause, the latest to a long canon of books about, and by the band, we come to Stephen Morris's account.

I must confess that when I first heard Morris was writing a book (bearing in mind we've already had Bernard Sumner's autobiog, and three books so far from Peter Hook), I wasn't really expecting too much. After all, Stephen is the more self effacing of the male band contingent (he and Gillian even called their spin off "The Other Two'). But Stephen is also is the funniest and it is his humour that really comes through in this, a surprisingly deft account of his exploits as a teenager, and the early years of Joy Division.

Perhaps more that Bernard and even Hooky's efforts, he perhaps brings us closest to understanding Ian Curtis, and the environment he found himself in, as he headed towards the end of his life. With all of these books, the events of 18th May 1980 always loom large, and so it is with this.

I used to think Stephen was the most sensible, but based on this first volume, I got that wrong. Lord knows what exploits await us in Volume 2. I cannot wait.

[Mr Disco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic read. Can’t wait for Volume II.

SPOILER ALERT: The singer dies in the end.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you buy into the myth of Joy Division, they were all very serious young men who took the stage to expound on the emptiness of modern life and the existential terror of staring into the void. But if you're of an age where you no longer buy into that myth (concocted by music journalists and usually after the untimely death of Ian Curtis), the four young men in the band were much more laddish while also being steeped in deeply serious, amazingly powerful rock music.

Stephen Morris' memoir of his Joy Division days, "Record Play Pause," is easily one of the most enjoyable memoirs from a rock star ever. It's every bit as irreverent and fun as Peter Hook's memoir "Unknown Pleasures," and benefits from Morris' deadpan sense of humor and inability to take himself or the "myth" of Joy Division seriously.

Morris, like fellow Macclesfield native Curtis, grew up obsessed with music, and his stories of trying to find his musical calling are hilarious ("don't call us, we'll call you" drumming gigs, an ill-fated attempt to become a guitar god, and so on). By the time he lands in Joy Division's drummer's chair, he's been kicked out of school for getting high and spending his money from jobs that he loathes on records and drum kit parts. With Warsaw (later Joy Division), Morris finds himself as Ian's driver, as the frontman couldn't drive and was useless with anything technical. His stories of the band's desperate attempts to gain notice are funny, and you really do feel like it's Joy Division against the world up until they find a kindred spirit in Tony Wilson, the cocksure founder of Factory Records and TV gadabout.

Morris is a natural storyteller, and many of the moments in this book were laugh-out-loud hilarious. It's a bit like having a good chat with a buddy down at the local bar, only that buddy is a successful musician who just happens to have been in two of the best bands to emerge from the post-punk scene (Joy Division and New Order). Any discussion of Joy Division, of course, has to account for Ian Curtis' suicide on May 18, 1980, on the eve of the band's first American tour. Morris deals with this honestly, by recounting his mixed emotions at the death of his bandmate and friend and the repercussions of starting over. I will definitely find time to get my hands on the second volume of his memoirs, dealing with New Order.

Joy Division are, aside from the Beatles, my favorite band of all time, and I've read a lot about them over the years. Some books have been good, others have been terrible. Along with Peter Hook's memoir and the Jon Savage oral history of Joy Division, "Record Play Pause" is an essential read for any JD fan. It provides a fun, illuminating look behind the myth, by a witty author who just happens to be a world-class drummer as well.

[Iain Cargill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Rock n Roll story.. For Joy Division fans who want more

[Richard Luck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three books down, and still a member of New Order has yet to write a shite memoir. Gillian, it's over to you.

[Michael Legge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shame he dies in the end.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

record, play, pause both affirmed and shattered my preconceptions surrounding stephen morris. reading his memoir of childhood, adolescence and joy division, i was greeted with the good natured, self effacing voice that i'd imagined him to have. yet i had no idea that he possessed a great sense of humour, one that completely dislodges the 'gloomy and depressed' image that a band like joy division conjures (inadvertently, according to stephen). i also never would've pegged him as a fan of either hawkwind or van der graaf generator, but people are full of surprises.

it was a remarkably enjoyable experience reading this book, especially considering how much more unfamiliar i am with joy division/new order in comparison to other artists whose music memoirs i've read. but stephen writes with such an accessible, conversational tone, one that feels like chatting to a friend (or, given my age compared to his, like your dad regaling you with tales of his youth). the entire first third of this book is about stephen's childhood and adolescence - joy division, or rather warsaw, don't get a mention until a bit past the hundred page mark. i actually enjoyed this preamble, as i got to know stephen a little better - who knew he was such a ne'er do well as a teen - and it provided great context as to why punk and joining a band in itself would be fundamentally important to him later on.

overall, i really loved record, play, pause. it's been a handful of years since i read either bernard or hooky's memoirs, but i get the impression that stephen's might be the fairest in its portrayal of others, including himself. i enjoyed reading about stephen's role within the group, his passion for music and technology, when he first met gillian, and of course, the countless band anecdotes that are a hallmark of any good music memoir. i am more than eager to pick up a copy of fast forward and sink my teeth into the story of new order.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde que se anunció este libro supe que iba a leerlo y a disfrutarlo por completo porque después de todo está escrito por mi baterista favorito ¿qué podría salir mal? ¡nada! de verdad, nada salió mal. No tengo quejas, de verdad fue increíble y creo que de no ser por ciertos inconvenientes en mi entorno podría haberlo leído en menos tiempo porque no podía esperar para continuar.

Está muy bien escrito, me encanta el tipo de humor que maneja, no se extiende volviendo a contar anécdotas que ya contó Hook en Unknown Pleasures salvo un par que lo involucran directamente o son casi mitos y valen mucho la pena. No he leído Chapter and Verse pero por ahora esta viene siendo la biografía superior porque incluso las anécdotas que no guardan relación con la banda son interesantes.

Lo que más esperaba de este libro era conocer cómo había empezado a tocar, conocer más de esos detalles porque como antigua "baterista" todo ese proceso me parece interesante. Resulta que la formula secreta es dedicación y talento, quién lo habría imaginado...

Espero el siguiente con muchas ansias.

[Lisastrawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, Stephen Morris is witty and hilarious. I never expected to laugh aloud and often, while reading a book on Joy Division. Thank you for that, Mr. Morris! He's clever and yet self deprecating in that oh so British way. A few times he got a bit tech-y when it came to electronic drums and such, but he seemed to know what I was thinking and pulled back from going fully into tech geek speak. Thanks for that too, Mr. Morris! Since this is called "The Joy Divison Years" as a half title, I truly hope he writes a "New Order Years" volume.
I thoroughly recommend this for fans of Joy Division. WELL DONE.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen sounds like the one I'd want to hang out with. Listening to Krautrock, reading science fiction and flirting with the occult in the midnight meadows of Macclesfield. His book gives a sensitive touch to growing up in the 60's and 70's in the UK. His account of the pre and post-punk years here are personal and although less sensational than other versions, I found it compelling. Tales of the formation of the Joy Division and early gigs are here. There is an exciting emphasis on the development of electronics in their developing sound. I love hearing about my heroes geeking out on discovering records and books in their developing years. He put together a playlist at the end of the book that compiles his favorite formative musical milestones.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Td...

[bia · Rating 4 out of 5]

felt like a really long talk with some grandpa about his time in a band,how much he likes krautrock and geeky stuff in general
it was insightful though and full of great recs

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made an interesting contrast to the memoirs by Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner. It was more entertaining than I thought it would be, but a bit lacking in other respects.

As the drummer of Joy Division, Stephen Morris was generally silent and stuck in the back. As a result it was difficult to know what to expect from this book. While not as entertaining a storyteller as Hooky, this memoir has a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor throughout that caught me off guard. While Hooky and Sumner more or less grew up together, Morris was a later addition to the band who joined through Ian Curtis, giving him a slightly different perspective on events. Both Hooky and Sumner’s memoirs are largely about how they related to Ian Curtis and secondly how they related to each other, so insight into Morris himself was also in short supply in the previous books. Hooky portrayed him as semi-autistic and Sumner didn’t mention him much as all. Morris relates his own story in a humorous and engaging fashion.

Morris offers his own perspective on Curtis, humanizing this much mythologized figure of post punk music. He also shares his experiences with manager Rob Gretton, Factory Records co-founder Tony Wilson, and record producer Martin Hannett. The frustrating thing about this book is that Morris’ living band mates remain mostly ciphers. Apart from some amusing anecdotes about drug-fueled pranks, he fails to portray Hooky and Sumner in the same depth as his deceased musical collaborators, and some more detail about the band’s internal dynamic would have been greatly appreciated. Perhaps we’ll get more of that in the soon to be released follow-up volume, covering the New Order era.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read 3 Joy Division books.
Here are the best ones, in order:

1. Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, by Peter Hook
2. Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division, by Deborah Curtis
3. Record Play Pause, by Stephen Morris

Morris' book was good, but was too long.
If he cut the first half down by 80% it would have been better.
The second half was really enjoyable - it's where starts really getting into Joy Division.

I listened to the audiobook, which Morris narrates. I love it when the author narrates their own work.
About 10 of the quotes in the audiobook are actual recordings of the quoted, which was great.

My rating is 3.25.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the memoir of Stephen Morris. Primarily the Warsaw and Joy Division years written in a wry, self deprecating fashion. Sensational playlist at the end.

[Andy N · Rating 4 out of 5]

An audio version of this will be discussed in the book review Podcast Reading in Bed which will be released shortly and is available on readinginbed.bandcamp.com and all the usual networks.

Stephen Morris

Record Play Pause

Blurb:
Stephen Morris has had a distinguished career, spanning nearly forty years, as a pivotal member of Joy Division and New Order with his trademark machine-like drumming. After the death of Joy Division's singer, Ian Curtis, in 1980, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Morris and his wife Gillian formed New Order, one of the most critically acclaimed and influential bands of the late twentieth century. New Order became the flagship band for Tony Wilson's Factory Records and, alongside him, opened the infamous Hacienda nightclub, the centre of the acid house movement. In 2015, after a ten-year hiatus, New Order released Music Complete; which charted at #2 in its first week of release (the band's highest position in over twenty years).
Stephen's book won't be that typical music autobiography, which tends to be high on mischief and low on the music. Part memoir, part aural history, it will be a hybrid memoir in Stephen's wry and witty voice. Stephen will weave a dual narrative of growing up in the North West during the 1970s with how the music actually works. It will also explore what it is to be part of a mythologised band and the idea of what you do becoming who you are.
Strengths:

I’ve being a Joy Division fan for some years now, and have a number of books on their story from various members of the band (Peter Hook, Deborah Curtis and at least one other) and if you follow the myth of bands that drummers are the least intelligent member of a band you would expect this book to not have a lot going for it.

This is not the case here as it is a very lively, funny and honest book and Morris comes across as a very likeable and funny character. I didn’t really anything new about Joy Division as a band probably because of the best stories being told elsewhere but I loved the stories of the bands Morris was in before and the pre Joy Division gigs which I hadn’t heard before.

I knew Morris was at school with Curtis and had read a little bit about him getting expelled but not the ins and outs off it and the way he went off the rails if that is a good word for it. I saw a number of kids I was in school with in the 1980s which fell down the path he did and its respect (or maybe just even luck) Morris managed to pull himself out off it bringing together a really strong picture of the early Manchester punk scene and the starting of what eventually became Factory records.

Weaknessess:

I’m still undecided whether we actually need another Joy Division book considering there are a number of books out there and this certainly isn’t the best for me (Peter Hook’s Unknown pleasures is my favourite and the most rock n roll) but it was a funny, engaging read with no airs and graces and I read it fairly quickly.

The Joy Division stories don’t come into it until well past the halfway stage and I have read some peoples comments throught they were too long winded (which there is a case for), but I didn’t actually as I think it added us to gaining a understanding of Morris as a person somewhat. Could have being trimmed a little maybe but I read it in about 4 days which is good going for me.

8.5/10

[Gabrii_i7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perdón por el incoming fan rant. Creo que es lo mejor de todo los libros que he leído de Joy Division.

Razones:
-Coming of age dentro del Manchester de los 70 (te recomienda una playlist y todo para meterte a full)
-Lleva la historia (que está ya bastante trillada) a la tierra y se agradece ver más allá del mito que se creó a su alrededor
-Chistacos increíbles (este señor es naturalmente gracioso y el libro está escrito como con su voz, entonces más que leer parece que te lo está contando directamente)
-La ternura con la que se refiere a Gillian (sorpresa, sorpresa, no suele ser la forma en la que la mencionan *mira a Peter Hook* si es que la mencionan *mira a Bernard Sumner*)

Highlights random (spoiler, kind of):
- Aquella vez que estuvieron a punto de morir porque el productor se empeñó en usar un spray highly inflamable en un espacio cerrado para hacer sonidos chuf chuf y la única razón por la que no explotó el estudio con ellos dentro es porque el Steve no encontró un paquete de cigarrillos.
- Las cartas que le escribía a Gillian: "The weather is very bad. Things are getting a bit silly generally speaking. But I am confident that things will get worse"
- Hooky negándose a comer tomate, Tony Wilson forzándolos a jugar al cricket con sus amigos famosos, Genesis de los Throbbing gristle entrando en el camerino y encontrándose con el Barney llevando una camiseta hippie de mangas anchas y latas de cerveza en vez de zapatos
- Aquella vez que estuvieron a punto de morir pero no lo hicieron porque un coche embistió la furgoneta del Hooky por detrás donde solo estaba el equipment y no por delante o al siguiente coche (donde iba el resto de la peña apiñada).
- "It was the first of our songs (refiriéndose a Interzone) that I could see existing in an unreal place, like a scene in a movie, or a landscape passing by a windscreen. A world that Ian described, Bernard punctuated, Hooky steered and I propelled us through."
- Aquella vez que estuvieron a punto de morir porque en EEUU les alquilaron un coche que no frenaba
- Frase aleatoria que me hizo mucha gracia: "Lights have been causing Bernard's eyes distress since 1977"
- Frase que me puso triste: "Ian has become a serious individual, his life a tragedy. There is some truth in this, of course... ...But he wasn't only serious. His life wasn't just a tragedy."
- Y esta que creo que resume la historia bastante bien: "I think of Joy Division as some sort of deep space rocket that escaped our gravitational pull with Ian's suicide"

[Chris Charlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this on the charity bookcase, behind the counter at my local Wilkinson's.
It had a sticker on from The Works bookshop.
Was £5.00. Now £2.00.
Wilkinson's wanted 50p for it.
Can things get any more down market?
Yes they can.
I only had a 10p piece and a £2 coin in my bag.
I made a fist to conceal what I was dropping in. I lack any sense of shame.
Then I took it. Rescuing it from a literary Russian Orphanage.
Leaving to buy a sandwich with the £2 I had left.
Cheese and onion stottie. Pretty good, if a bit dry.
Anyhow. By this point it it had been thoughly damned.
Deemed good enough only for sale in The Works bookshop.
Reduced in price further still.
Considered not good enough to keep by the original buyer.
Abandoned at Wilkinson's.
Bought for 10p.
The first chapter is so badly written and presented I put it down after 20 pages. It made Spot the Dog look like Proust
I tried again later on in the day.
I was hooked.
The initial chapter, or at least the first few pages, had obviously been influenced by an editor or publishers suggestion, worried about what your traditional rock-bio reader would make of such a detailed literary style, sat by the pool in Spain, in his Speedos, and have dumbed down the initial section accordingly.
After this, it becomes unrecognizable. It flies, rather majestically. Beautiful and enriching to read.
One of the best books in the genre I've ever read and simply a must if your a fan of pop music. Can't wait to read the follow up.
Best 10p I've ever spent.
Might have to pay full price for the follow up I imagine.
Shitter.

[Adrian Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm prepared to bet that Joy Division & New Order have had more books and movies dedicated to them than anyone this side of The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Not least, this includes the books the band members themselves have written; Peter Hook alone has written 3, including his book on the Hacienda night club, which of course has a major overlap with the story of New Order.

Now add to these this memoir by drummer Stephen Morris, yet another step in the ongoing de-mystification of the enigma of Joy Division. Even before the tragic suicide of singer Ian Curtis, hey were a band defined hugely by moody monochrome photography, and coming from the pre-video age (only around an hour of footage exists of the band performing) this image stuck. However, belying the austere image, behind the scenes they were simply four middle-class lads with a penchant for drink, drugs, girls and endless practical jokes, and that’s certainly the side of the band we see here.

Morris isn't quite in the same class as Peter Hook as a raconteur, but has a dry sense of humour, and the Joy Division story, short as it was, remains compelling, however many times it’s told, and even for this reader of anything connected with Factory records, there are still some nuggets of new information here. The book ends with New Order's first live shows in New York, and Volume 2 (Fast Forward) followed quickly afterwards. It’s on my reading list, and I can offer no higher recommendation.

[Farlin Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I really didn’t want to end; one of those that I would put down if I noticed I wasn’t giving enough focus to. An unexpected, brilliantly written narrative by the member of Joy Division and New Order that always seemed to be in the background of the other memoirs and stories composed through the years. In summary, the character trope of Morris I’d personally gathered from the other Factory-focused books I’ve read would be: the drummer with a nervous edge.
It’s always the quiet ones. No, really it is. Read the book.
Morris’ book is both introspective and informative, he recounts his experience within childhood, within the teenage dismay with the daily affairs accepted and imposed by everyone else, and eventually, within the formation and short livelihood of Joy Division. Unlike some of the other members’ memoirs, I found myself engrossed in this tale from beginning to end. It has that fantastic capability to be a non-fiction work that reads as if you’re following along a character in the experiencing of it all. Morris’ writing is both detached and earnestly authentic; I never felt once that I was being conveyed a crafted portrait of the author as an individual, nor as a member of the band. It was honest and it was human - the six degrees of separation between artist and fan were absent, making a wholly enjoyable and satisfying story to read in its entirety.

[Keith Astbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had huge expectations for this. Not only is Morris one of my favourite drummers in one of my favourite ever bands (Joy Division), but having attended his talk at the Bluedot Festival a few years ago, I was aware of what a dry wit this man possessed. As a result it probably disappointed slightly (though not a lot!).

Morris takes his time giving a detailed account of childhood and teenage years - I think we were around the 100 page mark before he had even left school. And he left school early! There's a lot to enjoy here, not least the early JD period. Obviously having read a lot about the band over the years I was already aware that they weren't the miserable, overly sensitive souls that we were led to believe back then and I already knew some of the stories from Peter Hook's excellent Unknown Pleasures book. If you are only going to read one former member's account of the Joy Division years I would probably go with Hooky's to be honest, but otherwise I'd recommend this anyday as for all these comments here I enjoyed it enormously. I look forward to the New Order-era sequel!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable read. Stephen Morris writes in an engaging and anecdotal style. It was great to hear his reminiscences growing up in the North West of England during the Sixties and Seventies - the TV shows, the kids toys, the decline of northern towns etc. as it chimed with my memories of those times and places.
Also great to hear his musical journey and the Warsaw/Joy Division/Factory story, with the latter not being dominated by over-reverence of Ian Curtis. Of course he’s in there but Stephen Morris was there and as he puts it (in one part of the book) Ian was as much an ordinary Northern bloke as Stephen and the others, and certainly not the saint-like myth that has sometime been promoted mainly by those who weren’t really close to the band.
Looking forward to starting Volume 2 as Joy Division are just morphing into New Order.

PS: Only 4 stars as this edition has a number of typos; which seems par for the course in publications in recent years ☹️. The book content itself is great.

[Mancman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should preface this with the fact that I’ve read most of the sorter Hook books, Dave Haslam’s and several biographies of Tony Wilson, but I learned a lot from this book too.
Clearly it’s a different perspective, and one which I hadn’t seen much of before.
I’m not sure why the author shied away from doing more interviews, he’s a bright, thoughtful, honest person.
This isn’t a warm and cosy read, how can it be given the story? But it is full of warmth and I genuinely laughed out loud a couple of times, no mean feat for an autobiography.
The death of Ian Curtis (that can’t be a spoiler, right?) is handled beautifully, he’s not cast as an untouchable icon, but his personality and character are shown truthfully. The loss is explained and reflected on.
I look forward to the next instalment eagerly.

[Russ Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the latest stage in my ongoing mission to read all the books written by former members or family of Joy Division / New Order, this is the first volume of the drummer's memoirs. Morris is a funnier recounter of stories than other members whose work I've read, it also turns out he was a bit of a teenage head with stories of trying anything to get high whilst at school - this sort of goes a long way towards explaining some of the chemical excess in the later years of New Order. He tries to explain as best he can the circumstances leading to the death of Ian Curtis, and also touches on differences between members of the band, the interesting thing is how New Order started, with details of which member sang what in their early recordings. Worth a read, I've already ordered volume 2

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved Joy Division since the olden days of the 1970’s and was lucky enough to see them live (one of those occasions being the Buzzcocks tour in Leeds - if you read the book you will know why I mention it!). Having read the books by Peter Hook it was nice to read the story of the early days from the perspective of Stephen Morris. Not just the story of the band though, the tales of Stephen’s childhood and through his teens were written in a really humorous way - growing up in the 60’s and 70’s myself there was a lot I could relate to. A great read, for the era, the band, the music. Loved it - now on to Fast Forward!

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the autobiographies from Sumner and Hooky, as well as Touching From a Distance, I wasn't sure what to expect from the unassuming drummer. I can happily report this was an unexpected joy to read. The dry sense of humour from Stephen Morris shines through as he looks back on his life having left school with no qualifications. He stumbled into the job as Joy Division drummer as nobody else applied for the job but he was perfect for the role. Even David Nixon gets a mention.

Ray Smillie

[Steven Hermiston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Morris is a guy who seems to be brutally honest and sincere when it comes to writing. I found his book on the Warsaw/Joy Division period to be interesting. He discusses in depth
about the music and the equipment he uses. The gigs they played and Ian in honesty. Seems like a pleasent man and someone who is not affected by ego or fame whatsoever. Not as Rock & Roll as Hookys book or as unreliable and period skipping as Bernards but a good read with some humour too. Can't wait to read his next book when it comes out.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written novellesque memoir. It’s definitely worth reading for Joy Division / New Order fans. However, it is not a history of Joy Division, so don’t expect a detailed account of every gig, the creation process for each and every song, or a depressing recollection of Ian Curtis. There are other books which would suit that purpose much better. Had it contained more of that, I think this would be a five-star book. But as it stands, it’s a very solid book that doesn’t require those things.