9. Joy Division
I couldn’t really decide on which album to choose by Joy Division because to choose one is to exclude the other. I kind of listen to it all together. If I listen to one album I’ll listen to the second album. Joy Division are one of those bands where you remember the first time you heard it. I was 15 years old and was visiting my brother who had just come back from college and had an apartment in Portland. It was a safe place to go because my parents trusted him, he’d been to college, he was an adult and he would be my supervision. But what they didn’t know is that I would go over there to drink and get high. He was always very protective and made sure I was safe but I went there to do all that. One of his roommates had a tape that had ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ on it and I was overwhelmed. I thought, "Who is this band? What is this? I have to have it." I actually stole the tape from him.
I was into Joy Division when I was younger, and that whole time period, that scene of bands like them, New Order, Siouxsie & The Banshees, etc. Then over the years you listen to other things and over time you almost forget about your favourite band because they’re always just there, you don’t need to listen to them every day. But then for some reason you get reminded of them and you remember that you love that band.
And with Joy Division, there’s something about them. Every time I listen to a Joy Division song I have a very emotional reaction. Honestly I could listen to it forever, all day every day. No matter how long I go without hearing them, as soon as I hear a couple of notes of a song I’m right back there with that feeling of being a little overwhelmed.
If I had to pick one album though, I’d pick Closer. ‘Heart And Soul’ is probably my favourite Joy Division song. It’s really weird.
