Bulletin Board of Bad Behavior

The thing is for me, is that I've actually only recently, within the last week found the strength to listen to Closer again since my adolescence.

In the last couple years, I tend to pull out Unknown Pleasures more, and ignored Closer. But suddenly last weekend I found the strength to play Closer for the first time in years and years. For so long I just couldn't face it, I couldn't play it. Though I knew it was brilliant. Just too painful.

It feels really good to be able to play it again because it's not the sadness of my adolescence which draws me in, it's Hannett. It's knowing deep in my heart that Hannett's best work was actually Closer. Now that I understand what his sound actually was from hearing other things he produced, and not to discount the band, but Closer is definitely the height of Hannett. But it's only now as an adult that I understand how responsible he is for the sound of this album, Joy Division's last "Closer". Some folks they meant it as the pronunciation "closer" as in a door that closes = you know "the closer" of the performance or whatever, but I always heard that word in my head as "closer" in the sense of "closer to the edit" which is probably an Art of Noise song. In which case I mean "closer" as in "I am closer to the edge" whick is still probably a 1983 Art of Noise song but

Unfortunately Joy Division's song "24 Hours" is now blaring out of my blessed stereo and we all know what god is when we hear it.

I haven't been able to play Closer for years you guys, I'm serious. I couldn't play it. Since I was like 15 or 16 I couldn't play it at all.

I mean for god's sake people knew when it came out that he'd just killed himself so it was already expected to be doomy. And then Hannett touched it and it was gold. And my record player just surprised me by picking up and putting down on the same side of the vinyl again and I don't remember pushing a button to tell it to do that. I'm not lying, it got to the end of the side of the record, picked itself up, and put itself down again on the first song on that side! How did that happen? Was I drunk enough to push a button a half hour ago I hadn't meant to push? Probably.

That is because Hannett loves me and so does Kate Bush and I love you all.

Ultimate JD song - "24 Hours"? Only if you can take the gloom, man. Closer is strong stuff. Gotta be strong to take the bloom,


I mean gloom.

Nietzsche said, McC was right, he said "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger" and I thank god that I am alive today to hear Joy Division's "24 Hours" very loud.

I'm going to throw my adolescence away like a fragile paper bag. Because of Hannett.

Okay for real, what the fuck sign is PLUTO in now, eh?????


Where's the SCORPIO in the skies that I can feel?

Another Closer track "the Eternal" it used to be my favourite song by Joy Division for years. I was a teenager.

Fucked up!

Anyway let's see...Pluto is in Sagittarius. How boring. But it's roughly at...

Tommy will laugh at me with the Venn Diagrams.

Never mind, just listen to JD's Closer. It doesn't matter, once you have that, you can go to heaven. Sortof.

You know I love you all.

Yeah well there's no planets in Scorpio now, but just you watch in another month or so...yowza! Pull out that first self-titled Chic album from and eat your heart out. Which I can't find right now because

"DECADES" FROM JOY DIVISION'S "CLOSER" IS THE FUCKING SHIT AND YOU DON'T AGREE YOU CAN GO TO ANOTHER PLANET BUDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT HANNETT

So anyway, I found the gig, the one gig by Joy Division that Martin Hannett was at the soundboard for. 8th Feb. 1980. Surprsingly it was actually fantastic sound quality. And also, surprisingly, Hannett doesn't make his presence known as much as one might think. He first comes in at the synthesizer ultimate goth-freak out in the middle of "Insight" but I laugh with love and embarassment because it's almost like he went too far without knowing it because it's a synth sound like a bird chirping but it's too loud, it comes in as a shock, and too loud, so soon it goes lower in volume...then the next time you get a hint of Hannett was...

but it doesn't matter because JOY DIVISION themselves were fucking amazing at this gig, I've made it a regular habit this week to go out walking in the dark at night before bed, down a long path by the gigantic cemetary in the dark...and listen to this fantastic, utterly mindblowing Joy Division gig. And the best part is I think when they do "These Days" which was a song in it's infancy a bit, the guitar and bass sound much different than they do on the recorded version.
So anyway yeah, I go out at night in the dark walking with my discman with Joy Division and Martin Hannett at the wheel of my life.

I got mad at myself recently because I'd inadvertently made a Martin Hannett compilation for myself that I was very unhappy with, I need to change it. I need to make my own personal Martin Hannett compilation and be satisfied with it before I die.

Remember...Joy Division.

For no part of my teenage years was bigger than their songs "24 Hours" and especially "The Eternal"

Yes to find the strength to play Closer now, after 20 years, is so liberating, I can't explain it.

But I've got Happy Mondays to talk about here in a sec, too.

IT'S FUCKIN' HALLOWEEN YOU BASTARDS AND I AM DRINKING A FUCKIN' PUMPKIN ALE BREWED AND BOTTLED IN MY VERY OWN TOWN OF SEATTLE IT'S GOT A FUCKIN' PUMPKIN FLAVOR I LOVE IT ETC

iT'S CALLED "NIGHT OWL PUMPKIN ALE" BY THE ELYSIAN BREWING COMPANY. YEAH DUDE, I AM SO FUCKIN' INTO THIS PUMPKIN BEER TRIP, YO.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

I drank a red wine tonight that had a greater percentage alcohol than any red wine I'd ever had.

A hangover surely ensues. Cheers.

And all of my bleeding Scottish heart is taken by Martin Hannett's production of Ed Banger's "Baby Was A Baby"!!!!

One day I will do it, I promise, I will do the ultimate Martin Hannett compilation, but I'm not ready just yet. This pains me. It pains me that I'm just not sure how to do it yet, even know that one day I will know how to do it I don't know how right now. Right now I can't do it.

Now I'm playing A Certain Ratio's "To Each" on vinyl (FUNK! DANCE!) and peace fills me, Martin Hannett's production, baby...never mind I've got something to say about ACR on another thread. It was something I learned because of the Ian Curtis book...

The song is "24 Hours". The band? Joy Divison. Live. I'm listening to Joy Division live. And I'm so mad at myself because I've been meaning to pull out my VHS cassette of them entitled "Here Are The Young Men" but I have been putting it off for two whole weeks, I'm ashamed. I must put it on before this weekend is over otherwise, I'll be...ashamed. It was a gig of them, live. Live Joy Division. Yeah, you gotta know that JD live was utter brilliance at times.

Okay I'm okay. I will finally put the video on soon. When I finally get done with the concert that Martin Hannett was at the soundboard for. Which could be awhile. 8th Feb. 1980. Accept no imitations.

"Watching the reel as it comes to a close/brutally taking its time/people who change for no reason at all/it's happening all of the time"

Joy Division is aural heroin, be careful.

"moving around to the next set of lies, wondering what will come next"

Right now I'm playing...what song is this? Oh god it's "Insight" oh christ I love this song

"Guess that dreams always end/they don't rise up just descend/...but I remember....when we were young"

"Of making sure you were right/hey don't you know you were right/I'm not afraid anymore/I keep my eyes on the door/but I remeeeeember..." At which time Hannett makes a very unwelcome entrance by turning up the bird noise WAY TOO LOUD, but give him a chance. He'll get it right in a few more songs, here.

"Aura of evil for you/a special moment in time/we didn't really have time/but we REMEMBER/WHEN WE WERE YOUNG"

All you judges beware/take a chance take good care/not afraid anymore/not afraid anymore not afraid anymore I'm not afraid anymore!"

God bless Ian Curtis.

But it's too late cause I'm playing the first Buzzcocks EP "Spiral Scratch" produced by Martin Hannett and also the first really great record Manchester ever produced, circa 1976 I'd guess.

PUNK ROCK!!!!!