Already released in the UK, but not until January in the States, this is a book I might actually buy rather than drone on here about whether anyone thinks it's good or if it's just rubbish. I'll tell you why.

Paul Morley -- besides being from Manchester and following Joy Division as a fan and journalist for NME during the 1978-1983 explosion of post-punk -- is apparently a kickass writer. He's also apparently of the mind that something intensely magical was happening with music in the UK at this time, something that caused a shift in the lives of a whole generation. Discovering Joy Division as a 14-year-old, 8 years after the death of Ian Curtis, I felt a tremendous shift in my own life too. That is powerful music. I really don't think I'd be the same person today had I never heard Unknown Pleasures.

Oh, and how it pours when it rains: also out in early 2008 (in the UK, and hopefully across the pond as well) is the Jon Savage film titled, simply, Joy Division. With new interviews with surviving Joy Division members Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner, and Stephen Morris, as well as loads of live footage, I am intrigued to hear it described by Peter Hook as "the perfect answer to Control."

Check out this very recent talk with Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook at the current Urbis exhibition on The Hacienda.

(First of four parts -- the rest are available in the menu on the linked page at the lower right.)

Peter Hook is fucking hilarious, and so salt of the earth. Frank talk about JD and NO, the Factory scene, his bass playing (love it!), his past drug use, even "Berr-nerrd." I want to buy this man a drink. Dinner even! Okay, I suppose I'll settle for seeing him DJ next time he comes through San Francisco.

I love Joy Division...I know it seems uncool to revel in it, it's like me me me...but the music is fantastic. I'll sit there at home and play them now, play '24 Hours.' Fucking hell, I'm proud of myself, I suppose.

-- Peter Hook, Part Three

Fookin' cunt!

-- ibid, Part Three

Class!

Joy Division is legendary, and continue to be so timeless and influential because the music is just that -- fantastic (thank you Martin Hannett!). Also playing into this: people are really blessed that Hooky still loves Joy Division, as there are some members of influential bands who publicly deride old material while continuing to ride the fame it brings *cough*Bauhaus*cough* and that's not only a joykiller and totally lame, but a real disservice to fans.

Lucky too that Hooky is so mellow about peeps picking his brain about as it is when it was; for this reason he, too, will be legendary long after he's gone.

Just awesome.

Twenty-four hours.

8:00 pm, Thursday: Rasputina at the Great American Music Hall. Cellos like electric guitars crossed with Ye Olde World, and 'Barracuda' t'boot. Fantastic.



11:30 pm: Fully invested in my favorite macaroni and cheese and spinach salad at Sparky's with my sweetie-pie in the Castro.

Post-macaroni and cheese 'til 2 am: Eleven miles to sweet Oakland becomes a highway from hell because of the Bay Bridge earthquake retrofit. Read: five lanes smooshed into one. I sulk in the passenger seat and hate everyone, especially the Seismic Safety Project.

4:30 am: I wake up to rumbling and my bed jerking violently. It's a 4.2 earthquake in Oakland. Point taken.

11:30 am: Roll out of bed for haircut at noon. Eat dirt crack, a handful of perfect California blueberries, and a succulent backyard peach to make me happy.

12 noon: Haircut. Attempt to talk Korean politics with hairdresser. Smacked down with talk of the perils of getting coffee in South Korea instead.

1:00 pm: I drink coffee for the second time in 4 years.

5:00 pm: Eat Vietnamese pork goodness. Get sleepy. Try to sleep on couch while hubby rebags hundreds of comic books we finally took out of storage. Fail.

7:00 to 8:00 pm: Take a walk. Peaches and Cream. Lemon. Vanilla. Noyaux. Better.

And now: I suppose it's all well and good now that Bernard has made them a joke, but one still has to say WTF?! No way.

Twenty-Four Hours.

I highly recommend that you check out the official MySpace of one of my favorite bass players of all time, Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook.

The late Ian Curtis seems to be the most cited reason people love Joy Division, but Peter Hook is mine. His basslines for Joy Divison are one of the two reasons I picked up the bass. But the thing I love most about Peter Hook is his honest and matter-of-fact take on his life, his work, and those surrounding him, as well as his willingness to share this with his fans. For this reason, I particularly recommend his blog.

I'm all about the no-bullshit, scrappy straight-shooters, and Hooky's blog is not only candid, but a completely disarming Mancunian stream of consciousness from a man who seems to be enjoying life to the fullest. He also seems to be doing something every damn minute of the day -- djing in Tokyo one day, Istanbul the next, then jetting off to record some commentary for a New Order DVD, then home to see his "girls," and then off to do some bits for a film on The Hacienda -- while still working on his own musical projects, like Freebass (with Andy Rourke -- yeah!).

I also recommend checking out the 2005 Bass Player magazine article and interview from the above photo too. Good stuff that showcases Hooky's down to earth personality and bass-playing style. It is nice to hear I'm not the only one who cannot sing and play at the same time!

Anyway, I'm hooked! (heehee, right?.........alright, nevermind, I'll get my hat)

Finally...Control



Love it when scrappy headbutts and proceeds to smash some sod who gets onstage to try and beat his ass. Do I have to ask if that's true? I don't think so.