History Music / Closer

[[caption-width-right:350: ''"Mother, I tried, please believe me. I'm doing the best that I can."'']]

''Closer'' is the second and final studio album by Music/JoyDivision, released in 1980 through Creator/FactoryRecords. Recorded at Music/PinkFloyd's Britannia Row studio and once again produced by Martin Hannett, it came out a mere two months after frontman Ian Curtis' suicide. Compared to its predecessor ''Music/UnknownPleasures'' the songs are even more dour and decidedly more experimental, with four of them (in order, "Isolation", "Heart and Soul", "The Eternal", and "Decades") making prominent use of haunting synthesizer arrangements that would serve as the groundwork for the surviving bandmates' work as Music/NewOrder. Note that these four tracks were written in early 1980; the other five songs, which are more rockist in composition, were realized fresh off the heels of ''Unknown Pleasures'' during the latter half of 1979.

''Closer'' is the second and final studio album by Music/JoyDivision, released in 1980. Recorded at Music/PinkFloyd's Britannia Row studio and once again produced by Martin Hannett, it came out a mere two months after frontman Ian Curtis' suicide. Compared to its predecessor ''Music/UnknownPleasures'' the songs are even more dour and decidedly more experimental, with four of them (in order, "Isolation", "Heart and Soul", "The Eternal", and "Decades") making prominent use of haunting synthesizer arrangements that would serve as the groundwork for the surviving bandmates' work as Music/NewOrder. Note that these four tracks were written in early 1980; the other five songs, which are more rockist in composition, were realized fresh off the heels of ''Unknown Pleasures'' during the latter half of 1979.

* NewSoundAlbum: Quoth Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}, ''Closer'' "featured an even darker, doomed Curtis and a total abandonment of the punk aesthetic for a more unearthly, primeval sound." Compared to ''Unknown Pleasures'', the album is far more experimental in tone and makes greater use of synthesizers, to the point where Joy Division at this point seems like an almost completely different band than the one that made "Disorder" and "She's Lost Control".

** The album was inspired by ''J. G. Ballard'''s ''The Atrocity Exhibition'' and the first track was named after this novel.

* VariantCover: Barring the Factory US release, most early CD versions of the album omit the small black square framing the cover art, and London Records' CD release gives the cover and liner notes a yellow tint. Allegedly, the tinting is meant to reflect how the album was released in the United States, but actual official copies on both Factory US and Qwest Records are just as white as UK copies (assuming the package designer hadn't found an LP sleeve that oxidized over the years).

''And all the one who try hard to succeed''

Commercially speaking, the album charted higher than ''Unknown Pleasures'', peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums chart, but in the end sold less than its predecessor, failing to meet any sales certifications. However, with Curtis' death having already cast a dark shadow over the band in the leadup to ''Closer''[='s=] release, the album [[PosthumousPopularityPotential became the subject of even higher critical acclaim]] than ''Unknown Pleasures'', with reviewers praising its subversive nature, haunting tone, and greater artistic advancement compared to its direct predecessor. ''The Village Voice'' ranked the album as the 22nd best album of 1980 in its Pazz & Jop critics' poll despite only being available in the U.S. as an import until its official American release the following year, and its stature has only grown since, with ''Closer'' now being regarded as Joy Division's studio masterpiece. The album was listed at No. 157 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] (later being knocked down to No. 309 on [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime2020 the 2020 revision]]), No. 16 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime own list]] in the same category, and No. 55 on the 2020 edition of ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums All Time Top Albums]] list. Among fans, deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s, but everyone agrees they are both great.

Commercially speaking, the album charted higher than ''Unknown Pleasures'', peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums chart, but in the end sold less than its predecessor, failing to meet any sales certifications. However, with Curtis' death having already cast a dark shadow over the band in the leadup to ''Closer''[='s=] release, the album [[DeadArtistsAreBetter became the subject of even higher critical acclaim]] than ''Unknown Pleasures'', with reviewers praising its subversive nature, haunting tone, and greater artistic advancement compared to its direct predecessor. ''The Village Voice'' ranked the album as the 22nd best album of 1980 in its Pazz & Jop critics' poll despite only being available in the U.S. as an import until its official American release the following year, and its stature has only grown since, with ''Closer'' now being regarded as Joy Division's studio masterpiece. The album was listed at No. 157 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] (later being knocked down to No. 309 on [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime2020 the 2020 revision]]), No. 16 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime own list]] in the same category, and No. 46 on the 2018 edition of ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums All Time Top Albums]] list. Among fans, deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s, but everyone agrees they are both great.

** "The Eternal" opens with synthesized train sounds and a slow, chugging bass riff, similar to the title track of Music/DavidBowie's ''Music/StationToStation''. Given that Ian Curtis was a FandomVIP of Bowie, this is likely intentional, as was the decision to feature a monochrome photograph against a white background for the album cover, similarly to ''Station to Station''.

** "The Eternal" opens with synthesized train sounds and a slow, chugging bass riff, similar to the title track of Music/DavidBowie's ''Music/StationToStation''. Given that Ian Curtis was a BigNameFan of Bowie, this is likely intentional, as was the decision to feature a monochrome photograph against a white background for the album cover, similarly to ''Station to Station''.

Commercially speaking, the album charted higher than ''Unknown Pleasures'', peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums chart, but in the end sold less than its predecessor, failing to meet any sales certifications. However, with Curtis' death having already cast a dark shadow over the band in the leadup to ''Closer''[='s=] release, the album [[DeadArtistsAreBetter became the subject of even higher critical acclaim]] than ''Unknown Pleasures'', with reviewers praising its subversive nature, haunting tone, and greater artistic advancement compared to its direct predecessor. ''The Village Voice'' ranked the album as the 22nd best album of 1980 in its Pazz & Jop critics' poll despite only being available in the U.S. as an import until its official American release the following year, and its stature has only grown since, with ''Closer'' now being regarded as Joy Division's studio masterpiece. The album was listed at No. 157 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], No. 16 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime own list]] in the same category, and No. 46 on the 2018 edition of ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums All Time Top Albums]] list. Among fans, deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s, but everyone agrees they are both great.

* VariantCover: Barring the Factory US release, most early CD versions of the album omit the small black square framing the cover art, and London Records' CD release gives the cover and liner notes a yellow tint. Allegedly, the tinting is meant to reflect how the album was released in the United States, but actual official copies on both Factory US and Qwest Records are just as white as UK copies.

Commercially speaking, the album charted higher than ''Unknown Pleasures'', peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums chart, but in the end sold less than its predecessor, failing to meet any sales certifications. However, with Curtis' death having already cast a dark shadow over the band in the leadup to ''Closer''[='s=] release, the album [[DeadArtistsAreBetter became the subject of even higher critical acclaim]] than ''Unknown Pleasures'', with reviewers praising its subversive nature, haunting tone, and greater artistic advancement compared to its direct predecessor. ''The Village Voice'' ranked the album as the 22nd best album of 1980 in its Pazz & Jop critics' poll, and its stature has only grown since, with ''Closer'' now being regarded as Joy Division's studio masterpiece. The album was listed at No. 157 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], No. 16 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime own list]] in the same category, and No. 46 on the 2018 edition of ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums All Time Top Albums]] list. Among fans, deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s, but everyone agrees they are both great.

Commercially speaking, the album charted higher than ''Unknown Pleasures'', peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums chart, but in the end sold less than its predecessor, failing to meet any sales certifications. However, with Curtis' death having already cast a dark shadow over the band in the leadup to ''Closer''[='s=] release, the album became the subject of even higher critical acclaim than ''Unknown Pleasures'', with reviewers praising its subversive nature, haunting tone, and greater artistic advancement compared to its direct predecessor. ''The Village Voice'' ranked the album as the 22nd best album of 1980 in its Pazz & Jop critics' poll, and its stature has only grown since, with ''Closer'' now being regarded as Joy Division's studio masterpiece. The album was listed at No. 157 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], No. 16 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime own list]] in the same category, and No. 46 on the 2018 edition of ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums All Time Top Albums]] list. Among fans, deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s, but everyone agrees they are both great.

Commercially speaking, the album charted higher than ''Unknown Pleasures'', peaking at No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, but in the end sold less than its predecessor, failing to meet any sales certifications. However, with Curtis' death having already cast a dark shadow over the band in the leadup to ''Closer''[='s=] release, the album became the subject of even higher critical acclaim than ''Unknown Pleasures'', with reviewers praising its subversive nature, haunting tone, and greater artistic advancement compared to its direct predecessor. ''The Village Voice'' ranked the album as the 22nd best album of 1980 in its Pazz & Jop critics' poll, and its stature has only grown since, with ''Closer'' now being regarded as Joy Division's studio masterpiece. The album was listed at No. 157 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], No. 16 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime own list]] in the same category, and No. 46 on the 2018 edition of ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums All Time Top Albums]] list. Among fans, deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s, but everyone agrees they are both great.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The [[Music/UnknownPleasures first album]] was certainly dark, but often hid its gloomy themes behind catchy, punk inspired tunes and indirect narratives. ''Closer'' takes a positively listless approach by comparison, having far fewer {{hope spot}}s, slowing the pace and increasing the gloom present in the music by a considerable degree on its second side.

* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The album cover was designed by Peter Saville.

* GothRock: A cornerstone of the genre.

* GriefSong: Every track.

* MinimalisticCoverArt: A black and white photograph of the Appiani family tomb in the Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno in Genoa, Italy. This, of course, lead to very unfortunate implications after Curtis' death.

** "The Eternal" opens with synthesized train sounds, similar to the title track of Music/DavidBowie's ''Music/StationToStation''. Given that Ian Curtis was a BigNameFan of Bowie, this is likely intentional, as was the decision to feature a monochrome photograph against a white background for the album cover, similarly to ''Station to Station''.

Commercially speaking, the album charted higher than ''Unknown Pleasures'', peaking at No. 3 on the UK Albums chart, but in the end sold less than its predecessor. However, with Curtis' death having already cast a dark shadow over the band in the leadup to ''Closer''[='s=] release, the album became the subject of even higher critical acclaim than ''Unknown Pleasures'', with reviewers praising its subversive nature, haunting tone, and greater artistic advancement compared to its direct predecessor. ''The Village Voice'' ranked the album as the 22nd best album of 1980 in its Pazz & Jop critics' poll, and its stature has only grown since, with ''Closer'' now being regarded as Joy Division's studio masterpiece. The album was listed at No. 157 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], No. 16 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime own list]] in the same category, and No. 46 on the 2018 edition of ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums All Time Top Albums]] list. Among fans, deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s, but everyone agrees they are both great.

Deciding which one of the two albums is the band's best can still cause {{flame war}}s among Joy Division fans, but everyone agrees they are both great. Fan favourites from this album include "Isolation", "Colony", and "Heart and Soul".

The album was listed at nr. #157 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].

** "The Eternal" opens with synthesized train sounds, similar to the title track of Music/DavidBowie's ''Music/StationToStation''. Given that Ian Curtis was a BigNameFan of Bowie, this is likely intentional.

[[AC:FACT25 A]]

[[AC:FACT25 B]]

* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Neither of the two sides are labeled on LP releases; the only indication as to which side is which are the "FACT25 A" and "FACT25 B" etchings in the runout area.

[[AC: Side One]]

[[AC: Side Two]]

->''Cry like a child, though these years make me older\\