She's Lost Control

Hollow drums bounce out of the speakers, then a hypnotic guitar, then Ian Curtis' haunting voice sweeps in and covers it all up with equally haunting lyrics about the epileptic fits of a teenage girl he once cared for as a lad... or is it about him?

The infectious guitars and droning bass are as engaging as the dark, evocative lyrics. On first listen though, Curtis' affecting lyrics may not sink in as the driving guitars and drums carry you out to sea. But, by the second or third listen the stirring story storms your senses. 'She's Lost Control' is truly a gem on what is arguably the most important album of the post-punk era.

When I finally heard these lyrics I had a vision of a dark-haired teenage girl laying on a gurney in a busy, stark, white and very long hallway with flickering fluorescent lights in the beginning of a seizure trying desperately to get someone's attention before it's too late and she bites off her tongue and swallows it causing her unnatural and untimely death.

"And she's clinging to the nearest passerby, she's lost control. And walked upon the edge of no escape and laughed, I've lost control." These lyrics may seem dark on paper, but within the context of the song as a whole they have extreme power and emotion.

'She's Lost Control' is a standout on an album (Unknown Pleasures) full of masterpieces. The next song on the album, 'Shadowplay', is equally disturbing as Ian Curtis talks of "acting out your own death". To pigeonhole this album as some Gothic relic full of dark stories of death and depression would be to sell this record short of its incalculable historical importance. Untold numbers of musicians and artists throughout the world point to Joy Division as a seminal influence in their artistic endeavors.

Every song on Unknown Pleasures is arresting! The style that this young group, under the direction of producer Martin Hannet, was capable of was nothing short of groundbreaking. The first time I saw the album I was compelled to pick it up. The album cover, which shows a star going nova, was irresistible. Once in my hand, I was sure I needed to buy it. Once I got it home and gave it a listen I was in shock. I didn't quite understand what I had heard, but I was positive that I liked it. It took several listens before I could separate the sounds and take each on their own terms.

Joy Division were not around long... but their music will stand the test of time as evidenced by the many websites, books, movies and documentaries made about them. It sounds today as innovative and immediate as it must have to anyone lucky enough to have bought it in the UK in the late 70s.