Unknown Pleasures

Inside Joy Division

De: Peter Hook

Narrado por: Peter Hook

Joy Division changed the face of music. Godfathers of alternative rock, they reinvented music in the post-punk era, creating a new sound - dark, hypnotic, and intense - that would influence U2, Morrissey, R.E.M., Radiohead, and numerous others. The story is now legendary: In 1980, on the heels of their groundbreaking debut, Unknown Pleasures, and on the eve of their first U.S. tour, the band was rent asunder by the tragic death of their enigmatic lead singer, Ian Curtis. Yet in the mere three years they were together, Joy Division produced two landmark albums and a handful of singles - including the iconic anthem "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - that continue to have a powerful resonance.

Now, for the first time, their story is told by one of their own. In Unknown Pleasures, founding member and bass player Peter Hook recounts how four young men from Manchester and Salisbury, with makeshift instruments and a broken-down van, rose from the punk scene to create a haunting, atmospheric music that would define a generation. Peter talks with eye-opening candor and reflection about the suicide of Ian Curtis; the band's friendships and fallouts; the evolution of their sound and image; and the larger-than-life characters who formed a vital part of the Joy Division legend, including Factory Records founder Tony Wilson and producer Martin Hannett. Told with surprising humor and vivid detail, Unknown Pleasures is the book Joy Division fans have awaited for decades.

©2012 Peter Hook (P)2012 AudioGo Ltd

Required reading for post-punk nerds.

Required reading for post-punk nerds. So many pranks, I mean f&#$, they were absolutely merciless.

Intimate look

Peter Hook was as open and honest as anyone could hope for about this entire history of Joy Division. Not just its tragic end, but everything at all steps. Beautifully performed. The only downside is the long tedious timelines which probably worked great in print but not so much as audio, and they were a sizable percentage of this short book.

Fantsatic read!

The direct insight into an amazing band and world of people. Hooky's story is honest forthright, reflective, compelling and intriguing. His details about Joy Division especially the life and character of Ian Curtis give you an understanding of his turmoil and brilliance also described so well by others. For a man thats tone deaf and self taught he still remains one of my favorite bass players and has a life long fan now.

what a great story.

Hooky tells a story that encompasses every emotion possible, in an open an frank manner that made me listen on enthralled, although I am not a huge JD fan. It's a documentation of an era in modern music history, but also an involving story of friendship, loneliness, drive and any amount of weird and funny shit. It got to me, and I will probably read it again. Thanks for that, Hooky. And for all the bass and technical info, that was enlightening.

Love the band even more now

Finally I got to learn about the inner-workings of a band I've always admired, who spawned New Order, which as an 80's DJ, was one of my top played bands, It was exciting to hear the impassioned story that Peter delivers, with humor and bite. I'm willing to accept it as honest, from his point of view. It makes me want to read the guitarist, Bernard's book (which I wish was available on Audible). If you love Joy Division and New Order and want to get a glimpse into the Manchester scene of the late 70's -90's, spend some time with Unknown Pleasures, the book and the music.

Must have!

If you love this band then you'll love this book, you'll feel like you're the fifth member of the band I enjoy reading the physical book then got this just to remember and hear his voice

Wonderful

Wonderful reading of a fantastic book. Hook really gets you to the heart of Joy Division.

Stir your tea, order your Eccles cakes, enjoy

Audio books can be hit or miss. Authors who read their own book can’t go wrong by my rule of thumb and Peter Hook’s story of Joy Division is perfect example. Listing to Unknown Pleasures (or “he said he was alright so we just carried on”) is like sitting in the caf’ on Coronation Street listening to Hooky reminisce about the days of punk in Manchester.
The anecdotes balance the inevitable sad build up and conclusion to the Ian Curtis legend.
Brilliant well worth a listen if you like that sort of thing.
(Trying Steven Morris version next - appears to be a bit more existential)

Hooky is quite a character!

I love this book. Having never known anything about Joy Division and very little about New Order, I was intrigued with the early punk sound and how it all came about. I got to truly understand the Manchester scene. Hooky's description of their lives as they strove to become stars on the punk scene was touching and hilarious at the same time. I enjoyed it so much that I went to a Peter Hook concert and was so delighted that I can't get them out of my head! Excellent read/listen. I wish he would narrate his other books! Go on. Buy the book and listen for yourself. You'll love it!

Amazing story, enjoyable narration

I've read this book in print, but author Peter Hook's narration (with its strong local accent) adds a whole new layer to this story set in Northern England. Recommended.