This year, celebrated bassist Peter Hook paid tribute to late bandmate Ian Curtis by performing Joy Division's 1979 classic Unknown Pleasures live. This sparked controversy, most publicly when Freebass cohort Mani took to Twitter and accused Hook of collecting "Ian Curtis blood money." Still, Hook is ploughing ahead, announcing plans for his latest band, the Light, to record an EP of Joy Division songs.
Hook told Slicing Up Eyeballs that the EP will include three covers, along with a completed version of a previously unfinished song. He explained, "[Happy Mondays singer Rowetta] wants us to record an EP of the four [Joy Division songs] that she sings, which are 'Insight,' 'New Dawn Fades,' 'Atmosphere' and a track called 'Pictures' that I finished up, which is an old Joy Division track."
"Insight" and "New Dawn Fades" were both on Unknown Pleasures. "Atmosphere" was released as a single in 1980. Hook said, "The versions of the songs with Rowetta singing have a really nice quality."
Unsurprisingly, criticism for the project is already rolling in. Amongst the reader comments over at Slicing Up Eyeballs are "NO INTERGRITY. no originality, " and "Re-recording them is really pointless and hard to view as anything other than a cash grab."
In the interview, Hook added that he and Mani (also of Stones Roses and Primal Scream) have resolved their public dispute, saying, "We're happily together again." Still, we can't help but wonder what Mani will have to say about this new EP.
Peter Hook will be bringing the Light to the U.S. in December for another leg of his Joy Division tour. The dates are below.
Tour dates:
12/1 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
12/2 Philadelphia, PA Voyeur
12/3 New York, NY - Webster Hall
12/4 Boston, MA - Royale Nightclub
12/6 Chicago, IL - Double Door
12/7 Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
12/9 Portland, OR - Doug Fir
12/10 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
12/11 Los Angeles, CA - Music Box at Henry Fonda Theater
Hook told Slicing Up Eyeballs that the EP will include three covers, along with a completed version of a previously unfinished song. He explained, "[Happy Mondays singer Rowetta] wants us to record an EP of the four [Joy Division songs] that she sings, which are 'Insight,' 'New Dawn Fades,' 'Atmosphere' and a track called 'Pictures' that I finished up, which is an old Joy Division track."
"Insight" and "New Dawn Fades" were both on Unknown Pleasures. "Atmosphere" was released as a single in 1980. Hook said, "The versions of the songs with Rowetta singing have a really nice quality."
Unsurprisingly, criticism for the project is already rolling in. Amongst the reader comments over at Slicing Up Eyeballs are "NO INTERGRITY. no originality, " and "Re-recording them is really pointless and hard to view as anything other than a cash grab."
In the interview, Hook added that he and Mani (also of Stones Roses and Primal Scream) have resolved their public dispute, saying, "We're happily together again." Still, we can't help but wonder what Mani will have to say about this new EP.
Peter Hook will be bringing the Light to the U.S. in December for another leg of his Joy Division tour. The dates are below.
Tour dates:
12/1 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
12/2 Philadelphia, PA Voyeur
12/3 New York, NY - Webster Hall
12/4 Boston, MA - Royale Nightclub
12/6 Chicago, IL - Double Door
12/7 Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
12/9 Portland, OR - Doug Fir
12/10 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
12/11 Los Angeles, CA - Music Box at Henry Fonda Theater