I feel this way all the time, you don't see me defacing public property.

Guys, we know you like Joy Division. We ALL like Joy Division. They’re one of the most critically lauded bands of all time and their small but incredibly influential catalogue is still being picked apart, analyzed and mined for meaning some 30+ years since the release of Closer. Indeed, at any given moment some kid in some shitty town somewhere who feels like maybe he doesn’t belong there is discovering the succor that comes from listening to those prophets of post-industrial (the societal trend, not the music) ennui. Yes, they’re great songs, and will live forever in our hearts and souls. But dudes: STOP COVERING JOY DIVISION. It’s been done man. I’m sure it seems like a good idea, but take this into consideration:
1) You will never in any way “improve” these songs, point blank.
2) Whatever genius take you think you have on any given JD song, someone else has already probably done it. There’s been electro, gothic, fuckin’ dub reggae covers of like every song in the catalogue. The ship has sailed man, if you wanted to do it, you shoulda done it in the 80s. This especially goes for covers of “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, there’s no god damn excuse for that, are you listening Apoptygma Berzerk? You might as well be covering “Yesterday” by The Beatles.
Anyways, before we nail the coffin shut here’s a selection of some Joy Division covers from our thing that I actually like. As an obsessive, I’ve heard more Joy Division covers than most music bloggers have had hot lunches, and while most are pretty lame, I’m pointing you to a few I think are pretty decent. Then can we all agree to give up on it, at least for a while? That’d be great.
Love Like Blood – Decades
Like 10 years ago now the dudes in Love Like Blood put out this record of goth covers that actually wasn’t too bad. I liked the cover of “Lucretia My Reflection” and The Mission’s “Wasteland” and this little number, which is as good as a gothic metal cover of “Decades” could ever aspire to be.

Dessau – Isolation
Dessau, now we’re talkin’! As noted by the VJ at the beginning of this clip, Uncle Al and Paul from Ministry produced this excellent version, which appeared on their criminally underappreciated self-titled album from ’95. I shoulda saved this for a 199X post, but as the best cover of “Isolation” by any industrial rock band (sorry Die Krupps) it belongs here.

In The Nursery – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Man, the dudes in ITN always, always come correct. I have nothing to say about this, except that between this and The Swans version, I never need to hear anyone else sing this. Quit it y’all.

Blood Axis – Walked in Line
Industrial neo-folk band chooses to cover the Joy Division song that most directly references Nazi stuff. What a surprise.


Left Spine Down – She’s Lost Control
Our chums in LSD come with a nice punky cover where I think they actually replicated the purported spray can cymbal trick that Joy Division used in studio. And hey, our pal Kerry from Stiff Valentine stars in the video!