The
important question about Ian Curtis is not so much "why?" as "who?" What bizarre
concoction of humanity led to that pale glare through sad eyes, that earnest
intensity, that rigor-mortis twist, those haunting, opaque lyrics? I didn't get the answer from Anton Corbijn's otherwise gorgeously filmed and
serviceable 2007 bio-feature Control.
Samantha Morton, a wonderful actor to watch, played a full-blooded
Deborah Curtis, complex, touchable and sympathetic. Conversely, Sam Riley's Ian
Curtis is almost completely bloodless, empty—except for the fact that the actor
perfectly animated Curtis' look and physicality as a masterful mimic. Since the film was based on Deborah Curtis'
book about her life with the singer, perhaps this hollowness is somehow to the
point of the narrative. Curtis may just
have been a cracked actor, like the creation of his beloved Bowie. I've got the spirit, but lose the feeling. Feeling-feeling-feeling...feel-ing!
In
my own ridiculous way, I have sought the soul of Ian Curtis, through
contemplative hours of listening to Joy Division's music, the Warsaw tapes
etc. So when WFMU got the Factory flexi
disc of "Incubation" (back in the middle 80s), I was inspired to
allow my Curtis worship to take the form of parody, since
"Incubation" is an instrumental that just begs for some lyrics,
crying out for a treatment by way of the Closer LP. Apologies in advance...
This
is one piece from my archive that Daniel Blumin and I did not get around to
playing during our broadcast for WFMU's radio greats weekend. I know the track has made a lot of friends and
listeners happy in years past. I take
you now to a clammy primary-school classroom...it's after hours, almost night,
a janitor is mopping the hallway floor outside, mumbling
to himself...little eggs are pulsating under yellow light....
Incubation
Bonus
track: "Means to an End" WFMU
Marathon Promo
And before you mock, remember that I was about 23 when
I did this, the same age Ian Curtis was when he hung himself. We all make some unfortunate choices at that
age.
If you enjoy my bi-weekly posts
here on Beware of the Blog, you can also check in with me daily at My Castle of
Quiet.
THANKS BILL! One I definitely needed for my Berger tape archives.
Seeing as how it's marathon time, I was thinkin' it would also be lovely to have the other Ian spoof you did for that cause....
Posted by: Ray Brazenbrann | March 10, 2009 at 09:33 AM
Ray, look again—it's in the post!
Posted by: Wm. | March 10, 2009 at 09:50 AM
P.S. - I'm glad someone has a "Berger tape archive"! Thanks!
Posted by: Wm. | March 10, 2009 at 09:52 AM
YES! THANK YOU! YOU ROCK!
Posted by: Ray Brazenbrann | March 10, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Heh-heh! That sounds a lot like old JD. I was a big fan back in '84 or so.....
Posted by: Nicole D | March 10, 2009 at 03:57 PM
Swinging in his room, Ian won't come out to play
Posted by: Munro | March 10, 2009 at 11:05 PM
The corporate pigs they try to hurt us, and make us die like Ian Curtis...
Posted by: Ray Brazenbrann | March 13, 2009 at 10:55 AM