Isolation (Joy Division song)

"Isolation" is a 1980 song appearing on the post-punk band Joy Division's second and final album Closer. The song is based on an electronic drum beat by Stephen Morris, accompanied by a thin, trebly keyboard part by Bernard Sumner. Midway through the song, a rushing drum and hi-hat motif come in, propelling the song toward its dramatic end.

"Isolation"
Song by Joy Division
from the album Closer
Released1980
Recorded18–30 March 1980 at Britannia Row Studios, London
GenreGothic rock[1]
Length2:52
LabelFactory
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Audio sample
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Composition

"Isolation" is a song which contains elements of synth pop and electronic music that lasts for a duration of two minutes and fifty-two seconds.[3][4] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group, it is written in the time signature of common time, with a tempo of 148 beats per minute.[3] "Isolation" is played in the key of C major, while Ian Curtis's vocal range spans one octave, from the low-note of B3 to the high-note of B4.[3] The song has a basic sequence of G–F–G in the verses, changes to B–A–G–F–G at the chorus and follows G–F–G–G–G during the outro as its chord progression.[3] 

The song harbors atypical song structure and vocal delivery. Its musical arrangement employs a false ending where the band abruptly ceases, only for the recording to suddenly return with noisy feedback of a snippet before coming to a blunt end.[4] "Isolation" is built on harsh electronic drums and a rolling, stabbing bassline. In place of a guitar melody, a cascading high-pitched synth line runs throughout the entire composition as its driving instrument.[4] Curtis sings poetic lyrics that illustrate an abstract portrait of the titular subject. According to critic Ned Raggett, the "chilling" vocal lines express a sense of a connection and yearning after the impossible: "But if you could just see the beauty, these things I could never describe."[4]

Critical reception

AllMusic's Ned Raggett complimented "Isolation," writing, "the song structure and delivery is all Joy Division and as such makes the song an intriguing twist on a style and a highlight of the excellent Closer album."[4]

Production

Joy Division Bassist Peter Hook said the ending came as the serendipitous result of Martin Hannett's efforts to rescue the original master tape from a botched edit by a junior sound engineer.

Personnel

Covers

The song has been covered many times including by:

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gollark: ddg! site:osmarks.tk "emu war"
gollark: ddg! osmarks.tk emu war

References
  1. McCullough, Dave (26 July 1980). "Closer to the edge (Joy Division Closer album review)". Sounds. Young men in dark silhouettes, some darker than others, looking inwards, looking out, discovering the same horror and describing it with the same dark strokes of gothic rock.
  2. Ascap entry
  3. Joy Division. "Joy Division 'Isolation' Sheet Music in C Major - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  4. Raggett, Ned. "Isolation – Joy Division". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-26.

Sources
  • Curtis, Deborah. "Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division". London: Faber and Faber, 2005. ISBN 978-0-5712-2481-4
  • Hook, Peter. "Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division". London: Simon & Schuster, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8572-0215-4
  • Bernard, Sumner. "Chapter and Verse - New Order, Joy Division and Me". Corgi, 2015. ISBN 978-0-5521-7049-9
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