Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

I am currently reclining with some milkybar buttons watching a drama featuring the delightful James Nesbitt. Life is sweet. I am currently not thinking about my impending exam, and the slightly less impending start of part of my summer employment which involves 7am starts. Ouch.

Today my best of Joy Division cd arrvied. It really is incredible, and ridiculous to think that this music is over 20 years old. Ian Curtis died six years before I was born, yet here I am, aged 21, listening to his music since I was 16 or so. Despite having fairly limited success at the time, I think Joy Division are one of those truly brilliant bands and will never be matched, like The Beatles or The Beach Boys. For a few glorious years, everything fits and they produce some of the finest music the world has ever heard, and then it's over, but the music doesn't lose any of it's dignity or value, and becomes utterly timeless. I wonder if such bands had stayed together longer and made an average album or two then maybe their music would still be held in such revere. I'm glad they didn't, although obviously Ian Curtis' death is a huge tragedy. As Neil Young said: 'It's better to burn out than to fade away'. I'll also never know how they find Sam Riley to play Ian Curtis in 'Control'. The likeness is quite frankly terrifying, and I'm sure it must've given Deborah Curtis quite the shock the first time she saw him in character. Whenever I watch that film I always find myself drawn into the story of Deborah/Ian/Annik, and then end up hating Ian for abandoning Deborah and Natalie, and putting her through the pain of having an affair. But then you listen to Joy Division, and realise that, whilst feelings are important, some things transcend them, and I think that's definitely the case with Joy Division's music. Yes, he was a shit, but he was also very sick and struggled with the concepts of right and wrong. The amount of energy he put into his music ulimately meant he had none left for his home life, and so it suffered. I do always wonder why he felt the need to marry so early. I find it hard to believe it was simply his idea, he must have felt he had to conform. I don't think it was his parents, and all his ideals were must definitely unattached - Bowie, Jim Morrisson, and later Frank Sinatra. Even for 30 or so years ago marrying at aged 19/20 was still quite uncommon I think. It's certainly an interesting part of his life.

Anyway enough of Joy Division. Along with my Joy Division CD I also got series on of Gavin and Stacey. Whilst humour wise, it's fairly rudimentary and a little cringe-worthy, I find the storylines pretty charming and I have a wee bit of a soft spot for Mathew Horne (Gavin). The half hour episodes are quite the little treat.

Toddlepip