"Isolation" is a song by the English rock band Joy Division. It appears on their second and final studio album Closer (1980). 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.
Composition
"Isolation" is a new wave and synth-rock song, which "temporarily lifts the album's post-punk cloud." It contains elements of synth-pop and electronic music and lasts for a duration of two minutes and fifty-two seconds.
Personnel
- Ian Curtis – vocals
- Bernard Sumner – synthesizer
- Peter Hook – bass guitar
- Stephen Morris – electronic drums
Cover versions
The song has been covered many times, including versions by:
- New Order played an electronic-based cover in a Peel Session in 1998, released on the compilation album In Session (2004).
- Northern Irish rock band Therapy? covered the song on their second studio album Troublegum (1994). This version also incorporates elements from "Atrocity Exhibition".
- In 1995, a cover version by the Smashing Pumpkins spin-off band Starchildren appeared on the tribute album A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division.
- Industrial band Dessau released the Al Jourgensen produced 12" single in late 1988.
- 26 April 2020, Canadian rock band the Tea Party released a newly recorded cover to coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation orders that much of the world is under to stop the spread of the virus.
- 18 May 2020, Mark Lanegan and Cold Cave released their cover of the song.
References
Sources
- Curtis, Deborah. "Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division". London: Faber & Faber, 2005.
- Hook, Peter. "Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division". London: Simon & Schuster, 2012.
- Bernard, Sumner. "Chapter and Verse - New Order, Joy Division and Me". Corgi, 2015.