Available:*
Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Book | Searching... Cabell County Public Library | 920 CUR | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
The only in-depth biographical account of the lead singer of Joy Division, written by his widow.
Revered by his peers--Bono described his voice as "holy"--and idolized by his fans, Ian Curtis left behind a legacy rich in artistic genius. He was a mesmerizing performer on stange, yet also introverted and prone to mode swings. Engimantic to the last, Ian Curtis died by his own hand on 18 May 1980.
Touching from a Distance describes Curtis's life from his early teenage years to his premature death on the eve of Joy Division's first American tour. It tells how, with a wife, child and impending international fame, he was seduced by the glory of an early grave. What were the reasons for his fascination with death? Were his dark, brooding lyrics an artistic exorcism? In Touching from a Distance Curtis's widow, Deborah, explains the drama of his life and the tragedy of his death.
Includes discography, gig list and a full set of Curtis's lyrics, some of which appear in print for the first time.
Reviews (1)
Guardian Review
The legend of Joy Division's Ian Curtis, who killed himself in May 1980 aged 23, is often drawn in stark lines. This 1995 memoir, written by his wife Deborah and reprinted with a new introduction by drummer Stephen Morris, scuffs and blurs the edges of the myth, depicting a messy, complicated and less than heroic individual. Possessive, controlling and cruel, Curtis does not emerge covered in glory. The tensions between the domestic and artistic worsen with his epilepsy: not even his wife, who knew him as a death-obsessed teen, realises how savage his demons have become. It could be seen as the last word from a scorned woman - Curtis was involved with Belgian journalist Annik Honore before his death - yet there's no suggestion of vindictiveness in the clear, unaffected style. This is Joy Division's destruction myth told by somebody more worried about bills, the baby and making Ian's sandwiches than any grand legacy. Shoved to the sidelines during her husband's life, here Deborah has her say; in the process, she casts valuable light on one of modern music's darkest stories. - Victoria Segal The legend of Joy Division's Ian Curtis, who killed himself in May 1980 aged 23, is often drawn in stark lines. This 1995 memoir, written by his wife Deborah and reprinted with a new introduction by drummer Stephen Morris, scuffs and blurs the edges of the myth, depicting a messy, complicated and less than heroic individual. - Victoria Segal.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations | p. viii |
Acknowledgements | p. ix |
Foreword | p. xi |
Introduction | p. xvii |
1 An Urban Soundtrack | p. 1 |
2 Walk with Me, Take Hold and See | p. 20 |
3 Face to Face | p. 29 |
4 Where Fantasy Ends | p. 36 |
5 Something Must Break | p. 50 |
6 A Newsreel Clip | p. 60 |
7 Walking on Air | p. 65 |
8 On a Razor's Edge | p. 81 |
9 These Days | p. 93 |
10 I Know My Life Is Getting Harder | p. 102 |
11 This Is My Crisis | p. 113 |
12 Decide for Me | p. 123 |
13 My Timing | p. 130 |
14 Written There for All | p. 136 |
Discography | p. 140 |
Lyrics | p. 145 |
Unseen Lyrics | p. 189 |
Gig List | p. 202 |
Index | p. 207 |