Joy Division / Plus Minus

Joy Division
Plus Minus
(Rhino)

2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Ian Curtis, and to commemorate the anniversary Rhino Records are releasing a new ultra limited edition box set. Compiled by music journalist and author Jon Savage, the collection contains twenty-one tracks over ten 7” singles. Some of them are reissues of previously released singles (including ‘Transmission’ and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’) and some have been specially created for ‘Plus Minus’ – while all have been digitally remastered.
There’s been quite a few Joy Division compilations released over the past fast few years so I guess the big question is why this one? After all, every one of the tracks here is available on the ‘Heart and Soul’ compilation that was released only a couple of years ago.
It boils down to whether you’re a vinyl junkie and how much money you have in your pocket. For the really serious collectors out there the box set comes with a download code (standard) or a CD (deluxe) so you can keep your vinyl in mint condition. The thing with that is if you’re a vinyl junkie surely you’d want to hear the songs on vinyl rather than a horrible, clinical CD or, even worse, a nasty compressed mp3?!
As well as the singles the deluxe box also includes artwork from British artist Peter Saville, co-founder of the band’s record label, the infamous Factory Records. ‘Plus Minus’ is one for the hardened collectors at fifty bob, although for the cash-strapped but curious, there is a digital iTunes release too.