The Ian Curtis biopic Control‘s been screening to great reviews and accolades praising Anton Corbijn and the production team’s taste and discretion — and really hate to ruin the party, guys — but somebody’s gotta stand up and take the fall for allowing the Killers to be the only band to cover Joy Division on the film’s official soundtrack. Or even just to take the blame for them to be considered for the slot. Brandon’s boys butchered “Shadowplay” at NME’s Shockwaves show earlier this year, but now you can hear it studio recorded, which beautifully preserve Flowers’ hammy spin on Ian’s vox. Listen here.
“Shadowplay”‘s also appearing on the Killers’ b-sides collection Sawdust is out 11/13 on Island. This is the collection that’ll feature new song “Tranquilize” with Lou Reed. And a proper recording of their Dire Straits cover. So will Sawdust be awesome? How could it miss? This is the band that put out one of the best albums of the last 20 years.
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C’mon, seriously? Every blog, including the Music Slut, wrote about this in May when the track leaked. Just because you get a press release about this today, it’s one one your headlines?
Weak sauce guys.
CONTROL was superb, though I agree that when the Killers song comes on during the closing credits, you’re all WTF? Up until that point all the music is JD original, so it seems like a senseless cash grab to have a crap Killers cover as your lasting image from the soundtrack.
ewwwww
Dear ‘gum,
Why do you keep writing about bands covering stuff? It seems like every day there’s something here about some band covering something. Am I supposed to care? Because I don’t.
“To the center of the city in the night, waiting for you”.
Has a better lyric ever been written? I think not.
Will pass on listening to this cover though, thanks.
It’s not just totally an off the wall cash grab. Anton Corbijn has worked with the Killers before. Perhaps he’s one of the few people that like the Killers. Oh well. In a free iTunes podcast for the movie (go download it! It’s worth checking out) Corbijn states that the Killers are supposed to add an uplifting response at the end of a emotionally heavy film.
un.fucking.believably.bad.
Really the only bands that should have been considered/allowed to cover a Joy Division song were their peers (The Cure and, obviously, New Order) or the soundalikes (Interpol – maybe, or the Editors – a long shot). Even if you disagree with me, you must agree that the Killers should have never fucking touched a JD song… EVER.
Flowers has one of the most out-of-key, warbly singing voices. I suppose Ian did as well, but Flowers is just plain unpleasant to listen to. His voice (esp live) is just plain depressing.
Yeah, I’ve had a studio copy of this for months. In fact, I could’ve sworn that I got it from this very blog.
That cover doesn’t work. The singer’s voice has no weight to it. I don’t think it’s an uplift, I just think it’s contemporary. And let’s face it, if you’re going to go see a movie about Ian Curtis’ story, the uplift is that people have responded to his work, and that his bandmates went on to a new band, New Order.
I blame ultragrrl for the killers being included in this.
Bedhead’s cover of Disorder was what turned me onto JD bitd. Its sublime and should have been included.
I read that Anton Corbijn hand-picked the Killers to cover the song for the movie all on his own, plus he has taken their CD cover pictures and filmed a video of theirs, so obviously he’s a fan.
This cover is a thousand times better live though- a lot more intense. But supposedly Peter Hook himself produced the track so I guess this is how he wanted it.
is it wrong to still like mr brightside?
say what you will, but it’s a fairly decent cover, not spectacular but there hasn’t been a lot of covers that outdid their originals, so i still say kudos to the killers. but that’s not to say i think brandon could’ve better vocals for this song. nonetheless, i will be buying sawdust the moment it hit the shelves.
i have now heard shadowplay live 4 times in concert (the killers) and it’s quite good live. the killers are big joy division fans and have a lot of joy when they play the song. i haven’t heard the studio version.
OK, I can’t stand the killers and this cover is just as meh as their own crap but that’s not really my issue here. I just don’t understand the reason for bringing in an additional band to do the song.
The actors who play Joy Division in Control perform all (most?) of the material themselves (ie they’re not lip syncing to the original JD tracks)and do a brilliant job of it. If Corbijn didn’t want to go with the original of Shadowplay over the end credits, a version by the “faux/film band” would have served the finale much better than a diluted remake. That “add an uplifting response” excuse is pretty damn weak. It’s not a Disney movie, it’s an Ian Curtis biopic – let the audience deal with whatever genuine emotion they might have after seeing the film.
You had me up until that point, Anton, and then you kind of blew it.
I’m pretty sure that the Joy Divisions of today do not give a damn about The Killers.
Likewise, Joy Division are on record dismissing The Killers of yore…
This is a money grab all the way around. Commerce and art spooning each other.
The importance of joy division is not evident by a money-rock band enjoying them, even if you stretch it to conclude that someone was influenced by joy division enough to make it their career.
Especially this version of the song. Joy Division will be discussed and covered after The Killers are long forgotten.
It takes a special kind of vapidity to make a release not even worthy of hard drive space.
Dear Sterogum,
We get it, you don’t like The Killers, Coldplay, or any other mainstream rock group. You are so cool for putting them down. So much about Image with you guys some times. The Hold Steady, Destroyer,or some other little known indie group gets a top 10 hit and I can’t wait to see you guys jump ship on them.
Everything that Brian said….and especially the part about the Hold Steady….as soon as they crack the charts in the top 10, everyone will disgard them…it’s really unfortunate how hypocrital people become when people become famous….but I’m sure you love it whenever the Killers release a new piece of music or do or say anything…it gives you all so much to talk about….which is silly in all reality since it is clear that you all just don’t like them as a band…why waste space talking about them then?