CLOSER - Joy Division - 1981 LP Factory Records Repress FACT-XXV - NM/NM/NM

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Closer is the second and final studio album by the English rock band Joy Division. Produced by Martin Hannett, it was recorded two months before and released two months after the suicide of the band's lead singer and lyricist Ian Curtis. The album cover was designed by Martyn Atkins and Peter Saville, with a photograph of the Appiani family tomb in Genoa's Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno adorning much of the sleeve. The photograph was taken by Bernard Pierre Wolff in 1978. In a 2007 documentary on the band, designer Saville commented that he, upon learning of singer Ian Curtis's suicide, expressed immediate concern over the album's design as it depicted a funeral theme, remarking "we've got a tomb on the cover of the album!"

Closer was released on 18 July 1980 by Factory Records. The album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart. Closer has been highly acclaimed, and is often cited as Joy Division's finest work, being considered by music critics such as Mark Fisher to be "the crown jewel of post-punk”. According to Colin Larkin, Closer has since been "deservedly regarded by many critics as the most brilliant rock album of the 80s". The album was voted number 1 in the 1980 Albums of the Year poll conducted by music magazine NME, and it was listed as number 157 in Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, maintaining the rank in the 2012 revision, and dropping to number 309 in the 2020 edition. Today, Closer is widely recognized as a seminal release of the post-punk era. Following the release of the non-album single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" in June 1980, the remaining members re-formed as New Order.

THIS COPY is a 1981 Repress from 1981 - the year following the initial release - on Factory Records in the U.K. (see Notes, below).  [NOTE: I think a "repress" means more copies were needed to sell, as opposed to a "reissue", which is when something is changed - song list, cover, etc., in order to generate more sales.]

The vinyl looks to be in Near Mint [NM] or better condition, which is backed up by a test listen.

The original cover is likewise in at least Near Mint [NM] condition. [It has "straight corners", as opposed to the original release, which apparently had rounded corners.]

The original inner sleeve, which is made of the same weight cardboard as the cover, is also in Near MInt [NM] condition, with no discernable flaws.

Notes

Cover: thick and matte, a bit rough
Inner sleeve: smooth with straight corners

Black vinyl

Rear cover:
FACT∙XXV A Factory Records Product

Inner sleeve:
Produced By Martin Hannett At Brittania Row
Printed by Garrod And Lofthouse Limited

On labels:
A Fractured Music · A Factory Record
9/5/80

Cat#:
FACT·XXV on cover
FACT. 25 on labels

With printings on spine

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, etched): FACT 25 A1 OLD BLUE?

Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, etched): FACT 25 B-1

NOTE: Although I believe this to be the correct pressing information, the person who found the above dead wax info missed some that is much harder to see. On side one, between “A1” and “OLD BLUE?” the is a small number 5 etched sideways and a bit further on, a letter K, also etched sideways. On side two, after “B-1”, I see a small number 6 etched sideways, followed by an etched letter A.  …in case you are interested 😉

ENJOY!