Album of the Day

Joy Division's SUBSTANCE served the same purpose as a similarly titled collection did for successor band New Order – to gather the group's single and otherwise non-LP sides together in one convenient package. Given the exacting standards of the Manchester post-punk quartet (and producer Martin Hannett), this “odds & sods” set is as stunning and essential as the band's two official studio albums. Spanning 1977 to 1980, the 17 tracks include the famed “Ideal for Living” EP, as well as such seminal singles as “Atmosphere,”  “Transmission,” the 12" version of “She's Lost Control” and the group's swan song, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” SUBSTANCE shows Joy Division at the peak of its powers, and is the perfect way to celebrate the 60th birthday of the band's guitarist/keyboardist, Bernard Sumner.