Joy Division - Misplaced
Subtitled Rare and Unreleased Rehearsals 1977-1980. Like previous early Joy Division rehearsal tapes leaked over the past few years, this one will no doubt be followed by the usual rumours, accusations, denials, incrimination and legal threats. The title Misplaced is really a play on words, it is the original title given to early incarnations (albeit with different lyrics) of In A Lonely Place, and there are enough contained herein to add precedence, however it could also refer to a misplaced box of tapes (or were they stolen?), which were then thrown back over the fence at a band members home, after being dubbed and released in a string of bootlegs.
So what is Misplaced all about. Don't expect too much on this double album which hasn't already been leaked by people close to the ex-members of Joy Division, but there are a few bits to attract even the most complete JD collector, and the listener certainly shouldn't expect top studio quality. You should expect formative rehearsal footage recorded on an old tape recorder in drafty old rooms by a band of young musicians still struggling to find their way. You are in for plenty of tape hiss, fluctuating levels and acoustic distortion, muffled vocals, bad notes and wayward chords. For these very reasons, we can appreciate why some band members didn't want Joy Division fans to hear these, but these are perhaps the wrong reasons given that every iconic band in history has a legacy of unheard work, and fans will seek these out at any cost. Bootleggers will always seek to profit at the fans expense - maybe bootlegging the bootlegger is really what the true spirit of rock'n'roll and punk should be about?
