by Peter Hook
First published 2016
Peter Hook completes his three-part memoir by examining New Order's formation and trajectory through the 1980s alternative music landscape. Hook details how the band emerged following Ian Curtis's suicide and Joy Division's collapse in 1980. He traces their evolution from post-punk origins to electronic dance pioneers, documenting the creation of landmark tracks like "Blue Monday," "Bizarre Love Triangle," and "Perfect Kiss." The bassist recounts New Order's immersion in New York's club culture and their subsequent global success. Hook explores how the band influenced electronic dance music and shaped acts like Moby, The Chemical Brothers, and The Killers. He chronicles their impact on house music, techno, and rave scenes while examining the internal conflicts that eventually tore the group apart. The narrative encompasses the band's creative process, their experiences with fame, and the excesses that accompanied their success. Hook provides track-by-track analysis alongside discographies and performance histories. He captures the cultural moment of 1980s alternative music, documenting how New Order bridged punk's raw energy with electronic innovation to create a new sound that would influence generations of musicians.
Genres: non-fiction, biography-memoir, music, alternative-medicine
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: creative-process, cultural-moment, musical-influence
Setting: New York
Period: 1980s
770 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster UK