Album Mini-review: Peter Hook & the Light — Unknown Pleasures Tour 2012
Peter Hook was the bassist, multi-instrumentalist and (occasional) singer in two of the more influential bands of the last several decades. These days he’s capitalizing on the enduring popularity of Joy Division and New Order. His current group, Peter Hook & the Light has made a career out of covering his old bands, and releasing live albums documenting those shows. The second through fifth entries in the (ongoing?) series have been released in 2017. Of the four, the 2CD Unknown Pleasures Tour 2012 is perhaps the best, because it tackles Joy Division’s debut, the disc that launched the entire timeline. Hook and his band mates reinterpret the material with gusto, and to the extent possible, the albums succeed on their own merits. Still, the mere existence of the Peter Hook & the Light catalog may seem superfluous to those who own the albums they cover. – BK
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.