WARSAW Vinyl & CDs

Review: Originally known as Stuff Kittens, then Warsaw, the legendary U.K. post-punk band Joy Division emerged from Manchester in the late 1970s, their middle moniker chosen in honour of a David Bowie-Brian Eno track, "Warszawa. This album, recorded at the time but never released, includes five bonus demo tracks recorded at Pennine Studios in Manchester on July 18, 1977, featuring Steve Brotherdale on drums. The first 11 tracks were laid down during a recording session in early May 1978, shortly after 'Interzone' and 'Transmission' - later to become Joy Division classics - had been incoporated into their set, the formere emerging from a cover of Northern Soul classic 'Keep On Keepin' On', the band adding original lyrics to create a unique sound. 'Transmission', written during the final rehearsal week, begins with a line from Alistair Crowley's The Book of Thoth, adding to what is already a fascinating collection of early takes of songs that would later gain iconic post-punk status.

Review: It could have all been so different when you think about it. One of the UK's most critically acclaimed, celebrated and mourned bands, Joy Division, were originally toying with the idea of calling themselves Stiff Kittens after first getting together. This then changed to Warsaw, after David Bowie's track, 'Warsawa', and it's under this guise they broke into the common conscious, supporting The Buzzcocks, Penetration and John Cooper Clarke at Electric Circus in 1977. Reviews from that show - by music journalist leg-ends Paul Morley and Ian Wood - would ignite the hype. A debut album was planned for RCA Records, 11 tracks that would go on to be known simply as The RCA Sessions. Here they are now, as originally intended, some of which eventually made it onto Joy Division records, others didn't, but all clearly showing musicians defining their sound and place in the scene.