Because That’s What Ian Would Have Wanted…

This just makes me sick.

Microsoft is making a Joy Division ‘Zune’ player.

I understand a band like U2 aligning itself with IPod, but for the surviving members of Joy Division (ie New Order) to cash in on Ian Curtis in this manner seems blasphemous. Now, one could argue that all the recent books and films made about the band are doing the same thing, but I would counter that things like Anton Corbijn’s Control and Paul Morley’s Piece by Piece (which I highly recommend, by the way) augment and explore the band and it’s music by not only paying homage but trying to put the band and it’s music in a new context and possibly bring their music to a whole new generation of fans. The branding of a Zune with the bands identity, however, does nothing but bring the bands legend and aura to a third rate Mp3 player that is desperately in need of some market share. Pathetic.