Peter Hook

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The pioneering sounds of the highly influential English bands Joy Division and New Order were dominated by the droning basslines of Peter Hook. In the late '70s, Hook's ominous bass enabled Joy Division to carve portraits of profound despair. Although the late Ian Curtis' harrowing lyrics and downcast vocals are often credited for Joy Division's bleak beauty, many of the group's songs were driven by Hook's sinister, throbbing bass. While badly tuned guitars were the rage during the punk era in late-'70s England, Hook's bass playing instilled the importance of rhythm in punk rock, helping to inspire a generation of dance-oriented new wave bands. After Ian Curtis hanged himself on May 18, 1980, Hook joined the other surviving members of Joy Division in New Order. In 1990, Hook released One True Passion with his side project Revenge. Collaborating with Dave Hicks (guitar, keyboards) and Chris Jones (keyboards), Hook combined elements of techno and hard rock with Revenge; Hook also sang. But Revenge was nowhere near as commercially and critically successful as Joy Division or New Order. Hook recorded one more LP with Revenge, 1992's Gun World Porn, before returning to New Order on their 1993 album Republic. With New Order on hiatus, Hook teamed up with vocalist David Potts and released Music for Pleasure as Monaco in 1997. Instead of shifting away from New Order's distinctive sound, Hook Xeroxed it for Monaco; Potts even sounded oddly similar to New Order's Bernard Sumner. However, the album startled fans and critics with its well-crafted pop; the track "What Do You Want from Me?" even became a hit in clubs and on alternative radio stations. Monaco split up after label indifference temporarily shelved their self-titled second album; Monaco was finally released in 2000 and Hook rejoined New Order. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide