Stephen Morris has been a consistent fixture in New Order since 1980. The band's long career has included multiple world tours and headlining appearances at festivals, as well as a performance at the closing concert for the 2012 Olympics. Outside of New Order, Morris has released albums and television soundtracks with his wife Gillian Gilbert under the name The Other Two, and has contributed in the studio and on tour to Bernard Sumner's project Bad Lieutenant. He is also well known for owning a collection of tanks, which he drives recklessly near his home.
Self-deprecating, unembittered and happy to occupy the role of technically-minded synergist, Morris is a frank and humorous narrator uninterested in grudges . . . Hugely mirthful in northern English ways, Stephen recalls his youth with frustration and fondness . . . Familiar ground and personalities are (inevitably) revisited, but the author's dry wit ensures a singular perspective and winning detail . . . Arguably the most human of the Joy Division memoirs, Record Play Pause shows that even after 40 years there are still new ways to engage with and illuminate this most analysed of groups * Mojo * Record Play Pause tells a familiar story . . . but Morris brings a freshness to it * Glasgow Herald * Gritty coming-of-age story . . . plenty of anecdotes to keep us hooked, and his memories of Joy Division's Ian Curtis are poignant * Daily Mirror * A unique and thoughtful musical memoir * Observer *