You might wonder why you would need a collection of journalism by one single writer, entirely about one single band who were only around long enough to make two studio albums. Even to me, it sounded like it could be a bit much. But this book is so much more than it appears to be and it’s one of my very favorite music reads.

Just so you know where we stand, I should admit that I am, much like Paul Morley, totally biased about Joy Division. They are, at the very least, in my (unwritten) Top 5 Best Bands Of All Time and Unknown Pleasures is perhaps the greatest single album I’ve ever heard. I can’t deny it: I’m the target audience for Morley’s collection. Even so, Piece by Piece isn’t just an opportunity for both author and reader to fawn over a personal favorite. This is the story of a band (and, in part at least, a label), told from pretty nearly the inside, since Morley was involved with Joy Division before they were even called Joy Division, and shows their growth from a sort of wannabe punk band to a creative force still to be reckoned with today. And though the band itself was only around for a few years, Morley’s writing continues to investigate their influence on – and importance to – both music and himself for over a quarter of a century.

But “piece by piece” does not just refer to the gradual evolution of a band and their place in history, and is not just a literal reference to written articles. This collection is only partially about Joy Division and Factory Records and Tony Wilson and whoever else. It’s Paul Morley’s story as well, and is far more personal than the title, taken literally, conveys. Piece by Piece is a 30-year journalistic journey in which Morley finds his way as a writer, finds his way as a person, and discovers that this one band and their two magnificent albums will always be with him as a source of comfort, intrigue, and inspiration.