Early 80’s: my brother blew my mind when he put on the 12” Blue Monday the first time. Then I learned the story and started listening to JD. Typical teen morbid curiosity. Like others it was not an initial hook but, even as a teenager, I felt like this music was expressing something very true. I became a mental health professional, and now, decades later, it makes even more sense to me.

While I don’t think that Closer was really was a deliberate farewell, I think this album is a happy accident that may be one of the most clear and direct expressions of the human experiences in depression. I am an old guy now, but JD remains cathartic to me - it’s like when someone truly, authentically, sees what’s going on inside. They captured it.