Friday, January 21, 2011

The Durutti Column - The Return of the Durutti Column (1980, Factory Records)

The fact (no pun intended) that Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus released this album, which is in such stark contrast to all else on Factory Records at the time, shows just how forward thinking and brilliant they were.

Although unheralded at the time, This release is a topic of cult nerd guitar record conversation and Vinni now plays huge European festivals. its a deceitfully simple album of effected instrumental guitar melodies with a bit of drums. One could easily write it off as pleasant background music. Although, upon further investigation, the beauty of the last remaining member Vini Reilly's classical, rock, jazz and folk stylings demands attention. Quietly sit down with this one and notice the incomparable details of the guitar as well as the work of one of the greatest producers of all time, Martin Hannett.

Also of interest is the sleeve. Made of sandpaper, this was a situationalist joke based on the ideas of Guy Debord. When on the shelf, it would rub against and destroy other sleeves.

The legend is that a very broke Ian Curtis put these sleeves together for extra cash while the rest of Joy Division was watching porn in the same room.

Get It Here

No comments:

Post a Comment

Followers