The Durutti Column

An expanded 3cd deluxe edition of The Guitar And Other Machines, the sixth studio album by The Durutti Column, originally released by Factory Records in 1987.

For all that the previous album was called Vini Reilly, Obey the Time was in fact Durutti's most specifically Reilly-only release yet. Even percussion stalwart Mitchell only appeared on one track this time around, the fine, subtly uplifting punch of "Art and Freight," partially due to where Reilly's head was at this time around. Inspired by the late-'80s acid house revolution in England, with his native Manchester firmly at ground zero, Reilly aimed to combine that with his usual guitar approach to see what would happen. Where in nearly any other hands this would have been a pathetic crossover disaster waiting to happen, the end results are gratifyingly like what his compatriots in New Order did the previous year with Technique, synthesizing up-to-date styles to create something distinctly different…

Marking a further progression in the overall Durutti sound, Without Mercy both an expanded lineup and sense of what could be done with Reilly's compositions. Consisting of a two-part full-album instrumental piece, Without Mercy integrates the slight hints of classical orchestration and accompaniment from Another Setting more fully via a slew of additional players. Besides the indefatigable Mitchell on percussion and Reilly on guitar, bass, and keyboards, performers on everything from viola to cor anglais and trumpet flesh out Without Mercy's sound to newly striking heights. Reilly's work on piano sets the initial mood for the song, a sound by now as intrinsic to Durutti's approach as his guitar work, capturing both tender beauty and deep melancholy just so…

A very different compilation with little or no overlapping material could just as easily earn the right to be titled The Best of the Durutti Column. Vini Reilly's discography is so deep that any track selection would look somewhat arbitrary. Despite that, this two-disc set, released in 2004, does an admirable job of distilling over 20 years of material into a digestible introduction. Even most of Reilly's longtime, fanatical followers would have to agree - with some reservations, perhaps - that this is a representative way to gain an understanding of one of the most prolific and unique individuals to have started during the punk era. If this set should happen to hit all the right nerves with you, there are no less than ten good to spectacular studio albums waiting to be devoured.

Released in 1983, label-owner Miguel met the band in the Manchester before subsequently inviting them to record a single in Portugal. As the story goes, Vini came and recorded a whole albums worth of material, which would be quickly developed into following releases. This was the pre-cursor to Without Mercy and it contains some beautiful little tunes and is highly under-rated and overlooked.

For all that the previous album was called Vini Reilly, Obey the Time was in fact Durutti's most specifically Reilly-only release yet. Even percussion stalwart Mitchell only appeared on one track this time around, the fine, subtly uplifting punch of "Art and Freight," partially due to where Reilly's head was at this time around. Inspired by the late-'80s acid house revolution in England, with his native Manchester firmly at ground zero, Reilly aimed to combine that with his usual guitar approach to see what would happen. Where in nearly any other hands this would have been a pathetic crossover disaster waiting to happen, the end results are gratifyingly like what his compatriots in New Order did the previous year with Technique, synthesizing up-to-date styles to create something distinctly different…

A collaboration between virtuoso guitarist Vini Reilly and legendary Manchester producer Martin Hannett, the Return of The Durutti Column paired Reilly's non-rock sketches with Hannett's electronic textures to produce "perfectly realized, correctly ambient and inventive music" (NME). The infamous sandpaper sleeve was somewhat less user friendly. Inspired by a 1959 Situationist publication by Guy Debord and Asger Jorn, the relentless iconoclasts at Factory hoped that the abrasive packaging would destroy existing record collections.

5CD box set of the albums released on Artful/Fullfill during the period 2001-2009.

35th Anniversary edition of the seminal 1989 album Vini Reilly, Produced by Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur, The Cranberries, New Order). Remastered and heavily expanded 5 disc version, featuring over 75 tracks: Disc 1. Vini Reilly album and 3 Bonus tracks [16 tracks] The original album (presented in the famous (and as to now unseen) ‘rejected’ sleeve by 8vo) remastered with bonus tracks. Disc 2. The Sporadic Recordings [28 tracks] , a limited edition CD from 1989 [SPORE 1]. ‘Womad Live’ EP plus bonus live tracks and demos [16 tracks]. An exclusive DVD, Live from Porto 1988. Bonus 1 track 3-inch mini CD - ‘I Know Very Well How I Got My Name’ a replica of the bonus addition from the original CD pressing.

Expanded double disc editions on vinyl and CD of LC, the second studio set by The Durutti Column, originally issued by Factory in 1981 and ranked among Vini Reilly's finest albums.