Last updated 2002/07
Other questions, suggestions, or updates? Please write.
How can I find out what the group is up to lately?
What's the origin of the group's name?
From where can I obtain DC releases?
How can I contact The Durutti Column?
Was that the Durutti Column I heard on a US commercial?
What do the Japanese characters on The Sporadic Recordings mean?
What's the evocative sample at the end of Time Was Gigantic?
How do I play the When The World CD-Video?
What's this about Vini Reilly producing the Mondays?
What are the major releases like?
Q: How can I find out what the group is up to lately?
A: Check the official site and mailing list news page / archives.
Q: What's the origin of the name "Durutti Column" ?
A: Also discussed in the Sex & Death CD-ROM reviews and Sonora &
The Wire articles, but this from the Record Collector article:
It's worth mentioning at this stage the origin of the Durutti Column
name. On one hand, it derives from the struggle of revolutionary
anarchist Buenaventura Durruti to liberate Spain during the bloody
civil war of the 1930s. A legendary assassin and terrorist, he
fuelled a libertarian communist movement with lofty ideals and
eventually led a formidable column of 6,000 men towards Saragossa
during the summer of 1936. His aim was to liberate the city, defeat
Fascism and declare a free commune but his plan failed when the
column became entrenched just outside the city. Later he was
persuaded to go to Madrid with his men and take on Franco's Moroccan
militia. During this escapade he was shot in the back.
The second source for the title comes from the activities of the
Situationists Internationale in Strasbourg in 1966. In a grand
gesture of anarchism they papered the walls of the city with a comic
strip titled "The Return of the Durutti Column". (Note the change
of spelling of Durruti's name). Vini Reilly explains: "I was
always interested in the Situationists Internationale -- an
anarchist group in Europe who published a book with a sandpaper
cover so that it would destroy all the other books on the shelves.
In the Sixties they were very radical and through their slogans,
criticisms and ideas, wanted to change something. They used the
title 'the Return of the Durutti Column' many times in their
manifestos. So you can see that I saw the production of a very
tranquil music in 1979 as an anarchic gesture!"
Q: From where can I obtain DC releases?
A: Try these places (US except as noted):
The best way to support the group is to order from their appointed
mail order outlet, KookyDiscs [UK].
AB-CD (great import catalogue, though pricey)
CD Connection
CDNow (not recommended; they have trouble filling Durutti orders)
EAR/Rational
Lakeshore Record Exchange
MODified Alternative Music
Poobah (whose import buyer is a DC fan)
Randy's Music Emporium (email; run by a member of the mailing list)
RPM Records
SirenCD (reliable import specialist)
Song Search
Vinyl Vendors
Action Records [UK]
Cheap Or What! [UK] (search for the string "durutti")
Left Legged Pineapple (rarities) [UK]
Penny Black Music [UK]
Polar Bear OnLine (rarities) [UK]
CD Point [Brasil]
GEMM (a referral service)
Music Stack (a brokering service)
The Materiali Sonori label offers "Dry" and "Red Shoes" for sale,
as well as the "Ai Confini Interzone" and "Sonora" compilations.
Materiali Sonori is also distributed in the US via The Artist Shop.
The Hare-Hunter-Field compilation is available from its creator;
write to Miguel Santos <msantos at akira.u-net.com>
Also check out the search items on the Links page and eBay auctions.
As of early 2002 the Sex and Death CD-ROM (both PC and Mac formats)
are believed to be sold out everywhere.
Q: How can I contact The Durutti Column?
A: See the official site's contact list.
Q: Was that the Durutti Column I heard on a (US, California)
Pacific Bell commercial?
A: Yes, in one form or another. Many years ago, a couple PacBell
employees successfully convinced their management that "Otis"
would make a great soundbed for PacBell's advertising, and Vini
was handsomely rewarded.
Initially, PacBell used the original DC version; then as the
campaign went on, renditions produced and recorded by guitarist
Chris Michie were used. Chris released his version on an
(out of print) cassette album with full credit to VR.
Q: What do the Japanese characters on The Sporadic Recordings mean?
A: Phonetically, the kanji is pronounced "Bee-nee Rye-lee"; literally
translated, "beauty" "resemblance" "thunder/lightning" "cleverness".
It can be read "A beautiful and clever man who has wildness inside."
Q: What's the evocative sample at the end of Time Was Gigantic?
A: Orson Welles, from his unfinished film "The Dreamers" (1980-82),
adapted from Isak Dinesen's books "The Dreamers" and "Echoes".
Q: How do I play the When The World CD-Video?
A: You probably can't. CDVs were a short-lived late-1980s hybrid
format: digital audio CD tracks with one analog video track
appended. (This is distinct from the more recent Video CD
format, which is mediocre-quality compressed digital video
on a CD.) You need old-style laserdisc player capability to
view the CDV video track and what's more, WtW was a UK issue
so the analog encoding is in a particular format, PAL.
Now, laserdisc players were fairly big in Japan and were a
reasonably-sized videophile market in the US, both of which
use NTSC format rather than PAL. Multi-format players exist
but are extremely rare, and I'm led to believe that PAL LD
players are quite uncommon even in the UK & other PAL-using
countries, so the videotape releases (on which the WtW video
track is longer, btw) are your best bet.
Q: What's this about Vini Reilly producing the Mondays?
A: From the NME:
"Sep 1985: Happy Mondays release their debut single, the
three-track Forty-Five. It is produced by [Mike] Pickering
[then the Hacienda's resident DJ, later founder of M People],
after original producer Vini Reilly from Factory band Durutti
Column quits after just two hours in the studio with the band."
Q: What are the major releases like?
A: Some totally subjective comments on the major releases:
(* denotes "currently available")
* FAC14 "The Return Of The Durutti Column" 1979 (reissued 1996)
Seminal first album. Straight from punk rock (following previous
band The Nosebleeds and the 5-person original lineup of The DC) to
quiet guitar w/echoplex & beatbox, a few drums, and no vocals.
Amazing, though some people just don't get it all these years on...
* FAC44 "LC" 1981 (reissued 1996)
Fuller instrumentation, lusher sound -- features classics "Sketch
for Dawn" & "The Missing Boy". My favorite of the early period.
* FAC74 "Another Setting" 1982 (reissued 1998)
Excellent, style similar to LC -- "The Beggar" is a standout.
Reissue includes seven tracks from "Amigos Em Portugal".
Fundação Atlântica "Amigos Em Portugal" 1983
A worthwhile album mired in controversy -- VR intended to lay down
a few tracks for a benefit, ended up doing an album, and the label
kept the master. The label has long been defunct and this is
available only on vinyl, although several tracks were reworked for
use elsewhere and some appear on the 1998 "Another Setting" reissue.
* FAC84 "Without Mercy" 1984 (reissued 1998)
My least favorite of the early albums. An attempt at writing for
chamber ensemble with a dozen instruments, but basically the same few
themes repeated by most of them most of the time; feels overblown.
* FACD144 "Domo Arigato" CD 1985 (reissued 1998)
Live in Japan, featuring material mostly from "Without Mercy" and
"Circuses and Bread". Fine renditions marred by a bit of recording
distortion and mediocre trumpet performance.
* FAC154/FBN36/Crépuscule "Circuses And Bread" 1985 (reissued 1993)
Fine overlooked album. Guitar, DX7, viola, trumpet, and drums.
A great balance of textures and styles -- even features "Dance II"
with a flaming guitar solo...
FAC164 "Valuable Passages" 1986
Compilation of well-known album tracks and obscure singles.
All appear on the 1996-98 album reissues.
* ROIR A152 "Live At The Bottom Line" 1986 (reissued 1993 & 1999)
Good live album, on CD at least -- tape has poor sound quality.
1999 reissue contains an additional track.
* FAC204 "The Guitar And Other Machines" 1987 (reissued 1996)
A mixed album, to my ear. Lots of different styles and a too-precious
vocalist made it hard to swallow for a while, but most of it has grown
on me over time.
* FAC244 "Vini Reilly" 1988 (reissued 1996)
Utterly godlike. First use of samplers; Joan Sutherland, Tracy
Chapman, and Otis Redding used to create an ethereal (but not ambient)
sound. "My Country", the simple closing solo guitar + voice track,
never fails to move me...
(Vini Reilly) "The Sporadic Recordings" limited CD 1990
A compilation of outtakes, while VR was temporarily off Factory -- the
booklet has more info, photos, and annotations than all the original
Factory releases combined... Essential but alas quite rare.
* FAC274 "Obey The Time" 1990 (reissued 1998)
Not my favorite when it came out as I found it a bit turgid, though
I eventually came to like it. It's VR's first attempt at a techno
sound, very beat-oriented, electronic, a little dub-y in places,
with the old echo guitar still there... Fun but somewhat disposable.
Reissue includes excellent later "Kiss Of Def" drum and bass track.
* FBN2CD "Lips That Would Kiss" CD 1990
Compilation of tracks and outtakes based on 1980-83 material.
Many hard to find old singles and much of an unreleased album.
Materiali Sonori "Dry" CD 1991
Compilation of tracks and outtakes based on 1988-89 material.
* Materiali Sonori "Red Shoes" CD 1992
Compilation of tracks and outtakes based on 1986-87 material.
Includes version of "When The World" from "G&OMs" with VR
vocals, which is nice.
FACD 2.01 "Sex And Death" 1994
A sort of updated "summation" album -- good and solid.
FACDR 2.11 "Sex And Death" CD-ROM 1995 (Mac) 1998 (PC)
FACD 2.01 minus a couple tracks (even though they'd fit...) plus
clips, sounds, stories, etc. Both versions available directly from
Factory.
* Crépuscule "Fidelity" CD 1996
Play It Again Sam says:
"Na lange stilte is er dit nieuwe mooie album van Vini Reilly aka 'The
Durutti Column'. Dancebeats worden samen met Vini's unieke gitaarspel
en de mooie vocalen van Eley Rudge tot een mooi geheel versmolten."
[translation courtesy Frank Brinkhuis:]
"After a long silence there is this beautiful new album by Vini Reilly,
aka The Durutti Column. Dance beats are beautifully melded with Vini's
unique guitar playing and the beautiful vocals of Eley Rudge."
FACD 2.31 "Time Was GIGANTIC... When We Were Kids" CD 1998
Further along the path of Fidelity, but even better.
* Artful "Rebellion" CD 2001
* Kooky "Return Of The Sporadic Recordings" 2CD 2002
Reissue of (most of) the original Sporadic Recordings
plus another disc of rarities, outtakes, and new material.
"Even with New Order and Happy Mondays on the roster, the definitive
Factory Records band was always The Durutti Column. Led by spectral
guitar virtuoso Vini Reilly, they emerged from punk and quickly took
up residence in a zone of their own, making beauteous, enigmatic music
for those who found Joy Division a bit too frothy. On these out-takes
and off-cuts, it's all about Reilly's subtly rhythmic guitar style - a
kind of bittersweet North-Western flamenco - which shimmers, cascades
and freezes time and thought. There are occasional stylistic lurches -
U Didn't Need Me grooves evilly, while the Morrissey-dedicated To
Steven Patrick is wounded and oddly guitar-light. Nonetheless, it's
all quietly irresistible." Ian Harrison, Q Magazine, July 2002