Customer Reviews

Guitar & Other Machines

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I have worked at a record store for 7 years, and not to sound cliche, but this single record wins my "go to pick" time after time. Of all the thousands of bands that I have come to know, this is one of my favorites to turn on to new listeners. This record sparked me to collect every Durutti Column album (over 22) and it is my favorite of thier extensive work. Without fail, everytime I put the record on I get asked with great enthusiasm what it is . I have reviewed no other record on Amazon- This is the one! Also..If you like DC check out Orange Cake Mix and their "Silver Water Lining" release.

This was the album that I discovered the Durutti Column with. I purchased it in '90 or '91 (about 2 or 3 years after it came out). The first 11 tracks are really the complete LP, the rest are extras that they put on the CD to entice those of us who had cassettes or vinyl copies to upgrade to CD. To me, this music is the perfect marriage of Jazz, New Age, & Rock. After 6 or 7 years of owning this, I still play it about 1 or twice a month and am in complete amazement at how stunning it remains. I went on to collect most Durutti Column albums, and this and Obey the Time are my two favorites. If asked to compare this to other artists, I would say that it is in league with Talk Talk (last two albums), David Sylvian, Dif Juz, Dead Can Dance, Abecedarians, Michael Brook, or Rain Tree Crow (i.e. David Sylvian again).

Coming on the heels of some rather undistinguished and arty neo-classical records, Vini Reilly delivered a definitive masterpiece with this album, his first really pop-oriented outing since 1981's "LC". The newly configured band, including long-time drummer Bruce Mitchell and violinist John Metcalfe as well as Smiths producer Stephen Street and a couple of female singers (Vini's girlfriends, I suppose), sounds very tight and convincing, using New Order-like sequencers and drum machines to expand the signature DC melancholy with some extra drive and rhythmic testosterone. Nowhere is this more evident than in the album-opening "Arpeggiator", which soon became a concert favorite for the band. So, with all these instruments sharing center stage with Vini's guitar and the audio quality being very clear and dynamic, this is easily the most accessible and solid album in the band's discography. For Vini's circumstances, the aforementioned "Arpeggiator" and "When the world" (a s!mall UK hit for the band) feature pretty aggressive guitar solos, while the acoustic ballads "U.S.P.", "Pol in B", and "Miss Haymes" recall the best moments of his early albums. The female singers on "Red shoes", "When the world", and "Bordeaux sequence" (a synthesized version of "Bordeaux", a song which had originally appeared on 1983's "Another setting") are a little too conceited for my taste, but since there aren't a lot of vocals and lyrics here, it doesn't matter. As with many other reissues of Durutti Column albums, this disc contains some excellent and worthwhile bonus tracks: "LFO Mod" is a strange synthy tune with burbling bass and soft jazz-pop licks which act as a counterpoint to the restless "28 Oldham Street", an exciting soundscape with ringing, lightning-speed guitar runs rushing along a relentless sequencer riff. There's an alternative, 7 1/2-minute version of this track available on the rarities collection "Dry". Unsurprisingly, this lineup of the band did no!t only succeed behind the mixing desk, but also quickly established itself as a powerful and virtuous performing unit, so it's a quite nice to hear some other bonus pieces with recordings taken from a gig at WOMAD (World of music and dance), a yearly festival organized by Peter Gabriel. Again, the same tracks can be found on "Dry", but you shouldn't forget that the digital remastering of "The guitar.." tends to bring out the instruments and the guitar playing much clearer, with minimal tape hiss or noise to obscure them. Overall, this album is probably the best place to start for the Durutti Column novice and remains one of the most innovative pop records of the '80s.

TG&OM is to put it bluntly one of the best Durutti Column releases ever simply for its inclusion of "When The World" and "Red Shoes", which both feature Vini Reilly's signature guitar and some amazing female vocal. Forget it...with Durutti Column I am at a loss for words and cannot do this justice...just buy it and listen for yourself...honestly....

Layered guitar - vocals on a few tracks but mostly instrumental - very rythmic and tuneful. This is very accessable music that combines jazz inflections with electronic drums to produce music unlike anything you can hear on the radio. Not overwhelming or rowdy - but it is uptempo and fun. Highly recommended. If you like the Penguin Cafe Orchestra - you'll like the Column.

I bought this CD 6 or 7 years ago (after it's original release). I'd never heard of the band, but I listened to it at a used CD store and bought it immediately. It's a surreal mixture of Guitar, Drums, and Voices. It's never harsh, but it's not wishy washy new-age style music.

I'll be honest, this isn't an especially great album...

BUT there is a must-have track, "Bordeaux Sequence", that's worth the price of the album. Sublime and etherial. Wow!