Paean to Wilson

Durutti Column | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 26, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kooky/Darla
• ASIN: B0032TIZ3U
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,734 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

After the humour came exquisitely mournful music. With Reilly and drummer Bruce Mitchell augmented by bass, keyboard, violin, electric piano, drum machine and trumpet, the band's beautiful pieces reflected Wilson's love of rock and classical. Reilly's plangent guitar work showed grief's emotional spectrum, from sadness to overdriven anger. As in life, Wilson had the last word, his recorded voice expounding thoughts on socialism with an eerie echo. Silence followed as Manchester pondered the loss of one of its truly larger-than-life characters. Then everybody cheered.' The bonus disc first appeared in 2005 via Wilson's project F4, as being the fourth version of Factory Records. Originally it was download-only release, Heaven Sent (It Was Called Digital, It Was Heaven Sent). This is the first time that it has appeared on a physical format. It was a six track CD of personal dedications by Vini ironically the last piece being Anthony. Ever critical of Vini's voice, but ever a fierce champion of his talent, the late Tony Wilson would surely appreciate this instrumental tribute by The Durutti Column

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE best album of 2010....period...the end!, December 13, 2010

By 

oneflashoflight "oneflashoflight" (PopTopia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paean to Wilson (Audio CD)

I bought this the day that it was released and instantly thought, "it's going to take something truly astounding to surpass this recording as my best for the year". I didn't want to post that back in January so waited until now (mid-December) to affirm that thought.

The depth and breadth of this recording allows much room to wax poetic here but I'll just say that every person I've played this for has fallen in love with it (and bought their own copies, I don't make copies of whole albums, 3 tracks max). I think that the content of Vini's last few releases are a tad lackluster, but this one is easily on par with 'The Return of' and 'LC'.

It's a must-have for someone who may have given up some time ago, and/or for someone completely unfamiliar with Durutti Column. My mother is in her mid-60's and has been listening to this since February, my niece is now 3 and will go from wild banshee to attentive sloth by the second track especially if it's on the laptop with the media player's psychedelic screen going!

Bravo, Vini...Bravo!

5.0 out of 5 stars Strongest Durutti Column release in over 20 Years, October 4, 2010

By 

Joren A. Lindholm (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paean to Wilson (Audio CD)

I was quite surprised when I heard this because, due to the fast rate that DC has been releasing music on the Kooky label over the past five years, I was expecting anything but a standout. As it turns out I regard this recording as highly as I do The Guitar and Other Machines and Obey the Time (released in 1988 and 1990). The music on Paean to Wilson has much more sense of performance than in recent releases. The album as a whole relies much less on thoughtful gimmicks. For example, the recycling of Vini's own guitar chords and lyrics - now a trademark for DC - is less prevalent. Although drummer Bruce Mitchell's presence is very subtle, the nature of the music makes a 'whole band' feeling come across pretty easily. Each track is strong; there's plenty of powerfully melodic hooks; there's just the right cohesive sense of diversity. The press cites the experience as elegiac, yet it's not that way any more than usual for a Durutti Column release. I would say this one's just more focused (and purposeful given the tribute to Vini's friend Mr. Wilson). There are live and sampled vocals spread around (including lots of airtime from the late Marvin Gaye and Tony Wilson himself), yet this is largely an instrumental album. And a emotionally moving one at that. Although it's not as big a deal as people (including Vini himself) have made it out to be, Vin doesn't sing at all here as he has before. Yes, DC knows how to have its own tradition, yet I don't see how any gesture could be surprising because they have always been gloriously anarchistic at the same time. Overall, Paean to Wilson doesn't differ that much from DC's whole oeuvre, in fact it's quite in line with what came before. What's nice is that it became such a heavy musical stroke amongst all of it.