the durutti column
ltm catalog

Manchester guitarist and composer Vini Reilly formed The Durutti Column in 1978, recording his debut album The Return of the Durutti Column the following year with producer Martin Hannett, a set of delicate instrumental tracks housed in an abrasive sandpaper sleeve. Subsequent landmark albums include LC (1981), Without Mercy (1984), The Guitar & Other Machines (1987), Sex & Death (1993), Fidelity (1996) and Someone Else's Party (2003). Vini frequently performs with drummer Bruce Mitchell, and for many years was managed by the late Anthony H. Wilson, founder of Factory Records. For details of Vini's Benelux adventures in Belgium click here.


LIPS THAT WOULD KISS LTMCD 2484 £10
This remastered CD collects together key tracks and singles recorded for Factory Benelux, Les Disques du Crepuscule and Sordide Sentimental between 1980 and 1983, including pristine singles Lips That Would Kiss (recorded with legendary producer Martin Hannett) and Danny, as well as rare Factory Benelux 12" EP from 1982, Deux Triangles. The set also includes several unique tracks recorded for Crepuscule compilation albums, and no less than nine tracks from the unreleased 1983 album Short Stories For Pauline, several of which feature Tuxedomoon member Blaine L. Reininger on violin. 19 tracks, 75 minutes of music. Full tracklist: La Douleur, Lips That Would Kiss, Madeleine, Danny, Enigma, The Sea Wall, Snowflakes, Little Horses of Tarquina, Experiment in Fifth, Take Some Time Out, At First Sight, Journeys by Vespa, Destroy She Said, The Square, Hommage to Martinu, Piece for an Ideal, Zinni, Favourite Painting, Piece for Out of Tune Grand Piano.

Reviews: "A good starting point for the novice that makes a strong dent in the Column's impressive discography. The material is classic Durutti: soft, unobtrusive but intelligent music that functions as well as background ambiance as it does as the focus of attention"(Option, 1991); "Reilly is on top form, matching his guitar against a variety of non-rock instruments like violas, harps and Bruce Mitchell's jazzy drums. Profoundly, deeply affecting" (Sounds, 04/1991); "Early Reilly opted for a music of melancholia and poignancy, with cascading guitars over minimalist drum machine beats, but his classical style bore all the hallmarks of genius. And this is another damn fine Durutti Column record" (Select, 05/1991); "A beautifully realised and essential amalgam of early 80s material, unadorned and quietly exploratory. Reilly at his most pure and impressionistic" (Plan B, 03/2008); "Durutti Column were always one of the more palatable areas of the Factory back catalogue, and on this diligent reissue the magic remains. Lush sleevenotes also add colour and intrigue to a body of music that, as is Reilly's wont, is often nakedly personal" (Record Collector, 04/2008); "Demonstrates beautifully the sound of a band trying new things, slowly evolving and becoming more confident, making for a surprisingly cohesive album" (Exclaim!, 09/2008))


CIRCUSES & BREAD LTMCD 2510 £10
Circuses & Bread was originally released on the Factory Benelux label in April 1986, and features ten tracks written and performed by Vini Reilly, together with drummer Bruce Mitchell. This expanded CD edition also features ten bonus tracks including compilation album tracks Verbier and The Aftermath, five previously unreleased tracks from the cancelled 1983 album Short Stories For Pauline, and the rarely heard 1983 single I Get Along Without You Very Well, a Hoagy Carmichael cover sung by Lindsay Reade and addressed to her former husband, Anthony H. Wilson. The booklet restores the original cover design by 8vo. 19 tracks, 74 minutes of music. Full tracklist: Pauline, Tomorrow, Dance II, Hilary, Street Fight, Royal Infirmary, Black Horses, Dance I, Blind Elevator Girl (Osaka), All That Love & Maths Can Do, I Get Along Without You Very Well, Verbier (For Patti), The Aftermath, A Silence, Cocktail, Telephone Call, Mirror A, Mirror B.

Reviews: "Circuses and Bread finds Reilly again constructing layers of repetitive guitar figures with varying mixtures of other ingredients - drums, viola, piano, vocals, horns, sound effects - to help differentiate the tracks. In two groundbreaking tracks, Hilary is the loudest, most aggressive thing he has ever recorded, while Royal Infirmary, a sombre mood piece played on piano and punctuated by the sound of rifle fire, has no guitar at all" (Trouser Press); "Accompanying single Tomnorrow is just fine, and like all the best Durutti Column weaves itself around the mind, slips in and out of the heart, and still has a sliver of edge to it that never really makes it 'easy' to listen to. Vini Reilly is a great man" (NME, 05/1986); "A prevailing humanity pulses throughout this dry-run for the baroque, orchestral insularity of Without Mercy" (Plan B, 03/2008); "On this 1985 set Reilly's attempts to break his trademark delicacy are little short of thrilling. Comes with a raft of extra tracks. Four stars" (Record Collector, 04/2008); "Vini Relly produces a wistful sound amidst the experimentation, with Tomorrow and Blind Elevator Girl standing out" (SubCulture, 03/2008); "Like many of the band's records from around this time, it covers a lot of ground, from intricately orchestrated instrumentals and delicate songs to more abstract tracks that must have been a huge influence on Disco Inferno and Bark Psychosis. The album is rounded out by ten worthwhile bonus tracks, half of which are previously unreleased" (Exclaim!, 09/2008)


FIDELITY LTMCD 2512 £10
First released by Les Disques du Crepuscule in April 1996, Fidelity features ten tracks written and performed by Vini Reilly, with guest vocals from Elli Rudge. In addition to Vini's trademark guitar style the album also features sleek programmed beats and synth textures. The CD also features one bonus track, My Only Love, originally issued in 1995 on a free CD with Total Guitar magazine. The booklet includes background notes, and the text of the original press release. 11 tracks, 65 minutes of music. Full tracklist: Fidelity, For Suzanne, Future Perfect, Abstract of Expression, G + T, Remember Me, Sanko, Grace, Guitar for Mother, Storm for Steve, My Only Love.

Reviews: "Fidelity fuses chill-out room samples and beats alongside Ellie Rudge's choirgirl voice on this rarely heard gem" (Plan B, 03/2008); "As with much Durutti Column, so much relies on the listener's mood, but this is both amiable and slightly edgy" (Record Collector, 04/2008); "Despite the absence of a unifying sound the tracks work together extremely well, especially the frantic and rhythmic opening title track" (SubCulture, 03/2008); "Fidelity is almost exclusively performed by Vini Reilly, with a few supplementary guest vocals by Elli Rudge. In addition to his signature guitar style, the album's sonic makeup owes much to an array of electronics, drum loops and synthesizers. Aside from a few wayward brass sounds in 'For Suzanne', this cocktail of digitally rendered audio and organic sound comes together in a fashion that actually slots into the preoccupations of current musical climes well, with thin, wispy echo devices coating everything in a kind of old-fashioned foggy aura that's entirely out of place with the analogue-favouring sensibilities of recent years. Of course now we've reached revisionist dream-pop saturation point in 2008, this all sounds a good deal more in vogue than it might have just a few months ago. Interestingly, one of the most compelling (most guitar-centric) pieces here comes in the form of bonus track 'My Only Love', originally issued on a cover-mount CD that came free with a magazine" (Boomkat, 02/2008); "A more synthesized sound, but the good bits are still very good" (Exclaim!, 09/2008)


LIVE IN BRUXELLES 13.8.1981 LTMCD 2499 £10
Live In Bruxelles comprises a complete live performance by Vini Reilly and Bruce Mitchell at the Place de la Monnaie (Muntplein) in Brussels, Belgium, together with a lengthy after-show radio chat with Vini. The ten song live set contains DC favourites such as Conduct and Sketch for Summer, as well as several rarely heard numbers including Stains, Danny and Messidor. The attractive booklet for this digitally remastered CD includes extracts from the original event programme, as well as background notes and archive images. 11 tracks, 60 minutes. Full tracklist: Sketch for Dawn, Messidor, Jacqueline, Conduct, Sketch for Summer, Danny, Stains (Useless Body), The Missing Boy, Self Portrait (Version), For Belgian Friends, Vini interview.

Reviews: "The mix often foregrounds Bruce Mitchell's drums, and gives the disc part of its impact. Having just recently begun to work with Vini Reilly, you get a sense that he's still testing out the feeling of the partnership to the full, and moments like the breakdown toward the end of Sketch for Dawn and the various mini-solos throughout Jacqueline show both what a remarkable drummer he is and how well he slotted in with Reilly's own muse. Reilly himself shines as expected; while his singing is much more direct and sharp, as can especially be heard on a stellar take on The Missing Boy, as ever it's still a voice notable more for absence rather than presence, translating most of his feelings into his trademark fluid guitar runs and deceptively calm melodies. There's one notable exception to this via some crazy soloing on Self Portrait, which almost comes out of nowhere. An enjoyable bonus appears at the end with the inclusion of an interview done just after the performance, where Reilly thoughtfully answers various questions about his work, including some thoughts on the balance between experimentalism and accessibility he found himself aiming for (which in many ways remains true through the present day)" (All Music Guide, 02/2008); "Fragile and painfully honest, but Live in Bruxelles shows off Durutti Column as chief beneficiaries of such exotic Benelux exchange visits in less well-travelled times" (Plan B, 03/2008); "A fascinating document of the original line-up playing tracks from their first two albums to a very appreciative crowd. The ten-song performance has an interesting interview with Reilly as a bonus track, during which he talks at length about his music" (Exclaim!, 09/2008); "A precious slice of history" (SubCulture, 03/2008)


TREATISE ON THE STEPPENWOLF (OST) LTMCD 2518 £10
After 30 years, the first soundtrack album from Vini Reilly. Treatise on the Steppenwolf is the soundtrack to the performance piece by experimental theatre group 12 Stars, written and directed by Gerard McInulty (aka Caesar of The Wake), and first staged in Glasgow in May 2003. Previously unreleased, the CD combines the original studio recordings of the 12 pieces performed during the Glasgow run, as well as two bonus live tracks recorded at the event, one featuring spoken-word narrative by cast member Carolyn Allen. Booklet includes images from live performance and artist quotes. 14 tracks, 60 minutes of music. Full tracklist: A Beautiful Thought (Pt 1), Stupid Steppenwolf (Pt 1), Stupid Steppenwolf (Pt 2), The Mothers & the Fathers, A Wolf of the Steppes, Interlude, The Title on the Cover, Divided, Magic Theatre, Soul Track, Harry Dreams the Dream, A Beautiful Thought (Pt 2), Lullaby (live), Mello (live).

Reviews: At the centre of it all, bathed in a glow that's both beatific and rock n' roll, Reilly plucks delicately away… There's something haunting about Carolyn Allen and Kenny McGlashan's casual, almost throwaway lack of contrivance, as, egged on by the music's heartbreaking beauty, their rituals work their way towards some kind of higher ground" (Glasgow Herald, 05/2003); "Reilly's thin, heavily chorused guitar jangle is present and correct as always, but there's also a very electronic feel to certain cuts which take beat loops and vocal snippets as their basis. It's an instantly identifiable linguistic code, teetering on motion blur ambiance" (Boomkat, 08/2008)


UMBRELLAS IN THE SUN LTMDVD 2400 £12
The Durutti Column perform Marie Louise Gardens on this definitive two hour compilation DVD, which also features rare archive clips from Antena, A Certain Ratio, Josef K, Cabaret Voltaire, Marine, Section 25, The Names, Durutti Column, New Order, Crispy Ambulance, Minny Pops, Malaria!, Berntholer, Tuxedomoon, Thick Pigeon, Paul Haig, Kalima, Stockholm Monsters, Quando Quango and Swamp Children. For more details of this DVD click here. To purchase DVD click here.


SHADOWPLAYERS LTMDVD 2391 £12
Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column is interviewed in this feature length (two hour) documentary DVD, which traces the early history of iconic Manchester record label Factory Records between 1978 and 1981. Shadowplayers features new, candid interviews with Anthony H. Wilson (Factory founder), Peter Saville (designer), Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order), Martin Moscrop (A Certain Ratio), Vini Reilly (Durutti Column), Simon Topping (A Certain Ratio), Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks/Magazine), Vin and Larry Cassidy (Section 25), Lindsay Reade, Richard Boon, Chris Watson (Cabaret Voltaire), Alan Hempsall (Crispy Ambulance), Wally Van Middendorp (Minny Pops), The Names, Annik Honore (Factory Benelux), Richard Jobson, Killing Joke, Graham Massey (Biting Tongues/808 State), Ann Quigley (Swamp Children) and Stanton Miranda (Thick Pigeon), For further details click here. To purchase DVD click here.


FROM BRUSSELS WITH LOVE LTMCD 2479 £10
Originally released as a deluxe cassette/book package in November 1980, From Brussels With Love features exclusive tracks from the international avant garde and new wave. Contributing artists include Gavin Bryars, Harold Budd, Dome, The Durutti Column, John Foxx, Martin Hannett, Richard Jobson, Bill Nelson, New Order and Michael Nyman. The programme also includes extended interviews with Brian Eno and iconic French actress Jeanne Moreau. The Durutti Column contribute Piece for an Ideal and Sleep Will Come. This new CD edition has been digitally remastered from the original master tapes, and features 76 minutes of material. Most of the tracks featured here remain unavailable elsewhere. The 20 page facsimile booklet features original artwork by Benoit Hennebert, Claude Stassart and Jean-Francois Octave, as well as archive images and detailed liner notes. To read liner note extract click here.


SOME OF THE INTERESTING THINGS... LTMCD 2467 £10
The Durutti Column perform live versions of Danny, Madness and For Belgian Friends on this souvenir CD recorded on the Crepuscule package tour Dialogue North-South in February 1982. Album originally released on Les Disques du Crepuscule (TWI 082) as Some Of The Interesting Things You'll See On A Long Distance Flight. All tracks are exclusive to this 76 minute compilation, which also features a deluxe booklet with many rare images and detailed liner notes. To read liner notes click here. To purchase CD click here. Full tracklist: Wally Van Middendorp - raving lunatic *1; Richard Jobson - Etiquette, Pavillion Pole, India Song; Durutti Column - Danny, Madness, For Belgian Friends; Wally Van Middendorp - raving lunatic *2; Paul Haig - Chance, Glory, Stories, Justice; Antena - The Boy From Ipanema, Silly Things; Wally Van Middendorp - raving lunatic *3; The Names - Close To You, In Other Rooms, A Few Hundreds, Anything (With Passion), Spectators of Life; Wally Van Middendorp - raving lunatic *4.


GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST LTMCD 2426 £10
Digital remaster of the original 1981 Crepuscule Christmas album (TWI 058) with original Hennebert artwork and festive inserts, together with 9 bonus tracks from subsequent editions. The Durutti Column contribute One Christmas Four Your Thoughts and Snowflakes. Full tracklist: Aztec Camera Hot Club of Christ; The Names Tokyo Twilight; Paul Haig Christiana; The Swinging Buildings Praying for a Cheaper Christmas; Wim Mertens For Christmas Only; White Birds Possessed by the Stars; The Durutti Column One Christmas for Your Thoughts; Cabaret Voltaire Invocation; Tuxedomoon Weinachtrap; Simon Topping, Peep Show International; Thick Pigeon, Silhouettes; Michael Nyman, Cream or Christians; Magazzini Criminali Honolulu 25 Dicembre 1990; The French Impressionists Santa Baby; The Pale Fountains Benoit's Christmas; Antena Noelle a Hawai; The Arcadians Write Your Letter; Isolation Ward Lamina Christus; Paul Haig Scottish Christmas; The Durutti Column Snowflakes; Winston Tong The Twelve Days of Christmas; Hillcrest Club Breakfast at Christmas; Monks in the Snow a theme for this special evening.


THE FRUIT OF THE ORIGINAL SIN LTMCD 2497 (2xCD) £12
Deluxe double CD remaster of 2xLP compilation released by Les Disques du Crepuscule in November 1981 (TWI 035), featuring four tracks by Durutti Column. 31 tracks (including 8 bonus cuts), 120 minutes of music, readings and conversation. To read sleevenote click here. Full tracklist: (disc one) Peter Gordon The Fruit of the Original Sin, The French Impressionists My Guardian Angel / Boo Boo's Gone Mambo, Durutti Column The Eye and the Hand, Wim Mertens Multiple 12, Cecile Bruynoghe Clair de Lune, Marine A Man & A Woman, Paul Haig Mad Horses, Marine Animal In My Head, 323 Affectionate Silence, Swamp Children Flesh, DNA Taking Kid to School / Cop Buys a Donut / Delivering the Goods, Lawrence Weiner & Peter Gordon Deutsche Angst, Durutti Column Weakness & Fever, Rhythm of Life Summertime, The Lost Jockey Matters of Theory; (disc two) Rhine River III An End Remains, Richard Jobson The Happiness of Lonely, Marguerite Duras interview, Virginia Astley A Long Absence, Richard Jobson India Song, The Names Music for Someone, Thick Pigeon Sudan, Durutti Column Party, Arthur Russell Sketch for Face of Helen, Durutti Column Experiment in Fifth, Winston Tong The Next Best Thing To Death, William S. Burroughs Twilight's Last Gleaming, Cecile Bruynoghe Gymnopedie No 1, Rhine River III Departures, Rhythm of Life Soon, Lawrence Weiner Where It Came From.

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