Lips That Would Kiss

I used to listen to this sort of thing in the '80s, and I considered Durutti Column a cut above the standard pop fare available at the time. Hearing the tracks again 20 years later takes me back, but as with any experimental approach, not all of them were listenable then and not all of them stand up to repeated listening today. Still, Vini Reilly's fingerpicking style and thoughtful approach to music means about 3/4s of the tracks are pleasant to put on for driving around in the car.

Personally, I love "this sort of thing," as one reviewer somewhat derisively dubbed the music of Durutti Column. I can't think of any other artist in the 1980s, when these songs were recorded, who had such a distinctive and enchanting sound. Truly, nobody else sounded like Durutti Column. Vini Reilly’s deft guitar playing, filtered and echoed, meshed with the hypnotic beat of the drum machines had an eerily soothing effect. Any comparison to this magical music and "pop fare" is woefully misplaced.I've gone back and played this CD again a lot lately and remain impressed with these songs, or rather these complex, layered compositions. Whatever you want to call these pieces, they definitely are not pop tunes, but they nevertheless have lasting magic and power. The main editorial review offers a succinct overview of what to expect on this album. This is actually a collection of tracks that the Durutti Column, or rather Vini Reilly, recorded in the early 1980s, and no less than 9 tracks came from the then unreleased "Short Stories for Pauline" album (which was recently, and very belatedly, released as a 2-CD set with bonus live tracks). Once again, Vini Reilly works his most enchanting guitar magic on these songs, but he also plays quite a bit of piano too. In fact, the final track, "Piece For Out of Tune Grand Piano" is a 12-minute keyboard tour-de-force. The presence of Blaine Reininger (from Tuxedomoon) on violin also lends a nice touch on some tracks, giving the pieces an almost classical music vibe. Reilly himself, in addition to playing guitar, bass, piano, and drum machine programming (which is, once again, an integral part of the overall soundscape) is also credited with “plastic ruler.”If you are a fan of Durutti Column and Vini Reilly, or even a newcomer who wants to discover why this "band" is so beloved by fans, this CD is highly recommended.