durutti column: return of

The Durutti Column was formed in 1978 at the behest of Factory Records owner Tony Wilson; through a quick series of personnel departures, the group soon became the sole province of guitarist Vini Reilly. The Durutti Column would be a vehicle for Reilly’s compositions and vision throughout the 1980s, and The Return of the Durutti Column marked the beginning of a history of crucial collaborations. While still a live fixture at Factory’s Hacienda club, Reilly entered the studio with legendary producer Martin Hannett to work on a spontaneous, organic recording that would become the Durutti Column’s classic debut LP. The album was comprised of gentle guitar instrumentals incorporating jazz, folk and classical touches, and sounded unlike anything produced by other post-punk bands of the time. Hannett provided the album’s primitive synth background and the guitar sound for which Reilly was searching, and gave the compositions a warm, mysterious sheen. The free-flowing yet melodic album contains standouts such as the interwoven “Conduct,” the rhythmic “Requiem for a Father” and the haunting “Sketch for Winter.” The Return of the Durutti Column has proved as influential as anything released on Factory in the early ’80s. Its sonic innovations have been echoed through experimental electronic to chillwave, and Reilly’s inventive guitar playing (a mixture of Bert Jansch, Fred Frith and Bill Frisell) continues to influence the solo guitar scene. Though its music defies categorization, The Return of the Durutti Column has a lasting allure. Reilly explains the reason himself: “In the end, I don’t know if it’s good music or bad music or indifferent music.... it’s the truth, and it’s honest. All I’ve ever tried to do is be truthful.”