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The Durutti Column, "Fidelity"
Of the four albums reissued in this series, this is the most recent studio album, originally being released only 12 years ago on Belgium's Les Disques du Crepuscule.
LTM
This reissue features the original ten tracks with the addition of "My Only Love," originally appearing in 1995 on Total Guitar magazine's giveaway cover-mounted CD, included here as a bonus. Here Reilly is occasionally accompanied by the vocals of Elli Rudge, whose sylph-like voice complements Reilly's often dreamily drifting compositions exceptionally well. On this album, more so than the Circuses and Bread, the structure seems to be less rigid even given that his music always seemed to be less reliant on ultra-tight musicianship and more on 'going with the flow.' Here there's an even looser feel to the pieces, despite there also being more of an emphasis on rhythm and the percussive element in addition to the inclusion of a more electronic facet to the instrumentation, even a venturing into dance territory, albeit a laidback Reilly take on what constitutes dance.
Similarly to Circuses and Bread the music here possesses a lazy summery quality, perhaps more akin to a twilit evening in deep August with wind rustling gently through the air and the startling colors of sunset fading airbrush-like into the shades of star-sprinkled night. This is most assuredly an album to be listened to out on a veranda or beach somewhere watching the sun disappear behind a distant horizon while sipping a rum and ice. Once again Reilly's guitar flows liquidly, languidly, and lightly, the notes effortlessly tumbling and dancing around the backing music like fireflies imitating the brief but brilliant passage of shooting-stars in the dusk-laden sky.
The beauty of this music is that it doesn't appear to be in a particular rush to get anywhere or even to the end of the song; it ends when it wants to or feels like it, not when it has to. It all seems to be saying 'Slow down and enjoy being in the moment—and let it gently wash over you....;' moreover it is one of the more peaceful and most heartfelt albums I have had the pleasure to listen to in a while. Tracks like "Remember Me," with its soaring lead guitar shooting into the heavens and piercing the edge of blue to burst arrow-like into the black and become a star, set against Reilly's languidly-delivered vocal-line; "For Suzanne," with its slow-bounce sun-drenched jauntiness, horn section, and joyful electronic melody; the upbeat electro-dance of "Sanko;" the graceful clarinet and diamantine six-string of "Guitar for Mother;" and finally the beautiful "Storm for Steve"—these are what makes this album my fave of the two I have covered.
It has been a wonderful journey of discovery for me listening to this album and Circuses and Bread—and it also emphasised that the best music matures and ages well, the subtle layers and nuances becoming more and more apparent and appreciated as time goes by; moreover the music of The Durutti Column will continue to do so for many years yet I feel.
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