THE DURUTTI COLUMN

Without Mercy (reissue, 1984) Factory beNeLUX 8/10

tony Wilson’s beloved guitarist anticipates the new classical sound three decades early Urged by long-term mentor tony Wilson into expanding his musical horizons, Vini reilly pressed a surprising number of musicians into service for his fourth album, even extending its recording time from the usual three days to a whole five. He’d later inexplicably disown the 1984 release, renaming it “Without Merit”, but though flawed, its ambitions were both exemplary and, often, successful. Divided into two lengthy halves, their flow inspired by Keats’ “la belle Dame Sans Merci”, it merged reilly’s distinctively fluid, sparkling guitar lines – which remain its heart – with classical instrumentation, including gorgeous woodwind melodies from Maunagh Fleming, plaintive strings from tuxedomoon’s blaine reininger and regular collaborator John Metcalfe, and contributions from cellist Caroline lavelle. admittedly, more upbeat portions of its second section depended excessively on primitively programmed drums, clashing uncomfortably with the first half’s melancholic grace, but even this was rescued towards its end by a return to the album’s original theme. Further related tracks included from the same era – including the labyrinthine “all that love and Maths Can Do” – underline reilly’s unique genius.

extras: 7/10. 4CD set includes two patchy but charming live recordings from 1984 and 1986, plus other rare tracks.