release date: Oct. 1984
format: vinyl (fact 84) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Anthony Wilson and Michael Johnson
label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: A) 1. "Without Mercy I" (4,5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Without Mercy II" (3,5 / 5)
4th studio album by The Durutti Column. Reilly released an album titled Amigos em Portugal before this one, however, that album was only distributed in Portugal and not on Factory Records like this and all of his official albums, which in my mind makes this his fourth studio album. As far as I know, this is his first album to have Tony Wilson producing and / or working with Reilly on an album release. Wilson was Reilly's manager from the formation of The Durutti Column until Wilson's death in 2007.
Allegedly, Reilly has disregarded this album and only did it to please Wilson, who tempted Reilly to be more artistically original and persuaded him to do an album with classical instrumentation.
The album is a further step into experimental art rock and what I see as modern classical. I bought the vinyl album upon its release, and both found it sorely beautiful, lamenting, agonisingly melancholic AND at the same time I found it difficult to obtain for a teenager's taste for dirty punk rock and more standardised post-punk expressions. I have never ceased to enjoy this album, and for every decade, I have come to enjoy it a little bit more. Today, I see it as a masterpiece where Reilly showcases his many talents, as guitarist, pianist, and composer of complex modern music, and not only on the border to classical music but on the borders of musical expressiveness. 'Cause how does this fit in, in the time bubble of contemporary manifestations of music, regardless styles and genre? It doesn't. It's so damn unique and to the vast masses, simply unknown. So far.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars (users reviews: 4,5 / 5) ]
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars (users reviews: 4,5 / 5) ]
