The Guitar and Other Machines

Guitarist Vini Reilly was a latecomer to the Manchester band The Durutti Column after it initially formed in 1978, but by 1987 the group was effectively a Reilly solo project. The Guitar and Other Machines was recorded by Reilly and percussionist Bruce Mitchell, all of the music being made on Reilly’s heavily processed guitar, a mix of acoustic and electronic drums, and some guest vocalists. The music is odd but compelling — pleasant but not quite ambient, weird but not quite avant-garde.