The Durutti Column – The Return of the Durutti Column
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| Artist | The Durutti Column |
| Title | The Return of the Durutti Column |
| Label | Factory Records |
| Year | 1979 |
| Design | Anthony Wilson |
| Music | Beautiful |
| Notes | This record belongs to my good friend Arthur Haggerty. Despite its witty title, it’s the first album by the Durutti Column and was the second album released by Factory Records, the first being Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures. I bought its two successors, LC and Another Setting, 25 or so years ago, to my abiding regret they disappeared at some point in my perambulations.
According to Discogs there are two pressings of this record with slightly different tracks on the B side. Arthur’s copy doesn’t have anything spray stenciled on the sleeve and he doesn’t have the 7″ flexi-disc by Hannett bearing two rather lovely melodic test signals. Anthony Wilson is credited with the idea for the sleeve, inspired by Guy Debord’s book Mémoires whose sandpaper cover was intended to damage its neighbours on a bookshelf. Martin Hannett’s production starkly frames Vini Reilly’s beautiful music. For some of us this album approaches the status of a secular holy relic because, in addition to the beauty of the object and the music, Vini Reilly states that Joy Division were paid by Tony Wilson to assemble the sandpaper sleeves to earn some extra money. In another report, Ian Curtis allegedly did most of the work while the other three sat watching television in the next room. The album was also released in one of Saville’s lovely cassette box designs.  Fact14c, image courtesy of www.cerysmaticfactory.info  7″ flexi-disc  My friend Arthur |
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