It's Wonderful

A few weeks ago Strictly Rockers did a guest posting as part of The Vinyl Villain's Imaginary Compilation Album series, a ten track compilation of the Durutti Column. Strictly Rockers focused on the Factory years and did a great job. I had been planning my own Durutti Column ICA and didn't get around to completing it but it wouldn't have been too different from SR's. Mine would have included-

Sketch for Summer
Otis
For Belgian Friends
The Missing Boy
Home
Contra Indications (The Together Mix)
Silence
Sketch For Dawn

Which gets me to eight songs and two to mull over. SR stuck to the Factory releases and I had intended to include some post-Factory material. Since Factory went bust Vini Reilly has put out at least fifteen albums for other record labels including the short lived Factory Too. I wouldn't pretend to have an expert knowledge of them all but have kept my hand in, dipping in and out over the years. 2008's Sunlight To Blue... Blue To Blackness had a beautiful little tune called So Many Crumbs And Monkeys which was on my ICA shortlist. A principal contender for my ICA would be this one from 2006's Keep Breathing album which a friend posted on social media a few days ago, reminding me of it. Before I go any further, just give it a spin...



See?
I don't know where to begin with this song- it defies description. Heavy bursts of rhythm guitar. Soaring melodies. A voice floating in and out. Tremelo. Vini's own voice whispering in the background. All building upwards towards the light. Stunning. And proof that Vini's well continued to contain deep water long into his third decade of making 'silly little tunes'. The rest of Keep Breathing has plenty of other brilliant moments too.

I have no idea if anyone makes any pennies off their Factory recordings anymore- who owns them? New Order got a record deal elsewhere and their back catalogue gets re-issued all the time. Happy Mondays got their stuff licensed or bought up by a major. Does the rest of the Factory roster see any cash for their music? I have no idea. However this album and this song are commercially available at various legal download sites, which I should imagine Vini benefits from. Vini has been hit by poor health and financial trouble in recent years and is currently unable to play the guitar which is incredibly sad for such a unique, talented and expressive artist. So I'm not giving you a free download of this- if you like it, and I'd be surprised if you didn't, go and give Vini some of your cash in exchange for It's Wonderful. Cos it is.