Born To Be Unwild

 

The Durutti Column - Treatise On The Steppenwolf [FBN 63 UK RSD2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC]

Treatise On The Steppenwolf was a performance piece adapted by Gerard McInulty - better known as Caesar from former Factory Records band The Wake, from Hermann Hesse's original book. The event was staged over three nights by The 12 Stars Theatre Company at The Tramway in Glasgow in 2003 and also featured The Wake's Carolyn Allen in the lead role (That's her on the cover).

Vini Reilly's The Durutti Column provided a live soundtrack each evening, this double album features studio versions of those tracks, with the bonus of Human Avatars - three compositions for a 2005 art installation in Manchester of the same name.

If performance art isn't your thing, fear not, this limited 1000 pressing for RSD2023 is all about the music, and it is some of Reilly's very best. In fact, these fifteen tracks shimmer beautifully in that unique Reilly-style and are filled with gorgeous familiarity for those who worship his work.

This album ripped really well and is presented here at a comfortable volume with only minimal vinyl noise in the deadwax between tracks. I encountered issues with the Stupid Steppenwolf tracks which I originally blamed on a bad cut or pressing, however on comparison to the 2008 compact disc, now believe that the random pops are actually on the original digital master. I will upload the louder CD version to Digitalia soon (maybe later today if time allows) so you can compare and contrast.

Enjoy.

A1 A Beautiful Thought (Pt. 1)

A2 Harry Dreams The Dream

A3 A Wolf Of The Steppes

A4 Interlude

A5 The Title On The Cover

B1 Divided

B2 Magic Theatre

B3 Soul Track

B4 The Mothers And The Fathers

B5 A Beautiful Thought (Pt. 2)

C1 Stupid Steppenwolf (Pt. 1)

C2 Stupid Steppenwolf (Pt. 2)

C3 Human Avatars (Pt. 3)

D1 Human Avatars (Pt. 1)

D2 Human Avatars (Pt. 2)

 

For the optimum listening experience, I recommend playback on high fidelity equipment with room speakers rather than through headphones.