77s Message Board | Print: Durutti Column as an influence?

Posted by luthierj on 05-23-2012 at19:55:

Durutti Column as an influence?

I just connected the dots between "Mezzo" on Drowning with Land in Sight and "Messidor" by the Durutti Column. Has Mike ever mentioned liking or being influenced by Vini?

BTW, this is my first post here. Been a fan since college (1990). Hope to see Mike play in Denver again someday.

Posted by Gur on 05-23-2012 at20:52:

Welcome Luther!

I can't answer that due to my ignorance, but Mike will probably show up in the next day or two and answer it himself. He shows up often. Welcome again!

Posted by Gur on 05-23-2012 at21:01:

Forgive me for the naming mistake. I am not only ignorant but blind. I just put on my reading glasses. Doc, where are you?

Posted by me-is-e on 05-23-2012 at22:39:

I'll be looking forward to Mike's full answer, but I remember him mentioning the Durutti Column in an interview around that time and bought one of their albums based on reading that. I think he talks about them in the liner notes for Orbis too, but my memory is getting hazy about that one. Tongue

Posted by Doctor Love on 05-24-2012 at02:46:

RE: Durutti Column as an influence?

Yes indeed, Luthierj, The Durutti Column was a huge influence upon me during the early 90’s -- anyone interested in comparing “Mezzo” to “Messidor” (I only just noticed the title similarities as I was typing this!) can do so here:

http://youtu.be/jQmjdx0_w9I

http://youtu.be/1j2u2QGK0HM

Holy crap, they’re even in the same key (also unintentional) -- how did you ever connect these particular dots? Almost no one ever does. Thanks for noticing.

I first heard Messidor and the DC in a record store in the Haight/Ashbury district of San Francisco, but the song was on really low on the stereo so it had a rather mysterious hard-to-hear quality, and I wanted to reproduce that on my composition. But, when we went to cut it, Aaron played the drums louder than I intended and all of us kinda followed suit. So, it came out not so ‘mezzoforte’ but ended up way cooler than I could have ever imagined that it would.

This is one of my very favorite 77s songs and an experiment that I considered more than successful. We should have done more things like this, but the two instrumental albums that I did years later with Mark Harmon more than made up for that desire. I really enjoyed working on those and loved how they both came out. Can’t wait to do another one.

Thanks for posting, and welcome to the Blackboard ~~ : )

Posted by luthierj on 05-24-2012 at16:35:

wow, thanks

Wow, I never thought Mike would reply! That was unexpected and totally cool. Thanks!

I was just listening to "Drowning" yesterday and couldn't get it out of my head that I had heard those same sounds somewhere else. I just kept obsessing until I figured it out.

One of things I have always liked about the 77s is their ability to incorporate the sounds and tunes of great bands (Led Z, the Byrds, etc.) and make them part of their own recognizable sound and style.