Peanut1971
I am Not Naturally Evil
The Fall John Peel box set is the Best thing money can buy - honestly, it's amazing. MES is planning to release a new Fall album via Cherry Red in September/October.
The Fall - any fans???
- Thread starter Peanut1971
- Start date
Worm
Taste the diffidence
Personally, I've a strong preference for the first a part of their career - up to and including Perverted by Language. The subsequent stuff isn't nearly as inventive or interesting to my mind (although admittedly I still have gaps in my knowledge of it). Not easy to name their best album, but to me it comes down to PbL, Hex Enduction Hour or Live at the Witch Trials.
Some of the songs that define them, to me: Industrial Estate, No Xmas for John Quays, Last Orders, Put Away (Peel Session version), Iceland, The Man Whose Head Expanded, Smile, Deer Park.
The great Fall test song:Eat Y'self Fitter (off Perverted by Language). If that sounds anything other than a gruelling combination of pointless and enervating to you, then I think you can probably claim to have reached some sort of real appreciation ofThe Fall. Or had your good sense ruined by them, it's hard to tell.
Based on your litmus test, I think anyone who digs "Repetition" instantly qualifies as a Fall fan.
My favorite track of all is "I Am Damo Suzuki", but I've never listened to "Oh Brother", "Why Are People Grudgeful?", "L.A.", or "Totally Wired" without breaking out into hysterical laughter.
Laughter of appreciation, that is, laughter of appreciation.
My goodness, "Prole Art Threat", "Kicker Conspiracy", "Bombast", "Hey! Student", "Cruisers Creek"...so many to name!
Bluebirds
Well-Known Member
Based on your litmus test, I think anyone who digs "Repetition" instantly qualifies as a Fall fan.
My favorite track of all is "I Am Damo Suzuki", but I've never listened to "Oh Brother", "Why Are People Grudgeful?", "L.A.", or "Totally Wired" without breaking out into hysterical laughter.
Laughter of appreciation, that is, laughter of appreciation.
My goodness, "Prole Art Threat", "Kicker Conspiracy", "Bombast", "Hey! Student", "Cruisers Creek"...so many to name!
Kicker Conspiracy is the name of my fantasy football team!!! Currently 1,435th in the Telegraph's competition and top of my works super league, again!
Can I recommend for Fall fans (you've probably alreayd got it but hey luciani....) Von Sudenfed which is Mark E Smith and Mouse On Mars collaboration from a couple of years ago. Quality album
My fave Fall albums in no particular order:
Grotesque
Hex Enduction Hour
This Nation's Saving Grace
Bend Sinister
The albums I came in on
Shiftwork
Code Selfish
and recently
Fall Heads Roll
Your Future Our Clutter
I think a good intro to The Fall is also the compilation 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong
Mozza220559
Surmontil 50
The Fall are just f***ing colossal, their output is so rich, original and varied that it can be intimidating for people who've not heard of them before who want to get into them where to start.
I'm really loving Marks attitude towards putting albums out recently, he wanted to just bang out an album and I can't wait until this Month when it's released!
No I'm an absolute devotte, and the thing is I love all of their output too not just certain era's I even loved it when he was a shambles in 98. I don't know why people slag off Mark for his recent output from 2002 onwards saying he's an embarrassment etc, when the band have never sounded so fresh and tight.
LOVE THE FALL
I'm really loving Marks attitude towards putting albums out recently, he wanted to just bang out an album and I can't wait until this Month when it's released!
No I'm an absolute devotte, and the thing is I love all of their output too not just certain era's I even loved it when he was a shambles in 98. I don't know why people slag off Mark for his recent output from 2002 onwards saying he's an embarrassment etc, when the band have never sounded so fresh and tight.
LOVE THE FALL
cornelius blaze
Boychild mustn't tremble!
Yeah, I used to go and see them a lot in the late 80s & early 90s.
I have kind of lost track of them over the years. I have kind of fickle tastes in bands but what I have I like. Grotesque (After The Gramme) is a favourite of mine.
I was lucky enough to see them with the Michael Clark company preform I Am Kurious Oranj.
Brix once ruffled my hair! Weird seeing her on television in Gok's Fashion Fix!
I have kind of lost track of them over the years. I have kind of fickle tastes in bands but what I have I like. Grotesque (After The Gramme) is a favourite of mine.
I was lucky enough to see them with the Michael Clark company preform I Am Kurious Oranj.
Brix once ruffled my hair! Weird seeing her on television in Gok's Fashion Fix!
Actually probably the first Fall song I fell in love with. It may be down to the 'gaps in your knowledge', but there are much more testing songs than EYF. I'm not going to post any link as I realise this opinion i entirely subjective.
Clearly you are one of nature's own Fall fans, which means you must be a very strange man.
As you say, it is a bit subjective. But I picked EYF not just because it is testing (which I remain convinced it is, for at least 99% of the population) but also because it contains so many of the Fall's most distinctive characteristics, and in such a pointed and abrasive way. It's repetetive, monotonous, has no hint of melody, edgy, uncoventional in an are-they-serious? way - and with a generally "f*** that" attitude to the notion of meeting anyone half-way.
Based on your litmus test, I think anyone who digs "Repetition" instantly qualifies as a Fall fan.
My favorite track of all is "I Am Damo Suzuki", but I've never listened to "Oh Brother", "Why Are People Grudgeful?", "L.A.", or "Totally Wired" without breaking out into hysterical laughter.
Laughter of appreciation, that is, laughter of appreciation.
My goodness, "Prole Art Threat", "Kicker Conspiracy", "Bombast", "Hey! Student", "Cruisers Creek"...so many to name!
Oh , I agree - and Repetition also has the added relevance in that if you like it, you also implicitly sign up for MES' artictic and musical program declaration, which Repetition can be seen as. (The three R's and all that). I love it. And I am Damo Suzuki is much the same thing - after all, we know where he got the whole repetition idea from.
Great to have you back, by the way! You and Anesthesine have both been sorely missed. At least by me.
Best introduction in my opinion is the 3-CD box Psychik Danccehall, which pretty much gives you the best of everything up to and including Perverted by Language. That for me is their great period. The Brix period seemed to me replace sinister and genuine strangeness and neurotic energy with a bit too much of cheap gimmickry and empty rock'n roll swagger. A lot of it leaves me cold. Most of what followed I have yet to discover, although with the aid of Spotify, I am now working my way through it.
My top ten:
1. Perverted by Language
2. Hex Enduction Hour
3. Live at the Witch Trials
4. Slates
5. Grotesque
6. Dragnet
7. Middle Class Revolt
8. The Frightening and Wonderful World of the Fall
9. Extricate
1o. This Nation's Saving Grace
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Death Disco
Banned
It's hard to come by these days, but "50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong" is a good litmus test - if you like it, go and find the rest of the albums, if not don't bother.
Suedebread
The shop that never opens
I hope soClearly you are one of nature's own Fall fans, which means you must be a very strange man.
Suedebread
The shop that never opens
Seconded. It was mine, I never looked back.
Suedebread
The shop that never opens
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=3339 - The Fall - Ersatz GB, Released 14th November 2011
Shipwrecked Escapologist
Junior Member
Love them. Saw them in my home town St Helens first in 1980 and I have seen them last year and many times in between. A true love or hate band I suspect.
Bluebirds
Well-Known Member
what are your opinions on the new LP Ersatz GB? Not a great one in my opinion (although I've only listened to it twice so far, on public transport. Too much going on...) I'm Being Duped and Nate being good uns but I'd already heard them live. Can't hear anything that grabs me but then I listened to I Feel Voxish....
Glad I've missed them on this tour. It has been infamous. Even by their/ his standards. Is he ill?
Glad I've missed them on this tour. It has been infamous. Even by their/ his standards. Is he ill?
the raytownian
Member
Not one of my top favorite bands, but I do enjoy them.
Couldn't get ahead!
Couldn't get ahead!
Suedebread
The shop that never opens
Problems with his feet apparently, but don't know much more. Seemed to improve towards the end of the tour, I saw them in London last Thursday, and Cambridge the week before that. Apart from sitting down a few times, MES was on great form and seemed to be enjoying himself. Band were tight as ever, incorporating Tim on guitar as if he'd never been away.
Loving the album, for me barely a duff moment on it. Too early to say whether it's a classic or merely very good...
See here for one of the tracks from Ersatz GB, plus a few others if you look around.... http://youtu.be/CLQvrck2RsU
