Why does anyone like the Fall?

And Hex isn't

guess it depends on how you feel about the voice really. from the 90s onward there's rather more of a desire to play with existing or contemporary forms (baggy, electronic, indie-ish stuff) rather than that dynamic primal abrasiveness that characterised their earlier years.

that's a little bald perhaps - it's still heavily Fall flavoured - but it's emblematic of a perceived softer edge to their music. It's perhaps why a lot of Fall fans will tend to prefer the early stuff.

If you wanted to try some stuff a bit different from Hex or TNSG, try Shift Work, Infotainment Scan, or the extremely appealing and successful The Unutterable. xpost.

I still amaze the kids when they watch the Gok shows with my "She used to be in the Fall, you know"

"She used to be married to this"

*shows picture of Mark E. Smith, kids scream and complain of bad dreams later that night*

ah, but back then : http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vdy5PdGb6vw/S2MkzM9lcwI/AAAAAAAAApQ/xpzDMVW-LMc/s640/brix+3.jpg

ah, remember the days you'd consider someone had possibly "sold-out" because they stopped looking ill, started wearing nice clothes and eating regular meals regularly?

Ok, I'm from the US where the album in question had a pretty low profile, but the "White Lightening" cover is just killing me. Amazed I'd never heard it before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YmMsmKGEt4

Shiftwork is in my top 5 albums of theirs, I just love almost everything on it. I don't know if they ever approached the kind of tender beauty that you hear on "Rose" on subsequent records (although the closer off their last one comes close).

I think you definitely hear that on the next two albums, too: "Time Enough at Last," "Just Waiting," "Gentleman's Agreement," "I'm Going to Spain," and "Service."

Funny, this is yet another thread where the person who started it never comes back. Weird phenomenon.

I change up the sequence on it, admittedly, but Dragnet still is my 2nd favourite album of all time...

Funny, this is yet another thread where the person who started it never comes back. Weird phenomenon.

― Evan, Wednesday, February 16, 2011 11:34 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Actually...

Oops.

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/2012/07/23/perhaps-someday-an-internet-search-engine-will-be-invented-that-will-prevent-these-misunderstandings/

And here I thought Mark E Smith was just being paranoid when he says everyone's trying to rip off The Fall.

Re-Mit is pretty solid, as usual!

Yes! I'm really enjoying it after the first few listens. "Jetplane" is the standout track for me, so far.

Madness. It's fucking awful. And I haven't said that since the 90s.

Funny, every album gets his..

gets this, I mean

yeah the consensus favorites only emerge after a decade or two, if they ever do

is there a single fall album all fans can agree on? hex enduction hour? maybe bend sinister?

i would submit the unutterable but i fear many have not even heard it.

is there a single fall album all fans can agree on? hex enduction hour? maybe bend sinister?

No. No. No.

In tests, 26 out of 29 fall fans who expressed a preference, voted "Slates"

In tests, 27 out of 29 fall fans who expressed a preference, voted "This nation's Saving Grace"

(Other fall albums are available)

I've never heard of The Fall, but according to allmusic, they were influenced by Pink Floyd. What is the best place to start for a Pink Floyd fan?

not listening to The Fall, I would say. (not sure how Allmusic came to that conclusion about PF being an influence)

Well, that would be that Chiselers/Chilinists one wouldn't it xp

Well Floyd did have that one song, all in all you're just a Brix in the Fall

He's quick, that lad

xp ouch

I did wince as I typed that one out, sorry

LOL

Pink Floyd are short,anyway

Short of what?

okay, here's an attempt at a more helpful answer HL: at a stretch, This Nation's Saving Grace has elements of the "psychedelia gone wrong" that Barrett-era Floyd dealt in. It's a pretty big leap though, and I'm sure people will disagree vehemently (always the way with anything Fall-related).

They are also said to be influenced by the Beatles. What is the Fall's entry into Beatlesque pop?

their amazing cover of "a A Day in the Life" probably.

Bollocks to both of those (xp)

Upon first listen, the best tracks were on the Record Store Day single. The rest of the album is studio noodling.

I would recommend Grotesque to a newbie. The music is more straight-ahead punk/rockabilly, and the lyrical content is clear, and - blob 59 excepted - relatively murk-free. Also, if the words don't have you hooked, you'll never get the fall.

I have had luck with introducing people to the Fall through Grotesque.

That's a good question... what are the best Fall starter-albums for new listeners?

Grotesque makes sense... I'd probably add TNSG, Frenz, Infotainment as being "easy-ish" to start with.
Not their best stuff necessarily, but a relatively painless entry for people? 50,000 Fall Fans would probably work well too. Who knows!

50,000 Fall Fans is a well-curated comp, containing many titles I had read about in various places. Definitely sufficient for me to ascertain that, aside from a few random cuts, they're never going to be my thing.

My first Fall album was 'Seminal Live.' Was in the $3.99 cassette bin at the campus store freshman year o college.

Kinda amazing I persisted.

50,000 Fall Fans is definitely my go-to - it only has like 1-2 selections from each album, so it's not like you're 'ruining' much by listening to that first.

That's a good question... what are the best Fall starter-albums for new listeners?

Not that keen on The Fall in general but I listened to The Unutterable this morning following amateurist mentioning it above and it was great. Would listen again.

This afternoon I tried Grotesque, also mentioned above, and lasted about 90 seconds. Can't be bothered with that stuff.

Yeah I would recommend The Unutterable as the starter-kit to pretty much anyone

Either that or Hex

Definitely not "Hex" I'd say

Esp. the 2nd side

Though I suppose if you can sit through "And This Day" you'll be able to cope with anything else MES might throw at you