Why does anyone like the Fall?

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

Hex is probably their most interesting album (well, apart from Levitate) - it's iconic, vivid, catchy, quite obviously something unusual. Surely the listener would prefer this to the (imo) slightly more humdrum charms of The Infotainment Scan or whatever else was suggested? Don't conflate enjoyability with simplicity

Or even memorability with simplicity

Infotainment Scan is not a humdrum album even in comparison to Hex.

I found Info kinda straightforwardish and energetic.
Hex, though great, would seem a lil obtuse for a newbie, I'd think.

This Nation's Saving Grace is my favourite, therefore that's the best one for everyone else to start with.

Dont know about albums but Peel Sessions Versipn of Glam Racket wd prob be one of the mist user friendky points of origin for newbies.

Also re Floyd influence in the Fall: three words, all beginning w the letter D...

Man am I glad I hadnt bothered to type those three words out...

umm... dreams, dragons and _____ ?

dragos

Dream's is one

Drugs, obv.

Dave Gilmour with your granny on bongos

like and this day. like the new album.

Fizzles!

i got in my car this AM and turned on the radio and -- BAM -- "eat yrself fitter" came screaming out of the speakers

such a great band

what radio station is playing "eat yrself fitter"?

Radio 3, prob.

i'm in the USA. college radio.

No-one will ever believe this but it's true, I just witness MES slow dancing with whats'erface for about 2 minutes tonight.

Elena?

Yeah. He was probably more sober than I was. I'm almost inclined to believe Mr Doran is exaggerating the state he's in. He was drinking a bottle of Fosters Gold. Dunno about anyone else, but if I was a chronic alchoholic I wouldn't be seen dead drinking a bottle of Fosters Gold, there's not enough booze in it.

First one I heard that I enjoyed was "Witch Trials"; "Frenz" and "This Nation" didn't do much for me at first.

the immediate not liking of grotesque saddens me. it starts with "pay your rates"!

pay your own rates!

AllMusic opined that the band "really started hitting its stride" with this album.[2]

!

Grotesque is the one that turned me into a ravening Fall follower.

fuck all this "what's the easiest fall album to get into", start 'em on perverted by language, weed out the weaklings

maybe introduce them via this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuiEOlboPTY

Speaking as a career alcoholic who handed his badge and gun in five years ago, I'd suggest that none of my still thirsty brothers still in country would ever refuse a drink given to them if there were none other on hand. And anyone with any kind of long term chronic illness will have good days and bad days. Although a Fosters product does admittedly seem uncharacteristically pusillanimous.

Yet, I was right about Jeff Hanneman and I suspect I'm right here. Although, for the record, I really hope I'm not.

Sorry about the mixed armed service/police metaphor above.

fuck all this "what's the easiest fall album to get into", start 'em on perverted by language, weed out the weaklings

lol that was the first Fall album I bought.

Now I'm (vaguely) sober I admit I was being a bit presumptuous that MES hadn't already necked 2 bottles of whisky before turning up at the gig last night but I was surprised that he was still standing up at that time of night. I've avoided seeing the Fall live for years because of the many, many tales of terrible shows, I think the last time I saw them was at Reading festival about 12/13 years ago. I did see Von Sudenfed a few years back and he did the same shit then, singing from backstage etc. Wonder how tonight's gig will go.

I'm not sure I believe all the alcoholic hype - how the hell does he remember those lyrics?

I don't think it's hype

Maybe it's just me then, but when I'm drunk I don't write great lyrics :-/

^

He wrote better lyirics when he was on speed tbh

So did Dylan. Apparently if you want to write the best lyrics ever, that's your drug.