Why does anyone like the Fall?

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.

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

― StanM, Friday, May 17, 2013 4:50 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

he is a functioning alcoholic

they exist

and then they die in their 60s of liver failure

Only just got round to listening to the new album. Sad to say I'm with Doran on this one, it's fucking rubbish. Not quite as appalling as the last album but not that far off. I know they seem like the kind of band that will never actually split up but I kinda wish they had after Your Future Our Clutter which would have been one hell of a way to go out.

the only way the fall will split up is if MES develops multiple personality disorder

multiple personality order, more like...

How about if his band quit(again) and he literally couldn't find anyone else that would work with him?

I'd volunteer

There is a glimmer of hope...

My mate was watching White Fence at Tufnell Park Dome last week and found himself standing next to MES.

White Fence have Tim Presley as a member. He's also a member of Californian psych/Kraut unit Darker, My Love who were, for a short time, a touring version of The Fall - as captured on the live album around the time of Post Reformation TLC.

Presley reckons he's still mates with Smith and they talk regularly.

I mean, we're talking about easily the best line up of the Fall I've ever seen live. Although I'd love to see the suggested but never realised all female Fall or for him to do a one off album with an electronic group such as Nitzer Ebb or Factory Floor, as in the Von Suddenfed album.

Either way he needs to sack the divot stampers.

How about if his band quit(again) and he literally couldn't find anyone else that would work with him?

― Kitchen Person, Thursday, May 23, 2013 4:57 AM (4 hours ago)

this will literally never happen

I was kinda hoping the Mouse on Mars guys would become the Fall for another album or two

The US/UK hybrid lineup was so great live. I saw them in Brooklyn and their sound was overwhelming, like Hawkwind married to a wind tunnel.

Before that, I managed to see the all-US lineup two or three times as well; it seems like that insane tour was the unlearning course that made the awesome kraut garage sludge highlights of later albums possible.

I've never been as glued to a message board as when that collapse/reform us tour was in progress...

No Respects Rev. is fucking astonishing

In fact the second half of this record is brilliant, first half barely less. Sorry Doran, but...

Well, maybe quite a bit less, but from NRR onwards it's gold

I don't expect people to agree with my taste in music ever! But my take on it is this: if the second half of this record is "fucking astonishing" then - in my book - you're saying it's on par with or almost as good as, say, the second half of Hex or the Unutterable or This Nations Saving Grace or Totale's Turns. And that's just not my take of the second half of this record.

However, I personally think that the first half of the new EP is *a bit more like it*.

The second half of this record is perhaps even better than the second half of The Unutterable because it doesn't have Pumpkin Soup And Mashed Potatoes on it :P

True, it doesn't have Midwatch 1953 or Devolute on it either, but it's consistently fiery

New EP? Aha

TBF, the second half is uniformly *very good* if not fucking astonishing. I only said one track was fucking astonishing! There's ALWAYS a fucking astonishing track on every Fall album. Last time out it was Monocard. This time it's No Respects Rev.

That's a fair point about Unutterable. I always forget it's got that really shit ending but by that time I've already heard Two Librans, Cyber Insekt, Dr Buck's Letter etc...

I need to go back and give it another listen now that the dust has settled.

oh Doran why would you say such things...?

I know what you mean and I've stuck to the party line of "the latest one is the best" most years since I got into the Fall in 1984 but on the odd occasion (late 90s and now) I've had to ask myself, 'Is this really good enough?' As much as anything I think most people need the occasional breather so they can go back in stronger. Even in 2008, I worked out that I listened to an average of three Fall albums a day that entire year - but I can't be bothered this year.

I'm not a complete obsessive. To paraphrase Everett True's excellent joke - "I'm not a proper Fall fan - I've only got 52 of their CDs."

lol there's a whole gap that still remains unfilled in my Fall listening from, like Bend Sinister to Cerebral Caustic...

I was referring specifically to dissing the end of The Unutterable, which is an amazingly successful left-turn into gnarled Levitate-style anti-music which completely enhances the album as a whole imo

am feeling you about the whole not being able to keep up with new music this year vibe...the shop I work at for the past few months has been taking up all my time. That being said, it's amazing how sheltered from a world going to shit a 65-hour a week factory job can make you feel

(lol I def sloughed off all my punctuation responsibilities up there^ though)

Last 3 tracks of The Unutterable are amazing and beautiful yes and everything you say, except Levitate came out 3 years earlier :p

Oh for some reason I read that as 'enabled the album (Levitate)' o_O

Maybe not that Caterer song. End on Devolute and that's an all-time way to finish an album

I have that exact same gap in my Fall listening btw! Did they do anything else in that period as monumental as The Birmingham School Of Business School?

Code Selfish is an essential album in full.

Definitely. Get the two 90s comps, "A Past Gone Mad" and "A World Bewitched" to hear the best stuff.

There are a lot of shitty misbegotten fall comps out there but A World Bewitched is totally awesome.

Shift-Work and Code Selfish are both completely amazing from start to finish, so get those. Infotainment Scan is pretty damn good too.

I was gonna say infotainment prob the 2nd best in that time span. Like Frenz exp though there is something abt the sound if it that makes it fail to stick to my ribs. Shift work is one if those cherry pick the best few tracks fall albums for me.

There's a thread on here where suggestions are made for a "Best of the 90s" and "Best of the 2000s" compilations are bandied about. I took those and ran with them, very helpful and I listen to them more often than the amazing-but-well-worn 70s and 80s stuff.

mark e smith - portrait of the artist as a consumer

http://retromaniafootnotes.blogspot.co.il/2012/05/800x600-normal-0-false-false-false-en_5119.html

Great stuff from the young MES

there was a similar one in the 90s for Melody Maker and he mentions 2 Unlimited's "No Limits" as one of his favourite tracks.

I can't remember where I stowed all my sweaters! It's a touch nippy out there this morning.

Pumpkin spice lattes are spoil overrated.

I'm all about MES enjoying watching "Bluey" (a 1970s Australian cop show about a rather large detective) on the telly.

did not know this was out!

http://thequietus.com/articles/14119-the-fall-remainderer-review

>>>in a way that evoked the shock of first hearing ‘Reformation’, perhaps The Fall’s best song, back in 2006<<

Whaaaaaat.

New EP sounds well-recorded on first listen. The Gene Vincent medley ain't too hot though.