"People get ready, strip down your houses because it's the FALL TRACKS BALLOT ROLL- OUT!" - PART TWO The Tracks (Pre-wray)

Woah! Are you rolling them all out this morning?

Might get to half-way, then sttretch the rest out..

LA only 38? Had that pegged for top 10 :/

But still, lots of great tracks showing that didnt make my ballot :D

33. Impression of J. Temperence Points: 134 Votes: 6 Number Ones: 0

32. Tempo House Points: 144 Votes: 6 Number Ones: 0

Wow, Tempo House is too low! It came very very close to being my #1, but was instead my #2.

31. Blindness Points: 145 Votes: 7 Number Ones: 0

MES attempts to shut jools holland up (fails)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We_mND4HpTg

Wonder who else voted for Nagle, too...

Hello there! She makes that era wrong and impossible in all the best ways.

46. Fortress/Deer Park Points: 109 Votes: 4 Number Ones: 0

The transition here is my favorite moment in their discography (though "Deer Park" kind of lets it down imo) - condenses that emergent quality of Hex, something broken rearranging itself into working order.

34. Slates, Slags, Etc. Points: 131 Votes: 5 Number Ones: 1

This missed my academic male slag ballot but is a v. worthy number one vote.

"Blindness" is a great song I still haven't heard a definitive reading of; would actually say the same of "Sparta." Each version gets one thing right and fucks up something else. I have pretty complicated feelings of MES as a frontman post-Frenz; he's gotten places he couldn't have gone with the old persona, but a charitable reading of say, taking out his teeth (see: "Way Round") gets impossible in places, and makes Doran's picture of the "peak of his power decline" hard to ignore.

I was just thinking about Way Round; he really takes out his teeth. Thats freaking hilarious

Uh there shd be a q mark at the end of first sentence

30. Prole Art Threat Points: 147 Votes: 6 Number Ones: 0

29. Container Drivers Points: 152 Votes: 7 Number Ones: 0

28. Spectre Vs Rector Points: 153 Votes: 6 Number Ones: 0

27. Jawbone and the Air-Rifle Points: 158 Votes: 7 Number Ones: 0

26. Weather Report 2 Points: 158 Votes: 7 Number Ones: 1

Tune in tomorrow for some more, u skinny rats...

Whoa. How is my #1 (Slates, Slags) so lowwwwww?

Prole Art Threat too low!!! (Regrets not voting for it...)

Ah, the best song of 2010. Smith inverts mortality: now death fears him

dang, this is going way too fast. goodbye, large raft of fall songs, we hardly knew ye. voted for these:

38. LA - so fucking spooky, i could live for days on just an arpeggiator and delay pedal, mark heeding his own r-related dictate for once
32. Tempo House - first fall song i ever heard, live version on homestead's speed trials comp, was so baffled by the amazing lyrics, goddam the pedantic welsh
31. Blindness - guess i like the groovy ones, one of my favorite songs of the last 10 years, nothing to do w mark, only nu-fall song on my ballot
30. Prole Art Threat - PINK PRESS THREAT! unlike the others here, not actually a good song, a tonic nonetheless

Some pretty great stuff in the lower reaches. Sorry I didn't get around to submitting, a few of these would've been bumped up ('Free Range', 'Slates...', 'Container Drivers' all on my definites list on my drafted ballot, quite a few more on my longlist).

I had Spectre Vs. Rector at 2. I'm v. fond of the noisy ones on Dragnet (S Vs. R, muzorewi's daughter)

culled: jawbone and, marquis cc, container driv, slates slags, gross chap, fortress/dp. glad to see they made the crossing.

Jawbone and Container Drivers made my ballot. Third peel session might be my favorite: best thing imo about 79-83 Fall is how the band sounded basically like a garage rock band who started from scratch with every new song they came up with, and third Peel Session is the first to really show this.

The Peel version of "Blindness" is definitive for me and the single version of "Sparta #2" is as well, with the addition of Eleni and extra chants.

Quite a bit of my ballot has already appeared. Not holding out much hope in seeing my number 1 showing up at all. Glad to see Tempo House on there.

Gross Chapel - British Grenadiers is too low. I didn't care for the song at first but the driving, insistent rhythm eventually won me over.

'The Peel version of "Blindness" is definitive for me'

Otm, my vote for blindness was a vote for this one. It's all about when he goes into that high babbling tone toward the end (sounding a little like beefheart's bass clarinet playing except vocally)

I didnt vote for any Peel Sessions versions but the PS Glam Racket was the last thing cut from my ballot so I am stoked to see that slip in

I have no problem with anything so far in the track countdown. The only one I voted for was Jawbone, but these are all solid choices. I guess my heart will be broken later when half of my top ten choices don;t place.

I honestly don't get the love for "Weather Report 2", it's not even in my top 5 for that album.

This is the value, we can go "What, higher than "Slates, etc", really" and go find out

It's all about when he goes into that high babbling tone toward the end (sounding a little like beefheart's bass clarinet playing except vocally)

Ah, that helps me understand - that's my exact sticking point on the track, because I always see it as an error. I don't know if it comes down to me needing a more Catholic taste in tonality/timing (but I'll totally buy "Hurricane Edward"!) or being more willing to extend or suspend belief w/r/t intentions and capabilities.

I mean, I have the same problem with a lot of Beefheart - so much effort has gone into creating an internally whole song instrumentally and the voice just hangs back just gesturing over the damn thing. Are MES's voice and the Captain's bass clarinet using fiendishly advanced techniques? Are they just fucking around? Are they productively fucking around their limitations? Why can't MES just flow anymore? Why can't we live in England?

I honestly don't get the love for "Weather Report 2", it's not even in my top 5 for that album.

It took me a long time! Headphones help. Like a lot on OFYC, it works especially well for me because it makes thematic sense of the vocal decrepitude. Also, I mean, the track itself is OK, but then it gets fucking eaten alive by synths. It's fantastic! (The same way that "Slippy Floor" repeatedly, gratuitously, awesomely torpedoes "YFOC.")

Why can't MES just flow anymore?

i figure he's color commentary at this point. also, the way our friends become cheerful but sometimes dismayingly shabby reminders of the people we once knew/were. they're still our friends, right?

Voted Blindness for the Peel version. Maybe could do with a longer intro but once it gets going that doesn't feel like an issue.

Gross Chapel - GB Grenadiers was very high up my ballot - The Fall go goth, and do it amazingly

YFOC is a great album, regret not voting for the mighty Mexico Wax Solvent along with WR2

I also did not get round to posting but am very interested in the results of this - I would have pushed Container Drivers/ Slates / Gross Chapel and Rebellious Jukebox up further. Possibly like others? I know some parts of the Fall's oeuvre very well and other parts are basically blank it so primarilly looking at this for new avenues and places to explore. Keep up the good work people!

I have the same problem with a lot of Beefheart

Well, yes, frankly it took me years to come to terms with MES' vocals, and a further 15 to do the same for the Captain, but once you've made that adjustment it all just MAKES SENSE. I think The Fall could actually be more broadly enjoyed by the public but that warm-up period is something most people just won't give it.

Re: Gross Chapel - GB Grenadiers - I'm not certain the Peel version surpasses the studio, but they certainly compliment one another, if that makes sense. And, yes, the whole Fall-as-goths treatment of "Bend Sinister" is what makes it unique in their catalogue and made me vote it number 1 on the albums section.

the PS Glam Racket was the last thing cut from my ballot

I had the Peel Session "Glam Racket" at number 15 on my ballot. After getting off the bus in the early 90s, that song and "Chiselers" were what made me reconsider the error of my ways.

Whoa, that's 8 of my ballot represented already (Fortress, Jukebox, Hobgoblins, English Scheme, Middle Mass, Smile, Prole, Spectre), which could be a good OR bad sign. "Prole Art Threat" was my #2, so TOO LOW, etc, for that at the very least.

re: fall members list - i'm guessing "mark hanley" is a mistake there?

25. Lie Dream of A Casino Soul Points: 163 Votes: 6 Number Ones: 0

Reckon the biggest curveball in the top 25 will be my number 2, a song notable for its drumbeat and the use of the word 'faaarmhaaaand'

24. An Older Lover etc Points: 165 Votes: 6 Number Ones: 0

TOO FUCKEN LOW

23. Hit The North Points: 173 Votes: 7 Number Ones: 0

22. (Theme From) Sparta F.C. / Sparta 2XX Points: 190 Votes: 9 Number Ones: 0

Hmmm, is it possible my ballot was lost? Should have at least one #1 vote for "Lie Dream".

Hmm, seems there are actually five votes and one number one.

i know, i wrestled w myself over that one. since i tried to skew pop, i should have made room. it really is a favorite. hey! luciani too. tbh, i cruelly shortchanged bend sinister/domesday payoff, my real first fall LP.

New Face in Hell
How I Wrote 'Elastic Man'
Rowche Rumble
Leave the Capitol
Flat of Angles
Psykick Dancehall
LA
An Older Lover etc.
Container Drivers
Jawbone and the Air-Rifle
Lie Dream Of a Casino Soul
Bonkers in Phoenix
4 1/2 Inch
Before the Moon Falls
Iceland
Wings
Fiery Jack
Hurricane Edward
Winter
Kicker Conspiracy

Total points by year:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/olem/ilx_The_Fall_points_by_year_zps006e9f47.png

Dates generally assigned by first appearance of studio version on album or single, or of live album release when no studio version exists. Exceptions/notes:
-- "Blindness", "Job Search": 2004 Peel session broadcast date used.
-- "Stepping Out": Taken as the 1978 Live at the Electric Circus track.
-- "Session Musician": Date of live recording (1981) used, rather than 2005 live album release.
-- "Antidotes": As the Peel session is specified, assigned to 1998 (date of broadcast) rather than 1999 (when it appeared on The Marshall Suite).
-- "Hot Cake": Taken as the 2010 album track, as the 2009 single track has a "Part 2" in the title.

That's pretty far from SD

"Container Drivers" and "Dr Faustus" also twice in list, the former should thus be pushed up to #21 if I calculate correctly.

Also "2 x 4".

Number of tracks per year:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/olem/ilx_The_Fall_count_by_year_zps5538bde3.png

Average score of each track by year:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/olem/ilx_The_Fall_avg_by_year_zps232c2459.png

where the hell is fizzles??

Good question. Might be under cosh at work?

feel like i haven't had time to sit in this thread.

I enjoyed glancing at every ballot and thinking 'yes, great ballot'. In other polls I think, 'no, come on, really?'; not here.

Thinking I should have done a post-90 or 95 ballot myself. I've enjoyed listening to that end more.

Funny how even a band as long-lived and multi-faceted as the Fall emerges with a huge emphasis on the early years.

That IS interesting.
Even though many (most?) of us have loads of time for much of their last 30 years, I guess when push comes to shove...

Most bands' golden 'early years' don't last as long as that though.

The longer the fall go on for, the longer time period the "early years" takes up.

^^^ well put

where the hell is fizzles??

― Flat Of NAGLs (sleeve), Thursday, May 2, 2013 4:42 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes, don't fizzle out, this thread needs you

Forgot to thank Mark for taking on the mammoth task of a fall ballot.

fizzles has taken a pilgrimage to marcelo trotta's birthplace which he will desecrate with two sainsbury's shopping bags of his own excrement iirc

Having a "Fall" time...

Kinda look back bore