Re: Acceptability of recommendations?

[Nathaniel Mumford <nathanielmumford@ho...com>]

Crikey. Did you do that just for us?

I shall be replying at length off-list, something that others might wish 
to join me in doing (though I will just ask now: the utterly rotten 
''levitate' as one of the best?? what were you thinking??)

Interested to hear, tho, how many folk on this list DON'T like the mighty 
Fall, and why not? Tho I discovered the aeroplanes much earlier, once I 
got my head around the fall it seemed like an obvious step to take.  I 
remember  being a bit surprised to read that Gerard wasn't that bothered 
about the fall (or at least, had gone off them) and that the aeros weren't 
mark's cup of tea...   

From: nickw@bl...co.uk
To: blueplanes@bl...org
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:02:16 +0100
Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Acceptability of recommendations?






And, now I have got started, let me go on an on about The 
Fall until everyone screams. 
 
If you are a Fall fan 
like me, ALL other music is rendered totally irrelevant. It's a sacrifice 
worth 
making, because The Fall are the best band ever to exist, without 
question. How 
to explain? Well, "for those who understand, no explanation is necessary; 
for 
those who don't, no explanation is possible."

 
So the 
best, the only way is for the music to speak for itself. Let me be your 
humble 
guide.
 
Are you 
ready? Are you sure? Are you are missing winner? Then let's 
begin...
 
This is my 
subjective guide to ALL of The Fall's  "proper" albums. There have been 
numerous, superfluous compilation albums in recent years and, whilst some 
are 
worthwhile, most recycle The Fall’s canonical albums and even each 
other.
 
I’ve 
included “Slates” which is an odd beast, a 6-track mini-album which is 
neither 
an album nor an EP and confounded record shops at the time of its release. 
I’ve 
also included “The Twenty-Seven Points” which is the Fall’s only 
“official” live 
album (i.e. released on the same label they were on at the time) but have 
omitted the million unofficial live albums. 
 
For details 
of these, please visit The Fall online
 
http://www.visi.com/fall/
 
which 
contains everything you could ever possibly want to know about The Fall - 
and 
lots more besides!
 
As for 
availability, it varies - there is an on-going re-release programme which, 
because of the many record labels The Fall have graced, has hopped around 
chronologically: 1979-1983 and 1990-1996 and 2001 are covered, with other 
years 
coming soon. These re-releases are well worth tracking down, as they 
contain 
extensive and informative notes by Fall expert Daryl Easlea, plus many 
bonus 
tracks (often on a second disc), including B-sides, rarities, and Peel 
sessions.
 
Mentioning 
the Peel sessions reminds me that the collected Fall Peel session box set, 
containing ALL their Peel sessions on 6 disks, is probably the best thing 
ever 
released in any format ever, and well worth tracking down (it’s only about 
17 
quid these days).
 
Right - 
here goes!
 
LIVE AT THE WITCH TRIALS 
(1979) Recorded over 2 
days, with the snare drum out of tune, this is great fun. Really unlike 
later 
Fall, this stands unique in the canon, as the first step on a wonderful 
and 
frightening journey. Contains ‘Industrial Estate’, 2 mins of utter 
joy.

DRAGNET (1979) Darker, drudgier and messier than its 
predecessor, this is a thing of grimy majesty. Contains ‘Spectre Vs. 
Rector’, a 
grinding industrial freak–out inspired in part by H.P. Lovecraft, which 
has to 
be heard to to be believed. The recent cleaned-up re-release is a 
revelation - 
the griminess wasn't in the production, but in the *actual 
music*...

SLATES (1980) Seen by many to be The Fall at their best, 
indeed it is faultless. Highlight is the titanic 2–chord rant, ‘Slates, 
Slags, 
etc.’

TOTALES TURNS (IT’S NOW OR NEVER) (1980) The first of their 
semi–live, semi–studio albums, the live tracks are sludgy, but the studio 
‘That 
Man’ is hilarious, featuring a sublime kazoo outro. 

GROTESQUE (AFTER 
THE GRAMME) (1980) Utter genius. A good entry–point for early 
Fall.

HEX ENDUCTION HOUR (1981) It lasts an hour, has 2 drummers 
of psychotic intensity, and ends in a ten–minute tuneless cacophony called 
‘And 
This Day.’ Try only when weaned on more accessible Fall fare.

ROOM TO 
LIVE (1982) A sort of younger brother to Hex, it contains in ‘Papal Visit’ 
probably the most tuneless, atonal thing they have ever done – which is 
saying 
something.

PERVERTED BY LANGUAGE (1983) Often overlooked, I love 
this album. It opens with ‘Eat Y’ Self Fitter’ a tune so repetitive and 
bludgeoning someone I knew could hardly believe it was music. A very dark, 
obtuse album, you hardly notice the presence of Brix (the sexy Californian 
surf 
babe MES married at this time and who joined the band, to the annoyance of 
hardcore Fall fans. More fool they! Brix RULES!)

THE WONDERFUL AND 
FRIGHTENING WORLD OF... (1984) A thing of utter beauty. Produced by John 
Leckie, the studio sheen makes The Fall sound leaner and meaner. It opens 
with 
‘Lay of the Land’, one of the best album opening tracks of all time. 
Overall I 
recommend starting here – the CD contains many extra tracks which showcase 
the 
more accessible side of the band.

THIS NATION’S SAVING GRACE 
(1985) Everyone raves about this but in my view it is overshadowed by the 
albums before and after it. Their mellowest record, it contains some great 
stuff 
such as the instrumental ‘L.A.’ and the hypnotic 
‘Paint–Work.’

BEND SINISTER (1986) My favourite Fall album, and 
indeed album, of ALL time. A dark, brooding masterpiece. The sound of a 
hungover 
thunderstorm. And in places, crackingly funny.

THE FRENZ EXPERIMENT 
(1988) Pales to nothing in the shadow of ‘Bend Sinister’, this is their 
first crap album. It’s listenable, but by Fall standards it is inexcusably 
lame. 
BUT... it contains the seven–minute ‘Bremen Nacht’, a masterpeice of 
repetition, 
a unique piece of music that to this very day sounds impressive and 
challenging.

I AM KURIOUS ORANJ (1988) The album of the ballet 
(!), this works as a companion–piece to Frenz. It’s much better though. 


SEMINAL LIVE (1989) Another half–live, half–studio job. Worth it 
for ‘Mollusc In Tyrol’, 6 minutes of droning sirens and a drum–machine 
which 
conspires to be oddly unsettling.

EXTRICATE (1990) A complete 
change in direction for a new decade, here The Fall begin their flirtation 
with 
– nay, brutalisation of – dance music. Another good starting 
point.

SHIFT–WORK (1991) Continues on from ‘Extricate’, and though 
it contains some great tracks (such as the wistful ‘Edinburgh Man’) it 
fails to 
gel as an album.

CODE: SELFISH (1992) This contains two amazing 
songs. ‘The Birmingham School of Business School’ is another one of those 
experimental, totally unique–sounding Fall songs that you keep coming back 
to 
for years. ‘Two–Face’ is six brilliant minutes of belligerent drumming and 
beetling basslines. The rest, though, is only OK – the version of ‘Free 
Range’ (one of my fave ever Fall songs) is 
horribly truncated and watered down on this album.

THE INFOTAINMENT 
SCAN (1993) Yay! This never fails to cheer me up. Contains a remarkably 
faithful version of ‘Lost In Music’. Probably their poppiest album, it 
clips 
along at cracking pace and bristles with riffs. Another good stepping–on 
point.

MIDDLE CLASS REVOLT (1994) The dance element recedes, and 
the garage (in the old sense of the word) moves to the fore. Contains an 
excellent cover of Peter Blegvad’s ‘War.’

CEREBRAL CAUSTIC (1995) 
This vies with Frenz as the crappest Fall album, and probably wins as 
there is 
no equivalent of ‘Bremen Nacht’ to redeem it. Horribly produced, some of 
the 
songs sound like The Fall on auto–pilot. Of note though is ‘Bonkers In 
Phoenix’, 
in which an achingly wistful tune is buried under stuttering mounds of 
studio 
interference from M.E.S.
 
THE TWENTY-SEVEN POINTS (1995) A double live album, totally 
shambolic and fun. Contains one studio track, the sublime “Noel’s Chemical 
Effluence.”

THE LIGHT USER SYNDROME (1996) After two dull–ish 
albums, this is... WOW!!! A mad treasure trove of Fall-ness, it’s 
certainly one 
of their most entertaining discs. It lurches between styles like a drunken 
rottweiler, and is never less than totally satisfying. Another good place 
to 
start.

LEVITATE (1997) Oh... my... God... when I first heard this, 
I was on my knees before the record player. This is probably the purest 
Fall 
album, the nearest to M.E.S.’s vision. But it should only be approached 
after 
being exposed to the milder stuff. 

THE MARSHALL SUITE (1999) M.E.S had sacked all the long–time members of 
The 
Fall by this stage, and so this was a totally New Fall. That it still 
sounds 
Fall–esque is reassuring, maybe M.E.S. gives the band members a special 
potion. 
Contains in ‘The Crying Marshal’, a total destruction of Big Beat which 
would 
make Fat Boy Slim sh1t his pants, if he were ever brave enough to play 
it.

THE UNUTTERABLE (2000) Longer and better than the Marshall 
Suite, this is the second album with the New Fall. Produced to the hilt, 
it’s 
completely bonkers and entertaining, though not quite reaching the heights 
of 
Light User and Levitate. Opens with the sound of M.E.S. sniffing.

ARE 
YOU ARE MISSING WINNER (2001) (Yes, that's the real title. Genius! Best 
album title EVER!) D’oh! M.E.S. went and sacked the band again! So this is 
yet 
another new Fall. And it is their most ramshackle, under–produced racket 
of an 
album ever. But that’s a good thing... bands like Radiohead would never 
dare to 
produce something like this, it would be complete commercial suicide. That 
The 
Fall are still doing it over 20 years on is a testament to Mark E. Smith’s 
endurance, vision and tenacity. Contains ‘Ibis – Afro Man’, another 
contender 
for the most unlistenable Fall song, and a strong one at that, as it 
contains 3 
minutes of what sounds like a shrieking, screaming monkey being beaten to 
death.

2G+2 (2002) Another semi–live semi–studio etc. It’s not 
great. But it does give some idea of what The Fall were like live in 2002 
- 
i.e., balls–to–the wall rock. 

THE REAL NEW FALL LP (FORMERLY COUNTRY 
ON THE CLICK) (2003) By now, no-one knew who is or isn't in The Fall, but 
it 
hardly matters if the results sound like this. A solid Fall album with no 
weak 
tracks. Totally satisfying. Contains the rollicking ‘Theme From Sparta 
F.C’, the 
insanely catchy ‘Box(oc)tosis’ with its sing-along chorus of ‘Open the 
box! Open 
the box! Open the god-damn box!’, the sinister ‘Mike’s Love Xexagon’ and 
in the 
closing track, ‘Recovery Kit’, a new direction for the Fall.

INTERIM 
(2004) Yet another semi–live semi–studio etc, as evidenced by its title. 
Totally ramshackle and great fun, and interesting to Fall historians, 
showing 
works in progress and snatches of songs wot might have been. The closing 
‘Boxoctosis Alarum’ is hilarious – a live version of ‘Open The Box’ with a 
fire 
alarm going off in the middle of it! What other group would even dare to 
think 
about releasing something like that?

FALL HEADS ROLL (2005) Marred 
by one too many superfluous tracks near the end, and an inferior version 
of the 
titanic ‘Blindness’ (the definitive version is the Peel session) this is 
nonetheless a solid if not very imaginative chunk of Fall. Real New Fall 
just 
shades it, I reckon, by having no duff tracks and more variety. Still, 
this is 
great stuff, its strong point being the back-to-basic riffery of most of 
the 
tracks. And the opening ‘Ride Away’ is hilarious!
 
REFORMATION POST TLC (2007) 
This album is The Fall of 
Spectre Vs. Rector, The Fall of Grotesque, The Fall of Noel’s Chemical 
Effluence, of Zagreb, of Perverted By Language, of Bend 
Sinister: The Fall I love, with nooks 
and crannies and experimental weirdness. And it’s funny - great Fall 
always is, 
something many forget. Highlights - the rousing Fall Sound and the 
8-minute 
Systematic Abuse, one of their best riffs ever. Das Boot, ten minutes of 
experimental weirdness, has annoyed some fans, but, for flip’s sake, this 
is THE 
FALL, the band who did Papal Visit and Mollusc In Tyrol! YAY Das Boot, I 
say!
 
IMPERIAL WAX 
SOLVENT (2008) 
Bloody brilliant, in the 
same vein as Reformation, but tighter and more focused. If not the best, 
certainly one of the most entertaining Fall albums. I’d say it’s their 
best 
since Levitate, but if you get into that game, you’re on shaky ground. I 
listened to Are You Are Missing Winner? recently and was blown away, what 
an 
album! And listening to this immediately after, it did sound a tad 
processed, a 
bit too clean and digital. But taken on its own, this is a fantastic Fall 
album; 
50 Year Old Man is the clear highlight, and a Fall classic; its bullish, 
beetling attitude can be traced directly back to Psycho Mafia. Mark E 
Smith’s 
media profile has never been higher, but one listen to this album affirms 
that 
his prime concern is The Fall group. 
 
TO BE 
CONTINUED-AH!
 
NW2

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: 
  Nick 
  Walters 
  To: A Discussion list for The Blue 
  Aeroplanes 
  Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:01 
  AM
  Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Acceptability 
  of recommendations?
  

  I pity thee.
  
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: 
    Paul Vearncombe 
    To: Blueplanes 
    Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2009 8:30 
    PM
    Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Acceptability 
    of recommendations?
    
That's good advice.
 
Nobody get him 
    started.
 
PV2
 

    
    From: nickw@bl...co.uk
To: blueplanes@bl...org
Date: 
    Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:59:17 +0100
Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Acceptability 
    of recommendations?


    

    

    

    Don't get me started.
     
    
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: 
      'Caroline Kitchen' 
      To: 'A Discussion list for The 
      Blue Aeroplanes' 
      Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2009 12:22 
      AM
      Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] 
      Acceptability of recommendations?
      

      
      Only because Nick 
      Walters hasn’t replied to this yet!
       
      
      
      
      
      From: blueplanes-bounces@bl...org 
      [mailto:blueplanes-bounces@bl...org] On Behalf Of Nigel 
      Mackerras
Sent: 20 June 
      2009 18:05
To: blueplanes 
      mailinglist
Subject: Re: 
      [BluePlanes] Acceptability of recommendations?
       
      How come no-one's mentioned 
      the F-word so far? Great lyricist - more line up changes that you 
can 
      shake a stick at - brilliant yet never found that commercial success 
      which they deserve... 
 
The 
      Fall
 

 
      
      
      
      From: tfb@tf...org
To: 
      mk_409@ya...co.uk; blueplanes@bl...org
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 
      2009 13:34:38 +0100
Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Acceptability of 
      recommendations?

One of the few things I can be proud of, 
      musically, is that I've never liked them.  Disturbingly, not only 
did 
      I like terrible progressive rock (is there any other kind?) when I 
was 
      young, the existence of Spotify (have always been against just 
nicking 
      stuff in the fashionable modern way) has now forced me to realise 
that, oh 
      dear, I still do like some of it, 30 years later.  Clearly I am 
      doomed. 
      
      
       
      
      
      On 20 Jun 2009, at 09:11, 
      Mark wrote:
      
         
        
        
        
        I can't believe no-one has backed me up on 
        liking Status Quo!

And to think 'Paper Plane' has been covered by 
        GL as well :)
        
         
        
        
        
        
        From: Andy 
        Keulemans <keulemaa@lo...com>
To: A Discussion list for The 
        Blue Aeroplanes <blueplanes@bl...org>
Sent: Friday, 19 June, 2009 
        22:20:01
Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] 
        Acceptability of recommendations?

The 
        Brilliant Corners

-----Original Message-----
From: blueplanes-bounces@bl...org
[mailto:blueplanes-bounces@bl...org] 
        On Behalf Of Eyvind Dahl
Sent: 18 June 2009 19:12
To: A Discussion 
        list for The Blue Aeroplanes
Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Acceptability 
        of recommendations?


The Church
Robyn 
        Hitchcock
Triffids
Go - Betweens
House Of 
        Love
Eels
Bonnie Prince Billy
Tindersticks
Walkabouts
16 
        Horsepower
Woven Hand
Richmond Fontaine


    
          Eyvind

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Bradshaw" 
        <tfb@tf...org>
To: "A 
        Discussion list for The Blue Aeroplanes" 
<blueplanes@bl...org>
Sent: 
        Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:25 PM
Subject: [BluePlanes] Acceptability 
        of recommendations?


> Is it acceptable to mention other 
        bands which people might like?  I'd
> be interested in 
        knowing about bands that people who like the Blue
> Aeroplanes 
        like, anyway (kind of like a steam version of what last.fm
> tries 
        to do but fails at).
>
> Anyway, having seen them recently 
        I'd recommend Joe Gideon and the
> Shark, especially if you can 
        see them live, though the record is very
> good 
        too.
>
> --tim
>
>
> 
        _______________________________________________
> The Blue 
        Aeroplanes mailing list
> BluePlanes@bl...org
> http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/
>
>
> 


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