The Fall

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Shinesalight
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The Fall

Post by Shinesalight »

Was watching the repeat of BBC4's Fall documentary late on BBC2 last night. As much as I hate to agree with Anthony H Wilson, he really hit the nail on the head when he said he was unsure if he liked their music but he knew for definate that he liked the Fall. This pretty much sums up my feelings for the band too.

The doc was really entertaining and Mark E Smith is clearly quite a character (genius?). Great to see John Peel clearly enjoying them so much. As I do not own a single Fall album, where would be a good place to start? Something a least a little melodious first please (if thats possible!). I really liked the song they did on Snub TV and remembered liking that when it was aired originally (something about Dynasty/crows feat under my eyes/these are the finest times of my life?).
anorthernsoul
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Post by anorthernsoul »

i'd jump in and get hex enduction hour. this nation's saving grace is pretty hits-packed, too, i think, so pick one. hex is great, as are the singles from around the same period.
Fuzzhead
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Post by Fuzzhead »

I'd agree with ANS there.

I know Best Ofs have been getting a bad name around here, but as an introduction to The Falls more 'melodic' stuff, you really can't beat this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/000-Fall-Fans-C ... 36?ie=UTF8
Edukator
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Post by Edukator »

I saw the Fall live for the first time this summer at the Leeds Festival and I have to say they were definetely one of the highlights. During one of the songs Mark E. Smith started singing bits of Can over the top! They played 'Smile' and, like it said in the documentary, some of the newer stuff is fantastic.
Come on now people, come on and slide with me
JPB
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Post by JPB »

Extricate is quite easy to get into.
ghetto_defendant
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Post by ghetto_defendant »

The Frenz Experiment is good, if not a little 'poppy'
jamesj1986
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Post by jamesj1986 »

Edukator wrote:I saw the Fall live for the first time this summer at the Leeds Festival and I have to say they were definetely one of the highlights. During one of the songs Mark E. Smith started singing bits of Can over the top! They played 'Smile' and, like it said in the documentary, some of the newer stuff is fantastic.
I was there too, and they were fucking good.

As for album to get, I'd recommend Hex Enduction Hour, Fall Heads Roll (the new one), and Totally Wired.
mark
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Post by mark »

The fall are amazing, an early intro is 'a sides', 'b sides' ain t bad either. Then you just take your pick with studio lps - frenz, shiftwork etc etc
he's really on it at the minute aswell live
Shinesalight
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Post by Shinesalight »

Bought the "50,000 Fall fans can't be wrong" CD yesterday. Yes I know its a compilation before anyone has a pop!! Some good stuff on there but can't find that song I mentioned in my original post. You know the Dynasty/crows feat under my eyes/finest time of my life song which they did on Snub TV years ago. Does anyone know the name of this song and which album its on? Would really like to get my hands on it.
duppyconquerer
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Re: The Fall

Post by duppyconquerer »

Ads wrote: Great to see John Peel clearly enjoying them so much. As I do not own a single Fall album, where would be a good place to start? Something a least a little melodious first please (if thats possible!). I really liked the song they did on Snub TV and remembered liking that when it was aired originally (something about Dynasty/crows feat under my eyes/these are the finest times of my life?).

That song is 'Bill Is Dead' from 1990's 'Extricate' LP, and came number one in John Peel's Festive 50 that year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksO6rszA ... ed&search=

(isn't youtube great!)

The 'classic' Fall albums are probably 'Hex Enduction Hour', and 'This Nations Saving Grace'...but there are loads of other great ones...

'I Am Kurious Oranj' anyone?

I suppose a good place to start (and if you were to only own one thing) is The Peel Sessions boxset. A comprehensive alternative history of them.

However, that doesn't contain the incredible song 'Two Librans' - which is one of their best...

but it does contain 'The Man Whose Head Expanded'
"I may flake out tonight if I cannot get my way"
will this do?
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Re: The Fall

Post by will this do? »

Ads wrote:As much as I hate to agree with Anthony H Wilson, he really hit the nail on the head when he said he was unsure if he liked their music but he knew for definate that he liked the Fall.
That's Tony Wilson's job, as far as I can see (Malcolm Maclaren's, too): They're both arseholes, to be sure - but they're clever, erudite, perceptive arseholes, who if you can get past the fact that they're arseholes, are actually oddly likeable (as far as it's possible to judge someone you've only ever 'met' on the telly).

Meanwhile, Mark E Smith reads the classified football results here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHQcoPUEskA (watch to the end)... it HAD to be the week the mighty Southampton Town FC (sic) lost to Leeds after being 3-0 up was it?. :oops:
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highwalkin' fastlivin' evergivin' self aggrandizin' willthisdo?
anorthernsoul
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Post by anorthernsoul »

there's a new spiritualized song that sounds like the fall. they played it at the sage and i think you can kind of hear a mangled version of it on that little trailer that was on the site a while ago. i get them mixed up, but it's one of those two-word ones, like total exposure or totally wired. it was on a car advert.

when i was about thirteen i asked mark e smith, crumpled up and drunken, in a heap on a bridge, if he was alright. fact.
will this do?
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Post by will this do? »

anorthernsoul wrote:when i was about thirteen i asked mark e smith, crumpled up and drunken, in a heap on a bridge, if he was alright. fact.
And? Was he???
Edukator
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Post by Edukator »

Hey jamesj1986 - here's the Fall at Leeds Fest. T'was good indeed.

Theme From Sparta FC/What About Us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSZhkkkg ... ed&search=
Come on now people, come on and slide with me
anorthernsoul
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Post by anorthernsoul »

And? Was he???
nuh uh.
he's still alive now though.
Shinesalight
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Post by Shinesalight »

How come "Bill is dead" isn't on that best of CD then? Was it a single or just an album track which they decided to do on Snub? Its a great song isn't it?
helm
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Post by helm »

bill is dead is on the compilation thing that stewart lee did. i think it collects together songs from the band's stay on fontana records, but i could be wrong. i really like fall heads roll, i was listening to blindness this afternoon as i sat out and watched the world go by. great documentary, too. i seem to remember it's got a bit of lard in there, hasn't it, recounting his days under mark e smith. nice.
jamesj1986
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Post by jamesj1986 »

anorthernsoul wrote:
And? Was he???
nuh uh.
he's still alive now though.
I'm pretty sure he doesn't have real hair or teeth though.
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