Chosen By: Paul
Released: 27 October 2003
Comments -
Dean: He moves through the cultural landscape cherry picking inspirational events from history, from fiction, from current events and pretty much each and every selection is turned into a bonbon
Pointless engaging my cynicism or my critical nuance for my admiration is too strong and fades into petty contrariness when standing before such virtuose aplomb
Mountain Energei, Janet, Johnny + James, Recovery Kit the best of a rich seam of musical delights and if I were able I'd sneak some of those gems out in my anal canal with riches enough to spare
Happily The Fall existed in my lifetime and unhappily, and I assume unlike you Paul, I was never able to see them in their unpredictable and notorious, non-conforming beauty of which I can offer no Abwehr
That's called a clerihew apparently. I was always hooked 🌟
Paul: It might surprise you to know that in the early 2000s I was struggling with the Fall. Although I have more affection for them now, at the time I thought their albums since the mid-90s had been patchy at best, I thought I'd give them one more chance. Then this happened. I think The Real New Fall LP would be in my top half-dozen of theirs.
If you have anyone who asks 'what should I listen to first if I want to get into The Fall' this wouldn't be a bad place to start. It's marvellous and I think it's the variety that sets it apart. The synths in 'Green Eyed Loco Man', the drum-driven 'Mountain Energei', the screaming guitars of 'Contraflow', the mad one-fingered keyboard of 'The Past #2'... Similarly, anyone who dismisses MES as just having a 'shouty drunk' vocal style should be made to listen to his range on this record. (But if you are missing a Smith rant then there's always 'Proteinprotection' for you.)
(I wrote much more about it here as part of my blog about The Fall, Vanity and Presumption)
It's the starriest of 🌟 for me but it possibly isn't even their best album of the decade. That's lined up for my 26th choice!
Ben: Well I gave it a good go but The Fall still haven’t grabbed me. I enjoyed GELM, Sparta especially and Open the box. But the discordant stuff, squealing guitars, off beat drums etc dont do it for me - I find it interesting but not enjoyable. The double of Houston followed by Mikes love xexagon was a low point. The other tracks were fine but it’s not an album that I’m drawn back to.
Stu: SPARTA FC is by far and away my favourite! The rest of it does nothing to my ears, my heart, my brain, my soul! I’ve tried mind you, this is my third listen! I kept leaving it to try and make the heart grow fonder! I have failed! Of course, this is but a tiny snippet of the FALL! I like some tracks from over the years, but sadly only 1 from here!! The SPARTA early version is my favourite!!! Sadly this LP scores very low on my LP scale!! Part of me is happy, I had considered my record collection somewhat lessened by the lack of the complete FALL catalog! I can now buy more JANGLE POP ❤️❤️❤️❤️
It rumbles, it clatters, it bangs, it rips, it scrapes, it yelps, it sneers, it wails, it has lots going on BUT nothing grabs me by the balls!! UNDERWHELMED
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