The Fall - Album by Album by Single by Cassette thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Jim B., Dec 10, 2015.

  1. entropyfan

    entropyfan Forum Resident

    I still have the leaked version on a CDR. That's still how I hear these songs in my head.

    IMO, easily the Fall's best album of this century, with "Blindness" (coming soon) being their best song of this century.
     
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  2. Leepal

    Leepal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Swindon, UK
    TRNFLP is probably my favourite Fall album, a late period classic. I did hear the original leaked version years back and thought the released version was way better. Maybe I was just used to hearing the official version.
     
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  3. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    My first introduction to The Real New Fall was the 'Sparta F.C.' single, which I bought out of dull loyalty, but was shocked and delighted to find was a stone cold Fall classic. I'm actually surprised it didn't come out before the LP. As such, this was the first Fall album I was actively interested in hearing for a long while. Like Jim, I can't think of any particular stand-out tracks (apart from the single), but I suspect that's more because it's startlingly consistent - something that even some of the finest Fall albums can't claim!
     
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  4. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

    "Green-Eyed Loco Man" is a fave of mine. Crazy lyrics. I like the version on "Interim" too. I liked the (I think) Fibbers Club in York where MES says (or something along these lines) "When was the last time we were here? 12AD?". Priceless.
     
  5. RTW

    RTW Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    I don't think it should be understated that this album fell completely in line with both the post-punk revival and the garage rock revival that happened in the early 2000s and that, suddenly in Brooklyn and elsewhere, the Fall became a hipster name to drop. You can put most of the songs from this record alongside the Strokes/Stripes/Hives/Vines and they sound both relevant and revered. Wire and Gang of Four were both reactivated around this time and became elder statesmen themselves.

    I saw the Fall here in Chicago at the Empty Bottle after COTC was pulled from release but before the revamped version was commercially released; it was a wide-ranging audience that wasn't merely full of old Fall fans the way they might have been just a few years prior. TV on the Radio opened up - they were unsigned and without an album.
     
  6. jimod99

    jimod99 Daddy or chips?

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON
    popping in to hijack the thread, this years RSD cash grab appears to be....

    Fall, The – Live in Clitheroe 2013 [LP] (180 Gram Orange Vinyl, limited, indie-retail exclusive)
     
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  7. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    That's the release the fans have been calling for!
     
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  8. RomanZ

    RomanZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warsaw
    If you like TRNFLP, you really should hear the original Country On The Click leaked mix (I would've posted a link but I'm not sure if forum rules allow it). It is, in my opinion, much closer to the definitive version of the album than both officially released editions. The sequencing is better (Sparta followed by Protein Protection is a perfect way to start the album), and the mixes haven't been (unnecessary) messed around with yet - there was a good write-up on Wikipedia on all the differences between the leaked and released mixes, but it seems to have been removed. One of the reasons for remixing/re-recording which isn't often cited is that MES suddenly decided to fire Jim Watts - bassist/guitarist/keyboardist and the man behind most of the music on COTC - in some stupid paranoic fit, and decided to get rid of most of his contributions. As a result, songs like The Past and Mike's Love Xexagon appear to not have any bass at all on the album, which really doesn't make any sence. I hope we'll get some kind of deluxe 2CD reissue with both the original and remixed versions - there's been talk about Cherry Red having plans to do the same thing for Imperial Wax Solvent, so we'll see...
    All in all, this was a true return to form for The Fall, and their strongest release in at least 10 years (maybe even more). Definitely one of the few albums post-Extricate where even the filler is quite decent.
     
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  9. RomanZ

    RomanZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warsaw
    Also, isn't Dave Milner one of the most underrated Fall members? Wrote Mountain Energei and Last Commands of Xyralothep, two of the best songs on the album. A real shame he didn't last too long.
     
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  10. Pavol Stromcek

    Pavol Stromcek Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I don't have a whole lot to say about TRNFLP, but it's vastly superior to Missing Winner, though I actually think the Unutterable is a little better. Overall, it's a listenable album, with few clunkers. But it doesn't have a lot of major highlights either, in my opinion. I love "Janet, Johnny + James," but few other songs scream out to me as classics. But it's an energetic, well-played album, nonetheless, with a lineup that seemed to be finding its feet. I remember at the time the album felt like a comeback of sorts, because it was gaining The Fall renewed attention, and it was hyped up quite a bit by the indie music press, at least here in the US. Getting this album released in the US, albeit in a different form, definitely helped, but simply having any album that was more focused and cohesive than garbage like Missing Winner also helped.
     
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  11. entropyfan

    entropyfan Forum Resident

    Here's what was removed:

    ***
    Comparison between original and released UK versions

    Mike's Love Xexagon: This song underwent the most major changes, from what was a fairly normal bass/drums/guitar/keyboard arrangement to something more avant garde. The lyrics from the second verse onwards were rewritten, and the previously two-part chorus (featuring a solo lead vocal in the first and a group chorus-vocal in the second) was condensed to one, the two vocal parts now doing call-and-response. The bass was all but mixed out of this version, making for a more tribal sound.

    Boxoctosis: The new version was simplified, and what in the original was a basic four-chord preamble to the winding chorus riff, now supplanted the latter as the main riff of the song. The backing vocals also played a more prominent role.

    Mountain Energei: Whereas the original version had a very dense sound, with layered vocals in the chorus and shorter verses, the new version was very sparse, mainly driven by bass and drums with minimal interjection from guitar and keyboard. In the chorus, the backing vocal harmony from the old version becomes the solo lead-vocal in the new version. There were also some lyrical changes.

    Janet, Johnny + James: On the released version of the album, this song replaced the single A-side "Susan Vs. Youthclub" from the previous year. An earlier version had appeared as the B-side to that single, under the name "Janet Vs. Johnny." This version is a faster, more assured run through than the slower, more ethereal early version.

    Other songs were partially or completely rerecorded, whilst the material remained essentially the same:

    Green Eyed Loco-Man: The vocals were rerecorded in a manner closer to the Peel version, the group vocals were removed from the chorus, and the keyboards were lowered in the mix.

    Theme From Sparta F.C.: Rerecorded from scratch, this version was faster and more guitar centred. The keyboard arrangements were removed leaving a sparser sound, and parts of the bassline were changed.

    Contraflow: Another slightly faster version, with a sung section removed from the vocals, and most of the keyboards taken out.

    The Past: This was previously a fully fleshed out punk song featuring the whole band. The released version has bass and guitar removed, leaving only drums, keyboards and vocals. Additionally the vocals are rerecorded and the original lyrical hook ('Only humans carry their past around') is now just a one-off aside.

    Recovery Kit: Layered vocals are removed, the keyboards are less to the forefront and the lyrics are altered. The phrase 'Oh father', which originally played a key role, is absent here.

    Houston: The intro is excised and replaced with "Loop 41", which was commonly used as the group's intro tape for live performances.

    Last Commands of Xyralothep Via M.E.S.: Features additional nonsense words by Smith and Poulou during the intro, similar to those spoken on the Peel Session recording of "Grooving With Mr. Bloe."

    Only "Proteinprotection" remains unchanged. In addition to the noted changes, there also appear to be sarcastic references to the leaking of the album on the internet, most obviously in the new title, but also in various lyrical asides (The song "The Past" was incorrectly titled "The Fast" on the file-sharing networks. In the new version he sings 'Only humans carry their fast around, their past around'. "Mike's Love Xexagon" originally started with the line 'The room was a hexagon'. Fans speculated online that he could be referring to the hexagonal Maida Vale Studio 4 where bands – including the Fall – recorded for John Peel. The released version starts with 'Studio was a hexagon').

    ***

    I prefer the re-recorded Sparta FC and the newer version of Mike Love's Xexagon. For everything else, the leaked mix.
     
  12. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    01. Green Eyed Loco-Man (Smith/Watts) 3:47

    02. Mountain Energei (Smith/Milner) 3:22

    03. Theme From Sparta F.C. (Smith/Pritchard/Watts) 3:43

    04. Contraflow (Smith/Watts) 4:06

    05. Last Commands Of Xyralothep Via M.E.S. (Smith/Milner) 3:30

    06. Open The Boxoctosis #2 (Smith/Watts) 3:46

    07. Janet, Johnny + James (Pritchard/Smith) 4:15

    08. The Past #2 (Smith/Watts) 2:20

    09. Loop41 'Houston (Hazelwood) 3:28

    10. Mike's Love Xexagon (Smith/Watts) 4:59

    11. Proteinprotection (Smith/Watts/Milner/Pritchard) 3:19

    12. Recovery Kit (Smith/Pritchard) 3:58


    This album was brought to you by the letter X and the number 2!
     
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  13. hamicle

    hamicle Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dundee, Scotland
    There's a "Masquerade" 7" on the UK Record Store Day list with the PWL remix on the b-side. I assume an album reissue will follow?
     
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  14. gohill

    gohill Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow, UK
    Have only heard my nice original UK vinyl release of RNFLP and echo Jim's comments as to its' all round excellence. I like it so much I oddly have never felt any need to seek out the other 2 versions, although that original mix sounds rather interesting.

    A period of relative stability in his personal and professional life yielded impressive results. The facts that the basic songs are strong and realised means they can work in various mixes and styles. I love opener Green Eyed Loco Man. There are lots of little burbling electronic effects floating over the top of that guitar riff and MES really singing again. Mountain Energy has a great tribal beat and groove and once again MES is leading where he had been abdicating creative responsibility in the recent past. Sparta FC is a bit of a Fall classic. Taut, powerful and energized, everyone working together well under strong leadership. Lean and wired. Will have a couple more listens to this before more comment.
     
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  15. Mr. Odd

    Mr. Odd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    The Peel session for this album is wonderful, with an astounding modern version of "Mere Pseud Mag. Ed."

    My picks from this album are "Green Eyed Loco-Man", "Theme From Sparta FC #2" (it destroys the original version, the band chorus just slays me), Contraflow (unreleased CoTC version, much meatier), Open The Boxtoctosis #2, The Past (unreleased CoTC version, again more powerful than the officially released version), We Are Mod Mock Goth, and Proteinprotection.

    I find that as time goes by I have less patience for the experiments and tracks that otherwise don't grab me, but the best stuff lives in my head forever. Having said that, I'm the first to admit that The Fall requires frequent revisitation since what didn't grab me 10 years ago may very well be a favorite the next time I hear it.
     
  16. RTW

    RTW Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    I have the UK version on CD and the US version on vinyl. I've heard the original version but can't remember it making much impact...

    I always thought the "hexagon" were the Beach Boys themselves, the six old men, including the "triplets." Those six could be Mike, Bruce, and Al on one side and Carl/Brian/Dennis on the other. It's a great song, good song, structure, energy, and meaning all in one place.

    This album is obviously a high point of the later era Fall and I understand the love for it. I think it proved without question that the Fall could continue without Hanley/Scanlon/Burns etc. and still hit similar heights. At the same time, though, as someone said above it does seem like a turn back toward the "conventional" Fall sound, a sort of manifestation of the ideas put forth on AYAMW... "We are the new Fall..." indeed.

    Re: the changes, I also like the new "Sparta," love "Mod Mock Goth," and have no issue with "Portugal" as I think it's a rollicking and amusing album cut.

    "Portugal," for those who might not know, was only previously available as a *file* on the enhanced CD single for "Sparta." It wasn't playable as a CD track, but you could easily extract it and place it in your iTunes library.
     
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  17. Poison_Flour

    Poison_Flour Forum Resident

    The New Real Fall Lp is responsible for turning me into a Fall nut shall we say I remember someone playing me the album and being gobsmacked - I owned a few albums before this came out and enjoyed them a lot but I think I just thought the band had dispapered ..... every book cd lp I could find I purchased after the albums release ( and flying across the world to see them ) I can't really say much else about the album that hadn't already said - Brilliant -
     
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  18. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    [​IMG]

    Rebellious Jukebox

    Released November 2003 on Shakedown Records (2CD + DVD)

    01. Frightened 4:58
    02. Rebellious Jukebox 2:51
    03. Underground Medicine 2:04
    04. Before The Moon 4:32
    05. Your Heart Out 3:07
    06. Muzoweri's Daughter 3:42
    07. Flat Of Angles 4:54
    08. Spectre Vs Rector 7:56
    09. The Classical 5:15
    10. Jawbone And The Air Rifle 3:42
    11. Hip Priest 7:44
    12. Winter 4:24
    13. Who Makes The Nazis? 4:27
    14. Hard Life In The Country 6:00
    15. Solicitor In Studio 5:20
    16. Prole Art Threat 1:56
    17. Totally Wired 3:23
    18. Pay Your Rates 2:37
    19. An Old Lover 4:27
    20. Kicker Conspiracy 4:13
    21. Sing Harpy! 5:22
    22. Bill Is Dead 4:31
    23. Black Monk Theme 1 4:32
    24. Black Monk Theme 2 1:59
    25. And Therein 2:52
    26. Extricate 3:45
    27. The Bourgeous Town 3:40
    28. Gotta See Jane 2:22
    29. Ibis-Afro Man 9:31
    30. The Acute 3:20

    DVD:
    31. Mark E Smith Interview 43:00


    This one is largely indefensible. I guess it’s worth it if you want a 43 minute interview with MES from 2002, which is what the DVD is.

    It’s a very odd collection of tracks, the first 20 are pre Beggars tracks, mostly album tracks, then 6 tracks from Extricate and 4 from Are You Are Missing Winner, which makes no sense in any way.
     
  19. jimod99

    jimod99 Daddy or chips?

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON
    A perfect summing up of 90% of all Fall compilations and dodgy releases, which in a funny way is part of why we luv 'em so much!!!

    Now where is that "Me and yer granny on Bongos" RSD release on Ozit??
     
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  20. Tonmeister

    Tonmeister Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Very pensive looking MES on the cover...
     
  21. RTW

    RTW Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    Except these are the eras that had been issued or reissued by Voiceprint over the last few years. This is as third-rate as it gets, even more exploitative than all those Receiver comps which at least had outtakes and live tracks. Did anyone buy it? Curious which set of masters these are...
     
  22. hamicle

    hamicle Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dundee, Scotland
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  23. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    He's just seen the tracklist.
     
  24. Poison_Flour

    Poison_Flour Forum Resident

    Still time for this year lol
     
  25. Poison_Flour

    Poison_Flour Forum Resident

    I have considered it because of the interview but am sure one day it will turn up on youtube
     

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