The Fall - Album by Album by Single by Cassette thread

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

  1. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    [​IMG]

    The Idiot Joy Show

    Released July 2003 on Alchemy/Burning Airlines (double CD)

    01. Idiot Joy Showland (Hanley, S/Smith) 3:33
    02. The Chiselers (Smith/Burns/Hanley, S/Wolstencroft/Nagle) 7:20
    03. M5 (Smith/Bush/Wolstencroft) 4:57
    04. Feeling Numb (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 3:16
    05. Edinburgh Man (Scanlon/Smith) 4:47
    06. Don't Call Me Darling (Smith, ME/Scanlon) 3:57
    07. Stay Away (Paycheck) 3:21
    08. Behind The Counter (Smith/Burns) 4:06
    09. Glam Racket (Hanley, S/Scanlon/Smith) 3:50
    10. The Coliseum (Smith, ME/Spencer) 5:19
    11. Intro. (-) 1:46
    12. Pearl City (Smith, ME/Burns/Bennett) 3:28
    13. 15 Ways (Smith/Scanlon/Hanley, S) 3:47
    14. Das Vulture Ans Ein Nutter-Wain (Smith, ME/Hanley, S) 2:51
    15. Spinetrack (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 2:38
    16. The Mixer (Scanlon/Smith/Wolstencroft) 4:06
    17. Cheetham Hill (Smith, ME/Wolstencroft/Bennett) 3:29
    18. Powder Keg (Smith, ME/Burns) 3:21
    19. Hey Pep! (Smith, ME/Wolstencroft) 3:21
    20. Chilinism (Smith/Burns/Hanley, S/Wolstencroft/Nagle/Bennett) 3:22
    21. L.A. (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 2:46

    Mark E Smith - vocals
    Craig Scanlon - guitar (tracks 1-10)
    Brix Smith - guitar, vocals
    Steve Hanley - bass
    Simon Wolstencroft - drums
    Karl Burns - drums
    Julia Nagle - keyboards

    Live recordings from 1995/96:

    1-10 - The Junction, Cambridge 24 October 1995

    11, 13-19 & 21 - The Roskilde Festival, Denmark 30 June 1996

    12 & 20 The Phoenix Festival, UK 21 July 1996.


    I don’t know how this label acquired the rights to this but it’s nothing to get excited about. From what I have read it is far from essential and the second disc is a mess. Only for the most hardcore fans I think. The picture above is from a more recent vinyl reissue of it.
     
  2. Leepal

    Leepal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Swindon, UK
    I have this Idiot Joy Showland live comp, haven't listened to it in a while though (as with a lot of these types of CDs), can't remember that much about it tbh, think I'll listen to in the car tomorrow.
     
    Jim B. likes this.
  3. RTW

    RTW Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    Actually this one was split into two separate releases on vinyl: the other part of it is titled Pearl City.

    It's not a great release and there are 2 or 3 other official releases covering this band lineup at festivals in 1995-96 but it's a great lineup before the big bust-up and I don't mind having it well documented.
     
  4. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    Mark E. Smith could draw inspiration from any prosaic source. I used to think that 'Guest Informant' was an evocative paranoid coinage until I was travelling around the US on a business trip and realised that's what a lot of hotels called their "hotel information" folder / pamphlet. No doubt Mark E. Smith picked that linguistic nugget up on one of their US tours.

    On the same trip I was staying in a huge old hotel in a big city and there was a mass-produced 'print' on the wall artily combining a number of local tourist attractions. It was called 'Chicago Now' and I realised with a grin that The Fall must have stayed in this very hotel, or one much like it.

    And through the magic of the internet, I can show you a cr*ppy picture of it!
    [​IMG]
     
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  5. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    [​IMG]

    Live At The Phoenix Festival

    Released September 2003 on Strange Fruit (CD only)

    01. Pearl City (Smith, ME/Burns/Bennett) 3:25
    02. Behind The Counter (Smith/Burns) 3:59
    03. Free Range (Smith/Wolstencroft) 4:22
    04. Don't Call Me Darling (Smith, ME/Scanlon) 3:25
    05. Chilinist (Smith/Burns/Hanley, S/Wolstencroft/Nagle/Bennett) 2:50
    06. Feeling Numb (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 2:46
    07. Idiot Joy (Hanley, S/Smith) 3:23
    08. Edinburgh Man (Scanlon/Smith) 4:22
    09. Glam Racket (Hanley, S/Scanlon/Smith) 3:29
    10. He Pep! (Smith, ME/Wolstencroft) 3:12
    11. US 80's-90's (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 3:35
    12. 15 Ways (Smith/Scanlon/Hanley, S) 2:35
    13. Powder Keg (Smith, ME/Burns) 3:37

    Mark E Smith - vocals
    Craig Scanlon - guitar (tracks 1-9)
    Brix Smith - guitar, vocals
    Steve Hanley - bass
    Simon Wolstencroft - drums
    Karl Burns - drums
    Julia Nagle – keyboards

    This CD compiles two sets, tracks 1 to 9 are from 1995 and the rest from 1996. Released on Strange Fruit as I believe the BBC broadcast these gigs originally. There were three further tracks broadcast from 1996 but they had been included on The Idiot Joy Show so were left off this release to avoid duplication.

    A second CD of live material from 95/96 in a row, this is supposed to be the better of the two. At least the BBC label brings some mark of quality with it.
     
  6. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

    [​IMG]
     
    Jim B. likes this.
  7. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    The fact that that's one of the cheap Receiver comps is even funnier.
     
  8. gohill

    gohill Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow, UK
    I bought this purely for the comedy value of a Fall DVD-A existing. Even more bizzare is the choice of album.

    How much more of this garbage before we get to Country On The Click?
     
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  9. Willowman

    Willowman Senior Member

    Location:
    London, UK
    Saw a copy of the new 'Grotesque' CD today. No bonus tracks whatsoever. Seems odd!
     
  10. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    Well, I didn't even know that existed, and I'm actually faintly interested in it, since it should at least be well-recorded. Chalk one more up to the completist approach!
     
    Jim B. likes this.
  11. RomanZ

    RomanZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warsaw
    One of the better live documents from that period (it's weird that only 4 tracks from the '96 set are included, though), and with a very good sound too. Free Range is a particularly ferocius version.
     
  12. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    Very soon now!
     
  13. Mayor Of Filey

    Mayor Of Filey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leeds, UK
    Fantastic job. Glad you're including everything. Looking forward to Reformation onwards as that's when they tailed off for me. Never really clicked with the group post Pritchard but kept buying records and seeing them live up until last year. That said, more or less the current band on 29 November 2008 at Holmfirth Picturedrome was one of the best shows I've ever seen - by anybody.
     
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  14. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    [​IMG]


    The War Against Intelligence - The Fontana Years

    Released October 2003 on Universal Music (CD only)

    01. Telephone Thing 4:11
    02. The War Against Intelligence 3:16
    03. Free Range (single mix) 4:19
    04. The Littlest Rebel 3:35
    05. High Tension Line 3:46
    06. Popcorn Double Feature 3:41
    07. The Book of Lies 2:58
    08. Hilary 2:27
    09. Shiftwork 4:37
    10. Blood Outta Stone 3:28
    11. Immortality 4:32
    12. Ed's Babe 3:16
    13. Gentlemen's Agreement 4:33
    14. Bill Is Dead 4:32
    15. Time Enough At Last 3:46
    16. You Haven't Found It Yet 3:38
    17. The Mixer 4:08
    18. White Lightning 2:14


    All tracks previously issued on the Fontana singles and albums. Remastered from the original master tapes, so sound is good. A decent intro to the period for new fans I guess.
     
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  15. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

    The fact I actually bought it is funnier still.
     
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  16. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

    Well worth getting this compilation. Quite a few of my "pop" favourites are on this.
     
  17. Hotel@mnesia

    Hotel@mnesia Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    No arguing with the music, but I dislike how the photo is from a later era than the music. I also dislike how even on a decent roughly contemporaneous release like the BBC Peel Sessions, the pages of available CDs at the end is out of sequence. It's like a deliberate chaos, making it impossible to keep any logical track. Up to 1995, the Fall's output / progression seemed as logical and easy to trace as, say, the Velvet Underground (with a larger output).
     
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  18. RTW

    RTW Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    It's a place to get "Ed's Babe" and "Blood Outta Stone" as these aren't on the CDs of the proper albums from this time, even though they've since been compiled in better places.
     
  19. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    It would be hilarious to make a compilation/ live release up complete with fake artwork. I bet nobody would notice it:righton:
     
  20. Spruce

    Spruce Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brigg, England
    Was it on the turning point label?
     
  21. Spruce

    Spruce Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brigg, England
    Forget that, the turning point release was on vinyl.
     
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  22. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    No one has spotted the 10 fake albums I have already listed. In fact someone even said they had one of them ;)
     
  23. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]

    The Real New Fall LP Formerly 'Country On The Click'

    Released October 2003 on Action Records (CD and LP)

    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




    Mark E Smith - vocals
    Ben Pritchard - guitar, vocals
    Jim Watts - bass, guitar, computers
    Dave Milner - drums, vocals, keyboards
    Elena Poulou - keyboards, vocals
    With:
    S Beswick - keyboards (track 12)
    "The Plouty" - organ, text (track 11)
    Simon "Ding" Archer - bass (track 1)

    Produced by: Grant "Showbiz" Cunliffe and Mark E Smith

    Released in the USA June 2004 on Narnack Records, some 8 months after the UK release, with a different sleeve, tracklisting, track order, track titles and in some cases different version as follows:


    01. Green Eyed (Smith/Watts) 3:46
    02. Mountain (Smith/Milner) 3:22
    03. Sparta 2# (Smith/Watts/Pritchard) 3:49
    04. Contraflow (Smith/Watts) 4:05
    05. Xralothep (Smith/Milner) 3:20
    06. Janet Vs Johnny (Pritchard/Smith) 4:15
    07. Boxoctosis (Smith/Watts) 3:45
    08. The Past (Smith/Watts) 2:19
    09. Mad Mock Goth (Smith/Poulou) 4:12
    10. Protein Protection (Smith/Watts/Milner/Pritchard) 3:17
    11. Mike's Love Hexagon (Smith/Watts) 4:59
    12. 41 Loop/Houston (Hazelwood) 3:28
    13. Portugal (Smith) 3:37
    14. Recovery Kit 2# (Smith/Pritchard) 4:03

    Released on CD and then vinyl a month later. The vinyl was reissued I think last year for RSD. The US CD I have had a sticker which said ‘First US release in six years’.

    The US version has two extra tracks, tracks 9 and 13, which were UK B-sides and tracks 3 and 14 are the versions from the UK singles rather than the UK album versions.



    There are essentially three versions of this album. The first version was leaked on the internet before release and was going to be called just ‘Country on the Click’ and released earlier in the year. Following the leak the album was put on hold and was partially re-recorded and remixed and the title changed and then released in the UK, and then you have the US version with the difference above.



    Nearly three years after the great Unutterable the Fall were back with another great album that hopefully wiped away the memory of the (mostly) poor material in-between. The nucleus of MES/Elena and Ben, aided superbly on this record by Jim and Dave, had found their feet after some time together and this ‘version’ of the band (with some changes) would find a new fanbase with this album and the next, and certainly in the UK it was something of a rebirth with things like appearing on Jools Holland and a major BBC documentary, MES reading the football results on the BBC etc.

    For a while I think the Fall were back to full power and embraced by fans and critics alike. The gigs I went to were no longer packed with ‘the league of bald-headed men’ but many young people of both sexes. It’s kind of that time when, if you stick around long enough, and produce decent material, you get ‘elder statesman’ status bestowed on you. Like Weller, who couldn’t get arrested towards the end of the Style Council, who was now very popular again.

    Like all the great post 80’s Fall albums TRNFLP looked back and forward at the same time. It’s a great Fall album and at the same time a great contemporary (for want of a better phrase) ‘Alternative rock’ album which could hold its own against any album released around this time.

    While I think it lacks a truly great track, say a Dr Buck’s Letter or a Ketamine Sun, the quality is very high from start to finish, making it one of the most consistently solid Fall albums released, every track is at least an 8/10 for me. Quite varied musically but holds together really well as an ‘album’.

    It’s a toss-up for me between the US and UK editions. On the plus side the UK edition (at last) keeps the running time down to make it a better, more concise album, the two extra B-sides added to the US edition are weaker tracks and don’t need to be on the album, however the US edition arguably has the better version of Sparta. I guess ultimately with these things it all depends on which version you got to know first so there is little point arguing which is the ‘better’ version. You can own both.

    Green Eyed Loco-Man is a great opener in typical Fall album opener tradition and then we are in to the lovely Mountain Energei which appears to have MES in pastoral mood, simple but very effective and very catchy.

    Sparta is the most famous track on the album, thanks to the BBC using it for their flagship football show on Saturday afternoons, which in turn led to MES reading the football scores:



    Contraflow is a great guitar driven track, MES no longer in pastoral mood and Xralothep is another highlight, MES really on top form vocally here, gone is that lazy, drunken delivery. Boxoctosis more of a straight ahead rocker.

    Janet, Johnny and James has an unusual mid 70’s MOR feel but is very nice. The Past is a great fun song and Houston is a cover that actually works well instead of just sounding like a throwaway karaoke track like previous covers had.

    Whereas even the best Fall albums seemed to tail off towards the end this one actually finishes in superb fashion with no dip in quality.

    Mike’s Love Xexagon is maybe my favourite track, musically very interesting and a great MES vocal, classic Fall. Proteinprotection is brilliant as well, really powerful and Recovery Kit ends the UK album in great style.

    I think I would rate this 8.5 /10. It’s a really good album, every track is quality, MES sounds sober and interesting and musically there is lots to enjoy and surprise. Definitely at the time it was hailed as a real return to form and an album that I think brought many old fans back on board who had lost their way. I can really find any fault at all.
     
  24. andres lira

    andres lira Forum Resident

    Location:
    lima, peru
    The UK version is way better, all killer, no filler. Hands down my favourite Fall record.
     
    gohill likes this.
  25. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Location:
    los angeles
    I have this one believe it or not. VERY strange 5.1 mixes, but I do play it from time to time.
     
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