BCB 130 - The Fall

[SlangKing]

I came to them very late: 1999 - 2000. I was working my way towards the middle of indie history, having started with VU and Pavement a few years earlier. I'd heard a lot about them without ever hearing them when I came across a used copy of "Grotesque".

At the risk of gushing: hearing that album for the first time was iconic. A few times in life, you have the sensation of hearing music that makes so much sense you know you've been waiting your whole life to hear it, but you just weren't aware that it existed until that moment. That was "The NWRA" for me and I was hooked.

I explored their back catalog while I gobbled up something of a Renaissance for them with "The Unutterable". I started posting on Mojo at the peak of my fandom, ergo my screen name.

I got to see them twice: one in 2002 or so at the Knitting Factory in NYC and again in 2005 with Nathan in Minneapolis. Both were damn good shows if not quite as schizo as the legends would have you believe.

I don't listen to them as often these days, but there is magic in them.

Favorite album: "This Nation's Saving Grace"

Favorite song: "No Bulbs"

Most underrated album: I'll go with "The Unutterable" which holds its own with any of the peak 70s- 80s output.

[nathan]

I got to see them twice: one in 2002 or so at the Knitting Factory in NYC and again in 2005 with Nathan in Minneapolis.

We were almost positive that Mark came back from a prolonged encore break with vomit on his shirt.

But SlangKing got me into the Fall, and I love to dip into their catalog from time to time. They represent something monolithic for me that is never supposed to be fully digested or regurgitated. I especially like all their myriad of semi-official live albums that sound like cold shit. They are so raw and exciting. I would much rather put on one of those things than their albums proper. That BBC Sessions set was also fucking insane. Mark is just a really great presence and force of nature. I hope he goes until he cacks.

[naughty boy]

He's on BBC6 music in an hour....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b052r0l5

[HarryIrene]

your favourite album? This Nations Saving Grace just shades it over Hex...
your favourite track? well it changes....today it's Bremen Nacht, maybe Kicker Conspiracy
have you seen them live? how were they? 27 times, astonishing to abysmal, more recently towards the latter, but sometimes still great.

[The Modernist]

How come quite a few posts on the first two pages are written in smaller font with a different typeface?

[ConnyOlivetti]

love them
been some time though, since I listen to any of their album
should be corrected in due time

[bye]

New album out soon.

And his missus has left the band, so another overhaul.

[naughty boy]

BKUMP

[Goat Boy]

I’ve been listening to everything (bar Room To Live) up to This Nations Saving Grace these last few weeks

I much prefer Dragnet to Witch Trials. Better atmosphere, more of the occult mystery I love about ‘em. I’m less keen on Grotesque which I think loses its way on the second side (it would be improved massively if the singles from around that time were included) and there’s something unappealing spindly about the performances and production too. I prefer the Fall when they have more of the thuggish heft that came after.

Slates is fantastic. Their best pre-Hex work. Rock solid, lots of hooks and more bottom end.

Hex is great. Obviously you never bother with And This Day but then you never bother with L.A. Blues do ya? I think this and Slates is where they take a leap forward. The first side especially is thrilling rock n roll. Really great. Did they ever better this?

Perverted is more of a mixed bag to me. Eat Y’self Fitter is one of those tedious Fall songs that just goes on way too long. Neighbourhood of Infinity and Garden are two of their best though. Smile and I Feel Voxish are good too. The extras on the cd edition (Man Whose Head, Kicker Conspiracy, Wings, Ludd Gang) are all great. Confusingly I’ve been listening to the extended cd version rather than the original tracklist which instead of putting the extra songs at the end as bonus tracks mixes them in with the original album. This Nations… does this as well for some reason so for years I assumed the likes of Vixen were part of the original album.

I like the impact Brix had. Things get poppier which naturally appeals to me. The Wonderful and Frightening…. is just really enjoyable from top to bottom even if the production is a bit bright.

I find This Nations Saving Grace a bit overrated. I’m not fussed about Barmy or What You Need. Side 2 is pretty great though and Bombast is one of my favourites. One of those utterly relentless Fall songs that benefits from its brevity.

I really like Bend Sinister too. I was reading an article in Record Collector yesterday where Brix criticises the mix of this album but it sounds good to me. I might actually prefer it to Nation. Lots of good garage grooves.

Some great singles and b sides too! Fiery Jack, I’m Into CB etc

Ranking them…

Hex Enduction Hour
Slates
The Wonderful and Frightening
This Nations..
Bend Sinister
Dragnet
Perverted
Witch Trials
Grotesque

[naughty boy]

Nice one, D! Why no Room To Live?

I agree with most of that - especially your reservations about Perverted... (and I could never stand 'Smile'). But I'd put Grotesque much higher. And yeah, Bend Sinister is fabulous. It's their last great LP. Or at least it marks the end of their golden age.

I still think This Nation's... is their best. If you hang on until near the end of 'Barmy' and 'What You Need' there are magical bits where things come slamming in and your spine gets 1000 volts. They were always very good at that.

(he did once say that his work was mostly about searching for the right word or phrase that would put a chill up the spine)

Have you heard the Peel Sessions box?

[Goat Boy]

Not got round to the Peel sessions. When I have a spare month and a darkened room to hole up in, eh?

I thought Room To Live was a live album! What's the best of the 100+ live albums?

I'll get round to post Bend Sinister too. The lass and her bro really love that early 90s period. They were young then so maybe that's understandable. I have listened to Extricate once but the Fall sonic dusk that you get on the early stuff doesn't appear to be there and that's partly where their magic resides (Dragnet and Slates is great for that)

[naughty boy]

I thought Room To Live was a live album!

It was released fairly quickly after Hex as the band were on fire (according to MES) - so it has a similar feel. It's just not as good. But you need to hear 'Joker Hysterical Face', 'Marquis Cha Cha' and 'Solicitor in Studio' (mimed here):

What's the best of the 100+ live albums?

My fave is The Legendary Chaos Tape (otherwise known as Live In London 1980). You should hear Totale's Turns, too - it's brutal. Most fans rate Fall In A Hole and A Part of America Therein highly. That's all early stuff.

The Twenty Seven Points from the 90s is excellent in places.

I'll get round to post Bend Sinister too. The lass and her bro really love that early 90s period. They were young then so maybe that's understandable. I have listened to Extricate once but the Fall sonic dusk that you get on the early stuff doesn't appear to be there and that's partly where their magic resides (Dragnet and Slates is great for that)

Yeah, they lost something at the end of the 80s. I played Extricate and Shiftwork almost constantly when I was at uni - loved them to bits at the time. They just don't do much for me today.

Dragnet was deliberately recorded badly (mono?), and Bend Sinister was mastered from a cassette!

http://www.stratabooks.co.uk/debut/bend ... -the-fall/

[Snarfyguy]

Dragnet was deliberately recorded badly (mono?)

I'll take its lo-fi, haunted house production values over the more conventional "Witch Trials" sound any day.

Bend Sinister was mastered from a cassette!

I believe it. I always wondered what was going on here from ~ 3:30 on (in addition to the musical track there's a bunch of random noise, drop-outs, etc., as though the tape had been partly damaged/comprosmised).



I do enjoy the album a lot. My only beef is that the band has a little less oomph without Karl Burns on the drum school. His replacement was good, but not terribly interesting or distinctive.

[naughty boy]