The Fall have way too many records to figure out where to start digging in. The first time I ever heard them, Suzanne Clarke was blasting Eat Y'Self Fitter at WXJM back in the early 90's It wasn't like anything I had ever heard before. It was easy to grasp because it was so damn repetitive and long. It was hard to get a feel for because it was do damn strange. The singer was clearly a cocky son of a bitch. It was almost like Oliver Twist grew up to become friends with Shane McGowan and was out to get drunk, stir up some shit, and play Gloria or In the City or some other song with a sneering attitude while also refusing to pay the landlord.
Plus, I'm not so sure they are one of those bands that I need to own many of their records. A simple best of will do. And finally, that best of has made it to my collection. Over the past few months, I've been digesting the Two CD collection 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats, a brilliant title with equally brilliant cover art for such an enigmatic, arrogant, shifting, shambling band.
It is all here, a great primer of all things you need to hear from the Fall (I guess, I mean I don't have all their records so what the hell do I know?) from 1978-2003. And there are fantastic songs on here. I really like it all, but it isn't easy to get through an entire CD in one setting. I am very happy that I have 25 years of The Fall to listen to but I don't envision needing any more.
So what kind of band are The Fall?
They are the kind of band that I could own a CD of, Our Nation's Saving Grace, back in '95, not like it and then sell it. Then when I became reacquainted with it in 2003, I really enjoyed it but had absolutely no memory at first that I had once owned the CD.
They are the kind of band that are excellent to listen to at the gym. Something about all that repetition works.
They are the kind of band that I accidentally was listening to one of their songs over and over again on repeat for about 45 minutes and I didn't even notice that it was the same song repeating since all of their songs sort of put you in that same sort of trance anyway.
And I still don't get the whole Pavement sounds like the Fall thing. Unless you are talking about some of the Spiral Stairs songs, but even then, I don't really see it. There is clearly only one Mark E. Smith
And what does Mark have to say about best of CDs? He says, "If there is one thing I can't stomach, it's all that retrospective shite. That's something that I have never been into and never will. It represents a trainspotter mentality, little men collecting things. I don't like that at all."
Unless of course, it is your best of CD, I suppose.
4 comments:
That top photo is absolutely outstanding.
I met mark E Smith once. It was in a pub in Sheffield, The north of England in about 1990. He was attempting to buy cigarettes. he was a little 'out of touch' and I ended up spending five minutes explaining to him that he had to use coins to operate the vending machine, not the five pound note he was attempting to wedge into the coin slot. (this was before the days of 'face up' vending machines). No one else in the pub (including my elder sister) seemed too bothered. I found out later that the pub was next door to a recording studio that the fall , amongst others, enjoyed using. Therefore, seeing Mr Smith fumble about with the rudiments of daily life was not such an uncommon experience.
What Alex may not recall is that he, me, and Ian 'Donny' Sanderson went and saw the Fall live at the University of East Anglia in bright and beautiful Norwich in either 1990 or 91 (my memory is starting its inevitable decline).
We spent most of the night staring at Brix Smith's legs, waiting for them to play "Hit The North", and listening to Donny claim that he had had sex with a series of "well fit lasses" in the mosh pit. We also competed over who would be the first person to see "Chip Shop", Norwich's counter-cultural guru and fast food restaurant employee.
We did meet that nice bloke from the football who used to write for somebody (EDP? EEN?) and who bought us a beer.
All in all, a fun Weasel/Bowles outing in the old manner, 8/10
Ah, the UEA LCR. What a venue. What memories. What a list of truly awful nights spent watching profoundly crap bands*. This was another night spent on the basis of "should I like this band just cos John peel loves them?" ,"Should i like this band cos it would be cool?" and realising that I don't like this band except their one song (as mentioned by Weasel) but there are some cute girls here and we are gettin served beer.
*I also saw many brilliant bands at this venue.
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