The Fall

[brennser]

Booker T will like this one
 
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1678307,00.html

[BookerT]

great article, thanks for pointing it out, brennser. "Smith doesn't do average," says bassist Steve Hanley, who met me in a Manchester pub. "He'd rather do 10 great gigs and 10 rubbish gigs than anything in the middle." gotta love that. man is MES a piece of work, but man do i love him.
 
 it looks like their u.s. tour that was supposed to happen next month is very up in the air, which is too bad.

[thirsty moore]

What's a good Fall album to start off with.  I heard a song called Bingo Master that I didn't like very much.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

The only Fall I have is a 7" single of "Telephone Thing" from 1990. Still a fun listen. Allmusic have the album it's on 4 stars, but I've no idea how it stacks up against the rest of their stuff.

[markie]

Originally posted by econo:
  What's a good Fall album to start off with.  I heard a song called Bingo Master that I didn't like very much.

That might be one of the very best Fall songs.
 
 There is a big compilation 50,000 Fall fans cannot be wrong.

[BookerT]

well ... if you want to start with an actual album, i'd say go with "hex enduction hour." it just got a nice re-issue, it should be easy to find and it's a monster of a record. if you want something slightly poppier and more '80s sounding, go with "the wonderful and frightening world of the fall."
 
 or you could start with a comp, the "50,000 fall fans can't be wrong" is pretty good, although i think it's got perhaps a bit too much later era stuff. i much prefer "totally wired: the rough trade years," but that might not be the best place to start.
 
 bottom line: hex enduction hour.

[Sir HC]

The New Fall Album is pretty darn good too.

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  The New Fall Album is pretty darn good too.

agreed, as long as you mean "The Real New Fall LP" and not "Fall Heads Roll" which hasnt won me over yet

[BookerT]

The New Fall Album is pretty darn good too.  

it's true, the new fall album is surprisingly great. the first five songs pretty much suck, actually, but from there on it's their best in many years. there's a killer cover of "i can hear the grass grow" by the move.
 
 but as good as it is, it's like as good as "time out of mind" was compared to "bringing it all back home." it just ain't the same.

[snailhook]

i agree with BookerT here..."hex enduction hour" is the underrated masterpiece. most fall fans will say to go for "grotesque" (1980), which is indeed great. for a little more accessibility, go for "the wonderful and frightening world of..." (1984) or "this nation's saving grace" (1985). IMO, the fall were pretty solid up to and including the mid-'90s matador albums, but their records since then have been spotty. still, like sonic youth, i'd rather listen to their worst albums than many bands' best albums.

[Sir HC]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
   

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  The New Fall Album is pretty darn good too.

agreed, as long as you mean "The Real New Fall LP" and not "Fall Heads Roll" which hasnt won me over yet [/b]

Yes, Real New Fall Album, hence the capitalization (though I guess I should have put it in quotes, I was lazy).

[BookerT]

i actually like "heads roll" more than "real new fall lp aka country on the click." but just by a bit. they are both really good and the best since those mid-'90s matador albums that snailhook was talking about. although i must say i sorta dig "the unutterable" and "levitate."
 
 and "grotesque" is indeed my favorite. it has the largest number of punky/repetitive/rockabilly-ish tunes ("container drivers," "pay your rates," etc.) and also my all-time favorite, "the nwra." actually, a good quarter of that "totally wired" comp i mentioned before is taken from "grotesque."

[thirsty moore]

Thanks.  I'll check out Hex Enduction Hour then.

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

I was hoping this thread was going to tell me that the Fall are playing here soon.