'Always different, always the same.'
'I spurn [people who do not like them] with my toe.'
John Peel on his favourite ever band, The Fall.
How excited am I about seeing The Fall tomorrow night?
Oh, you know, it's only got me through the more difficult classes that I've had this week and given me the opportunity to re-read Mark E. Smith's autobiography, and play Slates this afternoon and re-listen to Live At The Witch Trials as I type. It should be noted that this album was not a live album (though obviously there have been live debut albums before, MC5, Jane's Addiction and 22-20s spring to mind...)
The autobiography is great, taking no prisoners and making no apologies. It's not a conventional autobiography but then, this is Mark E. Smith we're talking about here, what do you expect?!
One of the things that clearly irritates him is people who think that his former wife Brix Smith was responsible for bringing a poppier element to The Fall when she joined in 1984. He is also clearly irritated by people who haven't done their research.
This post kind of ties those two ideas in together and focuses on the 'Lie dream Of A Casino Soul' with its' b-side 'Fantastic Life'. Released a handful of months before their seminal Hex Induction Hour LP in 1982, this 1981 single's a-side is, surprise surprise, talking about the famous Wigan Casino, the home of Northern Soul. According to the sleevenotes of the re-issued Slates, Smith was getting fed-up of people who only seemed to have just discovered soul. Surprisingly, he did like Dexy's Midnight Runners. The b-side is gloriously poppy, and this is before he even met Brix...
The Fall -'Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul.' mp3
The Fall -'Fantastic Life.' mp3
This Fall website is unofficial but seems to be fairly comprehensive
The Fall on wikipedia (I own thirty Fall albums and I feel like I'm still only scratching the surface!)
11 comments:
Hi Ed,
Must admit if i hadn't been at Spiritualized on wednesday, which was, well spiritual, it would have been thoughts of my third Fall gig this year which would have gotten me through quite a lacklustre week.
As for only having thirty Fall albums as long as you own all the studio albums and the Peel Sessions, the rest are add ons. I have over 60 and a lot of those are less than essential.
Your next essential reading is The Fallen about all the ex members, very informative.
Enjoy tomorrow, I know I will.
Drew
Hi Drew, do own most of the studio albums, and have got the Peel sessions box, a present from Mrs. 17 Seconds the first Christmas we lived together.
Looking forward to tonight. If you see a mad guy with hair that's a cross between Kurt Cobain and Robert Smith, who looks like Archie the Inventor, and a beard, it could quite possibly be me. Say hello...
Be prepared for a short set if Aberdeen on Friday is anything to go by and JCC was a no show, unfortunately.
http://z1.invisionfree.com/forums/thefall/index.php?showtopic=21832.
At any other gig spotting you would be easy from your description however, a Fall gig is full of the strange and mad.
Drew
Ach, I hope he makes it through for tonight...
You sure know how to make your readers jealous Ed. Somehow I can't imagine The Fall playing here in Italy.
It would just be too weird....
Hope you have a great evening - might even be good enough to get you through next week's teaching.
Ciau!
Thanks, David, you never know...tehy've played stranger places than Italy...
"Do you still do what you did two years ago? Yeah, well don't make a living out it ..."
I love the Fall, and the Peel session with "Container Drivers" and "New Face in Hell" count amongst my favourite ever.
But I'm always reminded of Lydon's comment: "I like The Fall, they've got a good song but it's the same song. Get another one."
Which is the same as Peel's comment, I suppose :)
cheers, Craig
I am reeling from the gig, it was phenomenal and i will wirte a review when I have got a handle on it!
Chances are this classic article may have passed you by. Stop what you're doing and read it now...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/jan/05/popandrock
move to prestwich and get a job in an off licence or a pub, you will be able to spend many a night scratching the surface of the grumpy old cumudgeon!
A.J
I still have to write the review, last night I was RIGHT down the front of the gig and I swear I was close enough to see the whites of his eyes...
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