The Fall - Recommend an album

Posted by: TOBYJUG on 05 March 2017

So I've heard them for years on what was the john peel radio show on BBC radio 1, back in the day.   And for sure I have seen them live at some point.    Although I don't have any albums..   Can any one recommend a good album that'll get me in a good place as far as " The Fall" are concerned. Is there a BEST one Ah ?

Posted on: 05 March 2017 by TOBYJUG

The Peel sessions box set. Although big wonga. Looks like a choice.

Peel sessions did mostly sound better than the recordings of material it was promoting.  

Posted on: 06 March 2017 by Kev G

Very difficult to recommend just one album from such a long career. The Peel Sessions box is great but quite an undertaking as a first step. For individual albums, I'd start with some of the following:

Dragnet - only their second album, very low-fi but what an impact back in 1979

Hex Enduction Hour 

The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall 

This Nation's Saving Grace 

The Real New Fall Lp (formerly Country on the Click) 

There are loads more worthy of attention. Jump in and enjoy the ride!

Posted on: 06 March 2017 by mfan

Well there's no shortage to choose from...  

Agree that the Peel Sessions are a fantastic collection.  It was Peel of course who got me into The Fall, particularly with The Man Whose Head Expanded, Cruisers Creek and LA.  I still gravitate most towards the mid '80s stuff, my particular reccos would be:

This Nation's Saving Grace 

Bend Sinister

I am Kurious Oranj

If pushed for one recco I'd say This Nation's Saving Grace.  Came 400th in the NMEs top 500 albums ever!

Happy listening!  Yarbles

Posted on: 06 March 2017 by Ghettoyout

There is a very fine compilation album called something along the lines of '50,000 Fall Fans Can't be Wrong'.

 

Posted on: 06 March 2017 by Kevin-W

My personal fave is Grotesque (After The Gramme) - like all their early albums, very low-fi but an absolute stunner.  And also the 10" mini-album Slates, which is short but probably their finest individual collection of songs.

Posted on: 07 March 2017 by TOBYJUG

Thanks gents.

only listening to an old cassette recording I made of peel around 92-93. A Fall song where marks singing about a kibbutz, or even Elkie Brooks, hard to tell . But great. Can anyone identify this ?

Posted on: 07 March 2017 by nickpeacock

I'm very fond of Fall Heads Roll (which has the magnificent Blindness on it).

Also The Infotainment Scan (particularly It's A Curse). That LP was out in 1993 so it might contain the track you're talking about... (The 1992 album was Code:Selfish, which is also excellent).

(Asking Mark E Smith to interpret his lyrics is hard enough - mere mortals like us stand no chance...)

Posted on: 08 March 2017 by thebigfredc

Eat yourself Fitter on the Tube approx 1982. 

 

 

Posted on: 10 March 2017 by thebigfredc

I am listening to The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall right now and think its elfin great.

Sadly my vinyl went long ago so I am having to make do with it through Amazon Music - still magic though in a discordant yet melodic way.

Ray