This Nation’s Saving Grace

Barmy - j'aime bien l'instru C’est pas mauvais mais pas exceptionnel non plus 2.5

Pas mal. Apparemment le chanteur était fou. J'aime bien les arrangements de guitare etc...

One of my two favourite Fall albums

Låång platta! Men härligt postpunkigt

Again? I didn't think it was all that great last time, to be honest.

Expected this to be early aughts emo, but was pleasantly surprised to find a solid post-punk album. Really enjoyed it.

Didn't feel particularly inspired

My third Fall album on the list. I'd prefer more artists and fewer albums for each, but I do love The Fall.

Meh. Another bang average post-punk album that didn't really impress me. Sounded a lot like the Velvet Underground for some reason, and I liked that there was a song about Damo Suzuki.

Better than live at the witch trails, but not by very much.

A not-intolerable stop on the road from VU to Sonic Youth. I didn't mind it at all.

For British post punk, honestly not bad; could have been much worse. I liked the lyrics and the guitars, but otherwise it just wasn’t that exciting

First time listening to The Fall, and I have to say, I didn't hate it. The jangling guitar occasionally hooked. Would have liked more bass. Vocals were often incoherent. I seem to be on a string of 3 ratings.

utterly boring

Kind of derivative of a lot better stuff.

Sometimes the lead singer rambles on a bit, but punk-rock singers are supposed to ramble on a bit.

3.5 - enjoyed it but a bit too long

The Fall are a Post-Punk I enjoy and sparingly listen to their stuff. I got into them through the Gorillaz with a Mark E Smith (lead singer) featured song “Glitter Freeze”. Now for post punk bands I will say I prefer Joy Division and Public Image LTD. The Fall have a wide variety of albums so I know I prefer some of their later 80s stuff more. This one is considered their most popular and I do enjoy it but it’s not quite there for me. It’s a light 3.5 , leaning more towards the 3 but it’s got some good stuff The riff in “Barmy” is amazing and I really loved the slowed down feel of “L.A”, and the Can inspired “ I Am Damo Suzuki”. Other tracks I enjoyed to a lesser extent were “My New House” & “Paintwork” 3.5

This list should be called 1001 albums by British people of a certain age. Theres so much British punk and post punk on here you'd think they were the most important music genre in tbe history of the world This wasnt the worst but im mostly over this kind of shit on here. Some good music. Bizarre mumblemouth singing.

this just kept going and going and going i thought it would never stop

If youre super into post punk this might be essential listening. I do not fall into that category of listener so I dont ever need to hear this again in my lifetime. 2 stars.

Oh boy. More 80’s British post-punk. This album makes me think that I can make music, as I also lack musical talent. I can just learn a few chords and repeat myself over and over. 2.0 stars

Знаю, що альбом культовий, але мене він особливо ніколи не захоплював. Це прослуховування ситуацію не змінило.

Цей альбом сподобався більше ніж попередній з цього списку. Тут є прям мега хіт, L.A. На рум поставив 3.5 навіть. Залишу в себе в бібліотеці.

I think The Fall would be pretty pleased knowing how many people they’ve pissed off here with this album. Come on, how can you not have fun with “Barmy”?

Feels like the aftermath of the apocalypse but still manages to have a pop edge at the same time. Good stuff. 4

Really really liked this.

I hadn't heard of this band and didn’t recognise any of the songs on the album. It sounded a bit like they were trying to sound like The Beatles, albeit not to a particularly high level. Mark E. Smith's chaotic, semi spoken vocal style and repetitive riffs make track after track blend together. The songs sounded very similar and nothing really stood out. Overall, the album is distinctly average, and I'm not sure why it's listed as a must hear album. 5/10

As cool as this seems to be im just not a post punk guy. Give me the more simple and streamlined actual punk proper every day. This just gets too bogged down with repetition and to me its just looses the plot. This type of music is its own thing but when its name is referential it doesnt do itself any favors with being compared. Its fine. Just I much much much prefer the short and sweet speed of punk music. Seven or eight minute songs with lots of the same motifs hammered out from start to finish just isnt an enjoyable listening experience for me. Its more danceable sure but thays not thr kind of thing im looking for. I want distilled songs. All killer no filler types of songs. This just isnt that. The only song I saved was couldnt get ahead because its the most straight punk rock. And looking through the bands top songs on tidal I couldnt even find it. So im in the minority. Its just not for me. But its decent all the same. I know ive harped on it hard the whole review but its ok. Its not for me but I see the appeal. Its not without merits. Just those merits and my values dont line up. And thats OK. You guys out there can love this all day and im happy for you all but ill just put on some buzzcocks or black flag or even se goofy pop punk and be happy myself. Glad you guys like what you do

705/1001 2026.09.18 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Exactly what I'd expect from a punk album.

I had to give this album a couple tries. I expected to like it the first time early morning over coffee but found the abrupt songwriting style and vocal delivery kinda jarring. I listened to it again while doing some physical labour and found that it delivered more of what I was expecting. The Fall are super specific and unique in their approach to songwriting and I can understand how they wouldn't be for everyone or good in every occasion but there is a right time and place for this band. I'm not sure if this list need three of their albums... But I suppose that's aside from the point.

Now here’s some weird post-punk that absolutely hits the mark for me. The Fall are probably one of the bands that has grown on me the most throughout this project. I really wasn’t a fan of Live at the Witch Trials, which was the first album the generator gave me. The Infotainment Scan was much better, but still wasn’t quite my favourite. I’m on a second listen to the Nation’s Saving Grace now and I am genuinely really enjoying this album. It’s a perfect mix of avant-garde experimentalism and post-punk with just enough pop sensibility to hold it all together.

The vocals sound more like talking at me. Some interesting rhythm but not really my jam.

Much preferred this to their other album I've had. Interesting, melodic and weird.

Enjoyed listening to this album for the first time 🎶 🎵

Min första tanke när jag satte på det här albumet var: ”shit det här låter ju nice”. Men för varje låt som gick kände jag mig mindre och mindre imponerad. Jag kan summera albumet såhär: albumet består av 16 låtar som alla består av ett, visserligen ganska catchy, riff som upprepas konstant i 4 minuter med väldigt ointressant sång över. VAR ÄR VARIATIONEN!?? Jag hoppas grabbensomintekollarpåexplosioner håller med mig i detta men detta var verkligen inte toppen. Jag ger det 5/10 då det säkert blir lite bättre om man lyssnar lite mer.

Okej okej, jag ska vara ärlig bara lyssnat igenom en gång. Men några låtar har lyssnat om igen på. För att vara ärlig hade jag extremt låga förhoppningar på detta album då det klassas som ett post punk album. Vilket vi alla vet vad jag tyckte om public image post punk album… Men helt ärligt är jag förvånansvärt överraskad. Tycker detta album har några låtar som är intressanta med coola koncept och jag gillar hyfsat mycket ändå sångare. Gillar hur det finns dynamik i albumet tillskillnad från ett viss annat album 🙄🙄. Här kommer en snabb låt för låt anteckning: Mandion : usel postpunk slopp. Låter som public image Bombast: är storslagen med många lager och sång som jag älskar ljudet av!! Gillar slutet ganska mycket faktiskt med hur allt bara adderas ihop Barmy: Tycker låten är helt okej. Bryggan och mot slutet är hyfsat nice!! Men gitarren gillar inte effekterna sååå mycket. What you need: postpunk slopp med ett dåligt riff. Låter som en ormbarst låt utan deras sång. Small Victorian child: tar postpunken signatur repetition och har något catchy för en gångs skull. Betyder dock inte att jag gillar låten särskilt mycket. L.A: Är definitivt min favorit från albumet. Gillar synthen som genomsyrar hela låten och riffet är väldigt nice. Tycker sångaren gör ganska mycket här, med effekter och unikt obrydd approach. Låten slutar med att dra ihop alla element av låten i något storslaget. Väldigt nice. Vixen: ehhh helt okej, nice refräng och kvinnan som sjunger, men inte mer direkt. Couldn’t get ahead: gillar verkligen inte munspelet på denna låt, men resten är inte dåligt direkt. Iallafall en av dem bättre låtarna (om inte munspelet var med) Okej helt ärligt orkar jag inte med denna ide av låt per låt. Albumet är okej, skulle säkert gilla de mer om jag lyssna mer. Men det finns så mycket mer musik som på direkt pratar med mig, som jag hellre lyssnar på. Därför ger jag Grabbensomintekollarpåexplosioner detta album av The Fall en 5/10!

Good punk

Fine little punk record. Decent baselines but overall it felt a bit meh. Still though, not bad. 6/10

It never got my interest but it was at least listenable punk. Felt like they would be fun live. 3 out of 5.

Really enjoyed this one. Might have been a tad too long (a common complaint of mine), but a good album.

Post-punk ... new wave ... is pretty much where I am at these days.

the 8th album release from british post-punk group the fall, and described by sources as being their most accessible album, largely due to its production and writing techniques. the fall themselves are one of those cult groups, didn't achieve mainstream success but the real post-punk heads around the UK and other parts of the world hold them in high regard. recording for the album started shortly after some band members left after an altercation. this album has a lot going for it! songs of all sorts, different vocalists, some soft songs some hard. we've got a bit of sample usage, and the incorporation of drum machines give this record a nice sense of identity. this is an album you ideally want to listen to when you want to choke someone. brilliant repetitive sludgevomit when it allows itself to get there. all and all, this is a generally good listen, not at a top spot but nothing to complain about, really.

My first Fall album, and I enjoyed it! I’ve read it’s thought of as one of their most accessible albums, but I’m willing to try more. Favourite track: Spoilt Victorian Child

Nope

JL : 2, My New House

It's okay but I'm not a big fan of punk so it doesn't do much for me.

I guess this is one reason to be happy that this list is so UK-centric: three albums by the Fall are on it! They are one of my favorite bands and I don't care what anyone says otherwise. I've been listening to this band since college. At first, I was going to make the inane comparison that the Fall is like the Marmite of experimental/alternative rock: you either get it, or you don't. But that would be stupid and do an enormous disservice to how smart this band always was, especially during one of their creative peaks here. In spite of the turmoil plaguing the band at the time—the drummer and bass player, brothers Paul and Steve Hanley, quit after Mark E. Smith (already hard to work with so early on) implied that it was their fault their gear was stolen from their truck—this remains one of the band's all-time career highs, save for the contributions of Brix Smith, Mark's partner at the time. Her songs are vastly underrated in the Fall's catalogue (such as "Vixen"), and her guitar work is fantastic and melodic. Steve Hanley eventually returned, and the remaining band as a whole is extremely tight and skilled, shifting quickly between moods and structures, making this a top-notch starting point for people puzzled about how to get into the Fall. What moods they are, too! Often tight and methodical, the songs can quickly degenerate into surreal darkness and weirdness, with off-tempos, weird tunings, and lots and lots of noise piled on top, such as on "Paintwork" and in the interludes of "Barmy" (which hilariously rips off the Monkees' "Valleri"). Mark E. Smith never sounded so confident, either: listen to his yelps and hollers on tracks like "Bombast" and "I Am Damo Suzuki." Some of their catchiest, most intense songs are on here, too—classics that we would play often on college radio: "Spoilt Victorian Child," "Couldn't Get Ahead," and "My New House," each one more demented than the next. The non-hits are fascinating here as well: the toxic ode to Los Angeles on "L.A.," the druggy, loungy "What You Need," and the '60s monster-movie tribute "Monster." It's not always consistent or enjoyable, but it might be the best album this band ever made. To enjoy it, you have to already have a strong interest in many types of music, as well as atonal singing and politically inclined lyrics. Luckily, I do, which either means I have fantastic taste or the worst taste ever—but that's kind of the point of the Fall. A work of art, simultaneously dumb AND smart, and most importantly, catchy as hell. 5 stars.

Solid post punk grungy British rock. Super fun listen. Feels like a band that still has something to say eight albums in.

This band generally ain’t for me but this was okay

Goede punten: het is redelijk uniek, het is her en der best boeiend en intrigerend, soms heeft het echt wel een leuk riff, het is raar. Slechte punten: het is echt raar, de slechte riffs gaan even lang door als de goeie, het wordt wel vrij eentonig. Dus. Ik zou dit denk ik 3,5 ster geven, maarja dat kan niet.

Define album. The original lp from 1985 has 11 songs, the original cassette also from 1985 has 14 songs and the original cd from 1988 has 16 songs. The link to Apple Music leads to the Expanded Edition with 31 songs and the reissue from 2011 is a box containing 48 songs. Which version is the album I need to listen to so I can die? In the eighties I heard about The Fall, but never heard The Fall. I like guitar music so I actually enjoyed this first listen.

It's-uh 5-uh.

soooooo boring. I'm sure it was revolutionary for its time but it rankles me now

Brooding punk that’s more musical than expected.

Not my cup of tea, they're known for being repetitive yet all over the place, which is exactly why its 2 stars for me

Longer than I would've liked. Also not as good as I would've liked. Some songs are kind of catchy I suppose but ultimately forgettable. Would be fine to put on in the background while doing other stuff. 5/10

Meh

3.5

Álbum muito legal. Deu pra sentir porque é tão influente no som de bandas de rock alternativo que vieram depois. CVJ Aria.

“You take sugar?” “No thank you, Turkish. I'm sweet enough.” Snatch (2000)

My cool friends listened to this a lot, back when it was new. They were right.

Been waiting almost a year for a Fall album to show up. Seeing this roll through, I didn't have to change my listening habits at all. Just go into the Recently Played, stroll back six or seven albums and oh, here it is - This Nation's Saving Grace. I'll have weeklong stretches where I can only listen to Fall albums. Everything else will sound wrong if Mark's not singing and threading a perfect balance of atonal and catchy. Essential music. The Fall is intimidating in the abstract given the lore around it, how difficult Mark E. Smith's lyrics are to decode, and the amount of albums they released, not to mention the dizzyingly bad curation on streaming but when you break through the pack ice, the discography is segmented into clear eras. This mid-80s era is the "poppiest" and if you're still listening to The Smiths at xx, this era Fall should replace them effective immediately. This Nation's Saving Grace isn't my favorite of the extended Brix era (Wonderful & Frightening World is likely the favorite although I've been bumping Perverted by Language a lot recently) but songs like Barmy are some of the catchiest songs they ever recorded. But Barmy, a great Mark/Brix composition, is set there like a sinking lure for listeners to be exposed to My New House or Yarbles. For this listen, I went virgin and cut the singles that were added to later releases (like, literally the 1985 cassette release) - so no Couldn't Get Ahead, Rollin' Dany, Crusiers' Creek, or Petty (Thief) Lout. While I'm a huge fan of those songs - Couldn't Get Ahead especially, the album flows a little more coherently with those excised.

V good but not quite 5 sorry cathal

What a band. One of their best, but get Hex Enduction Hour on the list.

Never listened to The Fall before but heard of them, enjoyed this

I couldn't name a song by The Fall but I always enjoy

3 sterne

This is all right. I like the variety of style across the album. It adds a bit of interest to it. And I don't mind the parts that have more dissonant sound to them. But all in all, it's just fine, it's not stand out, but it's decent enough. Fav Track: Paintwork

This Nation’s Saving Grace is one of The Fall’s rare albums where the band’s antagonism, intelligence, humor, and musical discipline all reinforce one another. It is catchy without being comfortable, experimental without becoming shapeless, and abrasive without relying solely on noise. It falls short of a 9.5 because the second half is less essential and the album occasionally mistakes repetition for development. But its best songs are undeniable, and its overall identity is remarkably strong. The Fall did not sell out here. They simply learned how to make their hostility memorable.

great punk (?)

No thank you

Maso

mark e smith é FODA

I’ve always been aware of The Fall, but never really delved into them. I’ve always not really known where to start as Mark E Smith has such a vast catalogue as The Fall. But this is what this list is for, and I really enjoyed this. You can hear so many influences in my favourite bands on just this album alone. It’s UK punk at its best, ramshackle and full of biting social commentary. Early Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines/Babyshambles I can hear a lot of The Fall in. Spoilt Victorian Child, LA and Paintwork the three that really stood out, but I honestly didn’t hear a bad track at all. Right up my street, this. Will be delving deeper into The Fall’s back catalogue today.

I'm tired of listening to post-punk British bands from the 80s. I think this list is filled with every one of them. That being said, I gave it the good faith listen. For whatever reason, I could see Tarantino using some of these songs in one of his movies, and the thought of watching comically gratuitous violence while listening to the album made me like it more. Still tired of post-punk British bands from the 80s.

This is the second album by The Fall that I've received in 3 days. With now having been inundated with their music for so much of the last 72 hours, I can say there's no way I can deny their influence on a lot of the modern post punk bands that I enjoy listening to, but I don't like it when done with Mark E. Smith at the front. Smith's vocals occasionally seem to fit in as part of the song, but other times if feels disconnected and directionless. I guess since I enjoyed maybe half of this album at best, I'll give it a 3/5

An enjoyable listen but too long in my opinion, a bit of filler here and there

nice cover

Had some interesting rhythms. I know that in the mid 80’s Margaret Thatcher was in power and UK kids needed someone to help them rebel. I know the Fall has a cult following. But this just isn’t for me.

Surprised that I had never heard them before. Adequate for background music.

Ok sort of post punk sleeve designed by Danish painter Claus Castenskiold and British photographer Michael Pollard. Music is ok even though it reminds me of The Stranglers.

Head banger

Not a fan. I can listen to the Clash or the Sex Pistols if I want this kind of vibe. Mediocre band, not worth another listen,

I think I enjoyed this one a bit more than The Infotainment Scan, definitely vibed with the riffs more. I totally get while some people don't enjoy this, but it scratches an itch for me, with the driving riffs and the almost slam poet lyrics. "Mansion" "Barmy" "What You Need" "L.A." and "Cruiser's Creek" were the standouts for me

Third "The Fall" album in 6 days. Must be some kind of sick joke. This band still blows. I can't stand his vocal style and and hour run time for a "punk" album is blasphemy.

Bon, on va pas y aller par quatre chemins : c'était insupportable pour moi. J'ai vu que beaucoup de gens l'adoraient, il est même très bien noté sur Rate Your Music. Pourquoi ? Je ne sais pas. Comme je le disais il y a un ou deux jours, je n'aime pas le post-punk, donc c'est certain que j'allais pas trop aimer celui-ci. Mais quand même, Joy Division aussi, c'est du post-punk, pourtant j'ai jamais détesté comme cet album. Les titres étaient redondants, c'était pas intéressant et, encore une fois, je compare à Joy Division, mais le chant était franchement oubliable, là où Ian Curtis est habité et a une personnalité énorme. Autant je comprends le statut culte d'Unknown Pleasures, même si j'accroche pas plus que ça, autant ici, ça me semble juste ennuyeux.

Never heard of this band but interested to see what they sound like. Cool stuff, very Arctic Monkeys-like

"Feel the wrath of my Bombast!” Brix-era accessibility with customary Mark E. sneers, it’s a joy.

Highlights: Mansion, Barmy, What You Need, Spoiled Victorian Child, L.A., Vixen, Couldn't Get Ahead, My New House This is a review of the CD release tracklist. The record oozes with a cool and edgy industrial aura. Songs are very interesting and differ a lot from one another, but the beat of each song is a bit repetitive (for instance What You Need). However, the songs are very hypnotizing and by the end I kinda don't mind the repetitiveness. The sound is very ahead of its time and I have to pay it some respect for that too. The hype died down towards the end, but I have to say it was pretty dope overall.

Kjennskap: 0% Sikkert gøy live, men faller helt gjennom som jobbmusikk. Utslitt etter 4 sanger.

Not bad. Pleasantly surprised by this band, which I wasn’t familiar with. 3.5 Top tracks: Bombast, I Am Damo Suzuki, Rollin’ Dany

I’ve never heard of this band or album but upon first listen I am hooked. Just a crazy good album.

This is one of the best fall albums

I was really not keen on the last Fall album I was served up but this was a load more upbeat, fun and groovy. I find Mark E. Smith's lazy vocal style equally kind of annoying but also has a bit of effortless DGAF swagger that becomes endearing after a while. This one is probably half an hour longer than strictly necessary but I found myself listening to it all the way through a couple of times, picking out multiple highlights and enjoying it a lot. There's a lot of influence both on 90s Britpop and on the more dance-inflected indie of the 00s. It's good stuff.

It was ok. It was very 80’s. Nothing stood out.

Album really does flow together quite well. Felt like it was repetitive & neverending, each track felt the same way.

i love this bands sound except i really dislike the singer's delivery. it was more toned down here than on other albums on this list, which gives it a point in its favor. 3.5

This was fine enough, but there's too much of it.