Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Went into this wanting to hate it. Really enjoyed it. Vocals still irritate me to no end though
Liked this album quite a bit. Melodic yet still punky and abrasive. Well composed and structured with some serious bite. This was a new discovery for me and I dug it.
So big news I actually quite liked this album! This is a big deal as the Fall are Luke's obsession and I've never fully got into it. But this is apparently solid entry level Fall and dare I say I enjoyed it! It's taken me 3 years of Fall listening to get somewhere. Luke is so happy. He gave me trivia of every song. Punchy beats, great riffs, good fun
I haven't ever heard of this album before, and it took me by surprise how good it was. It's not life-changing or anything, but it's quite good - The quintessential sound of 80s British post-punk. 4/5
Favorite song: Paintwork.
Ah yes, this is my cup of tea. What a great album. Fave tracks would probably be Paintwork, Petty (Thief) Lout, and Spoilt Vicrtorian Child. Definitely going to give this a few more spins.
The Fall are an acquired taste, I reckon, but I've acquired it. I do like me some snide shambolic discordant post-punk! Fave track - "Barmy", "Vixen", and "Paint Work" all stood out to me this time through!
It’s good. Fav songs: Spoilt Victorian Child, Cruiser’s Creek
Kinda blended together but I enjoyed it
This feels like an album that seems like it means nothing on the surface but is actually filled with a lot of nuance and layers the more you understand. I don't know if it actually is but it feels like that in a way. I think my favorite song is Spoilt Victorian Child, there's something about it that's just pretty cool.
Jó volt egynek, élveztem.
The Autumn
Enjoyed a lot
This is my second The Fall album and my curiosity and excitement is only growing. Such an awesome sounding record. So unique and engaging. Love the vocals too. 4! 1. L.A. 2. Petty (Thief) Lout 3. To Nk Roachment: Yarbles 4. Mansion 5. I Am Damo Suzuki
I really like The Fall, but this is pretty weak for them.
extremely based I love the fall now. lots of great instrumentation, silly vocals at times, good riffs. love the energy. Best tracks: spoilt Victorian child, rollin dany, barmy
This was cool, had never heard of The Fall. Solid album, but I just feel like it’s such a shame to be introduced to all these prolific post-punk groups so out of context. It makes me feel like I’m probably missing something? Dragged on a bit at the end, but cool stuff.
I feel like I fell because I missed out on this album.
Album in 3 etappes geluisterd waardoor ik er elke keer een beetje uit was. Goed album doet me inderdaad aan veel andere artiesten uit die tijd denken maar toch klinkt het tijdloos. favorieten: barmy petty (thief) lout rollin danny
Thumbs up.
Originally thought it was a bit strange but was really getting into it by the last track, which was great ! Generous 4*
I only ever see people who aren't fans of the Fall calling this their best album. It's quite good, but every studio album they released before it is better and so are a few later albums. As Ian McCann later wrote of Middle Class Revolt, This Nation's Saving Grace is "7/10 by their own standards, 8/10 by everyone else's."
OK, not very exciting, but fun
Even though postpunk seems to be the music I am attracted to more than others, this album took a few listens before the penny dropped. And when it did, it really did. There's a rawness and sometimes a bit of brutality to the songs but still with a poppy edge to it. Channeled energy that hardly ever goes to plain noise and shows how artful most of these songs are made. I enjoyed this a lot. Even with Vixen being a pure ripoff of 'Run, Run, Run' by the Velvet Underground
Positiivinen yllätys! Suosikit ensimmäisen kuuntelukerran jälkeen: Barmy, Gut Of The Quantifier
Like this. I listened through it twice and both times were good. 3.75/5
I only really knew The Fall by name- they’re another punk band who didn’t quite crossover to the states- so hearing this was kind of eye (or I guess ear)-opening. I think the best ideas are used early on and the pacing isn’t strong, but I generally like their sound and I appreciate their lyrics and performances. Will check out more. B
Finally, an album by The Fall makes the list. Not their finest album by any stretch, but still a great piece of work. This album was the start of their stint at trying to be more ‘commercial’, and sadly the lyrics suffered somewhat in comparison to other albums. The album before this - Wonderful and Frightening - is just as polished but with much better songs, both lyrically and musically. There’s a lot of repetitive phrases here that pass for lyrics - I Am Damo Suzuki, My New House - but still enough pithy humour to stop this sounding like any other band. The group sound tight, if not at their most inspired, and lines like "I'm not saying they're really thick / But all the groups who've hit it big…” tell you Mark Smith is not your usual rock lyricist. Parts of this are great (Paintwork, What You Need, Quantifier); others not so much. Not even in my top 10 albums by The Fall, but is definitely in my top 10 of albums in the 1001 Albums list (so far).
I enjoy this album, but I'm not really sure it is a must hear. This is my 3rd album from The Fall and I haven't even been doing this a full year. It's a solid band, but there really could've been some superior albums in their place.
There were a few songs here I quite liked, but some of it just had far too much going on for me to understand or want to listen to. Definitely can see the British post-punk oozing from this whole album though. Favourite: Spoilt Victorian Child
Really great and entertaining post-punk album. The instrumentation is extremely good and the vocals to compliment it are so clever and on point.
Absolutely rock solid Fall album, full of that spiky, angular humour and some terrific tunes behind the muffled vocals.
I like quite a bit of this. Loose and fun. Sounds like some our jams at different points. Very catchy in its own odd way. I'd go as far as to say I feel a sort of musical kinship with this. Reminds me a bit of a rougher/looser Robyn Hitchcock at times.
I generally like what The Fall is doing, but unfortunately the album as a whole fell a little flat for me, not a lot of tracks stuck out except for Bombast and My New House (very Talking Heads). 3.5 to 4 since I am generally a fan of the sound.
Based on the album art art, title and first song I was not interested in this. Really good album afterwards though. Going to be listening to this more.
Good as fuck will listen to this again
this is a solid post punk gem
Really strong move compared to other albums by them, but too bloated to get the 5.
4 for me. Had heard of The Fall (almost entirely due to the big fanfare of publicity they got when Mark Smith died), but never knowingly listened to any of their stuff. I started out thinking that it wasn't really my thing, it's almost a bit too noisy and jarring, but after a few tracks I started to get properly into it. Really solid quality all the way through, I thought, didn't really tail off in any way. It's all a bit weirk, dark, and quirky, but it fits together really well and I like it a lot.
I enjoyed this - not heard anything from The Fall before and will explore more.
Nice stuff from Mark E Smith and the gang. Bleak post punk sounds that I love so.
Better 80’s punk album. No hits though but a nice listen
There is definitely something catchy in it. Anyway, it's more like background music.
This album is a wonderfully cohesive mix of post-punk/new wave with a healthy dose of 60s garage rock in the style of MC5, rockabilly, and surf rock. The mixture of these more diy genres fits in well with the Fall’s post-punk ethos. Despite the genres involved, the production is very slick and precise. I was disappointed by some of the Fall’s later work, but this album captures their essence at its peak and I understand now why they’re important.
Lotta cool stuff here. So many songs that just have really hypnotic, catchy riffs that are calm yet also ominous. Simple but effective. And then there’s I Am Damo Suzuki which caught me really off guard with the polyrhythms
Echt wel goeie rock muziek. Vrij experimenteel met clash achtige (stem) en interessante basslijnen die voor wiegende bewegingen zorgen.
Really enjoyed this one, I'm a sucker for this genre and this era so I knew pretty quickly I was doing to like it.
Very cool! certainly deserving of more listens. I look forward to getting to know it better. Favorite Tracks: Vixen, Barmy
I should really listen to more post punk
Vjerujem da nije baš lako njih slušati i da ti bude ono nešta wow, ali meni imaju. Mark E. Smith je gospon (počivaj u miru), koji nije pjevao, već je non stopno pričao kroz svaku pjesmu, ali na svoj način da ne ispadne skroz monotono jer u kombinaciji njegove priče koje znaju biti satiričine, realne, čudne i imati repetecije s ciljem naglašavanja nekih dijelova (gdje se meni čini da taj repetativni dio ne mora predstavljati neke veoma važne riječi) ide i ritmični, jači i ponekad dost' glasni instrumentali što oboja ono što žele opisati. Osjeti se dosta utjecaja na današnji post-punk - hladni zvukovi gitare i basa, glasovi - taj način izvođenja pjesama koje me podsjećaju upravo na našeg Markića i samim time vjerujem da su kao grupa napravili jako jako veliki posao u ostavljanju utjecaja u glazbi. Gle, Sonic Youthu su bili jedni od utjecaja, šta imam više za reć. Pjesme sa ovog albuma koje bih izdvojio su: Barmy, Spoilt Victorian Child, L.A., My New House, Couldn't Get Ahead (iako nije na original izdanju, nego na kazetnom) i Paintwork. Mark je volio derat po pivu, pa eto Mark, danas ću popit jedno pivo u tvoje ime. Cheers.
Manchester stvarno je glazbeni capital of the world.
Fáránlega gott post-punk.
Surprisingly good. Had heard of this band, but this was a first time hearing them. I like.
The first time listening to the fall. And wow these are the albums we love on this list, not a huge post punk fan so the vocal style does take a bit of getting used to, but feel this is just one of those albums you can keep coming back to and getting so much more from each time. Interesting that this music is the in thing for so many new bands in the U.K. at the moment, (As seen this week with Yard Act debut album getting no2 in the charts) the Fall clearly a huge influence for all these bands.
Good solid punk, have been exposed to a bit of the Mark E Smith lore via Adam Buxton so was kind of familiar with the context.
Definitely a keeper, I have to let this one soak in for a bit before I'm ready for the final rating
Mark E. Smith's singing is garbled, the instruments sound out of tune and it sounds like it was recorded in a toilet block, with a cheap cassette player. Yet it is a brilliant, unique and exciting album that has served as an inspiration for so many acts that followed (yes I am looking at you Pavement). I don't listen to the Fall nearly enough
The Fall is a great band and this is another one of their great albums
J’ai bine aime, u; bon vibe et une belle struture. Punk rock a son mielleur. 4.10
This album was a blast
The one shifted around a lot while listening to it but I ended up on a 4. It got unusual enough while still staying within the realm of dang good.
a touch freeform for my taste but obviously a pillar of punk and other inspiration
Kinda digging it.
Often imitated, never duplicated; no one does sprechgesang as well as Mark E. Smith. He was a cantankerous lad and his attitude sure bled into his work--and to its benefit. Fundamental piece of post-punk right here. Standouts include: "Spoilt Victorian Child", "I Am Damo Suzuki", and "Gut Of The Quantifier". Brix's vocals adds a pop element that's missing from some of their more inaccessible tunes. Loving her voice and the harmonica on "Couldn't Get Ahead" and that pop groove on "paintwork" is hella infectious. That said, it's a long album and it takes a couple songs to ramp up speed at the beginning. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4.5 if I could)
Great Post-punk band from UK. The music in general was very good and I enjoyed it.
Never listened to The Fall before. I can see mclusky getting some inspiration from here.
I like it. Unique sounds
Brilliant stuff - will be back for more
Post punk y Psycho rock se abrazan a ritmo motorik,se acercan a la melodía pop con Can en la cabeza como obsesión y espejo. Contundente y áspero. Muy bueno.
Hard work!
love this genre, this was good but not one of the best of them
My 2nd favourite Fall album out of the 10 or so I've heard. It probably just sounds like an old man rambling which to be fair it is
V good added most to the playlist. Favourite track Couldn't Get Ahead
Punk ochentero.
A fun, interesting mix of genres. Kind of a post-punk vibe throughout, but sometimes it goes full Stooges-style punk. Other times we get Rockabilly. A real treat from start to stop.
I really enjoyed this album, had some bangers
Bon album de punk/rock/grunge anglais, doux et bien monté
i really liked some of it. some poo
This album was really good! I know that I've listened to it before, but This was definitely the first time unpaid attention, well worth it.
First Fall album I've listened to, basslines are brilliant, generous 4 as it meanders a bit but will improve on repeated listens
3.5
closer to 3.5
Definite punk influence without fully leaning in to the genre. Not bad but 16 tracks seemed a a little much
I was expecting to like this more than I did. Not likely to come back to it but didn’t hate it either.
Fine. I love a bit of The Fall. This album had its highlights but sadly sagged in the middle. Over long too. 3.1
6/10
Surprisingly found the listen better than I expected. Don't have a refined ear for this genre so it sounded similar to the talking heads. Glad I listened but probably would not be my first choice to listen to again.
I had Live at the Witch Trials a while back and liked that one well enough. I'm normally a big punk fan and this album is just sort of decent. I love that it's kind of weird but it does get a little repetitive. I think I like Witch Trials better. Not much else to say about this one, really. I liked it for a listen today but probably wouldn't make a point to hear it again. 3/5
Repetitive but I think it’s by design to get you into a droning groove post punk style. Didn’t care for the vocals much.
More musical than other punk-style records I've heard before.
I'm not super into the Fall, but this had some cool moments, and I can hear it's influence on other stuff I like. Highlights for me were "Barmy", "L.A.", and "Paintwork". 3.5 stars.
Luister naar nummers als Couldn't get ahead. En het label post-punk is wel bevestigd. Dat zit hem hoofdzakelijk in de zang. Verder heeft het album eigenlijk één signatuur. Het heel pakkende doorlopende lijntje. Exemplarisch is het eerste nummer. Zo'n nummer heeft daarbuiten vrij weinig. Maar luistert toch wel fijn.
Dit is verreweg het leukste album van the Fall. De ietwat kale muziek past gewoon goed bij de karige 80s. De zeurderige zanger vindt zichzelf nog steeds helemaal het mannetje, dat blijft wel irritant. De muziek houdt een beetje het midden tussen Sonic Youth, Blur, the Clash en af en toe zelfs wat rock n roll of rockabilly. Voor een punkplaat is het aan de lange kant, maar ik kom het allemaal wel door. Een momentje dacht ik aan een 4. Laten we niet te gek doen. Een 3 is al ruim voldoende voor deze arrogante, ongeïnteresseerde kwasten.
Production is better and the sound has expanded since the other album I've heard by The Fall. But it's still a bit rubbish. Not rubbish enough to get 2 stars because there are some cool riffs and ideas. If there were half as many songs and each was half as long, this might deserve half a star more.
I feel like I've gotten less than my fair share of the real difficult albums so far. I am not sure that The Fall are really that deeply difficult, but my previous exposure has been mixed at best. It's largely Mark E Smith's vocal delivery, less a singer and more a snarky ranter in the local gutter. There's some fun music here, and even attempting to be catchy (Spoilt Victorian Child is weirdly addictive despite feeling like it's twice as long as it is). This is inherently not my bag, but I appreciate it being something different. There's a term, Rock in Opposition, that I've seen describe a lot of avant garde rock, rock with jazzy elements, messy psych and zeuhl… but this feels much more “in opposition” to something. It's music that exists to be a thorn in a side, not snotty, nor overtly political, not intensely unlistenable, though Smith revels in a little of all of that. It's just that every musical fiber of this feels like it's spiting something or someone. Good for it. Lightly 3*.
Solid, bit chaotic and repetitive.
What is the distinction of punk & post punk? I see how this sounds like post punk but also feels like it clears way for a lot of shit that I like now? Either way I rly dig the mixture of classic rock ideas and punkier lyrics. Highlights: I Am Damo Suzuki, My New House
Meh. Bitch asked to change
People who like The Fall really like The Fall. I'm only dipping into Smith's world here, and on first impression I can see where they're coming from, but I'm not there yet.
Sort of a weak 3 but there were a few songs I enjoyed peppered in there. All the others were not for me.
Musically very engaging and intricate. Vocally, not so much which is what's keeping this from a higher score. Favorite track: Barmy
This is very fun. Not all super memorable, but parts are really good. I like this.
6.5/10 Best songs: Bombast, L.A., Vixen, I Am Damo Suzuki, Rollin' Dani Some really interesting tracks interspersed among a bunch of frankly repetitive and dull ones. This is clearly somewhere in the punk/new wave spectrum - made during that indefinable period in the late 70s/early 80s where the two genres were just sorting themselves out. Worth listening to, but I feel like there are stronger albums from this period that accomplish the same things this one does a little better.
Like every Fall song, great musicians while Mark E Smith talks complete bollox
Rating:★★★
I am not familiar with this band, so this was a great discovery. I am not really into punk music, but the tracks are catchy and have a nice groove. Favorite tracks : Mansion, Spoilt Victorian Child
The Fall are hugely influential, deeply respected, and beloved by a dedicated minority—including some Gen Xers—but they were never a broadly popular Gen X band. They remain a fringe, cult institution, not a generational favorite. The Fall were easy to miss and impossible to fully grasp — even in the 1980s — unless you happened to fall directly into their strange gravitational field. I guess I'm in good company. Tons of 80s kids didn’t discover them until the 90s, 2000s, or even later. The Fall were never a mainstream band; they were a cult phenomenon, orbiting punk, post‑punk, indie, and something entirely their own. They had limited radio play. As a CFNY listener can't recall hearing them and they just were not chart-friendly. Mark E. Smith’s vocals were more “angry prophet in a pub” than “Top 40.” Also, the band was a revolving door. Hard to market a group that changed members like socks. The Fall were too weird for punk, too punk for indie, too indie for mainstream. They were also a huge in certain British circles but barely promoted in the US. Mark E. Smith’s brilliant, abrasive, uncompromising personality was not exactly MTV material. Child of the 80s here. I think I know the name The Fall but totally missed them. The Fall weren’t a band you found in the 80s — they were a band you stumbled into, usually because a friend, older sibling, or weird record-store clerk shoved them at you. Without that social vector, they stayed hidden in plain sight.
Could never get into The Fall but this does have some moments
Just okay
Nice, made a change.
Interesting. Some songs I liked better than others. The band's style is cool, but I didn't find any song that blew my mind.
The best of the 3 albums I've so far heard from this band, but I really didn't like the first two. This one's passable, at least on first listen.
Disco monótono, pero buen sonido.
već sam bio preslušao jedan njihov album i tada sam napisao nešto u stilu "muzika dobra, glas sputava". moglo bi se donekle reći da mi je i dojam ovog albuma sličan, premda mi glas nije toliko smetao (no nije me dakako nimalo impresionirao), a ni glazba mi nije bila ništa posebno. prva stvar, instrumental, jako dobra i nakon toga polako pada u vode iz koje tu i tamo izranja na momente. objektivne zamjerke mogu se uputiti samom zvuku (produkciji? studiju?) jer zvuči kao da je snimano na krumpiru. da ne volim post-punk, vjerojatno bi mi album bio zakurac. ovako mi je prosječno dobar, ali ništa posebno. dakle trojčičica
It was OK. Better than expected.
Every song was super repetitive. Enjoyable enough, but nothing super notable Favorite Songs: What You Need, Spoilt Victorian Child
Für schlechte Zeiten im Leben
Alright, time to reevaluate the Fall. I got this band's debut album, Live at the Witch Trials, over a year ago and didn't really care for it that much. I definitely wasn't excited to listen to anything more from this band, but I wasn't dreading it either. I especially wasn't dreading This Nation's Saving Grace since I've heard that that's one of their best albums. So, do I love the Fall now? No. I still don't love this, but I get the appeal and I can see why one would call this album a must-listen. There are some genuinely strong parts to this album. The music is probably the best part. The sound that these guys have on this album is a fairly standard post-punk affair, but it's pretty cool. I feel like this album's material is more catchy than that other album's material, which I barely remember. There are some cool songs on here. I though "L.A." and "Paintwork" were pretty good. There's clearly some musical talent here. However, there are still elements that I don't care for. I'm still not huge on Mark E. Smith's voice. It's fine. I don't hate his voice. He's far from the worst post-punk vocalist out there, but I don't get much out of his voice either. The same goes for the writing. It's not bad at all, but I wish there was a bit more meat on the bones. This Nation's Saving Grace is definitely a solid album, but it's also not one that I'm super impressed by. I get why people love this as much as they do, but I just don't think I'm a huge fan of the Fall, and I don't think that third album will change my mind. High 3/5.
I own this one and have listened to it multiple times but still feel like I need to listen more closely.
Not my genre but not horrible
Not bad, just quite mediocre. 3/5
3.5
Their most accessible?
Was okay, had some entertaining tracks. Worth a gander
It's like halfway between accessible and experimental. I get both Public Image Ltd. and Pixies vibes from this band because of the singer's vocal rambling and atmospheric production. The record does start well with a nice instrumental track. An aside, but is this what post-punk is? Taking the simple, DIY principles of punk and adding a more experimental edge to it (i.e. making songs longer or incorporating instrumental sections)?
Eh, fine pub music.
probably the most listener-friendly entry from the fall on this list, there's some cool stuff on here that sounds like a sort of demented new wave band. unfortunately that good stuff is outweighed by a lot of stuff that i still find pretty hard to listen to. off kilter vocals, some instrument perfomances that may make you cringe. the album also sort of overstays its welcome. if it was trimmed a little bit, it might have been a star up for me.
No se, me pasa que tampoco logro entender bien que genero es. Siento que es estilo de La Grange pero más under. Igual no me disgusta. Pero no me parece nada wow. 6/10
Listenable.
Not bad - wasn't too long, wasn't overly annoying. Post Punk is not something I'd turn to all the time, but if these songs came up on shuffle I wouldn't fuss about it. Definitely need to hear more of The Fall but I've enjoyed this one.
Album good, Vixen great.
Good
En 1985, The fall, un groupe de punk à ce que j'ai pu comprendre, a sortit l'album : '' This Nation’s Saving Grace ''. Je que j'en ai penser ? J'mattendais pas à du punk ! Les instruments ressort très bien à travers des morceaux. C'est pas très intense non plus, ça s'écoute quand même bien. Mais j'dirais que les amateurs hardcore de punk aimerais plus que moi. J'ai pas détester non plus, loin de la. Ça ma plonger dans l'année 85 avec autre chose de ce qu'on entend de ces années la normalement. C'est l'fun d'aller ailleurs dans ces années la. Une belle découverte en générale.
Muy buenas!!! Al parecer me gusta el punk ?
First time listening to a The Fall album in full. Enjoyed the post-punk anarchic energy. Reminded me of Pixies, if you transplanted them from Boston to Manchester and replaced the throat singing with drunk in the pub rambling. Overly long though.
This was okay.
Es geht, aber bestimmt nicht Weltklasse.
I'm going to be generous due to the age of this album. It might have been very fresh and influential when released. When listening now I find it similar to many other bands of that decade and afterwards. I suspect lovers of indie music rate it highly.
I’d describe this album as noisy and punk-driven, with some electronic inflections. On paper, it’s the kind of thing that would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it didn’t really do much for me. Still, an enjoyable listen overall.
In my opinion if you've heard one The Fall album you've heard almost all of them. I think this is mostly due to Mark E. Smith's voice and way of 'talk singing'. This is good example of The Fall and it's not that bad of an album. I think there are better examples of 'post-punk' but if you're a fan of Mark E Smith and The Fall you will have already heard this album.
Ah - I immediately clocked yet another clear influence onJames Murphy and LCD Soundsystem. Especially, again, in the lead singer’s style (here, it’s Mark Smith.) I appreciate the Fall’s weirdness and post-punkiness. I don’t think I’ll necessarily be reaching for this one again, though.
I can see how they were important and influential but I wouldn’t necessarily listen to this again
This album didn’t really do much for me. Not bad, but not spectacular.
I don't really like the Fall, and sometimes I find Mark E Smith insufferable. But I really liked this record: pummelling, edgy, askew, catchy, ramshackle, kick ass guitars. Sure, there are several I would skip, but good stuff
I thought I would've liked the Fall. Odd post punk, mostly the project of one trenchcoated Mark E. Smith. When I got the book many years ago, I saw the Fall a few times in there, and I'd heard the name in passing. And I like strange music. So I gave it a listen a different times over the years. I never latched on to it. This is one of their most accessible albums. And I hear that, all while still retaining their character. It's respectable...and I still don't care much for it. The best I can give this one is a 3. I'm not annoyed by it, but I'm not seeking out any more Fall albums to listen to.
It's like a 5-star demo tape. There are great concepts in here, but none of them feel fleshed out to their maximum potential. Also the mixing is atrocious, it's impossible to hear what the singer is saying in some parts.
Nog wel nice postpunk
The Fall is one of those bands that I should really like. I am a big fan of punk and post punk but I've never been able to really get into The Fall still a solid album
I remember hearing Hex Enduction Hour at some point when I was younger and thinking that The Fall might be a band I'd like to get into more. I'm not sure what happened between now and then. This didn't do much for me. I think that once you hear the Mark E Smith vocal in one song that is it for the rest of them. I think The Fall are worth knowing about in some capacity. I don't know if this particular album is the one I would put on the list.
standard british post-punk. highlights: - What you need - nice baseline - Could’nt get ahead
"Spoil victorian child" it's good. Not in my chord, but a good album
Not bad. ★★★
Pretty catchy but it just didn’t really grab me. Probably needs a relisten.
It's a 3.5
Wasn't expecting to enjoy this, as UK post-punk is not my scene, but there are a few great songs on this album. Feels a bit like if the Velvet Underground were a bunch of drunks from Manchester. 3⭐️
When I create things I do whatever I want. I never hold back or placate an instinct. Is this a good thing? I also disparage and rarely share what I produce. It’s a question of trust by the artist to an extent, plus a willingness by the listener to accept what may rub them backwards as a part of the experience. I am willing.
As a fan of obnoxious/annoying music, I enjoy The Fall. Some great tracks here, but too long and too many clankers to score high as an album.
I quite like Tge Fall, but this is all a bit samey for me.
It's kinda whatever
Good, but not great.
There’s some good energy on here! Some clunkers too unfortunately. I didn’t like the opening track so I was worried, but ended up being a bit of a bop.
Post punk and I are not friends, so I'm pleasantly surprised I didn't hate this. I didn't like it that much either, but there were some tracks I did enjoy. "Spoilt Victorian Child" will be stuck in my head for weeks, and I can't say I'm mad about it. I also found myself liking "Mansion" and "Petty (Thief) Lout." This album is definitely too long and a little too same-y at times, but it's good enough. Considering how influential The Fall are, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this isn't terrible.
Suitably edgy and revolutionary in terms of tone. A joy to listen to while drunk. Feels like I’m breaking the rules.
I've never liked The Fall because I don't like Mark E. Smith's voice, nasal tones, inflections or the way he talks most of the lyrics. It's their style and clearly some people like that... but I don't. His voice ruins songs that I would otherwise probably like.
Truly the wildest and weirdest post-punk I had to hear from this list. So much that I find it quite hard to describe as a whole. I don't think just saying that it is a mixture of different ideas would make it justice, so I'll try to describe each song, even though I can't really describe good enough the peculiarity of this project: The album starts with "Mansion" a short and melodic intro that doesn't really do anything particularly impressive. The first real song of the album is "Bombast", a very groovy cut that has some incredibly powerful choruses, in which the instruments gives their most noisy and explosive performances. Then comes "Barny" which keeps alternating between some nice sounding verses and some very eerie and weird interludes. As the song progresses, the verses also incorporate some elements, like the very dissonant piano in the middle of the track. Next is "What You Need" which is maybe one of the stalest songs, as it introduces some mediocre guitars and bass lines that stay unvaried through the whole track with some buried voices chanting over them that feel like they are trying to be anthemic, but they fail. Thankfully, "Spoilt Victorian Child" elevates the energy thanks to the added attitude. Besides, it has an interesting interlude towards the middle, but then comes back to the main themes. Afterwards is "L.A.", probably my favourite track. Loved the sound of the bass and the chord progression. Doesn't do anything weird of super interesting, but I think is super satisfying to listen to. Following the previous one comes "Gut of the Quantifier" with some nice, catchy riffs and vocal melodies yet not being the most memorable one. "My New House" is the next track and it feels quite uncanny. The instruments seem to be bit out of tune and instead of feeling messy, they add a very tense sensation to the track. The 9th song, "Paintwork" has some pleasant and even I'll say cute and happy melodies, but I also think it is a bit repetitive and long, as there is not really anything more going on than the main melodies repeating in the verses with the addition of the choruses. The second to last track "I Am Damo Suzuki" has to be the weirdest part of the project, as the super eerie guitars with reverb create the gloomiest atmosphere of them all. Finally, the album finishes with "To Nk Roachment: Yarbles", a song that reuses the main melody of the intro but now has some very depressing lyrics. In addition, I'll need to add that the whole whole album features some of the weirdest lyrics I've ever read. So overall, despite some weak cuts, I think it is a rather challenging and unique experience. Do I feel like coming back to it? Not really. Still a good album though.
I love all the Punk/rock lately. Almost delves into some New Wave sounds.
Not bad, the riff in these songs were awesome everything else was just fine.
Fine
Some post-punk (Pere Ubu) is unabashedly art-rock, primarily taking their leads from Television, while new-wave outfits like Blondie embrace a more pop-oriented sound. The Fall falls somewhere between art and pop, not an avant-garde explosion - instrumentally they're too friendly, too in-a-groove and corporeally sensible - yet too obscure lyrically to be considered a pop band thru and thru: 'Musical chairs rouge cheeks he remembers / Thru' the aqueducts of five years'; 'On an Asiatic plane / W/ wings not of grain.' That balance ought to be something we celebrate, and this record has moments worthy of praise, but listening to this often felt like I was being washed over by an unplanned indecisiveness: an absence of meaning, purposeful spirit.
Drunken, rambling UK post-punk. Manic and erratic, not really my thing, but I'll admit it makes for a pretty fun listen.
This was ok. Passed me by a bit and won't be on regular rotation, but I kind of enjoyed it
A longer album (at least on Spotify). More my vibe than a lot of what I get but the album stayed around longer than I needed.
the tribute to Damo Suzuki and Can is cute
what you need got very repetitive very fast
An enjoyable listen but too long in my opinion, a bit of filler here and there
The very definition of "Cult album" Intense ragged, noisy with a Gome made aesthetic. An acquired taste.
Fun, post punk new wave, couple of fun tracks (dany a stand-out)
I do enjoy post punk, and I did enjoy this album, too.
enjoyable
There’s something about the particular combination of punk and New Wave sounds that works here. But the songs largely fail to be engaging or memorable. Not essential.
This was good. It reminds me of The Vasalines.
Immediately could tell Green Day was inspired by this band’s music (their album cover as well). Really liked this vibe even if it’s clear this was the beginning of the punk genre. Very fun and catchy tracks here with awesome vocals. Guitar riffs are cool but get repetitive when the song is 5 minutes or more. Regardless, I liked a lot do what The Fall is doing here and it really is cool to hear the start of a whole genre being developed.
Overall rating by me: 6/10 Songs added to the playlist: ,,Vixen", ,,Rollin' Dany", ,,Cruiser's Creek" Notes: Very smooth rock but joyful. Liked the vibe, but sadly many of the songs didn't really fit my taste.
Mid-80’s lite punk
Not unenjoyable.
When I saw another British Post Punk album, I thought I’d check out a couple songs then bail on it, like some of the other ones I’ve gotten. It wasn’t that bad, but it being longer than an hour finally wore on me. 2.5 / 5
Undoubtedly a big influence on some bands I really like, I've never made much of an effort with the Fall in the past, but I could see this growing on me with multiple listens. Gut of the Quantifier & the concurrent single Cruiser's Creek stood out and Paint Work is fascinating!
Another highly influential album by another highly influential band I hadn't actually bothered to listen to before. This is a cool one because you can genuinely hear what all the bands who cite them as a influence took from The Fall. Avante garde punkish with scattershot, well-read lyrics. Also Mark E Smith is one of the all time, seemingly, insufferable witty misanthropes. I knew about that without having heard much by The Fall, who have an entire Wikipedia entry devoted to all the different band members, which is nuts. That said being said I didn't love the album.It gets a bit same-y for the full run of the album and the vocals are a bit monotonous, but there are songs I'll definitely go back for and I'm interested in checking out more stuff from their staggeringly large discography.
Lead singer sounds like Austin powers. Felt like my ears were being attacked. Paintwork felt like a half finished song.
I’d be really enjoying the intro, then the singer starts yelling again and I’d have to fight to not skip to the next song. 3/5 bc I liked these instrumentals more than Lorde
It was fine
A high three, almost 4 star listen. I think I could get into The Fall.
Each song just repeats itself and you get sick of them after 30 seconds each
Like British grunge? Not bad but not great
Definitely punk. You can hear how this influenced later bands
This album is simultaneously excellent and grating. There are a lot of cool riffs and driving songs. You can hear where Sonic Youth and their ilk got their inspiration. At the same time, there is little variation within the songs. They find something that works and beat it to death
I love post punk but I search for more dark atmosphere and melodies. A lot of song here were repetitive but over all enjoyable album for me.
6/10 - Thought this would be hardcore punk but a pleasant surprise
Sounds like punk or early alternative music. Reminds me a bit of The Pixies. Pretty good listen. The songs kind of started to hook me. This might be a 4 with more listens.
I felt like I should like this more than I did. But, I might also be suffering from some burn out in the 1001 Albums Winter of British Post-Punk.
This one was kind of frustrating because it kept giving me tip of the tongue syndrome without being able to specifically point at which bands certain songs kept making me think of. Frank Black's talk-singing over some Pixie tracks? Maybe. The ominous guitars from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club? Maybe it's actually the Stooges that's making me think of. No, wait... Or maybe the nonsensical lyrics are more King Missile? Then you get to 'Paintwork' and it feels like a catchier, updated Velvet Underground. Or maybe these guys are a bit Velvet Underground-ish in how many bands they might have been ahead of in their improv-ish but still holding together sound. I'm not sure I actually enjoyed it beyond the more accessible tracks ('Paintwork' for sure) - or the brain teaser of trying to figure out the influences/influenced.
Meh
some good tracks, but some really lacklustre ones too imo. classic punk albums are always worth the listen though!
Okayish
Enjoyed but slightly repetitive
Each song is a little too repetitive, and the album goes on about 20 minutes too long, but the bass sound is nice and the melodies are actually pretty good. 3.0/5.0: Good
this easily couldve been 4 or 5 stars if they tightened it up. as it stands its a bit of a mess that drags on for way longer than it should. one of the songs is literally just the opener with added vocals and a few other layers.
3 - kinda all over the place but overall I enjoyed it
Rollin' Dany is the only track on this album that I really enjoyed. Aside from that, and some of the simplistic riffs that I quite liked, I found the whole thing pretty boring.
Ok
*1985. English post-punk band. *This is the Fall's 8th studio album - I've never heard of The Fall or any of them. *I've tried to listen to this a couple of times. It starts out with a moody, creepy cool song with no lyrics. Then we get into the British post-punk world where it sounds like it could be any garage band ever. RATING - 6/10
Interesting, groovy, weird. Kinda punk? Not much to the lyrics. Repetitive, sounds like a long jam-session.
never heard of the fall but this was all right. that riff from barmy sounds uncannily similar to the one from valleri by the monkees. like so many albums, this started strong but lost me after the big single, at which point i wasn't even halfway through. i thought punk albums were supposed to be like 35 minutes long max? favorites: mansion, bombast, barmy, l.a.
fine.
It's fine😼
This is like the soundtrack to my late onset teenage rage. Enjoyed the second half much more than the first.
Post punk see.s like punk-lite. Not pop, but missing the punk bite. This was a bland, though not bad album.
Not really my vibe tho I can see how some of my favorite artists may have been influenced by this type of music
Jag tror ändå jag gillar det här. Det finns en del rätt medryckande postpunkriff, till exempel Barmy, What you need, LA och Mansion. Även om många av låtarna innehåller sång, eller åtminstone mummel, blir det mer som instrumental musik för mig. Det vokala är antingen bara otydligt eller ligger långt bak i ljudbilden. Sällan det går att uppfatta mer är enstaka textfraser. Men jag uppfattar i alla fall I got everything I want except for money.
This is probably the first old-school punk I have listened too. It is kind of fun, but very rambly and weird, the songs all sound the same. Songs I liked -Bombast
It felt like I was listening to a punky "The Clash: vibe sometimes, with other songs being like Johnny Cash but like he wasn't really trying and breathing heavy into the mic LOL but I did like it enough to listen, just wasn't the BIGGEST fan in the world.
New wave, post punk work that holds on to some punk attitude. In the vein of the stooges. Also seems like an early foundation for alt rock and others. I love the signature extra syllables of the singer.
There were some duds, but some of this had the same appeal as Velvet Underground (e.g. Vixen) or The Replacements. Its crass, its punk, I can rock to it With that said, this album lacks tracks that vary enough to keep me interested after the first minute expires (something those other accessible bands figured out) Its worth digging up the wiki for this album and reading what James Murphy of LCD had to say.
Some melodies are nice, but I'm so bored with sound and especially tons of overrepetition... Why?
Not bad.
Amongst all the British punk rock bands, The Fall is one of them. The avant-gardish playing set them apart enough from other bands, but not enough to elevate this to a great album.
Kinda liked some of it but the 6 minute tracks were hard to chew through.
Vintage NME slop (complimentary)
3.5/5
Decent not so hardcore punk band
Kind of a punk – grunge sound but nothing really memorable from this album. Worth a listen but nothing to get excited about
I don't know... This was weird but I Linda enjoyed it!
These guys shat out an album like once a year for 30-something years, one was bound to hit
My first time listening to The Fall. Decent punk album I suppose. I don’t love it but I don’t hate it. I’ll listen again, maybe it’ll grow on me. We’ll see.
I absolutely love some of this, but I absolutely hate the rest. Why is "My New House" 5 minutes long?
This was generated for me right after The Saints' "Eternally yours", which had been released 8 years prior. It's fair to say punk hadn't really evolved an awful lot in those 8 years. Well, this is a bit more rough and experimental, in fairness. And it has Mark E. Smith.
It had glimpses of something that I would have liked better. Lots of things there that I enjoy, but it seemed to stutter throughout and not quite get there.
A couple of toe-tappers.
The album started out pretty strong, and I liked the post-punk sound right off the bat. It has that gritty, experimental edge that made The Fall stand out from other bands of the time. There’s a rawness to it that works really well in the beginning. About halfway through, though, it started to wear me down. The songs blur together after a while, and the album just goes on longer than it needs to. It loses some of that early momentum and starts to feel repetitive instead of unpredictable. Still, there’s no denying the band’s influence and unique sound. This Nation’s Saving Grace has its moments, but trimming it down a bit would have made it hit a lot harder.
Y'know? It's interesting, and got a kinda fun energy.
I want to like this more than I do. There are moments where the bass grooves hard and the call-and-response female vocals almost edge toward a B-52s vibe, but the mix feels heavy and claustrophobic. I respect the attitude and the off-kilter energy, but it never quite grabs me. Interesting, occasionally fun, but more curiosity than connection.
3.0 - Ok
Found it to be a bit too long which made it have diminishing returns. But there’s some good stuff here. 3/5
Great Songs: Cruiser's Creek Good Songs: Bombast, Barmy, What You Need, Spoilt Victorian Child, Vixen, Couldn't Get Ahead, Gut of the Quantifier, I Am Damo Suzuki, Petty (Thief) Lout Mid Songs: L.A., My New House, Paintwork, To Nk Roachment: Yarbles, Rollin' Dany Bad Songs: Mansion
That's a nice album.
I liked this album until I didn't-- it kind of dragged on with the same one-trick pony. The guitars are groovy and old school and have simple hooks, and the vibes verge on dark and gothic. Chaos is introduced by way of the vocals, which are loud and unhinged, except they continually just repeat the song title over and over in multiple songs. The album is just too long without a lot of change in formula or tempo. It's a good sound but starts to slog on.
This album is a bit too noisy and busy for my taste. I can’t tell what it is exactly, maybe it’s muddy production, maybe it’s the songwriting itself, but it feels very messy. I’m sure that was the intention, but it does kind of become just noise to me at points. I also think that many of the songs go on a bit longer than they need to. I might be able to appreciate it more if I listened to the album a few more times. I don’t think that the unconventional vocal style is as bad as some say it is, it’s post-punk, not exactly known for being typical. That is one thing I’ll hand the album, though, it is pretty creative. 3/5
Was alright some songs felt like if there some tweaks i would had enjoyed them
If you listen to The Fall three times, stand up four. I’m sorry, I was really reaching with that one, but I promise I tried. Anyway, TNSG will be my third and final album by The Fall to review. I didn’t care much for Live at The Witch Trials, but I found The Infotainment Scan to be pretty enjoyable. Given those mixed results, I have no idea how I’ll feel about this album, but I’m ready to jump in! I’d put TNSG squarely between the other two albums of theirs. The overall sound on this album was pretty enjoyable, and I did like the way that The Fall would use one main riff on each song, and build everything else around it. In a few instances, those riffs were really great and incredibly catchy, but most of the time, they were just fine. It was an interesting way to construct this album musically, and it’s a shame that the standout songs were harder to come by. Speaking of things that repeated, I enjoyed the opening track, “Mansion,” and the same musical motif was used again on the closing track. One of the things that I didn’t enjoy on this album was the way the vocals were mostly mumbled and difficult to decipher. I like post punk music that has a political message, but it drives me insane when the lyrics are practically indecipherable. As far as favorite tracks on this album are concerned, I enjoyed “Barmy,” “L.A.,” and “My New House” the most. The main guitar riff on “Barmy” was excellent, and I loved that tinkling keyboard sound too. “L.A.” was my favorite song on the album though. I loved that pulsing sound that was looped throughout the song, and the guitar playing was great too. It was everything I’d want in a post punk song. I really liked the guitar playing on “My New House.” That twangy, metallic guitar sound was awesome, and it made this song really unique. Overall, this album was fine, but I just wish it had been a bit more interesting and unique.
Not bad, not great
Feels like a pretty radio-safe punk release - focus on catchy riffs and memorable vocals. L.A. even has keyboard featured in it. the kind of release you'd have a 50/50 chance of letting it play or change radio stations
Pretty good rock music. I think I would like it more if I listened to it a second time.
Very interesting album. Great band. This is like a 3,7
Ok
Cool album
It’s pretty good. I’ve never heard Them before. It has that post-punk vibe that I like, so I might dive into this and other stuff from them
Every time I listen to this band, I start off wanting more, but eventually they just get fatiguing. It’s like mayonnaise.. I like it, just not by the spoonful.
Sympathiquement déglingué. 3.49 étoiles
I like this as mix tape fodder, but a solid hour of it? That grated on me after a while. Still, I get the relative hype around The Fall. 6/10
I had trouble paying attention to this album but the moments I did focus in I liked it. I just couldn’t latch onto it for what ever reason.
While it may be seen as a great album for others, and there were some good melodies in there, it didn't hit that same level for me as other albums I've listened to so far. It's not a bad album, but it's one of the few I've listened to in this project where I could not for the life of me listen to it in one sitting due to getting almost bored.
No tan bueno como el primero. No me quedo absolutamente nada. Nota: 2.7
Second album proposé par le générateur après "The Infotainment Scan' qui ne m'avait pas convaincu (noté 2/5), en particulier à cause du chant. L'accompagnement est aussi intéressant dans ce second album, il est très original et parfois dissonant. La structure des morceaux n'est pas vraiment standard, ce qui m'a poussé à vouloir découvrir la suite. Le chant n'est lui toujours pas terrible, mais l'originalité du reste me l'a presque fait oublier. Il est donc probable que je le ré-écoute ! =>3/5
Musically pretty good, actually quite enjoyed much of it. Vocals are a bit wavy.
8th album of a band I've never heard before in my life. Very Clash-y. Could've used a trim.
pretty good, pretty standard british rock
This is a nice cross section the 80's post-punk scene. It's so very familiar. A bonus that it's been the perfect backdrop to my workday.
In many ways I struggle with the fall, instrumentally they’re great, and they’re a huge inspiration on my favourite band, suede, especially on their latest albums which I love BUT mark E smith is an acquired taste isn’t he? I want to like him I do normally like spoken word vocals but there’s something different about this, and the albums hella long. I’m gonna give it another go as I want to fall in love with it but 3/5 for now
Very diverse post-punk jams.
This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall [1001 albums]: 7/10, Kind of blending the styles of punk and post-punk, this is a very 80's pop approach to post-punk that delivers well in sound but lacks a bit in songwriting. This is the most out there album I've heard yet on the 1001 albums list, but it doesn't exactly leverage that chaos to create interesting songs, but rather to create a fun, off-kilter punk vibe. The vocalist sounds like he's drunk and unsure as to what song he's singing and I really like that, it really adds to the funny elements of the chaos. If the songs were a bit more technically focused or emotionally impactful, I could really connect with this, but as it is it stands as just a pretty great mid 80's punk vibe.
Post-imperial noir
Not too bad, but not super interesting.
I see why people love them
I know of this band. My ex was in their cult. This album is nothing more than okay at best. The 60s garage sound I like, but seems like they manage to diverge from it just enough to become 'meh'. It's a mix of good songs and terrible ones, but, ultimately, all were forgettable. Maybe I'm being harsh because my ex was a pretentious twat, but that's what it is. Music for pretentious twats. (And if that isn't convincing, my ex went to see Einstürzende Neubauten) I would not actively put this album on, but admittedly wouldn't turn it off either.
Hyper prometteur au début mais très vite lassant avec des chansons trop longues sans changement de rythme.
I was not familiar with this band but it was cool to see how much they have influenced other band I am more familiar with. I could really hear it through several of the songs - notably (for me) was “My New House”.
enjoyed the listen but nothing really to add
Fontaine type beat
Started off strong - I was getting into it. Then towards the end the songs got incredibly repetitive and screechy as if they ran out of steam Hard to rate so I'll go down the middle and give 3 ⭐️
hee vlt de 13 jährig, biz rockigeri neduzen wär ume gsi für das. irgendwie au na biz punky vibes. falls pönks wärid und es live konzert gid, wäri ume zu sound aber zum eifach gnüsse, eher njet. also 2 oder 3 anarchistischi verschiebigsdate für das. update. Ja es sind manchaster punks. aso chum gämmer ufgrundeti 3 antipünkt
Lite repetitiv, men ganska bra. 3
Man, I feel like this could have been so great. Some pretty good moments, but they dont seem to last. 3/5
This is the Fall I knew and never quite connected with. It's a thing, very British and a cult rather than a musical following.
Meh forgettable
Really enjoyed the opening track but didn't feel much grabbed me strongly after that. Had a lot that I could get into (post punk sound, Manchester accents, and so on) but I think it would take a few listens to really appreciate.
I will base my review on the cassette and CD tracklist. With my second album from The Fall, I am slowly realizing that my feelings with This Nation's Saving Grace are roughly the same as they were with The Infotainment Scan. There are some genuinely catchy guitar riffs and punchy rhythm section compositions throughout the record, complemented by some light synthesizer fare to add to the manic nature. Tracks like "Bombast", "L.A.", and "Paintwork" have such a grooving, robust musical foundation to build upon. Yet, once again, I find Mark E. Smith as a vocalist to be someone I respect more than like. He does his damndest to invoke the grimy urban decay that he must have felt persisted through England at the time. But his thick, slurry accent, thoroughly abstract lyrics, and liberal use of regional slang left me at a distance from enjoying him in front of some genuinely intriguing experimental instrumentation in the background. What doesn't help matters is that this album runs longer than The Infotainment Scan did, and when you're struggling to connect with this band on a deeper level because of the frontman, then those extra minutes become difficult to bear. I still consider The Fall to be a good band, and I think this album is decent. Just be sure to temper your expectations.
Started off strong but was too long and too much of the same. Really thought id like this more than I did
Cooking in some songs ngl but also a lot of mid. Favourite Song: Gut of the Quantifier Honourable Mention: Cruiser's Creek
Eventually listened to this. I was strangely hooked quite early on. I've never been the biggest fan of The Fall but I am gradually warming to them. Good album.
I've never heard of this band. Granted, I'm sure there are tons of mid-80's Brit punk bands that have flown under my radar, but it still surprises me that this generator manages to churn out something that I've not heard of in a genre I actually generally like. Anyway, I don't know that I'll have a ton of comments for this record beyond just that it's decent enough. I don't know that I feel the need to dive into a second spin through it, but I like it alright. Maybe this record has a cult following for fans of the genre? I don't know, but I could see it. For me, it's probably the definition of a 3-star record. Listenable and even enjoyable, but not compelling enough for repeat listens. 3/5
It’s fine
Interesting.
Fairly cool punk album, with lots of originality and cool sounds. I'm not sure I have a ton to say about it, but might go back to this one. High 3/5.
Decent 80s punk album
This one has an extra cup of smarmy, British tea to it... which I quite enjoy!
Easy enough to listen to
Solides Rock Album mit rauchen aber unspektakulären Songs.
I've fallen three times now and I can't get up
This was all over the place. I did like a lot of it, but as an entire album, it just didn't work for me.
I understand how this album could be influential. It has some really good ideas and interesting things going on. However though I felt as if the album was too bloated, too long, too repetitive, and just didn’t hook me.