Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Yikes. This made me question if I even like music at all.
If I were really drunk and stumbled into a 4 am bar, I'd probably love this band. The vocalist sounds like he's been punched in the face a lot, which makes me wonder if he sings like that because he's been punched in the face so much, or if he gets punched in the face so much because he sings like that. I did sort of like the first track, but there were no vocals. If I were making a horror film, I'd probably try to use that track in it.
it's got some real pop chops but it's kinda punk combined with avant/art rock lyrical musings that aren't really sung as they are declared. Some songs kind of remind me of Velvet Underground. So many catchy riffs... I really like it! Rollin' Dany is one song tha comes close to a conventional song, kind of sounds psychobilly. Other faves are Spoilt Victorian Child, L.A. Gut of the Quantifier, Paintwork, and I Am Damo Suzuki.
Unremarkable.
This sucked. There’s no other way to put it. A majority of the songs are just 5 minutes of them saying the song title over and over and over again. Hated it
I was not familiar at all with this artist. At first, a lot of the tracks seemed repetitive and had a similar formula. Vocals lacked clarity in places. On the second time through I found it more interesting and I liked a handful of tracks. Great bass line in Bombast. Overall I thought Side 2 was stronger than Side 1. Worth another dive at some point. 2.5/5 rounding up
I was always aware of The Fall, but somehow missed them. Which is even more surprising given they had 31 albums from the time they began thru 2017. Clearly operating as a true underground cult band. I found this album a bit scattered, most likely due to the caustic and erratic vocal stylings. But did enjoy its simple post-punk feel overall.
These guys subscribe to a simple two step process to writing songs. Step one: find a groove, even if it’s unremarkable. Step two: do not leave that groove. Sort of indifferent about this album overall and don’t think I’ll revisit it. Lots of tracks felt skippable, but there were definitely some I enjoyed. Middle of the road for me.
It’s fine. Kinda dragged on. 2.75
I want to like this album. And maybe I would after another listen. I like some of the guitar grooves but the vocals threw me off in pretty much every song. I’m sure fans would say the vocal style is a feature and not a bug, but I’m just not feeling it. 2.5/5
Parts of this really get going, but it feels weirdly inaccessible to me, despite my long-standing love of post-punk. Not sure why.
It's great that we got Joy Division and The Fall back to back! Joy Division singlehandedly originated all the post-punk of today I love, and The Fall singlehandedly originated all the post-punk of today I hate.
This album is not this nation's saving grace.
very good stuff
The Fall strikes again. It's hard to miss with dark, moody, British post-punk - especially with the bass mixed all the way up.
Yet another example of the idea that if you put Mark E. Smith on an album, it’s hard for it to miss.
I've loved post-punk since I was like 13 but it took me until my mid-twenties to "get" the Fall. They grow on you until you wish every band sounded like them.
jarring and spotty, hometown sloppy genius poetry with some standout moments and some bits you have to fast forward
Crunchy
Maybe original at the time.
Mais um post-punk sem nenhuma relevância para mim.
Rubbish
Goths in the 1980s had it rough.
Habían pasado muy pocos años de la explosión del punk y sus influencias en The Fall son evidentes. Pero ya mediados los 80 el grupo mancuniano practica un rock experimental y alternativo con personalidad propia. Canciones como "Barmy", "What You Need" o la poderosa "Gut of the Quantifier" invitan a saltar en la pista de baile siguiendo el manual "stomper" animados por una mezcla hilarante de rabia y sátira. En este disco, además, consiguen con "L.A." y su primer experimento con la electrónica uno de sus grandes éxitos.
This was cool — old school, punk, rough around the edges. Did not catch much of the lyrics (listened mostly in the gym) but enjoyed the music.
Musically interesting, lyrically dense; much better than I expected, but still far from perfect; probably a band that will pop up again, although there is (in my opinion) more deserving artists. A tricky one to score, but for the music and the influence, I'm going to round up, rather than down.
the fall are very good. also very cool. very good and very cool.
I have not heard of this band before. I think this is my first time listening to the genre of post punk. I’m not sure I really like it, it was okay. No songs stood out to me on this album; some instrumentals were catchy though. My least favorite songs were: Bombast, and paintwork. I don’t think I will listen again.
Pretty decent punk.
i’m a big fan of punk but this wasn’t my favorite. one or two songs were okay but that’s about it
Pas mon genre.
Mark E. Smith doing Mark E. Smith things.
Muistaakseni hyvin rönsyilevä kokonaisuus, mutta silti varsin viihdyttävä.
En hehkuttelis
It's fine. Not mind-blowing, but not as bad or annoying as most of the stuff I've heard.
Ret tæt mellem en 4'er og en 5'er faktisk. Den er rigtig fed!!
Kom først til at høre den i en 20-minutter-længere udgave på Spotify som havde ekstranumre ikke kun til sidst men også i midten af pladen, smh. Hørte den igen As God Intended. Elsker begge udgaver tbh.
Nothing really stood out here. It was fine. Sounded a little too similar overall.
I think the fall suck. Obnoxious vocals ruin what could be passable music
Hey at least it isn’t the usual grating post-punk garbage. 2.09
Not sure how this band got two albums on this list. Not sure why I got them both within a week either.
01) Mansion - 7,0 02) Bombast - 5,0 03) Barmy - 6,5 04) What You Need - 5,0 05) Spoilt Victorian Child - 5,0 06) L.A. - 7,5 07) Vixen - 5,5 08) Couldn't Get Ahead - 6,5 09) Gut of the Quantifier - 5,5 10) My New House - 5,5 11) Paintwork - 7,5 12) I Am Damo Suzuki - 6,5 13) To Nkroachment: Yarbles - 6,5 14) Petty (Thief) Lout - 7,0 15) Rollin' Dany - 5,5 16) Cruiser's Creek - 7,5 TOTAL: 6,22 (62/100) "Hey Mark! You're spoiling all the paintwork!" At the end, I liked it more than I thought I would. Now I feel I rated some albums much higher than this one and liked them less... Best songs, in my opinion, are "LA", "Paintwork" and "Cruiser's Creek".
Ni siquiera lo recuerdo demasiado.
Al principio 10 después me cansa
This album is weird. A little Strat Cats. A little early B52s. Sorta punk. Sorta ska. Sometimes vicals. Other times not. Didn't hate it. Don't like it.
This Nation's Saving Grace is the eighth album by the English post-punk band the Fall. Widely considered their best album, it sports phenomenal production and catchy guitar hooks. It's more pop-oriented and accessible to the mainstream listener. For the most part, I liked this album. It sounded great and was fun to listen to. Fans of punk or pop music will not be disappointed listening to this album.
Not my sort of thing. Bit bleak and droney
Quite liked the riffs n rock. Voice a bit annoying.
A neat mix of punk with some pop influences. Not every track worked for me with some like Couldn't Get Ahead mixing the vocals and music in a way that just missed me, but a lot more had a cool punkish beat with solid sound like Bombast, Spoilt Victorian Child, and L.A. The first 7 tracks were good, then 3 tracks that droned too much, then melody returns and I can enjoy myself, and so the pattern repeats. I wanted to like this more, but after that opening half of the album the back half just didn't bring enough to push this above average for me.
This album had some crisp sounds, however musically it was fairly uninteresting. A lot of the songs were extremely repetitive and no part of this album felt like it was adventurous, which is odd for a post-punk album.
Really enjoyed a lot of this. But it needs a few listens
I am familiar with The Fall sort of by osmosis from my other half who is a huge fan of them. I've even been to see them live a couple of times before Mark E. Smith passed away. There are a couple of tracks I like but I've never listened to a whole album, so it was interesting to listen to this one. It's sort of as I thought: There are a couple of tracks I like, a lot I tolerate. I like the "vibe" but it's not something I'd necessarily put on myself. But I appreciate their commitment to being outsiders so I liked it more than an average amount. Basically, what I'm saying is: I'm giving it four stars even though I might not listen to it again!
This is excellent album. It shouldn’t work but it does. Never feel like I know The Fall due to varying styles and breadth of career but would say this is a great place for anyone to start.
mid
Not my thing at all. The singer wasn't my cup of tea either. The coolest song was probably 'To Nkroachment: Yarbles' with the opening bass riff... but not a proper song really with its 1:22 runtime. I think Punk in general isn't really my genre of choice, unless it's exceptionally good or different.
Some songs feel like a punky "Joy Division" ("Barmy", "L.A"...) which was pretty cool. Other felt like unfinished demos from your local band (Vixen). Not all that great but this is not really my style of music. It was a mixed bag but the catchier songs I enjoyed, "Barmy" for example has a great riff. Experimental in a not too good of a way and honestly sounds like a mix between The Pixes, Joy Division and some experimental punk band. More lows the highs but the highs are pretty decent.
Guitar hooks for days! One of my absolute favorite Fall albums. At least 5 songs on the album get stuck in my head every time I listen to it. I’m definitely a fan.
This is more like it. Some catchy riffs, some awesome vocals. This is good stuff. Never heard it before and glad to have discovered this now.
It's OK, just not more than that
I’m a sucker for mess, that’s why I watch Vanderpump with my girl. This is messy and I’m here for it, Mark Smith’s vocal delivery is all over the board, at times he sounds drunk, difficult to really understand, other times poppy and energetic. The band follows suit with their poppy energy shifting to gloom, oftentimes in the same track like on Barmy. It ran a little long but there is a lot to like on Nation’s Saving Grace though I do think it needs a proper listen, I had to run thru it again bc the first listen didn’t truly sink in, a second listen at home with a pint hit much better than the drive to work listen. Great post punk release here. 4 stars
Clearly belongs to the top 5 of best Fall albums, includes LA and Paint Work and lost of other strong songs.
Catchy guitar patterns in repeat and overlayed with murmling vocals. Very entertaining.
At some point I gotta stop diving in so deep into these, and that might be here. I only got through it once and wasn't as focused as I want to be. That's OK. The album itself was fun, I do love me some early punk and I'm assuming this is pretty foundational. I think the length and lack of cohesion put me off a bit. Some tracks are so strong and others are just there. Maybe another listen would give some more context, but I don't have time for that.
I feel like it would be a lot more into this if I could actually hear what the singer was saying. For some reason it's mixed really low against the instrumentation.
Most songs seem to be the same 10 seconds repeated. The lyrics are the album's saving grace and even those are rarely interesting.
Couldn't get into it. The grooves were long and grating. Never heard of the band....which is nuts cuz they have like 30 albums. Then again, punk ain't my thing and I just listened to The Understones yesterday (which I didn't love either) so maybe its just punk fatigue, but I didn't like it. Boring.
Not impressed. There are some great tunes on this album, but then some sound just like a bunch of noise. It may be due to the recording quality. I did not enjoy the flagship song, but other tracks grew on me. Expected Marc rating: 3
Alguns temes estan bé, però acaba cansant molt ràpid. Totes les cançons sonen molt igual. Expected Lorenzo rating: 3
Not bad! Itt reminded me of the B-52's music
Not a huge fan of this album.
I’ve been generates another album by The Fall previously. Looking back at that review, I thought it was rubbish. I can’t say that fills me with hope for today’s album, but I’m certainly wiling to give it a go. If anything, I want it to prove me wrong. I don’t want to listen to rubbish. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Spoilt Victorian Child I write this review the day after listening. I know that yesterday I thought this album was fine and nothing amazing but certainly not awful. However, it seems that it had such little impact on me that I only recall the song mentioned above. Spoilt Victorian child was nice, dirty, angsty punk but beyond that I don’t really know what to say. I can’t say I hated this album. I simply didn’t really notice it, even when listening.
One of the longest hours of my life. Wanting an album to end is not a sign you're enjoying it. It has a couple of better tracks but none were especially memorable to me. Just a useful reminder of why I've tried to get into The Fall before and never managed it.
Thank f&%£ for The Fall.
it was playing and i kept forgetting it was on. not very engaging to me
I consider this revord to be a must listen ,if you want to get introduced to the new wave,post punk era/genre. Great guitar hooks, great drum rhythms,following the classic,and,at the timw,modern, beat. Love the album.
I liked a few songs but overall I’m just not a fan of punk. This just didn’t do it for me.
I quite liked it. It was scatty but stumbled upon greatness at times. Got boring by the end though.
Some catchy riffs. I don't love the vocals, but I feel they're not the main focus, so it's alright. Actually, the vocals are kinda funny sometimes
Slightly poppy, slightly gloomy, post-punk. I liked, but did not love this.
Favourite tracks: barmy; gut of the quantifier
I loved this post-punk record. It sounds so refreshing and new that it is hard to believe that it was made in 1985. Then I saw that the great John Leckie produced this album - it's not a wonder that this album sounds so great.
Auch Krach
This was not my favorite.
This feels like one of those albums that people like just because it's a bit edgy. Didn't really click with me.
I quite like a bit of post-punk. I enjoyed the raw chaos of the tracks. I really enjoyed the track - paintwork! :-)
I really enjoyed this album - I hadn't heard it before! I enjoy a bit of post-punk and I can see how this music could have influenced other bands I love like The Pixies and Blur (and reminds me heaps of the local pub bands I used to go listen to in the mid 00s). I really like the repetitive riffs in each track allowing room for other sounds to be layered and I quite enjoyed the drunken mumbling too! I'll be going back to listen to other albums (there is a few!) Fave track: Mansion / Petty (thief) lout
The Fall was a prolific post-punk band from England. The Nation's Saving Grace is a collection of punk songs with catchy guitar riffs and strong bass lines - punk with a push toward pop sounds.
Repetitive bass heavy post punk
Album 274 of 1001 The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace Rating : 3.5 / 5 Favorite Track : My New House Enjoyed much more than I expected. Nice background noise for what turned to be a morning of sad news. _______________________________________________ This Nation's Saving Grace is the eighth studio album by English post-punk band the Fall, released in 1985. The album emphasizes Brix's pop sensibilities and guitar hooks.
It was fine not my vibe
Shit sucks!
Lieb gemeinte 5 von 10 Punkten weil bestimmt die eine oder andere Band, die ich heute gerne höre, Einfluss von dieser Musik genommen hat und ich die britische Rockmusik sehr schätze. Aber die Lieder sind alle unnötig lang und musikalisch eher unspektakulär. es passiert glaube ich nichts, wenn man diese Platte nicht hört
Kinda dig this. Found it rather enjoyable to listen to. My only big complaint is that the songs were unnecessarily long. I get long songs if you have different themes and they are varied. This just felt like long songs.
It's good. Strangely reminds me of the B-52s. Nothing that outstanding or unique though - everything lately is sort of sounding the same to me. 3 stars.
I think I previously gave a The Fall album a favourable rating because it “wasn’t too bad for a post punk album”. I just don’t like post punk and can’t be arsed to give another 45mins of my life to it today.
I hated this album, but it's not the very worst.
ehh
8/10
Great instrumentals, but the vocals subtract most of the goodwill I had towards this album.
Like a punkier B52s I guess? My issue with it is it's really hard to differentiate one song from another - it all kind of mooshes together. I went from track 12 to 16 in what seemed like no time flat, have no idea where one song stopped and the next began. I could have done without hearing this in my life.
Blegh.
Turns out I like The Fall, who knew?
Very 80's classic post-punk sound. Mark Smith's legacy.
Fun as a time machine listen, not something I would listen to routinely.
Hey, c’est pas mauvais. Mais ils étirent quand même pas mal la sauce, condensée en 40 minutes et t’aurais un gros point de plus
Great stuff. Why have I not heard them before?
Simple punk music with nice guitarwork. Initially it made me think that hey, maybe I like britpunk after all, but eventually the songs merged into a indiscernable blob. Stand-out: Barmy
I like punk/post-punk/new-wave/goth/etc music and so this is right up my alley - that said, the first almost half of the album is way better than the second half. It started to seem a bit repetitive. I think maybe it just goes on too long, and they should have refined it a bit more.
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: It was ok in parts Favourite song: didn’t have one
Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: Minutemen - Anchor Julian Cope - Sunspots XTC - Day In Day Out Pylon - No Clocks Kleenex - Split
not enjoyed
Between this and killing joke, I think I'm really starting to get fully into post-punk. This is less hardcore than killing joke but I think I might like it even more. The bass in each song is killer and the production blows the vocals out of the water throughout the entire runtime. There's also an interesting country/western vibe on a couple of the tracks which was fun. Barmy was probably my favorite but most every song was at least pretty good, spoilt victorian child and rollin dany were also standouts. Even though I think I like this more than killing joke I'm not sure if I'm going to give it a 5 because looking back killing joke was probably only a solid 4 and I got overexcited because I finally liked a post-punk album.
not for me
A couple of enjoyable moments but its too long and sounds quite improvised. I found a review of this album that read "better than the other ones" with 1 star. the person abandoned the list after 8 albums lol.
Lyttede kun lidt, det var ikke mig.
mark e smith and the twangy bunch
I liked this more than the last The Fall album, but I listened to it a week ago so I can't remember much. I know it was pretty good and I liked it tho.... so 3.5 stars?
mid, 2.6
Eh
Generic punk. It's fine, but like a nice piece of fish on a menu at a steakhouse, I'm probably not gonna order it.
Post punk blijkt een stuk aangenamer te zijn om naar te luisteren, er zit meestal zelfs muziek in, weinig geschreeuw. Maakt het prima om naar te luisteren, maar zeer zeker niet bijzonder.
Getting some clash vibes.
À strange universe I am enjoying.
repetitive and didn't grab my interest
Okay album, much better than other post punk installments on this list. Very diverse record, good beats and rhythms, going on minutes on end. Still not mu favourite genre, but a positive surprise.
sooo british
Idk what's going on here, though a few songs have catchy riffs (e.g., "Barmy", "My New House"). The reference to Damo Suzuki is very appropriate - the album does sound a bit like a post-punk, dark version of Can (though with more cohesion and without the 15-minute tracks).
This really grew on me as I listened to it. It's just a fantastic album. Kind of a missing link in English music, in a way.
sch-tick
The blog described this album as "a pulsing, glittering mass of sound" which I found quite apt. It did feel like a glitzy automaton belching coal smoke and ambling down some old country street. Messy and cobbled together. It felt like every song was one half of an idea that was repeated and stretched out from the 5 seconds it could reasonably occupy into a 3-5 minute song.
It might seem strange for a punk album to be monotonous but it's something the genre can fall prey to. The swaggering sneer throughout this record blends together as much as the straight-ahead rhythm work of guitar, bass and drums. Sonically, some ideas that echo the dark electronics of Joy Division and the jangly rock of the honky tonk side of the Stones do creep in, but they never save the album form feeling like it's dragging on.
Heel kut kan ik dit niet noemen, maar toch wel echt te saai voor een fatsoenlijke score.
Bareuh!
Dit is toch gewoon kut, of ligt dat nou aan mij? Irritante arty-farty interessantdoenerij.
Stem kan ik waarderen. Rest minder.
There's a lot here to like. 1hr runtime gets to be a grind near the end though. Some gorgeous moments.
Really enjoy this. Loving the experimentation, and also the goth- and noise rock influences in this.
Not a huge fan. Probably wavering between a high 2 and a 3. The lazy vocals get old quick. Music behind it is alright.
Unremarkable, some cool ideas, but didn’t really hold my interest.
Сложно сказать. С одной стороны, некоторые песни раздражали. С другой, некоторые мотивы были интересны. Альбом соткан из этих неоднородностей. Пусть будет 3
Starts with a cool ominous note, then quickly gets repetitive. I don’t really like the guitar sound, vocals, and overall production on this. The bass is the best part.
I enjoyed this album, nothing special but I had a good time listening
fine
file under: Your Favorite Band's Favorite Band. file under: One of the Groups Created After Seeing Sex Pistols in Manchester
Punk, didn't seem special
Vocal mixing done by a crackhead they found under a bridge. I don't necessarily enjoy The Fall that much, but I definitely respect the crazy feat of releasing so many essential albums over like five decades. Shoutouts to Damo Suzuki.
lovely
kind of redundant songs, chanty lyrics.
There are a few (okay, more than a few) albums on this list that I believe you must be a musician to fully appreciate. There are also a few (okay, more than a few) albums on this list that I believe are on the list because they NEED to be on the list, while they are not bad albums, mostly people pretend to like them more than they do. After all, if a person doesn't appreciate X album then that is a personality deficiency. I can't figure out if this album falls in either category. A lot of the reviews mention how it is "messy" and when you listen to it then you realize that music can also be abstract. Sure, this is true, but I also believe calling music "abstract" is a good excuse for explaining why an album isn't that great. I gave the previous Fall album three stars and I prefer this one to that one. There are better riffs and more focus to the songs. So I can't decide if this is an album snotty music heads pretend to like or is actually a great album that I don't fully get. There are some really good tracks on here and a little over half of the album is good. The other tracks are the same continuous riff over nonsensical singing/speaking. Not bad, but I can admit it's not necessarily something I would listen to again.
listened through this, but nothing really stood out as exceptional to me, 2.3/5
I was completely unaware of The Fall. Post-punk with some bluesy garage rock moments.
Really liked this one, other things I listen to seem to be derived from this
Not awesome
Scrappy and mean, but weirdly listenable. A hidden gem.
A mid-eighties release by a 70s band hanging on for dear life trying to remain relevant.
After reading some reviews, I was prepared for industrial punk noise. Happily, a lot of this was pretty melodic and listenable. Not great, but not terrible.
#22. Despite that Spotify told me these guys were the longest lived and most prolific band from the 70s British punk scene, I had never heard of it. I had no real expectations going in, but I found this album to be a fairly enjoyable listen. 3/5: acceptable Song added to playlist: Barmy I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
coagulates into something akin to music. Like nasty B-52s. I think it would be good for tap dancing.
Mega weird. Sometimes it's genius and sometimes it's like MES has scientifically worked out the quickest way to totally ruin whatever the rest of the band is doing. I'm not surprised everyone leaves The Fall. But having said that, there are a few songs that really stick with you and you can see the scale of influence. Spoilt Victorian Child combines being very funny with being brilliant, which is rare.
I started out a little unsure, but when I got to Spoilt Victorian Child and Guts of The Quantifier I was all in
I was a little worried about this album after the first scream-y song right up top, but it mellowed out thankfully. That said, it was still a punk rock mess of an album. It’s hard to hear with 2023 ears, but I can imagine at the time in the 80s this sound was really different and hugely influential. I can hear early traces of even Green Day in some of the guitar riffs. And I did enjoy the guitar riffs and melodies, but lyrics were fairly incoherent as typical with post-punk.
I liked this quite a bit more than the last Fall album I had. Spoilt Victorian Child and I Am Damo Suzuki are great songs. Definitely a good album.
Fun and interesting. A bit weird to be an instant classic but I suspect with a few listens it'll grow on me.
It was a fun album. The songs were pretty catchy and I could imagine myself listening again. Some songs were a bit repetitive but that's not the end of the world. I quite liked Petty (thief) Lout. Reminded me a little of the Cramps and the Doors if they were a mash up.
2.5 stars. Started off weird but got better as it went on. Punk influences at times, other times pop-y but overall a bit too experimental for me to get into. Standout is "L.A." which is catchy, if repetitive.
A bit dismal for my liking and all trying to sound like Lou Reed while being a bit punky.
Wicked bass. Cool and edgy.
I wanted to like this album more than I did. Not bad by any means, but not amazing either.
HL: "Barmy", "I Am Damo Suzuki", "Cruising Creek" (bonus) hm- that's an acquired taste if I've ever seen one. According to the 1001 Albums book this is meant to be one of the most "pop" Fall albums. I should revisit songs like "L.A." and "Paint Work" after a time, since they're intriguing (and apparently highly regarded) but didn't really land for me. Faust, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and now this: examples of bands whose experiments with sound & distortion sometimes just sound like bad music to me, recorded & sung badly. This is far from a bad album overall though; "What You Need", "Spoilt Victorian Child" and "Vixen" had my head bobbing right off the bat, "Barmy" fascinated me with its oscillation between power pop & darker atonality. "I Am Damo Suzuki" doesn't really sound like anything I've heard, but says on the Wiki it's very inspired by Tago Mago, an album I will hear at some point on this journey. October 17, 2023
Bruyant, insolent, pesant, dansant. Dans mes cordes.
Chilling and haunting especially in today's world where everything has been politicized and made controversial through media bubbles. We need more moody rock like this.
Not my jam at all. I never really got into the punk scene, still doesn’t do it for me. Top 3 N/A
I really dig the sound of this album, and it carries throughout the whole record. Not every song hits or works, but more often than not I enjoyed listening and will probably revisit. "Barmy" and "L.A." are highlights.
There are many picks to choose from if you want to get into The Fall and the majority of them are sensible and worthy. But, for my money (and probably everybody else's), This Nation's Saving Grace is the best place to start. It has everything: bombast, disorder, intellect, accessibility, you name it. Mark E. Smith and his ever changing band of ramshackle ruffians, chief among them his then-wife Brix, create an atmosphere that brims with confidence and conviction that becomes career defining. While I'm not going to say that once you've heard this album, you've heard all Fall albums, This Nation's Saving Grace is without question their finest hour.
Usually punk albums are short and sweet; this one is not
Sounds progressive for 1985. Nothing really stands-out to me.
It’s fine. This was my first time listening to The Fall and for a band with such a big reputation I expected more I think
2/5. Definitely a confusing album. Not something that I would pull off the shelf to listen to. Every time it seemed like it was getting good it just went off the rails again.
How this band has one album on here is baffling, never mind 3 !! For the third time.....bloody awful
I don't know much about The Fall to be honest, only 3 or 4 albums, but what I've heard I really liked. No one sounds like The Fall and Mark E Smith's delivery is so uniquely defiant.
One of my favorites from the Post-Punk genre. MY NEW HOOOUUUSE
My first time listening to this post-punk classic from 1985 and I enjoyed it. The gothic delivery flirting with a garage feel in the music is enough to make this album stand out.
incroyable... ensin 90 luku rokkipaska onkin hyvä... nyt 80-luku... the times the y are-a changning. dylanin biisin mukaan. sanat... kannattaa kuunnella...dylania siis...tämän voi skippaa heh.. mutta hyvä oli hyvä oli.... vähän liian kakophoninen meikälle jos ihan toden totta puhutaan hitsiluukkeli sentään. kakofonia vähän nyt yli tässä.. miettikää vähän ennen kun noin kackyfonyaa tuotte noin tähä...hirveetä...muuten hyvä mutta miks niin vitun kakofonia-esque??? tuhoaa koko albumin... paintwork
Peak era Fall with repetitive riffs while MES squarks over the top. Joyous and single minded. Not my fave from the extensive discography ("Wonderful and Frightning") but still good
Punky rock, but not too harsh
Despite some really excellent post-punk tones here, this demonstrates just how much I really don't like art rock as a music style. The almost drunken lyrics, the kind of crazy off the wallness of it all. There's some solid tracks, but I just couldn't get into this album.
This album had an amateur sound I found very charming. The albums monotone vocals laid out over catchy guitar riffs contrast creates a unique sense of identity. I could see how this album inspired a lot of DIY punk albums even within the last several years. It has a more laid back energy than something like the Sex Pistols, trading in the raw emotion for a dancier , more palatable kind of style. I can't say if that's better or worse but I can say is the ideas presented in this album have been expanded upon in so many different ways in the last several decades I can't imagine myself going back to this anytime soon. Immediately bands that possibly draw influence from this come to mind that have Violent Femmes, Neutral Milk Hotel, hell even some Artic Monkies (much more polished but still does the monotone voice over catchy guitar parts) . Still enjoyable and since it's older and ahead of the curve I'll round up a 3.5 to a 4
Ah yes, some post-punk to kick off this rainy Tuesday. Album opens with a mood-setting instrumental -- meaty bass and some bells almost reminiscent of psych 60's pop. Barmy is an interesting one. The song oscillates between a poppy beach guitar melody and downtempo sludge. Pretty cool. What You Need is a sparse, bass line + bass kick song with shouting over top. Almost feels like something that LCD Soundsystem would have produced earlier in his career. L.A. has a pretty cool psychedelic vibe. Reminds me a bit of the Pixies. I swear I have heard a song that samples Paintwork (something by MF DOOM), but I can't quite place it. Driving me nuts. I really dig I Am Damo Suzuki. Atmospheric and uncomfortable instrumental with some shouted lyrics. Kind of feels a bit like Modest Mouse almost 10 years before they got off the ground. Next couple of songs are fine. While I enjoyed most of the songs on here with a few standouts, I did find it to drag quite a bit -- particularly in the midsection. Maybe I'm not in the right mindset to enjoy this to its fullest, but I found myself tiring of this about halfway through. Today I'm a 3 / 5; perhaps on another I could go 4.
This sounds like it'll be grungy right from the start. Hopefully it doesn't stay that way. I like Barmy. Paintwork was fine relative to the rest of the album. I'm really looking for some highs here. Rollin' Dany was good too. This album doesn't feel like it has a message or anything. Tirelessly repetitive and boring. Punk is bad. 1.5 stars? Rounded up because it isn't blatant garbage like some other albums we have encountered.
The opening song sounds like a Doom 98 song. The rest is kind of an unorganized nonsense of music and singing. Paintwork is a nice halftime song that has a pretty nice hooking beat and low talking. Probably the only song I liked on this album. Not my jaunt
I'm excited to hear I am Damo Suzuki and hoping to get some Can krautrock influence on this. Have this on also while working in the background but this seems like a MUCH more enjoyable punkish sound than what we've been hearing most of the time. Much more rhythmic and fun. Digging the first few songs. What You Need really stands out to me. If I just randomly heard this I would've thought it was LCD Soundsystem. Can definitely see the influence from this on Losing My Edge and Yr City's a Sucker specifically. Damn L.A. fuckin rules. Reminds me of another song but can't put my finger on it. Damo holds up! Kinda sounds like Bowie a bit in this one. Love the shoutout to Vitamin C in it what a great song. This song has some serious dissonance and darkness to it. My kinda shit. Last song is a crazy one. Really like it though. This was surprising to me after seeing it was a punk album after a string of duds, but damn I really, really enjoyed it. 4.5 in my mind and I can't bring myself to bring it up to a 5 so 4 it is. Good job the Fall you have restored my faith in punk even if it's not traditional punk.
Probeer nog maar eens iets nieuws te melden over post-punk uit de jaren '80. Het begint een klein beetje op te raken bij me. Het is wel aardig. Vrijwel elke track bevat nogal veel herhaling. Het lijken wel loops soms (neem bijv. 'Paintwork'). Dat maakt het geheel langdradiger dan het daadwerkelijk is. De waarschijnlijk ironisch bedoelde verveelde zangstem is wat minder verveeld dan bij andere postpunk die ik hoorde uit die tijd. Dat is een beetje wat ik er van kan maken. 3 zoutloze sterren.
The Fall is a band I never heard until this list came out! So glad I got to know them! Better late than never. Standouts: Barmy, Couldn't Get Ahead, Cruiser's Creek, The Nkroachment: Yarbles, Others: Mansion, My New House, Paint Work, I Am Damo Suzuki. 4/5 Rating:
I didn't really listen but I'm not sure if I was too intersted
noNono. Gross, boring, whiny, long, everything I dislike in an album! No.
I see alternative-mid80s-UK and I'm ready and eager to enjoy it but jesus christ - this is like a terrible Velvet Underground (redundant phrase) tribute band that is depressing to listen to without any of the cool goth/emo aspects I wanted in my head. It's not even quality haunted moping like Joy Division. I just do not like this. Where are the actual songs? Each song follows a crap formula... a weak riff repeated for minutes that doesn't resolve nor progress - and no dynamics. "L.A." was almost the last straw - I liked the synthy riff and .... that was it. Like everything else, it went absolutely nowhere. Sum: Frustratingly awful faux-avant-garde lack-of-musical-talent-lazy-shitty album. And got actually *worse* the longer it went on - after 6 songs I was ready to just dismiss it; and by My New House I'm ready to hurt myself and others. One of the worst of >600 thus far, so congratulations. 1/10 1 star
I was aware of The Fall mostly due to seeing interviews with Mark E Smith when I was growing up, couldn’t name one of their tunes though so this was a nice introduction. Not blown away but will check out some of their other work
1.5. This shit was not good!
I would’ve liked their bad playing and singing more if I’d known them when I was young and angry.
Another The Fall album which is pretty similar to the other ones on this list. It's raw and basic yet quite listenable. I didn't mind it but I don't get the fuss. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Barmy Date listened: 11/09/23
High art uskomatonta menoa ja pää porisee punkissa..
swear i've heard this before, yet i haven't
Some good songs on there but not all of them are.
There are bits I quite like and then bits that really put me off.
Structurally wonky but sonically beautiful. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that bands I enjoy were inspired by this album. However, I don’t think it’s one I will go back to often. 7/10
This is the third album of The Fall on this list. It started off alright. However, this was not sustainable and it became eccentric and not good. The covers were weird or at least I could tell they were using the music from other bands. I didn't skip any songs so that's a plus.
I think I’m in the Fall this week.
Listening to this you can hear how much bands like The Libertines owe to Mark E Smith
ok
Heard before: no Listening to an 80s Fall record is like being slowly submerged in a vat of oil. It takes a minute to adjust, everything is a little hazy, and you feel a little more flammable when you are out. Maybe I'm a softie, but I admire The Fall (and this record) much more than I like it, even with the great, punky energy. It's hilarious that it's considered one of their most accessible records when my favorite song has Mark E. screaming about sticking the capitalist pig-uh in the gut with a dirty knife-uh. Top tracks: Gut Of The Qualifier, Spoiled Victorian Child, L.A.
Very listenable, quasi-Clash album. There were some very nice musical hooks to several of the songs. My biggest gripe is that they never really built on the original riff of any one song. It was just wash, rinse, repeat. That made most of the songs get old fast. But they get an extra start for being good when they needed to be good.
Damn this album had 16 songs and they still managed to go 0-16 on good music. It's mediocre at best but the whole thing felt aimless and boring. 4/10.
a little repetitive
Uncompromisingly original and interesting hooks galore, plus hordes of melodic moments that contrast with the spikiness and dark hues. One has always loved the quirky vocal style – repetitive and talky as it surely is – and the unforgettable voice. Plus, the hard, dark, and insistently edgy sound that still leaves room for hints of sweetness and melody. "Barmy" offers an unforgettable hook, and some likable chaos besides. "Spoilt Victorian Child" swings grittilly and intensely and (just a touch) ominously and offers even a hint of sweetness. "LA" is hella cool. So are "My New House" and "Paintwork." One likes their willingness to stick to their angles and ride these oddball hooks and often askew sounds and structures; that's what it means to be uncompromising, one assumes. The whole thing gets better as it goes along. That The Fall seems to have set up so many other interesting artists – Sonic Youth, Jonathan Richman, Yo La Tengo – secures their legacy. "Petty Thief" and "Cruiser's Creek" have much to recommend them, too, demonstrating how this just keeps getting better.
Those are some really solid post-punk jams right there. The production in particular is surprisingly sophisticated for the time and the genre. But the songwriting and performances are good as well. Are they fantastic? Nah. But it's still a really solid album. Objectively, this is probably a 3-star album. But I found myself tapping my foot and bobbing my head more often than not and, well, this is my kind of scene. Sometimes, we can throw an extra star at something just because we like it, right? 4 stars. Thanks for the good times.
Je pense l'avoir un peu mieux aimé que l'autre album que j'ai eu d'eux. Mais encore une fois c'était pas toujours facile. Il y a certaines pièces que je trouvais beaucoup trop répétitives (ex : My New House). J'ai aucune misère à croire que pour l'époque ça a du avoir un impact important, mais c'est pas tellement ma tasse de thé. 6.5/10
Oh, it's a third Fall album. But fair play; it’s another surprisingly accessible, hook-filled listen. Albeit the music often sounds like it was written for a completely different singer. Is the generator shielding me from their more obtuse output, or were they always actually a bunch of fun-loving popsters at heart?
It's probably not a good sign that I've spent most of this album thinking "is it over yet?" and checking how much of it there is left. I get that these guys are influential. But I can't help but think that they might be the giants that people who have seen further were standing on the shoulders of.
It's fine, but nothing outstanding.
Thought this was just as good as Live At the Witch Trials, but I question whether this list needs two albums by the Fall.
5/10. Not bad, but not much for me to love either
I prefer autumn. 4/10
3. Enjoyable, but not one I'll return to.
Punk
I really enjoyed the first song maybe because it was an instrumental. The rest of the album has been very hit or miss for me. The music is louder than than the singers voice at times which is a pet peeve of mine. Overall not bad but could be better.
Tässä ei ihan riitä asiaa tunnin albumiksi. Vähän tehty tekemisem vuoksi -viba minusta. Saisi tiivistää. Gootihkommat pätkät toisarvoisempia, rokkibiisit toimivia.
Kas, kitarakoukut todella toimivat koukkuina - mikä saa myös kertosäkeiden sanavalinnat tuntumaan tarttuvilta. Ansaitsee enemmän kuin satunnaisen viihdekäytön.
Suprisingly listenable
Listened on a previous list and was indifferent. This time i really thought it had a lot of interesting things going on. Shows me again why one shot at each of these albums doesn’t always do justice.
endlessly creative post punk simply beautiful - 10/10
Music was OK. Lyrics were junk.
Awful lyrics
4,5.
Great record this. Keep dipping in and out of The Fall but missed this previously as their back catalogue is huge. This sounds slightly more ‘friendly’/accessible than other records I’ve heard by them, but without losing that weird/edgy factor. Post punk at its best here. 4.5
Never heard of the Fall which seems like it may get be sacrilege in some parts. The most DIY punk production you're likely to hear, was a bit too rough and ready at times. I generally enjoyed it, was off kilter and wry in a gang of four/mclusky sort of way, but I struggle to think of any specific songs I liked. Would listen to other stuff but I don't think I'd progress to being a proper fan.
Mark E. Smith is from Prestwich, where I'm from. Despite this, I didn't really know much about him or the Fall. I'd heard many of the songs on this album in various pubs round Prestwich, and unknowingly did a memorial tour a while ago. Some bewildering pubs, but then you listen to the album and it all makes sense. Greatly enjoyed the majority of the album. I expected more of a difficult listen as I'm not really sure what post-punk is. This must be quite an easy entry into this kind of music. Lyrics are fun and poetic, and at times baffling, and I don't mind the production at all. Paintwork and Spoilt Victorian Child were my favourites.
This is apparently "Post Punk" which I don't think I'm a fan of. Sounded very loose with jangly guitars. Almost like lo-fi punk music. The repetitive lyrics also annoyed me by the end. Their musical sound was interesting enough but nothing stood out to me. I wouldn't listen to it again but there were some enjoyable tracks.
Didn't really know the fall before this, but really enjoyed it. Very 80s sounding (the good kind), but also quite unique sounding too. Maybe reminded me of joy division a bit if that's not blasphemy... Great bass and drums and really interesting vocals I think LA, couldn't get ahead and paintwork were my favourites. Will listen again
I did really enjoy this, but something about knowing too much about the dunedin sound and the people that inspired it just makes me think about how much of a wanker these people always are. wah wah i'm more artsy than everyone else wahh wahhh. people that do stuff that's a little different and act as though it's wholly unique piss me off
sick vibe!!!
Sounding more late ‘70s Brit punk than ‘80s. Still there’s so much to digest here musically and though the composition is simple the lyrical content and messaging here weighs HEAVY. I’d never heard a lick from this band but I’m definitely going to be putting some of their tracks into rotation.
A lot of bands are an acquired taste, and can take a lot of listening before you really get them. And sometimes even needing to reacquaint yourself in between albums. With The Fall, I often find myself needing to require my taste in between songs. This Nation’s Saving Grace is an exception; it caught my attention when it came out when I was in college, and quickly became one of my favorite records of the year. Yes, it is wildly uneven in its tracks for such a long record. But the highs more than make up for it! And many decades later, I still dive in, joining Mark E Smith in the weirdness.
Meh
Une heure de perdue, rien de nouveau sous le soleil
juste marre
Don't think this is an amazing Fall album, but it's got a few hits on it.
I can see where they influenced other later works - Guided By Voices, Sonic Youth, etc. Pretty good stuff.
Really a 4.5. Bears relistening.
3.75
I dug it. I dug alls of it. 4 new houses out of 5 🏠🏠🏠🏠
Never really got into The Fall despite giving them quite a bit of time. This and Hex Enduction Hour are probably their best and there are a few highlights here and there but there’s also a lot that’s just very badly put together and difficult to listen to
I loved the riffs and beats. I guess I like more sing along vocals than the mumbling.
Album Notes: - I admire the sounds and production of the album more than whats actually happening - I enjoy the rawness and simplicity (staples of the post-punk genre) - some cool groovy parts but holy cow its so noisy and its hard to really make out much of whats happening most of the time I just cant find a whole lot to grab onto when there isnt an obvious groove - Might need a relisten cuz the spotify version is like 5 tracks longer than the original which really screws up the pacing - when it works it works, and when it doesnt, i find myself spacing out - Might give a relisten but for now I feel like it was interesting but not really for me based on how drowned out and repetitive a lot of tracks are Best Tracks: Mansion, Bombast, Barmy Worst Tracks: Spoilt Victorian Child, Vixen
Punk ochentero. Un 4.
Rock indie ochentero. Oscuro.
I have only heard the name and not listed to the music of this band. It was a nice introduction and showed me some history to my current preferred bands and their influences. Overall I see the value in this album, but it didn't move the needle for me.
Fine. I get The Fall but I don’t love The Fall
Earmarks as a really great opening band, likely better than the one you paid for
It’s an album, alright. An alright album. 4/10
Generational favourite but in 2023 it’s a bit tired.
Brought me back to high school
Not familiar with this band. Not paying attention to the lyrics at all, but instrumentation is pretty great. Does run a little long, but will definitely give it a relisten as background music while I'm working. 3/5.
Solid post punk, would like to spend more time with it.
Don't really know anything about The Fall, to be honest, except the old meme that it was basically a different line-up for every single record they ever released (with Mark E. Smith a constant, of course). It's alright so far, pretty much what I was expecting for a post-punk band of the time. It's just been dude talking over songs for ages now, starting to drag. These songs haven't got enough substance to be 2 minutes long, let alone >5 minutes. So yeah, it's alright, the instrumentation is good, but it's just a dude talking over songs for an hour, hardly mega inspiring stuff. 2 / 5 stars.
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.
It felt tedious at times, this album. Like musing on a series of chords was the aim of the record. I caught some B-52s-esque sound in a few of the tracks and that made me sad that I hadn’t heard any B-52s on this last so far. And that made me think that I hadn’t heard any REM on this list so far. And then I thought that there were much better albums from 1985 to have been included on this list.
Hm ok this was a very bad start, decided to persevere, didn't love this but it did somehow grow on me... The Fall is NOT my scene. I don't find it that impressive or fun to listen to it kind of stresses me out but actually the track LA I quite liked the vocalisations and the vibe of the song and a couple of other songs after that I liked a bit more too. Maybe I need to research more of the back story to be a bit more sold on what their music is doing for the world.
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
As the Fall go this was definitely one of the better ones I've heard. Never managed to crack them but this was fine.
This album needed gracefully removed from this list.
There have been other albums that have stretched the definition of music, but I feel like they failed and just made noise. This is the album that successfully starched music while still making music. This feels mind expanding while still just being punk. I loved it.
8th album released by the Fall. Genre: Post-Punk First Impression: Nice Looking at the list of the best The Fall songs. The only two songs from this album are not on the Original UK LP: Couldn't Get Ahead and Cruisers Creek. Standouts: Barmy, Paint Work, Others: Mansion, I Am Damo Suzuki Standouts From 1997 CD: Cruisers Creek, Couldn't Get Ahead Rating: 3.5
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.
Very nice. Some catchy tunes in some tracks.
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!
Didn't find this that great. Granted I'm not English or over 50.
The name of the band might be familiar to me, but I honestly don't know for sure, and I really don't recall having heard their music in the past. I am very glad this project introduced me to them -- this album is superb, and I love their style. I hear a very nice blend of punk and post-punk elements with more accessible pop and rock influences, but it never seems to tilt too much in any one direction. That's not easy to do. Very impressive. I always enjoy reading about the album and the band, and their discography is a lot bigger than most bands. They made a ton of music over the years, which is another impressive thing about them.
Listened to this twice through and I’m just not sure how to describe it? Is it rock? Is it pop? It’s enjoyable enough, and will undoubtedly be right up some people’s street. I’ll not be rushing to add it to my want list but it’s entertaining enough. Maybe come back to it at a later date and see how I feel then. Until then my friends, stay steady with a three star!
Okay, now I've officially had it with the '80s '90s British groups. This is just basic and repetitive.
It’s good. Fav songs: Spoilt Victorian Child, Cruiser’s Creek
This was alright, I did enjoy it
Lost my interest, couldn’t get into it.
Not good.
Some interesting moments but overall not great
Kinda blended together but I enjoyed it
I reckon with twenty minutes lopped off this would be fearsome. Always listenable, sometimes great, often just fine. Strangely stronger on the second side, slightly exhausting - I couldn’t listen to it twice today.
Didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. Knew all the highlights already (which are great), the rest sounded like, well, The Fall. As the man said: "always different, always the same". Maybe I'm just not in a Fall mood today.
The Fall completely passed me by. This is an enjoyable listen but I doubt I will listen to it again.
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.
Pure punk sound. Talking Heads did it best. This is second rate. 2 stars.
Jó volt egynek, élveztem.
Forget about stuff like the Irish Potato Famine or Piers Morgan. This is the worst thing Britain's ever done to the world Brits are insane for liking this.
Barmy is a banger, the rest are meh
i had a beer with Mark E Smith once at some sort of "After Party" for a gig they did where my friends band supported them. he was exactly as everyone has ever said he is. i've met countless regulars in pubs with a vicious tongue and you never have a clue if they're being serious or not and that is the overall vibe Mark E gave off about the fall. it's like he found out a scam where he could spend all his time in the pub by being in a band and he didn't want anyone else to find out his secret, which is probably why he sacked people so often, they got too close to his secret. That they kept coming up with music that is so unique is absolutely mystifying. you expect this type of avant garde spiky post punk to come from an uber hipster not someone who looks and behaves like an accountant who's fallen on hard times that carries his stuff around in plastic carrier bags. I probably should have tried a bit harder as he might have recruited me as another willing participant of the fall army.
The Autumn
Enjoyed a lot
Was sort of enjoying it but it just got annoying. It sounds like where the Stones may have gone if they didn't care about what they sounded like.