The Infotainment Scan

Imagine a very tasty cake, made by a very nice baker. But when the baker went to decorate it, she accidentally grabbed a tube of toothpaste instead of decorative frosting. Mark E Smith is that toothpaste. Not even Colgate, he’s a crest motherfucker. I almost gave this a 3, because the rest of what the band puts in is really tasty, but at the end of the day I don’t want toothpaste in every bite of cake.

This album sucked. I think the Wikipedia article summarized the vocals the best: "one-note delivery somewhere between amphetamine-spiked rant and alcohol-addled yarn"

Anyone in the possession of at least one partially functioning ear knows that the two greatest Fall albums are the the first one you heard and the last one you listened to. This is a truly great album and anyone who says otherwise is a cloth-eared fool.

I've been using this site to listen to an album a day for a month or two now and have never written a review until now. I'm motivated to do so here because of how negatively skewed it seems like reviews of this album are. I'd heard of The Fall before this but never bothered to try listening to them. I assumed they were like an Echo and the Bunnymen or Police situation -- pretty straight-forward guitar rock but lumped into more unique company because of their time period. This album was a surprise and after reading more, I'm excited to hear other albums from their decades of activity. The best of this sounds more like Can or Suicide or VU than I would have guessed. It's not mainstream rock masquerading as art. It's more like art in a rock and roll coat. They also remind me of other niche-90s acts like Lungfish, Dave Fridman era Mercury Rev, and other "talky-singer" bands but the fact that the Fall has decades of catalog interests me a LOT Granted, some tracks (A Past Gone Mad) are dated "madchester" sounding relics, but I'm guessing those tracks were their concession to the times. Overall there's some timeless stuff here. Standouts for me: It's a Curse League of Bald Headed Men I'm not rating 5 because it's not a GREAT or PERFECT album but I'm rating 4 because it's surprisingly good and wayy better than I would have guessed.

Day 29 of Albums You Must Hear... The Fall is an English post-punk rock band that was impressively active from the late 70’s up until a couple of years ago. I have never heard of them, and to my knowledge, I’ve never heard any of their songs. (They have released over thirty recorded albums). The album from The Fall that I received today is titled The Infotainment. While listening to this band, I really enjoyed the music, however, I really disliked the singer, Mark E. Smith’s vocal style. The half speaking, half singing style seemed very dated for 1993. Smith also has a trait of ending most of his words with an overly used annunciation of “ah”.. Here’s an example, on the song It’s a Curse, a song with a nice and heavy guitar riff, Smith sings/says “Cracked-ah, curse-ah, disliked-ah...” his use of “ah” after nearly every word started to really grate on my nerves and it’s done on seemingly every song. The opening track, Ladybird (Green Grass) has a super funky bass line and riff and is probably my favorite song on this album, and while he is singing a bit more than speaking, Smith’s style just takes me out of it, like the rest of the album. Being that vocalist and founder of the band Mark E. Smith is the only constant member of The Fall over the years that saw many line up changes, I could see why no one really stood up to suggest that maybe he try changing his style to match the times. It’s a shame because the musicians really jammed out on this album but their flame-ah to me-ah was-ah smothered-ah by-ah Smith-ah. Next album please!! Please share your thoughts, memories and opinions!

Mark E Smith is a legend. I like the mix of classic Fall sounds and dance music. The sneering lyrics and dark atmosphere were amazing.

Marmite band…. And I love them. This is a fantastic album! Full of dry wit and oddball lyrics.

Want the sound of a drunk playing a bass shouting in a dustbin? You've got it. Not as bad as it sounds. BT: Ladybird (Green Grass), Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room, The League of Bald-Headed Men

sometimes interesting instrumentals, but I personally can’t stand the singer

The Fall is one of those bands who have a vast and largely consistent discography, which makes it hard to know where to begin. So, thanks to 1001 for pointing me to this album. I do enjoy Mark E Smith's idiosyncratic vocal delivery but I can see why it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. It's like a drunk man under hypnosis.

Wow! I knew the cover of Lost In Music, but this is just a great album. Rave-punk with Mark E Smith bellowing his madness all over it. I've fallen in love with it - was always warm but not hot on The Fall, bit perhaps this was the album I needed to make me a convert. 10/10

I love Mark Smith's vocal style - insouciant, almost bemused, but the lyrics are all business, elegantly phrased but really acidic. I would hate to get on the wrong end of this guy's pen. This is old school social commentary that burns, pure punk in attitude, but smarter. Fave Songs: A Past Gone Mad, It's a Curse, The League of Bald-Headed Men, Lost in Music, Ladybird (Green Grass)

While the album has some decent post-punk bones, it's ruined by some really terrible early-90s electronic trash. At times I was able to look past that and enjoy the very Stooges-esque spoken-word vocals but it was always wrecked by the bloopy-blippy, synthetic trash that covers the whole album like bubblegum-flavored syrup on pancakes. Nobody wants that. Stop it.

Peak post punk 4/5

I've tried diving into The Fall's discography before but always had the wrong starting point I guess and got too frustrated by the grating noise and aggressive anti-musicality - but this is much friendly water to wade into. He's assembled a pretty fantastic post-punk band here with a funk driven bass high in the mix, guitars that jangle and slash and swirl around, propulsive drums for dancing including high-energy nearly D&B drum machine patterns, and some awesomely cheesy 80s keyboard sounds. They're playing pretty conventionally organized songs - verses, choruses, hooks, melodies, everything! -borrowing a bit from two generations of alt rock: the post-punk of 80s bands like Gang of Four and the Manchester rave rock of Stone Roses & Happy Mondays - going pretty close to full disco on 'Service' & 'Past Gone Mad'. It's powerfull and driving, atmospheric and exciting, restless and frenetic music. It all makes for an accessible and, even appealing, platform for the vocals - which are snarled and sneered and drawled out more than sung. The whole thing is unhinged in a very fun way. Should've started here with them, let's see if this works as a gateway into the rest...

You never quite know what a Fall album is going to sound like, but you know whatever they do, it’s going to sound like The Fall. Does that make sense? I think it does.

The band are great and if you can tolerate Smith’s idiosyncratic vocal style this is a decent post punk record full of northern grit, swagger and cynical wit.

I can see that this album polarises people, but I loved it.

Wasn't sure what to expect, since I confused The Fall with The Cure before queuing up the album. An interesting mix of sounds. Took me a while to settle into the groove, but when I did I got a distinct dance sensibility (New Order-y kinda?, though I'm not well-versed in their discography either) and obvious similarities to Protomartyr. Didn't quite gel, and my preference for Protomartyr probably says more about me than The Fall. That said, this is apparently one of their more mainstream projects, so I should circle back around and listen to something weirder in the future.

Good Lord, that was awful.

not my style of singer at all, sounded a lot like a guy who just doesn't care. A classic British bastard which could be fun for some, but I'm looking for something much more unique.

There is zero chance that I'll remember anything about this album once I've listened to everything on this list. It's a guy mumbling over some generic early 90s post-punk. A waste of time. Best track: Glam-Racket

I think we've listened to two other Fall albums on 1001 albums. My other half and her cool mates are into the Fall. As a result, I've heard a few of her favourite songs (one of which "Glam Racket" is on this album) and I saw them live at least twice before Mark E. Smith died. I think this is the first time I've really enjoyed them. I can really see where both Pavement and LCD Soundsystem, "took inspiration" from The Fall on this one. I'm going to do a slightly risky thing given I've only heard it once and give it five stars. This is partly due to marking inflation, but mainly because I liked every song and I think I'll come back to this album again!

An Indie dinosaur.

You can always count on Mark E Smith to deliver the goods. Glam Racket is a scathing highlight, prediction the Britpop era sess pool on the rise. The biggest triumph is the Fall delivering a fresh take on their own sound while Indy darlings of the era were plundering their back catalogue

As a member of the league of bald headed men I can’t give this any lower than a 5.

Absolutely bloody brilliant, like everything by The Fall. The only downside was that I knew I was going to listen to the full 2 hours including extras. This is described as one of the most accessible albums from The Fall, but don't worry, the ‘accessible’ bit just refers to a dance music tilt, other than that it's business as usual. Favourite lyric from the extras: ‘If I ever end up like Richard Madeley cut my hands off with an axe please’ (A Past Gone Mad, Peel Session 16) Favourite song: Lost in Music

THIS is the album by The Fall that everyone should know (rather than Saving Grace). It has some of the best lyrics, and tunes, of any of their later albums. And possibly their best cover version in Lost In Music. Glam-Racket, Paranoia Man, A Past Gone Mad are all up there in the canon of great Fall songs. And this would be worth 5 stars for Service alone, one of sadly few wistful and poignant MES lyrics, made even more so by the janky House piano that tries to drive it along (and almost makes it). The nineties production is one of few reservations here. At the risk of being one of the 'lookback bores', these songs really would have benefited from a bigger sound, similar to Hex or Saving Grace. Or even the lo-fi clanking of Grotesque. This seems to fall (ahem) between pretty much every (bar) stool, soundwise. Oh, and Light/Fireworks could have been left off the end and everyone would have been much happier, I suspect. For better versions of many of these songs, The Twenty Seven Points live album shows what they could have sounded like. There's not really such a thing as a bad Fall album in my book, and this is one of the best. I just wish they'd beefed the sound up a bit.

the only Fall album I owned when it came out. contains my favorite Fall song, Paranoia Man, and so many other great tunes. hard to say what's their best but this is up there

One of my favourite Fall albums (I think I might say this everytime I listen to a Fall album?). Nicely evokes happy memories with it's Madchester vibe, even if it does sound a little dated. I'm always surprised and impressed at how MES always stepped close to but rarely strayed into ruining great performances from his band members.

oh nice! I love The Fall I was really in the mood for an album like this, I’m glad I got this today and of course the album is great, a bit weird but that’s what I love about it - 10/10

omg love so much, this is my new favorite album

Hard to be objective about this album -- first record by The Fall that I encountered and I f***ing love it.

One of my favorite bands. They have such an extensive catalog i had not previously listened to this one and i loved it!

This '93 release is much more melodic & accessible than their '79 release, without actually being very accessible. I was suprised to see Nile Rogers name on the song credits. Lots of catchy tracks that grow on you by the 2nd or 3rd listen. I gave their debut a 3, which was actually a 2.5. I'll give this a 3 as well, but it's more like a 3.5.

what is this doing here

Someone let this band record FIFTEEN times. I first to believe it. This is monotonous, out of time crap.

Another album where decent musicianship is ruined by an annoying singer. sad

2.1 - An old man ranting in his sleep over royalty-free industrial rock music.

The Fall. NIE gehört. Ansage nach Lesen von Band- und Album-Info auf Wikipedia: bin ergebnisoffen, glaube aber, dass ich es scheiße finden werde. Uuuund: ich finde es zum kotzen. Das kann doch mit DEM Gesang keiner ernsthaft produzieren. An welcher Stelle hat da die Selbstkritik ausgesetzt? (Im Übrigen: wie unmusikalisch ist das 'panel‘ von Musikkritikern, das diese Anthologie erstellt hat, dass es DIESES Album für würdig befindet, darin aufgenommen zu werden?) Stellenweise ist sind die Stücke ja ganz nett arrangiert, das täuscht aber zu keinem Zeitpunkt über die uninspirierten Kompositionen hinweg. Ich MUSSTE nach dem 5. Song ausmachen, nie wieder The Fall. Am liebsten kein Stern.

There are other albums by The Fall that are better than this, but I'm still going with five stars. Just like a stopped clock is right twice a day, there came a time where the music scene and The Fall were aligned for a short while. It didn't last long, it probably wasn't intentional, but, for a short time, it was almost hip to profess an interest in The Fall's back catalogue. For me, there's few albums by The Fall where I actually love every single track. This is one of them. The cover of Lost in Music is up there on my personal list of the best tracks of all time and I could listen to Mark say "Glam Rac-ket-uh" maybe one hundred more times than he actually does.

Perfect!

Pleasantly surprised to see this on the list. I love a bit of The Fall. Easy 5

Kickass! Opened up a whole new vein of punk rock to me!

Ne er heard of them before, but great

This album had a live version of a song that I'd never heard before from the previous album I listened to and it's freaking me out more than it should

Yes! What a cracker. Loved it

Very underrated album and band.

Five stars because fu the Fall are awesome. It's different and you just don't get it. This is their most accessible album, and it's not all that accessible. I wonder if someone challenged Mark E. Smith (who is a god by the way) to come up with a pop album? Might change me name to Shadrach Glamrick.

Will come back to you

This is just incandescently brilliant music. The drunkard beat poetry lyrics are pretty good too. Anyone hating on this album but at the same time loves Dylan for his singing need to STFU. Favorites? Yes, all of them.

nice album, never heard of them, but i would definitely check out more of them

Lost In Music, I'm Going to Spain, Paranoia Man in a Cheap Shit Room, and The League of Bald-Headed Men all bangers

good weird lost in music glam-racket it's a curse service past gone mad

Again, awesome album!

Great peak 90s fall with electronic touches and studio trickery. The band slaps.

New to me. Can‘t believe how good it is!

Love the Fall! Haven’t heard this one as much as Hex Enduction Hour or Wonderful and Frightening World but it is prime Fall music

great album, my fist listen to The Fall and liked it a lot!

This is hilarious, and knowingly, intelligently so. Post-irony before it was even a thing.

I really disliked “Live at the Witch Trials” and disliked “The Nation’s Saving Grace.” I’m wondering why I need another album from The Fall. With great reservations and more than a little resentment this journey begins… “Ladybird”… this is not terrible… maybe even exceeding tolerable. Way better than expected. “Lost In Music”… what?! A remake of a Sister Sledge song?! By Nile Rogers?! Ummmm… this is unexpected… they’ve breached the walls! WTF?! I love this! “Glam-Racket”… nice beat! Great guitar! Fuck… am I having fun?! “I’m Going To Spain”… Love the delivery, love the tune, love the lyrics, love it! The remaining songs have interesting arrangements, a sort of punk-y vibe and constant undertones of madness. Even the odd talking-over-the-music thing is working for me over music this good. A few songs tested my patience a little… but they are surrounded with so much good stuff that any discomfort was quickly forgotten. Where The Fall’s other albums I heard were off-the-rails bad, this one is an odd and wildly fun ride that teeters precariously along without ever losing me as a listener. I willingly continued into the two bonus tracks and loved them both. Well hell… Never in a million years would I have thought The Fall would get a 5 out of me but The Infotainment Scan kicked me square in the musical nuts and here we are.

The only bad thing about this album is the suprisingly well played music which often overshadowed the spokenword lyrics of the titan that was Mark E Smith.

Pongan menos pinche Elton John y más The Fall. Por el amor de dios.

Discazo. Favs: "Lost in Music", "Past Gone Mad", "Why Are People Grudgeful?". 10/10

Not a band I had listened to before. Overall thought it was great. The music was put together very well and made for an enjoyable listen. I am generally a fan of punk post punk and new wave music anyway so thought it was worth a listen. Cannot believe how many albums the band have made. Vocally the tone was similar to Hugh Cornwall of The Stranglers I thought. Good album

The fact that this is their 15th album says a lot about The Fall. I think they could have benefitted from some editing. Cut some songs down, cut some completely. But I like The Fall a lot. This is a 3.5 rounded up to combat some of the unnecessarily negative reviews.

The album is somewhat inconsistent, featuring a laid-back vibe alongside a few intense standout tracks. While the album begins strong, it unfortunately loses momentum toward the end.

I was introduced to this band many years ago and they've grown on me. I don't usually go for spoken word stuff but I like his style. It's like some kind of Euro-beatnick-punk thing. I don't know what the hell he's talking about half the time but the riffs are rocking. My favorites are It's A Curse and League of Bald Headed Men. And Why are People Grudgeful? has an awesome bass line!

More blissful chaos !

a fun enough listen but a bit rough around the edges for my liking. the instrumentals here are great and i particularly liked them, but the vocals left me a bit cold at times. a bit too nonchalant for my taste. the big example for me was 'i'm going to spain' where the track itself i loved, and the vocals with the voice cracking and meandering really killed it for me. still, despite that, i enjoyed the album. just think i would have liked it a bit more if the vocal performance was a bit different.

Great album - strange and catchy and the vocals really stick in your head.

whoah ez jólesett 😁 😎

Rating: 7.5/10

This album was pretty sick. Alt rock/post punk. Paranoia Man in a Cheap Shit Room the standout. 3.5

skits that keep on giving

Fantastic album, The Fall's influence on the Manchester post-punk scene as it exists today is insane

Classic punk. Can really see how much LCD Soundsystem was influenced by The Fall

Loved it - much more mass appeal but that's not a bad thing - feels of the time, maybe not ahead of it but really enjoyed. 4

I prefer their earlier, more straightforwardly punk material, but this is unique enough for a thumbs up. B-

Mature et contrôlé; rock efficace qui explore différents embranchements. Pourrait bénéficier d’un petit grain de folie.

i have to get over my antipathy to fans of the fall because the band’s actually pretty great

Awareness of the Fall dates back to early 90’s listening to them on John Peel’s radio show on BBC international on my shortwave, but never explored further. Enjoyed this right away, and will be happy to dig further. Smith’s thing I am sure annoys some, but I was fine with it and the band was grooving.

Another cool album from The Fall. I love the more electronic influence here. I think it adds a lot to their sound. Lyrically it's very witty like usual as well.

I really enjoyed this!!! Just a really interesting sound with a lot going on throughout the album.

Amazingly, despite my huge caché of indie hipster cred, I have never listened to a The Fall album. Aside from a few songs, all I know about them is: • They were kind of legendary and • They made about 16 million albums and • They had more band members than The Chills and • Mark E Smith's singular voice and phrasing • Liking The Fall made one unapproachably cool I really enjoyed this, apart from that one song where he attempted to sing. I don't know what any of it's about or what it all means, but really, one may ask why is the sky blue?*. It seems to hit its stride in the second half of the album but it all sounds like a good time. *Rayleigh scattering (the predominantly elastic scattering of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, by particles with a size much smaller than the wavelength of the radiation. Thanks, Lord Raleigh)

Enjoyable punk with new sound

Not my favorite album by The Fall, but it’s still quite good.

Funsies

What a surprise. Loved it.

The Fall, a little past its prime, but still a pretty good listen. Essential? Hmm...probably not, but knowing a little of The Fall isn't going to do anyone interested in post-punk any harm. Bend Sinister might be a better choice.

For this review, I'm only looking at the original LP tracklisting and not including the bonus tracks on the CD edition of the album. This is the first I’m hearing of The Fall. They’re a late 70s English post-punk group that shifted their style over the years towards alternative rock, with the sole consistent member being vocalist and lyricist Mark E. Smith. The Infotainment Scan is their fifteenth album, taking on a more accessible sound by incorporating more standard grooves and electronic elements. I will say the big hurdle I found with this album and by extension The Fall is Mark’s vocals. They’re an acquired taste to say the least; he reminded me of Iggy Pop with more slur in his delivery. Adjusting to his vocal style is a make-or-break moment for this group, and there is no blame if you can’t get into them. As for me, I was able to adjust and find the ramshackle delivery combined with the abstract lyricism to be decent if not outstanding. As for the rest of the band, they do a great job of packing a punch. In particular Craig Scanlon’s guitar riffs and Simon Wolstencroft’s drum work bring the necessary drives for these tunes, complimented by Steve Hanley’s bass work and Dave Bush’s electronic programming. Songs like “Glam-Racket”, “It’s a Curse”, “Past Gone Mad” and their cover of Steve Bent’s “Lost in Spain” have this manic energy that’s very potent and danceable. My only complaint is with the album closer “Light / Fireworks”, where Mark is given the focus for the first half of the song without much accompaniment before the song switches through different movements without any cohesion. I understand if it was keeping with the off-kilter vibe, but it didn’t leave a good final impression for me. Still, I had a mostly enjoyable time with The Infotainment Scan, which is more than what I expected initially. Go into this one with an open mind.

I like this! But I don't understand why I had to hear it before I die.

Whoa, I'm into this! The Fall is a name I've heard many a time, but I've never dove into their stuff. Considering this is their 15th album, I have a hard time believing its among their best, and I still found it to be a refreshing listen. It sounded ahead of its time, instrumentally interesting and lyrically muscular. And though the vocals appear to be polarizing, I did not find them distracting or strange in the least. I wasn't paying full attention, however -- I might like it less next time around.

I read other's negative reviews about this album, but dang it, I find myself really enjoying this one. Creative, cool grooves. and I didn't even mind the oddball vocal style.

Shout out to Ed Blaney! (From L at Bez’s night Haci-Hendre north Wales 2011/12) This is my first Fall album, I enjoyed it. Favourite track League Moon Monkey Mix. Would be a great band to see live.

"The Infotainment Scan" by The Fall, released in 1993, stands as a significant entry in the band's extensive discography. This album showcases the band's evolution while retaining its core identity. Here's an in-depth review focusing on lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, along with a balanced view of its pros and cons. ### Lyrics Mark E. Smith's lyrics on "The Infotainment Scan" are a mixture of biting social commentary, cryptic observations, and his trademark surrealism. The album's title itself is a play on the infotainment industry, suggesting a critique of media and consumer culture. **Key Tracks:** 1. **"Ladybird (Green Grass)":** The lyrics juxtapose a seemingly simple metaphor of a ladybird with darker themes of environmental decay and societal negligence. Smith's delivery is sardonic and layered with irony. 2. **"Glam-Racket":** This track criticizes the music industry, particularly the glam rock scene, with Smith’s typical acerbic wit. Lines like "You are working for the glam racket" expose the superficiality and commercialization of music. 3. **"It's a Curse":** Here, Smith addresses the inevitability of fate and societal constraints, wrapping his critique in abstract and often oblique references. The refrain "It’s a curse, it’s a drag" reflects a sense of frustration and resignation. ### Music Musically, "The Infotainment Scan" is a blend of post-punk, alternative rock, and electronic influences, reflecting The Fall's ability to adapt and experiment. **Instrumentation and Style:** 1. **Post-Punk Roots:** The Fall’s signature post-punk sound is present, with driving basslines, angular guitar riffs, and repetitive, hypnotic rhythms. Tracks like "Lost in Music" (a cover of the Sister Sledge hit) are transformed into gritty, robotic anthems. 2. **Electronic Elements:** The inclusion of electronic elements is more pronounced in this album. Tracks such as "Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room" feature programmed beats and synths, adding a modern twist to their sound. 3. **Diverse Arrangements:** The album doesn’t shy away from diverse musical arrangements. "Service" incorporates a more melodic approach, almost pop-like in its structure, while "The League of Bald-Headed Men" leans towards a darker, more industrial sound. ### Production Produced by Rex Sargeant and The Fall, "The Infotainment Scan" is characterized by its raw yet polished production. **Production Quality:** 1. **Raw Edge:** The production maintains The Fall’s raw, unpolished edge, essential for their authentic post-punk sound. There is an intentional roughness that complements the band’s style. 2. **Clarity:** Despite the rawness, there is a clarity in the mix that allows each instrument and Smith's vocals to stand out. The balance between the abrasive guitars, pulsating bass, and electronic elements is well-maintained. 3. **Experimental Approach:** The production also experiments with different soundscapes. Tracks like "A Past Gone Mad" incorporate reverb and echo effects, creating an atmospheric, almost haunting quality. ### Themes Thematically, "The Infotainment Scan" delves into the absurdities and pitfalls of modern life, with a particular focus on media, consumerism, and societal decay. 1. **Media and Consumerism:** The album critiques the pervasive influence of media and the commodification of culture. The opening track, "Ladybird (Green Grass)," and the album’s title itself, hint at a media-saturated society obsessed with trivialities. 2. **Paranoia and Surveillance:** Tracks like "Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room" reflect themes of surveillance and the invasion of privacy. Smith’s lyrics convey a sense of paranoia and distrust towards societal institutions. 3. **Existential Despair:** There is an underlying theme of existential despair, as seen in "It's a Curse" and "Service." The lyrics often touch upon the futility and absurdity of human existence in a modern, disenchanted world. ### Influence "The Infotainment Scan" stands as a testament to The Fall’s ability to remain relevant and influential across decades. 1. **Pioneering Post-Punk:** The album reinforces The Fall’s status as pioneers of the post-punk genre. Their ability to adapt to new sounds while retaining their core identity has inspired countless bands in the alternative and indie scenes. 2. **Electronic Experimentation:** The integration of electronic elements on this album can be seen as a precursor to the fusion of punk and electronic music that became more prevalent in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 3. **Lyrical Legacy:** Mark E. Smith’s lyrical style—cryptic, sardonic, and deeply critical—continues to influence modern lyricists. His approach to songwriting, blending the personal with the political and the surreal, remains unparalleled. ### Pros and Cons **Pros:** 1. **Innovative Sound:** The album's fusion of post-punk with electronic elements showcases The Fall’s innovative approach to music. 2. **Lyricism:** Mark E. Smith’s sharp, insightful, and often cryptic lyrics provide a rich tapestry of social commentary and personal reflection. 3. **Production Quality:** The raw yet clear production enhances the album's authenticity, maintaining The Fall’s trademark sound while allowing for musical evolution. 4. **Diverse Tracks:** The album offers a variety of musical styles and themes, ensuring that it remains engaging and dynamic throughout. 5. **Cultural Critique:** The themes of media saturation, consumerism, and societal decay are as relevant today as they were in 1993, making the album timeless in its critique. **Cons:** 1. **Accessibility:** The Fall’s music, including this album, can be challenging for new listeners due to its abrasive sound and abstract lyrics. 2. **Cohesion:** While the diversity of tracks is a strength, it can also lead to a lack of cohesion. Some listeners might find the shift between different styles jarring. 3. **Repetition:** Certain tracks rely heavily on repetition, which, while a hallmark of The Fall’s style, might not appeal to everyone. 4. **Production Choices:** The raw production, while authentic, might be perceived as lacking polish compared to more commercially produced albums. ### Conclusion "The Infotainment Scan" is a standout album in The Fall’s discography, exemplifying their ability to evolve musically while maintaining their distinctive identity. The blend of post-punk and electronic elements, combined with Mark E. Smith’s incisive lyricism, creates an album that is both innovative and reflective. Its themes of media critique and existential angst resonate deeply, making it a culturally significant work. While the album's raw production and challenging accessibility might not appeal to everyone, for those willing to engage with its complexities, "The Infotainment Scan" offers a rich and rewarding listening experience.

Not their best, but still very good. Quite eclectic too, seems to change direction halfway through, and I like both parts. Past Gone Mad in particular, quite electro-y but with Smith’s vocals hovering around it’s still clearly The Fall. There’s something captivating about Mark E Smith. He could read the phonebook out and I’d listen. Really wish I could’ve had a pint with him

Musically, it's brilliant, but I find the lyrics really superficial yet they're given an over-confident delivery which I just feel is totally mismatched. Would be 5 stars for me if either the lyrics or vocals were better, would be 2 stars without the good music behind it

I am not hearing anybody out. This is a fun album.

Pretty amazing, late and typical but breezy album by a wavey outfit that just flexed itself into ravey 90‘s.