The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
1993
Album Summary
The Infotainment Scan is the fifteenth album by The Fall, released in 1993 on Permanent Records in the UK and by Matador Records in the USA (the first of the band's albums to get an official American release since Extricate (1990)). At the time of its release, it was considered the band's most accessible album and came when the band were experiencing unprecedented recognition in the media. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 9, making it their highest-charting album.
WikipediaImagine 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.
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
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
sometimes interesting instrumentals, but I personally can’t stand the singer
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.
One of my favorite bands. They have such an extensive catalog i had not previously listened to this one and i loved it!
Hard to be objective about this album -- first record by The Fall that I encountered and I f***ing love it.
Discazo. Favs: "Lost in Music", "Past Gone Mad", "Why Are People Grudgeful?". 10/10
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
This is hilarious, and knowingly, intelligently so. Post-irony before it was even a thing.
the guy sounds really bored singing or whatever poetry hes talking about and thats a mood
One of my favorite works from The Fall. Really creative and appealing, with a sound that I love.
This is some pretty good post punk. Love the beat throughout, not surprised to see "alternative dance" listed as one of the genres. Is Mark E. Smith talking/singing - yes! But seems to go good with the music to me. I was entertained. 3.6
I'm still struggling with the Fall a bit, its still a barrier for me BUT this I did enjoy. Was a lot more fun and jangly that previous more grungy punk ones. Apparently their only top 10 album
Enjoyed the music, can't get on with Mark E Smith at all, he just seems a deeply unpleasant man. There's some good bits on there though.
Fifteenth album jeez dude. I do like and respect The Fall but not sure if the entire album is consistent in quality, but overall still good. Definitely wish I could have seen them live in their prime. I think I've only listened to the album with "Totally Wired" on it all the way through, so clearly I have some additional albums to listen to.
p717, 1993. 4 stars. Bass driven indie rock with great riffs and sardonic delivery. Excellent :)
It bounces along quite nicely, and surprisingly for The Fall, it's half decent
The music was great and there was something charmingly off kilter about the vocals
I'm starting to see that I like specific subgenres of punk. Grunge-punk & pop-punk seem to be the only ones I can listen to multiple times with no issue (The Clash, My Chemical Romance, Nirvana). Post-punk can be a bit of a headache to listen to (for me), that being said, I didn't mind this album. The further I got through the album, the more I enjoyed it! Style wise I thought this would be a straight punk record - but it's a mixture of different rock sounds, sometimes it sounds electronic, and other times alternative. At times, it sounded like the stylistic sound Muse is known for in parts (electronic rock maybe...?) Standout songs: It's a Curse, Glam Racket, Service, Past Gone Mad, Lights/Fireworks
The Fall are always good, even if they're bad. This is a particularly good one!
The Fall és una de les bandes més originals i recuperables que existeixen. Tants i tants grups haurien de prendre nota de què experimentar només s'hauria de fer quan s'és un geni de veritat i tens el toc de màgia de la creativitat dins teu, com és el cas de l'ínclit Mark E. Smith. Aquí grans temes com 'Lost in Music' o 'It's a Curse' s'envolten d'altres cançons no menys aprofitables. Cap d'elles òbvies, totes producte d'una ment brillant
My second fall album, really enjoyed this probably more accessible than there other albums.
An excellent record by the Fall. It's not the era I usually listen to of theirs (1980–1985) and so along with some of the usual Fall conceits it contained some surprises for me. Still, after a compelling start it ultimately suffers from the same illness as other records of theirs...just a song or two too long for me. This is a band whom I really enjoy but only about half a record at a time.
Giving me proto-Primus, proto-Clutch vibes. Except more sleepy. Yeah, I like this. I accidentally listened to it on shuffle.
Cool post punk grooves. Some songs almost had a ska vibe in the rhythms which I dig. Will check out again.
Excellent album but would it even make my top ten Fall albums? No it would not. A more interesting point in their catalogue it can claim to own is the last unarguably great album they made.
If I'd discovered The Fall when I was young I probably would have become quite fanatical about them. As they say this is one of their more accessible albums.
This was weird, but I kind of liked it. Sounded like pavement at times
Another 'no idea who these guys are but glad it was on the list' album featuring jammin' base lines and vocals reminiscent of every drunken, semi-slurred, version of any song sung in a raucous pub at 2 o'clock in the morning. My kind of crowd.
What? I actually like an album by The Fall? Yes, I guess so! Surprisingly fun and danceable.
Great post punk album. It even went a little techno at one point. Will be listening to this again.
really not the best fall album, but how do you dip in to the catalogue and pick good ones without listening to them all?
A good but not great Fall album. It was given perhaps undue attention by the excellent & entertaining cover of 'Lost In Music'.
3.25. I like the sound and I listened to it multiple times now, but I keep forgetting what the sound is. It's hard to explain... I like listening to this album, but the songs don't stick with me.
This album is described as their most accessible in the Wikipedia. It’s pretty odd almost like beat poetry. It was interesting to listen to. I do love the electro style and the guitar work but I probably won’t delve further into their less accessible stuff
Did I think it was good? Yes Did I like it? No. Its hard to separate personal bias when rating an album but I'm trying. I give it a 3 for these reasons
Significantly more listenable than Live at the Witch Trials, with a few experimental songs that were quite enjoyable. Overall good album.
To begin with found this a little all over the place but as the album progresses- I think i'm starting to get it. 2nd time through its making more sense and is actually quite interesting if not my usual thing. Enjoyable without being something i'll rush back to. 3/5
Some good songs but his voice can grate on me. Favorite songs were Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Hotel Room, The League of Bald Headed Men and Why Are People Grudgeful. All of those tracks are great, but for every one of those theres a "Light/Fireworks" type track thats just annoying.
Enjoyed the first half of this especially, it got a little grating near the end: in particular I wasn't always a fan of the vocal style. Shoutout to the Sister sledge cover
English post punk. Pretty good. The instrumentals are fr fr amazing throughout. The instrumentals get an easy 8.5/10 for me. HOWEVER, add the lead “singer” and it’s a 4/10. The rest of this post is just going to be a rant because of this guy. The lead singer really just pisses me off. The dude’s voice and stupid fake accent was charming for the first track but quickly becomes a gimmick that is hard to ignore. It’s a damn shame because the actual music is soooo good but you can’t hear it because the dude is just talking shit over it the whole time. Like not even singing. Just talking shit. I’m Going to Spain and It’s a Curse are examples of this travesty. Like bro just stfu. Actually it’s just the whole album. He doesn’t shut up. Just sing man, your voice isn’t that bad. So unfortunate man.
This was a bit of a surprise to me, actually quite enjoyable! Eclectic mix of music from guitar stuff to slightly dancey kind of tunes! Won’t be for everyone, but definitely worth a listen! I’ll probably get this for the collection
This album was alright. I've heard a bunch of the Fall before and while I like Mark E. Smith's vocal style most of this album doesn't do that much for me. But it's not bad either. Would probably do 2.5 but I'll round it up to 3.
I have to say, the style is a tough reach for me. I see it, I can understand it, but it doesn't touch me. That said, a coworker of mine is HUGELY nostalgic for The Fall, and this album in particular, so I have to give them major credit for being so influential.
Well well well... I thoroughly enjoyed the music and the vocals. Pity Smith didn't do more accessible Fall albums. I will listen to this again. Not quite 4 out of 5.
Lots to like on here - not many bands sound anything like the fall and that’s to be applauded
A good album let down by a couple of low light tracks. Still love Mark E Smith though because he's a maniac
Band was alright. Hate the genre title though. Post-punk implies punk is dead. Not to me dammit haha
прослушал половину. постпанк. музыка ничего, интересно аранжирована, состав инструментов, эффекты, но вокал отстой полный...дослушал до конца, не так уж плохо
I wonder if they have more Fall albums in the 1001, this wouldn't be my first choice. Not my favourite version of The Fall, some great moments though, and listening The Fall is always good and better than listening to most other things I guess this is a pretty accessible version of The Fall
Very much like early Stranglers. Some good riffs and rhythms going on under Mark E Smith's eccentric nonsense vocal delivery. Apparently they were John Peel's favourite band. Better than most of this week's drivel, though not really my cup of tea.
Lots of great Segways in this album. Started out electronic with some instruments and full on electronic by the end. Some strange lyrics that didn't really speak to me but all in all not bad. Can see this one being influential with the electronic music of the late 90s
The Fall were incredibly prolific and I’m not familiar with the rest of their work. This album is a perfectly fine new wave/post-punk album. I enjoyed the driving guitars and the unique vocal delivery but don’t really see what sets this album apart from earlier new wave bands, especially in the early nineties.
I like this a lot, the grooves are really addicting and they work well with the Iggy Pop style vocal delivery. Unfortunately got sick of it about halfway through, wanted to hear some real singing. Was ready to give this 5 stars after the first couple songs but I got slowly worn down by the end.
It's... Ok... Made good background music. I can see how this would have a major influence on lcd Soundsystem who I think really perfected this genre. I can appreciate it, but wouldn't seek this out.