Reviews (page 2 of 8)
There are some great tracks on this, particularly 'Ladybird (Green Grass)', 'It's A Curse' and 'Paranoia Man In Cheap Shit Room', but as a whole, it felt quite mediocre consistently. It was always fun and catchy, but I felt like there was a fundamental part missing. The vocals are great and I found the unusual last track to be interesting, but there just wasn't enough consistency for me to really love it.
Great energy and grooves.
Every band needs to evolve, but I never managed to get on board with The Fall turning to alternative dance. What's worse is that I can imagine it being great, Mark E. Smith's voice is actually kind of perfect for it, but the music itself is just lacking. It neither has the energy nor the creativity of their best albums. I get why this particular album was selected, it's a decent showcase of the band's diversity, but it's not even in their top five albums and it's questionable if it even cracks the top ten. A couple of strong tracks, It's a Curse in particular, but that's about it.
More compelling than the other two we’ve pulled.
very inconsistent. some real bangers and some real stinkers but nothing stood out as stellar so here we are at 3 stars
Somewhat repetitive but pumping punk music. Neat!
Rate: 7/10.
2/10
Not hardcore punk enough for me. Just bland
I am not saying it is a bad album by any mean.. I think is it interesting at times but the good parts are covered in so much okish songs that it is hard to appreciate them 3/5
medio aburrido
Second "The Fall" album in 5 days. Still shite. Dude talking over music for 50 minutes.
15 albums in and this is the first one for the band to finally hit the top 10 in the UK. Some of their studio albums didn’t even get a US release. And we’re supposed to believe that this is one of the top 1001 albums of all time? Maybe the better question is why different labels kept producing records from this band. Ok, so that's a bit harsh. Here's the reality. The band isn't bad, but the front man is inferior. Want proof? Go listen to It's a Curse, Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room, and Service which are all in succession in the middle of this record. There's something there in these songs, but they are just ruined by the lack of vocal ability or charisma of their lead. It's too bad. They could have been somebody.
As many have noted, some interesting instrumentals here, maybe many, but the "singer" and his style are not my cup of tea. I actively disliked him by the end. If that was the intention, spot on, otherwise....
Sometimes good sometimes shit
It suppurates. Look it up!
This album was pretty fun, I'm leaning 3.5 but I'll push it to a 4 and maybe adjust it after a relisten.
Enjoyed it enough. Not the fall album I’d choose to listen to though
Sorry….. you mean… The Fall… as in, Mark E. Smith’s post-punk icons: The Fall….. did a cover of Sister Sledge?? What the actual fuck. This whole album feels like you’ve ordered a whiskey and someone has given you a whiskey-based cocktail. Sure it’s got the thing you wanted in it… and its not unpleasant… but you didn’t really want all this extra shit. Next time just give me my Fall on the rocks.
This had segments I really liked and others that I didn’t understand. Especially that Lightening song. Overall I like the sound. But it’s not really a band I’d revisit or deserved 3 albums on this list.
A tale told through two Wikipedia quotes: “From 1979 to 2017, they released 31 studio albums” and “Although never achieving widespread mainstream success beyond minor hit singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they maintained a strong cult following throughout the years.” Music critics: “is it possible that The Fall are just not that good? No. No, it’s the children who are wrong.” 31 damn albums. Buddy, if your band hasn’t broken after 31 albums, it might be time to go back to your job at the meat factory. Is that what they call meat packing plants in England? The meat factory? What the fuck? Sounds like a dodgy gay bar. Anyway, The Fall - and the entire genre of post-punk - sucks.
First listen. This album feels like 80s indie (REM, The Cure) with a ton of talk-singing. It’s alright, not the worst but I wouldn’t choose to listen to this frequently.
Gorillaz's "Delirium" was my first exposure to Mark E. Smith, and that song was my favorite from the album, which means I was perfectly primed to like this album. Had I not had the Gorillaz exposure I would have HATED his speak-"singing," but now I just think it's funny. This album gets a bit long in the tooth tho
This mf cannot sing. If this is their most accessible album I'll happily avoid the rest. Holy fuck this is bad. 1/10
I loved “The League of Bald Headed Men” and the associated remix but the rest was meh. Not feeling like this needs to be something I hear before I die, but I appreciate anything that shades bald men. No shade to bald men in general but all shade to one particular bald man.
No doubt that this album is marmite, but I'm on the side of really liking it. The raw, punk riffs combined with experimental instrumentals are so interesting, and as a result the atmosphere created throughout the record is incredible. It's not quite a 10/10 album but for me it's very close.
The -uh- lead singer -uh- has an -uh- annoying voice. Sir. He sounds like a cross between Iggy Pop & Christopher Walken. Sir. The music is fine. Sir. Just has an annoying voice. Sir. Repetitive. Sir. Why does he keep saying sir. Sir. 2 I do like the title of the album. Reminds of those informericals with the host with the Cosby sweaters.
If I ever want everyone to leave my house after a party's over, I'm putting this on.
Sorry I was listening to Tool and almost forgot to listen to my album of the day. I hear The Strokes and The Vines. Not these guys fault for that. Not that sounding like them is a fault either. Or influencing them I guess I should say. Ok so someone might ask themselves why I rated this so high and that’s fair. I enjoyed it. It’s good. I have nothing to hate about it. Really I just don’t want to type anymore.
This was a bit busy and tiresome. Although I didn't care for most of the vocal overlays, some of the hooks were catchy and the music below was not intolerable.
Never really heard this record in full. I knew one song. I took the time to listen to it and while it was not classic "The Fall", darker punkish sound, it was still fantastic.
7 - GOOD
He sounds like that Brandon Rogers character Diana Hollyburger
Pretty mushy. This feels like the opposite of eating a soft boiled egg
What is this guy doing? This might make more sense if it sounded like it was a home recording on a tape deck. The audio quality is too good for how sloppy this sounds. While listening to the song "Service" I checked to see if it was finishing soon thinking it was going long. It had been 20 seconds.
This wasn't really for me. I didn't understand how it was different from other albums in this genre and I don't have a lot of knowledge of The Fall.
I'm confused whether I like it or not, but it's like.... Okay?
Day950 - i love the passionate reviews but there isn’t much i like about this album
Hell yeah! This is great. This is adjacent to a bit of new wave, which I hate, but is also so plainly predecessor to so much post-punk indie which I love. Gotta love the broad spectrum thru the years too. Gimme a 4!
Scan for info: Negative Scan for entertainment: Negative Scan for dog shit music: Positive
This was a real basic album but not terrible, just sounded like everything around it at the time
voce del cantante lascia un pò a desiderare, ma il sound non è male
Did not like his vocals and sound was all over the place.
Stick to your lane and don’t act like something you are not
Bad. They sound so pretentious (and bad). Not quite bad enough for a 1 but buddy they tried. Stupid, stupid album from a stupid band. Bad. Don’t like.
Not a fan of the vocals. Like he was trying for Talking Heads, Weezer, Beck & could never decide which.
Gran instrumentación, pero localmente es horrible.
Lou reed has really changed since he watched Terry Gilliam’s Brazil
Fine cascade of late 80s nu wave music transition over to the deeper more lush brit pop sound. Nothing really beyond the surface for me to really come back. I understand this to be influential but i think its impact is beyond the actual end product and that somewhat sucks for legacy.
Kind of dug it at the start, thought Glam-Racket ripped, then immediately after this became a very annoying endeavor for the most part. Sometimes Mark E. Smiths delivery REALLY works for me and sometimes it REALLY does not.
Hmm.. instrumentalmente falando é legal em partes, mas o vocalista é um pouco difícil de descer. Da a impressão que ele tenta ser um Joey Ramone na forma de cantar, mas o conjunto todo não ajuda e nem ele mesmo. Talvez eu não tenha entendido a proposta, muito menos as letras, mas não me agradou.
It was alright for most of the album but fell off hard at the end
This was very enjoyable. It didn't really do a ton, but it was fun! I liked the singer's voice and the band rocks. "League Of Bald Headed Men" is so good. Liked Songs: "Glam-Racket" , "I'm Going to Spain" , "It's a Curse" , "Paranoia man in Cheap Shit Room" , "Service" , "The League of Bald Headed men" , "Past Gone Mad" , "League Moon Monkey Mix"
3.5, I cant really say anything else
Didn’t like
What's interesting is that I got a Public Image Ltd. album yesterday, which the internet tells me is Post-Punk. Then I get this today, which the internet tells me is Post-Punk, and the two albums are not the same. This is...OK, I guess? Not very compelling, but not bad enough to give 2 stars. More like 2.5. The vocals are very bad and stupid, just a sleepy-sounding guy ramble talking over the music. No voice modulation, not really on any kind of beat, just sort of talking. OK, I'm just going to rate it now before I talk myself into a 2 star
The first few songs had a rough, nasty sound that reminded me of The Stooges. That gave the album a strong start and made me think I was going to like it more than I did. “Paranoid Man in Cheap Shit Room” was probably the best example of that. Good title, good song, and just enough ugliness to keep it interesting. The problem is the second half. It loses most of that energy and starts feeling like a completely different album, only not in a good way. The songs get slower, duller, and a lot easier to ignore. This was close to dropping to a 2 by the end. The stronger opening stretch saved it, but only barely.
this was groovy for The Fall to be fair
I think I’m just going to start automatically rating British punk rock albums a 1 and skipping. This is ridiculous, even if I was British and enjoyed punk I do not think it’s fair to have a large percentage of the albums be the same genre from the same era. Really silly.
Forgettable British post punk. That’s about it.
I have absolutely no idea why this band is so famous. No idea. There's something very wrong with you brits. Very wrong.
some nice freging punk!
The music itself is good but why he gotta freaking talk like that. Feel like someone's listing out a platter order at the deli. ough
I think I must be one of the cool kids now cause I like an album by The Fall!
The first track was OK, the rest let me down. Pretty terrible stuff.
Another stellar pick for this list …why?
Britpop? I think??
Not mine
No
Very meh
Two fall albums in a week was not what I had in mind for a relaxing summer poolside listen.
the fifteenth (jesus christ!) album release from alt group the fall; these guys have been active for a very long time and they've been just hopping through different music takes and record labels to get their stuff out there in the world. wikipedia says that this is their most accessible album. first thing i can bring up is this guy's voice. he sounds drunk, sarcastic, either he doesn't want to be there, he's hammered as hell or he's channeling his inner poem-reading voice, kinda croaking and slurring into the mic. the instrumentals are fine and some of them i honestly really like, but unfortunately the talk-singing breaks a good handful of tracks. there's not too much that's being offered here to me. just some sludgy alt dance music, crunchy guitars and this GUY reading OUT every LYRIC being SUNG! i fear i'm not intelligent enough to get it.
They sound like Brian when he’s imitating folks from the UK.
85
I’ve always found Mark E. Smith kind of equally annoying and repellent as I did interesting and brilliant. So The Fall is this band I don’t listen to much who I’m a little suspicious of people digging too much but can appreciate and respect from a distance. This album seems to be specifically catered to me as a famously bald man, who just went to Spain, who loves Sister Sledge and Nile Rogers/Bernard Edwards and has recently been addicted to the early 90s housey pop of Shep Pettibone and Madonna. That’s infotainment!
Although I hated it, there's a few neat grooves in here that helps with getting through it
Would need a few listens, like a lot of The Falls catalogue, it tends to blend into itself a little.
I mean - was it bad? No? Was it great? Also no. It fit a specific niche, but not one I'm particularly interested in staying in. Not sure why it's on the list.
Favorite track(s): Lost in Music British Forrest Gump is really not doing it for me.
Very good
210726 0:45 3
Live versions seems more engaging. Overall a very light rock funk whimsical sound
Well, as a lifelong fan of The Fall, I don't think there are any truly bad Fall albums. That said, I wouldn't have expected this mid-period album to feature in this list.
The music itself is pretty good. His voice is not. Hard to believe this band has made dozens of albums and yet hardly any relevant hits or cultural impact. This is hardly an album I needed to hear before I die. Depressing week of album choices for this project.
This album features one of my all-time favorite tracks from The Fall, “Lost In Music,” which really carries the entire album for me. The rest of the album is solid from start to finish, but none of the other tracks come close to topping that one. It’s definitely a more synth and electronic-driven dance rock album for The Fall, though it still has that traditional post-punk edge. It’s not overly polished, but it’s probably one of their more accessible albums.
very unique sounds not the best but certainly not unpleasant.
I did not like this. The sonic assault on my ears through my headphones was headache inducing.
This felt more like an infotainment scam. *ba dum tss*
I wanted to like this more. But I didn't. Maybe I'm just cranky today.
Not a bad album as such, just not really much to it for me. Felt like they were either satirising or trying to emulate Iggy Pop mostly. Nothing standing out, and not a must listen to for me personally.
Punk isn’t my favorite, but I do appreciate a good representative, and this is one of them.
Gotta check out more of The Fall.
As a compilation of song titles, this might be a 6/5
maybe the first the fall record i enjoyed?
Pretty cool jams
nice
3/5
This-uh was-uh terrible-uh Good album ruined by the vocals. 3 for the music, -1 for the singing.
Dude this was sick! I always knew I would like the Fall, given they've influenced many artists I love. Excited to dig in more. Major durrrrrhhh.
I think I would have liked this more if it had a different lead singer.
Didn't really stand out
Original in a covers way.
The Fall at their gloriously chaotic best. Sharp lyrics, guttural delivery, driven along with fury. Only another 30 albums to imbibe.
I wasn’t familiar with this. Enjoyed it very much but always felt that it could give a bit more….
Ashamed to say this is the first Fall album I've listened to, and it was excellent. I love that they don't sound like anyone else. And (related point) that Mark E Smith doesn't give a fuck. A raucous and uplifting change to the Doves yawn-fest served-up yesterday. A feisty 4*
started off strong, lost me halfway and the picked up again. top picks: - ladybird - lost in music -the league of bald headed men -why are people grudgeful
This one went from “mildly interesting” to “supremely irritating” in record time.
Having an annoying singer with questionable singing talent/skill is not in and of itself disqualifying, but this does nothing for me.
Overly aggressive
More musically creative than I'd anticipated. Was able to look past how much of a prick I think Mark E Smith was and enjoy this band effort. I'm Going to Spain was pretty funny.
Always a mixed bag with The Fall. Their cover of Lost in Music is amongst the best stuff they recorded. I'm Going to Spain made me chuckle ("I think it's time I saw the world, and not Australia"). Results may vary.
Find Mark E Smith hard to like. It's okay. Don't think it's enough to drag me into a Fall rabbithole.
Some interesting musical but, I wasn't a fan of the vocals. I feel that some of these albums are very dependant on context, who's in the band, what was happening in the world at the time, what the bands other albums are like. I feel that this album might be one of those.
The vocalist is trying to sound like he is not even trying. Now, if he geniuinely sounded like he is not even trying, that could be cool in a nonchalant, I-dont-give-a-damn way. But he sounds like he is tryng to sound like he is not truying instead. Awakward, forced but powerless, bland and boring. All of that poured over instrumentals that sounded dated even in the 90s. Cheesy 80s drums, cliche cord progressions, weak ass riffs, questionable production choices all around. Alright, it's not that bad. Sometimes instrumentals do something interesting, but the vocalist never fails to ruin it the moment anything even resembling good music starts to arise. I'd rather listen to entire Throbbing Ghristle discography in one sitting than sit through this dull, unispired slog again. "Smith had a difficult and complex personality and was a long-term alcoholic." "Smith's approach to music was unconventional, and he did not have high regard for musicianship, stating that "rock & roll isn't even music really. It's a mistreating of instruments to get feelings over."" Oh yeah, yeah, that tracks. What a load of horseshit
Listening to this album make me feel like Janeane Garofalo's character in Cable Guy. Exasperated with these two guys and tired of her bullshit job, she just sighs and says "Dude, I got a lot of tables..." to get this whole thing moving so she can move on. I don't even have a lot of tables this morning, but I'm ready to move on. This could have been a pretty solid instrumental album I'm tapping out here at track 7. Is this guy genuine? Or is this some joke? ⭐⭐
Gostei
Fall off my playlist
Intense and raucous, loved it
Fasit på å ødelegge et godt band med dårlig vokal
Aucun putain d'intérêt.
I like all the pop, disco, and dance you can hear in it. But I seem to be the only person on this website supporting 80s British pop.
I like much of the instrumentation but man I can't seems to enjoy the singer much at all
another shit album
Please tell me this is the last album on here by The Fall. This one is probably better than the other two, but that's an incredibly low bar. Can't stand that little wilted-pumpkin-faced pisshead.
Expected britpop, got brit vitriol instead. The arrangements definitely feel stuck in the 90s but it's an enjoyable album nonetheless.
I like the British post-punk sound. Got some New Wave in there as well as some more traditional punk rock guitars.
Sounded like a voguing soundtrack with a guy talking over it. Danced while making soup
I didn’t hate it. I certainly didn’t love it. There is a dark, otherworldly quality to the album. I’d be lying if I said I will be listening to it again. There are much better Fall albums. But, considering how this list likes to spam us with rock albums from the UK, I imagine we will be listening to them too.
As an outspoken lover of melody and dynamic range, this was a hard one. The lyrics are fine as poetry, but indistinguishable and monotone as songs. The instrumentals often start solidly, but then they go and go and go without alteration until the sun explodes and the beat abruptly cuts off. I found myself wanting to listen to LCD Soundsystem instead because they, as I see it, do awesome dance-punk grooves...AND awesome melodies AND dynamics AND song structure. Fav song: "I'm Going to Spain"...of course, it's the only song on the album with its sound. Katie (who was in the car during listening): "0 stars. It sounds like the singer is constantly either vomiting or having sex."
Lord Almighty
Robert Smith had been in a good mood, listened to a lot of billy idol and got sloppy drunk.
It's like Animal Collective, either you hate it or you used to hate it. 3/5
Vocals are a bit meh
Good alt music
First song is reminding me of fitness gram pacer test. Other songs sound like davy jones from pirates of the Caribbean.
Snnnzz...only woke up for one song, Past Gone Mad. I wish there was more of that.
Quality fall. Was he a fraud or a genius? Brilliant though, leans heavy on kraut rock.
A massive improvement on Live At The Witch Trials, which I gave 1 star to. Every track on this was great. It just needed a couple I really loved to push it all the way to five stars. Top Track - Lost In Music
strange
If you ever thought you weren't good enough to sing for a punk band you should hear this
Very neat experiment from The Fall. I've only ever known them as a drab post-punk band, often with low recording quality, so this new direction was a surprise. On paper, it shouldn't work, but I should've know it would, given my introduction to Mark E. Smith was through "Glitter Freeze" by Gorillaz. I love everything the band is doing musically, but Smith's delivery translates well to this funkier, poppier sound, but the two don't always mesh well. Overall I'm happy for the experiment adding another dimension to The Fall's sound. These are all sounds I enjoy in other band, so why not them?
Neat Anglo vibes!
I’ve tried to get into The Fall previously but never knew where to start. From the albums that I checked out, nothing really jumped out at me enough to pursue further. One thing that was apparent was the band’s unwavering modus operandi and originality. This album seems like a good representation of what they do. Had this been my first experience of The Fall, I would have probably continued to plough through their discography. The vocals and lyrics will be the sticking point for many. Unapologetically English, and a definite highlight for me. Musically it’s very much of its time (see “indie” and Manchester), and for that reason I’m not sure how much I’d revisit them. Mark E Smith aside, there’s little left to hold my interest. Still, an enjoyable listen and a good insight into the large catalogue of a truly original band.
Insipid singing/talking and annoying noises.
5.0/10
I already hate what I know is his near constant use of old timey blues vocals repeatedly. 2 for 2. Porcelain was the hit, it was in ads and movie trailers all over the place. South Side was big too, no Gwen Stefani though? Eminem was right, this guy could get stomped by Obie. Natural Blues...more old blues singing with electronic music behind it. Why are these electronic albums all so long? Run On does it again...thank god Johnny Cash took that one back. This album feels never ending. I'm picturing Moby "playing" the flute on his synthesizer. It's probably the worst song on the album. It sounds like a cover of a track from The Princess Bride score. Thanks for the spoken word moment Suzanne Vega. My Weakness was the alternate music for The Truman Show when he's trying to escape on the boat. Why Are People Grudgeful? is the best song on the album but that's a pretty low bar to clear. This was the best The Fall album, again, low hurdle.
I tried, is all I can say, made it a good hour into the album, but it isn't for me.
The instrumentation is pretty groovy for the most part. I didn't care for the vocals.
A 2 hour album where the singer cant sing
God I hated this. Truly awful singing, and I spent every track hoping it was the last one on the album
if mark e. could have gotten out of his own way for 5 fucking minutes...😔
Not sure but not for me
Something singing in another language? Maybe the title it must to be "1001 albums from EU and Great Britain"
Eh
Holy vocal fry "Itzzzzzz uhhhh cuuuuurhhhhhhhseeeeeeuhhhhhhh" SHUT THE FUCK UP 1 ⭐️
Not looking forward to two more albums from these guys Honestly for post-punk it’s got some great variety, one of my biggest complaints with the genre is that every song sounds the same, and they actually do a pretty decent job making each one feel different; there’s electronic stuff, distortion guitar heavy stuff, piano stuff, and honestly none of the backing tracks sound that bad I really don’t like this dudes voice though, sounds like Lou Reed with worse mixing and none of the things that made him (a little) cool at times. It’s just not a very clean album and I couldn’t really get into any of the lyrics/themes. I think there’s individual parts of songs that sound good (usually the parts where he’s not singing), but I don’t think I liked a single song on this album This is a genre I’ve expressed my dislike for every time we get one, but we’ve definitely got better albums in recent memory. Feels like another one of those albums that got on due to recency bias that really hasn’t held up very well
Nah man this is ass. Is he allergic to singing? Why does he have to mumble all his words; he sounds like an idiot
It’s not that the album is bad it’s just that it’s horrifically boring. Killed me to finish it. Background instrumentals were often nice but that was about all. Biggest issue is the album sounds like it came out the 80s even though it’s a 90s album. Nothing wrong with that but I personally don’t like the generic 80s sound. The guy’s vocals are slightly irritating but not as bad as other reviewers made it seem. Perhaps I don’t love the low production value either but the debut Strokes album is also quite raw and is a classic in my mind. Also unrelated but what in the world is that album cover. It’s so… lackluster. I’d rate 2.5 if I could but between a 3 and a 2, it’s more deserving of a 3 because clearly thought and effort went into it.
fine, not as terrible as the last album by them i had to listen to 3 stars
If you like bad music and even worse vocals you are probably loving this album. For me it is 1 star or F.
I feel like the band has the means to a better end but failed to put them to use. It's like this whole record is a sort of experiment that turned out weird.
This was tough. I don't think it's a 2 but 3 almost seems too high.
Was expecting so much worse from the reviews. 3.5/5
OK so we have no Tool Harry Belafonte Chuck Berry Cranberries Deftones Mos Def Neil Diamond It's missing albums like Last Splash, ATLiens, Thick as a Brick and Paid in full. Yet we have this. I'm not sure historically if it's relevant, I've never heard of them before. Having listened to the album I'm really starting to be tired of this. This is not an album that is good, it's boring. It's not offering anything. Maybe it was someone's favorite band and they won a dozen awards and thanked The Fall. Somehow I doubt it. This is just a lame album, and for it to be a double album?! Come one now. If it were a concept sure I could understand that, like the 69 love songs. Yeah it's too long but that was partially the point. What is the point of this? It's not entertaining, informative, or fun. At no point while listening did I feel the urge to dance or sing along. It's joyless. Go listen to something that makes you feel something, don't waste your time on this.
non ho molto da commentare, potrei starmene zitto, ma quest'album mi ha tenuto indeciso a lungo: la musica e i ritmi anche ci stanno alla fine, ma non so cosa sia che me lo fa disprezzare di brutto, forse perchè è un po' cantilenante
This could have been so much better if he wasn’t doing the exact same mumble sing thing on every single track.
Never heard of this band. Interesting stuff.
Classic Fall really - total nonsense at times, mixed in with some really great stuff. It's quite Madchester in places, with a lot of bagginess that sits well against the taut styles of MES's vocal. I was fairly glad when it finished, and it makes you feel quite insane a lot of the time, but that's no bad thing.
Favourite Songs: Lost In Music A Past Gone Mad
Not too bad
It was ok. Progressively got weirder.
I listened to this a second time and it seemed like a completely different album. Maybe I was paying more attention
No me he guardado nada, no le presté mucha atención. Ha ratos me recordaron a Joy Division. Una banda y un líder más o menos malditos a los que nunca les pillé el punto. Entre 2 y 3 estrellas... 3
Meh, nothing grabbed me
I don't really understand this album. The music sounded like garden variety late 80's/early 90's British alt-rock, but the singing sounded like the drunk Frenchman in a Monty Python movie yelling insults at me. My mother may have indeed smelled of elderberries, but I don't want to hear about it in a song.
This was a welcome surprise. I didn’t like my previous the Fall listens that much but this was good. The Lost in Music cover is a baffling choice of a cover, but it’s kind of emblematic of the rest of the album. It’s a weird combination of dance, Madchester, Indie and spoken word poetry by one of the least singery singers out there. Yet it works and sounds really fun. Bizarre surprise.
Talky british singing.. not my style
Des faux airs de Bowie mais rien de bien exceptionnel
Good album
'Green grass was purple black & speckled all around.' Art rock embracing the accessible & the pleasures of 'music' - 'I'm lost in music / Feel so alive' - is no foolproof blueprint for converting the skeptics, but it can work & it works in this case. Mark E. Smith has a clarity of voice & vision here, each track slams just enuf, sings just enuf, & moves just enuf to be an authentic meeting of pop & art, while the '93 energy is delightfully '79. 'I hope I can quickly learn the language, eh.' That'd be the language of a group knowing they can't hold onto their obscurantist darlings but that they can hold onto something. Sure, some of this is just Smith rambling, scrambling over pop-friendly instrumentals, but if pleasure be the key, this gives me that. A lot.
Jesus Christ, the Fall again? I just got these guys not even 3 weeks ago. Look, just because the Fall released 30 albums or whatever doesn't mean that they need 3 albums on a list like this. Besides, even if you were to give this band 3 albums, surely there were better choices than this album, right? Why did they choose this album? Apparently this was the band's highest-charting album in the UK, but that's really the only thing of value that I could see. I already wasn't huge on this band, but I think this is the worst album I've heard of theirs yet. The music is still pretty good, I'll give the album that. There are some good riffs and fun musical moments. I could see these instrumentals being on a pretty good album. There's just one problem. Mark E. Smith. Look, his songwriting is fine and all, but his vocal performance is genuinely bad on this album. He could sound disinterested on past albums, but he straight-up sounds drunk out of his mind on this one, which he probably was. "Lost in Music"? More like "Lost in a Bottle of Smirnoff," am I right? Yeah, he genuinely kinda ruins the album for me. If the vocals on this album were any good, I think I would actually have a pretty fun time with most of these songs. Well, except for the closer "Light / Fireworks." That one would still kinda suck, but the others would be cool. I get that the Fall were important to the development of post-punk as a genre, but this album project has not done anything to make me a fan of this band whatsoever. They've got a good instrumental section, but I just do not vibe with the overall energy of these guys, and this album is the one I vibe with the least. Low 3/5. The good music saves this from being a 2.
Not my thing I guess, band/music itself is fantastic but can't stand the lead singer
This album kind of sucks-uh
Pretty decent. Like the punky style.
Decently grotty and angsty
It’s ok. The Fall is a strange band to me. Kinda catchy, but wholly forgettable.
Quite liked a lot of this one
A fairly tame effort by The Fall’s standards, I suspect that they are better when it is more chaotic, to match Mark E Smith’s voice. A couple of decent tracks here.
I’ve always ‘quite liked’ The Fall, but only in very small doses. Album format is more of a daunting beast. He’s obviously a shit singer, so they work best with the snarling talking version of his lyrics over the more driving post punk music. Fair play for sticking in some different styles, but they’re not for me, least of all where he kind of tries to sing properly and it all falls apart rather. You can’t make Mark E Smith sound upbeat, not sure why they tried.
Yeeessssss! This album came at a perfect time for me. Bit of a rough patch at work, got out of bed a bit angry, turned on the 1001 list and from the first few notes I knew this was exactly what I needed. The driving bass lines, the energy, the anger, the rejection of mediocrity, it all fits. I didn't know The Fall very well but I will explore them properly now.
not my cup of tea, just songs being spoken like most punk songs of the time
Not as good as the earlier stuff but still much better than other contemporary material from other artists
The Fall are a top 3 band for me so I’m always giving this a decent score. However, I’ve always thought this one was a bit overrated and is not an essential listen. It is the Fall at their most pop, which just isn’t the Fall. From Steve Hanley’s book, I think this is around the time where MES really started to go off the rails. It is the peak of their commercial success but not near their best. How this makes the cut over Hex Enduction Hour is a head scratcher. Rating: 3.9
This record is a little wacky. Down to the lyrics and even backing tracks, it feels a little too weird. Favourite Track(s): Lost In Music Least Favourite Track(s): It's a Curse
Wow! This is terrible. I mean the production sounds like it was from a mediocre studio a decade earlier. Those vocals. Holy crap. There's lazy and phoned-in then there's this! I feel embarrassed for the rest of the band who actually sound like they put some effort into it. I'm not feeling generous on this one. 1 Star
This is ok, not for me, very angsty would be cool in a film, i can hear how it could be influential/ but again not my thing, better than the last album tho
This was fine... as just Disc 1. Nothing memorable, but I wouldn't rush to turn it off. I'm simply not listening to Disc 2... it's just live versions and remixes and I never consider those parts of the album assignment. So you can keep that.
This feels like the halfway point between the Cure and triphop. I don’t really like triphop though.
I think I’m obsessed with this band. I’ve known of them forever (thanks Jens Lehman) but never dug in but there’s so much to sift through. A nice poetry in this album including a cover of “Lost in Music” from Sister Sledge, which was my second or third album from the generator. Already paying dividends.
I never did get round to listening to the fall over the years, I will listen to them again on the strength of this. I gather the sound is in a continuous state of flux, as are the members. But this is more accessible than I expected.
What a delightfully messy and tangled web of genres, broadly planting a Brit pop flag right in the point of intersection. Uneven at times, but full of brilliance at other times, it was the furthest from boring.
An interesting album but it didn’t grab my attention very much
don't get the love for this one
Fun stuff, I kinda want to go back through their older stuff too.
Madchester sound is not my bag. Sometimes interesting instrumentals, but I personally can’t stand the singer. 2⭐️
This constantly threatens to be interesting, but it never gets there.
I laughed humourlessly when I read that this was their more “accessible album” as I really hated the Witch Trials album, so thought, well it has to be better than that. It was, although they could have done more with their Sister Sledge cover, I really liked the “I’m going to Spain” cover. Glam Racket was interesting; it stopped me mulling over how they just sound like Lou Reed or the Stranglers and made me feel they had a style their own. By the time I got to Past Gone Mad and Light/Fireworks, though, I was sadly back to my initial decision, three stars.
Such a cool album. I had heard some of The Fall before, but wasn't aware of quite how massive and storied their discography is. I was blown away to read that this was their fifteenth album out of thirty something. Crazy! Anyway, James Murphy's whole thing makes a lot more sense after listening to this album. Very cool dane post punk vibes, with hints of post-nrw wave synths holding on for dear life. I loved it. 4.5/5 from me.
Litt kjedelig
Post-punk that couldn’t translate for me. A few that were interesting musically but I couldn’t get past the post-punk too late for it to be cutting edge or mean anything for me. It’s just dudes who can’t sing saying passé stuff over a song with the potential to be good. I’ve never been able to get behind the too nihilistic to even try musical thing.
Listens: 2 or 3? Standout Tracks: Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room, It's a Curse I can first say that I did not listen to the whole album. Clocking in at over 2 hours... no sorry. That being said, I did actually listen to the whole album by accident when I was going to sleep, but I was not cognizant of it, really. What I did listen to, several times, is the first 12 or 13 tracks. I have mixed opinions. Doing post-punk in 1993 seems... late to the game. And being late to the game, you might expect there to be a body of works from which to draw... inspiration from. I don't really see (hear) that here. What I hear is post-punk fighting, but not really winning, to be punk music. As a result, it sort of lands in this no-mans land. It's rough around the edges. Its faded and washed out. Its not quite sloppy, but its grimy. It's weird. The lyrics are cryptic or steeped in metaphor. It's hard to know exactly what's going on. But it's also got elements of new wave. There's piano on some tracks, I think. That's definitely not par for the course. I think it's fine album, albeit a tad too long. It might enter my rotation, but probably not. I really wish there was a "original" version of the album, without the extra 20 songs. Ironically, this IS the shorter version of the album. The "Complete" edition of the album clocks in at over 5 hours of music.
wow. i hate this. i'm actually kind of surprised by how much i hate this
Liked the music. Didn't really like the singer's voice. Still a good album. Some songs I really liked, so might listen to those but won't listen to the whole album I think
I mostly enjoyed The Infotainment Scam, though my biggest stumbling block was Mark E. Smith’s vocals. His peculiar vocal strains—where he seems to be aiming for the melody while only occasionally landing on key—often sound as if they’re coming more from his throat than from his lungs, with a speak-singing style that at times resembles Christopher Walken fronting a post-punk band. The music itself was accessible, but it never struck me as extraordinary by any stretch of the imagination. Am I glad I heard this album before I died? That’s the eternal question, isn’t it? I’m not entirely sure. Reviewers often describe this as The Fall’s most approachable album, which only makes me a bit more hesitant about what else I’ll be hearing in the months to come. Knowing that I still have two more albums by The Fall left to hear, I can’t help but think that, if I had skipped this one, I probably would have been just fine.
This would have been a much more enjoyable experience had Christopher Walken's 3rd cousin not been the vocalist. It's so distracting, I found myself being relieved every time he would shut the fuck up and there would only be music. Halfway through I was wishing that there was an instrumental version of the album I could switch to. He is operating completely independent of the music behind him and it's a fucking waste of time. I would not recommend this album to anyone and I am saddened that there are a few more on this list i have to be subjected to.
Some cool beats and interesting sounds, but nah.
Blind album and artist. This album drags as a whole. Uninterested, bland in some ways. Lackluster. But not the worst I have heard.
I wasn’t hopeful for this one after listening to the last album of theirs on this list but it was ok. Not something I would probably rush to play again but an interesting listen nonetheless!
Good band terrible vocalist and not in a fun redeeming way.
Unique sound. Did I like it? Not particularly but I'd happily have more albums like this over the 'bigger' names on the list with 5+ albums of which only one is actually required listening. 3/5.
Certainly better than the last Fall album my group got. Solid 4 Stars.
I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3. Certainly an interesting album, and at the very least, one that’s far more accessible than “This Nation’s Saving Grace” was. For comparison’s sake, nearly 600 days ago, I gave “This Nation’s Saving Grace” a 1.5 that I barely bumped up to a 2, so a 3.5 bumped down to a 3 is a big jump. This is 1993 postpunk, so the advances in production given to every other UK band around this time are in play here, and what emerges feels a bit more Madchester-coded as a result. Instrumentally, it’s a really competent album that constantly falls into traps of repetition that leaves the progression rather stale. That’s a part of the reason why I’m bumping it down to a 3. Vocally, it’s a fascinatingly dry album, one that’s usually spoken word, yet constantly in search of an actual melody to cling to. That chase very rarely results in something that’s as satisfying as a traditional listener might want, but for my tastes, I think that dry approach has its merits with the stale progression. It didn’t work on every track, but when it does work, there’s something that feels vaguely comforting to it. Lyrically, I can’t tell you what most of these tracks are about, and that’s the other reason why I’m bumping it down to a 3. The dry approach to the vocals is one thing, but it works when the lyricism has something to it, whether it’s in the storytelling aspects or just some random lines that work hand-in-hand with the plainly stated nature of it all. When Mark Smith says “if I ever end up like U2, slit my throat with a garden vegetable” on “Past Gone Mad”, it’s the sort of line that just works for me because it’s such a specific bit of imagery that I can’t help but laugh. There’s a very Garth Marenghi-coded vibe to this album’s approach that I love when it hits, but it only really works half the time. Whether it’s in the instrumentals hitting repetitive points, the lyricism making no sense, or the dry approach to the vocals working against the instrumentals (as well as some tracks just dragging on way too long like “It’s a Curse”), the 50% of this album that doesn’t work just sort of pulls it down. All of that said, I still think it’s a far better effort than “This Nation’s Saving Grace” was, and the sort of album where I genuinely wouldn’t blame anyone for going up to a 4 or a 5. It has enough merit behind its strange approach that I could hear, but I just didn’t vibe with. At the same time, I also understand giving this a 1 or 2, though I cannot comprehend for the life of me how this has an even lower rating than “This Nation’s Saving Grace” on the site. Hence, a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3, but a fully enjoyable album that honestly, doesn’t even really have a bad track behind it. Repetitive ones that will likely bounce off of you, yes, but nothing as abstract & egregiously dull & bland & full of nothingness as before. I am now cautiously optimistic for when we get “Live at the Witch Trials”.
I enjoyed this more than I thought, based on what I had heard about The Fall. I like a lot of British music, but the things I've heard about The Fall made me wonder if I'd find them too messy or abrasive. Wikipedia says this album is considered their most accessible, so perhaps any of their other 30 albums may not sit with me as well. Someday, I'll try digging into their discography more, but 31 albums is a bit overwhelming to think of even starting!
Ну нормально, ничего особого. 5/10
Operation mindfuck I do not like your tone
OMG
I really did not like the vocals
Really cool sound unfortunately tarnished-ah by-ah whatever-ah this-ah is-ah
ok
Never liked the fall. This did nothing to change that
The Fall keep up with the times with a sound (and album cover) befitting of the Madchester scene. This one is built on riffs and grooves that lean into dance and, in the case of "A Past Gone Mad," border on techno. It's still undoubtedly the fall though with Mark E. Smith's monotone shouting over the top of it. Nearly all of the riffs here are interesting, but they don't change much throughout the songs and can get a bit stale. "It's a Curse" is a great example of a song that sounds great at the start and has worn out its welcome by the end. Smith's lyrics often amount to an internal monologue more than anything else, and while I don't hate them they don't add much to the songs. Basically a set of infectious grooves that aren't infectious enough to carry these songs for their runtimes.
A very 80's attempt at a 90's album
Absolutely fucking not. This is the kind of shit only men can get away with.
insufrible, una reverenda mierda ZZZZZZZZ
1 canta para el culo
It was a time...no real opinion.
I just listened to this and I can’t remember a thing I heard
#347/1001. If we get The Fall in this lust of course it is "their most accessible album", which I can guarantee is not very accessible to many just because of Mark E. Smith's delivery. The Fall is not something I listen to with free will often, but every now and then when it pops up one cannot buy admire the "fuck the rest of the world" -attitude mixed with a rather tight and groovy post punk / krautrock rhythm. For an introduction to their ouvre I recommend checking out the complete Peel session cd box (6 cds from 24 sessions). Peel put it nicely: "They are always different; they are always the same". Oh, but I forgot you all hated this. Well sod off.
J'aime beaucoup The Fall du début à la fin. Drôle de choix d'album par contre. J'en ferais passer 5-6-7 autres avant celui-là.
j'ai bien aimé. J'ai de la difficulté à mettre un punk au-dessus des autres, je manque un peu de profondeur dans mes connaissances punk, sauf la vague de punk-rock late 90s/début '00s dans laquelle mon adolescence a baigné. J'ai aimé la piste It's A Curse avec les grosses guits qui faisaient un wall of sound.
Du post-punk avec du chant un peu « spoken word ». Rien à demander de plus!
All over the place. Some parts were good but I can't see myself going back and digging through almost 3 hours of an album to find them.
Probably deserves another listen but I don’t have a strong desire to even do that. This list has a lot of this type of music and I feel like I’ve already received a lot of it. This album was a bit too chaotic for my ears.
Great music, really annoying vocals. Different singer and this is a 4.
This one had some interesting sounds at times, but the singer's voice didn't fall well on my ears and unfortunately I found the instrumentals to fall similarly.
Normal
No thanks.
not really a fan of this. the number of artists who think they can drop 10 four or five minute songs in a row is too damn high. also what the fuck are these vocals? paranoia--i think this is giving me paranoia. which is not really what i want to get out of listening to music. i can't finish this 1/5
Interesting submission to the list because The Fall is generally impenetrable to most of the world and certainly Americans. This is pretty accessible and for the most part works pretty well ie it’s mostly melodic and structured like songs and Mark Smiths lyrics are fairly coherent. There are a couple of outliers - Light/Fireworks is kinda repetitive and dumb and the Steve Bent cover can be said to be better than the original by a wide mile is still a bit weak. But the rest is pretty good with some of Mark’s caustic wit appearing on several tracks. Overall sharp but not in the top 5 Fall records for me. 3/5
Yuck. Could not make it through one song. Zero stars
This album does not deserve to be on the list why is there 3 of them when there’s like 2 Fleetwood Mac albums lmao. There was a single good track but not THAT good to remember the name
The second fall album in a week, are you kidding me? Less repetitive than their last album, but my goodness, I'm sick of his British vocals. Even if it has variance, nothing really popped out, and it just went into the background.
Some cool sounds here. I think it would take me a lot of listens to really get it fully. The singer is a bit of an acquired taste, but I definitely see the comparisons made to some of Stephen Malkmus’s work, and he is one of my favorites.
Slightly better than the other 10 albums just like this one on this list. 2/5
No matter how I try, I can’t get really into The Fall. I enjoyed this but wasn’t blown away.
nah
I loved everything about this, I listened through several times and this album will have a permanent home in my collection.
I really don't like this at all... :-(
I've been on a streak of "mid," and it looks like it'll continue. I hate having nothing to say about forgettable albums.
Much like most punk, I like it for about 7 minutes, then it gets somewhat annoying. For such an innovative and talented time, I expect better from the 90s (at least on this list)
This album was not good lyrically and vocally. However the instrumentals did cook at times but not all the time. Also what is bro yapping about splitting the Chinese sky open 😂.
Meh. 3
Kinda sounds like a digital bridge between the 80s and 90s. That doesn’t make it good. Really repetitive and boring.
If the primary appeal of the songs are the lyrics it'd be nice to have someone who is good at singing in your band. Or, failing that, someone who is intelligible.
While it all seemed a little generic, great vibe all around and I'd never object to this being on in the background.
I don't hate it, but I don't get it. It was rarely interesting, and I know I'm too young to have an accurate feel of the times, but it seems stale for the early 90's.
Detta gillade jag inte alls. Tråkigt och monotont, tyckte det lät samma hela skivan igenom. Trist. The Fall känns som ett band som jag borde gilla, stilbildande osv men det gör jag inte, vilket är lite frustrerande. Mark E. Smiths röst är irriterande, vilket förstör upplevelsen för mig. Bästa låten för mig är League Moon Monkey Mix".
nice enough
Interesting, but not enough. At least not interesting in the way that I find compelling. An album I imagine someone else loving, for well articulated reasons.
Not great, British punk is weird
Sigh...another swirl around the toilet bowl. Wait, am I enjoying this? I think I am. Way better than "This Nation's Saving Grace".
Fun and has some zip
Can’t stand the singing, made me very irritable this morning. But enjoyed the rest of the band when he wasn’t s singing
What the fuck am I listening to, what's with these vocals? Instrumentals are fine, I was a bit ambivalent to the vocals, but when I got to Paranoia Man this is actually grating.
The music is alright but the singer sounds like he’s doing a sketch on SNL. I’m a drummer and I’ve refused to play in bands with bad singers before. These musicians should have thought about having the same basic standards.
I used to think I liked The Fall. It turns out that I don't. On this album, it sounds like they're trying to match their sound with what's going on around them, but it doesn't work. Liked Songs Added: I'm Going To Spain
A lot more fun and witty and groovy than I was expecting. I thought it was going to be the dingiest trawl through Mancunian whingeing but it was brighter and poppier than expected.
3.5
2.5
Couldn't listen to it. His voice is terrible.
If I was cooler I feel like I would like them more… but not bad. 3.0
I remember being struck by a couple of the lyrics, though I forgot to write them down, so they’re long gone. But the delivery… his voice is terrible and it really drags down what could otherwise be a decent album. 5/10 Decent
Excellent, one I haven't heard at all. I own a couple LPs from the Fall. I have a minor fascination with Mark E. Smith, I really like his vocal style and musical sensibility, but I find his snobbery and disdain for everything and everyone else fundamentally unearned. That's what I like about him. Glad he's on this list. But does this album belong on it? Nah. There's some great tracks. "Glam-Racket," "I'm Going to Spain," "It's a Curse," and "Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room" is a string of tracks that feel like a really interesting 4-song EP. Where his vocals are all spikes and jags and jabs, the music too often sands down the edges. The drum production feels more from the 80s than the 90s, which is too bad. 3.5/5. Probably wouldn't be my own 1001 list, and definitely not a list of 1001 I'd tell a stranger they should listen to.
There is only one place and time where such an album could be made and it's the UK in the 90s. Enjoyed it very much, but wouldn't say that I'm a The Fall fan now.
Prima, niet heel opvallend
This is a weird singing style, its like yelling random stuff but there's music? Best song: I'm Going To Spain
I guess it’s punk rock. Not sure. Not impressed with the music.
In the middle on this one I don’t really know what to say or whether to give it a 2 or 3
These guys seriously get 3 albums on the list? Did the person who make it lose their virginity to them or something? 3/10
Trying very hard to be cool. Not for me.
I can tell, already, that some of you are going to have strong feelings about these vocals. They sound a little like a bad Dylan impersonation (especially Don Ferguson's classic from Royal Canadian Air Farce). I can't help but feel that I'm missing something by dint of not being British. Would a non-Canadian feel the same about Sloan? No, they're much too musical. 'I'm Going to Spain' would be a poor entry by a novice and an open mic night. They'd get applause and a beer but a lot of advice and encouragement not to quit. Keep practicing! Except The Fall had been at it for fourteen years, at this point. The crunchier-sounding tracks ('It's a Curse') sound a little like 'Peace Sells...' by Megadeth, but if Dave Mustaine had taken a lot of cough syrup first. And without a cool bass line. This is kind of crap. I dispute that I needed to hear this before I died. On the other hand, it was pretty quick because I skipped half of most tracks. I'm gonna say 2.4/5. It's objectively better than Kid Rock (my yardstick of a 2) but it would be offensive to the other 3/5 records if we rounded up. I relegate you to the land of devils without causes, The Fall. The bad news: there are two other The Fall albums on The List. At least it's better than Morrissey.
Oddly I've never bothered to sit and listen to The Fall beyond the more well-known single tracks. I rather enjoyed this, without being entirely blown away by it. I might well come back for more.
Kitschy glam punk rock. The Fall sound like an updated version of Velvet Underground. The lyrics are absurdist and the music held my interest, but the talk-singing got old after a while.
Feels highly experimental. The instrumental really shines compared to the lyrical work. The vocals and lyrics are loose and hard to follow - more poetry but not good poetry. The melody and beats however are consistent, steady and pleasant. It's a 4.5 so i'm rounding up
Why is this even here?
1.5 - not a fan
two volumes!?
Decent but nothing new or special to me.
While I have not been converted into a The Fall fan, I do appreciate the sonic edge they had in their previous albums -- which was all but blunted here.
Another album I missed when it came out. (I blame my local radios for not playing it.) Enjoyed it.