The Infotainment Scan

By gad, verily. It has ephemeral whinging aspects. I got hit with a wave of nostalgia when I pulled this CD off my shelf, not because I remembered or even liked any of the music, but because the call letters for my college’s radio station were written in sharpie on the insert and disc. It hit me that I’d bought this at a sale the station had held one weekend in somebody’s garage at a house off campus. It was one of those sales that still haunt me— it only I wasn’t a broke college student I would’ve made out like a bandit. As it was I spent the $10 or so that I had and came home with this and pile of other choice 90s/early ‘00s indie rock and odd assortments. Some of the other discs I’ve actually listened to in the time since. Not this one. Probably played it once or twice when I got it over 15 years ago. Been collecting dust since. I’m pretty sure I got in the first place because it was on a pitchfork list of best albums of the ‘90s. Can’t remember if I already had other Fall albums at the time. Maybe Perverted by Language and/or This Nation’s Saving Grace, both of which I like more, though I can’t say I’ve listened to them all that much either. I can’t remember if I also knew that Pavement were big Fall fans. Maybe I did and that influenced the purchase as well. Anyway, I liked this album this time through more than I remembered or expected to. There are a couple songs that have been stuck in my head, and some lines that I found downright hilarious, including the ones quoted at the top of this review. Then there are moments, especially in the second half, where the music is very odd and it feels like someone left the tape running and Mark E. Smith rambled on unrehearsed about whatever popped into his head. There are bits that I can’t tell if I love or hate, like the cover of Chic’s Lost in Music, which sounds like someone drunkenly mumbling over the Rocky soundtrack. I honestly didn’t realize it was a cover at first— I thought they’d lifted portions from a disco song as some sort of post-modern statement, but that the rest was original material. And then there moments that remind me of my reaction to Tim and Eric bits— I felt like they were parody or supposed to be humorous but I felt like I was missing the joke. Is the joke it’s terrible on purpose? Like some of the ‘90s techno/industrial elements. My favorite songs hewed closer to the classic Fall post-punk sound, sometimes with little updates for the ‘90s. Anyway, I hated or was bored by half the material, but I actually really enjoyed about half of it. A mixed bag.

This band is what I imagine it would sound like if someone in the early 2000's traveled 10 years back in time to sing karaoke to LCD Soundsystem in the style of a drunk Townes van Zandt.

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

intressant men inte extremt bra

not bad not moving

Meh

Mark's voice is sometimes a hard listen, but alot of these tracks were really good

La décennie des 90s est la plus insupportable musicalement. Bien plus que celle des 50s et leurs dinosaures ringos emmenés par exemple par Buddy Holly & The Crickets.

Je me souviens plus de quoi il s'agissait mais je suis de mauvaise humeur alors ce sera 2

This Nation's Saving Grace was one of the better discoveries I made on the generator so far, but despite that I was still a little surprised to see a second album from The Fall, especially one released in the 90's. As I had feared, this work failed to live up to what I had heard from them thus far. To put it into even more context, this album came out the same year as In Utero and 36 Chambers. That said, despite sounding dated, tired, and dare I say complacent, there are enough interesting melodies and riffs and bass lines to keep me from writing it off completely. 2 bald-headed men out of 5 👨‍🦲👨‍🦲

Forgettable, didn't really like it.

Enjoyable, but got a little repetitive for me after a while, despite Mark E Smith being a compelling individual. The group is fine, and I’ve heard them here and there over the years, but I have never felt the need to dig into their extensive discography. I got bored about halfway through this album and started skipping through. But after that I went back and listened to one of their other songs I remember liking (Blindness), and I still really like that one.

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

I had not listened any The Fall, but this was right up my alley. I enjoyed it and already listened to another album of theres. I love this type of hard, punky, weird shit.

If you're going to make your album 2 hours long,I (perhaps incorrectly) expect it to be able to listen to it idly in the background. This one proved too challenging for me to do so I'll be interested to read what the book has to say about this one.

"i love music so much, my off-key singing is exactly where i want to be, and if it sounds bad to you, that's your problem, man"

There were some songs that I liked but there were also moments that I actively disliked. I'm really neutral on it.

Good, solid, but not the most memorable thing ever A little post punky and 80s

This album sounds as though a good song was being done on karaoke by an atrocious and drunk singer. The production isn’t stellar, but the instrumentation and arrangements are fine. Didn’t hate them, but I did and do hate whatever style you’d call the vocals. Not fun. 2/5

Musically, it was great. Lyrically and vocally? Wtaf. The first third of the album I spent wondering why the dude didn't just sing, then I found out that he can sing, just not well. Then the rest of the album I was nostalgic for the one song that was sung. Great instrumentals with random, mushmouth, stream-of-consciousness ramblings laid over.

Droned on a bit, everything merged into everything else, which is a shame as the mix was decent and there was the beginnings of something good in there.

I liked this a little more than I expected.

Nope

3,5

Strange, lead singer's voice reminds me of Lou Reed.

Nice sound, good basslines throughout. I liked A Past Gone Mad. Flirts with greatness at times.

This one surprised me. There were some moments of songs that were incredible and had me stop whatever I was doing to listen. The thing is, they'd always come back to earth on the next track. Pretty unique sound, though, with their steady house/dance rhythms, James bond-esque guitars, and their rambly talking heads-ish singer

started out strong then idk where the fuck it went towards the end

Talking to a repetitive beat

12th September 2023 Listened during the day. Went to the gym, Jonesy round to do the garden and Chris came to visit. An eclectic record with a bizarre House ending. Mark E Smith is a legend for a reason.

I'm being generous with a 2

Interesting. And what a catalogue!!! I'll have to dig into this.

This could have been a good post-punk album if literally anybody else sang it. This guy is even worse than Loud Reed. I hate Lou Reed. The bonus tracks are awful. Favorite song: Glam-racket

Creative

Interesting enough that I'm going it another listen.

The Fall have always passed me by. This doesn't change that.

im going to spain is sick, the shoegazey guitar they snuck in was nniiiicccee a couple other small highlights but this album is mostly pretty uneventful

bought this in 1995 at a pawn shop because they were on Matador and Pavement were said to have ripped them off. I didn't quite find it to be that exactly. But it's great. That voice is insane. What a weird dude. It grew on me. I was instantly in love with "I'm Going To Spain". Cute little song. This is fucking rad.

The Fall flirt with industrial. I feel like the genre suits them well, with Mark E. Smith's flat delivery. The Fall, however, continue to elude me; some songs drag on a bit past their welcome, and when it's one repeated stanza over and over again, it grates. Favorite track: "Past Gone Mad"

An interesting listen that makes me want to dig deeper into The Fall’s discography. With that said, I can’t say I *loved* this album, but I get it and appreciate their influence enough to spark my curiosity. The verdict’s still out…

Meh

Didn't like it ... 2 stars

2/5

Maaan List Papa (TM) really likes Brit pop/rock. This was cool, but my favorite moment was a couple songs in when the singer’s delivery clicked in my head as the guy who talks on Glitter Freeze by Gorillaz. And hey I was right, that feeling of music inter connectivity is the greatest

some songs are fire some songs are not his voice kinda wears after a little bit but its still good me thinks :D

Great album that pulls an insane mix of 70s rock, 80s synths, and early 90s grunge into a cohesive firestorm of an LP that works by sheer will alone. Vocals didn’t kill it for me - surprised to see so much whining about them here when they feel like a slightly drunker Ian Curtis at worst. Still, the instrumentation is by far what carries each track, with every song focusing an amalgamation of fuzzed-out guitar and dripping synths into an unholy combo that just works somehow. Even though the more synth-heavy tracks do tend to feel a bit dated, that’s not enough to slow down the momentum - overall, a much more enjoyable LP than I was expecting, especially given the reviews here

I hated this so much that I could only struggle through 5 songs before turning it off. I absolutely hate the lazy don’t care to put any emotion into my voice “singing” that was offered here. The music itself was bland and unexciting. This was so awful that it could only be ranked a 1.

This is just so fucking cool, man. Punky, dark dance music.

An absolute blast of a record. Mark E. Smith is as good as post-punk singers come and with titles like “Paranoia Man In a Cheap Shit Room”, you know you’re in for a good time.

Nothing about this was one bit memorable, I mostly forgot there was even music on.

Interesting. Definitely left me wanting to listen more...

Didn’t really like this at all.I didn’t like this guys vocals and the songs weren’t catchy.The instrumental was inspiring.Not great at all.

Better than I was expecting

Eh

Pretty interesting and cool and Lost In Music always slaps

Awesome post-punk with a driving energy. The vocals are quite a choice. Can't say I'd make the same choice but it does add up to a cool style: Spoken word vocals + relentless riffs and rhythm. I bet LCD Soundsystem counts this album as an influence. Wow, "Past Gone Made" is an awesome track.

Cool riffs, cool drumming, terrible production. I wish the vocals were a little less apathetic, it sounds like the singer is trying really hard to sound like he isn't trying hard. God damn "I'm going to Spain" sounds so bad. It's like outsider music without the intrigue. I'm trying to find something that I don't dislike and the lyrics are pretty bad as well. Didn't love this. "Service" and "A Past Gone Mad" are two tracks that were cool to me but I didn't like much else.

Standouts: I’m Going to Spain, The League of Bald headed Men, Why are People Grudgeful 3.5/5

Meh

Why is he constantly slurring his words? Is he drunk? This record is not good in the slightest, I am not even going to pretend I enjoyed a single moment from this record let alone an actual entire song. There is no depth, I might have enjoyed one song if the singer did not drunkenly rant over the track. Even the art cover is dogshit. I hope I never think of this album again, its boring and it felt like it went on for 2 hours, yuck. I am probably being too harsh, but then again there was NOTHING redeeming about this project. Favourites: None

this album is a tragedy because while the band is killing it, the singer is trying to kill me. the voice is terribly monotonous with little to no musicality, and the lyrics are bland as well. such a shame to waste the band's talents on this album, without them this would be a 1

I rediscovered The Fall with this album. Good mix of classic Fall and some new experiments. Mark E Smith is the black jelly bean of post-punk front men, and I love black jelly beans. Stand outs: Lost in Music I’m Going to Spain Light/Fireworks

Nope. The “preacher speak” killed it. Everything-uh was spoken-uh like this-uh! The entire-uh album-uh was done this-uh way. Musicians were good, some of the tracks were ok minus the vocals-uh. Maybe a 2.5 at best. And thats very generous.

3.75

Congratulations to proud parents David Bowie and Bob Dylan.

This band sucks. Just boring alternative British garbage that in truth, no one apart from the author of this book would ever care about. Yet this is the 3rd album here. Seriously, fuck off already. 2/5.

The Infotainment Scan by The Fall is a captivating and intriguing album that showcases the band's unique brand of post-punk and alternative rock. Released in 1993, it offers a diverse array of tracks that range from the infectious "Why Are People Grudgeful?" to the hypnotic "Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room." Mark E. Smith's distinctive vocals and witty lyrics shine throughout, creating a distinct and immersive listening experience. The album's production is raw yet compelling, adding to its gritty charm. While not as consistent as some of their earlier releases, The Infotainment Scan still stands as a testament to The Fall's undeniable talent and their ability to push musical boundaries. A recommended listen for fans of post-punk and alternative rock.

Listening to this album I was faced with many questions. Why does this band have more than one entry on this list? Why do the first few songs sound like if Pavement was mediocre? Why do the rest sound like the Talking Heads were being tortured? Why am I listening to this? Will I ever escape? Is Robert Dimery a psychopath? We’ll never know the answers to these questions. But I do know that I will not be listening to this album again.

Not a fan of the vocals

Every track sounded the same

Didn’t like it

Absolutely not

I’m not sure what is special about this but Kollaps gave me a whole new meaning of a 1 rating.

It started a bit shakey, but then it became much better

De lät som om äjjän ville sälja mig någo

Not their finest. The sort of inspired moments you’d look for in a The Fall lp appear, however they are offset by less-than-fortunate production choices

Helt chilled out

Ehh it had good rhythm but I didn’t like it

Kind of average but OK.

Ok album, this is my third from the Fall in this list. It was ok, I really find the spoken vocals to be not my thing. A two at most, didn’t want to give it even a second listen

first listen boooorrrrrriiiinnnnng

Jesus Christ, this album fuckin sucks. First time in a while where I started skipping tracks because it's just 4 minutes of the same 10 second loop. This is like listening to an album made by Kerouac.

The backing music was great. The vocals were meh for me. I just don't get UK music many times i think. But really enjoyed the beats.

A lot of talk-sing-ing, but not in a good Cake way. A little house music/dance music feel to some songs. Not offensive, not memorable.

Not my favorite from them

Hurts the same as Dylan... Potentially decent song strangled by the vocals.

Post punk, alternative dance.

I don't get it

I want to think, that it is 1993 and this is a breakthrough album in its genre. But honestly I can't hear through all the "recitation".

Fjörugt post-pönk. Alveg þess virði að skoða.

Holy shit this is bad, it's a 1, his voice is fucking dreadful, the instrumentals were...fine I guess but his voice is so obnoxious it removes any positive I can give about it

I reserve 1s for the absolute worst things like Kid Rock and that noise metal thing that was a hate crime. This is awful. There isn't anything worthwhile about it, but I still feel like I will give it a 2. Just a boring and worthless album.

3.5 Enjoyable overall. Has a bit too much 80s style here and there to really be a winner.

Each song drags on and the talking vocals and repetitive undynamic monotone drumming make it truly unbearable.

Started out as a decent new wave album but as the album went on and the electronic dance music was unnecessarily added, my impression of it decreased

Fun party music. Not totally my jam.

I can hear Bloc Party all over this album. The Fall was clearly one of their influences, and in fact, a lot of 2000's post-punk was inspired by this band (at least based on this album). So I think the album deserves to be in the book based on how influential it was, but I do wish it were less infotainment and more entertainment.

Right from the start I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this album. This guy, especially in the opening song, Ladybird, sounds a lot like Ray Wiley Hubbard. His voice is unique, no doubt and awesome to this listener. I liked first three songs. Good upbeat songs that got me moving. First 3 may be may favorites off the album. Think I downloaded Glam Racket and Ladybird early in my listening process. Then the album changes and for me, not in a good way. I'm going to Spain was popish nonsense and several of the songs after that turned into techno/dance nonsense. Enjoyed It's a Curse. Very unique vocalization of the lyrics. Different and unusual, but enjoyable to me. Liked the song Service, especially the piano. The music in League of Bald man music was very good as well, but the lyrics, not so much. So at this point, I am thinking to myself, these guys are so close to very good album, but couldn't quite put it all together. There were many songs I liked, but didn't like parts of the song. Sometimes it was the lyrics. There was one song that insisted on a high pitched squeak, Paranoia Man in a Cheap shit room, which was annoying, but yet I still generally enjoyed this song too. Really enjoyed the music in 15 ways to Leave your Man. Thought Strychnine was a solid tune too. Didn't care for A Past gone Mad, Why are people grudgeful and WTF was the last couple minutes of the Mixer song. Speaking of WTF, instrumentals of several songs, same songs with 2-3 versions of the same song and of course the 7-8 versions of Lost in Music. They'd start to lose then pull me back in. Go from solid rockish/punkish sound to techno dance sound wasn't fun either. This was like 4 albums blended into one. I think if they took their best 5-6-7 songs off the album and put on one album, I would have really liked. I downloaded a few songs and may actually go back and make myself a version of this album, cutting out the techno stuff, instrumental stuff and songs I didn't like at all. A lot of writing to say there was a lot to this album I really enjoyed, then they do something to turn me off (techno/dance shit) then to bring me back in with a great riff/sound or lyric. I do think I'll check out other stuff and even revisit this album. 3.5 for me, but just too much I did not enjoy to give a 4. But I did enjoy many parts of this album. 3.5

This sounds like a stand up comedian making fun of Bob Dylan or Morrissey. Kinda catchy otherwise. It seems like it wants to be a cynical album but the lyrics suggest that it's just not able to be. It seems to have a nostalgic edge that keeps it from detaching from emotion completely. It's the most fun post-punk album I've heard so far! 4

2 If you’ve ever wanted to listen to a drunk British dude’s impression of Iggy Pop, then this is probably the album for you. Unfortunately, this isn’t nearly as interesting as anything that the former-Stooge has ever put out - this is like if Iggy decided to make a career out of being a dancer instead of a punk. Like, was this an alternative rock record or a dance record? I’m not against cross-genre fusion by any means, but it didn’t work for me here. And then combined with this guy’s voice… Look, I’m not normally picky about vocals, but man I feel like I’m listening to karaoke from a guy who’s about to be cut off at the pub. It never feels like he’s giving any more than maybe like 60% effort max, and for a studio recording, my guy was noticeably struggling to hit some of the notes (I’m Going to Spain was especially bad). Not much else jumped out at me, except for maybe The League of Bald-Headed Men, but mostly because I read beforehand that it was accused of ripping off Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin. Personally, I think it’s a coincidence, but I can definitely hear it. Not much else to say on this one. I didn’t hate it, but I don’t see myself coming back to it.

I'm 161 days into this and, so far, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. A list of 1,001 albums is too long to be a quality list. We end up with a lot of duds, like this one. There are much better albums out there, but the almighty listmaker didn't want to include multiples from bands that are popular, I assume because they're afraid of being seen as cliché. Somebody needs to whittle this list down to a solid 500.

Some of the worst singing ever. Imagine being a bandmate and you've practiced your craft playing guitar or drums, and then this shmuck gets on the mic and starts mumbling nonsense. Also a 2 hour album. All that "singing" and nothing to say. 4/10

La verdad no me gustó mucho, si bien los temas que se acercan más al rock estuvieron bien, en otros los efectos me hacían pensar que estaba escuchando el soundtrack de Matrix o algo asi

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.

pretty good, had not heard of them but enjoyed it.

Pioneer for stuff I like. Singer is intolerable

Music is sometimes quite nice but vocals are neutral at best. I don't know why this album on this list

Kinda like 80s synth, kinda random

This is probably my favorite 'punk' anything I've heard. There are good rythms and beats and actually has some replay value. 2.8/5

Pretty good album as a whole. Like many on here, they put all the bangers first but a decent listen when going on a walk.

It’s embarrassing to admit that my favorite Fall albums are collections, such as the A-Sides, and B-Sides compilations, as well as the outstanding Palace of Swords Reversed. Obviously, there are some great songs here, but on the whole for Fall albums, I really dig collections.

Cool album! Don’t know these guys too much but have heard some songs! Very different album for sure but really enjoyed it! Good sounds and wild tastes!

I do not have any strong opinions about The Fall

Mark E. Smith sjunger ju inget vidare.

Not a Fall period that I like

vittu jakas enään EN JAKSA ENÄÄÄ! !!! T ÄTÄ TÄMMÖSTÄ !!!!!!!!!!!! MITÄ VITUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII УШ УТЭЭТ УШ УТЭЭТ УШ УТЭЭТhups, hold up its coming back... its bringing it back...ehkä kakonen...ei oo light /fireworks

Based on everything I know about myself I should have hated this album. I'm still not sure I don't. Still, there was something compelling about it. I'm pretty confused about the whole thing. 3.5 stars.

4/10. Not much fun to listen to. I like that there was a song about going to Spain though

Music was mediocre but the vocals really turned me off. 4/10

The singer sounds like he's 2/3 the way through the cheapest bottle of off brand vodka he could find with the loose change he found in-between the cushions of the couch in the half way house he now resides after doing a 12 month stint in jail for being caught masturbating in front of a 83 year old lady named Doris pissed off his gourd with a urine stain down the front of his trousers.

Band was never on my radar before these lists. Great unique sound.

Quality through and through, this stands up well in their vast and impressive catalog. The synth and tech, while providing a touch more than the ideal (or necessary) amount of sheen and gloss, freshen up an inimitable sound, which retains its dark and edgy bite. One's been more of a casual fan/approver/passive admirer type and finds this an interesting and wholly distinguished updating of a sound; only "Past Gone Mad" goes too far. "I'm Going to Spain" is just splendid, and "It's a Curse" (or is it "It's a Curse-UNH"?) the perfect follow up, with the barby sharpness one expects from this lot. "Why Are People Grudgeful" walks like a lark and talks like a lark, but what a delightful lark it is. One wonders how this might rate straight up against inferior Britpoppers like Blur, who would seem to owe more than a little to MES. Given the rich canon, staying power and consistent vision, in combination with a willingness to invent authentically, one can make the case for the Fall being the best ever underrated band (not the just most underrated).

Two year ago, I never heard of the Fall, now I get excited when I see another album on the list. Enjoyable! But don’t this one well enough yet. 3/5

Meandering and clumbsy sounding. The final track was a minor, pyrrhic victory.

A few songs stood out, but may not be best listening to whilst feeling like the dirt of a dog

Peak post punk 4/5

A good but not great Fall album. It was given perhaps undue attention by the excellent & entertaining cover of 'Lost In Music'.

really not the best fall album, but how do you dip in to the catalogue and pick good ones without listening to them all?

I like kicking the golden brown leaves down the path

This shit sucks. How can someone be intelligible and yet so clear at the same time? This was a GRIND to get through. Not for me at all. NEXT

I'm not entirely sure what this is, but I'm sure that I don't care for it.

Great post punk album. It even went a little techno at one point. Will be listening to this again.

Rough rough late new wave

With Mark Smith being the only truely consistent member of The Fall, you'll find they're never quite the same band that they were a few years prior. The Infotainment Scan, compared to Saving Grace or Witch Trials, is muhc more dance-focused while still maintaining the general personality through Smith. Unfortunately there have been better 90's dance albums made. This one felt like it came and went with no real impact upon hearing it. At least Light / Fireworks made for an interesting closer.

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

I couldn’t take the awful singing. If you could call it singing. The music was fine.

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

Fun listen. Just the right mix of punk and rock.

This just isn't for me. Took three attempts to get through this in its entirety. Post-punk seems to be a genre that continues to vex me - it seems like one I'd enjoy a lot more, but I only seem to like a fraction of the stuff I ever check out. I'll keep trying though. I recognize that Mark E. Smith and The Fall have been incredibly influential, but it does not spark joy for me.

I honestly don't understand why there is so many random British post punk albums from unknown bands on this list. I get that the original punk movement was revolutionary, so I understand placement of records from that era in here. And then maybe one or two representatives of post punk genre and we're clear! But no, we have to include every single band in the history from UK that played in 80s. I have nothing against The Fall, (other than a fact I absolutely hated this album), but it just doesn't make sense to include it on the list of greatest albums of all time.

Nothing amazing here, but some tracks are real good

Weird album.

I appreciate it, I just don't get it

Two hours and six minutes? Cut it down to 40 and I would have been good with three stars but it just was too much. Some good songs but nothing I’m rushing back to listen to.

fine but nothing grabbed me

The instrumentals are decent but he’s not much of a vocalist

Dit album begon erg teleurstellend. Typische Amerikaanse pop-rock muziek uit de '70s? Daarna kwamen echter veel modernere pop-rock-nummers en vond ik het nog best een leuk album.

This is an interesting album. I can see some of these songs easily fitting into a Trainspotting movie or something similar. But it is SOO LONG

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 possibly the most accessible album by The Fall - which doesn't diminish it in any way. Lost in Music is the obvious talking point. Who is lost in music though? And why? A celebratory experience like the Sisters? I get the impression that this is one of Smith's in-jokes and he's having a dig at his band at the time. It'a a rare feat to be aware of what's happening around you musically, but not be influenced by it. You wouldn't describe The Infotainment Scan as a Madchester album, but Smith is playing a clever game here. Or perhaps he was just pissed and didn't give a shit?

Pretty weird. Kinda Talking Heads like?

Experimental? But i don't get it lol

Being assigned an unforgivable third album by The Fall caused me great dread today. Turns out that those two earlier albums were the more unforgivable ones, making this one sound quite listenable. The Fall has gone soft in their third decade! Listenable, mind you, in that much of the time it was like being at a fairly decent instrumental concert while some obnoxious drunk guy in front of you starts pontificating loudly and obliviously to his friend the whole way through. I'm like, "Dude! Hey! Sit down! Save your slurry rants for after the show! This band is pretty good and I'm trying to hear them over you!" That said, I kind of liked this one.

Well, this album couldn't end soon enough for me. I didn't dig the vocal stylings and it was a tedious task to listen today.

What? I actually like an album by The Fall? Yes, I guess so! Surprisingly fun and danceable.

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.

Somehow I'd never heard of this band despite this being their 15th album. It's probably not anything that I'd choose to sit down and listen to, but something about the beat and generally forgettable vocals makes it fantastic background music for working. People say that EDM (which this isn't, but has some similarity with beats) is great for working, and I may understand a little why.

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.

Way too long

não muito empolgante

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.

Nicht mein Fall.

Not a fan of this one

Eh, not my taste. This did nothing for me.

Yeah this is just the kind of incoherent mumbling that really brings the whole album down. Music good but i can’t give this more than 2/5

Why so many covers? Not for me I’m afraid. Plus, I’m on team Riley….

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

Great sardonic fun. I got lost in music great cover

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.

It's OK. I think you have to be in the mood for some weird. It's as if they go at great lengths to make it as out there as possible. And this is one of their most accessible albums!

Seems that I typically listen to The Fall when I'm drunk, sat in the kitchen of an after-party. Good times, but hangovers get worse with age.

It's bizarre to see it as a punk/post-punk album with so many electronic components and long songs, but it's not so bad.

Didn't like this at all.

It got annoying after a bit.

This was weird, but I kind of liked it. Sounded like pavement at times

Not a fan. Some of the vocals were okay some of the time, but a whole album of this was too much.

Better than I expected. I like the guitar sound and most of the songs were engaging and edgy. Enjoyed it enough to listen to the whole album, so it was above average.

T3B 1. Lost in Music 2. It’s a Curse 3. Glam-Racket This is a unique one.

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.

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.

Just skimmed

had potential, but ruined it.

Some Tracks have potential, but potential alone doensn't make them good...

I'm craving malt vinegar...

these last few albums have not been good

First unknown entity to me in this project, so I was excited about this one. There are some cool grooves going on here but the vocals are just weird. A bit like Pavement at times, but not in a good, absurdly fun way. Just some dude vibing over the music like he’s trying to decide how the real vocals should sound later. Except the real vocals never get recorded. I might like this as an instrumental.

Rochdale's finest? I hope not. It's massively disappointing to me. The Lost in Music cover sounds like they are taking the piss out of everyone.

I want to like this album more. The first song is hard hitting, grungy, jangly guitar riffage, too cool NYC scene music (I don't know if they are from NYC, but thats what it reminds me if). The rest of the album oscillates aggressively between punk ethos, punk adjacent music. Its part punk, part new wave, part dance. Its what LCD Soundsystem wishes it was. Dude cant sing, but I'm happy he talks at me and puts “uh” to emphasize every last word. I really think this album is cool and sloppy, too sloppy. It makes me want to listen to everything the band has done, though. And that is a big deal. A win.

Inconceivably odd choice by the frontman here. I thought this was a perfectly okay indie rock album from the early nineties. It doesn’t quite have the gusto of some of the decades better examples…but this is fine.

70/100: Never heard of this band, never heard of this album. Although I didn’t really love it, I clearly see why this album is on this list. I’ve never heard an album like this, of course it’s one of the 1001 you have to hear before you die. Not everything new and novel is good though. This album, although definitely harboring a unique sound, overstays its welcome rather quickly. Glad I heard it but likely won’t listen again.

DNF

ok.

it's like british cake. i like it.

ta raro

For some reason, though '80s alternative / post-punk is my favourite musical genre, this is the only The Fall album that I own and I got it in the 2000s., and I've barely listened to it. Don't know why The Fall flew beneath my radar, but it has. As for this album it is musically quite appealing especially the first 3 songs, but all throughout I find it likeable and accessible. Themeatically I can't assess it yet as this would take a few more listens, but the fact that it appeals to me in overall sound means the likelyhood that I will listen more is a good thing. For now I will give it a strong 3 stars with potential for a higher rating after more time.

Cool post punk grooves. Some songs almost had a ska vibe in the rhythms which I dig. Will check out again.

Giving me proto-Primus, proto-Clutch vibes. Except more sleepy. Yeah, I like this. I accidentally listened to it on shuffle.

Much more accessible than I thought it would be. Includes actual singing and melody. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Lost in Music Date listened: 20/09/22

You know an album that you never heard of is British 90s pop/indie just by seeing the cover pop up. The Fall's 'The Infotainment Scan' is a great example of 'If at first you don't succeed, maybe try 14 more times…" The Infotainment Scan is an okay album. I've never heard it before and this period is when I was at my prime new music listening. It's not a great album and it surely is not something that you definitely need to hear before you die. 2/5.

2, this was ok

Mark E. Smiths delivery isn't for me. The input from other band members is clear as there's some great music on this. I don't really know how to rate it

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

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.

It's interesting. Cool sounds. Not a fan of their vibes though. Might need context to appreciate them.

Wasn’t that good. Pretty annoying.

This was more interesting and unique than expected. Would definitely listen again. 3 stars.

The singer is not doing it for me at all.

better than expected

I'm going to cut and paste from the review I gave this band for the another of their albums......... awful..... when you think about what is missing from this list, you wonder how on earth albums like this got on it.......

Rock, dance. Alternativo

This is decent. The other to albums I've gotten by the Fall were instant 1's. This juuuust gets to a 2

The instrumentals are decent, but vocals are very bad and unpleasant

This album has little to no direction, which understandably can be a draw for some listeners who revel in the aimlessness. The lyrics have a punk feeling to them, saying a lot of things without really saying anything unless a poser you were not. At first glance, the album title appeared to be "The Infotainment Scam" which would be apropos, as this album was neither info rich or entertaining. Musically, the album has a lot of groovy moments, the kind that says the album should be enjoyable but the lyrics and lack of resolution get old really quick. "Service" has a distinct and nice groove, but it never veers from that. It stays there while the vocalist seemingly just ad-libs. A hidden gem, perhaps, in "A Past Gone Mad" where a higher energy is reminiscent of future sounds from the Crystal Method and even Moby. The album has few merits but not enough to earn a higher score in this review.

This was a bit fatiguing to listen to. I generally like The Fall (I think?) but I could do without this one for the most part. Not terrible, but to be that guy: the old stuff is better.

Because this list is so british-centric I'm getting this band for the 3rd time already and I don't understand why. The birits are really hurting my 90s decade score as well which is getting rather annoying. The fall 3 times yet no Tool? No tragically hip?? C'mon!

Красиво и приятно

This list's maker obviously loves The Fall much more than the general public does, given this is 3rd album from The Fall that I'm getting here. My verdict is similar to the previous two occasions: The Fall's music is very far from being able to hold me interested for an album's entire duration. And as before, I fail to see what's so special about it.

Seems to be divisive, but not awful, there's a lot worse on this list. The 'singing' style reminds of a current band or 2 that I forget the name of.

I didn’t need to hear this

Maybe these guys are starting to grow on me now that we’ve had to listen to like five of their records but I didn’t think this one was too bad

OK album. I seem to like the older material by them more than this.

I like The Fall, but don’t love them. This album tracks with expectations. I do especially like the guitar style and Smiths “talk singing”, and can definitely hear some influence on Sleaford Mods style. PSA: check out Sleaford Mods.

I wanted to like this more then I did. It was ok.

Didn't love it, didn't want to turn it off. It's fine.

Ok, dit kan bij mij nog alle kanten op gaan. Ik ga het werk van The Fall nog eens vaker beluisteren

Totaal onbekend voor mij, maar ik heb me er goed mee vermaakt.

Hier kon ik zeer weinig mee.

Nog nooit van gehoord maar positief verrast! Hoor er vanalles in wat lijkt op andere bands, en het is erg divers en weird wat het wel boeiend houdt. Leuk om eens gehoord te hebben.

Nee, doe maar niet. Bijna vals ook.

bad. sounds like bob dylan. i couldn't listen

My second fall album, really enjoyed this probably more accessible than there other albums.

Pop-rock de estilo noventero. Buenas bases y fácil de escuchar. Sin demasiadas estridencias. Ninguna canción reconocida

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

All new to me -- band, members, album, tracks -- so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. There are some interesting tracks on this, usually catching my ear because of rough textures and the like. Can't really understand what the lead vocalist is saying, so one day maybe I'll read the lyrics. I have a feeling there might be some gems in there.

Surprising.

Bizarre stuff. The band are playing alright, but the vocalist is just running a one-trick-pony thing over the whole album. This band may have been his baby, but it baffles me that some record execs back in the day heard this album and decided to invest money and time into it. Heard it, will never listen to it again.

terrible

Jesu ovo napravili oni pijanci koji su uvijek na glavnom kolodvoru? Ima neke zanimljive produkcije i instrumentala al mi je ostatak jako iritantan

Ovaj album mi je dao totalno drugu njihovu priču, više vuče dalje od tog svog hladnog post punkerskog zvuka, čak Mark i pjeva u nekim pjesmama onak na šta nisam baš previše navikao. Album nije loš, ni blizu, ali nije na nivou onih svojih klasika iz 70-ih i 80-ih. Definitivno ću se vraćat na pjesme kao što su I'm Going to Spain - It's a Curse, Service, Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room - Service. Taj potez pjesama je najbolji dio albuma. 3.5/5 /// Kakva Premier Liga, kakva La Liga, kakva Liga Legendi, kakva Seria A, sada znam koju ligu Ivan najviše voli, a ta liga je pjesma pod brojem osam.

Not sure why this one is on the list. Not even the best Fall album. I’ve a love/hate relationship with The Fall. They could make some good tunes, but Mark could be a total arse at times. RIP fella.

This album was a struggle to listen to. For starters with the lyrics just are not good and the singing is bad. The music itself is inconsistent and all over the place. At times it sounded like indie music. Others house music. The common theme -- annoying. I was not familiar with the band and thought it was some obscure 90s band. Turns out they started in '76. Nonetheless, I still cannot name one of their songs. Skip it.

The Fall are always good, even if they're bad. This is a particularly good one!

Think this would be good in small doses or for those trying hard to be cool, as it is, just listening to it for music I did not enjoy.

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.

2/5 nothing interesting

In my head The Fall was just Mark E. Smith snarling tunelessly over a punky racket, but it seems I did them a disservice. The music is more interesting and varied than I imagined (in this 90s iteration at least), and there are some funny lyrics, like this one: "I do not like your tone. It has ephemeral whinging aspects."

Musically pretty cool, but I can only handle so much of the whole talk singing thing

Not for me. The singer’s voice was wack. The music was fine but not that interesting. Lot more electronic sounding than I thought it was going to be.

Don't recall what I said about The Fall before. But I remember them being on here. This record came out in 1994. I like the odd lo-fi mix of electronic drums, ratty guitars, and don't-give-a-shit vocals. Some of the guitar lines, in particular, are catchy and melodic, which takes up some slack from the vocals. I like that in a band. The guitar tone is cool. It sounds like the earliest iteration of Amplitude (but it's obvs not because Amplitude was just a glimmer in Mr. Amplitube's eyes in 1994). That's a longwinded way of saying the guitar tone is hottt. How can I give this record 3/5 stars when I just gave the same thing to a Temptations record with at least one career-defining hit? Because there are 1001 of these damn records and consistency is out the window at this point. And because we've clearly established by now that my bias toward noisy white dude rock is crippling in an exercise like this...

This was kinda shitty, but I also kinda dug it. It's like a little Talking Heads, and little punk-rock, and a little 80s New Wave all crammed together with some Wesley Willis level psychotic musings.

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

Does this guy ever actually sing or just talk into the mic the whole time?

2/5

The music was great and there was something charmingly off kilter about the vocals

Listened to on 4/14/22 1/4 Favorite song: No I didn’t like anything about this album besides the covers which still weren’t as good as the original

Cool album

I imagine this is some sort of insane popular fad music from the 90s in England. For me, it’s awful.

Idk maybe with a closer listen I’d like more. Seems promising but 2/5 on first run

Didn't love this album. Thought it was just okay.

Another one of these bands I feel like I’ve been hearing about since college radio days of the 90s but never got around to. And hearing it I can definitely see the point. The vocals are not to my taste. I’m a fan of more than a couple acts where the singer can’t (or just doesn’t) really sing so I guess that’s on me. But it wore on me after a while, though I liked a lot of the music and thought it was all interesting.

I didn't Know this band. It's not bad but it's not the kind of music I heard.

This is technically music, I guess

2.5/5. There are some parts of this album that are decent, and there are other parts that are not. Some of the songs I somewhat enjoy listening to, but then others I just keep asking why it going on for so long.

Surprisingly sprightly, cohesive, gauzy, even--dare I say it--pop. Truly a remarkable band. At times they sound like Go-Betweens by way of, well, The Fall. The rest of the time they just sound like The Fall, which can be said of pretty much no one else.

C’est bon, ca court bien mais ca se repete en bout de ligne. 3.75

It bounces along quite nicely, and surprisingly for The Fall, it's half decent

omg love so much, this is my new favorite album

03/08/22

bit on the mad side, liked some of it but went on far too long

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)

Horrible singing. Great bass.

4.5

Wikipedia says this it their 15th album. Who keeps funding them?

The textures and percussion in this one are what really caught my attention. I had those first glimmers of interest before I fully come to appreciate a type of music that I was previously too far removed from to click with. The introduction, Paranoia man in a cheap shit room, Service and the outro to A past gone mad. Seems like an entry album for sure.

First Listen. I really enjoyed the Fall's, "Live at the Witch Trials" album so I was looking forward to this one. It didn't really grab my attention on this listen. 2/5

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

It's ok with me if you like it. I don't especially. But I can see why you do.

p717, 1993. 4 stars. Bass driven indie rock with great riffs and sardonic delivery. Excellent :)

Good Lord, that was awful.

3.5/5

Weird

It’s the Fall - ah! RIP MES

Rating: 5/10 Best songs: I’m going to Spain

Hummmm. Uh. If “most accessible of their umpteen albums” is the reason to put it on the list, then does it need to be on the list?

Decidedly average

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.

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.

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.

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.

it's a cœur-SUHH

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

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.

Nope

Did not like

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.

Not much to say here. Okay music, nothing too special. I did really like "Light/Fireworks" which was so different that I thought I had started a new album. Just not much here for me. Favorite tracks: Light/Fireworks, It's a Curse. Album art: A cool design, but the picture comes up blurry here and on Apple Music. I doubt it's intentional, but the album didn't really pop for me so maybe a little blur makes sense. 2.5/5

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.

4/10

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.

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