Live At The Witch Trials

not actually live, 0/5

File this on the punk side of post-punk, the Fall's singer really breaks this album for me, as compared to the excellent bass playing, the solid drumming, and that perfect late 70s guitar tone, his voice comes off like one of those mediocre UK hip hop rappers that you can't help but laugh at from initial listen. Less Public Image Ltd, more The Streets, y'know? However, I would be lying if I said it didn't break barriers for me at points and deliver something I enjoyed, as the raw energy in some of the tracks really allows the instrumentation to shine, and if you bury Mark E. Smith in the mix just enough, his delivery becomes less laughable, and instead something more manic. Certainly not one of the great post-punk records in my eyes, but still something with enough merit on its own, and at the very least, it certainly stands out.

Was alright, wanna listen to another the fall album cuz I've always heard that pavement ripped them off and I love pavement

Some of this is good, some of it is samey and apart from anything else it is TOO LONG!! One of very few on here I haven’t listened to all the way through

- way longer than it needed to be even without the live songs at the end - appreciate the message and energy, but eh - 2.5 but I'll round up

Not too bad, another birth year record so I'll go easy on this, and also the lyrics/vocals are pretty interesting.

Heb t album zowaar afgeluisterd, vond het best wel prima

I should like this more because they’re an influence on some of my favorite bands (pavement being the most obvious) but it doesn’t do much for me. Decent post punk.

Fine but not for me. Totally serviceable punk/post-punk.

I don’t mind the rough post punk sound, and some songs grew on me after a second listen but I can’t get past the shitty electric keyboard parts. Honestly, with a different sound font or tone it would have sounded fine but that tinny, early-Casio-sounding-mf’r kept plinking away.

3.8

The usual madness from the Fall. Equal parts daft as the B&Q paintbrush collection, abrasive as the B&Q sandpaper stock and refreshing as (I assume) the tea in the B&Q cafe.

Another new one for me. I like it but not enough to listen to the whole deluxe album version. Someday maybe? I noticed some vague Joy Division similarities, both bands formed in ‘76, so maybe?

It was good. I didn’t love it, but it was good.

I know someday I will get into the Fall but today ain’t the day. Solidly okay.

Off putting for sure but might grow on me. Seems influential on a lot of stuff I enjoy.

Wasn't too bad. Wasn't great either though.

Meh

It's a fine early British punk album. Not sure what the sound was in 1979 but I can see how this might have had some influence at the time. Overall it's nothing special but there are a couple decent tracks within. As usual it gets a minor Gorillaz collaborator bump for Mark E. Smith. 2.66 stars

This album was the right amount of abrasive. This style of post punk had enough melody to follow along easily, but still had a decent amount of noise and experimental elements. However, this album didn’t completely work for me the whole way through though I enjoyed the last few tracks quite a bit.

Good moments

Most average 70s punk record

En realidad no lo volveria a escuchar. Pero es bueno a su manera. 5/10

Post-punk, garage.

It was alright. Nothing amazing.

Chill

Its okay just a typical rock punk album to be

deranged and shouty

2.7/5 Best Track: Frightened

I like the sound. They don't try to drowned out with noise. It is clean and tight.

London punk. 3/5

It’s so close to being so cool.

not bad not moving

Mostly meh with a dash of annoying.

Post-punk, garage.

I've heard of this band, but never listened to them. This was pretty cool - bratty, dark, British post punk. The playlist that started up after the album was even better.

To me, the best was yet to come with The Fall, but it was still a pleasant listen full of rebellious sounds and attitude!

si no considero el año pasa como meh pero

Well, I like this album better than most of what I've heard from the Fall. It makes sense that their first album is more accessible than the later stuff that I've heard. I can't really think of what else to say about it, though 3/5

Post-punk, garage.

We’ve had a few albums by The Fall on the list now and I’m starting to get a feel for their style. I dig the energy but this album is in that “respect it, don’t love it” category. It’s loose, ragged and weird punk. They were probably a great live act.

The instrumental work has a cool loose modern "yea whatever" vibe going on, and the vocals fit specifically into the new wave sound which was the rage at the time. Overall I think it was a pretty good listen. I liked the mood and compositions, and felt like the only downside was that there really weren't many songs that stood out to me as really memorable. I could live with this not being on this list. I feel like this act is a favorite of the creator of 1001.

Some interesting moments

Previous Familiarity: None. I have heard of The Fall, but never heard any of their work. The Fall have escaped me, and I'm not sure that this album was the place to start my journey with them. The album is clearly ahead of it's time, with the post-punk stylings that it is helping to create in the midst of the punk rock movement. But, with the lack of real meat on these snarly jangles, I didn't find myself satisfied with the overall execution. I'll give it points for ingenuity, and I LOVE the album title, but unfortunately I don't consider this essential, other than to witness the roots of post-punk.

It is trashy, sloppy and disruptive, and is totally intended .

Sounds like the beginnings of some punk in there, doesn't sound great.... but not horrible!

It's okay. Nothing more, Nothing less.

I immediately liked the music but thought the vocals sounded like a drunk at karaoke. But with more listening I started to enjoy it more. Maybe that’s the way with this punk music, not caring about a commercially/stereotypically “good” song package, and more about staying true to yourself and your message.. “Futures and Pasts” is my favorite, but enjoyed “Industrial Estate” and “Underground Medecin”

La seva estrena, i un muestrari de tot el que Mark E. Smith oferiria en els anys que havien de venir. Ell i la banda millorarien, i força, la seva proposta, sobretot durant la primera meitat dels 80. Però és un molt bon disc de debut, amb un so valent, incòmode i ja des de bon començament molt personal

There's 3 albums by the Fall on the list. This is the 2nd one I got. I didn't like The Infotainment Scam because of the terrible singing. The music was good. On this record, there's more conviction to the singing. It's still flat/atonal, but the timing is not as lazy. The music is more on the punk end of the post-punk specter. Someone decided to add a lot of "bonus" tracks to the reissue. Why do people do that? The album was borderline too long as it was. I skipped those. Favorite song: futures and pasts.

i grew to like it the more i listened to it

Good but I liked their other one we had more

Good

I started listening to The Fall in the mid 80s. This album is the start of their journey, their sound is recognizable, but very raw. I like their later albums better, but still... it's The Fall!

Grating and brash in true punk fashion, but there's some interesting melodies buried in there. You can hear where later bands like the Strokes and Arctic Monkeys took inspiration.

I just had a different Fall album recently. I didn't really care for it, and I didn't care for this. Still, there are worse ways to spend 40 minutes so overall, it was okay.

Post-punk, garage.

This is my third Fall album and I think it’s a good one, but not as good as their later albums that I enjoyed more. This album sounds a bit more messy and raw, which might appeal to some fans of the post-punk genre. I wonder if this album is essential to listen to, considering that there are other albums by The Fall on the list of albums to listen to before you die. However, I was impressed by the fact that this album was recorded in just one day, which shows the talent and creativity of the band also live at the witch trials is a great name for an album. I would give this album 3 stars out of 5.

I just read a review for this album that said “Close to what I like but not exactly” Nailed it.

It has been a common occurrence while doing this list, that I start to really enjoy the record only to find out that Spotify has kept playing to another record or even artist after it finished and thats the one I was liking, not the record in question. So, I thought I was finally enjoying this but it was actually "Alex Chilton" and "Swell Maps"... well it wasn't that bad eighter.

was ok

okay so far? good punk with obvious english accent (a plus). but it might not align with my taste

Will I ever listen to the album again? Probably not. It was fun though. Gave me vibes of punk shows I used to attend in the 90s.

I like how short this was lol The background instruments are interesting

No punk song should ever be 5 minutes. This album nearly has 4 that long, which makes it tougher to swallow.

Eiks meil ollu jo sex pistolsia tässä

Interesting chap this Mark E. Smith, wouldn't want him as prime minister though.

Would have loved in high school

Well well well. Somehow the Fall sound like a cult to me - people who like the Fall buy into the whole Mark E Smith / John Peel thing - but I haven’t yet come across the money - and since I’m not in the cult I definitely feel like a heretic. BUT there a certain refreshing lightness of soul in this record - from what I can see it’s recorded in one day - and it truly feels like it’s a live show even if it’s not as the name alludes - a live album. Is it the directness and freedoms that appeals to me? Possibly? Is it why others like them? can’t say as I’m not in the cult. Is it a great album? No. But it’s fun.

This was pleasant enough but didn't like wow me, I think it would be good music to do a long dancing sesh to with other people but wasn't all that interested just listening to it on my own if I'm honest

No Christmas for donkeys! That's a shame. This was probably the most I've enjoyed the Fall. Definitely got on board with this more than the others we've had.

Enjoyable punk/post punk.

Tror jeg hørte den, kan være jeg IKKE gjorde det

A good, angry punk album with some interesting electronic elements dominating a fair amount of the tracks.

C'est pas mauvais. Certaines tounes j'ai vraiment biena imé d'autre moins. Il y a le style punk un peu melange de plein d'autre chose. C'est original 3.25

This is a little better than the average punk bad of it’s era, but barely. The Fall have their own unique sound carved out, and it’s not bad, but it isn’t very exciting either. Most songs sound pretty similar, even if they are all good. Except for the Christmas song and the last track which has too much time and too little vocals, I enjoyed the whole thing. 3/5

Not really for me. I might have liked it if I was a whipper snapper when it came out.

I’m not a fan of punk and I’m certainly not a fan of PostPunk but this kind of makes sense. A more cynical and considered side of punk. I think I don’t really understand the genre, all the attitude but none of the energy? What is the point? But yeah, this works. Still don’t really like it but at least I get it.

I'm a fan of the cleverly named album. The music itself is entertaining, but nothing to really write home about. Mom, if you're reading this, please know that I didn't send this to your home address.

I know "Jon Quays" is supposed to sound like "junkies," but the way he sings it it sounds more like "donkeys," and I'd much prefer an anthem about denying an ass the right to celebrate a holiday than what we actually got. Best track: Futures and Pasts

5/10. Finally got to a song where I was like, "Yeah, this one is pretty good" and then realized that I'd gone past the original album and was listening to a more popular single that they'd tacked on the re-release.

Lots of really inventive and impressive stuff. But it leaves me cold

Not available on spotify

There is something about putting an English accent behind some punk or New Wave that just makes it sound amazing. I had never heard of the fall, but they are excellent. Guitar work and drums are super solid, catchy, and thrilling. A lot to like here overall. perfect album to ride the motorcycle around the living room to.

The don't give a fuck attitude is somewhat appealing but is overshadowed by the annoying repetition, dissonance, and things out of key. Mercifully short, which helped. I was listening with Margaret, and she said "too noisy, two stars, move on." I am rounding up to 3.

You've gotta start somewhere.

I always find it helpful when this project serves up an album in the punk and post-punk lane because it reminds me how far back these styles go. This band formed in 1976 and released this album in 1979, and I can hear how groups like this were responding to the punk elements of simplicity and rawness by becoming more musically complex and, at least to my ear, interesting. There are some good tracks on this record. It's an album I can imagine myself listening to again.

Another Fall album (after The Infotainment Scan) that was a bit more interesting and enjoyable (and synthy) than I expected. Enough musical and lyrical quirks to keep me engaged for most of the runtime, but not quite enough that I can see myself returning to it. 2.5 / 3

I really like The Fall, but this is nowhere near their angular, snarky best. This album just hints at the greatness of something like Hex Enduction Hour, which was to come in a few years.

3.5 really. I think 10 years ago it would have been a 4, but I think I just don’t enjoy this style as much as I used to. Weird!

What happens when punk meets some kind of experimentalism? Nothing so remarkable. It's good, but I'll forget about it tomorrow.

I've never heard of "The Fall" before starting this list and weirdly, I got 2 albums of theirs in one week. The first one was confusing but (I think) enjoyable. This one had a great song to start it off. It reminded me of the sort of horror rap songs that were kind of popular in the 90s, I think. I got a little excited but that was easily the high point of the album.

first listen meh

some early punk I'd never heard of before. Not bad

Not actually live

Dur de me prononcer. D'un point de vue production/mixing et musicianship c'est super solide. Côté composition et vocals ça m'énerve un peu. J'ai autant adoré que détesté.

Saw the Fall 4 times in 4 different decades. Always an interesting band. Chaotic at times. Never dull. For years I thought this, the debut was a live album! This pretty much sets a template for the future dozens of album. Very assured. It does what it does well.

I don’t really know what to think of this he’s not a great singer but he sounds very uninvested and I don’t usually tend to mind weird singers but I didn’t really like his voice. Still though this thing apparently only took a day to make and for that it’s quite awesome and the instrumentation is quite good. 3/5

Most of this album isn’t really my thing, though on second listen it grew on me a bit. Think you gotta be in a certain screams mood for it though haha Saved songs: Rebellious Jukebox, Mother-Sister!

Good but not dinner music

The generator gave me The Infotainment Scan nearly 300 albums ago. I did not like that. I do like things like this. But not exactly this. I think if I had first heard this album back in the early 80's when I was into this kind of music I probably would have been a fan. But right now it hits me as only medium fun and eventually medium tedious.

Post punk noise. Sounds like they are making it up as they go along

I enjoyed this one more the second listen. Songs are pretty simple in nature, but are good tunes with catchy riffs and melodies. Can be pretty fun to sing along too. I like "Rebellious Jukebox", "Industrial Estate" and 'No Xmas for John Quays" the most probably, but 'Music Scene' would be up there too. This album is not bad, I'd give it a try. 3.25/5

Not entirely sure what to make of it. I think it was good.

Ensimmäiset kolme biisiä ovat lähes täysosumia: ne toteuttavat täydellisesti tämän levyn musiikillista ideaalia, jossa post-Johnny Rotten-vokaalit yhdistyvät taustoihin ja riffeihin, joiden kauttaaltaan yllätyksellinen melodisuus tekee lopputuloksesta enemmän kuin sulatettavaa eli nautinnollista. Kokonaisuudessan levy ei ole yhtä laadukas, mutta kaiken kaikkiaan se on raikas ja toimiva, eikä mitenkään mahdottoman kaukana neljästä tähdestä.

Not really a fan of this. I don’t hate it like I have some of the post-punk but Imjust don’t think it lives up to the hype.

The Fall is off to a good start with their first studio album: Live at the Witch Trials. It feels fully formed and yet this record doesn't overstay its welcome like some later albums by the Fall. I wish they had made a habit of the brevity on display here.

Decent punk album but easy to tune out and forget about.

it's craggy, it's raw, it's at times terrible to listen to. but it's also rather brilliant. Psycho Mafia my standout track

Two Steps back is a standout. Very enjoyable in parts

Whirlwind. Tight album

5/10 meh, nothing spectacular

This had some great moments on it but felt a bit tedious to listen to. You really have to be in the right mood for it, but it's some great punk. I can see a time a place for it but mostly I think it was important to hear once to better understand British post-punk.

A true classic but hard to stand. Massive negative affect. Mark E Smith the king of irritability and bad vibrations!

Easily forgettable punk album.

Decent rock album but that's about it, nothing remarkable or outstanding about it

Liked these guys! Probz didn’t need a full album of it though. Will check out the other tracks per Sean’s input. But we rating the album not the band or the songs.

Definitely grating, mark e smith is not a beautiful singer. Good ideas here tho, and can be exciting. Wish the album on Spotify wasn't full of extras 🤷

A decent album by The Fall. Not my favourite of theirs, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Fun album, enjoyed it.

Pink rock, pleasant enough but did not hold my attention

This was fine. Nothing amazing, but it wasn't terrible.

My first exposure to this band was given to me by this generator 10 months ago, their 90s Infotainment Scan, and it was absolutely horrendous, and I absolutely hated the conflict with Mark Smith's vocals. But I gave their earlier work a chance, and I actually really enjoyed their range of styles over the decades. This is my first time hearing their debut, and I immediately enjoyed it from start to finish. I immediately knew going in this would get poor reviews from this site. It's super abrasive and hard on the ears not used to post-punk. The production is intentionally low too, but the instruments are well-balanced, which I believe works in their favor. It's post-punk at its rawest yet true to form. The lyrics are nonsensical and punk in spirit, the vocals are energetic and goofy, and the instrumentals are tight and dynamic. I bet if the album were 100% instrumental, people would appreciate it much more. It's dark and mysterious (props to the bassist), and the keyboard serves as an ode to krautrock, sticking out from the rest of the crowd. The solos are quick and subtle, lasting for only a few seconds and lacking flashiness. They're small treats if you can pick them out. As a whole, the tracks roll from one to the next, distinctive yet cohesive. I'm giving 3 stars merely because it doesn't live up to the standards of similar style post-punk records (think Killing Joke). The record is full of creativity, but I only saved "Frightened" and "Rebellious Jukebox" as standalone pieces I'd enjoy listening to on their own. No doubt I'll listen to this time and time again; post-punk is my favorite genre.

Very 70s punk sound. ok

I'm strangely into this... Weird coincidence... I read a book (Sellout) that talked about a historic performance by At the Drive In at Big Day Out. They give an extended shout out to the Fall who'd I'd never heard of.

Buena onda, suena súper

good band.

I saw one person describing this as a "drunkard singing pub songs". For me that was exactly it. It's not bad, it's kinda decent.

Like most Fall albums it gets a bit samey but still sounds great

I didn't care for it.

ehhh þetta er svona allt i lagi nema hvað röddin og hreimurinn hja söngvaranum er frekar fokkin pirrandi, gef þessu tæpar 3 stjörnur

A beguiling slice of proto-punk. Lyrically very interesting - probably more so than musically

It is a punk rock album. I was not familiar with the band or any of the songs. It was alright.

Enjoyed this!

Great title and album cover. Another fun quirky punky romp from The Fall. Last time I gave them 4 stars. This album feels more like a 3 from me. I am not well-versed enough in The Fall to know if I truly think this is a lesser album than This Nation’s Saving Grace, or if maybe I just wasn't in the mood.

Not bad sound, I guess they were pioneers of this genre? Not what I was expecting but pretty good.

Interesting punk album, didn’t really move me

Early light heavy metal?

A refreshingly raw sounding album for The Fall's debut. I didn't know what to expect as I haven't listened to much from The Fall, and it was a pleasant surprise. A good punk record. I quite liked it, not loved, but I'll listen to more from the band!

Pretty trash

Paunkað, áhugavert, ætti að hlusta aftur

Punk

I've struggled with The Fall over the years and only a couple of months ago developed an appreciation for them. There's a certain style of early post punk that kind of blurs together for me - The Fall, Gang of Four, Wire, Mission of Burma... some of it is good, but it lacks some of the personality that set apart some of the better examples of the genre for me (Talking Heads, Joy Division, The Pop Group, Pere Ubu, This Heat).

Pleasantly surprised. I did enjoy this one, but couldn’t hang for the live recordings

3.3 - Sneering post-punk with noisy-busy guitar, punk vocals, minimal production. But synthesizer sounds exceptionally weak. More tongue-in-cheek than pretentious. A cool enough vibe without any standout tracks.

I’ve long wondered where this kind of sound came from - the sort of punky, speak singing, repetitive riffs and rhythms - I’m mainly thinking Idles and their ilk. And I’ve also long wondered what exactly it is The Fall do to be revered so. I guess now I know on both counts.

One of the weakest of the early Fall albums but still some moments to savour

A little clashy and out there for my taste!

I liked the music but can only handle one song at a time, not a whole album. Not their fault.

Semi weird punk. Later half was good!

Pretty good, sounds like Punk mixed with New Wave and Alternative music.

A little rough but not too shabby.

This is an interesting album from a time when desperately needed new sounds had finally emerged. I never heard of this band. Not surprising since, other than college radio stations, there was zero chance a station (especially in Northern Ontario) would pick this up. I quite like the drumming and read that Karl Burns was fired from The Fall multiple times. Their loss (and gain when rehired!)

This was fun, I've heard a lot about the Fall but never listened to them. What I found here was a post punk record filled with quick catchy hooks

I love the way Mark E Smith adds a vowel to the end of the last word of every sentence. Makes his rants sound more caustic. I like his attitude and style, and while the first song is a classic, a whole album is a bit much. Hard to believe he/they released 30+ studio albums.

Ja gut, das alles klingt, gemessen an den vielen großen Würfen des späteren Outputs noch recht statisch, Mark E. Smiths Sneer ist noch unterentwickelt und auch rumpeln tut es noch nicht so schön. Wenn auch Schlagzeug und Bass schon damals wussten wo sie hin wollten und wie lange der Kaugummi kaut. Aber da musste man ja auch erstmal drauf kommen, 1979 in einem untergehenden England, und eine vage Idee gibt mir dass ja auch Smith einer der ca. 45 oder so Besucher des legendären Sex-Pistols-Gigs in der Lesser Free Trade Hall im Juni 1976 war (sonst noch dabei: halb Joy Division, die Buzzcocks, Morissey, Tony Wilson und natürlich Mick Hucknall), und auch er seine Lehren daraus gezogen hat. Wollte ich aber nur so loswerden, hat nichts mit der Platte zu tun. Die kriegt von mir 3 Punkte, schon allein wegen "No Christmas for John Quays", für "Music Scene" und für "Rebellious Jukebox".

New wave/post punk. It's lacking the post-punk sound both in instrumentation and vocals, and is quite safe tonally. 5/10, lukewarm.

Great punk elements throughout, a little too free form for my tastes but can definitely appreciate the sound they were going for

Carried on listening to The Fall after, they do be having better albums

jonkees. bri ish init. guitar reminds me of my dad lol. jonkees.

lacking that punch yknow i like some

When punk was very raw.

meh

Didn't mind this but doubt I'd listen again

broke my brain a little bit. i like all the individual ingredients of this dour angsty post punk goulash, but when it comes out of the oven in one piece i suddenly lose my taste for it. it's kind of giving advanced cia interrogation techniques on some of the more repetitive tracks. the opener Frightened is my favorite, maybe the only song where the spell worked on me, but generally i fear i am not punk enough for this one. strong 2

This album feels like nonsense, but in an ok way. Feels totally forgettable.

Shorten the title to “Burned” because I thought an album on this list had to have redeeming value. Typical angry, snarling, monotonous punk. The raw production value is interesting, considering it was recorded in a single day and engineered the next. Unfortunately that doesn’t make it any more enjoyable. trunc[2.9]

You know what's a good word? Tedious. That's a good word. I say this for no reason, none whatsoever.

I kind of get it. There's a certain appeal in the rawness of it all but I'm not getting much of a talent vibe. 2.5/5

Some interesting moments, but not enough to warrant this many tracks.

Hell of an album to listen to on the 4th of July

altern. Rock, 1979 -> 2

3/10 - Not much to say. Boring album and very linear.

Ok

Not terrible..Just sounds mainly the same the whole time and it’s really long. Too long.

Not even at a witch trial

The day I got this album, I listened through it and felt very little for it. I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't like it, and it didn't stir any emotions in me. I listened back to the beginning, and found that I couldn't even remember it much. I wasn't sure how to proceed, so I hit "Didn't Listen" the next day and figured I'd come back to it later. The next day, I got the Clash's debut album. Now THAT'S a great punk album. That sealed the deal for me. "Live At The Witch Trials" doesn't even belong in the same category, and thus, it's getting 2 stars.

1.6 Noisy

Maso

Listened Before? N Another British post-punk album. These dudes have not one, not two but THREE albums on this list. That's excessive. This is a nice debut for them, but I don't feel like I needed to hear this one. Musically, it's pretty standard late-70s punk/post punk. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Rebellious Jukebox

A band that all my favorite bands love. Loved the roughness and the style but nothing special.

Shrugs.

Meh

Live at the Witch Trials is a dope name for an album. That's almost all the good things I can say about it. It's scorching to listen and I feel that is on purpose. I didn't find beauty of lyrics, beautiful vocals, nice solos, neat production. It felt like a rushed wasteland, with thorns and thirst. And that felt on purpose. This is no place to look for beauty, nice, nor neat things. You come here to listen to a drunk ranting and wasting away. It is a compelling work of art in this regard: grim and ugly. There are some, few and far between, sparks of melody. Brief moments of joy that gave me some hope to hear something pleasing, but they never stay and in the end I need to rest on something: I don't really like to only be grim and ugly.

While Live at the Witch Trials firmly roots itself in punk, there’s a clear sense that something is missing. Maybe it’s because the album was recorded in a single day. Maybe it’s the odd inclusion of the Casio keyboard. Maybe it’s the lifeless rhythm guitar, endlessly cycling through the same three chords with no real direction. Or maybe it’s Mark E. Smith’s dull, nasal speak-singing. Take your pick. If there’s one thing this list has taught me, though, it’s that some recordings need time to breathe. Live at the Witch Trials had no such luxury, and it shows.

These guys wanted to be The Clash so badly. They did not succeed

This didn't make much of an impression on me. At least it was short.

Ok album. I wasn’t blown away. It’s kind of a miss for me, probably a 2.5. Very Sex Pistols influenced, kind of nasally British spoken delivery and such. Musically somewhat interesting. I’d check out further albums from this band as they apparently move away from this style and into more post punk/new wave territory.

Not for me. Droning, off key singing over drums and guitar.

I generally like punk, or punk-adjacent, music. l didn't like this at all.

This band pushes the classic 70s jangly oversaturated chorus laden guitars with no other sound other than thin cacophony. An annoying keyboard that cuts through all other sounds as an overbearing drone. Simply rough.

2.5/5

Went into this pessimistically but didn't dislike it as much as I expected. That said this album brought me to the conclusion that my taste in punk is irrationally picky. I don't know why I don't like this but I do like Ramones or Dead Kennedys, but this feels half baked or maybe just too early on for me to fully enjoy. 2.5 rounded down bc j won't pick it back up.

Meh.

I'm sure this was influential on the punk scene at the time, but to my ears it's just meh.

The Fall are so revered. I didn't like them as a teenager, in the 80s - MES's vocals were so annoying, and came across, to me, as trying too hard to be edgy and different. I did try this. I still don't like them.

Too post-music for me, with this counter-culture post-punk singing.

Singer’s voice doesn’t do it for me. Neither does the music.

Tough listen

**An ok album

5/10 - Not bad, just not an album I would come back to. It’s not a bad debut album.

Different, but I can’t say I enjoyed it.

This the 3rd one from these guys on the list, and is it deserved? Definitely not. I can see one album being included due to influence on other bands. But three? C’mon man. The only thing really keeping this one out of bottom ranking is the fact that they recorded it all in a single-day session, which is pretty impressive. But I will never get past the vocal delivery from the lead singer.

I just need some more low end and umpf in my guitars. And the voice is so British whiney. Could not listen to much of this.

I can't fathom why we need three albums from these guys... and I feel the exact same way about this one: decent music and crap vocals. 2.5/5

Quizá no estaba en la sintonía de la banda hoy, pero no quiere decir que no me gustará. Fue más un no conectar con el grupo hoy.

They sound like a less distorted/pouty Oasis.

Not a great listen but more musicianship than I was expecting.

Sure, was OK. Not sure this style of punk is quite my vibe.

About a strange of an album on this list so far Best Song: Mother Sister Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 3

ya son demasiados discos de The Fall en este listado. A mi, este por ejemplo no me aporta gran cosa, prefiero otros: This nation... por ejemplo.

Kinda awful, mostly bad

2,5

Look, I like punk. The vocals were awful omg

Listened to the studio section but not all of the live tracks. Got the idea

Maybe a little bit sparse for my taste.

281/1089 i can see the appeal but it sounds like a lot of other music to me, maybe a bit ahead of it’s time though? i’d associate this with later in time than ‘79 and can hear how it might’ve influenced later acts the uninterested british punk vocal style just puts me off a bit, it feels performative to me at times just not a wholly interesting album to me Two Steps Back was the main highlight but idc about this music really 30/100

Very much not for me. The bass on the last track sounds cool.

I can't do this.

After I heard the first song I thought I had discovered the first Jack White (vocally), but then that was it. It should have been a one song album.

album punk con sonorità talvolta ripetitive e talvolta psichedeliche. non ho ascoltato molto i testi ma non mi è dispiaciuto

Never followed this band, raw sound and lyrics seem unstructured and ad-hoc, but influential for some good groups.

Not the most memorable

It's not particularly special in any way but I guess it went on to inspire a lot of other mfs so it's probably cool.

I've never really liked or understood the Fall. I have tried several times given the adulation they got from the music press. My main issue is I cannot get past Mark E Smith who comes across as a bit of a sneery bellend. Musically this sounds great with some killer bass - but then the singing starts and I turn off - so much so that I cannot appreciate the cleverness of the lyrics or Marks famous wit. Life's too short and I cannot be fucked with the Fall today. My loss I guess.

As Rainier Wolfcastle once said "What is it about music that enchants us? The Notes." Sadly, this album doesn't have any notes. Seriously, I counted. What it does have is lots of anger and talky singy. I don't like talky singy. But I do like anger and lyrics. In conclusion, this is a bit shit.

What am I meant to learn from this… I don’t know… I could go to the tote and hear music more better then this.

I’d hope if I was at the actual Witch Trials I wouldn’t be presented with music this mediocre. Like, the album has this real raw sound, but it feels so one-note repetitive. There is no variance across any of the tracks and it really comes of as dull by the end. I’m sure if I heard this album live it would sound better, but ya nah.

I'm sure I've said this before, but it's albums like this where I wonder what the base line selection criteria were when creating this list.

I prefer this over The Infotainment Scan, but it’s still not that good. I gave it a few tries, and it just never pulled me in.

Early British Punk. Classic, but not my favorite.

4/10 No me gustó, me aburrió el ritmo y la voz, no me coparon los ritmos. Se pueden rescatar algunas partes, pero en su mayoría bastante flojo

It gave me a light headache halfway through, which is crazy because I found this album v boring.

I think I can see how this inspired future bands, but this didn't do a whole lot for me.

Typical punk music, couple catchy rifts.

First track was ok then it was pretty much downhill from there! Of course I’ve heard of the Fall and what a character Mark E Smith was blah blah blah but the musics shit!

The witch trials were more exciting.

an incredible title.

Punk is shite

Upon opening the album on Spotify and seeing it 2hs 23 mins I was ready to throw in the towel and give it a 1 out of principle. Wikipedia shows original album was only ~9 tracks and 38 minutes so, ok, we’re back on. First track was sonically interesting. By track 3 (Xmas) I was beginning to feel like breaking a bottle and getting in a scrum with opposing team hooligans, my enthusiasm waning. I do like the studio-live recording, music almost always sounds better this way. Two Steps Back the strongest track in my view. There is a lack of consistency here - Live at Witch Trials song begins vocally lame with the second half music partially redeeming it. There are nuggets here to like but requires wading through crap to find. In the end, this album begins to feel like parody - damn you Fred Armisen for ruining an entire genre for me. Oy! 2/5

too freaking long man too freaking long....i did not like most songs but i did like some so idk it was alright

Skipped around, defintely wasn't my jam.

I found the music decent, but the yell-“singing” really put me off. Plus some of the live recordings are terrible! Thought my equipment was malfunctioning. I don’t know how many tracks were on the original album; I only made it through disk one on the 41-track, 2.5 hour album on Qobuz. The PDF I have of the 1001 albums book only has 11 tracks listed. 3/10 Ho Hum

My mate who has significant musical overlap with me says The Fall are his favourite band. So I've tried them a few times before, but never managed a whole album. And I at I still just don't get it. Maybe the ramblings of a mad man, a work of genius, both or neither - I'm still not sure.

yet another random British "punk" album that's on here for no reason.

For once, the music in a 70's post-punk record isn't bothering me. Weirdly, it even has a proti-goth sound to it on some tracks that I enjoy. Unfortunately Mark E. Smith's awful singing and the really bad, stilted drums are doing this record in for me. I think I prefer it over their other album on the list, but not by much.

I've listened to this album three times because I thought "come on, this is just fine, there's surely a song that's going to grab my attention", but after one day I remember absolutely nothing. Nice background music - that's all it is.

ugh...

I did’t skip any but I almost wanted to I think I liked it.

i like the drums, but not for me - skip

Hate hate his voice.

Not the kind of punk music I enjoy. Kind of anti-musical, not keen on the snarly sung-spoken vocals, and generally pretty mean-spirited on the whole. At least it was fairly short.

Didn't quite sit right with me, couldn't get into it

Not for me thanks

This is the musical equivalent of one those little dogs that bark and snap at you just to let you know they are there

It's surprising that The Fall went on to have a career after their debut. This is a mostly forgettable blend of repetitive sounds that just doesn't hit the spot. The second part of the album improves slightly and there are some tunes that are okay. The album is not outright horrible or anything like that but I would describe it as "elevator punk" - abrasive in theory, yet background music in practice. The two songs I didn't really mind are "Underground Medecin" and "Two Steps Back".

2/5

The vocals ruined it for me.

I’m just not a punk fan. There’s a select group of punk that I can actually enjoy. This squarely fell outside of this camp. Still, giving 2 stars as they aren’t completely devoid of talent.

Brittiläistä pop,punk sekoilua

It seems that I should like this but I did not! I will listen to it if you make me though because you all loved it?

More punk shite, no thanks

I just spent a week at a recording studio, where we put in dozens and dozens of takes, trying together to make each run through tighter and more accurate than the last. So hearing this immediately after spending time in that environment made it sound like complete amateur hour. I’m still compelled to give it a listen with a more open mind later, but I could not help but be bothered and almost revolted at how sloppy this is, even by punk or post punk standards.

7# nice, the first album that i dont know at all. Recorded in a single day? ok, interesting. Post-punk in 1979, when punk wasn't even already established? thats funny. After a quick search, the punk era started in the beginning of the 70s so im wrong. Thoughts about it: me like the sound of thiz, its fun, rebellious but with not much anger the sound of the drums is gud, but the rest sounds muffled Got tired of this quickly, the guitars are tiresome with the high pitched notes (I love Modest Mouse, so i'll just say this was not for me), i guess i was not in the mood for it. wont get a second chance though. If listening to one music its ok

Troisième album proposé par le générateur après 'This Nation’s Saving Grace' que j'avais plutôt apprécié (3/5) et 'The Infotainment Scan' qui ne m'avait pas convaincu (2/5). La basse/batterie sont bien en avant dans ce 3eme album et sont vraiment créatifs, mais les sons de la guitare et du synthé ne sont pas terribles (guitare plein d'effets, synthé vieillot). Les harmonies sont parfois originales, mais les morceaux sont plutôt répétitifs quand ils sont longs. Et j'ai du mal avec le 'chant'. Pas sur d'avoir envie de l'entendre de nouveau. =>2/5

4/10

If nothing else, I'm learning that there is some distinction in late 70s punk music that I can't put my finger on. There was stuff like the Clash or Television that is fun and just cool. And then there's stuff that just doesn't do anything for me. It feels like it's trying to be cool without behind enjoyable or creative. And this falls into the latter category.

Unremarkable.

Most punk isn’t for me, or at least listening to it for an hour is rough

Fan of some of The Fall's later stuff ("This Nation's Saving Grace" was great), but didn't enjoy this listen. Instruments are cool but the guy's voice is too annoying. After this album finished, Winter (Hostel Maxi) from a 1982 release of theirs played, and it was significantly more interesting than anything on this album.

I like that these guys existed but not much here as far as hooks and good melodies. Some of the best of "post punk" music.

2.2 This album took a decade off my life, not because it was particularly bad but because it was a decade long.

Ça me rappelle de ces jams que tu retournes te coucher après en te disant que toute est d'la marde. 2.49 étoiles

Musically o.k. but nothing to really hook me. Is it the vocals or am I not in the right mood for it today? 2,5

Not my type of album.

Maybe it was due to having heard them a couple times in this project and mentally preparing for punk, but it was not as bad as the other albums.

mid

Gjorde inget större intryck.

Ik ken deze band niet dus ik ben best excited. 2 a 3 sterren, vond het niet heel bijzonder.

Hmm

Burn em

Post punk aint too bad

521/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Favourites 1. Frightened Least Favourite 2. Crap Rap 2 / Like To Blow

I don’t get this one making the list.

Not feeling this one..

Couldn't connect with this. The studio recording isn't great, as early punk I guess it gets a pass on that, but at any rate I didn't find the music or vocals interesting.

Oof, spotify serves you a 2,5 hour version and safe to say I was very relieved that the album generator links to a 30 minute version. 2/5

bleh

The Fall is one of those bands that I've always felt I should like given my tastes, but I just can't get into them for some reason. Bass lines are good, drums are great. Songs are not bad by any means but just lackluster for me I guess.

not the fall I would reach for

eh, i am sure people love it, not my cup of tea

“Errr what’s this song about?” “Errr nothing.” I don’t necessarily mind a bit of a racket from time to time but how do you make a racket that’s also boring as hell?! What a waste of time.

2.5/5

Still not impressive

Challenging. Some nice guitar licks. I was waiting for him to start singing but he didn't.

Not my thing, boring

Тупой низкосортный панк

Too short to be a live album. Too much time wasted listened to this.

Another punk / post-punk album. This one was okay but nothing really stood out. Overall- average. 2.5/5