Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Day173 - i listened before looking at the reviews and they’re honestly higher than i expected. it’s loud,kind of a mess but fun
punky
Can see how this is influential, but does not work for me
consider my tickets to salem booked
Awful vocals - inaccessible listen
Imagine if Yard Act had a set of testicles and wasn't a product to be marketed
Couple of just awful albums in a row. At least I get why this one is here.
Interesting post punk album with Sex Pistols influence
Fascinating historical example of what people thought was good music before health and safety culture drastically reduced the number of severe head injuries
Started off thinking this isn't too bad for a 'post punk' album, a potential 2 stars. But couldn't wait for it to finish by the end and to listen to some good music. Always used to think I was open to liking all music genres, but this app has really taught me how shit post punk is.
It's a very uninspiring album, have already forgotten what it sounds like. Won't be one I listen to again. Probably would have been entertained more at a real Witch trail
It’s crazy that this album was only 30 minutes because it dragged and felt a lot longer. It did nothing for me but I’m just not a punk guy. I like their ethos, but not their music.
A bit shouty this one innit.
Étrange effet de punk au son très clair et défini, presque «propre», si on excepte l'interprétation frondeuse du chanteur. J'ai trouvé l'ensemble un peu long et peu intéressant, peut-être parce que je l'écoute avec le recul et que je ne peux pas savoir ce que ça représentait à l'époque
Tight drums/bass & harsh guitar with sloppy vocals. I enjoyed it somewhat. Can’t decide how I really feel about it
Kaoottista punkkia. Ihan mielenkiintoista kun ei ole niin suoraviivaista ja on melodisempaa. Aika kokeellista kanssa. Parhaat: Underground Medicin, Two Steps Back
No thanks
These guys walked so every other band in the punk genre could run.
Nah
Liking the vibe
This album is so odd, from the sound of the guitars to their weird riffs to the accent the singer has. It actually works out. Some really great tunes, "No Xmas for John Quays" is an all timer and one I put on constantly. The album does have some dips in quality though
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
Just because someones uses lyrics for addressing current problems doesn’t make them beloved nor adds value to their music. No vocals or instrumentals really touched me it just sounded like random things randomly playing to random topics.
Boring Britt punk from the 80s. All sounds the same. Low quality musicianship
- 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
- sheesh talk about repetitive - I can almost appreciate it - very 70s punk sound - how many live albums can a band have?
Its very punk...too punk for me. Lyrics were great, just too much dissonance and yelling for my taste. For the genre it is right on point and great, but just not my taste really.
I liked the Slits better. This album was not live and no witches were put on trial during the making of this album.
Post punk continues to not be my thing apparently. This album was annoying. Thankful for its short length though!
I believe the word Shite has been used frequently to describe this record. Not agreeing nor am I disagreeing.
Just so completely insane and brilliant.
mans needs to stop 3inning
Nah.
ugh. This is the second entry for The Fall on my list. This one was even more insufferable than the first one.
Not their best, but still The Fall. A little over-produced (or under-). Would have been great to hear these tracks produced to sound like Dragnet or the early singles. But there are some great songs here (notably Music Scene, Rebellious Jukebox and Underground Medicin) and the straightahead 60s garage band approach – complete with cheap keyboard sound – already sets them apart from a lot of the other 'punk' bands of the time. An intriguing hint at what was to come.
There's so much energy and ideas swirling around here. And all under 30 minutes. Right from the start The Fall didn't give a fuck. It must have sounded like nothing else in 1979. It still pretty much the case. A glorious mess. Mark was a one.
4.0
Couldn't feel the love for this. Recorded in a day, impressive , but Smith is just too abrasive for me today.
May 27, 2024 Well, of all the Fall albums I’ve heard this is definitely a Fall album. While it would be easy to admit defeat after 3 albums, I intend to put on Hex Enduction Hour sometime soon, considered one of their best outside of this list. There’s always the possibility that the combo of Smith’s vocals and the noisy guitars just isn’t for me, despite the bristly, energetic performances heard in this debut album.
Love British music they don’t know how to cook food but they cooked on this
If I ever need a reason to not read reviews before starting an album, I'll look here. Fuck you. I like this.
Not too bad, another birth year record so I'll go easy on this, and also the lyrics/vocals are pretty interesting.
I've never quite got the Fall. I don't hate it though.
There is nothing interesting about this. At all.
Klinkt alsof t opgenomen is met de microfoon van iPhone oortjes
Fucking awful. Made it to track 4, after I had been forcing myself to give it a chance about 30 seconds into track 1. As much as I have been pleasantly surprised by a number of albums and artists I expected to dislike, there is a sense of patting yourself on the back when you expect something to be dog shit and it then turns out to be dog shit!
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.
Lost interest after 4 songs. Not terrible, just didn’t care.
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.
Musically interesting, lyrically dense; much better than I expected, but still far from perfect; probably a band that will pop up again, although there is (in my opinion) more deserving artists. A tricky one to score, but for the music and the influence, I'm going to round up, rather than down.
I've listened to Saving Grace-ah, and I listened to Infotainment Scan-ah, and they were all pretty good-ah, and the Fall are a fine band-ah, but they're starting to wear out their welcome-ah...
3.8
nah. punk especially Br*t*sh punk is too rough for me. If people are just gonna romp around and talk sing I don't wanna hear that heavy "oi in 'is 'ears through eyes o tears"
Rough shod and angry, not an easy listen at all and far from their more polished ( if the Fall could ever be called polished) later work. Grows on you with each listen. Mark E. Smith was a genius
Listened to one and a half tracks, but not my cup of tea at all I’m afraid. I abandoned the rest.
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?
Ehhh it was alright
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.
Punk and alternative vibes, teeters on the line of new wave. Of british origin and sounds all together cohesive. Lyrical, and vocal a total miss for me. Not enough grit to be punk, and not enough alternative to be call alternative rock. But, credit due 1979 was early for this type of sound. Counter disco culture album, love that for music in general. Also the percussive element of this album is all aces. Hell right jazz and progressive drums.
Very disappointing. Vocal were like the Stranglers but the music was not as good. A bit shouty and generally poor. I wouldn't listen to this again
Wasn't too bad. Wasn't great either though.
Someone tell them that is not, in fact, a live album. 2.4
Eh only ok
“Bold and Brash? More like: Belongs in the Trash.”
Not really my style...
p430. 1979. 2 stars. Not their best work by means, but worth a listen if you enjoy sardonic Mancs in late 70s/early Thatcher era.
Meh
Good debut album. Too frantic (and too long) for me. Best song is Music Scene. Lead Brit git does a good job with clear annunciation on the vocal track. I imagine these guys aren’t that popular in Germany based on the subject matter of a few songs. Not on this album, but they do a punked up cover of The Kinks’ Victoria that’s decent. Never been a huge fan of punk, Witch Trials comes in at (2.5*s)
This album is just a drunk Brit singing pub rants to his mates. There were a few good moments but it just kept dragging on and on. I liked the energy but it's pretty noisy and not well produced. There's much better early punk and this could use a bit of polishing.
Side 1 sounds like the neighbor kids practicing in their garage. Side 2 is better and has glimpses of more complexity. Last song is best song. I can picture the scene in the early 70s/early 80s - a bunch of pissed of kids with ripped clothes, patches, and piercings drinking shitty warm beer, smashing up a basement. I'd have joined in the fun.
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
I don’t know if Mark E Smith was Live At The Witch Trials, but it sounds like he was. Commenting everything happening with his satirical tone. Honest and primal post-punk.
Weird music and songs
No
British punk vibes, not for me.
Great album. Was playing while riding to work and another cyclist complimented me on my choice of album; so I told her it was my first time with it because of 1001atltbyd lol
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
Sounds like half a song's worth of ideas made into a whole album.
If I listened to this in the 80s, I'd probably think this is rad as hell, but in today's context it doesn't really sound good, and I'm mostly uninterested.
Boring and repetitive. Not great punk, or post-punk.
Most average 70s punk record
Had potential but just didn’t work for some reason
Thoughts before listening: British 70s punk rock band that has been around forever. I know that their sound has evolved over the years, but in 1979 I believe this will be kind of a post-punk, pre-new wave kind of sound. Highly influential band that has been cited as an influence by musicians I love. Review: Meh. This isn't for me. I love a lot of punk and indie music, but it still needs song structure and melody to catch my interest. For the most part this is very repetitive, atonal music with Mark E Smith ranting over top. There are a few standouts such as the first song "Frightened", and I enjoy "2 Steps Back" as well. 2-stars.
En realidad no lo volveria a escuchar. Pero es bueno a su manera. 5/10
great first song
Punk como melódico. Está bien. Un 4.
Post-punk, garage.
It was alright. Nothing amazing.
Ah post punk, all the words without any of the feeling. Unfortunately the vocals just don't lend themselves to the slower post punk style for me. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if the tempo was increased and it had more attitude. This felt like slower complaining.
I have come to the conclusion that all of the punk music coming out of England during this time period all sounds the same. Ugh.
Not my cup of tea
I both enjoy this while also kinda hating it. Will I listen to again: 1%
Kind of fun punk
Never heard of this band and reading wiki they seem to have an interesting history. Saying that, ehhh... not really my jam. 2.5/5
Another high 1
Ok
couldn't get into it.
After one song I thought this actually wasn’t too bad. After two songs I thought this actually was quite bad.
Enjoyed it.
Strong debut from a great band ✌️
Chill
Liveplattor är sällan kul. Gäller även denna.
It's noisy punk and I just couldn't do it. It may be great noisy punk, but I wouldn't know. I've never heard of this band.
Postpunk met een zeikerige Britse zanger. De zanger klinkt af en toe (bijvoorbeeld op track 1) als een Bob Dylan die articuleert, wat dan wel weer grappig is. Zo erg als gisteren is het niet maar het zit er ook niet gigantisch ver boven. Het feit dat de nummers gemiddeld zo'n 200k streams hebben op Spotify doet wel twijfelen of het in deze lijst hoort. Neem 'Twarres' uit Fryslân, waarvan ik zojuist ontdek dat het geen broer en zus waren, met de hit 'Wêr Bisto' en daarna nog 'She Couldn't Laugh'. Hun album uit 2001 heeft zo'n 19 miljoen streams meer en de niet-hits hebben zo'n 300k streams gemiddeld. Ik benoem gewoon feiten *schouderophaalemoji* Anyway, tussen de 2 en de 3 in dit. Ik vind die NES geluiden (ook al bestond die toen nog niet) wel leuk. Laatste track is het best, die is wat minder post en wat meer punk.
Its okay just a typical rock punk album to be
deranged and shouty
Gave me a headache. Zero tunes. Crap vocals.
It has some nice elements but it's hard to appreciate if you're not in the mood... I was not in the mood.
There’s something endearing about Mark E. Smith and the Fall, they are in many ways the anti-band. The sound of this album is so inventive, it is dissonant yet there is enough of a melody to feel connected to it. It reminds me of a less jarring and less desolate PiL, kind of like a rough day that you got through and were better for it. The production is surprisingly crisp for a punk debut with “Live” in the title. It’s not an album of hits, but more like a collection of well thought out schemes. The impact of this album and this band is pretty wide reaching, given how prolific they would be following this. Many post-punk, alternative and indie bands owe a debt to the Fall.
2.7/5 Best Track: Frightened
I'm taking a star off for the extra 30 tracks on this goddam disc. I know that puts me in league with the braindead Amazon reviewers who review a new 4k disc with 1 star because "I don't like George Clooney at all". But fuck it. 30 tracks??? You didn't even put the requisite 'deluxe edition' signifyer on it. But I'll put a star back on because this is the kind of vibe I can dig. Do I love a song on here? I do not. Could I let this play all day? Probly so.
Puzzling, literary, disturbing and inspiring all at once; I wouldn't describe this as an easy listen but it's certainly a vital and bracing one. In terms of how it sounds, well, the lurching, queasy rhythms are pinpricked with wiry guitar and almost comically cheap sounding keyboards. And then you've got Smith's high-low poetry to contend with. Sui generis, but points towards all kinds of possibilities including post-punk and the Neue Deutsche Welle sound. Can you listen to Fontaines DC without hearing The Fall? If you've heard The Fall beforehand, probably not, I'd wager. In a category of its own - this peculiar music winds itself around your bones.
This is just noise. The music is repetitive, the vocals are monotonous… ugh. Why did this make the list? The critics liked it; this listener does not. Listened to the first seven tracks, then skipped down to Dresden Dolls because the title seemed familiar. It was fine. Otherwise did not finish.
Do you think they were really there
I have only twenty-odd albums and saw them live only 4/5 times, so a lightweight Fall-head really. This gets less spins than others possibly due to being on the original Small Wonder vinyl and safely stashed away. Their run of brilliant early singles - collected on Early fall 77-79 - has rather put this debut in the shade. A relisten reveals that it's - what do you know - already a classic fall album. Rebellious Jukebox, Two Steps Back, Industrial Estate and No Xmas for John Quays are all prime cuts, supported by such perennial Fall tropes as a dig at the music biz ('Music Scene') and a sub-1 min amouse bouche (title track). Their sound - rolling bass to anchor, clattering drums , obtusely tinny yet melodic keyboards - is here in template form. MES appears already full-formed, speech-singing and making everything rhyme by putting 'ah' at the end. Not a five as that would say it is the equal of 'This Nations...' or 'Hex Enduction'. But 4.25 definitely.
There’s a semblance of a good album here: interesting basslines, deliberately sloppy, (almost off-key ala Trout Mask Replica) playing and singing and I appreciate the sentiment and no-fucks given approach, but this just didn’t land for me.
As spot-on a post punk album as you'll find. Intense but properly pissy, full of prickly, bass-forward rhythms and stark, jagged guitars. I appreciate the band's start-stop, punk-inflected approach to pacing, with an effective use of both volume and speed that propels the listener through each song. The songwriting is less coherent than on later albums, but Mark E. Smith's delivery is so compelling, I'm not particularly bothered by it. For a first album this is pretty fantastic.
bit boring thought i liked it at the start but it just got more and more boring
meh boring
I like the sound. They don't try to drowned out with noise. It is clean and tight.
The wiki said that this album was recorded in one day at the studio and I’m assuming that’s because the owner of of studio didn’t allow them back after hearing this. Jkjk it wasn’t THAT bad but I still wasn’t a huge fan and I could definitely see this band fucking around in the studio for a day, making this, and calling it good since it could be plagiarized from 50 other post-punk albums and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
It's listed as Indie Rock in Apple Music, but it sounds very punk to me. by that I mean it's sort of unimaginative, rudimentary instrument playing, and a high-pitched, nasally, South London accented singer with very little variation in his pitch or tone throughout the album. That said, there were a couple of songs where I caught myself bouncing my leg, so it's not 1-star awful. It is kind of tedious; however, so I can't really bring myself to give it more than 2 stars.
I was not digging this and it made me appreciate how unique and special The Clash is. Couldn’t wait for The Fall to finish.
Purposely bad is still bad... Might deserve the first 1 star rating...
London punk. 3/5
Some decent rifts on some tracks along with some ok melodies. Not a fan really though and nothing stood out to me.
It’s so close to being so cool.
not bad not moving
Not my kind of music.
So unrefined, and raw. For a punk album it captures the essence quite well.
He gadverdamme. Hoe vaak moet ik mezelf nog een punkalbum doorsleuren? No xmas for John Quay, wat een dieptepunt... heb me door dit album geworsteld, maar jezus mag ik alsjeblieft wat anders dan ooit nog dit? Punk is gewoon een excuus voor matige lyrics, slechte mix and mastering en matige muzikaal invloeden. Change. My. Mind.
Mostly meh with a dash of annoying.
Not my cup of tea!!
Post-punk, garage.
About two years ago, I found my 'in' with The Fall. It was The Infotainment Scan. I tried this, their debut years ago and couldn't get into it, but this time I loved it. Sarky, angular, and 'difficult'. But difficult meaning it's trying to push you away in a way that only gets you more interested.
God I love a good post punk drum part. Fantastic drums certainly carry this album, but as far as post punk goes this is a fantastic album even if the drums weren't as good as they are. The bass work is also pretty great throughout. The vocals are strange for sure, but I wasn't paying as close of attention to the content as much as the tonality and they very much so sound post punk so I can't complain.
не понимаю я вашу диссонирующую эстетику
Блять, нахуя столько песен на спотике. Ну в целом ок, но нет ощущения кайфа. Но в моменте было норм и даже пару песен сохранил Алкоальбом: ну вроде коктейль спиртягой не разбавили и ок
еще больше начала пост-панка и попыток записи лайва в студии ://///
I'll be honest, I listened to one song from this album and decided I was in too much of a bad mood to listen to the rest of it because it was so long and it hurt my ears. I won't give it a 1 because I only listened to the first two songs but. It's close
Barbed yet bouncy, based on tensnion between the edgy, dissonant and relentless guitars and the basic, carnivalesque keys. Dark and edgy. Perhaps monolithic and impenetrable-seeming (perhaps even amusical) to those listeners who prefer more conventionality, accessibility and obviousnes. Mark E's vocals are an acquired taste, too, alas. One likes the oddball timings; authentic, low-fi passion and commitment to DIY-their-way; intense and discordant hooks; distinctive and memorable vocals; fixating little glimpses of melody amidst all the abrasiveness and (it would seem willful) difficulty. "No Xmas" is memorable, an early classic for this keeper of a band.
what stood out the most on the fall's live at the witch trials was the video game-like sound effects used? considering its release in 1979, that seems unusual. the vocals weren't anything remarkable, or interesting. i was bored.
Really love the album title. But that's about it. Definitely got the "post-punk" vibes here; the punky attitude is there, but the music itself is leaning toward the 80s. The album really didn't do much for me at all, though.
I was reading about this guy, seems like he’s a huge dick so I figured his music must be amazing to last. It’s not. He sucks.
Well one good thing I’m learning about these punk/new wave albums is they are all very short. This one wasn’t super great and blends in with all the rest. Kind of like a low-quality Ramones copy in my very ignorant, un-punk-educated opinion. Two stars.
While the instrumentation has a nice sound, I could not get behind the vocals. To be honest I tire of how many punk albums we get on here and none of them are very good. I would be happy to never listen to this one again. 2 stars
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.
Great rudimentary post-punk that would go on to inspire everybody, from Pavement to Protomartyr. Not their best but I really like the amateurish aspect of it.
I don't know what's with The Fall, but I just love them!
To me, the best was yet to come with The Fall, but it was still a pleasant listen full of rebellious sounds and attitude!
Nope
I got bord of this fast so many of them sound the same it's not necessarily bad but fuck it's repetitive also I'm not listing to the live versions if we are counting them as part of the album then fuck me this shit works go for 2 hours. It's a 2 on a good day
Live at the witch trials is a decent listen but didn't do anything to really grab me at any point. It's short so inoffensive but I'm not coming back anytime soon Fav songs - Two Steps Back
I couldn't wait for this noise to end. 11 tracks into the 41 an I quit. I have better things to do with my time. That being said, the stereo mix is really cool, but the music didn't connect with me at all and the pit in the EQ from the mids to the tip-top of the highs exhausted my ears. I can't give this one star, because I can hear how genre fans could like this. It's not the bottom of the barrel, but it's not for me.
Usually when I personally don't like something on here, my take is "It's good for what it is, but this is not my jam. 2.5." I can't even get that far with this album. I get that it's punk and it sounds the way the band wants it to sound, but I didn't enjoy this one at all. It's not objectively awful, and I hope others enjoy this more than I did. 1.5.
This album was just short of 5 stars. It is definitely one of the best mixed records I heard, especially the drumming. I just got bored by the repetition near the end.
okay, post punk... don't get the fuss about it. sounds to me like all that stuff from that time. sorry.
Such an incredible first album by this band. Industrial Estate is probably the stand out track or maybe Music Scene is. Anyway the blueprint for just about everything I like about The Fall is here somewhere all ready and perfectly formed. Who would have known just how prolific Mark E Smith would turn out to be. I'm looking in my music collection and I have almost 70 albums by The Fall. This is a definite 5 stars.
I liked it!
Kind of like a Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Doors and Rolling Stones mash up. Pretty good album and I’m interested in listening to more by them.
Not my thing. At least it was short, but even so it felt too long.
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.
nope
Guay pero no tenía el día de punk
Some interesting moments
Skipped through every song. I like to think I am open to all genres of music, but I suppose that I am not. This one was a definite no.
Nun ja …
My first one-star review! There are glimmers of musical interest here, but they get overshadowed by the awful vocals and way-too-proud anti-pop attitude. Interesting band historical (over sixty members!) but the lead singer's crappy attitude clearly bleeds into the music in a pompous and unpleasant way. Ick
Didn't really work for me.
I am so happy I now never have to hear this album again. The vocals are so annoying, instrumentals are such low quality and I have no idea what they were thinking putting that constant synth tone in the background. Not to mention how goddamn long this album is, it just goes on and on and on and feels like it's never going to end. All this album is to me is a worse version on Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division, which is an album I love dearly. This album is honestly an insult to masterpieces like that. I truly have nothing positive to say about this one.
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 .
I'd have to be in the right mood to listen to this but I like punk
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.
Atonal, sloppy and shouty. High punk, low enjoyment.
i grew to like it the more i listened to it
Nog meer van die bagger! Wéér alles vals, dun geluid, jankzang, muzikanten die er expres met de pet naar gooien. Sodemieter toch een end op.
Met de manier van 'zingen' en de repeterende melodietjes soms bijna rap. En ergens is dat wel leuk. Ware het niet dat het zo extreem lui is uitgevoerd. Het zullen de punkinvloeden wel zijn. Die later in verschrikkelijke vorm nog duidelijker terugkomen, zoals bij het kerstnummer. Dit wordt ook weer een dikke onvoldoende. Zonde. Er zat best wat meer in.
Dit is de zoveelste reut onder de noemer post-punk, met repeterende gitaarriffjes en aanstellerig gewauwel door een microfoon. De gitaar is semi expres vals gestemd, de zang probeert wanhopig Johnny Rotten na te doen en af en toe flikkeren ze nog een piano van de bovenste verdieping van het kraakpand naar beneden. Daar zal de band dan ook wel naar genoemd zijn.
Dissonant, noisy, rhythmic
Good but I liked their other one we had more
Bit shite and it just goes on and on
Harsh and discordant and not for me. It started with an engaging tune and drumming, but went off into usual Mark E Smith world and just is not my taste.
I am not super familiar with The Fall, but whenever they pop up and I am hearing them, I definitely dig it. Just some great post-punk. Mark E. Smith rocks. Great listening to this first record of theirs.
Good
Kinda weak garage punk stuff
A lot of duds
When reading the blurb on this band I was excited to listen, then I did. The songs feel like rants over mediocre music, barely cohesive. If Lou reed was both more punk and worse.
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!
Dynamic, unique, many interesting bits, engaging
A few albums ago I thought I was just a very casual punk fan. This album has proved that i am indeed not a punk fan and only enjoy a select number of punk songs. If you like punk, I think you’ll like this album. If you’re a more casual fan like I am, you might find the album excessively repetitive.
Maybe I don’t get it. Maybe I just don’t like it. Either way, think I could die happy having never heard this.
Yikes. This album kinda sucked. I admit I didn’t finish it completely, but I was tired of listening to shitty British punk music. The worst part was the voice. The singers voice sucked. The instrumentals were fine, pretty standard.
Mid
Nope no thank you. Not my kind of music. Very noisy. 1 of 5
Frightened - 2 Crap Rap - 2 Rebellious Jukebox - 2.5 No Xmas - 2 Mother-Sister - 1 Industrial Estate - 2 Underground Medecin - 2 Two Steps Back - 2.5 Live at the Witch Trials - 2 Future and Pasts - 2
1. Frightened - 2 2. Crap rap 2like - 2 3. Rebellious jukebox - 3 4. No Xmas - 1 5. Mother-sister - 1 6. Industrial estate - 1 7. Underground medicine - 3 8. Two steps back - 1 9. Live at the witch trials - 1 10. Futures and pasts - 2 1.7 Bad
12/13/2023 2:42 S Tier————————— A Tier————————— B Tier————————— Futures and Pasts Mother-Sister! C Tier————————— Underground Medecin Two Steps Back Crap Rap 2like to Blow Rebellious Jukebox Industrial Estate No Xmas for John Quays Frightened D Tier————————— Live At the Witch Trials
Wednesday 12/13/2023, 2:42, office A Tier————————— Underground medecin B Tier————————— Rebellious Jukebox Crap rap 2like to blow Frightened Industrial Estate C Tier————————— Futures and Pasts Mother-Sister Two Steps back D Tier ————————— No Xmas for John Quays Live at the witch trials
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.
Heard of the fall I think, not the album. Indie rock from 1979. Chilled vibe at the start. Vocals are a bit annoying - starting to grate on me actually by 3rd song… and had to stop listening. A high 2/5 because I liked the guitar but vocals totally ruin it.
I'm familiar with the eccentricities of Mark E Smith via the stories Adam Buxton tells on his podcast. He definitely sounded like a bit of a character and I think that uniqueness shines pretty well through on this. Punk aligned but also a major divergence from anything I've heard before (which on reflection is probably the point of Punk in the first place).
This sounds like all of the scrappy bands I played with back in High School. Not that much of a compliment.
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.
It wasn't the easiest listening but I enjoyed it. I like punk and it was interesting to absorb some of it's origins.
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.
New-wave/punk that sounds like a student band practicing in their dorm room.
Could not get through this
Never listened to the Fall before. This had strong Television meets Sex Pistols vibes, but from the North of England. It was a good listen.
I just read a review for this album that said “Close to what I like but not exactly” Nailed it.
I didn't like it.
Didn't get into this one. Music was tame and vocals sounded disjointed.
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
I came so close to turning it off. Angry British ranting over mediocre music. I hate this music style. Do yourself a favour and look up the original tracklist and stop after music scene.
This was pretty good.
Singer's voice is awful
New band to me, love it!!
How have I never heard this? Loved it, will listen again for sure. It was noisy and fun.
Interesting as always
Not worth 2 full discs. Bailed on it
boh
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.
Vocals on The Fall records are not polished, but this was worse than usual.
This is a solid post-punk album. It doesn't particularly stand out to me from others in both good and bad ways.
Listened to this while playing Verdant. I actually liked the first track...it kind of caught me off guard and subverted my expectations. The rest of the album was a difficult listen for me. Punk is definitely a genre I've never taken a dive into...ska was the closest I ever came to that scene. Some of the album I found tolerable, but there was a lot that I struggled with. I'm torn. Part of me wants to rate this a 1...but I think it'll get a 2 just because it didn't COMPLETELY fall flat for me.
I guess I'm just not that big a punk fan.
Frightened 1-1.5/5
Love The Fall! They're prolific as hell and I don't think this is their best, but it's still great. A very biased 5 since I doubt they have many albums on the 1001.
I've struggled a bit with the 70s punk albums on here so far. Marquee Moon (Television) started to work more for me on a second listen, so maybe this is something that needs to settle in a bit more for me (but Marquee Moon is also a lot more polished than this). I generally didn't love this right now though. I actually liked the first song ("Frightened"), but then it didn't quite come together for me after that. It's super loose and unstructured, very garage-jam sounds. The singer is ok, but his voice is pretty whiny and somehow yelling at the same time. It just wasn't generally working, though there were a few spots here and there that I liked. But then there's also songs like "No Xmas for John Quays," where I just am not tracking it. I do think I get the appeal of this music. It's certainly a lot more raw and outside the box than the mainstream 70s rock. I just think there's a bit higher variability, and this one didn't quite do it for me on the whole. Favorite song: Frightened Other: Rebellious Juxebox, Futures and Pasts 10/19/23
Unmistakeably the Fall and the tones of Mark E once you get past the attitude and toneless tirade is quite mesmeric. The band is marginally better than a pub band and the production sounds like it was mixed in someone's shed. But at the end of the day it's The Fall.
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.
From the school of why have 8 half decent songs when 20 mediocre ones will do
Inoffensive: I don't know how to place this album bc it just wasn't any good. Felt really basic, like someone decided to make an album of the first songs they wrote as a teen or a dad having a mid-life crisis. Not the best at all but I can see this being the background to add some noise in public. I'm not coming back and wouldn't suggest anyone should.
2/10 Je n ai pas du tout aimé
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
With Live at the Witch Trials, The Fall arrive to a bustling scene not only fully formed (in regards to the brutally antagonistic stance of one Mark E. Smith) but completely contemptuous and skeptical of everything and everyone around them. This album forms the blueprint that would occupy the band's point of view for nearly forty years, embodying the rejection of what's current and the embrace of what's everlasting. They may be Northern white crap that talks back but the only difference between them and us is that they have brains. Favorites: Frightened, Rebellious Jukebox, Industrial Estate, Two Steps Back, Futures and Pasts, Music Scene.
I know this is hot garbage, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
As spot-on a post punk album as you'll find. Intense but properly pissy, full of prickly, bass-forward rhythms and stark, jagged guitars. I appreciate the band's start-stop, punk-inflected approach to pacing, with an effective use of both volume and speed that propels the listener through each song. The songwriting is less coherent than on later albums, but Mark E. Smith's delivery is so compelling, I'm not particularly bothered by it. For a first album this is pretty fantastic. Fave Songs: Frightened, Rebellious Jukebox, Futures and Pasts, Music Scene, Underground Medecin, Industrial Estate
I’m pretty lukewarm to this one. It’s not the worst record I’ve ever heard, and I like the post punk elements in the instrumentation throughout. I just don’t really connect on a songwriting or lyrical level to what the goal was. It feels pretty “there” but not genre defining or groundbreaking in any way. I’d say it’s a mood album for being drunk at the pub around midnight.
This unrelenting cavalcade of Mancunian barks, carnival keyboards, incisive, elastic guitar work, and pervasive, post-punk percussion isn’t just up my alley; it IS my alley.
yeah this one was not really my thing. the problem for me is that this album seems like it was made to be unpleasant sounding and i think that's the point. unfortunately for me, unpleasant to listen to is not something that i enjoy listening to. a lot of the music is dissonant. the vocals are a bit nonchalant, but also have a bit of a sneer. that's fine. it just doesn't resonate well with me. not my thing
Nope.
Even if I were drunk in a pub with my mates after a bar brawl, I would still be angry that this was playing.
Necer heard The Fall. Pretty uninspiring stuff. Got as far as Mother Sister then gave up
This is everything I dislike about punk, post-, hardcore, where musically it just seems to be a celebration of being crap.
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.
Not a fan.
This was bad
This was not good. The songs were repetitive musically and the vocals were more of a rant than singing. Futures and Pasts was really the only song that had something interesting going on. 1.5/5
I’d rather be listening to Public Image, Ltd. or the Sex Pistols. It’s not impassably bizarre like other The Fall albums, but that ain’t high praise.
Awful
never heard oof this band before but this album is most definitely going into my rotation. such a good early punk album.
I think I need to listen to more stuff by the Fall.
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
I enjoyed this a lot. Great to hear Mark E Smith young and spritely and less gravely. I felt it was all pretty tight. Was sad one song wasn't actually about Donkeys not getting Christmas (John Quays etc). A punchy lil album this
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.
Wow. This took me to places I never anticipated. I thought I vaguely knew The Fall, but playing Live At The Witch Trials I realized quickly that this band was not who I thought they were. This is like punk avant garde. After the first bunch of tracks, I realized that IDLES must be inspired by this shit. Two Steps Back was the turning point for me from interested to engaged. But I still can't completely describe the experience... it just sinks in. I'm not curious to hear more from this band. I wouldn't say I love this album, but I have definitely enjoyed the time together and would be agreeable to doing it again sometime 😘
I've listened to some of The Fall's music but not enough. This album is really great. I love the off kilter guitars and organs, and Mark E Smith's rambling, interesting vocals are so good. You can hear their influence in so much of the post-punk I listen to.
Not for me.
Enjoyable punk/post punk.
-i have never heard of this band or this album -frightened was nice and catchy -its feels like pretty average indie rock to me tbh -these songs aren’t bad but they aren’t…….super good to me personally -its catchy and the lyrics are fun -it wasn’t a bad listen, just not for me (loved the guitar bits), two stars probably
Lacked the 'charm' (wrong word, but can't think of a better one right now) of their other album I heard, and was generally quite hard to listen to loud.
Tror jeg hørte den, kan være jeg IKKE gjorde det
Not my jam
Excellent opening track. It had such a good beat. Easy to follow along considering it was my first time hearing it. "I feel trapped by a mutual affection". The lyrics are so surreal and sound like you're on a trip. It's got a real underground punk sound. I'm really into it. The contrast of punk instrumentals to electronic sounds blends well. The sound makes me think of paranoia. It's very hectic and busy. No room to breath, it's just a constant flow of bonkers. It's a very eclectic album. I loved the intro to 'Mother-Sister!' I feel like the singer is on drugs. I think a better word is psychosomatic. I believe the electronic sounds might be a keyboard. Overall, I really loved this album and it was right down my alley. I will definitely listen to it again and add most of it to my playlist.
punky goodness! or, well, post-punky goodness.
I mean, I was expecting a hell of a lot more witches. Meh.
Yuck.
Nope
Never got the hype about this lot tbf.
Probably one of the worst things I have ever listened to
det här var väl inte så bra
Not my thing
Didn't feel like good music to me but it wasn't bad.
what on earth is mark e. smith talking about whats going on. where am i. YA YAAAAA, industrial e s t a t e
fun.primus punk. or more accurately primus is 90s this i guess. very unnerving mixes of tonality between bass and guitar. Big up these guys
Probably just on this list because it was influential.