You have a wealth of Fall knowledge, thanks for sharing. There is good stuff from all Fall era, my personal favorites are topped by that great three shot, Grotesque/Slates/Hex
I got into the Fall during lockdown. Despite being from Manchester and being into punk /alternative record buying since 1978 , they had never really appealed to me, apart from the odd song. I found that I liked them up until around 1990. Bend Sinister being my favourite LP. I was also amused to discover how much they mentioned other musicians in their lyrics.
It's really quite simple. The essential Fall albums are three four-album 'runs' - early period Witch Trials' through to 'Hex Enduction''; Brix-era 'Perverted' through to 'Bend Sinister'; the Cog Sinsister-years from 'Extricate' through to 'Infotainment Scan'. That's really all you need. It all started sliding down hill when Hanley and Scanlan left in 99.
I was really surprised to see that your top 10 isn't that different from my own. Usually I'm way off what other Fall fans think. Not that I imagine you care but This Nation's Saving Grace is my number 1 too and the only other entries I would change from yours are Extricate, Country on the Click and Infotainment Scan (felt like a compilation rather than an album) and replace with I am Kurious Oranj, Hex Induction Hour and Shift-Work....I know that album gets a bad wrap but I love it for nostalgia value (I was in school at the time). I'm pleased to see that we share most of the same Fall albums though, I've not met anyone before who does. I agree that Dragnet sound quality is bad; some good songs but it just doesn't sound quite right.
You missed out Smith's obsession with M.R. James, H.P Lovecraft and Arthur Machen. "Th uncanny is in league against me".. The quote you cite is from Simon Reynolds not Morley.
It's easy to get discombobulated by the size of their output, but there was a lot of crap, whatever these Fall extremists say. Compared to Anthony Braxton's discography, The Fall's feels like that of Nick Drake.
My Favourite band since 18(60 now).Most original band I've ever heard. Mainly get blank looks when I mention them.Albert Camus also gave The Cure their name.
Interesting thanks. I think there's a bias towards 'better produced' albums here, that's the only explanation for nothing from the incredible Dragnet/Grotesque/Slates/Hex Hour run. Personally I'm a big fan of some of the really uneven stuff like Levitate and Interim but I expect that's a minority view! Glad to see Fall Heads Roll in there but any true Fall head knows that the Peel sessions box is necessary for the stupendous versions of Blindness and What About Us?
If you went to many gigs of theirs, you should consider doing a Top 5 or 10 gigs. Any young whippersnapper can rustle up an album list, but only those there at the time can talk about their gigs, and that knowledge should not be lost.
Not bad . The only one that really sticks out as not belonging there is Code Selfish . Witch Trials to Extricate is the best Fall period by far . After that they lurch between greatness and mediocrity with alarming regularity , with the last decade being the worst. But you cannot go wrong with Hex , This Nation , Extricate , Grotesque , Slates, Witch Trials , Wonderful and Kurious Oranj.
Dude.....not even to mention the collaberation with Gavin Friday..... terrible. You picked all the great great early stuff....what a bout Reformatoon and Your future Our Clutter, Imperial Wax. etc.....impossible task =:;-))
