I like the Witch Trials too (Various Times being my favorite); Bend Sinister, that I bought to listen to what John Leckie (who had done great for Magazine) had brought to the band - I've got to say that I was extremely surprised.
It all started from a double page in the NME in 1990 or 91 (Sonic Youth on the cover); Hex Enduction Hour was my first.
In 2003, French cartoonist Luz published an album called the Joke about his love of the band. The guy is a fan but he can't help making fun of the band (its several line ups, the booze) and his own addiction to it. Actually, it turned so much the band into a myth for a friend of mine that he got to listen to it (not Cerebral Caustic, which has some so-so reviews in the Peel Sessions box-set booklet, but Grotesque - another one that I like quite a lot).

yeah, i think the sound wasn't quite there yet, it's a good album and some really great tracks there (frightened is probably my fave) but the albums they did after that are even better. there's a remastered 2CD edition which has lot of the early singles included and that's well worth getting, but this is maybe not the best place to start.

yes, would not say it is a good place to start and i have to say it is not my favourite fall album (i guess if i had to pick a favourite it would be among 'hex enduction hour', 'perverted by language', 'grotesque'... or also 'slates', or another one i forgot), but i definitely like it a lot... and probably enjoy it more than 'dragnet', 'bend sinister', 'the wonderful and frightening of..." (which are also great of course, in particular dragnet)...

oh and i have a compilation of the early singles, and everything is amazing on it, it's true.

Yeah various times is my favourite as well, when you get the 2CD reissues theres great artwork too, you get a cool little essay talking about the album, cultural context, the state of the group, that sort of thing.

For those of who who regrettably miss the feast of intellectual entertainment served up by the Manchester TV Chennel, here's The Fall's Hit The North, as recently performed on TV by comedian Frank Sidebottom, David Soul (from 'Starsky and Hutch') and Mark Ryder (ex-Happy Mondays): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiduNJG-Ltk

Mark E Smith was interviewed on BBC Radio 6 tonight, to celebrate his 50th birthday.

If you care to, you can click here. Where it says 'Listen Again to this show', click on 'Monday' and then use the 5 and 15 minute things to bip along to 1 hour 10 minutes. You'll be at the start of the song 'Fall Sound', and the interview is straight after that.

Go go go.

So far, I think Live At The Witch Trials rules. Dragnet is not as good as Witch Trials, but I like it. Really love Psykick Dance Hall! Grotesque (After the Gramme) seems pretty good. I like it better then Dragnet but, not as much as Witch Trials.

Perverted by Language !!!

What's a computer?! Eat y'self fitter!
Up the stairs mister?! Eat y'self fitter!

Do I quote Perverted By Language more than Trout Mask?

"fortress/deer park"

best fall song.

Two hours!
With four left wing kids
I spent time in Nazi Fortress
Much discussion in room C-H-1-O-C-H-11
I did not understand why
I could not accept the fact
that I'd accepted the contract
Much discussion in this institution
Much discussion in boiled beef and carrots
Room C-H-1-O-C-H-2-O-11
It was clear in the window eye
The brick outlined the blue sky
And I had to go round the gay graduates in the toilets
And Good King Harry was there
Much discussion in room C-H-1-O-C-H-2-O-11
Much discussion in room C-H-1-O-C-H-2-O-11


I took a walk down West 11
I had to wade through 500 European punks
At an off-license I rubbed up with some oiks
Who threw some change on the Asian counter
And asked polite if they could have two lagers
A hospital discharge asked me where he could crash
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
It's a large type artist ranch
This is where C Wilson wrote Ritual in the Dark
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
Spare a thought for the sleeping promo dept.
They haven't had an idea in two years
Dollars and deutchmarks keep the company on its feet
Say have you ever have a chance to meet
Fat Captain Beefheart imitators with zits?
Who is the King Shag Corpse?
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
It's a large type minstrel ranch
This is where C Wilson wrote Ritual in the Dark
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
The young blackies get screwed up the worst
They've gone over to the Hampstead house suss
An English system they implicitly trust
See the A&R civil servants
They get a sex thrill out of a sixteenth of Moroccan
They get a sex thrill out of a sixteenth of Moroccan
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
It's a large type artist ranch
This is where C Wilson wrote Ritual in the Dark
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
Yes the traffic hasn't changed that much
There's still a subculture I feel adrift of
Yes the traffic hasn't changed that much
There's still a subculture I feel adrift of
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
It's a large type minstrel ranch
This is where C Wilson wrote Ritual in the Dark
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
It's a large type minstrel ranch
This is where loads of punks congregate in the dark
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
It's a large type minstrel ranch
This is where C Wilson wrote Ritual in the Dark
Have you been to the English Deer Park?
Hey tourist it wasn't quite like what you thought
Hey Manchester group what wasn't what you thought
Hey Scottish group that wasn't quite like what you thought
Hey Manchester group that wasn't what you thought
Hey Scottish group that wasn't quite like what you thought
Quite like what you thought
Hey Midlands, scooped yer, how d'you ever get the job?
Hey Manchester group from it wasn't quite like what you thought
Quite like what you thought
Guess what
Guess guess guess
Guess what



I also like how "english deer park" occassionally (intentionally?) sounds like "english death trap"...

the fall>your favorite band

I wish that people would shut up about The Fall. They're a great band and all that, yet they inspire people to write and talk a lot of boring shit about them.

plus, glice will back me up here, they've been getting worse and worse since marc riley left.

I don't know anyone in real life who talks about the fall, and I've never read their name in a magazine, never saw one of their videos on tv, etc. It's way different in England, of course... hell, a lot of their albums don't even have distribution over here.

I was specifically talking about the UK. It's not as bad as all the fucking talk about The Smiths. Everyone in England has an opinion about Morrisey, everyone. It's suffocating.

since john peel died mark e smith has suddenly become this saint, as far as the british media is concerned

my opinion on morrisey = i wish he'd never been born

Yeah... I only think a couple of people I know love the smiths.

Oh, and for the record I'm not one of them.

I love louder than bombs and uh... that's it.