#craig scanlon

[spilladabalia]

30 day band challenge, Day 22. Your favourite picture of your favourite band.

The Fall

[musickickztoo]

Craig Scanlon  *December 7, 1960

[theaskew]

Lyrics

Couldn't get ahead I just couldn't get ahead

Come out of pub, the shop is closed Come out of pub, Harry wants to know When the next bus is I said five or ten minutes I had my change in my hands The bus flashes past. My hands are caught

Couldn't get ahead. I just couldn't get ahead. In a week, earned money for month Got all my jobs done My eyelids were sick of it Gist was I could sleep for a day? But bad bills have no respect for a decent man's rest Flopping on the doorstep Outlined in color red

Couldn't get ahead. Just couldn't get ahead. On an Asiatic plane with wings not of the grain Toilet queue was endless Couldn't get a beer The hostesses were muslims When I get in toilet, Light flashes: "Return to seat." I feared withdrawal And I feared beer was making sludge of my head.

Couldn't get ahead. Just couldn't get ahead. Now my problems are solved It's a remedy of old I pretend I'm blind you see Put on some Armani clothes And act like ET Where I'm at is a cabbage patch, no longer strewn with weeds Have a Gandhi at me Colour mags wish me well No more, no get ahead.

Couldn't get ahead. Just couldn't get ahead.

Songwriters: Brix E. Smith / Mark E. Smith L.A. lyrics © BMG Rights Management US, LLC

[helmstone]

Riot Women — cast details for new Sally Wainwright punk rock drama

Riot Women — cast details for new Sally Wainwright punk rock drama

The BBC has revealed Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, and Amelia Bullmore will lead the cast in new Sally Wainwright drama Riot Women. The series is currently filming in West Yorkshire. In Riot Women, we dive headfirst into the world of five women who, along with two riotous backing singers, come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a…

[wonderatmywoman]

I'm sorry, I like Angela Rippon as a person and I get that she's 79 and doing strictly and doing it pretty well is a big thing BUT there is absolutely no way that Charleston was as good as Angela Scanlon's Paso or better than Krishnan's Viennese.

There was a clear and obvious mistake but she gets a 9 from Craig??? Usually I find his scoring pretty consistent but that is honestly just wrong. This also should have been her fastest and most energetic dance and it just wasn't (which is another issue, that she's had all slow ballroom).

I think they're basing everything on her age and status and not on her dancing

While I was writing this they were judging Nigel and pointing out his mistakes (out of time twice that Craig said) but he hasn't got 8s and 9s

[venusfromoccupiedeurope]

Falltober Day 3: Grotesque (1980)

Wanting to distance The Fall from the Post-Punk label because he didn’t like being grouped with bands like The Pop Group, MES coined the term “Country 'n' Northern” to describe The Fall as a band. On the back cover of the record, there’s a manually typed paragraph saying something about how “C 'n' N” music was born. During 1980, the band had a country/rockabilly edge, although I wouldn’t say they were close to Country Rock. Who knows what northern has to do with it outside of The Fall being from Manchester. Maybe MES putting his northern pride on full display.

This is a more "mature" progression of Dragnet. It sounds like the idea of having at least some production has returned. The group became tighter rhythmically as Paul Hanley, bassist Steve Hanley's younger brother, was put on drums. Instead of horror stories, the themes on the album focus more on the political and cultural aspect of Northern England. Half of the songs would fit perfectly to wandering around an industrial city.

This is my favorite line-up of The Fall. I'm sure that's a widely accepted opinion. Mark E. Smith (Vocals), Marc Riley (Guitar, Keyboards), Craig Scanlon (Guitar), Steve Hanley (Bass), and Paul Hanley (Drums). This lineup lasted until late 1981 when they added Live at the Witch Trials drummer, Karl Burns back in, giving The Fall two drummers. MES has even admitted that the band he has with him is a force to be reckoned with.

Side A of this record is incredible. Right off the bat, it throws you off guard with its jaunty guitar riff and MES yelling the song's title. "Pay Your Rates" was the first song by The Fall that I loved. 2 and a half-years before I really started to dive into their music. It's more manic than anything they have made before. It's incredibly out of tune. It's wonderful. "New Face in Hell" showcases MES's storytelling ability. He "sings" about two friends who stumble upon a government conspiracy. One gets poisoned by government agents and the other gets framed for it. "C'n'C-S Mithering" consists of the same musical phrase repeated for 7 minutes while MES complains about people complaining. That song is full of amusing lines. "Container Drivers" is a fun mutant rockabilly song.

Side B starts off really strong with "The Impression of J. Temperance". Again, MES proves himself to be a great storyteller. You know those little things in music that just elevate the music even more? Steve plays a bassline near the end of the song that contrasts what he has played for all of the track before. It adds to the intensity that has built up through the song. "The NWRA" is an epic song. Crazy how a song with only one chord can be something so gargantuan. I would also like to mention the non-album single that was released around this time, "Totally Wired". That's The Fall's most popular track, and for very good reason. Even though MES wanted to be distant from post-punk, that song is an essential song to the genre.

All-in-all, this is my favorite album by The Fall. It usually has been since I first listened to it even though I didn't listen to the group all too often. 9.6/10

Falltober Day 3 Bonus: Slates (1981)

Even though it's an EP, you can't talk about The Fall's discography without Slates. A 10" EP that was too long to be a single but too short to be an album. Just about any fan of the group will include Slates when talking about their discography. As a matter of fact, it's an ideal starting point when getting into the group. In my heart, it's just as much of a Fall album like all the others. I just couldn't give its own day since The Fall have 31 albums. Otherwise, this would be Falltober Day 4.

Placed within the timeline of The Fall’s discography, it appears to be somewhat of a transition (even though there’s no lineup change for once). It’s in between the whimsical, yet demented country, rockabilly punk of Grotesque and the towering noise rock of Hex Enduction Hour, and the aspects of both albums show themselves clear. I mean, it almost seems like MES forgot he even coined the term "C'n'N" just a record earlier.

A lot of the album sounds fresh. I mean, a lot of early Fall material has aged well, but there are points in Slates where it doesn't sound out of place from the weird post-punk that's being released today. To be fair, I'm sure a lot of the post-brexit windmill groups have ingested The Fall at one point or another.

"Middle Mass" has a claustrophobic feeling to it. The keyboards that buzz throughout the first half of the track almost sound like sirens you'd hear while being hunted down by government vehicles. "An Older Lover etc." sounds maniacal. The way everything is played and the intensity when MES snarls "Doctor Annabell Lies" is unnerving. "Prole Art Threat" is peak noisy Art Punk. The drums sound like train chugging along while the guitars drone and Steve Hanley does magic on the bass. In the back cover of the EP, it's supposed to be set up like a spy thriller, and that is the vibe this song has. "Fit and Working Again" is a fun track. It seems to be break from the overwhelming intensity of Side A. "Slags, Slates Etc." somehow makes the same two-chords over 7 minutes feel like no time at all. It ramps up the intensity again. "Leave the Capitol" is my favorite song by The Fall. Why this version is NOT ON STREAMING MADDENS ME, but it's ok. The fact that this song exists is great.

Honestly, this is peak Fall. 10/10 Brief comments on other Fall albums. < Day 2: Dragnet (1979)

[qudachuk]

Carlos Gu sent a defiant message to Craig Revel Horwood after his verdict left the Strictly Come Dancing professional and Angela Scanlon just shy of a perfect score.

[dealgemeneverwarring]

De Algemene Verwarring #100 - 30 October 2023

The hundredth episode of De Algemene Verwarring was broadcast on Monday, October 30, 2023, and you can listen to it by clicking on the link below that will take you directly to the Mixcloud page:

Pictured below is The Fall and I can't think of a better band to be featured in the hundredth (pronounce thàt) episode of De Algemene Verwarring (well, there is one other band). Anyway, here they are in their 1988 line-up, the line-up that recorded the albums The Frenz Experiment and I Am Kurious Oranj, with Brix, Marcia Schofield, Craig Scanlon, Steve Hanley and Simon Wolstencroft. The Frenz Experiment is, I think, a rather under-estimated album by the band, at least it's not mentioned that much when people talk about the best Fall albums. However it features one of their biggest hits, the cover of The Kinks' "Victoria", but that is not even the best song on the album, it has also "Hit The North", "Carry Bag Man", "Oswald Defence Lawyer" and "Bremen Nacht" and those are all classics in my ears. I got first acquainted with The Fall thanks to the Kortrijk library, where in those mid-to-late eighties I picked up copies of Perverted By Language and This Nation's Saving Grace (PBL still being my all time favorite Fall record). In general, the Kortrijk library had an excellent selection of vinyls in those days, I owe a great deal of my musical memories to them. In the nineties I kind of lost connection with The Fall, it was the period that they incorporated more electronics into their music which didn't appeal that much to me and in all honesty, in the nineties I was more of a hipster indie boy listening to Sebadoh and Palace Brothers. I came back to the band in the noughties when they released excellent albums such as Fall Heads Roll and Imperial Wax Solvent, and finally got to see them live in Porto, of al places. Anyway, The Fall, probably the best band in the world, had a great influence on my musical taste, I still got lots of love for repetitive music (be it from Swans or from Lungfish or even Emeralds) and Mark E. Smith is a fookin' legend.

So, episode 100 is filled with 22 cover songs, featuring "Victoria" by The Fall, amongst others. I've added the band who recorded the original version in the playlist. Hope you enjoy it. And thanks for listening 100 times to my "duiding". And beneath the photo you can find the playlist for this show. Enjoy!

Playlist:

New Bomb Turks: I Hate People (Anti Nowhere League) (split 7” with Entombed “Night Of The Vampire/I Hate People” on Earache Records, 1995)

Complications: Stuck In A Cave (Chrome Cranks) (LP “Play Loud… & Pray Lords…” on Screamers Records, 2013)

Killdozer: Unbelievable (EMF) (7” “The Pig Was Cool/Unbelievable”  on Touch & Go Records, 1993)

Cows: You Are So Beautiful (Joe Cocker) (cd “Amphetamine Reptile >>Peel Sessions<<“ on Strange Fruit, 1992)

Sonic Youth: Hot Wire My Heart (Crime) (lp “Sister” on SST Records, 1987)

The Fall: Victoria (The Kinks) (lp “The Frenz Experiment” on Indisc, 1988)

Alaska Y Los Pegamoides: Doctor Spock (Spizzenergi) (lp “Subnormal Girls - DIY Post-Punk - 1979-1984 Volume 3” on Waiting Room Records, 2018)

The Rogers Sisters: Object (The Cure) (cd “Three Fingers”, reissue on Too Pure & Troubleman Unlimited, 2005, originally released in 2004)

The Raincoats: Lola (Kinks) (cd “Rough Trade Shops: Post Punk 01” on Mute Records, 2003)

The Vanishing: A Forest (The Cure) (7” split with Something About Vampires And Sluts “The Shameless Kiss Of Vanity (A Tribute To The Cure Volume 2) on Release The Bats, 2003)

US Girls: Bits + Pieces (The Dave Clark Five) (LP V/A “The Statement” on Clan Destine Records, 2012)

Rowland S. Howard: White Wedding (Billy idol) (lp “Teenage Snuff Film” on Mute Records, reissue 2020, originally released in 1999 on Reliant Records)

Skin: Black Eyed Dog (Nick Drake) (LP “Ten Songs For Another World” on Young God Records, 1990)

Einstürzende Neubauten: Sand (Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra) (2LP “Strategies Against Architecture II” on Potomac & Reihe EGO, 1991)

Roy Montgomery: Superstar (The Carpenters) (LP “That Best Forgotten Work” on Grapefruit Records, 2021)

Carla Dal Forno: Blue Morning (The Kiwi Animal) (LP V/A “A Short Illness From Which He Never Recovered” on Blackest Ever Black, 2019)

De Portables: No Bones (Dinosaur Jr) (LP “It’s Time To Leave This World Behind” on Almost Halloween Time Records, 2012)

Sebadoh: Riding (Palace Brothers) (CD EP “Beauty Of The Ride” on Domino, 1996)

This Mortal Coil: Fond Affections (Rema-Rema) (cd “It’ll End In Tears” on 4AD, 1984)

Thomas Bush: Private Dancer (Tina Turner, geschreven door Mark Knopfler) (2LP V/A “Labyrinth Of Memories” on Kashual Plastik, 2021)

Neutral: Japanese Superheroes (Le Forte Four) (7” “Neutral” on I Dischi Del Barone, 2017)

Chromatics: Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush) (cd “Night Drive” on Italians Do It Better, 2007)

[kurtlukiraz]

Strictly Come Dancing 2023'ün 3. haftasındaki tüm önemli anlar ve önemli anlar için yukarıdaki yakalama videomuza göz atın.Gecenin açılışı, Batman'den ilham alan rutiniyle jüriyi etkileyen EastEnders yıldızı Nigel Harman tarafından açıldı, ancak Craig "daha sert" tekmeler ve hareketler istiyordu ve Motsi bunun "biraz gevşek" olduğunu söyledi.İzleyiciler, kesinlikle profesyonel olan Amy Dowden'ın kanser teşhisinden bu yana canlı gösterilere ilk kez geri döndüğünü görmekten heyecan duydular ve rol arkadaşlarının gösterinin oylama şartlarını ve koşullarını danslar arasında okuması şaşırtıcı oldu.Amy'nin dönüşünü, The Sound of Music'ten Do-Re-Mi'ye Hızlı Adım'ı üstlenen Angela Rippon ve Kai Widdrington'ın rutini izledi.Ama Angela Scanlon, Damn Yankees müzikalinden bir şarkıyla kendisi ve Carlos Gu'nun Charleston'ı adına etkileyici bir 35 puan toplayarak Strictly Come Dancing liderlik tablosunun zirvesine yükseldi.Anton Du Beke, Film Haftası performansını "harika" ve "büyülü" olarak nitelendirerek onlara şunları söyledi: "Size şunu söylemeliyim. Bu, tüm seride şimdiye kadar gördüğüm en iyi sayı."Angela Scanlon.Akşamın ilerleyen saatlerinde Shirley Ballas, 21. sezonun ilk 10'unu, Men in Black'den ilham alan göz kamaştırıcı performanslarının ardından komedyen Eddie Kadi ve profesyonel ortağı Karen Hauer'e verdi.Ancak Eddie ve Karen sezonun ilk 10'unu kazanırken, diğer üç jüri üyesi tarafından 8'lerle ödüllendirildiler ve bu da onları liderlik tablosunda Angela ve Carlos'un ardından ikinci sıraya yerleştirdi.Bilgilerinizi girerek şunları kabul etmiş olursunuz: Şartlar ve koşullar Ve Gizlilik Politikası. Aboneliğinizi istediğiniz zaman iptal edebilirsiniz.Diğer güçlü skorlar 32 puanla Bobby Brazier ve Diane Buswell'den gelirken, Ellie Leach ve Vito Coppola 33 gibi etkileyici bir skor elde etti.Haber spikeri Krishnan Gury-Murthy daha sonra geceyi Charleston Kabaresi ile 30 puanla kapattı.Devamını oku:Tüm rutinlerin ardından izleyicilerin en sevdikleri ünlüleri kurtarmak için oy kullanma şansı elde etmesiyle halk oylaması açıldı.En az oyu alan iki yarışmacı kendilerini korkunç bir dans gösterisinin içinde bulacak, ardından jüri üyeleri kimi kurtarmak istediklerine ve kimi eve göndermek istediklerine karar verme yetkisine sahip olacak.Strictly Come Dancing, 14 Ekim 2023 Cumartesi günü saat 18:30'da BBC One'da devam ediyor. Neler olduğunu öğrenmek için Eğlence haberlerimize göz atın veya TV Rehberimizi ve Yayın Rehberimizi ziyaret edin.Radio Times dergisini bugün deneyin ve yalnızca 10 £ karşılığında 10 sayıya sahip olun, AYRICA evinize teslim edilen 10 £ John Lewis and Partners kuponu da alın - hemen abone olun. TV'nin en büyük yıldızlarından daha fazlası için The Radio Times Podcast'ini dinleyin.

[spilladabalia]

The Fall - The Knight the Devil and Death

[gundemburadadedim]

Strictly Come Dancing 2023'ün 3. haftasındaki tüm önemli anlar ve önemli anlar için yukarıdaki yakalama videomuza göz atın.Gecenin açılışı, Batman'den ilham alan rutiniyle jüriyi etkileyen EastEnders yıldızı Nigel Harman tarafından açıldı, ancak Craig "daha sert" tekmeler ve hareketler istiyordu ve Motsi bunun "biraz gevşek" olduğunu söyledi.İzleyiciler, kesinlikle profesyonel olan Amy Dowden'ın kanser teşhisinden bu yana canlı gösterilere ilk kez geri döndüğünü görmekten heyecan duydular ve rol arkadaşlarının gösterinin oylama şartlarını ve koşullarını danslar arasında okuması şaşırtıcı oldu.Amy'nin dönüşünü, The Sound of Music'ten Do-Re-Mi'ye Hızlı Adım'ı üstlenen Angela Rippon ve Kai Widdrington'ın rutini izledi.Ama Angela Scanlon, Damn Yankees müzikalinden bir şarkıyla kendisi ve Carlos Gu'nun Charleston'ı adına etkileyici bir 35 puan toplayarak Strictly Come Dancing liderlik tablosunun zirvesine yükseldi.Anton Du Beke, Film Haftası performansını "harika" ve "büyülü" olarak nitelendirerek onlara şunları söyledi: "Size şunu söylemeliyim. Bu, tüm seride şimdiye kadar gördüğüm en iyi sayı."Angela Scanlon.Akşamın ilerleyen saatlerinde Shirley Ballas, 21. sezonun ilk 10'unu, Men in Black'den ilham alan göz kamaştırıcı performanslarının ardından komedyen Eddie Kadi ve profesyonel ortağı Karen Hauer'e verdi.Ancak Eddie ve Karen sezonun ilk 10'unu kazanırken, diğer üç jüri üyesi tarafından 8'lerle ödüllendirildiler ve bu da onları liderlik tablosunda Angela ve Carlos'un ardından ikinci sıraya yerleştirdi.Bilgilerinizi girerek şunları kabul etmiş olursunuz: Şartlar ve koşullar Ve Gizlilik Politikası. Aboneliğinizi istediğiniz zaman iptal edebilirsiniz.Diğer güçlü skorlar 32 puanla Bobby Brazier ve Diane Buswell'den gelirken, Ellie Leach ve Vito Coppola 33 gibi etkileyici bir skor elde etti.Haber spikeri Krishnan Gury-Murthy daha sonra geceyi Charleston Kabaresi ile 30 puanla kapattı.Devamını oku:Tüm rutinlerin ardından izleyicilerin en sevdikleri ünlüleri kurtarmak için oy kullanma şansı elde etmesiyle halk oylaması açıldı.En az oyu alan iki yarışmacı kendilerini korkunç bir dans gösterisinin içinde bulacak, ardından jüri üyeleri kimi kurtarmak istediklerine ve kimi eve göndermek istediklerine karar verme yetkisine sahip olacak.Strictly Come Dancing, 14 Ekim 2023 Cumartesi günü saat 18:30'da BBC One'da devam ediyor. Neler olduğunu öğrenmek için Eğlence haberlerimize göz atın veya TV Rehberimizi ve Yayın Rehberimizi ziyaret edin.Radio Times dergisini bugün deneyin ve yalnızca 10 £ karşılığında 10 sayıya sahip olun, AYRICA evinize teslim edilen 10 £ John Lewis and Partners kuponu da alın - hemen abone olun. TV'nin en büyük yıldızlarından daha fazlası için The Radio Times Podcast'ini dinleyin.

[odk-2]

The Fall - Totally Wired (1980) Mark E. Smith / Marc Riley / Craig Scanlon / Paul Hanley from: "Totally Wired" / "Putta Block" (Single) "The Fall: Totally Wired, The Rough Trade Anthology" (2002 Castle Records Compilation)

Post-Punk

JukehostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: Mark E Smith: Vocals Marc Riley: Guitar Craig Scanlon: Guitar Steve Hanley: Bass Paul Hanley: Drums

John Brierley: Engineer John Brierley: Studio Founder/Owner Produced by John Brierley / Kay Carroll

Recorded: @ Cargo Studios in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England UK during July of 1980

Released: in September of 1980

Rough Trade Records

[musickickztoo]

The Fall - November 1980

Steve Hanley, Marc Riley, Mark E. Smith, Paul Hanley & Craig Scanlon

[hippriestess]

Part 2: Cherry-picking

Cherry Red had been releasing The Fall's new music since 2011's “Ersatz GB” and we already knew that Smith had signed a further deal with them to look after what portion of the group's catalogue he owned. They had already made a start with the handsome seven disc “Singles 1978 - 2016” box set they had released late in 2017 (alongside a cut-down three disc “A Sides” collection). The set had originally been scheduled for release in 2016 but the production deadline for the all-important Christmas market was missed and the set was held back until after “New Facts Emerge” - from which no singles were taken - had been released. Following Smith's passing, the seven-disc edition sold out and was unavailable for a short time before Cherry Red did the decent thing and made a few more.

A reissue of  1997's “Levitate” had been in the works for a while; Smith had signed off the tracklisting and there had been a trailer of sorts with a Record Store Day-only 7” of “Masquerade” in 2017. Given that the album had been in contractual limbo for quite some time with original vinyl copies fetching 3 figures on the open market, Cherry Red's first posthumous release felt like a public service,  doing the right thing both by Smith and by the fans. Released towards the end of May 2018, the new 2CD/3LP edition was justly well received and some kindly reviews appeared with mostly positive re-evaluations of one of their most awkward albums. Hindsight benefits the record; if it sounds like they were falling to bits, it's because they were and now that we know not just what happened next but how the whole story of The Fall continued for another 20 years, it has context. For the record (Portugal), yr present author is no more fond of the album than she was 7 or 8 years ago but “Ol' Gang” has clicked into focus and the second disc puts those great b-sides from the “Masquerade” CD singles back onto the shelves so it would have to be considered necessary.

Less impressive was “58 Golden Greats”, released at the end of 2018. A 3CD set in a clamshell box, this was, in essence, an extended version of the classic “50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong” collection from 2004, extending the tracklist to cover the remainder(er) of the group's career. It actually expands on the original in other ways, adding several songs from the era covered in the original version; the puzzling omission of “Big New Prinz” is corrected for one thing and other singles are added such as  “Oh! Brother” and “Dead Beat Descendent”. Perhaps Beggars Banquet were more co-operative this time. Whilst one could always quibble with any attempt at a Fall “best of”, yr present author was not taken with this one and my purse remained closed. 58 was an unwieldy number (why not a round 60?), the cover artwork – a spoof of a different Elvis Presley sleeve – was far from appealing and the entry-point value of “50,000...” was lost, a 3 disc set at £17 being too big a serving at too high a price for the merely curious. However, it looks as if I'm just flat-out in the wrong. As we'll continually see, Cherry Red aren't just experienced, they are also smart and do not lack savvy. I'm sat here keyboard-griping while “58 Golden Greats” is sold out. Enough said.

In 2019, Cherry Red announced the beginning of the Fall Sound Archive, the title of which gave the air of a mission to preserve The Fall's work for future generations. Inevitably, they were starting with 40th Anniversary editions of “Live At The Witch Trials” and “Dragnet”. There was early disappointment. The 3CD edition of “Live At The Witch Trials” contained the exact same music as the 2CD edition from 2004 but spread over three discs. Any thoughts that the decision at least preserved the sanctity of the original 11 song album were hampered by the 3CD edition of “Dragnet” containing, as disc 1, the exact same running order – with single and outtakes – as the 2004 CD edition. The other two discs were 2 of the little-loved “Live From The Vaults” series (of which, more later, sort of..). The archive was perhaps, not so deep.

However, the plus points were the vinyl editions, which had been hatched with obvious care. Using the rare US edition of “LATWT” with an alternate sleeve and revised running order was a clever touch and one that acknowledged that the Fall's audience would need something more than just a nice colour of vinyl before they indulged the album yet again. Similarly, “Dragnet” came with a reproduction 7” of “Rowche Rumble”, a record which originally came with the thinnest paper sleeve in the history of music. That's not to say that we didn't get coloured vinyl, oh we did - “LATWT” came of red vinyl to match the US sleeve and “Dragnet” on black and white “splatter” vinyl. These both sold well, sold quickly and sold out, now being tricky to score except on the Discogs etc market. But perhaps more to the point, they suggested that Cherry Red's experience and nouse would, at minimum, keep things interesting.

Later in 2019, the Kamera catalogue came under Cherry Red's microscope and it was another mixed set of releases. For CD buyers, a 6 disc set called “(1982)” was developed. This contained “Hex Enduction Hour”, “Room To Live” “Fall In A Hole” various single and live tracks and the “Live To Air In Melbourne” album which had previously snuck out in the late 90's when MES was broke. There was no new music to be had here at all – everything had previously been released. As such £40 was too rich a price tag for many and the edition is still easily available. The new vinyl edition of “Hex” was well particularly well presented. For the first time, the 60 minute LP was cut onto 4 sides of vinyl – a long overdue move, this did the album real justice on the format and would have to be considered an essential for those who insist on twelve-inch slabs of wax for their music. A pleasing, sturdy fold-out sleeve showed that corners were not being cut, the vinyl again matched the colour scheme of the artwork and it also came with an excellent reproduction of the sterling “Look, Know/I'm Into C.B.” 45. What spoiled it a little bit was the inclusion of a third LP with Peel Session #5 on one side and some of the live tracks from the 2005 Sanctuary 2CD on the other. All this really did was drive up the price – a double LP with the 7” would have been perfect and would have been less heavy on the purse *NB – this didn't stop me buying it – that's my copy in the picture...). “Room To Live” was given a vinyl reissue too, this time as a double LP with sides 3 and 4 being the live tracks from the 2005 Sanctuary edition. Again, this didn't quite feel like the right choice – an alternative idea would have been a single LP with a 7”. Given that the classic “Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul/Fantastic Life” single had been added to the popular, widely owned German pressing, why not add a repro of that instead? It would have cost less and added more value to the package.

Despite these whinges “(1982)” would have to be considered an elegant, practical solution to a latter-day problem and demonstrates why Cherry Red remain a market leader in catalogue reissues. Can you really sell compact discs of these albums yet again? How else do you present the music in this format? The answer to parcel the whole lot together and present it as a “year-in-the-life” was a smart one that was only hampered by an optimistic £40 price tag (which translated to as much as £58 in stores) and the artwork being based on “Hex” which could have given a more casual customer the notion that the set was Hex and 5 discs of “other” material. The bottom line here is that there is nothing else in the cupboard; as with the IAKO ballet and the Hey! Luciani play, fantasies about things like the unedited “Winter” and the full 20+ minute “And This Day” ever appearing are exactly that – fantasies. Were they ever preserved, they're gone and anything that did turn up, almost 40 years hence would likely be in such a state of degeneration as to be unlistenable. From now on, all that can be done is to keep this material out there and try to present it with a fresh angle. That's precisely what Cherry Red have done here.

Come 2020, come the challenge of reselling what is not just one of the most widely-distributed but also one of the worst Fall albums: “Reformation Post TLC”. Cherry Red stuck to type with a double LP pressed into blue and red coloured vinyl, again matching the colour to the sleeve. Undoubtedly a handsome package, this version was snapped up with some enthusiasm although it does seem that sales were likely harmed by coinciding with the early, uncertain, often panic-stricken days of the Covid-19 pandemic reaching the UK. The 4CD edition was daunting: the whole album and 2 CDs worth of outtakes and rough mixes, followed by the “Last Night At The Palais” CD. The “Last Night At The Palais” DVD was not included. Time has passed, time has healed and it is clear that RPTLC is a terrific EP stretched out beyond the energy of the participants. There is even a strong 40 minute single LP to be had within its contents but, hey it was what it was. With almost all of the unreleased mixes having no vocals, interest wears off before we got to the excellent live disc but, on the other paw, Cherry Red have done exactly what we want; it is highly unlikely that there is anything left from the album sessions; this is the whole lot, every scrap. Up to us now what we do with them.

****************************

Now, if you're thinking I've skipped something, you're right but the story of The Fall's posthumous discography is difficult to tell in a linear fashion. So I invite you, friends, to join me in a diversion. Cast your minds back to Record Store Day 2019.  

Cherry Red played a good hand by releasing a new vinyl edition of the superb “Imperial Wax Solvent” album. As with “Levitate”, vinyl copies were going for silly money, Universal having allegedly pressed a mere 500 for the world. It was a shame that Cherry Red therefore added only another 500 copies, this time pressed into yellow vinyl. These were almost entirely snapped up on the day and copies of this edition are routinely offered at £50-60.  “IWS” had, of course, been out of print since 2008, having been deleted less than 6 months after its release. As such the RSD edition of  “IWS” could be said to have undersold the record somewhat. Unless, of course, a properly “available” edition, maybe with that unreleased original mix of the album was to follow at some point...more on that later.

Sadly, we must also wade through the other Fall releases that were curled out for RSD 2019. That will take us into Part 3...

[theelaggers]

The Fall