Customer Reviews

Real New Fall Lp Formerly Country on the Click

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Such is the proliferation of Fall product flooding the market that this album title was needed to guide the confused Fall punter. The subtitle is explained by the fact that the tracks were originally recorded between December 2002 and January 2003 and were mixed by Grant Showbiz and Jim Watts in February 2003 for early release as Country On The Click. Promos were sent out and 3 of the new songs were previewed in March on an absolutely sizzling John Peel session, their 23rd for the show.

The release was then delayed after a mix appeared on the internet, causing a put-out Mark E Smith to partially remixe, re-record and re-sequence the album.

The line up of Mark E Smith (vocals), Ben Pritchard (lead guitar, vocal), Jim Watts (bass, guitar, computer, vocal) and Dave Milner (drums, vocal) was augmented by this time with Elenor Poulou (the latest Mrs Smith) on keyboards, and heralded the Fall Mk. 30 (approximately).

I believe this is the first studio album to be recorded since Are You Are Missing Winner (I could be mistaken), but a live album, 2G + 2, appeared in 2002. The material and overall sound seem to be the strongest for some years with Theme From Sparta FC just missing out on becoming the John Peel Festive Fifty No. 1 for 2003 (by one vote apparently), and fade-in album opener Green-eyed Loco Man also voted in to no. 26.

Contraflow conjures up urban M62 hell with a suitably barbed lyric where Mark E counters perversely, "I hate the countryside so much." As always there is an unlikely cover, this time Lee Hazlewood's Houston, and the award for the strangest title goes to Last Commands Of Xyralothep Via M.E.S.

All is right with the world

I've been a huge Fall fan since 1984, have seen them live a number of times, and have most of the albums (I can live without the crappy stuff recorded live on cassette tapes). The last Fall album I really enjoyed was "The Unutterable." I was not thrilled with the line-up on "Are you are missing winner?" When I saw them live last year I noted that the bassist and drummer were very mediocre musicians who could only play well enough to keep up with the music (barely). I'm glad Mark replaced them on this new album. The bass and drums are much better here, the production is better, the songs kick butt! "Mtn. Energie" is one of my new all-time favorite Fall songs. Still, the presence of Stephen Hanley's bass playing continues to be missed. His bass lines and Mark's vocals/lyrics were for me the heart of the band. I wish Mark would find another bass player of that invention and caliber and let her/him take the band to the next stage.

If you're new to the Fall this is a great place to start, along with "Code: Selfish," "Shift-Work," "Bend Sinister," "The Infotainment Scan," "The Wonderful and Frightening World of," "The Light User Syndrome," and "The Unutterable." That's a good start! (I know many Fall fans hate the albums I've just recommended; but loving the Fall takes many forms . . .)

The last dozen or so Fall albums have been pretty mediocre. If you know your rock and you know the Fall and how bloody amazing they have been, you'd have to agree. But this album is great. Truly. It buzzes and divebombs with the best of them, it comes alive, and, with a couple of exceptions, is full of the kind of hooks and slyness you know they're more than capable of when they want to. I don't know who is in/out in the band and i don't care, i just want them to rock and tease and insult and kick and this thing scores on all counts.

It seems like every four or so years and just about the time you're ready to give up on Mr. Smith and whatever merry band he's calling the Fall, he manages to unleash a corker that makes you realize anew why the Fall are so great.
Here's the latest Great Fall Lp.
After floundering around for a while with various combos of young snipes who didn't quite seem up to the task of being the Fall, Smith seems to have whipped a few into proper shape. The music has an energy and vitality and vitriol that Mr. Smith hasn't shown in quite a while.
This is one of those absolutely necessary Fall albums.

This is a very strong record by any standards. The Fall have been a prolific, innovative band for a long time and hereon they use some of the same bag of tricks they've used in previous eras (overlapping vocals and words, unapologetically minimal keyboard, primitive rhythms, Mark Smith's wonderfully atonal vocal style) to impressive effect.

Not every track on here is great, but a number of them are. The music bears some resemblance to the type of "garage" or "grunge" that was in vogue in the 90's, but it is better than most of that, and the sound here is largely perfect, full of energy but clean. I think the committed Fall fan will enjoy this, and the rock listener who's never heard of The Fall will enjoy it at least as much.

Ah, The mighty Fall. 30-odd studio albums, coming up on 30 years of existence, simply the most important rock and roll band going. Period.

Now, The Fall have released albums with some sub par numbers scattered about but they have managed to continually rise above the morass of junk that gets marketed to us as music time and again through the years. They have embraced technology and delved into many forms of music whilst always remaining fresh and vital and never sounding like they are simply trying hard to be cool. They have, through all the lineup changes and over all this time, managed to remain completely The Fall. The band is fearless. And Mark E. Smith is possibly the greatest lyricist in rock history.

"The Real New Fall LP (formerly Country on the Click)" Does NOT disappoint. This is a smoking platter through and through. The first 5 tracks are as good as anything they've done. That alone is saying something for a band that started in 1977 or so. The music is sonically uplifting...majestic even. "Green Eyed Loco Man" and "Sparta F.C. #2" are anthemic, charging tracks. Real fist raisers. "Mountain Energei" is a catchy, groovy number that will really get under your skin. "Xralothep" is classic Fall: catch a groove and hang on for dear life. The song gets better the more you listen as the brilliant lyrics are revealed. They even delve into near country with their original cut "Janet vs. Johnny" and do a nice cover of country standard "Houston".

In short, this album is essential Fall. As essential to the Fall's catalog as The Fall themselves are to rock and roll. Do yourself a favor and catch up-- then try to KEEP up with them. Cheers!

I give this 5 stars for substance; not too many rockers are quoting the Society of the Spectacle by the Situationist International (Guy DeBord) but Mark E. Smith is not below that, and it's a great adventure to contemplate what other references are mumbled and shouted...to which we've yet to gain exposure.

Good beats and sage wit; I suspect sometimes that the Fall is just a red herring for a school of philosophy.

Sparta FC is about as good a post punk-like song as you can get and Mountain Energie is great but the rest of the songs are nothing special at least by Fall standards... This is one of those records that I just wanted to like a lot more than I can honestly say that I do and for the first time I found myself feeling like the inconsistent band line-up is the main reason... If I were new to The Fall I'd probably had run out and bought all their stuff after hearing COTC but since I already own all their other stuff this one just doesn't quite measure up.....

How does the old man do it!? I can't stop listening to this CD. It is one of the best Fall cds ever. His voice is better/worse than ever. It's great! If you love The Fall or getting into them or hate them, pick this one up. It's beautiful in a trash can sort of way.

Their strongest album in years. Smith's ability to maintain "the Fall sound" despite notoriously persistent change-over in band personnel is unparalleled in the history of recorded music (with the possible exception of Anton Webern). More importantly, he seems here to've reined in his consumption of alcohol, such that his voice rings out as commandingly as in days of old. Signed, The Fish