Mark E. Smith - "The Post-Nearly Man" - how is it?

this is fucking awesome, inspirational stuff. it's more resonance fm than the fall, and probably belongs on ILE as much as ILM, but as a statement of audio poetics it is joyous, liberated, challenging, and utterly listenable. it takes a genius to release anything with this level of single-minded open-mindedness.

Are you a fan of the rest of The Fall's catalogue? "PNM" felt like MES took some old backing tracks, went down the pub and got hammered, then came back and babbled on top of them.
(And before anyone else says it, yes, there's stuff on every Fall album that probably was created that way)

The Fall have in 2009 gone from a band I didn't really care about to probably my all-time top 5 bands. They are the single most important musical discovery of this year for me. PNM does feel a bit like that, BUT a) there's a loose and utterly bizarre narrative to the piece and b) his mates have joined in, which makes it not an insane solo ramble but a sort of communion. Different qualities in the recording. Different tape-hisses. Moderninity. Awesome.

Well then, I heartily applaud your discovery and, boy, are you in for repeated moments of "THIS IS THE BEST SONG EVER" as you plow through the back catalogue. And the cool thing about The Fall is - the songs that flip your wig might be an entirely different subset than the ones that flip my wig.

Current top 10:

1) 4 1/2 Inch (one of the best songs ever by anyone)
2) Hurricane Edward
3) The Crying Marshall
4) Hip Priest
5) The Birmingham School of Business School
6) Octo Realm/Ketamine Sun
7) Paintwork
8) Eat Y'self Fitter
9) Tempo House
10) Midwatch 1953

oh go on then

11) Gross Chapel - British Grenadiers

Number 8 I hated until two days ago, when it came onto my iPod Shuffle and blew my little head to smithereens. Charmed to meet ya.

You should see the video!

fucking amazing

my list, rearranged into an album:

1) The Birmingham School Of Business School
2) Octo Realm/Ketamine Sun
3) Hurricane Edward
4) Gross Chapel - British Grenadiers
5) 4 1/2 Inch
6) Hip Priest
7) Eat Y'Self Fitter
8) The Crying Marshall
9) Tempo House
10) Midwatch 1953
11) Paintwork

^^^if this album was released like this it would be my favourite album ever, no questions asked (probably)

LJ have you encountered any of the versions of Spectre Vs. Rector yet? (studio is on Dragnet, live versions on several releases).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37LgjcfVJjA

^^^yeah, I saw that earlier (my 'fucking amazing' was in reference to it!), but it needs to be posted here

Am about to be all on this Spectre vs Rector...

CENTIMETER SQUARE
SAID IT PURGED FEAR

The studio version is one of the lowest-fi Fall recordings, awesomely so.

(spectre that is)

this is music summoned from some deeper realm, as played by dybbuks

Dragnet is a thing of beauty and Spectre v Rector is one of the highlights. This weather is perfect for A Figure Walks as well - the hypnotic drums and spindly guitar at the end are just amazing.

'The old golden savages
Killed their philosophers.
Thought brought the drought about
Something followed me OUT'

Dragnet = black metal Fall

dragnet = most lovecraftian fall

The great thing about The Fall is the black metal Fall is insanely good but then twenty years later techno-garage-Julia-NAGL-powered-Fall was just as good (and probably my own personal favourite edition, by a hair)

A Figure Walks is suitably doomsome (and, shit, he was younger than ME when he made this! Fucking insane! How can you comprehend human darkness like that?). I think my next task, however, is to identify the greatest moment in the EY'SF video.

Think Dragnet's my favourite Fall album nowadays. Big darkness & pure quick gag joy, viz a) "...that joke's pathetic" b) "end up emptying ashtrays"

contenders are: MES v-sign, pink liquid being poured, bugs on face, dude playing with mini-piano as MES yells 'GOHOHO9O', MES dancing (especially the 'Panic' bit), Brix spending final 30 seconds of video making me wish I was married to her instead

not gonna choose. oh ok. it's the MES dance. obv.

1) The Birmingham School Of Business School
2) Octo Realm/Ketamine Sun
3) Hurricane Edward
4) Gross Chapel - British Grenadiers
5) 4 1/2 Inch
6) Hip Priest
7) Eat Y'Self Fitter
8) The Crying Marshall
9) Tempo House
10) Midwatch 1953
11) Paintwork

I can't argue with anything but "Midwatch 1953" - ?? That's a surprise.

My list changes with the wind but just off the top of my head:
1) Ludd Gang
2) Spector Vs Rector (from "Live In London - The Chaos Tapes")
3) Life Just Bounces (9 minute live version from "In The City")
4) Masquerade
5) Hey Student
6) The Man Whose Head Expanded (Peel session)
7) Blindness (Peel session)
8) Dr. Buck's Letter
9) R.O.D.
10) New Puritan (Peel session)

That's my hypothetical compilation tracklisting, just to be sure! The actual qualitative ordering is above it. I love Midwatch 1953 like I love any brilliantly-executed out-of-control rambling all-over-the-place clusterfuck. IMO it is better than Dr. Buck's Letter, which is I know a big call and they're both fantastic, but it's the one I prefer.

I like Midwatch as well - the nocturnal geiger counter threat, with rhythms syncing in and out, briefly coalescing then dividing, those wheezy uncertain string synths hinting at a delusional approach of dawn.

Or something.

Wasn't it for a short film of some sort?

Not sure! You've pretty accurately described why I love it, although the role of the acoustic guitar can't be understated. Mark Prindle describes it as 'three songs being played at once' and then says it goes on too long. He's kinda right about the first bit, wrong wrong wrong about the second. There's some really sweet narrative method amidst the madness.

Song very unlucky to miss out on my list: Riddler! Love that one.

I've remembered what it was now - The Caterer/Das Katerer was written for a short film about a nuclear power station where MES played a caterer - I think the film had some reference to Midwatch or something, maybe even called that, but not having seen it (unfortunately) it's difficult to say. I may just be getting confused because of the geiger counter effects.

Absolutely agree about the narrative stuff. He stopped writing the wonderful stories about Frenz time, but implied and fractured narratives have carried on I think throughout his songs (Hurricane Edward is a good example, as is Spinetrak).

Tempo House is awesome. The first Fall song I heard Peel play on the radio. Still a favourite to this day.

Have to see that short film! Tempo House didn't reach me at first (it and EY'SF were probably the tracks I liked least off PBL), but it's since revealed itself as the monolithic dirge it is. Dirge in the best possible sense, obv.

LJ, have you got the Peel sessions box set? If not, go out and buy it NOW!

Oh yeah, that's a given.

No and fine ok cool...actually it could be my Xmas present! Will raise it with the folks.

"You want a full peel session whut now?"

Yes, killer version of Eat Y'Self Fitter in the sessions. God that is a good session (joint 2nd, well deserved, strong field).

Version of Who Makes the Nazis from the box set also slays.

Peel Sessions Box absolutely indispensable.

ORDERED, arrives early Jan

Cheers!

best xmas present ever, probably

Guys you are reminding me that I don't have the Peel box and I don't have The Post-Nearly Man and that I am unemployed http://www.science.uva.nl/~mes/icons/finger.middle.gif

Though seeing someone newly enthralled by The Fall warms the heart so call it a trade off. Also thank you for this sentence!:

How can you comprehend human darkness like that?