"Don't start improvising for Christ's sake": The Slates POLL

every one's perfect, but "an older lover" is a little more perfect than the others

older lover's my 2nd choice; capitol is my first...and i'll bet it wins...

Leave the Capitol, but it could be any of them really.

what's the other record that comes bundled with this on cd? got, i can't wrap my mind around their discography--that's a good topic for a thread, most impenetrable discographies. An Older Lover, btw...I don't know any others

i mean, god, or mein gott,

slates historically bundled with the live album a part of america therein 1981

"slags slates etc"

It's the best use of that two note progression in a rock song ever.

not surprising, but Stereolab's "Freestyle Dumpling" is basically a cover of "Slags Slates etc"

Oh jesus if it hasn't been WAY too long since I pulled this out....

Also, Drugs A. Money, what you said about reconsidering whether this was better than Hex and then someone saying you should sometimes go with your instincts...see I think Hex is great, but it's diluted, whereas Slates is CONCENTRATED. So you have to decide how you want your kool-aid, haha.

Best record the Fall ever put out. Everything perfect. Words. Music. Vocals. Songwriting. Even the production! I might vote for "Prole Art Threat" because I'm not sure that anyone else will.

Yes, a mini masterpiece. Great array of styles, although some may lament the lack of a 'torture' track or anything recorded in a dustbin in salford. I went for Leave the Capitol, because its so unusual for the fall to play that tight and almost funky s, and its lyrical brilliance. But Prole Art Threat and An Older Lover are a close second.

i'm gonna have to check that stereolab song out...not only is slags slates and tapes the definitive rant, it is also the definitive six-minute punk song (though i could be wrong abt that...)

I didnae! I didnae! I didnae! I didnae! I didnae!

The only thing better than the best of the Fall is sex.

Surprised by the lack of love for "Middle Mass" here!

Seriously, though, every song could win this

After 'Slates' The Fall really were out on their own. I love these six tracks as much as I love 'Hex' and am finding it so difficult to choose a favourite. There really isn't a poor second on here, let alone a weak track.

I've always thought that if Room to live had come out as a 6 track 10" like Slates but with "Look Know" instead of "Detective instinct" and "Papal visit" it would be as near to perfect as a sequence of 3 releases could ever be, as it is, Room to Live has the odd weak spot, though even these are better than just about anyone ever.

Er, Slates. Middle Mass and Leave the Capital, the former for some of the greatest lyrics in the English Language, The latter for the sheer funkiness/tightness of the band and the bit where Smith sings "Hotel maids smile in unison, then you know in your brain (slight laugh) you know in your brain" and you just KNOW that HE...that THEY, konw that no one can touch them. That last rerun of the chorus where Smith drops out totally, and unexpectedly and the run into the coda. Smith had never given his band so much trust and so much space before, and maybe he never did again, although, don't start improvising, for christ's sake!

Slates is a masterpiece.

Fuck it...middle Mass.

Prole Art Threat
but as said above, it's a perfect record

If I could only keep one fall record it would have to be Hex, but Slates is the one my turntable is most frequently acquainted with

I kinda want a Slates-only CD to exist, without the live-album coupling, to give away to people who don't know The Fall but who I think would be really blown away by it.

EXIT THIS ROMAN SHELL...

Best chorus ever, so Leave the Capital of course.

Middle Mass.
I usually find myself voting for the first song on a record of complete brilliance.
Like "down on the street."

Yeah my 1st real actual playing to myself of The Fall (as opposed to having heard random tracks unconcentratedly) was Palace of Swords Reversed, of which the first track is "Pink Prole Threat" -- so that was my vote.

There is an expanded version of the Slates CD, without the Live In American Therein 1981 there.

But if you're talking about a release with just the six tracks and nothing else, your best bet is to find the original 10"

The original 10" is at the community radio station I volunteer at. I love it. I think it's the only the Fall vinyl we've got, too.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

And Leave The Capitol wins!!! LOL that was my fave back when I was a teenager and first heard this. So that's fine with me! I didn't vote for it, though.

's one of my favourite tunes ever Bimble...stone cold classic

Hahaha. Maybe the ilxor called "Leave The Capitol" will show up!

Smith's clan get away with 30 years of sheer brilliance

Thanks for not calling this "POLL Art Threat."

I'm suddenly tempted to do a POLLverted by Language sometime soon...

totally voting Tempo House in that one