Walkman is fit and working again. So on to 1981. “Prole Art Threat” was the clear standout track from the patchy “Slates”: two minutes of sheer brilliance. 1981 was also the year The Fall discovered synthesisers (maybe they had been listening to Depeche Mode), heard on the surprisingly listener-friendly “Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul”.
We get two tracks from 1982’s “Hex Enduction Hour” – “The Classical”, which I’ve always liked, despite its rebarbative lyrics (which as far as I remember no-one mentioned at the time), and “Hip Priest” (of “Silence of the Lambs” fame), which I used to hate but now think of as one of their best songs. Subtle and slow.
Two great singles follow from 1983, “The Man Whose Head Expanded” and “Kicker Conspiracy”, the drums on the latter actually feeling like you’re being kicked. How flair is punished, indeed. Less said about the “Perverted By Language” version of “Eat Y’self Fitter” the better, though. It only annoys me.
“CREEP” shows a lighter, poppier side emerging under Brix’s influence. Not one of their best. “No Bulbs” is sheer weird magic though. “Spoilt Victorian Child”, from “This Nation’s Saving Grace” is Brix era Fall at its best. Finally, “Cruiser’s Creek”, a song I’ve never been able to make up my mind on – I didn’t like it the last time I played this collection, but I think I’m coming down in favour of it now.
That’s the end of disk 1. Scribblings on disk 2 to follow.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment