One thing I like about The Fall is that their songs stand alone very well. You can mix and match fall songs from various LPs, or mix them into playlists with other artists and they sound great. I don't think many bands have this virtue to the extent The Fall does. Just to name one example sort of close to the Fall, when a Beefheart song comes up in a mixed playlist, I generally fastforward. If I am going to listen to Beefheart, then I usually need to listen to a whole album or at least a side. Similarly, Ween is a band that takes great pains ordering and selecting songs for their lp's, and Ween just isn't as good unless you lissen to an lp start to finish.

So, that is kind of what this poll is about: what Fall LP is the most important to be listened to as an LP, all the way thru and in order.

I am going to vote for Unutterable. It is between that one, Kurious Oranj and Grotesque for me. these three Fall albums, as good as all of their songs are in isolation, just sound better as whole albums. The sequencing of songs on each of these has a metarhythm that I really like, really adds something.

What is funny to me is that some Fall LPs have a real consistent tone (eg, Levitate. Perverted, TWAFWOTF), but I don't find it neccessary or even preferable to listen to these in their respective entireties. I like hearing songs from these LPs scattered with either other Fall or other artists.

I have been meaning to lissen to Marshall Suite in order, in one or two sittings. I have never done that, and I suspect it might benefit from a concerted lissen.

2 things are key on the question here: 1) there is a discernable flow and order to the LP; and 2) the whole is greater than the individual songs. Of all the Fall studio LPs, I think Grotesque fits this description the most. It has individually great songs, but they sound the most right when they are in proper running order. Another reason why this LP is so revered.

Voted for Dragnet

Individually ALL of the songs are great.

Together the whole lot sounds amazing with the production etc providing "the twelfth man" to quote a football expression

On these grounds, I'd have to say The Frenz Experiment - Allthough the prescence of Victoria throws it's balance off a bit (not necessarily because I don't like it much, but because it's different in spirit - a frisky singalong amidst the elegant, world weary pop).
I LOVE that album, but it's not got any of my top 10-15 Fall songs.

Grotesque a close second. Levitate and AYAMW too - it helps to surrender yourself completely to these albums' eh... 'different' aesthetics...

Of course all Fall albums should be listened to in their entirety which is exactly what I always do. <_<

If it really has to be one choice in this poll it's Hex for me. Apart from The Classical I probably wouldn't put another song in my personal top twenty. Nevertheless together with Grotesque and Dragnet this is my favourite Fall album overall, mainly due to its ideal flow. Kicking off with the mighty Classical, the epic Winter right down in the middle (esp. on the original LP) and the punishing And This Day bringing things to a pertinent end. I couldn't imagine any other running order.

Good Idea for a poll, it got me thinking about the Fall in a new way, AYAMW, strikes me as a nice setlist.
Alternately, you could have a poll of the album that lends itself to be split up the best, I suspect TWaFWotF, would win that one.

In its original LP form, I absolutely agree, Kap. Frenz it is. A perfect flow of songs, in perfect order. If Nieghborhood of Infinity began Perverted, followed by Eat-Fitter, that record would easily have won. Cured by Itunes for my carrying copy, of course.

Others close- MCR, Grotesque, and TRNFLP (weirdly enough, both US and UK versions), and Oranj- though again only in its original form.

how about LPS that shouldnae be expanded? PBL ruined-luckily i have 'original' cD and vinyl editions

Haven't heard enough of them in there entirety to choose yet,
but I do love Bend Sinister :applaud:

Marshall Suite.


By no means my fave LP, but it seems to flow.

Hex has the best rhythm. Winter closing side 1 and opening side 2, and the mixture of short fast songs and the longer ones. Perfect.