What do you reckon?

Like it, second only to Paintwork for tape jiggery pokery.

They enhance the track, but no one, except maybe Grant Showbiz himself, is ever going to convince me they're intentional.

I doubt they were intentional, but like Paintwork, they do enhance the track, hence the descision to leave them on. Typical MES buggering about, but don't we just love it like that? :thumbsup:

I've grown used to them over the weeks, i'm sure it must be an enhancement.

Haven't even considered whether it was intentional or not - just seems to work.

I'm sure they're not - but it's MES's decision to embrace them. The Fall's output is full of random serendipitious weirdness aka "mistakes". It's an integral part of their magic.

If i'm honest I just kind of switch off each time the grupe crank out a shite cover, this being no exception. I don't think they've done a worthwhile cover that brings anything artistically to the table for a long time.

Intentional pops or accidental, the song is just an annoying minute or so before I roll my eyes and flip the record over.

Feel the same way about Grass Grow and White Line Fever.

Enhances. In fact IWS would suffer if Strange town had been excluded.. -_-

Enhance. I love this, and most Fall covers.
I thought Grass Grow was fantastic...still do, and White Line Fever is good methinks....!! :devil2:

Not a big fan of the song. But - if anything - the glitches enhances it. Would've been very boring otherwise.

i think strangetown is one of albums best tracks
i believe it would of been even better without "effects"

They make the song.

no

They're digital errors. Apparently unnoticed until mastering. You can convince yourself it was intentional but it just sounds farked up and unprofessional.

Exactly. I'm really surprised to see people here defending it (and comparing it to Paintwork???). It's like buying a vinyl LP that's had a nail dragged through one of the tracks.

I'd understand this viewpoint if it was minor glitches, but it's so fucked up in places that it's no way it could've gone 'unnoticed'.
I'm no 'MES apologist', but give the guy some credit. He's been recording albums for 30 years, he knows a thing or two.

The glitches were probably accidental *at the time of the actual recording* - but surely MES can hear the difference between a clean and a fucked up recording - but still decided to put the fucked up version on the album because he thought it sounded more interesting...

I can accept all that, and still conclude that Mark Smith's "editorial judgment" has declined severely. However, I would not take it as given that he gave a careful listen to a "test pressing".

As I've said before, the apparent glitches were raised with MES by Steve Hammonds from Universal Music very early on, and MES insisted they were meant to be there. He confirmed it again specifically when the final approval for the master was given.

I personally don't like them. I think they're a bit gimmicky - they work once to make you think WTF but after that I find them simply irritating. Much like the smoke alarm on Interim's Boxoctosis (he says, opening another can of worms).

You may be right, Conway. I don't mind the glitches but if they had been used more sparingly (e.g. just before and just after the 1,2,3,4 bit), it might have had more effect. :unsure:

no idea

I went into this thread thinking it was about the videogame SIMS 2, which is set in Strangetown. Must be off the new FALL LP though eh (cringes with embarassment).
Good choice of videogames though Mark, well done old boy.

I can't stand either of those tracks.... both seem stupid ideas and ruin the songs. :(

I think that they are the track. They work with the track and are actually more interesting than the music which would otherwise just be a lame cover. If it wasn't for these 'glitches', I would possibly skip the track.

Whether by happy co-incidence or not, they don't sound random to me. It could be a great piece of engineering by Showbiz.

I thought something was wrong with my ipod. :lol:

What Mr. C. said.

Works as well as Paintwork? That's almost blasphemy in my book. :devil:

I don't enjoy the glitches too much. Ruins what could be a quite decent track. The only glitches I like are the opening bit with the radio tuning in and the mid-song breakdown, chuckle and re-start.