Having recently got back in to the Fall again I was lucky enough to see a great performance at manchester last weekend. I went with someone who had seen the band many times and after the last concert had said "Never Again". How pleased he was that I got a ticket and offered it to him. It was a fantastic show (although a little short compared to most gigs I go to).

So having reignited my love of the Fall where do I go next. I have the following

This nations saving grace
Bend sinister
frenz
Shiftwork
50,000 Fall fans
Imperial Wax Solvent

And I love them all.

So

1) Which album should I buy next?
2) Is the Touch sensitive DVD any good and worth getting (its the one I know most songs on)
3) Is there a Live album worth getting?

Thanks in advance for all your comments

Simon

1. Imperial Wax Solvent and Code:Selfish (treat yourself)
2. Erm, I'd leave it a while perhaps, see how much of an anorak you want to be first.
3. In a Hole would be a very good place to start.

Forgot to mention I also have imperial Wax and its is excellent.

Is In a hole readily available from major cd suppliers?

Look here for forum members relative feelings about which Studio LPs are best

Album League table (voting in progress)

1) If you can afford it/find it The Complete Peel Sessions boxed set is the definitive artefact in my opinion. If not, I would go for any/all of Grotesque, Perverted By Language, Infotainemnt Scan and The Real New Fall LP as they are comparatively accessible and roughly cover all periods of the group's career. You seem to already have plenty of Brix era stuff.

2) I'd spend your money on the albums (which are essential) rather than the DVDs (which are generally average)

3) I agree In A Hole is fantastic. Totale's Turns is great for the early stuff but beware buying live albums as many are poorly recorded and packaged.

Happy hunting.

I think it's time you tried some of the heavyweight, grown-up Fall now, after the sing-along Brix stuff.

You must get both Perverted by Language and Hex. And you will love them both, I promise.

I have listened to The Fall for a million years without ever feeling the need to watch a DVD of them, so I can't comment on that.

Take the advice of the above fellows and get In A Hole for the live experience.

I too got back into the Fall after not really listening to them for ages...

I bought the Peel sessions and since then I listen to them more than ever.

How about Listing your Top 5 Tracks so far, (and why) that way people can suggest something similar or slightly different.

Mate i'd recommend 'the unnutterable'. That should keep you happy for a few months. Not everyone will agree.....

1 - Grotesque
2 - No, and No
3 - 27 Points, Austerbaejarbio (hard to find now though), or Live Various Years (mostly 90s stuff)

Yes, Peel Box Set is the thing to get - six CD's for about £25.00 squid = value for money if you ask me.
Plus its sits on the CD Shelf like a Goliath amongst a bunch of Davids.

Agree with this.

Basically an excellent scan of their entire career - great songs in great versions with great sound. You'll get a pretty good idea of the material from every period, and after that you can explore further the stuff you like the most.

Welcome, Simon! Stood before the same question when I got The Real New Fall LP (which is falltastic, btw).

Re your questions:

1 - Hex Enduction Hour. I prefer Perverted By Language, but Hex is the deal. Nothing on earth sounds like this. Make sure you get the reissue which comes with a fantastic second CD full of bonus stuff. Agree about the Peel Box.

2 - dunno, but the often mentioned (and delayed) Hammersmith-DVD from London 07 could be a corker, once it's released.

3 - In A Hole, definitely. Live Various Years is indeed great for 90s stuff. Or The 27 Points (probably more easy to get).

Enjoy your trip!

II can think of no reason to buy the Touch Sensitive DVD, unless you see it very cheap. Listen to the records instead.

Cheers guys ...some great and much needed advice for the minefield that is Mark E Smiths work

Did look at doing top five but would cross the same problem I had when wanted to put an hour of tracks on my MP3 player and ended up putting over 2 hours.

First track I ever heard was Spoilt Victorian Child on a £1.99 beggars banquet compilation from years ago. Also had Gene loves jezebel on who I invested a lot of time in.

Fave band of the moment are Infadels who I have followed around the ukl for a couple of years and Blood Red Shoes (you tube Its getting boring by the sea)

Right am of to HMV .com

The DVD is one of the last things you should buy.
Good recommendations already.
If you like the more "electronic" sound don't forget Infotainment Scan.
Dragnet, Witch Trials, Room to Live belong there, but really, PBL & HEx are ESSENTIAL!!

I would recommend the amazingly interesting, different, rewarding THE UNUTTERABLE - if you're going on a journey, this would be an adventurous turn to take!

Wonderful and Frightening World Of

Once all existing stock is sold it might prompt Beggars to redux their catalogue of Fall gems.

I was in your shoes three years ago. Don't go for the easy option of buying compilations - I had Totally Wired, A World Bewitched, A Past Gone Mad and Psykick Dancehall. All were excellent, but you just end up wanting more.

Get the studio albums - it takes time (and stern letters from your bank manager!), but it's the only way.

And the Peel box is essential! :thumbsup:

If I was in your slippers, I'd start by going backwards in reverse order to see what you missed pre TNSG.
So, Wonderful & Frightening, Perverted By Language, etc etc.
Psykick Dancehall is a good 3CD of early Fall.
Then start going forwards again filling in any gaps album by album.
If you get one CD a month you'll have something rocking to look forward to for the next two years...
Lucky you!

Oh, my local independent record store currently has most of the early CDs in their brand spanking extended editions for £5 - these offers are normally rolled out to a chain of indie retailers across the country, so (indie) shop around. Avoid HMV or whatever Virgin are called this week, who always have shit stock at a silly price Fall wise.

Get every fucking album from LATWT to the current.

As brilliant as the fall have been since '83, its the early stuff that holds the magic.

If you have to buy a DVD, get PBL (bis).

But do buy Hex, Grotesque and PBL first.

And then get Totales Turns for the definitive early Fall live experience. You may never be the same after :D

If you're after a recent line-up DVD, whatever you do AVOID the Access All Areas double DVDs volumes 1 & 2 - they are terrible. Touch Sensitive is better. But I would strongly advise you to wait for Last Night At The Palais which should be coming out soon (before year end).

Ah, but what year? ;)

:lol: I was leaving that open, just in case...

Hmm, I would strongly disagree :unsure: I found the Punkcast gig from the Access All Areas watched in a dark room musically fantastic, visually hypnotic despite the blurred, close-up only filming. It has real balls, unlike, IMHO, Touch Sensitive.

1. Since you enjoyed the recent show so much it might be worth working backwards. So go for Reformation Post TLC next. It's got Fall Sound, Over Over and Reformation on it, which you heard at the Manchester show.

2. It isn't bad, but I'd use the money to buy some albums instead. DVDs don't seem to be one of The Falls strong points.

3. A Part of America ThereIn - I've got a CD that bundles this live album with the mini-album Slates and it's a pretty strong favourite.

Good advice!
In the end you want them all, Simon. It's money well spent. And indeed, Reformation Post TLC is a good idea as well. The album is miles better than some might say.

Put a cd together after the gig of the set list after downloading the missing tracks. Am loving Pacify, Reformation, Fall sound and Blindness (ok it wasnt played but it was on the set list)....finished the space on the cd of with Big New Prinz, Sparta FC, Senior Twilight Stock and wrong place right time....it hasnt left my car stereo all week and sounds great.

After reading all the comments on the site, think I should never see the Fall again and just have the highpoint of last Saturdays gig in my head!!!

The Peel box
Avoid all DVDs so far.
Austerbaethingummybob, Totales Turns both excellent. 27 points is crap. Agree that if you dont have Slates, then A Part of America Therein is good value.

Peel box a must, however.

Peel Box, Peel, Box Peel Box, Box Peel.

If you want live Fall you can't go wrong (IMO) with the expanded 2CD issues of the studio albums on Sanctuary. Some amazing live tracks, especially those on PBL.

yeah peel box, ..., not least coz it'll point towards a possible 'priority' of what to get next

as for live stuff cleck out this as an indication of what the gruppe werelike live across the ages

i especially recommend the bowden gig

i think it wise that you budget for buying at least the first 10 albums & 'unuterrable' & 'real new fall lp'

Dare I ask how you manged to get those live recordings as the quality is pretty good. Havent had chance to go through them but is each one a track or a whole gig? Have you listened to them all and which is a good one....too many questions i know

Each file is a whole gig.

My guess is that the site creator (who's a member on here by the way) has collected bootleg recordings from other fans over the years.

Fresh and old live recordings can be downloaded regularly at www.dimeadozen.org (it's a bit tricky to become a member, but once you're in you've got a lot to look forward to :) )

You can read up on Dime etc. in the "Buy, sell & exchange" section of this forum :)

yeah what Kaptain said etc
& credit to the person concerned for organsing it , ..., more details here

i really really like the bowden one
all the pre-2007 ones are all v good except possibly the gloucester one
the gigs after that were, i assume, put up to aid discussion on the board
i like the liverpool, bolton & berlin ones best but there good bits in all of them

but the last 25 mins of bowden is all the music a person ever really needs IMO

Tread carefully, northwalesstokie, or you could end up like this.
It's a slippery slope/gateway drug sort of thing...