After being responsible for 4 full length albums in 2 years, Mark E. Smith has not yet announced a release date for any new material. Has the Gruppe have been in the studio since last February? What else to do than look back?

By a thin edge I pick Von Sudenfed just for "I am the great MES". But I could imagine Smith and Blaney being my favourite 10 years from now, being a more personal bit of work.

Reformation, then Von Sud, IWS and lastly S&B.

RPTLC

One day it will generally get hailed as a Fall classic. You can quote me on that.

Ditto. :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:

definitely tromatic reflexxions, followed by imperial wax solvent

IWS easily. Have yet to hear the Blaney album but would be very, very surprised if I liked it better than that or Von Sudenfed.

Elvis thinks Smith and Blaney is the best thing since sliced bread.
I think it's great, but not that great. :confused:

I've not heard Smith & Blaney, apart from a few 30 second clips which were quite enough, thank you. :huh:

Von Sud is a great album for the most part, but I still prefer the proper Fall albums overall.

Between IWS and RPTLC, I'd go with IWS - a good solid album throughout, rather than one that's part classic songs/part unfinished doodlings.


So, for me it's:

IWS
RPTLC
Von Sud
Smith & Blaney

Reformation Post-TLC, it's a classic.

it sounds like they're having fun and it's the only one out of these albums that passes the 'whistle test'.

What is the "whistle test"?

Do you listen to it in a suit?! :confused:

:o

^_^

RPTLC is far and away the best of that lot. Its the best Fall LP of the decade (at least) imo.

Next would be Smith & Blaney. Some nice things on there, and "Mettle Claw" is MES's best since RPTLC.

IWS comes third. Had this been properly mixed and recorded it might have stood a (slight) chance. But that still wouldn't have made the songs any good.

And finally Von Sud. Honestly, MES did that kind of thing much, much better about 15 years ago. Pointless.

1 Imperial Wax Solvent
2 Smith & Blaney
3 Tromatic Reflexxions
4 Reformation Post-TLC
5 None - I preferred The Fallen
6 This is a formally undecidable question

it just means it has discernible tunes - sorry for being old fashioned.

Well, I've put a whistle on and I still can't discern any tunes... and I've been listening to it for over an hour accoring to my kettle.

*splutter* :o

I find it hard to choose the more I listen to them, really. I put RPTLC on yesterday. Coach And Horses, The Wright Stuff, Scenario, The Bad Stuff, great tracks. Gets my vote.

RPTLC
IWS
Von Sud
Smith & Blaney

The first three are essential - the last one, in fairness, is a bit throwaway*





*my view at time of writing, will have changed view at some point and hail as a classic.

same here, though RPTLC and IWS might tie for first

IWS
TR
RPTLC


Only heard a little bit of Smith & Blaney, didn't bother buying the album

:applaud:

I still think IWS is a tiny bit overrated.

42.86% of the voting members disagree.

another vote for smith and blaney just in...

Let's face it; they're all absolutely bloody fantabulosa, aren't they!?

Trommatic Reflexxions is certainly, um, an interesting experiment...

What the fuck is wrong with you!? I thought you were just slating it because you liked Smith and Blaney so much.
Von Suds is a fooking great album and you, sir, are clearly very slow on the uptake!

racket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=2rF2TzF6fmg

My favourite VS track. :applaud:

What he says!

I think you could be right, rexmeister. Von Suds & the blaney one outshine the last two Fall efforts...unfortunately. :(

Yes, I loved Smith and Blaney too.

Best of 2007/2008?

'Blindness' live at Hammersmith Palais April 1 2007.

Bloody brilliant. :applaud:

Now all I need is one of those Tescos cloth carrier bags you can pick up for a quid, but with some MES handwriting scribbled over it -- an item I'd be willing to pay £6 for!

Eh? What's that?!

There is a God!!!!

is reformation post tlc getting better as the years go by? all two of them? no, it's fucking cack still. :finger:

Ordered it Tuesday. Still waiting. Over and out.
Canada

I think all 4 have been poor. RPTLC and Blaney albums were both utterly awful. Von Sudenfed had 1 track I liked, it's a tired genre. IWS is just plain boring. I don't believe that they have been in the studio either, we've had far too many of those "tapes lost in the post" stories in the past to ever believe anything ever again. Let's face it, nobody can write. Albums when they arrive are padded with filler and ridiculously elongated tracks, ones with Mrs Smith singing, and the famous tramp arguing with the vending machine is probably writing better lyrics. The only times I have enjoyed the Fall recently have been live with the American musicians, whose own sheer work ethic made Smith do some work himself. I really think it's time he packed it in. He can't have much faith in the Fall can he or he wouldn't keep doing all these crap side projects.

Chip baby U really have got 2 stop posting your little burst of sunshine all over the shop - you are blinding me with your joy................... :)