:unsure:

Define 'garage', Stephen ;)

A place to keep your car in or in my case the fishing tackle and general household rubbish.

The 'garage' always used to mean petrol station round my way.

Dragnet <_<

Easy peasy!! Dragnet isnt garage, its genreless.

"Garage rock was a simple, raw form of rock and roll created by a number of United States bands in the mid-1960s. Inspired by British Invasion bands like The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones, these mostly Midwestern United States groups played a variation on British Invasion rock. While the American Midwest produced many of the best-known examples of garage rock, there were many bands in that style coming from the West Coast of the United States and Australia.

The term "garage rock" comes from the perception that many such performers were usually young and amateurish, and often rehearsed in a garage. These bands' music was often much cruder than their inspirations but was full of passion and energy. Most of the bands used simple chord progressions, pounding drums, and catchy lyrics. In many ways, the garage bands were the first bands in what would eventually be known as punk rock.

Hundreds of garage bands popped up around America and a handful of them — Shadows of Knight, The Count 5, The Seeds, The Standells — had hits, but most were destined for obscurity. In fact, nearly all of the bands were forgotten by the early 1970s, though the famous Nuggets compilation brought them back somewhat closer to the spotlight."

Found this at http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method...t=Garage%20rock

Voted Heads Role...have heard Dragnet TOO many times...it's good but A Figure Walks, Your Heart Out and Before the Moon Falls have lost their charm


Every Fall album has it's lies and lows...feckin hell ya freaks

FHR is in no way a garage album, it's an overproduced studio mound of lazy dreck.

Do you actually like The Fall?

Used to?

I take it that you prefer an Interim type of album?

I prefer the approach taken to Interim, but the outcome was lacking.

Not indiscriminately.

I made the point elsewhere that to describe FHR as garage rock is ridiculous - even clayts agreed with me! :)

Stephen's reprinted definition merely confirms this. I have 100s of garage rock comps and I can tell you that FHR has absolutely bugger all to do with garage rock. Neither has Dragnet, for that matter! Unless garage now means a generic term for guitar-based rock with less emphasis on machines. At the end of the day I couldn't care less what they call it, but given past covers of Mr Pharmacist and Strychnine I was daft enough to think MES knew what he was talking about when he described it as being 'garage' (it WAS him, wasn't it?). (Having said that, Strychnine is not at all your typical garage track.)

Without wishing to cause offence, isn't comparing Dragnet with FHR a bit like comparing Groucho Marx with Jim Davidson?

Sorry, last point: having been accused of this myself, isn't it a bit mean to question someone's Fall-fandom just because they don't like a particular LP? Some twat asked me if I really liked the Fall because I didn't like TNSG, which I found incredible. (I'd suggest the question should be the other way around!!)

I'll admit I live in the past Fall-wise (77-82 and 92-96 mainly) but when a good new LP comes out I'll say so: AYAMW was the bravest thing they've done in the last 9 years, and lo and behold, everyone slates it! (Same with MCR.) Anyway, my own opinion is that FHR is just more of the same only less interesting. It isn't very bad, it just isn't very good: and loads of it is in better shape on Peel sessions, etc! And I DO like The Fall - and I still buy every single release on just about every format, as I have since 82. Not sure why, but I do. Hope I qualify! :D

This is pointless.

However we define "garage" - I'll go for "Dragnet" here. An early classic, I think.

Why?

David, you don't really give any concrete reasons as to why it is 'ridiculous' to call FHR a garage album. I'm a big fan of garage (rock, not 'two-step' or whatever) and can see a clear intent on the part of MES to make a 'garage' album with FHR. The chord progressions, the heavy metronomic drums, the shouty choruses, etc. 'Garage' does not mean 'poorly-produced' (although the best stuff tends to be). FHR is comparatively straightforward in its delivery, and MES appears to be wearing his more 'straightforward' influences on his sleeve - The Seeds, The Sonics, The Monks, etc

I suppose you could argue that there are a lot of decidedly 'un-garage' features to FHR, but I think it's one of the clearest attempts at a garage 'sound' in the Fall canon.

What the fuck are we talking about genres for? Dragnet!!

Merely by attempting a garage album, you're doomed to fail, because you can't plan such an approach. It's a question of spirit, not production or whatever, and I honestly can't see any similarity between FHR and what we generally term for better or worse, garage rock. It's too calculated, which isn't a problem in any way ... but I think garage rock leads one to expect something that certainly isn't present on FHR, regardless of the albums merits or lack thereof ... or whatever.

BTW, I think the three bands you mentioned are the least garage-rock of all the supposed garage bands: the Monks certainly aren't, despite what everyone says! For me, garage rock is defined by the bands you'll find on series like Pebbles, Back From The Grave, Teenage Shutdown, Quagmire, etc ... immediacy, no pretence, a sense of urgency ...

But at the end of the day ... you're right, who gives a toss? Of course it's Dragnet! :D

Sorry Y' All,
Had to vote 'Dragnet' 'cause I haven't heard 'tother,BUTI'm goin' to presently; that is I just got my student loan.
(Alternatively: Even Bigger BUT If the rest is as good as 'Youwanner', which I believe I heard in London at The Forum, tden em I think it may be another first equal.

Ah, come on! The Sonics are Thee Garage Rock Band! I agree with what you're saying, though. And I suppose there is no black and white when it comes to genres and things as they're just descriptors, really.



PS - Dragnet is Country&NorthernSoulPunkmafunkabilly, by the way, NOT garage

I don't see any particular connection between these two albums. Anyway, Dragnet will very likely be surpassed by neither FHR nor future Fall albums. :(

Because they're so totally different from each other that I don't see any basis on which I could compare them or say I prefer one to the other.

It's like comparing Miles Davis's "Birth of the cool" to "Agharta".
They're both great in their own way and in their own context.

Placing apparently very different Fall albums side-by-side reveals interesting comparisons and juxtapositions. And it's meant to be fun.

The basis on which you could compare them is that they're both by The Fall.

As a fan I find it fascinating to see how other fans weigh up the relative merits of Fall albums. Saying this is 'pointless' is like saying fans' opinions are not interesting.

Dragnet has remained my favourite Fall album since I first heard it in 1982. For its time, I think its difficult to categorise it. There's just nothing that is even remotely similar. Spectre Vs Rector even now sounds fresh and original. The only thing that lets Dragnet down is the production, or that may be the reason it keeps its alure.

FHR is good, as any other recent Fall album is. Its as well produced as The Unutterable and Marshall Suite, but lack the originality of Dragnet, or even COTC. I think its still has some subtlety and appeals more with even listen, although I would hardly describe it as a garage album!

Difficult to compare when not like for like.