I picked Witch Trials because you gonna end up getting them all, so you might as well just start at the beginning and work your way through. B)

OK, so pick one of these albums as the first one a Fall beginner should get and tell us why. And then what next. Tell us anything else you like too - what you had for dinner, what colour socks you're wearing, when you last had your hair cut young man! Short back and sides please sir....

I'd start with Slates - six tracks, pure concision, love it or leave it and it's BRILLIANT.

And the proof is in the pudding - a mate with whom I'd had many tiffs over the crap bands he liked and him saying the Fall 'were just a cult band', actually relented and got this for himself and had to confess he thought it was great - he didn't necessarily like it, but he could see that there was something really going on with it.

But like I said in reply to Adam, if you want the Fall virtually any Fall will do...

I sort of envy people just starting out on the Fall journey. O! to be 16, pimply and miserable again!

And what's been all this Chase shit over on Fallnet, Conway?

Richard, I'm as bored with that fallnet Chase thing as you. In fact, fallnet at present may be at its lowest ebb for quite some time. It would put anyone off who joined fallnet and was then victimised for a week or more about whether he's real person or just an alter-ego of some ego.

O! I see, not very nice.

I sorta like fallnet, some of the posts are pretty funny and the essay on the carbon factory was very interesting somehow. I can't say I feel inclined/ encouraged to get terribly involved (feels like a bit of a closed circle...) but for monitoring purposes its more than OK.

Sometimes the Fall even rate a mention, but I suspect that most of the people on the list had their Fall debates online many years ago - correct?

Fallnet is pretty hard to break into. Most of the regular posters have been there for years and years, and the in-jokes and references back to past threads make it hard to follow. OJ (Other John) of carbon factory fame comes out with the most amusing rambling tales and is a real fallnet institution. But there are others that get a bit tedious & the Fall hardly get a look in, which is why I spend a lot more time here these days.

I voted fer "another one" cus the nagle-lovin kiwi* forgot to list what could arguably be the best Fall album evah..
----"PERVERTED BY LANGUAGE"!!!!----

This is without a doubt the best way to introduce someone to the Fall. It has every classic element that makes them great. It would be easier to digest than some of the earlier stuff, but has that haunting, sinister element that is sometimes polised over on later releases.
The band was never in better form. The tight playing of Steve 'n Craig is perfectly ballanced by the dualing drums of Paul 'n Karl, the greatest lineup ever. Two drummers and 1 guitar(Brix dont count xcept fer Bloedel), you'll never hear anything else quite like it. And speaking of Brix, Hotel Bloedel is probably the best song she ever wrote, it is a truly unique recording, with Brix singing n playing unpluged electric guitar into one mike, and Mark playing strange violin n talkin.
Just play someone Tempo House or Smile and they'll be hooked fer life. These are absolutely the best possible versions of all these songs (how many fall albums can u say that about?) And every song is hands down top notch classic FALL!

[micowave chicken pot pie and Budweiser, smelly dirty tan socks, 3 days ago "short back & sides" (fer job interviews)]

*Hey Dave, u r free to use the title "NAGLE LOVIN KIWI" for new album :P

Onya Adam - gave PBL a run through today and it struck me that Smith's vocal performance on Smile was never bettered before or after, that sinister laugh in his voice as he describes the nightclub nighmare. And the backing is just so POWERFUL!

Agree 100% re Hotel Bloedel, the song that invented off-key lo-fi droney pop...!

I've said this before (trying to be controversial but only Conway bit) but Eat Y'rself is a pretty simple idea hammered into the ground - mind you, it only comes up short compared to the sheer brilliance of the rest of the lp...

PBL is one of my faves too. That's why I left it out! :wacko:

And Gert drove a VW not a chevy!

Eat Y'self Fitter, sheer class. We love that song in this household, my 6 year old girl does all the proper replies in the choruses.

The Classical may match the vocal performance of Smile, but I agree, it's one of the very best.

Adam, you should join fallnet and have a chat with Cole Coonce. He's a nitro head drag racing boffo - written a book and runs a website about it too. From L. L. L. L. A. A. A. A.

Cole also was the live sound engineer for the MES spoken word gig and the Fall the following 2 nights at LA's Knitting Factory in November 2001 (for trivia fans).

More trivia for Ms Nagle fans: the bootleg CD of the 3 nights in LA was called "Where's Julia?", based on a clearly audible cry from the audience between songs.

For recent material, I'd recommend Light User and The Unutterable for beginners, seeing as they're pretty diverse and are full of funny lyrics and decent tunage. And for early stuff, I'd go for Hex Enduction Hour.

Although when I started off with The Fall, I got that 'A World Bewitched' compilation thingie. And this thread is pretty useful as I'm currently trying to recommend Fall albums to a mate.

QUOTE (Conway @ Jun 10 2003, 04:04 AM)

Cole Coonce. He's a nitro head drag racing boffo

WOW.....Cole Coonce!, I've read his articles in "DRIVE" magazine.
I cant believe there's another racer who's into the Fall, and in California!
I'm sure he will be coming up here to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma August 1 for the NHRA Autolite Nationals.
That would be crazy to be in the pits at a race takin bout the Fall!

Maybe even June 22 fer the Nascar Winston Cup race?.......but I think he's more of a drag race only kinda guy, not a roundy-rounder like me :wacko: He dont know how ta go fast AND turn :lol:

well AdamG has taken my point about Perverted by Language, which tempts me to vote for something else to be contrary... but really I'll have to say PBL. That’s what I first & foremost recommend to people I’m trying to draft into the cult… & one of the reasons is the fine opener Eat Y’self Fitter. There’s something almost self-parodying about the music, it’s so ham-fisted & repetitive & somewhat absurd – but that’s why I like it. However the lyrics are top form MES. Stick the cretin on the #3 lathe, what’s a computah? the centimeter square/ said it purged fear, etc. That’s been engrained in my mind since I first heard it. People saying they hate that song are a little too cool for school. Admit it all! you love Eat Y’self Fitter!

Hip Priests & Kamerads & Palace of Swords Reversed would be good ones too.

It depends what style fall u end up liking the best.....since it was perverted by language and the track 'smile' that got me into the fall...i would recommend that album....but as a beginner i think there r easier albums to get into....avoid levitate or the marshal suite...as these r not so easy to like.....it might be worth starting with extricate actually....i think this is very easy listening.

I'm also going for "other" - PBL. Not only is the LP brilliant from start to finish, you also get class songs like "Wings" and "Man Whose Head Expanded" thrown in for free on the CD.

"Eat Y'self Fitter" was the 1st Fall song I ever heard (Peel version of course) and I won't hear a word against it!

Wow, I guess I'm in agreement with PBL. It was my first Fall album, and certainly got me hooked.

But--I'd also agree with Conway on Live at the Witch Trials, and then going chronologically. LATWT is also very accessible, so it makes a good introduction.

I reckon The Infotainment Scan is the most accessible proper Fall album - poppy-sounding and kinda light-hearted with a pisstrack about Fireworks thrown in for good measure (although am I the only person who thinks that the covers of Lost In Music and I'm Going To Spain, coupled with the Smith lines about Peter Gabriel and slitting your throat with a garden vegetable veer a bit close to slightly student-y self-parody?). I thought that PBL was the one of the hardest albums to get 'into', myself (but gives a better overall picture of The Fall than Infotainment). Depends what you expect of whoever you're trying to introduce to The Fall, I guess.

Don't know about too cool for school, Master Quinn, but certainly too old for it these days.

Really, Eat Y'self is the ONLY weaklink on PBL. Technical problems 'famously' (ie Edge mentions it in Paintwork) ruined the lp version, which was take no.8 after the engineer stopped stuffing up, and there's a huge gap between the brilliance of the lyrics and the pedestrian standard of the backing. And on PBL you get Smile, Tempo House and Garden where it all comes together so brilliantly that Eat Y'self pales even further - the contrast couldn't be more stark.

I'm sure there's great live versions that have got real spark, but on PBL track 1 really does detract from the lp's strength....

I would choose I Am Kurious Oranj as that was my first Fall album. I know it is not popular around here, but I am very fond of it and was very pleased with the Pure As Oranj CD which I think is the best of these live compilations we get so much these days.
Kurios Oranj and the Curious Orange Overture are very accessible Fall songs. Kurious Oranj has lots of funny lines and a great bass line, and I have never heard a 12 string sound as good as it does on the Overture.

i think kurious oranj is the most slick shiny polished album they done.....

so if u like this as a newcomer...u may find things get rougher as yer collection progresses... but mark's vocals cut thru all albums in any case... in fact i hate the songs when mark is reduced to backing vocalist

QUOTE (richard @ Jun 11 2003, 09:52 PM)

Really, Eat Y'self is the ONLY weaklink on PBL.

it would probably work better as a non-lp single, granted. Hotel Bloedel woulda been a great bside. However, in terms of a good opening track to someone new to the Fall, I’d say its great… anyway, too many people have agreed on PBL now. I change my vote to Grotesque.

seminal live !!! it's a corker !!!!

Play them Hex Enduction Hour. Let 'em sink or swim.

I went for Grotesque.

Can't be bothered to say why tho as i'm off for a walk at last :rolleyes:

50000 Fall Fans been released since this poll began. A reasonably representative selection.

Wired and Wonderful World of the Fall.

Either Room To Live or Perverted By Language because they are IMO simply the best Fall records.

grotesque or hex.

or maybe fall heads roll...

but the peel box is possibly the best.

My own starter was This Nation's Saving Grace, which is accessible, but perhaps not as representative of the entirety of their work as other albums are.

Conway's comment at the beginning of this thread that you may as well recommend Live At The Witch Trials, seeing as they will end up buying everything and so why not start at the beginning, is very persuasive. Particularly on the basis of the relatively recently released, and rather excellent, Expanded Edition.

Although if the person was really keen just to jump in feet first, then the Peel Sessions boxed set would be the only candidate.

Infotainment Scan. Height of Powers. Party time with both legs moving instead of just the one, for once. Cool shades. Kraut bliss. Comedy. Melody. Autobiography. Best trance blast of 20th century. Most exciting bass intros. Only decent use ever of a Led Zep riff.
The happiest Fall LP. I like happiness, do you? Well it's a good place to start. Just look at your boyfriend or your new PS3. They're pretty at first, but there's the odd bit of ahrd work ahead. And the expense, ohh the expense is damnable now after 30 years......
Best to just have a good time now, fellow breach births...

...and if this LP ever gets its due, not that I would wish a Best Rock LP of All Time rap on MES or owt, but maybe some fucker referring to it in Wire or whatever will realise the word "SCAM" is NOT in the feckin' title. Try again, history scanners...

This thread was a starting point for me 6 weeks or so ago.
I got the Peel Boxset & Live At The Witch Trials & have been buying loads cheap from amazon ever since & working though them from the start although i have latter albums as well including Imperial Wax Solvent(which i like)
Thanks for the help B)

If anybody asks me (which doesn't happen very often) what I always say is, get the current album first, then work your way back as you see fit.

I put Frenz, not because it's necessarily the best, but because it was the first one *I* got, and now look where I am :lol: So, if it got me that addicted to The Fall, maybe it will have that effect on others...

I say NO WAY to Hex first. There are questionable lyrics in "The Classical" that could be misunderstood, and the music on the whole is oppressive.

I say NO WAY to Witch Trials first. The keyboards are so dated that they can repel someone before track 1 is over.

I think I'll vote for PBL or Wonderful and Frightening or Nation's. Those three albums are all accessible and entertaining for different reasons without being deliberately off-putting.

The Unutterable as it's such a great album of theirs. I started a mate off with this one already. Alongside the Orange lyric book.