The Fall: Reformation Post TLC
Thursday, 15 Feb 2007 13:40
Only outright fandom or curiosity will make you press play
Sanctuary, February 12th
In a nutshell
Blunt, amusing, rousing, difficult, obdurate.
What's it all about?
Post on-stage break-ups, public arguments and a bellicose Mark E Smith comes the Fall's 1,456th studio album. Love or hate the Fall, one thing's for certain; Mark E Smith's band of agony aunts is as divisive as it is unifying and as hilarious as it lacking in humour. This latest instalment marks almost 30 years since the band's first full album was released and is just as tough to comprehend as Live at the Witch Trials was.
Confronted with this new album, you don't really want to listen to it. The front cover looks like some rushed GCSE graphics coursework and at least two of the eloquent song titles have the word "stuff" in them.
But never have people looked to Smith for well balanced prose and equally well expressed lyricism. Instead what you get is an abrupt "f**k off", a clip round the ear and a harsh lesson in post-punk historiography. For although Smith is one of the most unvirtuous creatures to have ever skulked the earth, he's also one of the most era-defining.
Therefore it's either outright fandom or curiosity which makes you press play and expose your ears to the Smithsonian drool of Over! Over!
Smith's murderous cackle erupts from the speakers and he wines through a predictably repetitive Fall track. What follows are 13 more songs of equal pettiness - yet somehow it's not all that bad.
Who's it by?
Smith is notable for his burgeoning aggressiveness and uncompromising attitude to life. He's been married to three women, two of which have been or are still in the Fall, with his first wife departing in a similar fashion to the 40-odd other members of the band since its creation in 1976.
The Fall have released numerous records, some of which have been well received by critics and sections of the music press. Perhaps the best compliment you can pay to this band is that every time a Fall release hits the shelves, fans and critics are anxious to hear it. Even Smith's biggest detractors - who argue that he can't sing (he can't) and that his tunes are repetitive (arguable) – are keen to see what Smith has up his sleeve next.
Last year the band imploded while on stage with pretty much the entire group quitting and storming out, leaving Smith whistling into the wind and moaning about quitters. However, he's back with a new 'squad' and a new set of songs, some of which are overlong and ridiculous, but still welcome.
As an example…
"A mutual respect for all in the business/D: An even cash flow/This cannot be under-rated/E: Cut down on rhythm machines and more guitars/ F: Treat PR, security people, agents etc/With the respect and, urm, honour that they deserve." The Usher captures Smith on the anger management couch, listing what he plans to do in future and also self-publicising the one thing that makes him hilarious – his awful temper.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Smith would laugh in the face of a Grammy, tear its funny shaped top off with his teeth, take a loud burp and then spit the remains of the award over anyone there who didn't understand his northern accent.
So is it any good?
Reformation Post TLC is a difficult album to like, with songs like Das Boat pushing even the most die-hard Fall fan to the brink of a breakdown. However, it also has a surprisingly frequent number of great moments; the cover of Merle Haggard's White Line Fever is well done and Reformation is a strong tune in the mould of countless other Fall tracks.
For those who hate Smith's ridiculous drool, and despise even more the Fall's consistently repetitive albums, this record certainly won't change your opinion. Only the early Rough Trade singles, with their genuine fervour and energy are easy to like; the rest of the Fall's back catalogue is hit and miss at best.
This album certainly consists of strong material, albeit juxtaposed with complete and utter nonsense. Take Scenario, a Smith and 'squad' penned track which roars through an energetic three and half minutes, then move onto Systematic Abuse, a typically dull Fall thudathon that is about as imaginative as a Smith's wardrobe selection.
The good news is that Smith, through an unrelenting obtuse spirit, is an ongoing force in the music business. You wouldn't bet on the Fall not continuing in their unrelenting release deluge that has plagued/gifted the world for three decades.
7/10
Karl Pike
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