New album
The
Marshall Suite is out!
All venues take advance credit card booking unless noted otherwise:
| Date | Venue | Ticket Price | Phone/Booking |
| May 3 | Leicester, Princess Charlotte | £8.00 | 0115 912 9000 |
| May 4
|
Leeds, Irish Centre | £9.00 | 0113 248 0887 (CC booking: Jumbo Records - 0113 245 5507) |
| May 5 | Birmingham, The Foundry | £7.00 | 0121 643 6101 |
| May 6 | Brigton Centre (east wing), Brighton (change from Hove) | £8.00 | 0870 9009100 |
| May 7 | Salisbury, Arts Centre | £9 adv / £10 door | 01722 321744 |
| May 8 | Hastings, The Crypt | £8.00 | 01273 709709 |
| May 9 | Sheffield, University | £8.50 adv/£9.50 door | 0114 222 8777 |
| May 10 | Cheltenham, The Attic | £8.00 | 01242 516645 (Credit card booking: 01242 250002) |
| May 11 | Cambridge, The Junction | £9 adv/ £10 door | 01223 511511 |
| May 12 | Southend, Chinnery's | £8 adv / £9 door | 01702 460440 (pay on door) |
| May 13 | Luton, Venue 21 | £10adv / £11 door | 01582 749740 |
| May 14 | London, The Forum | £11.00 adv | 0171 344 0044 |
==========
THE BIGGEST LIBRARY YET
Issue 15 of The Fall Info-Service fanzine is out now. This 64 page tome includes
exclusive interviews with Mark E Smith, Mark Perry (of ATV and Sniffin' Glue
fame), John Robb (former Membranes mainstay now fronting the 90's glam-punk
phenomena Gold Blade), Scotland's wizard of the dribble Pat Nevin and many
others. TBLY 15 also features the second part of the serialisation of Fall
radio sessions (concluding part in issue 16), further insights into the best
Fall bootlegs around, readers letters, plus plenty of piss taking, OTT
stroppiness, and much more. Send GBP 1.20 plus 31p SAE payable to Rob Waite,
19 Wellington Street, Retford, Notts, DN22 6PR.
Subscription: GBP 7 UK, GBP 8.50 Europe, $15 USA (Dollar Bills Only), covers four issues per year plus newsletters between issues on behalf of Mark E Smith.
Back issues 3,7,8,9 + 10 available at GBP 1 each from Graham Coleman (spleen@valise.com) at 106 Fleet Road, London, NW3 2QX. ALL other back issues are now sold out, inc. those produced by Rob.
-----
The Fall // The Marshall) Suite
13 Tracks . 39 mins 36 seconds
Part One //
Touch Sensitive
M.E.Smith / J.Nagle / S.Hitchcock)
F-'oldin'
Money
T.Blake)
Shake-Off
M.E.Smith / S.Hitchcock / K.Leatham / T.Head)
Bound
M.E.Smith / Wilson Bros.)
This Perfect
Day
Bailey / Kuepper)
Part Two //
(Jung Nev's) Antidotes
M.E.Smith / N.Wilding / S.Hitchcock)
Inevitable
M.E.Smith / J.Nagle / T.Head / K.Leatham)
Anecdotes + Antidotes In B#
M.E.Smith / J.Nagle)
Part Three //
Early Life Of Crying Marshal
S.Hitchcock)
The Crying Marshal
M.E.Smith / S.Hitchcock)
Birthday Song
J.Nagle / M.E.Smith)
Mad.Men-Eng.Dog
M.E.Smith / S.Marsden / J.Nagle)
On My Own
M.E.Smith / J.Nagle / S.Wolstencroft)
M.E.Smith // Vocals) Keyboards) Guitar)
Tom Head // Drums)
Julia Nagle // Keyboards) Guitar) Programming)
Neville Wilding // Guitar) Vocal)
Karen Leatham // Bass)
Adam Halal // Bass)
S.Hitchcock // String Arrangements
-----
http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19990313132715reviews.html
What kind of masochistic idiot would join The Fall in '99? Failed kamikaze pilots seeking a more noble death? Evander Hollyfield, for training purposes? The blokes who failed the audition for the Happy Mondays? Where was the news footage of Mark E Smith at the Kosovo border, offering quickie visas to any refugees willing to put up with his own inter-band atrocities?
Information is scant on exactly where Mark unearthed Neville Wilding (guitars and cowering), Adam Halal (bass and begging for mercy) and Tom Head (drums) to form this, the 576th line-up of The Fall. But from the sound of the first third of 'The Marshall Suite' they used to be the house rockabilly band from EXIT. Initially, then, it's business as unusual. Mark shouts in indecipherable Pissedmanctrampese, the band play whatever the bugger they like and a good third of 'The Marshall Suite' is rambling,'experimental' shite. Obscurity, via the Festive 50? You know the way, sirs.
But, for possibly the first time in history, a Fall album develops. Split into three 'movements', 'Marshall...' is a concept album of sorts: a musical autobiography from the brilliant Krautrock-flecked yobabilly of 'Touch Sensitive' and 'F-Oldin' Money' (Mark is skint to the tune of 'Summertime Blues'), through the mid-period meta-blues of '(Jung Nev's) Antidotes' (Mark, struck down by a terminal Anti-Spelling bug, turns goth), to the final techno noir of 'On My Own' (Mark, in maudlin mood, attempts to sack Ibiza for looking at him funny). As befits the classical conceit, Mark even beats up the entire Birmingham Symphonic over the big beat chunder of 'The Crying Marshal'. Shoop-herb...
'The Marshall Suite' is a Story So Far to the most demented soap opera in
rock: the highs and the lows, the lusts and the dribbles, the farting about
with crap synthesisers and the chunks of unadulterated genius. Catch up,
kids, before the bloodbath finale.
7/10
Mark Beaumont
----
Also, Touch Sensitive was Single of the Week:
http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/singlesindex.html
The Fall
Touch Sensitive
(Artful)
If anything disproves the law of averages or the law of diminishing returns
or any of those bleak general prognoses for humankind that are generally
used to knock us down and buckle us under, it's this record. Effectively
'Rock'n'Roll (Part 39)', it's a stroppy trample through the mean streets
of home, taking in al fresco urination, "Star Wars police vehicles" and people
just getting in the way. Really, there's little to be said. You know Mark
E Smith. You know his genius. You'll no longer know his band, remember, because
they've all been sacked or left, but it sounds like the change has done him
a whole universe of good. A jubilant "Heyheyheyhey!" chorus, a bassline you'd
swap your soul for there's a wildly spirally sense of free-booting lunacy
here. Like: "They said what about the meek/I said they've got a bloody cheek..."
If you didn't know better, you'd guess 'Touch Sensitive' was a plea for
understanding at least, a demand to be left alone. Which is, after all, kind
of the same thing. Whatever, it's arguably the most exuberant thing he's
done since 'Why Are People Grudgeful?' and it will (whisper it) make you
very happy. Altogether now, "And you're dying for a pee/So you go behind
a tree..." Summer here, kids. Best take a raincoat, all the same.
----
From the Sunday Times (reviewer Stewart Lee):
THE FALL The Marshall Suite
Artful/Circus ARTFULCD17, 15.99
LAST year was significant for Mancunian curmudgeon- mystic Mark E Smith.
Most of his band quit, and his ears were syringed, so the Fall's newly
audio-aware drill sergeant puts line-up 216b through an induction course
his flabbier old commandos might have failed. Touch Sensitive and Shake-off
unleash the trademark moronic big-beat inferno with renewed precision and
vigour, a cover of Tommy Blake's rockabilly stomp Foldin' Money posits William
Blake singing Gene Vincent, and, just in case things were getting too accessible,
the eponymous final track, a study of a minor Mayor of Casterbridge character,
offers an ambitious electronic song cycle. Fall supporters eventually begin
to sound like the boy who cried wolf. How often can they be "really back
on form this time, honest"? But the fact remains, Smith is leading the field
once more, and the Fall are really back on form this time, honest.
SL
----
SimonF:
It's an album of three halves. If its a concept album, the concpet is the decline and fall of rock n roll. The fuirst third is blinding but I'm disappointed by Perfect Day. drumming on a biscuit tin with a loose lid and a bunch of carboard boxes. Guitars muddier than a broken base and MES slouching through a classic song. Bound is ace -- 'Gggg guess you could just say it' very cheap and nasty synth and a rep-rep-repitiion in the guitars. 'too much chocolate dip' Song contains a line about 'like a marshall in the rain' which reocoours in the crying marshall
The Antidotes section is weird. from the doomy goth-meets-prog jung nev's antidote (on the single) it goes into Inevitable. starts with an acoustic (yes) strum along and then in comes =--- shock horror the ocarina solo -- actually it ain't an ocarina its a synth using the almost forgotten general midi ocarina patch. There is also a mandolinb like guitar figure . naive melody. I haven't listened enough to make out what MES is on about. There is a line about 'bounce around on saturday' anecdotes + antidotes in b# starts to ge4t seriously free form. wah wah pedals and shouting.
Paert 3. weeell now, early life of crying marshal kicks of with a sound collage of wibbling and wobbling and scratchy guitar followed bu a classical sample which might be prokofiev or some ballet music. then more squalling on the guitar before a breakbeat drum riff drops in. sample of shouted 'pressure' or perhaps 'fresh' It's wu tang clan covering wmc blob 59. Marshal (sic) The marshall left town over 60 times mainly for the fashion exhibition. err??? Birthday song also starts with an abstract collage.. then some nicve tweaky synth. Very Orb stylee. ME$ is sung-spoken balladeeer mode. very odd indeed. 'Your fragrance it conveys me to the country' mad.men-eng.dog. blob wmc blob boll*cks on my own -- what a weird fall song. its hands in the air piano loop like a happy house number on half an e.
Basically, the album is worth it for TS, F-Oldin Money, shake off and bound alone. Not sure about the rest of it though.
----
The Fall played a live session for XFM at Sound Republic on Thurs 15th April
GrahamC:
At approx 5.20, Fall groop are introduced by John Kennedy (Xfm dj, has decent show on Sunday nightk).
Shake-Off
f-'oldin' Money
Jet Boy - the New York Dolls song!
Touch Sensitive - cheer of recognition from reserved, smallish audience
Antidotes
Ten Houses of Eve - big rock version (break)
Inevitable
This Perfect Day - laboured first half before MES exhorts them to crank it
up towards the end
Nev gets old-fashioned clip around ear for fumbling Touch intro - he is then forced to sing the 'hey hey hey heys'. In Ten Houses, MES walks into audience (stage only one foot high) and puts arm round two bemused lads for the 'if only thou wouldst' section, gazing into their faces like he's going to kiss them. All rather touching (glad it wasn't me though). Some amps are tampered with. Two-bass line up - Adam and Karen, Nev gtr, and Tom who looks like Mike Leigh's grandad, drums. No sign of Julia. They sounded mighty.
Fashion watch - Mr Smith wears a new blue shirt, neatly pressed dark trousers, and sports the unique new hairdo which has also been seen gracing the head of Robert de Niro Celeb watch - Stewart Lee (hardly worth mentioning, he's always there) Beer watch - 3.00 for bottle of Becks
Smith on splendid form, possibly even enjoying himself, making cryptic comments about Xfm, the group sounding tight and powerful. Lights on, excerpts from Marshall Suite over PA and we're all outside at 6 pm. Back up the road to work for me. if they keep it at this level, the tour should be excellent
--
diw:
Great gig - one of my top five of all time. Main reasons being:
1) the surprise factor #1 - when I left home this morning, the last thing
I expected was to end up at a Fall gig
2) the surprise factor #2 - Jet Boy, hilarious
3) line-up - my ideal current line-up; MES, Tom, Nev, Adam AND Karen, no
keys
4) short - 9 songs, none of them much more than 2:30 - no turgid versions
of old stuff to fill time
5) the performance - virtually flawless, energetic, focussed, powerful, rock
n'roll
6) the humour - MES having fun without being irritating
7) the lyrical improvisations - 'your father plays guitar/all night/for the
Simple Minds reunion'
8) progress; I almost feel as if The Marshall Suite is history already!
9) Inevitable; I'm ready to reappraise this one - it has a dub quality about
it, a nice conterbalance to the punchy pop of the rest of the set.
10) walking out of a Fall gig into ... daylight! Bizarre experience.
Comfortably the strongest post-hanley performance; bodes well for the forthcoming tour.
----
Then MES was supposed to go to the NME for some online chat:
SMITH: REFORMED?
Right about now...Mark E Smith chats live
THE FALL's Mark E Smith will be here tonight to chat live on nme.com at around 7 pm GMT. You can post questions now by clicking here.
You can also see Mark on the new series of The Adam & Joe Show tomorrow night on Channel 4 at 11 pm GMT. Smith will feature in the Vinyl Justice segment of the show, where the duo visit celebrities' houses and ridicule their record collections. But when the pair called round dressed as policeman and asked to investigate the singer's records, he punched them both to the ground.
A spokesperson for Smith told NME: "He threatened them and kicked them while they were on the floor and said he wasn't going to let them in. He really got into the role. Adam's a big Fall fan, so it was really funny. They weren't expecting to get the full Smith treatment."
When Adam and Joe finally gained admission to Smith's abode, among the records they found were Jan Hammer's 'Miami Vice Theme' and 'Blind Man's Penis' by Jan Trubee And The Geeks.
Click here for a sneak preview.
The new album, 'The Marshall Suite', is due for release on Artful on Monday (April 19). It's believed to be the band's 31st studio album, although even their press office couldn't confirm the actual number. It also marks the band's 21st anniversary.
---
And, so, Nev turned up (you'll have to read this from the bottom I'm afraid!)
[20:39:20] nme.com - OK, it's 90 odd minutes after we said he'd be here and
it really seems that he's not going to turn up. We feel like dicks, but hey,
what can we do, right? Anyway, apologies for all those of you who hung on
and posted questions. If we can reschedule or whatever we will. You have
our deepest apologies.
924205160
20:34:41] Shimon Bentley - Is MES going to turn up? Are you arsed if he
doesn't?
Mark E Smith 924204881.1
Nev: No, Bernard's buying the drinbks anyway
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:34:08] Simone - Did you find the Fall or did he find you?
Mark E Smith 924204848.1
Nev: I fell into the Fall...taht's about the truth of it
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:32:59] Horst - Have you heard Ark yet?
Mark E Smith 924204779.1
Nev: No
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:32:41] Gerry Edgar - so yae hink yir a hard man dae yae son????
Mark E Smith 924204761.1
Nev: Give me your address...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:32:20] Grezz - Whats the money like?
Mark E Smith 924204740.1
Nev: Shit brilliant shiot brilliant shit brilliant etc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:31:54] baby love - Do you like Nirvana?
Mark E Smith 924204714.1
Nev: I
adoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadoreadorea
doreadoreadoreadoreadoreadore Nirvana
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:31:23] AlexanderDeLarge - Do you hate any rock star right now?
Mark E Smith 924204683.1
Nev: So many...most of them...virtually all of them
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:30:53] Pasty - Is Karen actually part of the band? She seems to drift
in and out at the moment
Mark E Smith 924204653.1
Nev: she's like the ether...she is a part of the band
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:30:07] Anonymous - are you honoured at having people like courtney love
as fans?
Mark E Smith 924204607.1
Nev: Would you be?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:29:44] deee-funkt - Are you aware that you're part of The Best Band There
Is? How does that make you feel?
Mark E Smith 924204584.1
Nev: Go To Sleep
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:29:23] Frau Crazytoots - What's yer very favorite Fall song? (pre-Nev,
that is)
Mark E Smith 924204563.1
Nev: And They're In, I suppose
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:28:57] Dave H - Where was Julia tonight?
Mark E Smith 924204537.1
Nev: Busy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:28:41] Fingus Monkton - Does Mark fiddle with your amp?
Mark E Smith 924204521.1
Nev: Yes...the cunt. It's when most of the fights happen, when he tampers
with mny stuff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:26:57] L - are you being paid to chat with us?
Mark E Smith 924204417.1
Nev: no
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:26:17] Horst The Viking - Who is Marks new hairdresser?
Mark E Smith 924204377.1
Nev: A scally!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:26:01] Simone - What happened to Marks hair when playing Ashton gigs?
Mark E Smith 924204361.1
Nev: I shou;dn't tell the truth here...next question
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:25:37] Holmesy - C'mon, does Mark really say -ah all the time?
Mark E Smith 924204337.1
Nev: Shut upah
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:24:28] Jimmy Savile - Know anything about the adam and joe thing with
Mark?
Mark E Smith 924204268.1
Nev: Yeah...fabricated publicity bollocks...the same as this
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:23:42] Grezz - Seeing as your all mates, do you think this line-up will
last?
Mark E Smith 924204222.1
Nev: yeah, for a bit
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
[20:23:21] Jonny Greenwood - I`m better than both of you
Mark E Smith 924204201.1
Nex: I agree
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:22:58] John Squire - Yes i am
Mark E Smith 924204178.1
Nev: no yer not
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:22:41] John Peel Jr. - What time is your XFM concert on tonight?
Mark E Smith 924204161.1
Bernard: Sometime in the next three dayts..don't know yet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:22:04] John Squire - Im better than you
Mark E Smith 924204124.1
Nev: No yer not
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:21:26] Paul H - Are the band mates? I mean do you hang out with them
or just turn up to play, then get the fuck out of town?
Mark E Smith 924204086.1
Nev: Mates? Yeah, well Adam I live with so I'm with him all the time, spent
a week at Markl's house and had a good laugh, Speth (sound engineer)is an
ex-girlfriend, Tom hung out with me, so...yeah, they're mates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:19:53] jim-bob - favourite band of the nintes (apart from the fall)
Mark E Smith 924203993.1
Nev: Changes by the second...Radiohead did reaklly well, REM keep coming
up w/ it...Tom Waits is alway s there...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:18:52] Phu Q - What did you do before the fall?
Mark E Smith 924203932.1
Nev: toured Australia, fell out of a plabne in the desert...couple of other
bands...got dru nk & abused people...& I know how to sort out the
rashes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:17:49] Jean - How much longer til Mark gets there?
Mark E Smith 924203869.1
Nev: Em...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:17:34] Michael Fellows - do you give lessons? on guitar
Mark E Smith 924203854.1
Nev: ha ha ha ha
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:17:18] simon - what's your favourite track off the new album?
Mark E Smith 924203838.1
Nev: Mine!...and The Saints one and the ballad Birthday Siong is
beautiful...F-Olding Moiney is phenomenal,...it's all great
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:16:06] Mark H. - Who's your favorite ex-fall guitar player, if any?
Mark E Smith 924203766.1
Nev: I don't know any...I might have bedded them without knowing it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:15:40] Marky - Do you hate any of The Fall Stuff?
Mark E Smith 924203740.1
Nev:Yeah,tons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:15:24] Jean - What music does the rest of the band hear that you hate?
Mark E Smith 924203724.1
Jet Boy...New York Dolls
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:14:57] your future - considering what has happened to the other Fall
guitarists (ie. they've fallen off the face of the earth), weren't there
other career prospects? Like, say, suicide?
Mark E Smith 924203697.1
Nev: I did suicide 3 times...not as good as The fall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:14:19] Grezz - Did you actually like any Fall stuff before joining the
band
Mark E Smith 924203659.1
Nev: Yewah, man, fucking...gallons of it
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:13:53] Anonymous - Nev, what music do you HEAR that the rest of the band
hates?
Mark E Smith 924203633.1
Nev: Clinic, Mogwai, The Crocketts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:13:29] Postman Pat - Nev what guitar do you play?
Mark E Smith 924203609.1
Nev: Plastic 1 my mother gave me when I was 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:13:07] JOhn Howard - How did you hook up with the Fall?
Mark E Smith 924203587.1
Nev: Got called in for a Peel Session by Mark.. wrote 3 songs iimmediately
and went in to record them...then went for therapy after that
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:12:08] Dok - Nev, what music do you play that the rest of the band
hate?
Mark E Smith 924203528.1
Nev:???????
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:11:34] Pattrip Burke - Nev, is there anything about your guitar playing
that makes you especially well-suited to the Fall? Or were you just in the
right place at the wrong time?
Mark E Smith 924203494.1
Nev: I was in the wrong plece at the right time and there is nothing well
suited to my playing...or whatever
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:10:50] Graham Friday - Nev, honestly. How long do you expect to last
in the Fall?
Mark E Smith 924203450.1
Nev: 19 minutes...too long
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:10:30] Mat - Been on the receiving end of any violent outbursts so far?
Mark E Smith 924203430.1
NEV: Yeah, we had a fight at the first gig and he fell over my Matchless
and I twatted him. It was the second gig and I'bve only just given Bernard
(their Press Officer/Spirityual advisor) the bill.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[20:06:10] nme.com - OK, we're assured that Mark is on his way. In the meantime
Nev Wilding - guitarist in The Fall - so if you've got any questions in the
meaqntime, post them now. Cheers.
924203170.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[19:37:26] nme.com - OK, just to keep you updatede, it wasn't actually Mark
E Smith who came, it was his press officer and Mark is on his way from an
interview at XFM apparently. Again, apologies for the delay etc, though we
are assured that he will be here soon.
924201446.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[19:18:18] nme.com - OK, sorry for the delay and thank you for your patience.
Mark is somewhere in the building and should be online in a few minutes,
is Allah is willing. Meantime, keep the questions coming.
924200298.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[10:36:45] nme.com - MARK E SMITH...he's troubled, he's cantankerous and
he's just made the best Fall album in decades. Mark will be here at 7.00
pm GMT today, Thursday April 15 to answer your questions. You can come on
live and talk to Mark or you can post your questions NOW.
924169005.1
-----
So the next day NME pulled the news item with tour dates, LP details, ra clips, and put up a RIDICULOUS black box pop-up entiled "Mark E Smith - A Statement" saying that he hadn't turned up and it wasn't their fault. I though the Queen Mum had died.
-----
Sietse:
Sleeve is (part of) a no entry sign with a one dollar bill in it, and: The Fall // The Marshall Suite, with Suite in small letters in the corner. Line-up: M. E. Smith vocals, keyboards, guitar; Tom Head drums; Julia Nagle keyboards, guitar, programming; Neville Wilding guitar, vocal; Karen Leatham bass; Adam Halal bass; S. Hitchcock string arrangements. Second first impression (listening to it): I like F-'oldin' Money a lot, sounds like Jungle Rock but much better. Shake-off and Bound not too different from the session versions, more lyrics in S-o, lots about drugs, ecstacy. This Perfect Day could have sounded more powerful, it doesn't sound as good as it could have. Inevitable sounds like one of the mellow tracks on the early 90's albums, nice, and oddly lo-fi. Sound-wise the album goes all over the place, with several surprises; Inevitable is a good contrast with the bombast of (Jung Nev's) Antidotes. The third part, the 'Marshal(l?)' part, starts with a powerful dance track with Smith telling the Marshal story over the beats. Then a mellower track, Birthday Song - ironically not a song at all, more like Post Nearly Man. Mad.Men-Eng.Dog is like Papal Visit, W.M.C., etc. On My Own, credited to M.E. Smith/J. Nagle/S. Wolstencroft, sounds like a sequel to Everybody But Myself, with the piano bit that was at the start of EBM. Third first impression: a very varied album, it has a good sense of freedom and enthusiasm to it, sounds a bit chaotic too. The first part is very accesible, with the songs that were played live or in the sessions. Not that many new songs really, considering that two of them are covers, and the last five or six tracks aren't really songs, not the kind that can be played live anyway.
Initial favourites are F-'oldin' Money, Bound and Inevitable.
-----
Geoff:
Today I got myself the Marshall Suite, and he's only gone and made another corker of a record! Been looking forward to this one, for the last few weeks the only music I've been listening is Touch Sensitive, the LA2 tape and the latest Peel Session.
For me the biggest surprise is Birthday Song - it just cries out PKD androidal weirdness!. Is MES attempting to get the foot in the door for doing the soundtrack for the rumoured Blade Runner 2 movie? Hell! is he courting Ridley Scott to play the Dekker role himself if Harrison Ford is unavailable. I always did prefer the voice over version to the director's cut.
"it conveys me to the country" - didn't Ford & his android escaped to the leafy north in the original?
"In the next room?" - Think of that scanning photo round the corner trick
"And in dreams I stumble toward you?" - Baa!
-----
Sietse:
THE FALL - TOUCH SENSITIVE (cds artful)
Ik had het eigenlijk al opgegeven met The Fall. 'Zanger' Mark E. Smith leek het veel te druk te hebben met het ruziemaken met bandle-den en ex-vrouwen om nog muzikale aktiviteiten van enig belang te kunnen ontplooien. Maar god o god, wat slaat hij hier hard terug. Wat een briljante single. Het is zoals elk The Fall-nummer, typisch The Fall (één gitaarriff, knullig, dreinend basloopje, houterig door-rammende drummer met hier en daar wat violen uit een doosje en daar-overheen het uit duizende herkenbare gebral van de Mighty MES), maar allemaal stukken beter dan we de afgelopen jaren van ze gewend waren. Op de single verder, naast nog een nummer van het binnenkort te ver-schijnen album The Marshall Suite, ook een bigbeat-achtige remix van Touch Sensitive. Of, om het in Mark E. Smith-speak te zeggen: Touch-eeh Sensitive-eeh.
(raving review from the e-zine Stereo - info: http://huizen.nhkanaal.nl/~stereo)
----
diw:
Subject: <fallnet> John Squire on MES, Tarantino, Lynch, Serbia etc
Q: What you think about Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch?
J: Quentin Tarantino is an awful narrator, he's art imitating art. He's a
product of the TV era. I like Lynch' point of view, specially the absurd
part of the people and the way he's surrealist.
Q: What about Shaun Ryder, Morrisey and Mark E. Smith?
J: Shaun: wasted talent; Morrisey: invented; Mark E. Smith: dictatorial.
Q: Croatia - Serbia - Bosnia…
J: I can't understand it
----
diw:
From the Everbloom site:
"Everbloom recently supported The Fall at the Reading Alleycat. According to the band the gig was something of a debacle with Mark E Smith AWOL for most of the day, drinking himself stupid in a local hotel. The audience consisted largely of thirty-somethings gently nodding their heads (this was as excited as they got all evening). It would be true to say, that they certainly weren't expecting a band like Everbloom. "We'll put this one down to experience" said Batas."
... do they mean us?
Gez:
>Shouldn't think so; we were in the pub at the time...
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diw:
Various Artist
Rocket Fuel (2 CD compilation)
Middle Earth / Jungle Records
Utterly brilliant....if you like this sort of thing. This is a compilation, and the qualifying criterion for a place on this spaced-out trip into the starry beyond is simply one of quality. Vocal contributions from Chuck D and Mark E Smith fuse with excursions into downbeat drum and bass, chunky house, wobbly techno and dubbed-up remixes from the likes of the Charlatans, T-Paver and Pressure Drop.
This is a veritable treasure trove, the biggest and brightest gems being the superb Chemical Brothers’ remix of The Charlatans’ ‘Patrol’, D.O.S.E.’s work on the inimitable voice of The Fall’s Mark E Smith and Meleon Vocal getting freshly-brewed with a couple of numbers
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diw:
From a KLF site:
"Who are The Fall? What connection do they have to the KLF?
The Fall are a British indie group from Manchester led by loud-mouth singer Mark E Smith. They have been releasing uncompromising guitar punk-pop tunes for an incredible 18 years so far. There is no connection to the KLF other than Big In Japan and The Fall started at the same time and they (and members of the Teardrops and Bunnymen) were all hangers on in the Northwest punk scene in 1977.
However there are some connections in the KLF's body of work. Firstly The Fall's 'Totally Wired' single is sampled in 'Next' on 1987. It was the only sample on the LP that they had permission to use, and it is the only sample that appears on 1987 - The Edits (JAMS 25) which is the LP with spaces instead of samples so that it's legal!!
Secondly the lyrics of "The Prestwich Prophets Grin" on "Who Killed the Jams?" contain a reference to The Fall. In a section on changing identities, and the end of the JAMs the lyrics are something like: "Well Mark E Smith, it's your turn now/ To roll the dice and win/ The tables turned, now we're The Fall/ The North will rise again! Around this time the Fall were enjoying their only period of chart success, including a dance-influenced single called 'Hit The North'
Then The FALL was listed as one of the alias of the KLF in The Manual, and spelt out as The Forever Ancients Liberation Loophole (and on a 1990 T-shirt). This refers to the liberation loophole which their lawyer David Franks found to release them from their contract with Eternity in the White Room movie. They mention the liberation loophole in the lyrics of the UK LP version of Last Train... by the way.
Different people pretending to be the same person, is a common situationist-inspired tactic as practised by Stewart Home and friends who produce different magazines all called 'Smile' written by multiple Karen Elliots reviewing music produced by multiple Monty Cautsins
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diw:
From: http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~jimhobbs/music/reviews/archive/150299.htm
INCH (Feat. Mark E Smith) - Inch
Regal Recordings (REGAL??)
**********
The legend goes that the NME pressed up one copy of this single and gave
it to John Peel as a birthday present, who in turn made it number 7 in his
festive 50 (1997). Having never been a Fall or Mark E Smith fan, I find it
extremely difficult to find anything in this record that I like. It follows
the usual formula of Smith's shouty disorted vocals and a tepid backing beat.
The recorded message at the beginning was quite cool, but, all in all, this
is perhaps Regal's first poor release.
----
diw:
From some Pavement site:
"Some are still calling them the American Fall - which displeases Fall mainman Mark E. Smith nearly as much as it irritates Pavement...
"I'm sure Mark E. Smith would like us more if we ripped him off more," sighs Malkmus. "He's probably heard our latest stuff and decided that we're a bunch of hippy lovers. But I'm sure he realises that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We did nick some of The Fall's aesthetic but it was only in loving tribute to the band, and it's helped them as well... in America."
Pavement's scrapbook style sleeves - not to mention song titles like "Zurich Is Stained", "Price Yeah!" and Wowee Zowee's "Flux=Rad" - continue to testify to a Fall interest, but their recent absorption of country rock and even (surprise!) the blues means they've begun to wander from their anglophile roots. Malkmus' knack for playing a guitar lick 'in inverted commas' (a skill he says he copped off Wilko Johnson) remains, but on Wowee Zowee he toys with everything from coy neo-jazz figures to smokestack lightning leads in a Hubert Sumlin vein. Pavement appear to have gazed upon the whole vista of American music and saw that it was good.
"Well, for me it transcends America," Malkmus demurs, "and encapsulates everything as far as rock music goes: English, German, American, even Dutch - there's definitely some Shocking Blue influence in there! I know there are more American inflections on certain songs but there are others where I hear that classic Mersey Beat style or even Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin stuff. For me I still hear the dingy basements of Manchester..."
sietse:
From the interview with Mark E. Smith that I did in '91:
- You talk about bands plaguarising The Fall a lot. Do you really think that's true?
"It's more of a jokey thing, it's more of a contemptious thing. It doesn't really bother me. I like to tease people, get 'em going and all that. 'Cause basically a lot of these rock bands are just phonies, full of shit. They should have proper jobs. They should get a job. (laughs) No, they are. What amazes me about them is that they're so short of ideas, I find it shocking. I'm not saying everybody should be full of ideas, it's just that you'd think somebody like Sonic Youth would have the capacity to work out their own scene. I think that's what they're doin' now. It's a growth thing. But I'm always ahead of myself, I can't fuckin' hold meself back. I'd used to get upset about it, you turn on the TV and see some guy tryin' to be like you. It's like, I'm beyond the point of anger about it, you know, it's like: why don't you just think up something yourself. You know, that's what I think: why can't you think up your own ideas, why do you have to wear my shirt and my haircut and try and sing like me, I mean, come on, you can do better. (laughs). You know what I mean?"
- It is, in a way, flattering.
"That's what people say, I don't agree. I think it's sad for them. It's like, if I ever get like that I'll seriously reconsider myself. I've been like that, 'what can I do, I'll try and be like this'... Then you stop and think, no, you shouldn't do that. Don't do anything. If you're short of ideas, stop. Stop for a bit."
----
Paul Saxton:
Just got the cassette version of the new Suede single for their Fall 'tribute', Implement Yeah.
It's horrible.
----
Alan McB:
http://public-www.pi.se/hotel/orbit/public_html/asia/shanghai.html
'The Marshall suite, where he lived, is an enormous three room suite with a large marble bathroom. It has balconies with doors opening onto them. The front door and the foyer of the hotel gives one the feeling of being Marshall himself fifty years ago coming into the residence after a heated debate and quarrel with President Chiang Kai-shek...'
http://rrv.net/web/marshall/mhmarhires.htm
http://innsphere.com/innsphere/gallery.htm
'This large elegant room, the Marshall Suite, offers a King sized bed with a down comforter, many antiques, and a sitting area infront of the cozy fireplace for cool evenings (it's gas - no waiting). There is a large private bathroom with full size tub and shower. With windows on two sides of the house you can let the sunshine STREAM in or close the blackout shades. Notice the figure standing in the doorway. Some say it is the ghost of builder John Marshall...'
----
ESPN NETWORK: ESPN.COM | ABCSPORTS.COM | NFL.COM
Making His Marq
Despite a late start, big-hitting Cal safety Marquis Smith is zeroing in
on the pros
By Scott Resch NFL.com
(March 12, 1999) — California safety Marquis Smith knows fear. Not just because he sees it in his opponents' eyes when they come racing over the middle of the field, but because, for most of his life, he's lived with it.
For 22 years, Smith did what his mother told him: He stayed away from the water. Not completely, mind you — he bathed regularly, just like any other kid, and probably did his share of dishes, too. He just didn't go near a swimming area. His mom, Barbara Duckett, wouldn't allow it.
1999, NFL Enterprises
------------------------------------------------------
Recent news....
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990411 Couple of Marshall Suite reviews, Live 77
details, 1985/1987 interviews
990330 Touch Sensitive reviews, Marshall Suite
details
990320 Shake-off lyrics, tour details
990314 MES Escape interview
990308 Ashton Tuesday reviews, Falling Through
Time part 1, Dragnet reissue
990302 Ashton Sunday and Monday reviews
990221 LP announcement, Inch reviews
990214 not much
990207 various stuff
990128 Peel Sessions CD review
990118 Uncut pieces, Marcia interview, NZ art
collection
990110 NME LA2 review, modern rock sociology
990103 Manchester Ritz reviews
981220 Bristol F&F and London LA2 reviews,
cut-out-and-keep guide to recent reissues
981214 NME & MM short pieces
981206 Dazed and Confused interview
981130 Nottingham 92 sleevenotes
981123 NME and MM news
items
981116 nothing special
981109 Peel session reactions
981102 Melody Maker singles review, Action Records
details
981026 St Bernadette's Hall reviews, Astoria ticket
details, Nottingham 92 album
981019 various
981009 NME interview, TBLY #13
981005 F-olding Money lyrics, couple of PNM reviews,
Simon Rodgers' career
980927 Live Various Years details/review, 1994
interview
980920 more snippets
980914 bits & pieces
980907 NME interview, Post Nearly Man reviews,
Mojo's How to Buy The Fall, Something Beginning With O
980831 Inertia tour details
980825 various snippets
980817 Observer interview, Manchester and LA2 gig
reports
980811 Melody Maker interview, Live Various Years
details, previews. Rick.
980802 Spoken word LP press release, Northern Attitude
key & sleevenotes, Edwyn Collins, TBLY #12 details
Old stuff: Nov 1997 - July 1998
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