Trollheart spends time with... The Fall!

[Trollheart]

Title: Shift-Work
Medium: Album
Year: 1991
General opinion: Again, I think positive, though there are this time few comments, just Allmusic's contention that  "repetitious grooves became interspersed with pop song structures." and NME's simple "Quiet! Genius at work!" Says it all, dunnit?
Trollheart Falls in: I'm told this is a "happier", for want of another word, Fall album, where the vitriol is kept right back and MES even waxes lyrical about things, rather than sneering at or attacking or undermining them, but like that supergroup who changed music, Bucks Fizz, I'll make my own mind up thanks. I find a buzzier, fuzzier sound to "So What About it?" with the usual repetitive guitar line, but it settles down quickly and he does try to sing this time. Seems the female keyboard player is gone now, and so is the other guitarist, and The Fall are down to a four-piece. Do I hear a difference? Can't really say I do. I'm not particularly enamoured by this opening track, but "Idiot Joy Showland" has a sort of modern Police-style reggae beat behind it and also evokes elements of the softer side of The Clash, while "Edinburgh Man" could theoretically be on a Springsteen album, and MES does a decent job of singing here. There's no bile here at all; the song is very reflective and betrays a yearning for home, sort of. Very very impressed with this.

"Pittsville Direkt" opens with an a capella bit sort of crooned by Mark, then hammers in on some powerful rising guitar, "The Book of Lies" has a cool warbly keyboard melody running through it and is very catchy, then there's a mad fiddle in "The War Against Intelligence", our friend Kevin Brady back again to hoe-down the song up, if that's not a contradiction, and if it is, in the best tradition of MES, fuck off. He's singing here, close as he can get anyway, and seems, so far, to have abandoned the idea of just speaking the lyric, which I think is affording the songs more commercial appeal. They certainly sound, in the main, better. This one I find very The The indeed.

A big wobbling swirly keyboard intro then to the title track, with perhaps tape loops or something making a kind of scratchy sound over the music, and a slow, pounding bass line framing the melody, there's a loudhailer introduction to "You Haven't Found It Yet", but then it settles down into a pretty standard rock/pop track driven by some sweet guitar. The song also ends on that bullhorn, then a very sort of new-wave, even soul backing to "The Mixer", which almost sounds like it has a drum machine in it, but I imagine doesn't, and fiddle, which it does. More usage of the loudhailer in an almost, but not quite, Roger Waters way, while "A Lot of Wind" has a drum intro somewhat reminiscent of Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz", then rocks along nicely with a sort of staggered, rapid-fire vocal by MES, "Rose" is another very pop-styled song with piping keyboards and a nice hook in the melody, and the album ends then on "Sinister Waltz", which comes in on a sort of fairground melody with a bouncing bass and thrumming guitar, MES using that loudhailer again, but this time all the way through the song, and with an added echo effect.

If I had heard this as my first Fall album I would probably have liked them a lot more than I do, but as I've progressed through their catalogue I've watched, well, listened to them change and warp and metamorphose into a totally different band, and while I certainly love this, you'd have to say in some ways it's almost as if Mark's fangs have been pulled, and all the bitterness and snideness and sense of anger that characterised the other albums is missing here. And, kind of, missed, too.

Rating: 8.5/10

Trollheart vs The Fall
Trollheart: 1
The Fall: 15
Current score: Trollheart 1 - 15 The Fall

[SGR]

Haven't been able to muster a lot of input recently as I've been sick. 

But it's very interesting to see how much you enjoyed Shift-Work. As with many of their albums, this is one that leaves many Fall fans polarized. Some very much enjoy the change of pace - the slow burn of it all, while others who don't like it have dubbed it as Shit-Work. 

Personally, I'm not big on the record - I'd probably give it a 6/10. I do enjoy some of the tracks, but rarely do I ever feel compelled to come back to it. It comes dangerously close to committing the most cardinal sin for a Fall record...being boring.

But, the strange shifts in directions of their sound that continue to take place throughout the '90s probably wouldn't have happened without this album, so for that, I do give it credit.

[Trollheart]

Title: Code: Selfish
Medium: Album
Year: 1992
General opinion: No idea; there is no reaction whatsoever shown
Trollheart Falls in: I do read that this was a "harsher" album than the previous, and that it embraced the techno sound more, so that may not be good for me. You can hear that right away from the beginning of "The Birmingham School of Business School" which opens with clanging bells, then thick techno beats and a very slurred vocal from MES, not so much of the guitar this time around, with synth and keys taking centre stage. I think it would be hard, were you to hear this on the radio, to recognise it as a Fall song. The vocal has cleared up a bit now, and some more guitar coming into the mix, but very clearly more a dance song than the usual kind of post-punk/rock they have been doing up to now.

I must admit, I don't see too much of a difference initially between that and "Free Range", though it does sort of shift in the middle to a more synth-based tune with less of the techno, MES back to talking the lyric, then "Return" has a sort of Depeche Mode style of percussion with blasts of guitar around the edges, and here I hear Mark doing more singing than talking. So that's not bad. "Time Enough at Last" does thankfully get back to the standard guitar backing, and sounds more like the kind of thing you expect to hear from The Fall, MES singing this time. Well, as much as he can be said to anyway. This is the first track on the album with what I could call any sort of a hook in the melody.

You've got to admire him for actually quoting the J-Man at the start of "Everything Hurtz", and it's another fast-paced, guitar-driven tune (I do hope we're past all the techno rubbish now) with MES on top form here, but no we're back with it as we head into "Immortality", where the synths again hold court, though the bass makes its presence felt for about the first time on the album. I don't know if it's meant to reference the Batman enemy, but "Two-Face!" is even worse, just a mess of synths and effects ... ah but then it clears to a nice clean steady guitar line and gets a lot better. It's like I've put on a Pogues album then when "Just Waiting" starts, with what may or may not be an accordion and a romping tempo, with MES half-slurring/half-singing the lyric, then the guitar bit is, well, odd, and seems almost out of place. Ah wait, that was a Hank Williams song. Sorry guys; don't count. It was going to be my favourite so far, (not hard, given that I haven't liked much at all on this) but no way am I making a cover my favourite. And now we're back to techno shite with "So Called Dangerous". Sigh.

There is at least a really nice piano intro to "Gentlemen's Agreement", and MES does his best to sing this. This would, however, be about the third track I've enjoyed on this, and that includes the cover. "Married, 2 Kids" is decent blues striding rock too, and the album may make an attempt to end strongly, but it's still getting a negative vote from me I'm afraid. That honky-tonk piano is cool though, no denying that. "Crew Filth" is, though, just annoying. I mean, really annoying. Terrible way to end a pretty terrible album.

Rating: 4/10

Trollheart vs The Fall
Trollheart: 2
The Fall: 15
Current score: Trollheart 2 - 15 The Fall

[SGR]

One of the best things I can say for Code: Selfish, besides having one of my favorite Fall singles with "Free Range", is that it's a great album to turn on when you need to complete some tedious busy work or even when I'm programming. Doesn't make exactly for the most compelling music alone, but does work wonders as background noise to keep you driving steady. 

[Norg]

KORN

.....cus i already know everything about them but do U     























..... wait Better yet KORN but Just there solo music JJAJAJAJAJAJ

Jonathan davis
Munky
Head
Ray
fieldy...if u cant mange it the worst ..cept for FD
david silveria...just Infinika ..even tho that was prob  Riz Story baby project

[Trollheart]

I'll consider it but I did say this was not a torture thread. Suppose you could have said Slipknot.

New rule: if someone suggests something to me and I take it up, I expect them to accompany me on the journey, like SGR is. Make comments, talk about what I'm listening to, give your view, encourage (or discourage) me. Don't just dump a screaming, smelly baby who has to be changed on the steps outside my church and expect me to look after it and find a home for it while you fuck off to the night club.

Anyone not agreeing to this, I don't do your rec. Fair?

[Lexi Darling]

Korn is one of my perennial favorite bands, I'd definitely accompany you if Norg didn't. But I only have 15 days left till I take my internet hiatus so idk. Maybe put it on the back burner for now? Your call of course.

[Trollheart]

You'll be more than welcome, hon. But it won't be till January 1 at the earliest, so plenty of time. I'm doing as close as I can to a month on each. You won't mind if I hide against your shoulder if the music is too scary?

[Lexi Darling]

You'll be more than welcome, hon. But it won't be till January 1 at the earliest, so plenty of time. I'm doing as close as I can to a month on each. You won't mind if I hide against your shoulder if the music is too scary?

Alright! When I get back we can arrange it then, and my shoulder is yours for the hiding.

[Trollheart]

Title: The Infotainment Scan
Medium: Album
Year: 1993
General opinion: Allmusic called it "a winner and a half" and "one of the band's most playful yet sharp-edged releases" while The Boston Globe agreed, saying it was "10 tracks of caustic wit set to backing music that swirls one moment and grinds the next". Robert Christgau said it had a "great original sound, one hell of a cover band" (not sure if our Bob was being facetious there) while The Independent said "Smith's invective has rarely been more sharply honed" and that the band "have rarely sounded brighter" and the NME said the album  "stands at the very peak of their canon"
Trollheart Falls in: Supposedly the band's most accessible album to that point, I find it perhaps odd that it seems to open on that techno scratchy beat thingy, which continues throughout "Ladybird (Green Grass)" and is pretty annoying. MES is singing though, which is something, and the guitar is taking control, but that noise is getting on my tits. That fucker Bush again, with his thrice-damned programming. I see this got into the top ten, so surely then The Fall's most commercially successful album, at least to that point. Can't say though I'm impressed with this opener. And the next one is a cover, believe it or not, of Sister Sledge's disco hit "Lost in Music". Wait, what? Yeah you heard me, and I heard me, and even I don't believe it, but there it is.

Of course it gets The Fall treatment, but even so, come on guys! Sister fucking Sledge? What's next? "We Are (Dysfunctional) Family"? I suppose you can take it as a snide joke, a jab at the disco scene, otherwise it makes less sense than the next one, also a cover, of some fucker off New Faces who nobody remembers or cares about. "I'm Going to Spain"? Fuck off there then and leave me alone. Jesus on speed trying to break the habit! Okay, before that we have "Glam-Racket", which is pretty good, driving guitar beat and MES back to talking the lyric, while "It's a Curse" sounds a bit 1980s new wave to me, a lot of keys and synth against a hurried beat, but it's not bad. Nor is "Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room" with some pretty good guitar riffs and an almost heavy metal backing in ways, but overall this isn't really impressing me I have to say.

"Service" has a nice piano line leading it, sort of techno in feel but slower and it sounds like there are trumpets or something in there too. Checking... no, nothing shown, so possibly on synth. Probably the first track I've really enjoyed so far, that is an original one. I think in general I'm not enamoured by the over-proliferation of synth and techno dance beats here, which seem to be swamping the band out mostly. "The League of Bald-headed Men" is a good example of this, or, if you prefer, a bad one.

"Past Gone Mad" is another one. I lay most of the blame for this unexpected change of musical direction at the feet of Davy Bush, who seems to have brought his ideas of how to metamorphose The Fall into a dance band with him, and I'd be happy if he'd just fuck off, sticking his programming notions up the orifice of his choice. It's just not the same band I've listened to for, at this point now, over two weeks, and I don't like how they're going, what they're becoming. I don't know if they stayed this way, but I sure don't like it. Where are all the thundering bass lines, the snarling guitars, the wibbly occasional keyboards? It's all confused now, a big mess of sounds I find hard to separate. Ending then on "Light/Fireworks", and well fuck me into next Tuesday! It's more of the same, if not worse. Oh wait no it's the worst yet: some Daleks have been invited into the studio, MES sounds like Waits on a bad day, there's hardly any music and just a synthy bare bones line as he talks. Yuck.

Rating: 3/10

Trollheart vs The Fall
Trollheart: 3
The Fall: 15
Current score: Trollheart 3 - 15 The Fall

[Trollheart]

Title: Behind the Counter
Medium: EP
Year: 1993
General opinion: Unknown
Trollheart Falls in: It seems the Wiki list is less than complete when it comes to EPs, and according to RYM I've already missed out on a few. Well I'm not going back to do them at this point, when I'm still barely halfway through the albums and more than halfway through the month, but this one I will do, as it fits in to the chronology. Plus it's only three tracks, so why not? Looks like some of them may have ended up on later albums, and if so well I'll just reference them when/if I get to them.

Of course, the Y don't have the EP so again I have to take it apart and look for each track singly. The title track, as such, then, opens on MES saying "Waster" or something (never can quite get around that Mancunian accent) and is, thanks be to the fucking gods of post-punk, entirely devoid of poxy techno synth, driven on a snappy guitar and with some keyboard backup, but only in the background. MES is sort of half-speaking/half-singing the lyric in the way we've come to know. Yeah, even when the keys have a solo it's more like an actual keyboard passage than a buzzy, overwhelming wall of synth, as it was on the last album.

"War" starts with what sounds like tin cans being hit with a stick, then - god help me! - that fucking techno beat is back with a vengeance, as if to say "Ha! Thought you'd got rid of me did you? Well I'm BACK, motherfucker!" Thankfully it quickly fades out and the guitar takes over, then the two seem to wage, perhaps rather appropriately, a war for control of the song while MES bleats on about, presumably, war. It has a lot of energy though and I like it better than anything off the album. Well, almost. The final track is "Cab Driver" (which I thought I had heard already but I think I was mixing it up with "Cab it Up!" off one of the others - This Nation's Saving Grace maybe?) and this is pretty new wave alright, the keys and synth high in the mix, a slower, more sedate pace to the song, Mark's lyric so far almost entirely inaudible. Pretty much a techno instrumental. Meh.

Rating: 5/10

Trollheart vs The Fall
Trollheart: 3
The Fall: 16
Current score: Trollheart 3 - 16 The Fall

[Trollheart]

Title: Behind the Counter (Volume 2)
Medium: EP
Year: 1993
General opinion: Unknown
Trollheart Falls in: Oh, and there's a second volume. Well of course there is. This also has three tracks, one being a remix of the title track off the first one, but it opens on good heavy guitar and wailing synth as we launch into "M5" (wasn't that the mad computer in Star Trek? I doubt that's what it's about though: probably some motorway in England) and MES is sort of singing here, so pretty decent really. "Happy Holiday" opens with an airport announcement in some foreign language, presumably the lads arriving for the aforementioned holiday, then it rocks along nicely on guitar with Mark half-singing, really more like one of their earlier songs. I think the title has little if anything to do with Christmas, and is more a sort of snide look at holidaymakers and tourists? Kind of sounds like a cross between The Fall and the Housemartins. The Fallmartins? Some funny banter in between about buying drinks and such, good organ run, then it's a remix of "Behind the Counter", which I'm not going to bother to listen to as I have enough to do already. Can't be that different.

Oh fuck it all right then, if you insist. I suppose it is just one more track. Let's give it a spin. Well honestly I don't fully remember what the original was like, but I don't think this is too much different. Might be more keys in it, really not sure.

Rating: 5/10

Trollheart vs The Fall
Trollheart: 3
The Fall: 17
Current score: Trollheart 3 - 16 The Fall

[SGR]

The various choices The Fall have made for covers have always kinda fascinated me. "I'm Going to Spain" was a weird novelty track from a british TV actor - and it wasn't particularly great in its original form, but The Fall turned it into something charming and wistful with MES for the most part properly carrying a tune. Then of course, like you said, they covered disco with Sister Sledge and provide an inspired cover that fits very well in the context of the broader album - you mentioned it might have been a snide joke, a jab at disco - but I don't think so - I think MES actually just liked the song and thought it would be fun to do a cover of it. Then there's "War" which you mentioned in the 'Behind the Counter' EP. That's actually a cover of avant-prog group Henry Cow. The Fall would later go on to cover the likes of Hank Mizell ("Jungle Rock") and Merle Haggard. There's really no common thread to any of this diverse set of music beyond the fact that The Fucking Fall covered them all. And again, I do find it fascinating. 

[Suburban Placeholder?]

How did I not see this.

You should have just listened to all 24 of their John Peel Sessions.
Same journey with all the fat trimmed off.

But then TH never did do things the easy way.

BTW The Infotainment Scan is actually their best selling album.

[SGR]

How did I not see this.

You should have just listened to all 24 of their John Peel Sessions.
Same journey with all the fat trimmed off.

But then TH never did do things the easy way.

BTW The Infotainment Scan is actually their best selling album.

Infotainment is their best selling album huh? Damn, that surprises me a little bit. If I had to have guessed, I probably would've guessed that The Frenz Experiment was their best selling.

A few of the tracks off these Behind The Counter EPs end up on their next record, Middle Class Revolt. I know of some Fall fans that felt disappointed by the record because of that, and even retrospectively, view it a little poorly because of that. I never listened to the EPs beforehand though, so that was never a negative with me. I actually think Middle Class Revolt is one of their more underrated records. It's a very breezy sounding record, perfect for relaxing autumn...or fall days.

The peel sessions are excellent btw. I bought the whole collection on CD for about $16 total around 10 years ago. Good thing I did, because you won't find it for any less than $160 these days.