ALBUM REVIEW: The Fall: The Singles 1978 – 2016 [boxset]

The Fall

Release December 2017

The Singles 1978 – 2016

There have been numerous Fall box sets over the years of varying quality, The Peel Sessions, The Rough Trade Anthology, and 50,000 Fall fans Cant Be Wrong to name a few, so hearing Cherry Red were releasing a new expansive CD set it made me wonder if it was really needed.

The Fall in various line ups over the years have given us some classic albums, Live at The Witch Trials, Hex Induction Hour, Grotesque, Curious Oranj .. containing some of their best moments, but here for the first time we have all The Fall A sides and B sides from 78-2018 in one 7CD box and a scaled down A sides only 3 CD set released at the same time.

Smith has given us 51 singles to date from Bingo Master`s Breakout, or Bingo Master as its printed on the sleeve in 1978 to the more recent Wise Ol Man EP last year all re mastered here by Fall producer Andy Pearce.

It`s an impressive list and what`s great about this release is the first 3 CDS contain A sides only, the other 4 CDS are B sides only so you don’t need to skip around each disc, alternatively you can buy the 3CD set which contains the A sides only. Personally I think the B sides are totally worth having but at an extra £23 you may settle for the 3CD Set.

The early singles of course are great featuring Craig Scanlon and Marc Riley on guitars, Fiery Jack, Roche Rumble, Totally Wired up to the single C.r.e.e.p where Brix Smith enters the fray, then follows Cruisers Creek and Couldn’t Get Ahead before we move to CD2 and some of my favourite singles from the 1986-88 period .. the superb Mr Pharmacist and the excellent cover version of the Soul Classic There`s a Ghost in My House, before probably there most commercial outings Hit The North and Victoria and probably the best single in my opinion Cab It Up.

Moving on to the 3^rd CD Masquerade the 1998 somewhat electro jazz single leads us into the changing world of The Fall, and the cracking Theme From Sparta F.C. 2… all this and I haven’t mentioned the B sides… again it`s an extensive list but with songs like Various Times, Psycho Mafia, Im into CB, Hit The North part 2 and dozens more of potential could have been A sides.. it’s a compelling listen.

Also includes the usual booklet with info and pictures of all the single covers written by Fall expert Conway Paton.

Is it needed? of course it is.

In short Get yer F oldin Money Out…

10/10

words:Leggy Mountbatten photo:SHOTbystAn

DISC ONE:
SINGLES

BINGO-MASTER BREAKOUT
2. IT’S THE NEW THING
3. ROWCHE RUMBLE
4. FIERY JACK
5. HOW I WROTE ‘ELASTIC MAN’
6. TOTALLY WIRED
7. LIE DREAM OF A CASINO SOUL
8. LOOK, KNOW
9. THE MAN WHOSE HEAD EXPANDED
10. KICKER CONSPIRACY
11. MARQUIS CHA-CHA
12. OH! BROTHER
13. C.R.E.E.P.
14. DRAYGO’S GUILT
15. COULDN’T GET AHEAD
16. CRUISER’S CREEK

DISC TWO:
SINGLES

LIVING TOO LATE
2. MR. PHARMACIST
3. HEY! LUCIANI
4. THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE
5. HIT THE NORTH PART 1
6. VICTORIA
7. JERUSALEM
8. CAB IT UP
9. TELEPHONE THING
10. POPCORN DOUBLE FEATURE
11. WHITE LIGHTNING
12. HIGH TENSION LINE
13. FREE RANGE
14. ED’S BABE
15. WHY ARE PEOPLE GRUDGEFUL?
16. BEHIND THE COUNTER
17. 15 WAYS
18. THE CHISELERS

DISC THREE:
SINGLES

MASQUERADE
2. TOUCH SENSITIVE
3. F-‘OLDIN’ MONEY
4. RUDE (ALL THE TIME)
5. SUSAN VS YOUTHCLUB
6. (WE WISH YOU) A PROTEIN CHRISTMAS
7. THEME FROM SPARTA F.C. #2
8. DISTILLED MUG ART (MIX 15)
9. I CAN HEAR THE GRASS GROW
10. REFORMATION! (UNCUT)
11. SLIPPY FLOOR (MARK MIX)
12. BURY! #2+4
13. LAPTOP DOG
14. VICTROLA TIME
15. SIR WILLIAM WRAY (SINGLE MIX)
16. THE REMAINDERER
17. WISE OL MAN

DISC FOUR:
B-SIDES

PSYCHO MAFIA
2. REPETITION
3. VARIOUS TIMES
4. IN MY AREA
5. 2ND DARK AGE
6. PSYKICK DANCEHALL #2
7. CITY HOBGOBLINS
8. PUTTA BLOCK
9. FANTASTIC LIFE
10. I’M INTO C.B.
11. LUDD GANG
12. WINGS
13. ROOM TO LIVE
14. GOD-BOX
15. O! BROTHER

DISC FIVE:
B-SIDES

PAT-TRIP DISPENSER
2. C.R.E.E.P
3. CLEAR OFF
4. NO BULBS
5. ROLLIN’ DANY
6. PETTY (THIEF) LOUT
7. L.A.
8. VIXEN
9. HOT AFTERSHAVE BOP
10. LIVING TOO LONG
11. LUCIFER OVER LANCASHIRE
12. AUTO TECH PILOT
13. ENTITLED
14. SHOULDER PADS #1B

DISC SIX:
B-SIDES

HAF FOUND BORMANN
2. HIT THE NORTH PART 2
3. TUFF LIFE BOOOGIE
4. ACID PRIEST 2088
5. DEAD BEAT DESCENDANT
6. BRITISH PEOPLE IN HOT WEATHER
7. BUTTERFLIES 4 BRAINS
8. ZANDRA
9. BLOOD OUTTA STONE
10. XMAS WITH SIMON
11. EVERYTHING HURTZ
12. PUMPKIN HEAD XSCAPES
13. GLAM RACKET
14. WAR
15. HEY! STUDENT
16. THE $500 BOTTLE OF WINE
17. CHILINIST
18. MASQUERADE (PWL MIX)
19. TOUCH SENSITIVE (DANCE MIX)
20. ANTIDOTE

DISC SEVEN:
B-SIDES

PERFECT DAY (NEW VERSION)
2. I WAKE UP IN THE CITY
3. JANET VS JOHNNY
4. (WE ARE) MOD MOCK GOTH
5. MY EX CLASSMATE’S KIDS (LIVE)
6. I WAKE UP IN THE CITY (MIX 5)
7. CLASP HANDS
8. OVER OVER (ROUGH MIX)
9. HOT CAKE – PART 2
10. COWBOY GREGORI
11. COSMOS 7
12. MONOCARD (LUNATIC MIX)
13. TAKING OFF (LIVE)
14. JETPLANE
15. HITTITE MAN (SINGLE MIX)
16. AMORATOR!
17. ALL LEAVE CANCELLED