The Album Review Club - Week #195 (page 1310) - A New World Record - ELO

Mr Grumpy said:
To further answer.

I'm going slow on my review this week for much the same reasons.

I can't stand punk. Tuneless shite.
Rap is abhorrent.

I like rhythm, beat, harmony, synergy in my music.

In short, i like everything this album appears to rebel against.

Yet, fuck me, there is magic in its boots. The first track of this album "I'm frightened" is just so interesting.
It's raw, Painfully so but for the right reasons. This isn't some grade a celeb phoning it in for another billboard top 10. Mark is spitting and vomiting out his story.
It's got shit loads of character.

I thought the Strokes album was dead behind the eyes.
This albums soul is burning bright and you are there to bear it witness.

It can be so whilst you not really getting it's groove.
It's poetry.
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So basically, you Do like punk.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
I'm going slow on my review this week for much the same reasons.
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Normally after a couple of listens I'm beginning to form at least the beginning of some sort of articulatable opinion but I'm nowhere near on this yet. Which, as disquieting as I find it, is probably a good thing. Fair play to Journo, as a nomination it's definitely a good one imo.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
Being honest, i actively avoided Mancunian bands in my formative years.
I always thought they had a whiff of elitist unmusicality about them. James could sit down and fuck off for all i cared, The Charlatans i never listened either, they went in the same bin. Primal scream as well. Indie shite.

I blame The Smiths. I fucking hated them. Droning murderous, self depreciating durge which every champagne socialist arse would use as a their passport for acceptance and kinsmanship with the plebs.
"I used to be a poverty stricken, miserable student once, you know, so ya, rock on fellow hip brother!".
Wankers.

Stone roses were great for the one album they did but not a band i would "follow".
Googling says that the Bee gees were Mancunian. Best of the lot in my opinion.
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The Charlatans got lumped into the Madchester scene despite being half Northwich / Half Walsall but I suggest you do a little google on Primal Scream before claiming them to be a Manchester band!

As for The Smiths, well I’ve been called a fair few things for being a fan, but never a champagne socialist lol
 
I remember the night it was announced Mark had died 6 music stopped it's scheduled programmes and turned it over to fans to suggest songs to play.
Marc Riley former band member and quite literally sparring partner said very poignant things about him and how he'd taught him a lot about the music business even though they had fallen out and Mark had slagged him off at times.
I listened all night and wondered how many other artists would have received this treatment.
A total one off and still influential now.
Kudos for journos pick but I would 10 to 15 of their albums above this one but all Fall fans would probably pick a different favourite each day
 
Big Joe Corrigan said:
I first saw The Fall in 1979 at Hazel Grove youth club, Yvonne Pawlett on keyboards. Brilliant album, brilliant front man, and a Blue, rip Mark.
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Lucky you. I didn't see them til 84 (too young). Although I started listening to The Fall in 1983 via John Peel and PBL LP, I've still never heard LATWT in entirety for some reason. Same for Dragnet. I've got Early Years 77-79 and Live at Electric Circus but never heard LATWT. I bought it last year on 3CD and still haven't listened to it. Fall were at their peak 80-86 IMO but some decent stuff in the latter stages of the 00s or whatever it's called.
 
threespires said:
I'm finding this weeks pick quite difficult to pin down. It's becoming increasingly clear to me the reason I've never really dived into The Fall wholeheartedly is because I genuinely can't decide if I like them or not so it's just been easier to swerve the question with a bit of casual listening and general admiration of the more obvious qualities.

But paying proper attention I find myself having two completely opposing thoughts all within the space of one line. It's hardly existential that I can't form a settled opinion but it's definitely pissing me off. I'm normally alright with a bit of ambiguity but it's making me to twitchy. How do you score something/one that appears to be part genius, part dickhead?
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I think the album itself is very indecisive. Does he want to be Mick Jagger, or Jimmy Hendrix, don't think he really knows. Do they want to let the bass carry it, or let others compete. Purify the punk some, or maybe try hit mainstream a bit more, try both and see what happens.

Yet, it is certainly one of the more intriguing recent nominations, that seems so far to pull me in and involve me more than I would have expected.

I never really gave them a chance before. It was always sitting there in my save for later file, even with its own thread on here, which probably didn't help.

It's not quite like unearthing a gem though. More like painfully toothbrushing layer by layer off, not knowing whether below lies a roman shoelace, or a piece of stretched old chewing gum.

'this one time, when I worked as an archeologist' yeah, I know mate ;).
 
Out on blue 6 said:
I remember the night it was announced Mark had died 6 music stopped it's scheduled programmes and turned it over to fans to suggest songs to play.
Marc Riley former band member and quite literally sparring partner said very poignant things about him and how he'd taught him a lot about the music business even though they had fallen out and Mark had slagged him off at times.
I listened all night and wondered how many other artists would have received this treatment.
A total one off and still influential now.
Kudos for journos pick but I would 10 to 15 of their albums above this one but all Fall fans would probably pick a different favourite each day
Click to expand...
Which ones do you like best? Or, at least, today? :)
 
Coatigan said:
I think the album itself is very indecisive. Does he want to be Mick Jagger, or Jimmy Hendrix, don't think he really knows. Do they want to let the bass carry it, or let others compete. Purify the punk some, or maybe try hit mainstream a bit more, try both and see what happens.

Yet, it is certainly one of the more intriguing recent nominations, that seems so far to pull me in and involve me more than I would have expected.

I never really gave them a chance before. It was always sitting there in my save for later file, even with its own thread on here, which probably didn't help.

It's not quite like unearthing a gem though. More like painfully toothbrushing layer by layer off, not knowing whether below lies a roman shoelace, or a piece of stretched old chewing gum.

'this one time, when I worked as an archeologist' yeah, I know mate ;).
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To be fair I think MES is the last person to want to be someone else. Although he was a fan of Can I believe
 
journolud said:
To be fair I think MES is the last person to want to be someone else. Although he was a fan of Can I believe
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Probably, maybe through the prism of knowledge of the band and him. But through two listens, I am not hearing this distinctiveness. Happy to believe you, and I am definitely planning on exploring more over time, so that may change as it settles.
 
Out on blue 6 said:
I remember the night it was announced Mark had died 6 music stopped it's scheduled programmes and turned it over to fans to suggest songs to play.
Marc Riley former band member and quite literally sparring partner said very poignant things about him and how he'd taught him a lot about the music business even though they had fallen out and Mark had slagged him off at times.
I listened all night and wondered how many other artists would have received this treatment.
A total one off and still influential now.
Kudos for journos pick but I would 10 to 15 of their albums above this one but all Fall fans would probably pick a different favourite each day
Click to expand...

Well given they seem to release an album a week, I can totally see that ;).
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Which ones do you like best? Or, at least, today? :)
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Could pick any one from Grotesque in 1980 to Code:Selfish in 92. Country On The Click and Reformation TLC are favourites from later period Fall. 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong 39 Golden Greats is a pretty much a career spanning collection that's worth listening to for the unaware
 
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Coatigan said:
I think the album itself is very indecisive. Does he want to be Mick Jagger, or Jimmy Hendrix, don't think he really knows. Do they want to let the bass carry it, or let others compete. Purify the punk some, or maybe try hit mainstream a bit more, try both and see what happens.

Yet, it is certainly one of the more intriguing recent nominations, that seems so far to pull me in and involve me more than I would have expected.

I never really gave them a chance before. It was always sitting there in my save for later file, even with its own thread on here, which probably didn't help.

It's not quite like unearthing a gem though. More like painfully toothbrushing layer by layer off, not knowing whether below lies a roman shoelace, or a piece of stretched old chewing gum.

'this one time, when I worked as an archeologist' yeah, I know mate ;).
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I'm beginning to think I might come to the conclusion that The Fall are essentially a category of their own and that's why they confuse me.

As for your last sentence, stepping back and thinking about it, I suspect the die was cast when my first part time job ended up including checking that you couldn't see any pubic hair on the photos of page 3 models :-)
 
Out on blue 6 said:
I remember the night it was announced Mark had died 6 music stopped it's scheduled programmes and turned it over to fans to suggest songs to play.
Marc Riley former band member and quite literally sparring partner said very poignant things about him and how he'd taught him a lot about the music business even though they had fallen out and Mark had slagged him off at times.
I listened all night and wondered how many other artists would have received this treatment.
A total one off and still influential now.
Kudos for journos pick but I would 10 to 15 of their albums above this one but all Fall fans would probably pick a different favourite each day
Click to expand...
The Brix years for me.
 
bennyboy said:
The Brix years for me.
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She smoothed off the rough edges. They even had hits when she was in the band.
It doesn't show due to the ramshackle nature of this album but they had some great players throughout the years. Craig Scanlon,the Hanley Brothers,Karl Burns. It's not repetition it's discipline
 
Not sure I've got the time to invest in working Smith/them out but I can feel myself getting sucked in. I've just downloaded Steve Hanley's book The Big Midweek: Life With The Fall; . Don't know if it'll make lots of sense to someone with only a passing knowledge but it got great reviews and I do like his playing so we'll see.
 
Out on blue 6 said:
Could pick any one from Grotesque in 1980 to Code:Selfish in 92. Country On The Click and Reformation TLC are favourites from later period Fall. 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong 39 Golden Greats is a pretty much a career spanning collection that's worth listening to for the unaware
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The last seems like the place to start and then go from there. Thanks! I’ve heard dribs and drabs over the years and it’s great they could go from what we hear on this debut LP to Hit The North but then again that’s one of the great things about long-lived bands and that period of music history in particular — anything and everything was on the table. I guess PiL is my Fall since I followed them from the debut through to the dissonant caterwaul phase to the big, declamatory tunes and enjoyed them all.
 
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