The Fall are often classified as post-punk-a movement synonymous with anti-rock experimentation and futurist principles-but in their early years, they were more interested in putting a post-modernist spin on pre-punk sounds. Smith with other Johnny Rotten-come-latelys, but his overstuffed lyric sheets were loaded with contrarian critiques of a punk culture that had become just as conformist and close-minded as the establishment it railed against. Sure, the surface sneer of gut-punching early singles like “It’s the New Thing” may have aligned Mark. At the same time, with a band like the Fall, the distinction between A-sides and B-sides was often largely arbitrary-a B-side banger like 1981’s “Fantastic Life” could be just as rousing as any lead single from the same era an A-side rumbler like 1986’s “Living Too Late” could be just as cold and imposing as any oddity tucked on the flipside.įrom the get-go, the Fall were clearly unlike any other punk band. (It’s a testament to Smith’s uncommon industriousness that the tracklist here is dramatically different than the Fall’s other career-spanning, multi-disc box set of note, The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004.) Separating the A-sides from B-sides makes a certain amount of sense, providing both an easy entry point into the band’s labyrinthine catalog and a scenic path for more committed listeners to go down. The other four discs plot a parallel, circuitous course through the B-sides. The box set’s first three discs (which are also available as a separate package) chronologically chart the journey from debut single “Bingo-Master’s Break Out” to last year’s “Wise Ol’ Man,” with each disc loosely representing a distinct phase in their evolution: the minimalist garage-punk origins, the semi-pop era, and the post-millennial free-for-all. Singles 1978-2016 emulates the segregated format of Beggars Banquet’s popular 1990 compilations 458489 A Sides and 458489 B Sides. Even after their fleeting late-’80s moment as a Top 40 threat had passed, and the quality of their albums became more of a crap shoot, the Fall remained an intriguingly unpredictable singles band, one whose cantankerous, chaotic reputation belies their economical songcraft and stylistic malleability.
What’s even more remarkable is the fact that, while listening to these seven discs attentively in one sitting would require you to book a day off from your job, it rarely feels like work. So the fact that this box set exists at all is a minor miracle. Singles 1978-2016 is the product of a nearly four-year, Indiana Jones-worthy quest, but with the religious artifacts replaced by an even more elusive, holier grail: proper publishing-rights paperwork. The Fall have released over 50 singles to date, and through almost as many labels, some of which are long-defunct. And there could likely be another compelling in-depth article written about the effort required to put this box set together. Back in 2006, The Guardian’s Dave Simpson attempted to track down every former member of the Fall, a list that could fill a small town’s phonebook.
0 kommentar(er)
