Well, we all have to bend the shoulder and get our noses to the grindstone, don't we?This cathartic thing is interesting.
I am going to talk about The Fall.
I have somehow always loved the idea of them.
I like the names of their albums, I mean, come on Live at the Witch Trials? Hex Induction Hour? I like the idea that they are so far from the mainstream, I love the way that Mark E Smith is so dismissive of the whole apparatus of the "biz".
One fly in the ointment though:
I am going to talk about The Fall.
I have somehow always loved the idea of them.
I like the names of their albums, I mean, come on Live at the Witch Trials? Hex Induction Hour? I like the idea that they are so far from the mainstream, I love the way that Mark E Smith is so dismissive of the whole apparatus of the "biz".
One fly in the ointment though:
I think their music is crap. Major steaming, unlistenable poo.
And Mr Smith is just another unpleasant macho drunk. He reminds me of the kind of men who get really nasty if they try and chat me up and I tell them I am just not interested. I can easily do better than a Mark E Smith lookalike.
I bet he smells as bad too.
I am not flattering myself, I am knocking on a bit, well, so are they, but I am not that f*cking desperate.
Rant over ................................... for now.
11 comments:
Nice rant, Carole, as editor i felt i had to add some visual stimulation to back up the prescient points you made. If you don't like the pic, i can take it down. You have to admit, though, it's a corker!
It has a certain visceral quality.
Leave it there. It makes my skin crawl, but that is the point, innit?
Ohhhh yes indeedy!
more full disclosure:
I like the Fall, but only their double cd "greatest hits" - and I found the extracts from MES's book highly entertaining.
I can't get over how amaxzing that photo is!! It should be printed on packs of fags!!! Otherwise, there's no way I'll ever give it up.
Loathe the music and the man with a passion!
Funnily enough, now that you put it that way, I suppose I like the fact that a band like The Fall exists, but nah, bleedin' Mancs, you can keep 'em.
And having seen the two threads together, can anyone think of two supposedly identical creatures (male homo sapiens) more unalike than Phil Lynott and Mark E. Smith?
I am a Fall fan, even though I only own about 8 of their albums. I think Mark E. Smith is one of the best and funniest lyricists ever. He may be a twat, but so are many musicians, so I just go by the work. Mind you, when I saw them live they were awful, but then again it's too hard to keep up to date with them, and it's not as if they're ever going to play a greatest hits set, is it? When I am rich, I will buy their entire back catalogue, crappy live bootlegs and everything. Yeah, fuck you! (sorry, I've been inspired to the point of alcohol-fuelled belligerence by Blimpy's earlier post).
If the Fall didn't exist man would have to invent them. Wonderful, frustrating and devisive - just like religion. Get over it.
Another bit oif disclosure: I don't think I've ever heard a song by the Fall. Maybe I should, but then that picture...
Oh and DsD: less of the Manc talk, eh? We may have to have words...
snadfrod - i posted a fall video in my 4 best intros ever post. go have a looky!
right i'm off to glasgow for some post-rock and scots miserablism.
happy 500 everyone for when it happens!!
After my first and so far only live solo performance, I was compared with a one-man Fall, probably just out of desperation at needing to say something. At the time I'd heard the grand total of one song by them, which was sort of all right but nothing special, and even now I've no idea if I should take it as a compliment or not.
@ snadfrod - apologies for any offence caused to a Manchester Blue!! Can I offer the olive branch that I've always had a soft spot for City, 'cause my grandad played for MCFC for a couple of years (without ever getting a decent run in the first team). In the end he took his 0.67 goals per game ratio to Bristol City and got a near trebling in his wage to boot!
No, my "Manc" problem is mostly to do with Stretford Disunited, and backed up with an aversion to that scally whine I normally end up wanting to ram down the throat of the perpetrator (cf Terry Christian).
I appreciate it's irrational & potentially offensive. I can't even claim it's genetic as I'm only Merseyside-raised, not a born&bred Scouser. But - to get this back on thread - I figure that I'm allowed to reflect MES' attitude to the world back at him, no?!
Regarding The Fall's music: although I often like simple arrangements, I rarely like badly-played / shambolic ones. Fall songs just wind me up ... which is probably a back-handed compliment to MES, just to further pull the rug from under my own feet.
[Pause --- sigh] Am I rambling?
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