The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)

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The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click) album cover
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EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 12   Total Length: 44:23

eMusic Review 0

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Andrew Perry

eMusic Contributor

04.22.11
A return to form.
Label: Action Records / The Orchard

Through the '90s, Mark E. Smith kept moving, but into increasingly murky sonic waters. Though feted by Nirvana and Radiohead, he fell on hard times, made embarrassing spoken-word appearances for chump-change and became legendary for erratic behaviour. Craig Scanlon and Steve Hanley quit, as did an entire line-up after a fistfight onstage in New York. Thereafter, he hired in a young bunch of Northerners, and with this 2003 album, finally returned to doing what he should've been doing all along — spitting out withering and/or brain-befuddling verse over primeval rock noize. The stand-out: "Theme from Sparta FC," which scarily enters the mind of Eastern European soccer hooligans. In a hilariously Fall-ish twist, it is used as theme music every Saturday on BBC TV's football coverage. Sadly, this whole combo walked out in 2006, after Smith stubbed out a cigarette on their tour bus driver's back (he was doing 80 mph at the time).

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Brilliant!

moss1310

A true return to form for the Fall. An amazingly sharp, claustrophobic, and energetic group of songs. I think it's one of their best.

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Aiming to clear up any confusion

Casinosoul

I believe that "Country on the Click" was leaked onto the Worldwide Interwebberschmitt prior to the official release of the album. As a result Mark E. rejigged the album and released it as "The Real New Fall LP." eMusic seems to have ended up with both versions. Lucky us, though, as you write Dimflash, there are only minor differences between them.

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Real New (Old) Mixes?

dimflash

Hmm. As far as I can tell, and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, only two songs on here (sparta and recovery kit) are different than the versions of the same songs on the album eMusic lists as "the real new fall LP." (also, that one has 2 more songs). Both versions of the albums are of course excellent.

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Two years and 32 compilations, box sets, books, DVDs, and so on, since their last studio album (the lukewarm Are You Are Missing Winner), the Fall returned as a hungry, grumpy band once again with the excellent The Real New Fall L.P. (Formerly Country on the Click). The subtitle is a reference to the fact that even the Fall aren’t exempt from having early versions of albums leaked to the Internet, but it could just as well be a way to separate the album from the numerous substandard releases. One listen to the opening “Green Eyed Loco-Man” (a rare love song from the group) and it’s easy to see the band is trying harder than it had lately. A higher percentage of leader Mark E. Smith’s lyrics are audibly intelligible, and his writing has returned to the jocular and enthusiastic style fans adore. “Mountain Energei” may be the second song in recent memory that Smith has written about credit problems, but he delivers the song with that wry authority that makes him special, rhyming Dolly Parton and Lord Byron over a skipping beat. Musicwise, the 2003 band is tight enough to handle the album’s twist and turns, sounding garage and punk on “Open the Boxoctosis #2″ and like Can when they really throbbed on “Last Commands of Xyralothep via M.E.S.” The antipastoral anthem “Contraflow” (“I hate the countryside/so much”) and the football hooligan commentary “Theme From Sparta F.C.” (“stay at home/with TV set”) are rocking highlights. Producer Grant Showbiz’s contribution is as crisp and complimentary as it was on The Unutterable while new keyboardist Elini Poulou fills the melodic hole left by Julia Nagle’s exit. Making up for some momentum lost last time out, The Real New Fall L.P. gives the faithful another reason to believe. – David Jeffries

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