By
Rob Jones
The Fall: The 1970s, 12CD Box Set is released on November 25, 2022.
For anyone who is a completist of The Fall, alternative aficionado, champion of the underdog or partial to the outer ring of the vast pop circle, please get on board here. The late, great Mark E Smith leads his troops in their various guises through studio and stage recordings, some of which are new to the ear of the record buying public. However, as many of the punk peers of the late 70’s went for 2 to 3 minutes of aural adrenalin Smith and his foot soldiers unbalanced the mainstream from the musical margins.
The evidence of a busy assault is evident here and to think that this industry continued across another five decades is staggering and so rewarding to those folk who are not willing to accept dross – but, who are up for the challenge of a series of sounds whether direct, indirect, palatable or unpalatable. The overriding conclusion is there is both quality in quantity and even when things do not go according to plan it is still entertaining and most definitely unique.
So what does the punter get for his buck, and the answer is plenty of produce, i.e.
• A 12 CD box set.
• The Fall’s 70s box set combines all of the band’s work in that decade.
• Featuring the albums ‘Live At The Witch Trials’ and ‘Dragnet’.
• Plus all of the singles from the time.
• And eight live shows – many have been unreleased.
• A recording of what is thought to be the band’s first ever gig – these shows showcase the very earliest version of the Fall in full effect, raw and uncompromising.
• This Box Set as with the other Fall re-issues has been compiled in conjunction with Fall expert Conway Paton and has notes by Fall guru Daryl Easlea.
• Mastered by long time engineer Andy Pearce with art by Becky Stewart.
The Fall were an English post-punk band, formed in Manchester in 1976. The band existed in some form ever since, and was essentially built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group’s music has gone through several stylistic changes over the years, but is often characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and was always underpinned by Smith’s distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.
The band is noted for its prolific output; they released over 25 studio albums, and more than triple that counting live albums and other releases. They never achieved widespread public success beyond a handful of minor hit singles in the late 1980s, but maintained a strong cult following. The band were long-associated with BBC disc jockey John Peel, who championed them from early on in their career and cited The Fall as his favourite band, famously explaining, “They are always different; they are always the same.”
Track Listing:
DISC ONE
Live At The Witch Trials
1 Frightened
2 Crap Rap 2 / Like to Blow
3 Rebellious Jukebox
4 No Xmas for John Quays
5 Mother-Sister!
6 Industrial Estate
7 Underground Medecin
8 Two Steps Back
9 Live At the Witch Trials
10 Futures And Pasts
11 Music Scene
DISC TWO
Dragnet
1 Psykick Dancehall
2 A Figure Walks
3 Printhead
4 Dice Man
5 Before The Moon Falls
6 Your Heart Out
7 Muzorewi’s Daughter
8 Flat Of Angles
9 Choc-Stock
10 Spectre Vs. Rector
11 Put Away
DISC THREE
Singles and Sessions
Bingo Masters Breakout Single
1 Bingo-Master
2 Psycho Mafia
3 Repetition
It’s The New Thing – Single
4 It’s The New Thing
5 Various Times
Rowche Rumble
6 Rowche Rumble
7 In My Area
Peel Session (30/5/1978)
8 Futures And Pasts
9 Mother-Sister!
10 Rebellious Jukebox
11 Industrial Estate
Peel Session (06/12/1978)
12 Put Away
13 Mess Of My
14 No Xmas for John Quays
15 Like To Blow
DISC FOUR
Out-Takes
1 Various Times – Extended version of the New Thing B-side
Dresden Dolls bootleg single
2 Dresden Dolls
3 Psycho Mafia
4 Industrial Estate
Live from Short Circuit – Live at The Electric Circus
5 Stepping Out –
6 Last Orders
7 Rowche Rumble – Take 2 Rowche Recording Session
8 Rowche Rumble – Take 3 – Rowche Recording Session
9 Rowche Rumble – Take 4 – Rowche Recording Session
10 Rowche Rumble – Take 5 – Rowche Recording Session
11 In My Area – Take 1 Rowche Recording Session
12 In My Area – Take 2 – Rowche Recording Session
DISC FIVE
North West Arts – Manchester 23/5/1977
1 Futures And Pasts
2 Frightened
3 Repetition
4 Copped It
5 Industrial Estate
6 Sten Gun Rock
7 Race Hatred
8 You Don’t Turn Me on
DISC SIX
Manchester Musicians Collective – Band on the Wall – 13/11/1977
1 Soundcheck
2 Intro. Instrumental
3 Hey Fascist!
4 Psycho Mafia
5 Stepping Out
6 Frightened
7 Bingo-Master
8 Industrial Estate
9 Your Heart Out
10 Copped It
11 Repetition
12 Dresden Dolls
13 Oh! Brother
14 Last Orders
15 You Don’t Turn Me On
DISC SEVEN
Stretford Civic Theatre – Manchester – 23/12/1977
1 Psycho Mafia
2 Last Orders
3 Repetition
4 Dresden Dolls
5 Hey Fascist
6 Frightened
7 Industrial Estate
8 Stepping Out
9 Bingo Master’s Breakout
10 Oh Brother
11 Cop It
12 Futures And Pasts
13 Louie Louie
DISC EIGHT
Mr. Pickwick’s – Liverpool 22/08/78
1 Like To Blow
2 Stepping Out
3 Two Steps Back
4 Mess Of My
5 It’s The New Thing
6 Various Times
7 Bingo Master’s Breakout
8 Frightened
9 Industrial Estate
10 Psycho Mafia
11 Music Scene
12 Mother / Sister
DISC NINE
Carlton Club – Warrington 13/11/1978
1 Stepping Out
2 Like to Blow
3 Two Steps Back
4 Put Away
5 Bingo Master’s Breakout
6 Frightened
7 Underground Medecin
8 Rebellious Jukebox
9 My Condition
10 No Xmas for John Quays
11 It’s a New Thing
12 Repetition
13 Industrial Estate
14 Oh! Brother
15 Psycho Mafia
DISC TEN
Institute of Technology – Bolton – 04/12/1978
1 Bingo Master’s Breakout
2 Stepping Out
3 Mother Sister
4 Rebellious Jukebox
5 Underground Medecin
6 Mess Of My
7 Industrial Estate
8 No Xmas for John Quays
9 Music Scene
10 Psycho Mafia
11 Stepping Out (Reprise)
12 Music Scene (Reprise)
DISC ELEVEN
Prince of Wales Conference Centre – YMCA Building – London 15/09/1979
1 Psychic Dancehall
2 Rebellious Jukebox
3 A Figure Walks
4 Choc Stock
5 Rowche Rumble
6 Fiery Jack
7 Muzorewi’s Daughter
8 No Xmas for John Quays
9 In My Area
10 Before The Moon Falls
11 Dice Man
12 Spectre Vs Rector Pt 1
13 Spectre Vs Rector Pt 2
14 Printhead
15 Psycho Mafia
DISC TWELVE
JB’S – Dudley 3/11/1979
1 Crap Rap / Before the Moon Falls
2 Rowche Rumble
3 Flat of Angles
4 Rebellious Jukebox
5 2nd Dark Age
6 Stepping Out
7 Muzorewi’s Daughter
8 Fiery Jack
9 No Xmas for John Quays
10 In My Area
11 A Figure Walks
