Contains all the twenty four Peel Sessions The Fall have recorded, one bonus track and 44-page booklet.
Production details unknown for tracks 3-13 to 3-16, 5-9 to 5-20 and 6-9 to 6-17.
"The City Never Sleeps" is erroneously credited on the cover as written by Hazlewood, Corris, Miles, Woodgate, Carlier. "Bound Soul One" is credited on the cover as written by Smith, Wilson, Wilson, Wilson, Cason.
Sessions dates: 1: Recorded: 30th May 1978; First broadcast: 15th June 1978. 2: Recorded: 27th November 1978; First broadcast: 6th December 1978. 3: Recorded: 16th September 1980; First broadcast: 24th September 1980. 4: Recorded: 24th March 1981; First broadcast: 31th March 1981. 5: Recorded: 26th August 1981; First broadcast: 15th September 1981. 6: Recorded: 21th March 1983; First broadcast: 23th March 1983. 7: Recorded: 12th December 1983; First broadcast: 3rd January 1984. 8: Recorded: 14th May 1985; First broadcast: 3rd June 1985. 9: Recorded: 29th September 1985; First broadcast: 7th October 1985. 10: Recorded: 29th June 1986; First broadcast: 9th July 1986. 11: Recorded: 28th April 1987; First broadcast: 19th May 1987. 12:Recorded: 25th October 1988; First broadcast: 31th October 1988. 13: Recorded: 17th December 1989; First broadcast: 1st January 1990. 14: Recorded: 5th March 1991; First broadcast: 23rd March 1991. 15: Recorded: 19th January 1992; First broadcast: 15th February 1992. 16: Recorded: 28th February 1993; First broadcast: 13th March 1993. 17: Recorded: 8th December 1993; First broadcast: 5th February 1994. 18: Recorded: date unknown; First broadcast: 17th December 1994. 19: Recorded: 17th December 1995; First broadcast: 22nd December 1995. 20: Recorded:30th June 1996; First broadcast: 18th August 1996. 21: Recorded: 3rd February 1998; First broadcast: 3rd March 1998. 22: Recorded: 18th October 1998; First broadcast: 4th November 1998. 23: Recorded: 19th February 2003; First broadcast: 13th March 2003. 24: Recorded: 4th August 2004; First broadcast: 12th August 2004. Bonus track: Recorded: 4th August 2004; First broadcast: 31st August 2004.
I will exaggerate, because i have to exaggerate and, you know, this is The Fall. The first three discs can only be compared with the first three VU albums.Now that i think of it, no exaggeration, plain truth//
Vynil reissues wouldnt do justice to this, It would be better served on cassette to keep with the spirit I treasure the CDs, they should reissue that too
For me, the first four discs are indispensable. They document the powers of the Fall in full flower for a good decade plus. These are radio sessions, so they are raw and less produced than the studio work. Some versions are even better than the studio versions, for example "Garden." These tunes stick in your head. They reward more with repeated listens. Mark E. Smith is in top form.
The fifth and sixth discs document the diminished powers of the Fall, as nearly every song is generic and forgettable. The band at times sounds like a sloppy bar band cranking out half baked music in boring arrangements. The sprightly and playful energy of the past is replaced with dull, plodding ersatz Fall.
There are a handful of good tunes, but they don't stick in your head, and they reward less with repeated listens. There's not a lot of meat in these gym mats. "He Pep!" is basically a sub par rewrite of "Elves."
At times Mark E. Smith's energy flags. There's a low energy version of "Wrong Place Right Time" that will make you long for the original.
I recommend this set mainly to Fall fans. If you're just getting into the band, try one of their lauded studio records from the 70s or 80s. That's where the real juice is.
If you fall in love, come back to these radio sessions. Surely a repress is overdue.
when the best radio dj and the best band come toegether magic happens. john peel was a ear opener for many music fans like me, he discovered and promoted so many bands via the legendary peel sessions. for john the fall were the best band, "allways different, always the same".
this box is brilliant! the versions of the peels session are mostly different to the ones of the albums.
there is a overall live/concert feeling, less studio trickery and overdubs( comparing to their music following "this nation...", the earlier stuff is also rough in the official albums) and most tracks are played with more direct power. the soundquality is very good.
i can not say that i like them all more than the album versions, but a lot for shure.
for a fall addict like me it is a must have item. for beginners of the best group ever i would recommend albums like the infortainment ..., bend sinister, this nation..... or the collection of the singles b sides is a very good choice, the b sides were mostly better and this compilation is fall newbies friendly and higly addictive.
if there is one album, that shows what is the fall about, then buy perverted by language, the most fallish album for me. or is it hex enduction hour.....? a monster of an album.
however, this is fantastic and really essential for every fall head!