From the absurd to the superb, The Fall, led by Salford’s Mark E Smith as the only constant , still sound as fresh, cool and underground as the vibes continue to influence a posse of pretenders…
Formed in Prestwich in 1976, and tempered in the black hot heat of punk, The Fall, until the untimely death of mainstay Mark E Smith in 2018, put out over 30 studio albums (no-one agrees on the exact number), plus 53 compilations and 76 live albums, and featured dozens of musicians including Brix Smith, Marc Riley and Steve Hanley (no-one agrees on the exact number). As Mark E famously said “If it’s me and yer granny on bongos, it’s a Fall gig…”
Encapsulating a working class attitude and ethics, nothing was out of bounds for Mark E…experimental, industrial and exceptional; from tight driving rock, to the disco take of Lost In Music, to off kilter pop covers of Ghost In My House and Victoria, and the ballet I am Kurious, Oranj . The Fall, disdainful of fashion and music trends, were permanently happening, live and in the studio. You can’t pin them down or define them, and an array of culture aristocrats have anointed Mark E ‘genius’. Last word to Mark: “When they start saying they like The Fall it’s usually because they’ve run out of ideas…”
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