Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Get Yer Notebooks Out


Ever wary (and weary) of plagiarists, Mark E. Smith probably disliked cover versions of Fall songs.  Nevertheless, there are quite a few of them.  MES had no love for Sonic Youth or Pavement, two bands that were greatly indebted to The Fall. Deadbeat descendants, you might call them. Pleasant companions. Safer listening perhaps than the uncomfortable, undilutable slang truth. 

In fairness, I quite like Wowee Zowee and the Sonic Youts of 85-88.  And in truth, the Fall Sound was occasionally diluted, its singer sometimes sadly dissolute.

I prefer my covers well done; but even those that don't measure up or add anything to the originals are interesting to hear, at least once. My lousy self-copulating covers collection is listed in the comments.  Not all here are ace: some are lousy, embarrassing, even unpleasant.  Hideous replicas.

I was surprised to find that the Fall song covered most often is "Hotel Bloedel". There are many fans and musicians who look up to Brix, and some of them may have covered the song in tribute to her influence.  Or maybe they chose "Bloedel" simply because it is a gem of a song.

9 comments:

  1. VOL 1: NOISE RESOUNDS ALOUD

    01 J CHURCH - Psycho Mafia
    02 WRECK - Various Times
    03 SONIC YOUTH - Rowche Rumble
    04 X-TAL - Frightened
    05 WISDOM OF HARRY - Rebellious Jukebox
    06 TALL FIRS - Industrial Estate
    07 THE NEPHEWS - Your Heart Out
    08 COBRA VERDE - The Dice Man
    09 SAINT ETIENNE - Chock Stock
    10 THE YUMMY FUR - Fiery Jack
    11 JACK O'FIRE - Container Driver
    12 TRASH CAN SCHOOL - Hobgoblins
    13 MONSTERLAND - Totally Wired
    14 THE WANT - Wings
    15 LES GODZILLAS - Hotel Bloedel
    16 CASEY SPOONER - C.R.E.E.P.
    17 MERZ - Bombast
    18 USA/MEXICO - L.A.
    19 JEFFREY LEWIS AND THE JRAMS - Cruiser's Creek
    20 BOYRACER - Lucifer Over Lancashire
    21 DYMAXION - U.S. 80's 90's
    22 FRANK SIDEBOTTOM - Hit The North
    23 PIXIES - Big New Prinz
    24 THE SICK ANCHORS - Bill Is Dead

    cover image by Trevor Mills
    tinyurl.com/y7efvyd6

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  2. VOL 2: ONE MORE TIME FOR THE RECORD

    01 THE WOOLEN MEN - Psycho Mafia
    02 THE ADULT NET - Searching For The Now
    03 MICRODISNEY - No Xmas For John Quays
    04 ADZ - Frightened
    05 THE DOMESTICS - City Hobgoblins
    06 BOYRACER - Container Drivers
    07 GOD IS MY CO-PILOT - Totally Wired
    08 PICASTRO - Older Lover
    09 LONELADY - Bloedel
    10 THE FIERY FURNACES - Winter
    11 DUSTDEVILS - Hip Priest
    12 PAVEMENT - The Classical
    13 DEERHUNTER - Who Makes The Nazis
    14 BRIX AND THE EXTRICATED - L.A.
    15 COUNTRY TEASERS - Mollusc In Country
    16 MAXIMO PARK - Middlesbrough Man
    17 JOE LADYBOY - Behind The Counter
    18 BRIX AND THE EXTRICATED - Feeling Numb
    19 PJ HARVEY - Janet, Johnny + James

    cover image by Claus Castenskiold
    tinyurl.com/y7rhah36

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  3. I owe many thanks to The Fall Online Forum for pointing me toward some of the songs shared on this blog today and yesterday.

    Members of the FOF created three cover/tribute albums: "The Frenz Equivalent", "Hex Enduction Ours" and "The Real New Forum LP".

    Links to those three albums can be found on this thread, as well as some lovely original songs, prose and poetry.

    www.tapatalk.com/groups/thefall/fan-tributes-to-smithy-t42811.html

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  4. Great job with this extensive Fall covers compilation, thanks from @Timebender.

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  5. Sorry to be a bother Jonder, but is there any chance you could provide the images used with all the Fall related compilations.
    Front covers for the folders essentially. Thanks from @Timebender.

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    Replies
    1. Here you go, Timebender: www106.zippyshare.com/v/mnCakf6z/file.html

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  6. Thanks for the images jonder, from @Timebender.

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  7. NEWS FLASH! Honey Radar has released a cover of The Fall song "Middle Class Revolt". Thanks to Peecat for the heads up.

    chunklet.bandcamp.com/album/a-mark-e-smith-tribute-single

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  8. Jeffrey Lewis releases "13 Fall Songs" this week, a spiritual successor to his "12 Crass Songs".

    UK: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/music/jeffrey-lewis-and-los-bolts-13-fall-songs
    US: https://the-jeffrey-lightning-lewis-store.myshopify.com/products/cd-13-fall-songs-live-lo-fi-lacking-rehearsal

    And I just found this cool version of "I'm Into CB" by a cool group called The Cool Greenhouse:
    https://youtu.be/09s5Xmy1txk

    ReplyDelete