Mark E. Smith (03/05/57-01/24/18) was the founder, singer, lyricist and leader of this most interesting English post-punk band, a cult favorite since being formed in 1976. His voice and "singing" style are unique and, for many people, can take some getting used to. The lyrics are dark and filled with political commentary and social observation. The music is complex, sophisticated, and experimental, yet simple and spontaneous (and usually danceable). Always lots of interesting guitar and drums. The earlier records have a rougher edge, the later ones are usually more polished. You won't be hearing them on top 40 radio or hardly any radio, in spite of their continuous output of great-sounding, well-produced records filled with fine rock and roll music. The Fall's voluminous catalog of works spans over four decades and many record labels - 32 official studio records and many dozens more compilations, live records, and singles. Discographies can be found at some of the sites linked below. Although unknown to the masses, The Fall is a very influential band, setting some very high standards by their example of hard work and creative excellence. They show that it is possible to make a mark in the difficult world of the music business without making any artistic compromises. I used to say I had some favorite Fall records, but now I find that I like pretty much everything, though I tend to like the newer ones better. If you like the Fall then you're in luck, there's a lot to discover.
Some Fall Links:
Wikipedia - The Fall - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_(band)
Wikipedia - Mark E. Smith - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_E._Smith
The Fall Online: thefall.org
Massive website - history, shows, discography, bibliography, links, discussion forum.
The Annotated Fall - annotatedfall.doomby.com
Fall lyrics analized and discussed
The Flickering Lexicon - dannyno.org.uk/fall/flickeringlexicon.htm
Dannyno's Concodance to the Song Lyrics of the Fall
Reformation! - sites.google.com/site/reformationposttpm/Home
The Fall Tracks A-Z and The Fall Live
Hip Priestess (tumblr blog) - hippriestess.tumblr.com
Your Granny on Bongos (tumblr blog) - markechacha.tumblr.com
Mark's Record Reviews - The Fall - www.markprindle.com/falla.htm
Mark Prindle's record review site (retired in 2011)
A Fan's Site - www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/cxl/fall/index.html
AllMusic Guide Listing - www.allmusic.com/artist/the-fall-mn0000051376
BBC Documentary - www.youtube.com/watch?v=InXwZc4RS7M
Great 60-minute 2005 BBC TV film - The Fall - The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E. Smith.
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This page revised 02/03/18, 12/02/99 Links verified 02/03/18