Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Repetiton
2. Industrial Estate
3. Rowche Rumble
4. Fiery Jack
5. How I Wrote 'Elastic Man'
6. Totally Wired
7. New Face In Hell
8. Prole Art Threat
9. Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul
10. Classical
11. Hip Priest
12. Man Whose Head Expanded
13. Kicker Conspiracy
14. Eat Y'self Fitter
15. c.r.e.e.p.
16. No Bulbs
17. Spoilt Victorian Child
18. Cruiser's Creek

Disc 2:

1. Us 80's/90's
2. Mr Pharmacist
3. Living Too Late
4. Hey Luciani
5. There's A Ghost In My House
6. Hit The North
7. Victoria
8. Telephone Thing
9. High Tension Line
10. Free Range
11. Why Are People So Grudgeful?
12. Behind The Counter
13. M5
14. Feeling Numb
15. The Chislers
16. Powder Keg
17. Masquerade
18. Touch Sensitive
19. Crop Dust
20. Susan Vs Youth Club
21. Green Eyed Loco-Man

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7119 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-26
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 155 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong stands as an introduction to the long and frequently brilliant career of the Fall. It's also the first career-spanning collection in the band's 25-year history. Beginning with 1978's "Repetition"--B-side of their first single, "Bingo-Master's Break-Out", and something of a Fall manifesto--and ending with "Green Eyed Loco-Man"--itself the opening to 2003's return to form, Country on the Click--these 39 tracks provide a suitably messy summary of the past quarter of a century of Mark E Smith's single-minded take on rock & roll.

While this album isn't necessarily a must for diehard fans (who'll probably already own most of the material here, and may well spend hours grumbling over its inclusions and omissions), they still might find it handy to have the nebulous works collated conveniently on two comprehensive discs. For Smith-virgins, however, as a way into the usually wonderful and sometimes frightening world of the Fall, it can't be bettered. For this reason, 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong is a worthy purchase for anyone wondering what John Peel's been on about all these years. --Marc Bloomfield

CD Description
From the late 1970s to the early '00s, almost every year brought with it at least one Fall album. Throughout the careerof the ridiculously prolific British post-punk band, the one consistent element has been Mark E. Smith. With his unmistakably entrancing vocal sneer and oft-absurd lyrics, Smith is the hard-living heart of the Fall, stridently leading a nearly endless array of musicians under the band's banner.
Nowhere is the Fall's longevity more evident on the first track of this two-disc collection, 1978's "Repetition", a spare, lumbering song charmingly dated by Smith singing "President Carter loves repetition". As 50,000 FALL FANS progresses,so does the group's sound, moving from the hyperactive, bass-heavy "Totally Wired" to the refined punk-pop glory of "C.R.E.E.P"., which prominently features Smith's then-wife Brixon backing vocals and guitar. The second disc follows Smithand company into the late '80s and beyond, featuring the electronic-tinged "U.S. 80's-90's", a brilliantly rambunctiouscover of the Kinks' "Victoria", and the full-on dance track"Masquerade". For a concise overview of the Fall's long history, these 39 GOLDEN GREATS can't be beat.

Customer Reviews

50,001 fans actually
I have to be honest I was far from impressed when, as a teenage hardcore/ industrial fan I was directed to The Fall by some older indie type. Pretty good lyrically but the music was nothing more than an atonal drone thought I.

However, odd tracks on magazine cover CDs and my occassional trips into Peel land gradually chipped away at my resistance.

This album, being as accessible as Mark and the boys could ever possibly be, finally broke the doors open for me. I eventually recognised the bizarre genius of those hyponitic rhythms and of the single most hilarious wordsmith since Richard Pryor. Morrissey eat your heart out.

Genius....

Fall primer 1978 - 2003...
'50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats' does what it says on the cover and offers an ideal two-disc primer into that brilliant career. As the definitive Fall-reissue programme advances and we also get the Peel Sessions box-set, there is room for a primer of the mighty Fall for those unsure where to start. This compilation is probably worth buying for the cover alone, though the sleevenotes and the selection of tracks is not as simplistic as might be thought...

It's notable that a few of The Fall's odder moments have made it here - we get 'Repetition' over 'Bingo Master's Breakout', the epic 'Hip Priest' (probably as it featured in 'The Silence of the Lambs'), the Kazoo-friendly 'New Face in Hell' and the Beefheart-on-speed 'Prole Art Threat - so the more caustic side of The Fall is here (as well as the odd dud moment like 'Susan Vs. Youthclub'). There are several of The Fall's cover versions here - 'There's a Ghost In My House', 'Mr Pharmacist', 'Victoria', 'Why Are People Grudgeful?' - though sadly not their storming cover of The Big Bopper's 'White Lightning' (surely The Fall's covers album isn't far from being issued and should also include 'Rollin'Dany', 'Lost in Music', 'I'm Going to Spain', 'The Legend of Xanadu', 'F'oldin Money', 'I'm a Mummy', 'A Day in the Life', 'Kimble' & 'White Line Fever.'

The early singles once found on 'Early Fall 77/79', 'In the Palace of Swords Reversed' & 'Hip Priests & Kamerads' crop up here on the first disc: 'Rowche Rumble', 'Fiery Jack' (featured on the upcoming 'Rip It Up & Start Again'), 'How I Wrote 'Elastic Man', 'Totally Wired', 'Lie Dream of a Casino Soul' (a big hit in NZ!), 'The Man Whose Head Expanded' & 'Kicker Conspiracy.' All fantastic, as is the sole-track from 'Live at the Witch Trials' ('Industrial Estate') and 'Hex Enduction Hour's abrasive-opener 'The Classical'- though gripers may gripe about the absence of such tracks as 'Leave the Capitol', 'Psykick Dancehall', 'City Hobgoblins', 'It's the New Thing', 'Look, Know' or 'Fantastic Life.'

The latter part of disc one heralds the Brix-era, 'Eat Y'Self Fitter' one of their great moments (memorably picked by Peel as one his Desert Island Discs), while 1984/85 when Brix's poppier-input became more apparent is represented by an edited 'C.R.E.E.P', 'No Bulbs', 'This Nation's Saving Grace's 'Spoilt Vitctorian Child' & the classic 'Cruiser's Creek'-single. Hard to fault any of these selections, though it should be noted that '...Saving Grace' has a wealth of possible selections that could have made the grade here...

The second disc opens with the blend of Krautrock'n'goth that is 'US 80's-90's', the sterling cover of The Other Half's 'Mr Pharmacist' & one of MES's most touching moments, 'Living Too Late' (replete with a wonderful psychdelic section courtesy of producer John Leckie)The one-off single 'Hey Luciani!' showcases the more melodic Fall and is a welcome inclusion, as is the classic single 'Hit the North'which defines baggy or Madchester soundwise a year or so before 'WFL' or 'Fool's Gold 953'...It should be noted that the most obvious track from 'The Frenz Experiment' ('Victoria') is included (no 'Carry Bag Man', 'Guest Informant' or 'Oswald Defence Lawyer') and there's nothing from 'I am Kurious Oranj' ('Wrong Place Right Time', 'Big New Prinz' or 'Jerusalem' would have seemed obvious candidates), and no 'Dead Beat Descendent' either!

The Fall's collaboration with Coldcut 'Telephone Thing' is a welcome inclusion, a perversion of 'My Telephone' with MES hailing about Gretchen Franklin! There's nought from 'Shiftwork' ('Idiot Joy Showland' surely should have been selected!), though we do get the 'High Tension Line'-single and the following year's 'Free Range' which ranks as one of their finest single moments. The Fall have a poppier moment or two with 'Grudgeful' & 'Behind the Counter' (no '15 Ways' sadly) and their more avant side is exposed with the inclusion of 'M5' and 'Feeling Numb' (the patchy mid 90s problems advancing...) An edited version of the classic 'Chiselers' single is included and the bizarre 'Powder Keg', which was seen to predict the IRA bomb in the Arndale centre in the 90s (as 'Zagreb' predicted the problems in the Balkans earlier). 'Levitate' was an album accorded mixed reviews is represented by the excellent 'Masquerade', which suggests that the 'Levitate'-reissue might be one to check out. The famous ad-song 'Touch Sensitive' still sounds fantastic, while 'Crop Dust' is one of the better moments from the patchy 'Are You Are Missing Winner?' (2001), which reminds you that nought from 'The Unutterable' is here!!! The compilation ends on the fantastic 'Green Eyed Loco-Man' from the major return to form that was 'The Real New Fall LP - Formerly Country on the Click' (though 'Theme from Sparta FC' might have been a more obvious choice).

Anyone unfamiliar should probably start with this and their latest classic 'Fall Heads Roll' (2005), which demonstrates the new Fall is as great as the old Fall and you don't have to be a look back bore-

Heading for the Fall
For a voracious music collector and someone with a supposedly instinctive perspicacity when it comes to music I've been remarkably derelict in my duty when it comes to The Fall. All this despite my best friend being an avid Fall fan , someone all too willing to avail me of their latest release of which there are 26 years worth if I'm not mistaken. I've no excuse really so by way of a shortcut I've bought this and well, the cult of Mark E Smith has another neophyte. Consider me converted.
This compilation takes in material from the full width of their repertoire. From the monochromatic angular rhythms of their early work to the more complex diverse and audacious stuff they later produced. There are thirteen tracks taken from what many would consider their golden period- From 1982,s "Hex Induction Hour" to 1986,s "Bend Sinister"- later albums are less well represented, with most of the 90,s albums having only one track culled from them. Taking in the grumbling appendix rattle of "The "Man Whose Head Expanded", the gleaming pop nuances of "C.R.E.E.P." influenced by Smiths ex wife Brix , The twanging metallic chords of "How I Wrote Elastic Man" ( A particular favourite) the innervated keyboard led "Masquerade" , the bizarre Ska commercial pop hybrid that is "Why Are People Grudgeful?" this is a deliciously eclectic concoction. More familiar songs are included such as "Hit the North", Telephone Thing" and an odd cover of R Dean Taylor's old Northern Soul classic "There's A Ghost in My House" which was a Youth club favourite of Smiths.
I don't think there is any doubt that this is the most comprehensive of all the many Fall compilations , even then I'm sure more religious advocates of their music will complain loudly that this, that or the other track has been omitted. That's the nature of compilations. Apparently endorsed by the curmudgeonly Smith, this is as emphatic and irresistible a statement of The Falls consistent excellence as could be made over a two disc C.D. Every one of these 39 tracks has something to advocate it , with Smiths unique hiccupping sneer and lacerating sarcasm smeared over every punk spattered riff. My ego and pride demand I investigate their mammoth back catalogue further. A certain friend of mine will be getting a call very soon. From now on 50, 001 fall fans can't be wrong.