Product 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.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Repetition
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. The Classical
11. Hip Priest
12. The Man Whose Head Expanded
13. Kicker Conspiracy
14. Eat Y'Self Fitter
15. C.R.E.E.P
16. No Bulbs
17. Spoilt Victorian Children
18. Cruiser's Creek

Disc 2:

1. U.S. 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 (Part 1)
7. Victoria
8. Telephone Thing
9. High Tension Line
10. Free Range
11. Why Are People Grudgeful?
12. Behind The Counter
13. M5
14. Feeling Numb
15. The Chiselers
16. Powder Keg
17. Masquerade
18. Touch Sensitive
19. Crop-Dust
20. Susan Vs Youthclub
21. Green Eyed Loco-Man

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #554 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-26
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• 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

Customer Reviews

One of the best compilations money can buy
If you've had just a passing interest in music over the last 30 years or so, and bought the occasional magazine, chances are you have come across the Fall; chances are, equally, you could not sing or even name a single record here. No matter, it would still be worthwhile laying down the required green and taking a chance on this compilation. If you don't like what you hear then it's no great loss, but it's more than likely that you'll enjoy a good number of these tracks. If you like most of this album then you are just about to fall in love with this band and if you are going to get gooey over a group there's few better candidates.
The Fall have released a studio album every year or so for the last 30 years and don't appear to be about to let up now. More importantly this is not a band whose latter music is held in less regard than earlier, more youthful, output. There are fans of the Fall who hold records released in the last 5 years as highly as those released 20-30 years ago. The new Fall fan has a back catalogue to trawl through, recent releases to enjoy and the knowledge that there's probably more of this to come. That's a rare old thing to find in a band: a past, a present and a future to get excited by. What's more, although there is a definite Fall-like quality to all their records, they are, at times, extremely varied in style so there's little sense of treading old ground. They are not a band likely to bore you.
The Fall aren't the most popular of groups but with their cryptic lyrics, huge output and stylistic changes they have developed a devotional fanbase. Buy this and you may just see what the fuss has been about all these years.

Track Listing (plenty of reviews already)
Disc One
1. "Repetition"
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. "The Classical"
11. "Hip Priest"
12. "The 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 two
1. "U.S. 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 Grudgeful?"
12. "Behind The Counter"
13. "M5"
14. "Feeling Numb"
15. "The Chiselers"
16. "Powder Keg"
17. "Masquerade"
18. "Touch Sensitive"
19. "Crop-Dust"
20. "Susan Vs Youthclub"
21. "Green Eyed Loco-Man"

The Essential Fall
This is one of those CDs that everyone should have. If you're not familiar with the works of Marky Smith, (which lots of people aren't, despite his 30 year musical outing), then this will turn you on to the greatest cult band of all time. It's amazingly listenable and bears any number of repeat playings. Buy this and you'll be buying more Fall CDs.