Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Eat Y'self Fitter
2. Neighbourhood of Infinity
3. Garden
4. Hotel Bloedel
5. Smile
6. I Feel Voxish
7. Tempo House
8. Hexen Definitive/Strife Knot
9. Man Whose Head Expanded [*]
10. Ludd Gang [*]
11. Kicker Conspiracy [*]
12. Wings [*]
13. Pilsner Trail [*][Outtake]

Disc 2:

1. Smile
2. Garden
3. Hexen Definitive/Strife Knot
4. Eat Y'self Fitter
5. Garden [Remix]
6. Neighbourhood of Infinity [Live]
7. Smile [Live]
8. Tempo House [Live]
9. Perverted by Language [Live]
10. Wings [Live]
11. Backdrop [Live]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #753297 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-16
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Extra tracks, Import
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Customer Reviews

Back on Rough Trade one last time...
Ludd Gang = "I hate the guts of Shakin' Stevens 4 what he has done/the massacre of blue xmas - on him I'd like to land one on!

'Perverted by Language' is one of the many very good Fall-albums, and a key one at that - coming on the heels of the patchy 'Room to Live' (also 1983) and the exit of Marc Riley/the arrival of Brix Smith. The ever present MES is joined by long-time accomplices Craig Scanlon & Steve Hanley alongside Paul Hanley (drums, electronics) and Karl Burns (drums, bass) - who has been a member of the Fall in the 70s, 80s and 90s. A glutton for punishment? 'Perverted by Language' saw the Fall briefly return to Rough Trade after the collapse of Kamera (where they recorded 'Hex Enduction Hour' & 'Room 2 Liv') - MES allegedly taking the band to Beggars Banquet when the Smiths appeared on the Rough Trade scene. The epic-style of 'And This Day', 'Hip Priest' & 'Winter' is generally the template for the eight-track LP - songs like 'Garden', 'Tempo House' & 'Hexen Definitive/Strike Knot' finding the Fall at their most Krautrock - though don't worry, they still sound very much like the Fall! Opener 'Eat Y'Self Fitter' remains a highlight, and is the Fall-song the later great John Peel chose for his Desert Island Discs! A wonderful drum-dominated dirge MES is one fine form lyrically (isn't he always?) - "went down the town - the HM-club...an 'Easy Rider' coup!" - one of Smith's most comic lyrics, backed up by sinister-chants...

'Neighbourhood of Infinity' is superior to the version found on 'In the Palace of Swords Reversed' which was generally a twist on an early version of 'The Man Whose Head Expanded', while Brix sings lead on 'Hotel Bloedel' which sounds like the Fall colliding with the Mekons and Young Marble Giants rather than Brix's later work with the Adult Net - which really had more in common with the Bangles and Voice of the Beehive! 'Smile' is a briefer take on the sinister and frightning world of the Fall - perhaps PBL's claustrophobic sound is reaching a dead-end? Brix's input was key, and there are hints of the melodic Fall that would crossover later in the 1980s here. The melodic 'I Feel Voxish', b-side 'Ludd Gang' & the amusing 'Pilsner Trail' show a band remaining themselves, but becoming a bit less krautslatesque. The brilliant trio 'The Wonderful & Frightning World of the Fall' (1984), 'This Nation's Saving Grace' (1985) and 'Bend Sinister' (1986) was first approached here with songs like 'Ludd Gang' and 'Voxish' - a listen to tracks like '2 x 4', 'Barmy' or 'Terry Waite Sez' demonstrates that a listenable Fall were developing from the sinister dirge practiced on records like 'Dragnet', 'Grotesque (after the gramme)' & 'Hex Enduction Hour.'

This definitive version sounds much better than the two prior cd-versions and comes with the complete bonus-tracks, including the the Krautpop of 'The Man Whose Head Expanded' (the first Fall song that really registered for me beyond the cover versions - first heard in 1987 on Peel), Smith's prediction of the decline of football ('Kicker Conspiracy') and its single-companion 'Wings' - a surreal time-travel tale worthy of Vonnegut. The bonus-disc comes with many alternate versions, some of which are superior to their studio counterpart - people may not some duplication now that the epic six-disc box of Fall Peel Sessions are available! Nice to see the epic rarity 'Backdrop' included, as it did have a mythical repuatation at one time and could only be found on 'In a Hole.'

Come on, it's the Fall - as the reissue programme continues I'm wondering if there's ever been a bad Fall-album? Next stop: THE WONDERFUL & FRIGHTNING WORLD OF THE FALL -

Definitive Version
With the original tracklisting finally restored, remixed, with added singles, live versions, and the Fall's longest ever Peel session, this can definitely be called the definitive version.

PBL is well known for having the longest average time for each song. But this set is definitely not self-indulgent or improvisation-led. Songs such as Garden (the Peel session version especially) and Tempo House completely warrant their extensive length, and the band's playing is tight throughout.

PBL to its friends
PBL; the introduction to the Fall that changed my life.
No wonder, the Great God Pan is on the rampage here!
Less accessible than most Fall albums, it reveals levels decades later.
This is one for keeps, a lifetime of listening pleasure.
What's a computer???