Fall



The Fall are an English post-punk band, formed in Manchester in 1976. The band has existed in some form ever since, and is essentially built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group's music has gone through several stylistic changes over the years, but is often characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and is always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.

Career Overview

 * The band is noted for its prolific output: as of February 2007 they have released 26 studio albums, and more than triple that counting live albums and other releases. They have never achieved widespread public success beyond a handful of minor hit singles in the late 1980s, but have maintained a strong cult following.
 * The band were long-associated with BBC disc jockey John Peel, who championed them from early on in their career and cited The Fall as his favourite band, famously explaining, "They are always different; they are always the same'. When asked by John Walters why he liked them so much, Peel said, 'They've never disappointed me yet, and I suspect won't...I can't think of any other artist who's managed to do that for 10 years...I simply don't know what it is that I like about the Fall...He [Mark E. Smith] never takes the prevailing trendy attitude...I'm pleased that he does say what he actually thinks...The Fall are always identifiably The Fall, but they do seem to evolve'. (John Peel on 'Peeling Back The Years', recorded 1987.)

Lists

 * Fall: Festive Fifty Entries


 * Fall: Sessions


 * Fall: Show Appearances (Excluding Sessions)

Links To External Fall Sites

 * Teenage Kicks. Long-running blog detailing all Festive Fifty tracks, including several entries pertaining to this band.


 * Fall Online-Discography. Highly detailed list of all releases, extensively used in the compilation of the Festive Fifty list on this page.

Audio
JP introduces his favourite band, lots of times.
 * IntroducingTheFall