There are those who treat The Fall with so much reverence John Peel for example adored them always different always the same he used to say but then again so is my cat.

Then there are those like me who just think Mark E Smith is just a gobshite from Prestwich who couldn't hold a tune to save his life.

There are those who say ah but yes look at the work ethic, all those albums in all those years, look at the intellectualism, look at the rebelliousness.

I say there is more work ethic, more intellectualism and more rebelliousness in my dustman.

I don't understand the reverence in which The Fall are held and the way Mark E Smith treats his band members is the way of the fascist dictator,complete contempt.

So I would say yes send it back because The Fall are one band that for some unfathomable reason are beyond criticism especially in the music press and it's about time they got a kicking.

this may help
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/beginners-guide-fall-ugh

I'd say they were a Marmite band except Mark E Smith would but saying "Marmite Marmite, never touch the stuff it were all Bovril when I was kid where did thsi Marmite come from are ya courting at the moment?"...
I think they are marvellous and even those who hate their music have to admire MES force of will to battle on making msuic leaving a trail of band members and beaus in his wake, he's a Holstein supping force of nature.
ps. fuzzy face has just proved my point.

or somesuch title is more than enough to be getting on with for the averagely interested listener.

I don't like all of The Fall material by any means but there are some periods which I absolutely love. I would personally have started with '50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong' but the Peel Sessions Box Set is a good alternative. You need to listen to the stuff in that Box Set a few times before making a decision on it. I would recommend listening to the second and third CDs first. Oh, and there should be six CDs and not five I think.

Why would you send it back unopened? You should listen to it first and sell it if you don't like it.

...50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong.

Buy CD set, THEN start asking around to see if other people think the band are any good.

Would the phrase "impulse buy" be relevant at this point?

I mean 13,697,923 people voted for Thatcher in the 1979 election, using numbers to justify your position is just wrong.

If you are going to invest money in a boxset I would suggest this one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fuzzy-Warbles-Collectors-Album-Partridge/dp/B000...

It's my birthday today - you can send it to me if you like.

or is it Saturday afternoon wrestling with Kent Walton.

Andy Partridge has more wit,charm,intelligence and musical nous in his worst song than in the whole of The Falls back catalogue.

The gloves are off now.

as Ap would never leave his shed and turn up to the bout.
and Utrectsimon I think it is but have XTc made any records since "making plans for Nigel"?

The Fall are a garage band apparently what the f@@k does that mean exactly ?

They are dangerous ? in what way are they dangerous ? they are about as dangerous as a flying squirral is to a jet plane.

They are alternative,on the edge,rebellious ,no they are not, they are safe conformists, conforming to their own sound album after album and about as rebellious as Status Quo.

Thats it The Fall are The NME version of Status Quo in fact ,The Status Quo it's ok for post punk journalists to like.

XTC on the other hand are musical geniuses Can you like both ? Well alright I guess you can sort of, I am sort of playing devils advocate here since actually The Fall do have some merit when you compare them yes to the likes of Razorlight et al

It's just that they have had it far too good for far too long.

If you don't like the Beatles you don't like music
or
If you don't like Abba you don't like music
well
If you don't like the Fall then you don't like the Fall.

I love the Fall... but its a minority report. Start with a single albums worth.

It was just too scary.

Well it was for me anyway.

They're not a band that constantly grace my 'wheels of steel' but they do tickle a singular part of my musical brain when I'm in the mood.

I like XTC too. So there.

...listen to their Last.fm channel to help ascertain if you like them before you take the plunge and buy any of their records.

Easily the worst band ever. The same album to the same audience year in, year out. Without fail. They're the musical equivalent of Barbara Cartland (but without the soothing happy ending). Probably worse than Thatcher.

...I don't think I've ever heard anything by them. As for the JH show, it looked like an angry grandad shouting over a pub band, so I'd probably not commit to 5 CDs worth initially.

but I've become a bit exasperated with Mr Partridge's clever cleverness as of late. XTC were always AP and Colin Moulding (why doesn't he get more recognition?), but the FALL will always be MES.
A few points about the Fall. They've never been (all that) successful but they're still going. He's made mistakes, but he's a gloriously unpredictable lyricist. He's northern, working class, self educated and driven. Many people indulge Jagger, Ferry, Lydon etc. why not MES?
You either get them or you don't.
I like both. XTC are refined, sharp and clever. The Fall are a visceral thrill.

We went to Rough Trade's 30th birthday shindig the other night at Manchester Academy. Jarvis Cocker was headlining and doing a DJ set but the first act was Jeffrey Lewis whom Word readers may or may not be familiar with but he's a lo-fi anti-folkster who does a nice sideline in slideshows. Here's his handdrawn history of The Fall.

"50,000 Fans Can't Be Wrong" from Play.com for £5.

Isn't The Fall's "Theme From Sparta FC" used on Final Score at the moment to introduce the footy results? If so, it is slightly ironic since (as far as I can interpret the lyric) it's about football hooligans.

Back on topic, "Midnight Aspen" from the Fall Heads Roll album is a beautiful, wistful song (never thought I'd use those adjectives about a Fall song), while the cover of "There's a Ghost in My House" is one of the finest indie-dance records ever. Bottom line for me is that they are a band who need to be listened to several times, you can't decide on a casual play.

"When they are good they are very very good, but when they are bad they are horrid"

"Insect posse will be crushed - Ha!"

Has anyone mentioned this? OK, if you don't like The Fall then you don't like The Fall, full stop. Frankly there are many reasons why I would not blame you.
However, if you have even the slightest, vaguest suspicion that you might then this is the collection to go for.
IMHO The Fall recorded their best stuff while on RT, especially my treasured 10-inch vinyl copy of Slates which I still have (whose tunes are all included on this collection).
I have a theory (not that developed frankly) that The Fall, while not necessarily The Best English Band Ever, are arguably The Most English Band Ever.
Please feel free to discuss...

Mark E Smith is a bit of a twat but he is also a genius. The Fall may have had nearly 50 members in a thirty year career but it hasn't stopped them continually making great records throughout that time.

When they play live you never know what you are going to get, sometimes they are shambolic and other times (like when I first saw them in 1983 at the Lyceum in London), they are so good it hurts.

I'd keep it meself. Right bargin you've got there.

I liked it. In fact I seriously like it. I "connected" with it. Very good music. Even the singer starts sounding good after a few songs. I plan to re-buy the 5CD box set during my lunch break.

The version of 'New Puritan' on the first disk is about as good as music gets. That is to say, if you're into being shouted at by a curmudgenly, tuneless, despotic, possibly drunk megalomaniac. I know I am.

interesting article interesting arguments/counter arguments.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2007/jul/19/dyingfallwhymarkes...

Today I got The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004 for £12 and The Fall Box Set 1976-2007 for £10, both from the fabulous Fopp.