"I've Never Broke Up"
One of the best birthday presents I got yesterday was the new album from arguably my favorite band of all time, The Fall. Reformation Post-TLC is their 26th album, with yet another lineup. This time Mark E. Smith has assembled an almost entirely American version of The Fall, made up of members of Darker My Love and The Hill -- recruited after Smith sacked the previous lineup in the middle of last year's American tour. This lineup also features the first-ever, I think, bearded member, bassist Rob Barbuto. Surprised Smith didn't make him shave it off.
Two listens in and it sounds like another quality Fall album, with a surprisingly intelligible MES (by his standards) who really seems on top of his game as he nears 50. (Despite looking 15 years older, he doesn't hit the half-century mark till March 5.) It's got all the Fall trademarks: repetitive, catchy riffs; rock-solid rhythm section; the cover song (Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever"); the long rambly demo-sounding number ("Das Boat"); the poppy number ("My Door is Never"); the Krautrock number ("Insult Song"); and multiple instances of Smith cracking himself up (most notably also on "Insult Song"). Reformation Post-TLC even has one song where Smith's wife (and Fall keyboard player), Elena Poulou, handles lead vocals ("The Wright Stuff").
As for the title track, here's what MES told MOJO in the new February issue (where Reformation Post-TLC is the lead review, four stars):
"It's about all those Manchester idiots, in groups, they're all reforming. It's obvious why they do it, isn't it? Cos' they're broke. And suddenly they're your mates. And y'know, the Manchester scene never liked the Fall. John Cooper Clarke said a very funny thing to me, he said, 'I know exactly what you mean, Mark -- the guitars-are-dead mob.' Ha! Now they've changed their tune. We've never broke up, really. Well, I've never broke up."
MES also makes a Pavement reference on "Reformation!" -- of course "2 States" was a blatant Fall ripoff/homage. We have come full circle.
MP3: The Fall - Reformation!
MP3: The Fall - Insult Song
Reformation Post-TLC is out February 12 in the UK; Americans will have to wait until March 27.
Happy belated birthday and thanks for the mp3s Bill. I've only listened to one song on MySpace so far, which sounded only ok. I keep waiting for it to leak (don't worry I'll buy it though not sure which version yet; I think the UK one has 2 more tracks) but it hasn't as of yet.
Posted by:Matt Berlyant | Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 03:11 PM
Oh yes it has leaked. And it is indeed quite interesting.
Posted by:Leaky McLeakerson | Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 03:30 PM
love reformation! thanks!
Posted by:d | Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 12:29 PM
Great stuff! Can't wait for the cd to hit the stores!!
Thanks for the tracks.
Posted by:mik | Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 08:34 PM
To me, Reformation sounds much different than any previous record...must be the Americans.
MES also is getting to sound a bit like William S Burroughs. He's got that grumpy old man voice on a bunch of the tracks.
Posted by:Toby | Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 11:47 PM
I don't think that's true. In fact certain songs remind me of songs on previous records. For example "The Wright Stuff" sounds a lot like "Hotel Bleidel" and "Das Boat" (though it's awful) could've been on the last third of The Unutterable. The best song is the title track. Overall it's a lot more experimental than their last record.
Posted by:Matt Berlyant | Monday, January 22, 2007 at 12:04 PM