I seem to enjoy music much more when I'm obsessed with a single artist. Maybe there's something about digging deeply into the catalogue or just learning, but it beats skipping stones across the myriad of 16 buck new releases that remind me of better records I bought twenty years ago. That's mostly just old age- at a certain point, you've heard it all and not much is going to bring that buzz the way it once did. But somehow, throwing my ears into one band day after day after day makes music interesting again, or at least clicks on the curiosity sensors deadened by too much culture.
These past few months it's been all about Mr. Mark E. Smith, and it's nice to know I can go all OCD on a former punker instead of some country folker. I have a long way to go, cuz this guy plays by the old rules- an album almost every year and pass the fucking bottle. Folks like to go on about the lyrics, but they're just snippets to me: "We are Sparta FC," "Does that stink of analyst?" "Idiot." Poetic genius or drunken stream-of-consciousness? Both? Depends? I find the nonsense soothing, even if the sounds can jar at times. I don't mind the dance stuff- as soon as that voice comes along, it's just The Fall. The man's attitude trumps most of the background music, making the songs his, even when they're not very good. His is a singular vision, no matter the alleys he sometimes visits. I'm early in the exploration (it's gotta take years, right?), but not even close to bored. I suppose tomorrow I could read an article about the genius of Dan Fogelberg and leave Manchester behind, but I doubt it. Just too many byways to explore.
Here are five at the top of the pile, given that I haven't heard all of them (is it 29 studio efforts and an infinite number of comps?) or given some (like Shift Work, which sucked for one listen- am I wrong?) of them much of a chance, and with all apologies to real Fall fans who know I know nothing-
Grotesque
The Real New Fall lp
Reformation Post T.L.C.
Your Future Our Clutter
Hex Enduction Hour
Suck an August twelve-pack in the dusk of your middle age, and smile at a stranger. And stay away from Pyramid beers- even free, they taste like shit.
4 comments:
I have that really big Fall comp and a couple of other records. I like them all. But I haven't put in the time to truly know him.
lately, I ahve been pretty much listening exclusively to the new Black Keys and Eddy Current. And Ooogla Boogla or what evr theya re called. All of it really good stuff even on the 30 bus at 5 AM.
Agree with the Pyramid comment. They are absed in Bezerkeley, right? I never will understand why some one wants to drink apricot flavored beer. I find myself drinking only Anchor, Lagunitas, Racer 5. I need to break out when I finally get out.
I hate strangers.
BTW...is Mark E Smith deformed physically? He looks....off.
no, he just drinks too much.
Speaking of drinking, you might want to try Green Flash and Pliny the Elder, if you haven't already. The Pliny is hard to find but worth the effort. I know Whole Foods has them, however unpleasant it might be going in there.
I tried Pliny the Elder and loved it. It is a beer that requires physical effort from the drinker, however. I'd describe it as "dense" from a flavor standpoint.
The Green Flash was a superhero character, no?
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