1989 - Squid Law
5 June: Single - Cab It Up
19 June: Album - Seminal Live
A quieter year but one that caused me issues selection-wise. A year where Brix and MES split and the relationship with Beggar's Banquet came to an end. That may have something to do with the reduced output and, dare I say, the reduced quality
When I've sat down to write these, sometimes I've known exactly which song I'm going to choose as I know the output inside out. Other times I've looked forward to re-discovering some of the group's work that I've neglected for one reason or another.
And then there are years where I can't imagine I would have listened to a particular record again. I'm looking at you Seminal Live!
Let's start with the single though. I've got the 12 inch which foreshadows the album in that one side has studio recordings, the other live.
I'm a big fan of Cab It Up but prefer the full version on last year's Kurious Oranj to this clumsily faded-out effort. Dead Beat Descendent is one of those tracks that leave you thinking it might be a cover because of the fifties-style rock feel and it's none the worse for that.
As for the live tracks on the reverse, Kurious Oranj and Hit the North, yeah - they're alright. I particularly the way Kurious Oranj comes to a conclusion. I'm largely going to avoid live records on this journey as it is a massively confusing business!
To Seminal Live then. As best as I can see it's half-live and not at all seminal. It has a 'contractual obligation' feel to it and keyboard player Marcia Schofield referred to it as "the worst piece of shit I have ever worked on."
Dead Beat Descendant is covered above. Pinball Machine, a Country and Western cover, sounds like it was knocked off in one take, H.O.W. (History of the World) seems like a song that needs a tad more development. Hanley's bass again the star here.
Squid Law (also known as Squid Lord) is the key track for me in that it gives an indication of where the band would be heading on next year's Extricate. You can see the link from Frenz and Kurious Oranj. Finally, I will be very happy never to hear Mollusc in Tyrol again! Among the live tracks on the b-side there's a cracking version of Pay Your Rates.
Maybe Seminal Live wasn't as bad as I remember but I shan't be rushing back to it.
The Fall did play at John Peel's fifty birthday party in August and also recorded a session in December that will feature in next year's round-up. So not a lot for me to choose from.
After much deliberation I decided not to go with Cab It Up as it's basically the same as released last year. It seems unfair to give it two attempts to be chosen. So it's Squid Law that gets the nod.
The Annotated Fall will give some ideas as to what this might be about.
19 June: Album - Seminal Live
"Today they picked the wrong man"
A quieter year but one that caused me issues selection-wise. A year where Brix and MES split and the relationship with Beggar's Banquet came to an end. That may have something to do with the reduced output and, dare I say, the reduced quality
When I've sat down to write these, sometimes I've known exactly which song I'm going to choose as I know the output inside out. Other times I've looked forward to re-discovering some of the group's work that I've neglected for one reason or another.
And then there are years where I can't imagine I would have listened to a particular record again. I'm looking at you Seminal Live!
Let's start with the single though. I've got the 12 inch which foreshadows the album in that one side has studio recordings, the other live.
I'm a big fan of Cab It Up but prefer the full version on last year's Kurious Oranj to this clumsily faded-out effort. Dead Beat Descendent is one of those tracks that leave you thinking it might be a cover because of the fifties-style rock feel and it's none the worse for that.
As for the live tracks on the reverse, Kurious Oranj and Hit the North, yeah - they're alright. I particularly the way Kurious Oranj comes to a conclusion. I'm largely going to avoid live records on this journey as it is a massively confusing business!
To Seminal Live then. As best as I can see it's half-live and not at all seminal. It has a 'contractual obligation' feel to it and keyboard player Marcia Schofield referred to it as "the worst piece of shit I have ever worked on."
Dead Beat Descendant is covered above. Pinball Machine, a Country and Western cover, sounds like it was knocked off in one take, H.O.W. (History of the World) seems like a song that needs a tad more development. Hanley's bass again the star here.
Squid Law (also known as Squid Lord) is the key track for me in that it gives an indication of where the band would be heading on next year's Extricate. You can see the link from Frenz and Kurious Oranj. Finally, I will be very happy never to hear Mollusc in Tyrol again! Among the live tracks on the b-side there's a cracking version of Pay Your Rates.
Maybe Seminal Live wasn't as bad as I remember but I shan't be rushing back to it.
The Fall did play at John Peel's fifty birthday party in August and also recorded a session in December that will feature in next year's round-up. So not a lot for me to choose from.
After much deliberation I decided not to go with Cab It Up as it's basically the same as released last year. It seems unfair to give it two attempts to be chosen. So it's Squid Law that gets the nod.
The Annotated Fall will give some ideas as to what this might be about.
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