Goodish audience - a tad muffled/bassy in places and the instruments tend to over run the vox in places but generally very listenable.
Second outing for "Garden" and damn good it is too. A highlight opening piece in an end of year tour that would lead to the next big transition. The keyboard driven VU angle of the spring and Aussie escapades morphing inexorably into the spiky guitar and drum driven introspection of 1983 - exemplified by a jaunty "Hex/Knot". Indeed Marc's thin reedy organ sound on "Voxish" perhaps shifts the soundscape further to Craigs jangling guitar and Steve's penetrating bass lines.
Second outing also for the developing "Ludd Gang" which is visceral and Hanley S centric. Interesting to hear the song with keyboard lines. "Hard Life" feels a little lumpen amongst the rest of the set and there are some clashing guitar problems. "Cha Cha" feels a little rushed and i'm not sure it works, whereas the stripped down elegance of "Tempo" proves to be more focused and indeed relevant with breathtaking Fender B dexterity.
It has to be said in this context that "Man whose head" is more suited to this iteration of the band than the later Casio VL-Tone chitterings of 1983 with Riley producing a layer of sensuous noise under the developing song and Mark in fine form spitting out the words.
The band would exhume "Dice Man" twice for this tour and in retrospect its probably a mistake as it does not have the youthful garage exuberance of the Dragnet era and I think Mr Smith realises this by the end of the tune.
The contraintuitive disposition of a less than a 2 minute song with an amazing sub 11 minute version of "Backdrop" is perverse in the extreme - the langurous narration at complete odds to the preceding tune. This is massive and monstrous and probably one of the most memorable moments in Fall history - the complete and organic interaction between guitar, bass, drums and keys a revelation some 25 years later. Layers of sound interspersed with moments of light relief from Burns/Hanley P. Some amazing light and shade as the tension is released around Steve's bass and then the sound builds again in washes of cymbal white noise. This one performance defines and describes The Fall.
Another second reading of the new "Pilsner Trail" at a challenging plus 6 minutes. Some analysis required here as this feels like it has a slightly different structure to later readings - with Beefheartesque guitar structures. Some serious cow bell chittering going on here as well as some excellent repetition. All that being said the swing here is immense with the band pushing the envelope.
It closes with a wonderous "Solicitor".
A classic - pity about the recording which varies in quality throughout but in reality a gig any flare wearing Fall GFW should have in their collection.
Needs two CDs due to the length.
Second outing for "Garden" and damn good it is too. A highlight opening piece in an end of year tour that would lead to the next big transition. The keyboard driven VU angle of the spring and Aussie escapades morphing inexorably into the spiky guitar and drum driven introspection of 1983 - exemplified by a jaunty "Hex/Knot". Indeed Marc's thin reedy organ sound on "Voxish" perhaps shifts the soundscape further to Craigs jangling guitar and Steve's penetrating bass lines.
Second outing also for the developing "Ludd Gang" which is visceral and Hanley S centric. Interesting to hear the song with keyboard lines. "Hard Life" feels a little lumpen amongst the rest of the set and there are some clashing guitar problems. "Cha Cha" feels a little rushed and i'm not sure it works, whereas the stripped down elegance of "Tempo" proves to be more focused and indeed relevant with breathtaking Fender B dexterity.
It has to be said in this context that "Man whose head" is more suited to this iteration of the band than the later Casio VL-Tone chitterings of 1983 with Riley producing a layer of sensuous noise under the developing song and Mark in fine form spitting out the words.
The band would exhume "Dice Man" twice for this tour and in retrospect its probably a mistake as it does not have the youthful garage exuberance of the Dragnet era and I think Mr Smith realises this by the end of the tune.
The contraintuitive disposition of a less than a 2 minute song with an amazing sub 11 minute version of "Backdrop" is perverse in the extreme - the langurous narration at complete odds to the preceding tune. This is massive and monstrous and probably one of the most memorable moments in Fall history - the complete and organic interaction between guitar, bass, drums and keys a revelation some 25 years later. Layers of sound interspersed with moments of light relief from Burns/Hanley P. Some amazing light and shade as the tension is released around Steve's bass and then the sound builds again in washes of cymbal white noise. This one performance defines and describes The Fall.
Another second reading of the new "Pilsner Trail" at a challenging plus 6 minutes. Some analysis required here as this feels like it has a slightly different structure to later readings - with Beefheartesque guitar structures. Some serious cow bell chittering going on here as well as some excellent repetition. All that being said the swing here is immense with the band pushing the envelope.
It closes with a wonderous "Solicitor".
A classic - pity about the recording which varies in quality throughout but in reality a gig any flare wearing Fall GFW should have in their collection.
Needs two CDs due to the length.