Fall Monday Playlist #13 - Eleni
When MES died, many of his obituaries made extensive reference to Brix and her influence on the group. Which was entirely reasonable, as I talked about in the previous post. However, very few made more than a passing reference to Eleni Poulou (her first name seems to get a range of spellings, but Eleni is what was on most Fall sleeve credits and it's also what she uses on her Instagram), who was not only Smith's third wife but the third-longest serving member of the group other than MES himself, her fourteen years' service only being topped by Steve Hanley (19) and Craig Scanlon (16).
Eleni's vocals and her effective if not always virtuosic keyboard work were a key component of late period Fall, so here are ten of her most notable moments.
[N.B. There are differences between the two - see below.]
I've Been Duped
Sounds like Nico covering The Rezillos. Live versions tend to outstrip the IWS take, this being a prime example:
[There aren't any live versions on Spotify, so that playlist contains the IWS version.]
What About Us?
Eleni’s coolly dispassionate backing vocals (‘hop hop hop!’) are a treat, and recall the days when Smith and Brix’s vocals entwined so successfully. The Spotify and YT playlists are different again here, the latter featuring this storming version by the 'Dudes' line-up from the Øyafestivalen Festival in Oslo, August 2006.
Junger Cloth
The shuffling Afro-beat drums and choppy guitar find the group revisiting a frequent source of inspiration, Can. Spurr’s ballooning bass line is a highlight, but it’s Eleni who anchors the song with a serene, sustained keyboard melody.
Bury
Spurr and Melling's tight groove is complemented perfectly by Eleni's oscillating keyboards. Unusually well-shot video too.
Happi Song
This track from Ersatz GB is a divisive one; how much you enjoy it will depend on your taste for Eleni's aloof Nico pastiche. The way her vocal blends with the backdrop of chopped-up MES samples does give it a certain wonky charm.
The Wright Stuff
Liked 'Duped', one that was generally more successful live. This version, from Last Night At The Palais finds Eleni on confident form.
Wise Ol' Man
From the flawed but underrated 2016 EP, it's another track where MES and Eleni's vocals work in perfect harmony.
Theme From Sparta FC
A classic late Fall moment. MES grabs the headlines, and the group backing vocals are crucial, but the song would be hugely diminished without Eleni's contribution.
Loadstones
From, to my mind, the most criminally underrated Fall album, 'Loadstones' is led by a snaking Greenway riff, but Eleni's keyboards add crucial depth and texture.
The Classical
This version of one of the group's canonical tunes (recorded at King George's Hall, Blackburn, 22 September 2002) is far from their best. Dave Milner gives his all, but the song is clearly diminished by having only one drummer. I've included it because this was Eleni's first on-stage appearance with the group.
Next week will cover the best non-album tracks.
its perhaps to my detrement that i have largely ignored the later records of the fall. the fall without steve hanley and craig scanlon seemed to not be the fall.
ReplyDeletei shall endevour to give the later music a good listen and your blogs will help in guiding me through.
thanks for all the writing and views you make, they are invaluable.
ignoring the fall post-hanley, is ignoring 50% of the fall.
DeleteSurely Auto Chip 2014-15 deserves an appearance on this list?
ReplyDeleteIt appeared on the "3Rs" list.
DeleteIMHO. Eleni > Brix. Brix alway seemed too self-conscious to "rock star". Eleni mirrored Mark's very cool haughty and aloof demeanor to a T.
ReplyDeleteCan I ask if you will do the same with Kay or Una? Don't know if they could be put together!
ReplyDeleteMaybe even Yvonne?
DeletePossibly - have quite a long list of topics to get through!
DeleteI agree with you about Re-Mit. It is indeed a criminally under rated record that I never tire of. Absolutely fantastic, but then again I'm a total "stan" for literally every LP The Fall recorded post-2000 (tbh much of the nineties output represents something of a low point in the group's catalogue, to me. Which isn't to say there aren't some fantastic records from that decade, far from it!). Such verve and invention. Bloody great stuff.
ReplyDelete