Fall Compilations - A Summary
A recent post I made about which Fall live LPs were worth acquiring generated quite a lot of interest, so I thought I'd do something similar for the bewildering array of compilation albums.
I did do this in quite some detail in You Must Get Them All a while back, and you can find those posts here:
These three posts are pretty detailed, however, and I realise that not everyone will have the time and/or inclination to wade through all of them. This is an abridged guide, using the assessment system that I outlined in Part 1 above.
- A: Worthwhile purchase, even for those who just have a few Fall albums
- B: Contains enough interesting material to make it worth a few quid to the more than casual Fall fan; or serves as a useful introduction to the inexperienced
- C: A few aspects of interest, but only for the really committed who have all of the ‘proper’ stuff already
- D: Only of interest to the really hardcore completist
- E: Even the hardcore completist should think long and hard before parting with cash
It's worth noting that several of these comps gain credit for providing access to tracks that in pre-internet days were hard to source, even if they might be a little redundant now.
[Prices quoted are based on Discogs/Ebay as of October 2021 and are for CD versions unless otherwise stated; they are generally for second hand later reissues rather than new/original pressings. Done from a UK standpoint, so might be different if you live in the US or elsewhere.]
GRADE A
The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004
Essential (although it'll set you back the best part of £100 at the moment). My series of posts about the Peel sessions can be found here: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4.
Hip Priest And Kamerads
Top-notch Hex-era compilation; expanded and improved further with the 1988 reissue, which you can get for under a tenner.
Backdrop
Interesting mix of obscurities: 'Essential to acolytes', said Stewart Lee. Quite difficult to get a a hold of though.
The Fall Box Set 1976-2007
Five CD box set of rarities - a proper treasure trove (£40-60).
In: Palace Of Swords Reversed
Strong early 80s collection (£20-30)
50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong – 39 Golden Greats
A comprehensive overview on double CD; as good as anyone could have done with such a thankless task. Easily picked up for less than a fiver.
GRADE B
58 Golden Greats
Sound attempt at extending 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong with a third CD to include the later years, although it'll set you back £30-50.
A-Sides 1978-2016
If you were going to start somewhere, this 3xCD set wouldn’t be a bad place to begin (especially as it seems to be going for £12-15 at the moment).
Singles 1978-2016
Or if you wanted a bigger set to start, you could get the b-sides as well across seven discs (not a bad shout at about £40).
458489 A Sides
Brix era singles - can be picked up on CD for around a fiver.
458489 B Sides
Brix era b-sides - available for £10-15.
77 – Early Years – 79
Roundup of the first four singles. Useful at the time, but difficult to get a hold of now.
The Collection
Early 80s compilation; included some (at the time) hard to get tracks (£5-10).
Totally Wired – The Rough Trade Anthology
Good value double CD intro to the early 80s material; can easily be picked up for £5 or less.
5 Albums
Decent value (£15-20) late 80s box set.
GRADE C
Sinister Waltz
Mixed bag of live/alternative versions (£10-20).
The Fontana Years
Box set (3xCD) of the early 90s albums (£30-40).
[1982]
Six CDs full of exemplary material, although if you’re interested enough you’ll own all – or at least most – of this already (£40-50).
Listening In (Lost Singles Tracks 1990-92)
Early 90s b-sides (£20-25).
Early Singles
Does what it says on the tin - A&B sides up to 1982. Quite hard to get a hold of now.
It’s The New Thing! The Step Forward Years
1978-80 singles/b-sides compilation (£10-12).
Words Of Expectation – BBC Sessions
Odd compilation of Peel sessions 1-5 and 19-20 on 2xCD (£10-20).
The Peel Sessions
Decent collection of Peel tracks, compiled by Steve Hanley. Made a bit redundant by the release of The Peel Session Box Set, but served its purpose at the time (£10-15).
GRADE D
Smile…It’s The Best Of
Pointlessly random collection (£5-10).
A Past Gone Mad
Random selection of previously released 90s material (£5-10).
Time Enough At Last
3xCD box set of Oxymoron and Cheetham Hill plus the live album 15 Ways To Leave Your Man (£20-30).
The Rough Trade Singles Collection
Italian vinyl collection of early 80s singles (£30-40).
The War Against Intelligence – The Fontana Years
Yet another compilation of early 90s material (£10-20).
Nord-West Gas
Inessential German collection of mid-80s tracks (£20-30).
Oswald Defence Lawyer / Oxymoron / Cheetham Hill
A few interesting moments on each (lots more detail here), but overall they're cynical cash-ins (£10-15).
Yet another random selection (2xCD) of previously released 90s material (£10-15).
Permanent Years (Paranoia Man In Cheap Sh*t Room)
And yet another aimless and unnecessary 90s compilation, albeit one with a slightly more interesting sleeve than most. Not many of these about - currently one on Ebay for £73!
The Wonderful And Frightening Escape Route To...
Unnecessary TWAFW-era compilation (£15-20).
Medicine For The Masses
Typically pointless Record Store Day release - unless you're really into badges.
Fiend With A Violin
Typically dubious Receiver compilation - more detail here (£10-15).
Rebellious Jukebox
Irredeemably shoddy (and, as thefall.org has it, 'unfathomable') double CD compilation (£10-15).
Rebellious Jukebox Volume 2 (Psycho Rockabilly Nightmare)
The next one (also 2xCD) isn't any better. Hideous title and sleeve. A live version of 'Hit The North' is attributed to the album Live in Zagbreb [sic]. £10-15, if you're desperate to throw your cash away.
Rebellious Jukebox Volume 3
Another double CD (this time focusing on live recordings), this is just as shoddy as its two predecessors - also has one of the worst set of sleeve notes ever (and there's rather stiff competition). It'll set you back £10-20 if you have money to burn.
Cynical recycled 'compilation of compilations' stuff (£10-15).
Psykick Dance Hall
3xCD collection of early material. I've never owned it, but according to thefall.org, 'unfortunately, largely mastered from inferior Voiceprint CD reissues, so the audio quality is not optimal'. (£10-15)
I’ve Never Felt Better In My Life – 1979-1982 / 13 Killers / White Lightning
Prime examples of shoddy and pointless Fall compilations. You can pick any of them up for about £10-15, but you're probably better off not bothering.
Totally Wired… Another Fall Best Of
Download only. The use of ellipsis in the title suggests that the missing word is ‘yet’.
Schtick: Yarbles Revisited
Totally unnecessary collection of TNSG-era b-sides and Peel session tracks (£15-20).
The Classical
Released in 2016. 'Sing! Harpy' is labelled as 'Sing Happy', which tells you all you need to know. Won't be the best £20-30 you've ever spent.
Fi5 Main Page
interesting compilation of compilations you've made there, thank you though i'm a vinyl man rather than cd, fortunate to have a few of these on vinyl.
ReplyDeleteCheers. I stuck with the CDs because getting into the vinyl releases was going to make it overly complicated!
DeleteDisagree about "A Past Gone Mad", that's a very useful intro to their 90s work. And you're missing the companion "A World Bewitched", which has a completely different view of the same era PLUS a fantastic odds and sods collection of guest appearances and one-offs.
ReplyDelete