Live at the Witch Trials

Released

So the last great band of the 20th century came out of the box fully formed and only John Peel really noticed? Our Mark E. Smith is wandering around taking magic mushrooms and boiling cigar butts and making the jukebox fight back. This version had Karl Burns on drums, maybe a little less coherent than he would later be, but still plenty rumbustious. Martin Bramah didn’t last long in the band, which does not obviate his nutty and springy parts. Considering the range of approaches in the post-punk era, it helps to remember that this music isn’t particularly aggressive or weird. The Fall take little scraps of known rock and then just loop them while Smith tells us what he’s been thinking about. They sort of cycle on in the background, grinding away while he reads his latest notions out. It goes on like this until the end.

Sasha Frere-Jones

Suggestions
Love and Rockets cover

Love and Rockets

Love and Rockets
Out of Step cover

Out of Step

Minor Threat
Enemigos De Lo Ajeno cover

Enemigos De Lo Ajeno

El Último de La Fila
Enormous Door cover

Enormous Door

Brass Unbound, The Ex
Skafish cover

Skafish

Skafish
We Are Always Alone cover

We Are Always Alone

Portrayal of Guilt
AK•79 cover

AK•79

Various Artists
My Mind's Eye cover

My Mind's Eye

The Comsat Angels