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Friday 22 January 2010

The Fall 'Theme From Sparta FC'


This has been sitting in my drafts folder for a week or so, so I thought I may as well click 'publish post'. It dawned on me recently that I've been listening to The Fall for nearly 24 years. Not 24 years solidly, that'd be a recipe for insanity (although I know people who arn't far off that). 24 years in bursts. In 1986 a friend did me a compilation tape, the beginnings of my real interest in music. As I remember it featured ACR (Shack Up, Do The Du), New Order (Ceremony, Love Will Tear Us Apart live), Sugarcubes (Delicious Demon and Birthday), Bodines (Therese possibly), a load of other stuff, and The Fall (Victoria I think). He did a follow up tape in 87 which had The Fall's version of A Day In The Life and the Sally Cinnamon single, and other stuff I can't remember. I played them to death.

I'm not a total Fall addict. I wouldn't pretend to be an expert, and I know at least two people who scoff at my part-time Fallery. I havn't got anywhere near all their albums. I've seen them play a couple of times. Read MES's book, quite enjoyed it, read Dave Simpson's 'The Fallen', enjoyed it more. I've got some of the early stuff. I really like the stuff they did for the Fontana label, though I believe the hardcore fans don't rate it. In the 90s Extricate was great, especially Bill Is Dead. Also loved the White Lightning e.p. I bought Fall Heads Roll (2000 and something). Trust In Me is a really good recent Fall song. My point is I've never felt the need to get it all and have 40 plus Fall albums, but it's all there, loitering, being Fall-like, available whenever you want to get into it. This is amongst the best things they've ever done, no matter what period, what line-up, what label, what year. Theme From Sparta FC-

'English Chelsea fan,
This is your last game,
Take your fleecy jumper,
You won't need it here,
We're not Galatasaray,
We're Sparta
F

1 comment:

drew said...

Closer to 100 albums, if you count dodgy comps and pointless terrible quality live things. I think each studio album has it's merits but I'm not a great fan of LATWT, which is tantamount to heresy.

Someone once said that after you by The Fall Peel Sessions, you should just throw away the rest of your music collection as it is superfluous.

Sparta is a good track.

I've been listening to a this a lot recently http://www.box.net/shared/qnlizrkg4b. Blistering version