The Fall is an English group formed in 1976 in Prestwich and originally composed of Mark E. Smith, Martin Bramah, Una Baines and Tony Friel. Group whose name is said to be a reference to Albert Camus’s book 'La Chute' (The Fall).
Group which released his first mini-album two years later in 1978 called "Bingo-Master's break-out", a mini-album which unfortunately went somewhat unnoticed. Just like the single "It’s the new thing" which was released the same year.
It was a year later in 1979 that things started to get serious when the single "Rowche ruble" was released, a single that gave the band his first ranked track. In the same year, the album "Dragnet" was released, an album that did not really achieve the same level of success as the single.
New successes on the singles side in 1980 with a triplet of big caliber titles starting with "Fiery Jack", then "How I wrote elastic man" and finally "Totally wired". Last single of the year which finally gives the group its first global hit, admittedly small, but all the same. Success confirmed the same year with the release of the album "Grotesque (After the gram)" which, too, will achieve a fine career in the Charts.
Small year 1981 with the release of a single single "Lie dream of a casino soul". This was not to be the case in 1982 with the release of the album "Ex Enduction hour" and the single "Look, know", two releases that will not go unnoticed, far from it. Equivalent success for the album "Perverted by language" and the single "The man whose head expanded" which would be released a year later in 1983.
The recognition, the real one, began in 1984 with the release of the album "The wonderful and frightening world of ...", the band's first album to be classified in the official Charts and no longer independent across the Channel. Like the singles “Oh ! Brother", “C.R.E.E.P." and "Draygo’s guilt" which came out the same year.
A take-off due in part to the arrival of Brix Smith (real name Laura Salenger) on the guitar, a providential arrival that will breathe an air of renewal, and especially greater modernity, within the group.
The improvement and the rise in strength of the Charts were confirmed with the release of the albums "This nation's saving grace" in 1985 and "Bend sinister" in 1986.
They will have to wait another year and the year 1987 to obtain the best ranking of all their discography on the single side with the title "There’s a ghost in my house".
And the year 1988 to get their best album ranking of the decade with the album "The Frenz experiment". Another album called "I am kurious oranj" will also be released in 1988 but will not really know the same level of success. 1988 was an exceptional year for the group as they also enjoyed success with the high-caliber single "Victoria".
The end of the decade saw the departure of Brix Smith but that did not affect the level of success of the group. At least on the album side. The proof with the release of "Extricate" in 1990, album with certain success and which keeps the group in the front pack. In particular thanks to the release of 4 powerful singles which are "Telephone thing", "Popcorn double feature", "White lightning" and "High tension line".
A dynamic of success that did not weaken the following year in 1991 when the album "Shift-Work" was released. Album with certain success but which paradoxically struggled to produce any single of big caliber.
It was the next album "Code: selfish" that brought the band back to the fore with the 1992 release of the single "Free range".
But that's without counting on the album "The infostainment scan" which came out a year later in 1993 and which will give the group their biggest record success on the album side. Without being able to produce a planetary single once again, surprisingly.
A great adventure that will continue for the next 2 decades with almost the release of one album per year, an extremely rare occurrence for a group born in the 80s. Unfortunately, there will be plenty but the group will never find the level of success achieved. at the end of the 1980s ...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Rowche rumble 1979
How I wrote ‘elastic man 1980
Totally wired 1980
Lie dream of a casino soul 1981
Look, know 1982
The man whose head expanded 1983
C.R.E.E.P. 1984
Couldn’t get ahead 1985
Hey! Luciani 1986
There’s a ghost in my house 1987
Hit the north 1987
Victoria 1988
Telephone thing 1990
Free range 1992
Ed's babe 1992
Why are people grudgeful ? 1993
The Chiselers 1996
Clips :
1979 ... after a year 1978 that remained unsuccessful, the group finally obtained its first success at the end of the 1970s. Certainly in the independent Charts but it is always better than nothing as they say ...
1980 ... the beginning of the 1980s which saw them reach the top of the Charts. Certainly still independent but what is certain is that the group's progress is linear and rather a good omen for the rest of the events ...
1980 ... what is clear is that their style and sound are not really intended for the general public. A daring and above all risky approach ...
1981 ... even if the group continues its ascent, it is still limited in terms of success. Without a drastic change in tone, it's hard to do better ...
1982 ... the group intends not to change anything for the moment. If there is a change, it will not be immediately, it is clear ...
1983 ... the beginning of the 1980s which saw the group braced on its fundamentals. Not sure that this will pay off in the long term ...
1984 ... it was not until the middle of the decade to see a semblance of evolution. With the key a first title classified in the official Charts. Finally...
1985 ... one step forward, two steps back. The group is constantly torn between not changing anything and starting to stick to the latest trends. They will have to choose at some point ...
1986 ... it will not be for the year 1986 either. The group continues its adventure without worrying too much about what will be said. Rightly or wrongly, the future will tell ...
1987 ... then THIS title comes ! They obtain here the biggest success of all their discography even if this last one will reach only a limited level of success compared to the cadors of the moment. But given their style, it's already flattering to have come to this !
1987 ... the previous title really changed their way of seeing things and started some semblance of a positive development. Hope it lasts ...
1988 ... another major success. The group finally seems to have found the sound that goes well and it pays in the Charts. Like what, not much was enough ...
1990 ... after an end of the 1980s on the hats of the wheel, the start of the 1990s will be somewhat disappointing. Pity...
1992 ... this title will do a little better than its predecessor but the group will never find again the level of success reached at the end of the Eighties. Hard law of the trade ...
1992 ... surprisingly, titles like this one will pass under the radar while they are far from unworthy. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand ...
1993 ... the adventure continues for good and the group continues to believe in it. It starts from a good feeling but is it really very realistic ...
1996 ... the last major single. Even if the adventure will continue for a few more years, the group will unfortunately not offer anything better ...
Wiki :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_(band) Official Website
Greatest Hits :
Discography :