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
Ultravox! cover

Ultravox!

Ultravox
Hunters & Collectors cover

Hunters & Collectors

Hunters & Collectors
Auchtermatic cover

Auchtermatic

Billy Mackenzie
Trio cover

Trio

Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt
My Brain Hurts cover

My Brain Hurts

Screeching Weasel
Remain in Light cover

Remain in Light

Talking Heads
Dreamy cover

Dreamy

Beat Happening