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
Fire of Love cover

Fire of Love

The Gun Club
Tinderbox cover

Tinderbox

Siouxsie & the Banshees
Psychocandy cover

Psychocandy

The Jesus and Mary Chain
Singles cover

Singles

New Order
The Temple of the 13th Tribe cover

The Temple of the 13th Tribe

The Royal Family and the Poor
Forever Now cover

Forever Now

The Psychedelic Furs
Back Again in the DHSS cover

Back Again in the DHSS

Half Man Half Biscuit