50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong does an admirable job attempting to nail down Manchester’s most infuriating band. With more than two dozen studio albums to its credit and few true hits, the group (essentially singer Mark E. Smith and whomever he can tolerate at the moment) specializes in music that’s hard to decipher on first or even fifth listen. What initially might sound like an anonymous, grating clang becomes a mesmerizing spell that no other band can capture. With that understood, The Fall has accessible moments to lure the uninitiated into the fold. The aggressive pulse of “Rowche Rumble,” the taunting jag of “How I Wrote Elastic Man,” the magnetic riff behind “Cruisers Creek,” and the surprisingly (relatively) conventional cover of The Kinks’ “Victoria” make for a decent introduction. From there, the challenge is on. Deciding where to go is up to personal tastes. However, Live at the Witch Trials, Grotesque, This Nation’s Saving Grace, Slates, The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall and The Infotainment Scan are all worthy points of entry.
Disc 1
Disc 2
- Apple Music
- Half Man Half Biscuit
- The Jesus and Mary Chain
- Felt