The Fall formed in the punk era but always had an idiosyncratic sound. "Prole Art Threat" is fast enough for hardcore punk, but the lyrics and Mark E. Smith's vocal delivery are in a class of their own: irreverent poetry and a drinking man's ear for abrasive and progressive sounds (not progressive rock). In its original six-track format, Slates was considered too short to be an album, but subsequent rereleases have appended different bonus cuts to flesh it out. The original EP is perfect. "Middle Mass," "An Older Lover Etc.," "Fit and Working Again,” and the feedback-winded "Slates, Slags, Etc." are the most anarchic rock recordings this side of The Birthday Party. Recordings made for John Peel's radio show feature several Fall classics from the era: "Hip Priest" (which later was featured on the soundtrack to The Silence of the Lambs) and "Lie Dream of a Casino Soul" (which also appears in its single version with the b-side "Fantastic Life"). "Medical Acceptance Gate" is an obscurity that saw previous release on a 1993 U.K. compilation.