ON THIS DAY : THE FALL’S PEEL SESSIONS #14 & #6

(This one is a day later than planned…..I don’t want to interrupt the flow of The Robster‘s series on Super Furry Animals)

The continuation of this series for 2025 in which this blog will dedicate a day to each of the twenty-four of the sessions The Fall recorded for the John Peel Show between 1978 and 2004 – and you’ll have by now spotted that March was traditionally a popular month for the band to record a session, and once again 23 March proved to be a date on which two were broadcast.

Session #14 was broadcast on 23 March 1991, having been recorded on 5 March 1991.

To promote arguably their best Phonogram album, ‘Shift-Work’, the ‘four plus one’ line up of the group convened to record an especially vibrant session. A lumpy version of ‘A Lot Of Wind’ aside, Kenny Brady’s fiddle on ‘The War Against Intelligence’ is of note, further ahead in the mix than on the album.  A generous swipe at Madchester, ‘Idiot Joy Showland’ is performed with requisite venom; the use of megaphone on ‘The Mixer’ is pronounced and the similarities between the song and New Order’s ‘Thieves Like Us’ seem heightened.  Smith is on fantastic, crooning form.

DARYL EASLEA, 2005

mp3: The Fall – The War Against Intelligence (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Idiot Joy Showland (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – A Lot Of Wind (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – The Mixer (Peel Session)

Produced by Mike Robinson

Mark E Smith – vocals; Craig Scanlon – guitar; Steve Hanley – bass; Simon Wolsencroft – drums; Kenny Brady – fiddle

Session #6 was broadcast on 23 March 1983, having been recorded on 21 March 1983.

The first session without Marc Riley (and also the quickest to air, fact fans – and also the longest time-wise) was as spiky as its soon-to-be parent album ‘Perverted By Language (the session material, for once, eas all to feature on the forthcoming album). ‘Smile’ is, as always knotty. ‘Garden’, the sluggish centrepiece of PBL, is rendered fascinating in its excessive repetition. Just when ‘Hexen Definitive – Strife Knot’ is running into its ninth minute, the exaggerated manner in which Smith intones “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fall” is one of this box set’s highlights. ‘Eat Y’Self Fitter’ genuinely stirred Peel, who stated on air that he fainted listening to it and John Walters had to resuscitate him. It’s a great, upbeat rendition of the track

DARYL EASLEA, 2005

mp3: The Fall – Smile (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Garden (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Hexen Definitive – Strife Knot (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Eat Y’Self Fitter (Peel Session)

Produced by John Porter, engineered by Dave Dade

Mark E Smith – vocals; Craig Scanlon – guitar; Steve Hanley – bass; Paul Hanley – keyboards; Karl Burns – drums

JC