A 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.
Session #20 was broadcast on this day, 18 August 1996, having been recorded on 30 June 1996.
Marking the final appearance of Brix, the session is notable for an early run-through of ‘Spencer Must Die’ from ‘Levitate’ dominated by Julia Nagle’s keyboards. There are extremely taut and economical versions of ‘Spinetrack’ and ‘D.I.Y. Meat’ from the recently released ‘The Light User Syndrome’ album. If anyone has doubted Stephen Hanley’s bass prowess, just take a listen to his playing on ‘D.I.Y. Meat’. The standout of the session is undoubtedly Smith’s re-working of Captain Beefheart’s ‘Beatle Bones ‘N’ Smokin’ Stones’. The warped blues’n’poetry from the Captain’s 1968 ‘Strictly Personal’ album are strictly personalised by Smith. It’s still quite a pleasure to hear Smith intone ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’.
DARYL EASLEA, 2005
mp3: The Fall – D.I.Y. Meat (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Spinetrack (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Spencer (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Beatle Bones ‘N’ Smokin’ Stones (Peel Session)
Produced details unknown
Mark E Smith – vocals; Brix Smith – guitar, vocals; Steve Hanley – bass; Julia Nagle – keyboards; Simon Wolstencroft – drums; Karl Burns – drums; Lucy Rimmer – vocals
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 