[Steve70nearly]

It's been a while since I failed to get my other blog made into a book, so here's a new one to read instead.

I'll be writing about my favourite Fall compilation LP covers, in five sections of four albums, so as not to bore people with one big list. Also gives me some time with my sheep in between.

Here's my first entry, # 20-17


20. Palace Of Swords Reversed


This is a smashing sleeve, featuring various images of MES collated with several news and magazine articles about The Fall. The promo sleeve (pictured) has a slightly smaller typeface, but not much. Like much early Fall, there is a sinister feel to the image, curious as the album was the first to be released on MES' own Cog Sinister label.


19. Nord West Gas


An interesting cover, difficult to make out what it depicts. It looks like a Claus Castenskiold work, but it isn't, it's by a bloke called Chris Kenny. Anyway it's typically Fall like.


18. Early Years 77-79


Another sinister feel to this, the first ever Fall comp. It looks like The Fall name rising up out of the burning depths of Hades, or Cwmbran as it's better known. Great cover.


17. Hip Priest And Kamerads


A favourite trick by compilation compilers is to have images of group members on the cover. This one is no exception, but it features a young Brix who wasn't on the scene when the contents of the record were released. Most odd, plus the group look happy.

[Steve70nearly]

Part 2, #16-13


16. 458489 A Sides


This is a super sleeve, not least because of the out-of-focus multi-coloured font that gives you a bit of an LSD trip and plays havoc with the epileptics. A grainy full length image of MES dressed in full goth garb is also of note.



15. 458489 B Sides


The 458489 series was improved here with an identical font and the image of MES on the opposite side of the sleeve facing the other way - a clever way of showing it's the B-sides comp - the flip if you like. Beware though of dodgy Kraut editions which are far less aesthetically pleasing and don't send you off your tits.




14. 5 Albums Box Set


No one can deny the thought that has gone into this box set sleeve. They have cunningly taken the main photo from The Frenz Experiment, removed the irritating font that obscured most of that original, and replaced it with a plain orange font slightly off centre which only partially obscures the top of Craig's head. They have also cleverly added a full stop to the gruppe name.


13. 13 Killers


I thought it would be witty to place this little gem at #13 in my list, but it probably deserves a higher rating. Who cannot be thrilled with the bright red spray painted "13" which adorns the cover and tells the customer that this comp does indeed contain 13 tracks. I for one would be as happy as a ram up the Rhondda if I had a copy.

[Amber]

These are great Steve70nearly, I've missed reading your work.

[Steve70nearly]

These are great Steve70nearly, I've missed reading your work.

Thank you Amber, I'm stuck in with some of my sheep in the snowdrifts just now, but I'll post the rest later in the week.

[Steve70nearly]

Part 3, # 12-9


12. Totally Wired - The Rough Trade Anthology


Oh this one is stunningly good. We have an original "The Fall" font along with what may be MES penned "Totally Wired", or someone copying MES' handwriting style. Placed over a sleeve covered in barbed wire (Totally Wired - geddit?) , this is surely up among the very best sleeves to date. I like barbed wire, it keeps my sheep from escaping. Electric fencing works too, but The Fall didn't do a song called "Electrically Fenced".


11. 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong


A very clever design this, it depicts MES from a very early gruppe shot cut away from that gruppe and placed randomly across the sleeve in 14 different sizes. His sweater is of note, being typical of 1973, even though the image was taken in 1979. I have a tank top like that in blue, knitted by my Mum from wool. Apropos to nothing, Elvis Presley had the gall to release an identically themed compilation entitled 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Cant Be Wrong, featuring himself on the cover in a gold lamé suit. The cunt.


10. Fiend With A Violin


What a treat this one was, one of the Receiver releases so a guarantee of quality, the "fiend" referred to Nigel Kennedy who was banging Brix soon after she split with MES. He was a punk violin player and a bit of a twat by all accounts, but at least he provided a theme for us here.


9. Permanent Years (Paranoia Man In Cheap Sh*t Room)


Wow! I mean just look at this sleeve - the torn curtain, the flaky paintwork, the peeling wall paper, the views across a misty Welsh mining village - how could you ignore this on finding a copy in your HMV? Sadly HMV Pontypridd didn't have one in, in fact they'd never heard of it. In fact they'd never heard of The Fall. I came out with an Alarm compilation and a Cerys Matthews mug.

[Steve70nearly]

Part 4 - #8-5


8.Listening In


This is a cool idea for a compilaton of lost single tracks - take each single sleeve and place them randomly against each other to fill up the album sleeve, AND add an extra single sleeve that isn't actually featured at all on the record.


7. Northern Attitude


It makes perfect sense to me to have a sleeve featuring Fall members from the late 80's for a record set mostly in the 90's (and a nod to 1979). Place these images randomly over a different image of Craig and MES, MES appearing to be screaming in pain, and add the gruppe name "The Fall". Twice. This is a compilation of some compilation tracks after all.


6. Rebellious Jukebox Volume 3


Difficult to choose this over RJ Vol 2 because it is identical, but the subtle difference is the colour. This one is mauve, but if you look closely, you can see the orangey brown of Vol 2 around some of the lettering which makes it unique.


5. Oswald Defence Lawyer


Sully my sphincter in St Asaph's, this is one of the very best. Everyone loves a cover featuring MES, so what better than a photo of the great man looking like he's done six months in Auschwitz, and has escaped to model sweaters from Primark Prestatyn that have been through the wash a few times? Awesome.

[Amber]

These are all great Steve70nearly, and quite funny too.

It's a shame no one else wants to comment.

[Sonofsmegma]

Part 3 - #8-5


8.Listening In


This is a cool idea for a compilaton of lost single tracks - take each single sleeve and place them randomly against each other to fill up the album sleeve, AND add an extra single sleeve that isn't actually featured at all on the record.

Cool , dad never spotted that, surprisingly.

7. Northern Attitude


It makes perfect sense to me to have a sleeve featuring Fall members from the late 80's for a record set mostly in the 90's (and a nod to 1979). Place these images randomly over a different image of Craig and MES, MES appearing to be screaming in pain, and add the gruppe name "The Fall". Twice. This is a compilation of some compilation tracks after all.

Loved the MES screaming in pain thing

[smegma2]

Part 3 - #8-5


8.Listening In


This is a cool idea for a compilaton of lost single tracks - take each single sleeve and place them randomly against each other to fill up the album sleeve, AND add an extra single sleeve that isn't actually featured at all on the record.

Cool , dad never spotted that, surprisingly.

Of course I spotted it, you tiresome little shit.

I just don't make a big deal out of such trivia, I've never cared for Steve70something's rambles.

[Steve70nearly]

Thank you Amber.

Fuck you Smegma.


Part 5 - #4-1


4. Rebellious Jukebox


I've said it before, any Fall sleeve with MES on the cover can do no wrong in my eyes, and this is no exception. What's not to like? A darkened background with MES' apparently severed head looking despairingly into the abyss of life. It's an absolute joy to behold.


3. I've Never Felt Better In My Life


No need for a title really, the cover speaks for itself. MES is clearly in jubilant mood here, his apparently severed head over a dark background looking lovingly into abyss of life. It's not unlike the sleeve of the previous entry, except on this one he is clearly looking the other way. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition as they say in Llantwit Major.


2. High Tension Line


Words cannot describe the imagery on display with this sleeve. No really, they can't.


1. Oxymoron


And so we come to the finale of my little blog, and felch me in Fishguard it's a corker. A man's torso reaches up to the unknown, his internal lungs on display to show his terrible illness, proven with spots of blood emulating from the unfortunate chap's mouth and nostrils - yes this is a 23 year pre-cog of Covid-19, truly astonishing. The cover is completed with a list of several songs featured therein, not least the big hits 'Italiano' and 'Rainmaster', the latter being one of the finest in the Fall's canon.



Thank you for reading my blog, I trust it was of interest and useful information. Feel free to pledge some money to my crowdfunder in order that I may spend my days lambing in Llanfyllin and ramming in Rhuddlan.