Mancabilly vs Country 'n' Northern
The Fall – Grotesque (After The Gramme) [MOVLP3320 NLD 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC]
Originally released on Rough Trade Records in 1980.
I've previously ripped my crackly UK original of this album and was tempted by this new pressing cut from tape by Music On Vinyl. Although I didn't expect our Dutch friends to have access to the original master, I certainly didn't expect this reissue to originate from a differently mixed source. Please read on....
Whilst I am no Fall aficionado (I know many are), the muffled extra few seconds on the intro to one of my favourite tracks, Pay Your Rates are as noticeable as the audible differences to the original album and very occasional tape drop outs on this release. For instance, the intro to English Scheme is about six seconds shorter compared to the original, and Smith's vocals are further back in the mix. I haven't given this enough time for comparisons to find all the differences - I know some will be right on this. The most obvious difference on this pressing is what sounds to be a completely different take of The N.W.R.A.
Putting all of this to one side as I go back to identifying differences, any album containing Pay Your Rates, Container Drivers, The North Will Rise Again and the very apt A New Face In Hell should very possibly be considered a classic.
A2 English Scheme
A3 New Face In Hell
A4 C'n'C-S Mithering
A5 The Container Drivers
B1 Impression Of J. Temperance
B2 In The Park
B3 W.M.C. - Blob 59
B4 Gramme Friday
B5 The N.W.R.A.
Total Classic!
ReplyDeleteThe Fall had a lot of truly unique and wonderful releases at this time and this sits with the best.
I prefer to think of MES as a new face in heaven ... mithering the fuck out of the office staff whilst looking for the next stash of Joey Holts.
Classic indeed. Like Sonic Youth their acclaim came later down the line, but real ones know.
ReplyDeletethank you! given this is a case of not only differing mixes but even differing takes, i hereby humbly report my interest in the original rip...perhaps a good one for a digitalia post someday, crackle and all...in one form or another, it feels important to preserve the first editions these days, now that we're seeing so many tweaked reissues (not always clearly labeled as such) and even major label bands releasing old shows with AI "restorations" that can't even beat the commercial bootlegs that were released at the time...
ReplyDeleteThis is one sweet treat,mate
ReplyDeleteCheers
Hamish (the whisky man) has asked me to thank you, he and I will forensically compare this with our original Rough Trade album.
ReplyDeleteI'm outing myself as a Fall aficionado 😎
ReplyDeletethanks a lot for this fine new rip, Blogmeister 👍🎶🔊