50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats CD

From the late 1970s to the early '00s, almost every year brought with it at least one Fall album. Throughout the career of the ridiculously prolific British post-punk band, the one consistent element has been Mark E. Smith. With his unmistakably entrancing vocal sneer and oft-absurd lyrics, Smith is the hard-living heart of the Fall, stridently leading a nearly endless array of musicians under the band's banner.

Nowhere is the Fall's longevity more evident on the first track of this two-disc collection, 1978's "Repetition," a spare, lumbering song charmingly dated by Smith singing "President Carter loves repetition." As 50,000 FALL FANS progresses, so does the group's sound, moving from the hyperactive, bass-heavy "Totally Wired" to the refined punk-pop glory of "C.R.E.E.P.," which prominently features Smith's then-wife Brix on backing vocals and guitar. The second disc follows Smith and company into the late '80s and beyond, featuring the electronic-tinged "U.S. 80's-90's," a brilliantly rambunctious cover of the Kinks' "Victoria," and the full-on dance track "Masquerade." For a concise overview of the Fall's long history, these 39 GOLDEN GREATS can't be beat.

Liner Note Author: Daryl Easlea.

The Fall: Steve Hanley (bass guitar); Craig Scanlon, Dave Bush, Karl Burns, Mark E. Smith , Paul Hanley, Simon Rogers, Simon Wolstencroft, Julia Nagle, Ed Blaney.

Personnel: Ed Blaney (vocals, guitar); Kay Carroll (vocals, percussion); Lucy Rimmer, Mark E. Smith , Mike Bennett (vocals); Julia Nagle (guitar, keyboards); Martin Bramah, Craig Scanlon, Brian Fanning, Andy Hackett, Neville Wilding, Brix Smith (guitar); Yvonne Pawlett, Dave Bush, Una Baines, Marcia Schofield, Jim Watts, Simon Rogers (keyboards); Tom Head, Karl Burns, Paul Hanley, Mike Leigh , Simon Wolstencroft, Spencer Birtwhistle (drums).

Q (p.134) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[B]oth a comprehensive and representative document, and one that demonstrates just how much the current generation of art rockers owe to this enduring band."
Magnet (p.93) - "Smith snarls and squeaks through 39 bitterly funny assessments of human frailty and pop-culture ephemera."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.133) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[With] the Manchester's venerable mitherers' finest moments..."