Seminal British post-punks the Fall have been through so many stylistic and personnel changes that it's easy to forget the unadulterated fury that marked the band's early recordings. HEX INDUCTION HOUR features the classic late-'70s lineup, full of scratchy, occasionally discordant guitars, forcefully spastic rhythms and Mark E. Smith's trademark rants that combine the punk aesthetic with unfettered beat poetry. Smith's narratives are often difficult to follow, but like much great poetry, it's the gestalt that matters most. HEX ENDUCTION HOUR features some of the best-known songs from the Fall's early period, including low-key 6/8 "Hip Priest" and the roaring "The Classical," making it a must-have for fans of the group's punkier side.
The Fall: Craig Scanlon (vocals, guitar, piano); Mark E. Smith (vocals guitar, tapes); Steve Hanley (vocals, bass); Karl Burns (vocals, drums, tapes); Kay Carroll (vocals, percussion); Marc Riley (guitar, electric piano, organ); Paul Hanley (guitar, drums).
The Fall: Craig Scanlon (vocals, guitar, piano); Mark E. Smith (vocals, guitar, tapes); Steve Hanley (vocals, bass guitar); Karl Burns (vocals, drums, tapes); Kay Carroll (vocals, percussion); Marc Riley, Paul Hanley (guitar, drums).
Spin (5/01, p.110) - Ranked #24 in Spin's "50 Most Essential Punk Records" - "...60 minutes of furious, fractured poems about isolation, fascism, and time warps, set to aberrant riffs that hammer like the fists of winter."
Uncut (p.89) - 5 stars out of 5 - "The Fall have proven to be among the densest, most durable metals in rock's periodic table, and HEX may well be their masterpiece."
Q (Magazine) (p.136) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Tracks such as 'The Classical' saw The Fall's non-conformist groove assume mighty proportions..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[I]t boasts glacial calm, volcanic vitriol and elfin weirdness aplenty."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.94) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "It's certainly Mark E Smith at the height of his lyrical powers, with a complex and funny narrative tale of a poacher whose rifle misfires..."
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