The Fall's finest
Happy Harry | 03/20/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For me, this is the Fall's high-water mark. It's also one of the all-time greatest albums by any band. Dark, complex, and fascinating. Mark E. Smith's voice sounds great (in a way only MES can), the band is tight with the two-drummer approach, and the production is just crisp enough to let everything come through clean while still keeping it raw and immediate. The bonus tracks are also well-worth it, much better than the usual tossed-off extras that usually come with reissues. I especially enjoy "I'm into CB" (as you may have guessed by my user name). Any fan of the Fall and of rock music in general should buy this right away.
PS - A note to those just getting into the Fall... none of their albums are exactly "accessible", but this one is especially challenging and may not be the best one to start with. For that, I would recommend "Grotesque" (the album released just before this one) or the excellent compilation "50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong." Once you've digested one of those, make "Hex Enduction Hour" your next purchase and be prepared to listen to nothing else for the next couple of months."
Mad genius
Michael Scott | UK | 12/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was my first Fall album and it's just superb. Melodic bass drives most of these tracks and, along with Mark E. Smith on vocals, an addictive musical concoction is created. The lyrics are both humourous and thought provoking, and are delivered in Smith's own inimitible style. Tracks that really stick in my mind are Classical, and Hip Priest, phrases from each will stick in your mind and make you spin the CD once more to get another fix.
The bonus CD with live tracks is fantastic as well, I can only recommend this album. If you havent heard The Fall before then this is a good starter album, if you already know The Fall then you'll be aware that this is considered to be one of their best (they have released about 25 studio albums since 1979!). Just buy it!"
Message For Yer
Noddy | New York | 10/22/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hard to pin The Fall down of course but this record sounds to me exactly like what I always thought The Clash should have sounded like. It's raw and untidy and full of Smiffy's demented Mancunian word slurry but nearly every track eventually breaks into some kind of spastic and hypnotic cacophony--Winter for example does this effortlessly, twice! And ain't that Deer Park just like Sister Ray sez? Iceland too, amid all the rubble, is a serenely odd wodge of figgy pudding. I tip my woolly cap to that isle of Blighty and its seemingly endless supply of sensational rock and roll."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1