Search - Fall :: Totally Wired: Rough Trade Anthology (Dlx)

You don't have to be an American to be strange

Phil | Coventry, UK | 10/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These days there are almost as many Fall compilations as there are genuine Fall CDs - and that's saying something! Many of them are poor quality (often recorded straight from very scratchy vinyl)and have the odd gem interspersed with fillers or poor quality live material. So, for once, it's a pleasure to be able to say: THIS IS A GREAT COLLECTION, FEATURING ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL, INNOVATIVE AND PLAIN WEIRD BANDS OF ALL TIME. As the title suggests, the CD draws together the many highpoints from the band's time at Rough Trade Records. That only covers 4 of the band's 25 years (1980-1984), but fortunately those 4 years were packed with creativity, vitriol and wit. From comparative classics like "How I Wrote Elastic Man" through to perhaps less familiar stuff such as "Prole Art Threat" or "Eat y'Self Fitter" these 31 songs bristle with edgy, angular, resolutely non-commercial pop. Sometimes playful, sometimes sinister, sometimes plain noisy, this is music for people who can't help stifling a yawn when they hear The Datsuns or The White Lines. Do you get the feeling I like this group? I do. Shut up and buy!"

Where PAVEMENT came from

P. Couture | Santa Cruz, CA USA | 07/25/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"They're a cult band because nobody can figure out what they're doing or why. Shambling, sloppy, frustrating by design - why are they so interesting? This collection focuses on the early punky guitar stuff. I like it, but I agree with one of the other reviewers: don't buy this until you've heard some of their music."