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THE FALL

Cover of Things Fall Apart - 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by The Roots.

The Roots

Things Fall Apart - 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

UMC / Island

    Things Fall Apart (also referred to as When Things Fall Apart) is the fourth studio album by hip hop band The Roots, released 23rd February, 1999 on MCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Electric Lady Studios during 1997 to 1998, coinciding with recording for other projects of the Soulquarians collective, including D’Angelo’s Voodoo (2000), Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun (2000), and Common’s Like Water for Chocolate (2000). According to Spin magazine, the album is a landmark moment for The Roots and the collective, as it “swelled the Roots clique into a movement-style posse”.

    The album has been considered by music writers as The Roots’s breakthrough album, earning praise from major publications and critics, while becoming the group’s first record to sell over 500,000 copies. It includes the song “You Got Me”, which won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, while Things Fall Apart was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album of the same year, losing to Eminem for his The Slim Shady LP. Rolling Stone called it a “top-flight record”, while AllMusic cited it as “one of the cornerstone albums of alternative rap.” The album takes its title from Chinua Achebe’s novel of the same name, which in turn took the phrase from William Butler Yeats’s poem “The Second Coming”. On April 5, 1999, Things Fall Apart was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 units and on April 22, 2013, fourteen years after its release, the album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 1,000,000 units.

    FORMAT INFORMATION

    3xDeluxe LP Info: Tri-gatefold.
    3rd LP curated by Questlove (bonus tracks & remixes).
    20 Page Booklet w/essays by Black Thought & Questlove.
    Track by Track Liner notes by Questlove.

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    Cover of Room To Live - Double Marbled Coloured Vinyl Edition by The Fall.

    The Fall

    Room To Live - Double Marbled Coloured Vinyl Edition

    Cherry Red

      1982 was a decisive year for The Fall. Their critically acclaimed album “Hex Enduction Hour” was released in March on Kamera Records, closely followed by “Room To Live” in September.

      This double LP includes the classic album (“Room To Live”) plus live recordings in Manchester, London, New Zealand, Netherlands and Canada.

      This release is a double vinyl on coloured marble effect vinyl.

      Founded by its only constant member, Mark E. Smith, The Fall formed in Manchester in 1976 and were one of the most prominent post-punk groups in the world. Musically, there may have been several stylistic changes over the years, but it was often characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.

      “They are always different; they are always the same.” John Peel

      FORMAT INFORMATION

      2xColoured LP Info: Double vinyl on coloured marble effect vinyl.

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      Cover of 1982 - 6 CD Box Set by The Fall.

      The Fall

      1982 - 6 CD Box Set

      Cherry Red

        1982 was a decisive year for The Fall. Their critically acclaimed album “Hex Enduction Hour” was released in March on Kamera Records, closely followed by “Room To Live” in September.

        This six-disc boxset brings together those two classic albums alongside a host of John Peel sessions, Kamera singles, live performances and the group’s live album “In A Hole”, recorded during their tour of New Zealand and originally released on Flying Nun Records.

        Also included in the box is a replica poster from the August 1982 show at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand and a replica press-release for “Hex Enduction Hour”.

        Founded by its only constant member, Mark E. Smith, The Fall formed in Manchester in 1976 and were one of the most prominent post-punk groups in the world. Musically, there may have been several stylistic changes over the years, but it was often characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.

        “They are always different; they are always the same.” John Peel.

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        Cover of Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire by The Kinks.

        The Kinks

        Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire

        Sanctuary Records

          The hugely well-respected and historically important Kinks seventh studio album Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire was released on 10th October 1969, and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 2019. 'Rock musical' in style and one of the most effective concept albums in rock history, the album was constructed by Kinks' frontman Ray Davies as the soundtrack to a subsequently cancelled Granada Television play. The album receiving almost unanimous acclaim upon its release.

          Rolling Stone 1969 - "Arthur is a masterpiece on every level, Ray Davies' finest hour. The Kinks' supreme achievement and the best British album of 1969". Melody Maker 1969 - "Ray Davies' finest hour ... beautifully British to the core"

          Original album tracklist: Victoria, Yes Sir No Sir, Some Mother's Son, Drivin', Brainwashed, Australia, Shangri-La, Mr. Churchill Says, She's Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina, Young And Innocent Days, Nothing To Say, Arthur


          FORMAT INFORMATION

          2xLP Info: Original LP, remastered in stereo from HD sources + bonus tracks Booklet with sleeve notes featuring new band interviews, band photos and memorabilia

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          Cover of Dragnet by The Fall.

          The Fall

          Dragnet

          Cherry Red

            Founded by its only constant member, Mark E. Smith, The Fall formed in Manchester in 1976 and were one of the most prominent post-punk groups in the world. Musically, there may have been several stylistic changes over the years, but it was often characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics. “Dragnet” is the second studio album – released 26th October 1979 - these editions celebrate the fortieth anniversary of this seminal album. Originally released through record label Step-Forward, it predicated 2 major factors in the group’s career – high productivity and high group turnover. The album has historically garnered excellent reviews, including 4/5 in MOJO, 8.7/10 on Pitchfork and 4/5 in Q Magazine. Featuring the one and only Mark E. Smith alongside Steve Hanley (bass), Marc Riley (guitar), Craig Scanlon (guitar), Mike Leigh (drums), Kay Carroll (backing vocals) and Yvonne Pawlett (keyboards). 

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            Cover of Live At The Witch Trials by The Fall.

            The Fall

            Live At The Witch Trials

            Cherry Red

              The first full-length album of The Fall, Live At The Witch Trials, is not actually a live album. Emerging out of a two-day studio session at Camden Sound in North West London during a sickly December of 1978, Witch Trials amounts to the sinister foundation of the band's diverse sound. Every song explores drastically different styles and wild terrain, leaving much to decipher over its eleven tracks. 



              FORMAT INFORMATION

              3xCD Info: The 3CD version comes housed in a clamshell boxset. Alongside the full album is a disc of b-sides and session tracks and a live show from Mr Pickwick’s in Liverpool 1978. The boxset also features a booklet of new sleeve notes by Daryl Easlea and has been remastered by long-term Fall engineer Andy Pearce.

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              Cover of 30 Minutes On A Manchester Slag Heap by The Fall.

              The Fall

              30 Minutes On A Manchester Slag Heap

              Ozit Dandelion

                A youngish Mark E Smith is interviewed about all things Fall and Manchester whilst answering by often avoiding the interviewer’s questions in some of Mark’s favourite surroundings- outside on a Manchester slag heap- most answers are preceded by a pause whilst he inhales another draw on his cigarette

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                Cover of Mark E Smith’s Personal Holiday Tony Tapes by The Fall.

                The Fall

                Mark E Smith’s Personal Holiday Tony Tapes

                Ozit Dandelion

                  A mixture of Live and Studio out-takes that have never been out on vinyl before. Gatefold Sleeve, 180 gm Orange Vinyl. About five or six years ago Mark E Smith and I were going through some old audio recordings of The Fall both studio live and he invented a character called Holiday Tony who he said should be the person who should come round and listen to the tapes with us. He made a phone call to me telling me Holiday Tony lived in Prestwich and went to Blackpool on his holidays once a year with an old brown suitcase with recordings of The Fall inside. I even got a letter off Mark telling me when it was ok for Holiday Tony to go round and see him. Another idea of Mark’s about three years ago was to do a vinyl as a Non Record Store Day release in the weeks before Record Store Day and that every track should just be called The Holiday Tony Tapes. So here is the album. 

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                  Cover of Bend Sinister / The 'Domesday' Pay-Off Triad-Plus! by The Fall.

                  The Fall

                  Bend Sinister / The 'Domesday' Pay-Off Triad-Plus!

                  Beggars Banquet

                    Beggars Arkive reissue The Fall’s ninth studio album, Bend Sinister, originally released in 1986. This edition is titled Bend Sinister/The 'Domesday' Pay-Off Triad-Plus!

                    It was the last of three albums in a row produced by John Leckie and was named after a dystopian novel by Vladimir Nabokov.

                    After the universal acclaim for the previous year’s This Nation’s Saving Grace, Bend Sinister often stands in its predecessor’s shadow. It is a dark, brooding album made at the height of the group’s Beggars Banquet years and many people include this at the top of the list of favourite Fall albums.

                    From Bend Sinister, “Mr. Pharmacist” is a lurching instalment in pop music’s ongoing conversation with drug dealers, illicit and otherwise. Actually a cover of 1960s garage-rockers the Other Half, it’s also a demonstration of how the Fall’s relatively unchanging style could bolster other people’s songs. – PITCHFORK

                    “Part musical hypnotist, part ranting madman, Smith was a singular figure in post-punk. His Mancunian accent, dry witticisms and plays on words were one of the Fall’s most constant characteristics. Their songs were odysseys into his ever-verbose psyche, marked by repetitive rhythms and melodies.” – ROLLING STONE

                    “At various points in the band’s four-decade career, the Fall might sound like punk, hard rock, psychedelia, funk, blues-rock, jazz-rock, electropop or sheer noise. “If it’s me and your granny on bongos, it’s the Fall,” Mr. Smith once declared. The BBC disc jockey John Peel, an early and steadfast supporter, said of the Fall that ‘they are always different, they are always the same.’” - THE NEW YORK TIMES

                    "Mark E Smith’s group of psychedelic post-punks rank as one of the most visionary, singular British bands of all time.” -THE GUARDIAN

                    STAFF COMMENTS

                    Darryl says: Originally released in 1986, one year after the highly celebrated ‘This Nations Saving Grace’, ‘Bend Sinister’ was a darker brooding album, but had the Brix pop sensibility to counteract Mark E. Smith’s caustic vocals. Still highly regarded by Fall fans to this day, this was MES and his band hitting their creative peak. Reissued as a double disc edition with a plethora of bonus material.

                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                    2xLP Info: Double LP, gatefold sleeve with inner bags. Includes replica program for the Riverside production of ‘Hey Luciani!’.

                    2xCD Info: Double CD contains 6 unreleased songs, casebound, and includes 24-page booklet with notes by Daryl Easlea.

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                    Cover of Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall.

                    The Fall

                    Hex Enduction Hour

                    Superior Viaduct

                      Hex Enduction Hour was originally conceptualized as the death knell for The Fall. Beleaguered by career uncertainty and guided by vague premonitions of collapse, Mark E. Smith declared that one full hour was needed to thoroughly and perhaps finally state his case with The Fall. This framework resulted in a true classic of the post-punk era and an album that gave The Fall their first taste of album chart success, thankfully removing surrender from the equation.

                      Recorded in haste in both Iceland and England in late 1981, the performances on Hex Enduction Hour are among the band's most urgent and distinctive. The album begins with the severe provocation of "The Classical" and the terse punk of "Jawbone And The Air-Rifle," but it's "Hip Priest" that stands out as Smith's calling-card theme, a song that would become inextricable from his character (or perception thereof) in the years that followed. The elongated "And This Day" fittingly positions the band as spell-casters, closing the hour by filling every conceivable bit of space with wild, primitive percussion and whimsical electric piano.

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                      Cover of Room To Live by The Fall.

                      The Fall

                      Room To Live

                      Superior Viaduct

                        On Room To Live, The Fall take the hurried, all-or-nothing approach of their preceding Kamera Records releases to extreme ends. Forged via Mark E. Smith's continual disassembling of players and focus on previously unrehearsed material, the album collects The Fall's most experimental and improvisational recordings. As proclaimed on the album cover, "Undilutable Slang Truth!" would be revealed throughout Room To Live.

                        With the album's comparatively lo-fi production and always-teetering performances, the title track comes closest to a stab at pop (by The Fall's standards), built on fantastically bent saloon swaying under one of Smith's by-now characteristic dressing-downs of square life. "Detective Instinct" is an unshakeable creeper, as languid and ominous as the band would get during the Marc Riley years. "Marquis Cha Cha" is a post-punk rhumba, beginning with fury and then easing into something only The Fall could conjure.

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                        Cover of Live At The Witch Trials by The Fall.

                        The Fall

                        Live At The Witch Trials

                        Superior Viaduct

                          The first full-length album of The Fall, Live At The Witch Trials, is not actually a live album. Emerging out of a two-day studio session at Camden Sound in North West London during a sickly December of 1978, Witch Trials amounts to the sinister foundation of the band's diverse sound. Every song explores drastically different styles and wild terrain, leaving much to decipher over its eleven tracks.

                          "Frightened" has magnetic attraction / repulsion that shifts between Martin Bramah's skeletal guitar, Yvonne Pawlett's plastic keyboards and the lurching rhythm section of Marc Riley and Karl Burns. Mark E. Smith's mesmerizing bark and eerie lyrics warp the cosmic context with each repeated non-chorus. "Rebellious Jukebox" takes yet another turn and showcases the band's more melodic leanings.

                          One gets the sense that The Fall are in a time-travel hallucination (from 19th century witch trials to a scathing critique of the late-70s punk scene) where the band's snot-nosed scrabble afflicts the shape of pop to come. As Smith dictates, "We are The Fall, northern white crap that talks back."


                          STAFF COMMENTS

                          Matt says: Another from the recent slew of much welcome Fall reissues. A personal favourite, which contains the Piccadilly Records anthem "No X From John Quays" which was written about one of our most dearist customers. It's a brittle, spiky and angst-ridden occassion and finds Mark in typically aggressive and confrontational mood. Plenty more to come from this pivotal band.

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                          Cover of Slates by The Fall.

                          The Fall

                          Slates

                          Superior Viaduct

                            If The Fall truly is a cult band, then Slates both benefits from and reinforces such shrouded obsessions. In presenting these six particular songs as a 10-inch EP, the inherent and attractive difficulty of The Fall's sound is made physical, framing the urgency of their singles from this period (notably How I Wrote 'Elastic Man' and Lie Dream of a Casino Soul) alongside lengthy rumblings normally restricted to long players.

                            The tumbling and phased "Middle Mass" begins on an incredible high note, segueing into the snake-charm hypnotism of "An Older Lover Etc." "Slates, Slags, Etc." is built on stretched VU-inspired riffing, complete with ace feedback bleed that doubtlessly went on long after fade-out. Ultimately, it's the piercing chimes of guitar and marching drum grind of "Prole Art Threat" that elevates Slates beyond oddity. Truly one of Mark E. Smith's finest, busiest and most enigmatic performances, equally matched by a band at the peak of their powers.

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                            Cover of Grotesque (After The Gramme) by The Fall.

                            The Fall

                            Grotesque (After The Gramme)

                            Superior Viaduct

                              Bursting into the 1980s on a new label (the then-upstart, now-legendary Rough Trade) and with an augmented, audibly panicked lineup, The Fall's Grotesque is the true pure-bred Fall release from the Marc Riley era. Released in the immediate wake of The Fall's most beloved single (Totally Wired), the album carries over that righteously famed teeth-chattering, bolstered in no small part by the drumming of new addition Paul Hanley, brother of bassist Steve Hanley and aged only 15 at the time of recording.

                              "Pay Your Rates" negates the notion of easing into things, opening the album with pure jitter, guided by hornet-buzz guitars and Mark E. Smith's commanding shout, allowing for breath only during the brief, lumbering waltzes that appear at unexpected intervals. "New Face In Hell" is an entirely alien take on dancehall post-punk – a kazoo-driven rave-up that holds an unshakable position in the band's canon.

                              Many significant firsts surround Grotesque, including The Fall's inaugural production partnership with Mayo Thompson and the debut of Suzanne Smith's wonderful artwork, both of which would play key roles in the band's following phase.

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                              Cover of 58 Golden Greats: 3CD Boxset by The Fall.

                              The Fall

                              58 Golden Greats: 3CD Boxset

                              Cherry Red

                                The expanded 3-CD follow up to the iconic now out of print 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t be Wrong compilation, now features songs right up to the groups last album. Compiled and annotated by long time Fall aficionado Daryl Easlea from across all the labels the band has appeared on. The booklet designed by long time Fall designer Becky Stewart contains a track by track overview. Mastered by Andy Pearce from the best sources available. Formed in Manchester in 1976, Fall were a seminal English post-punk group. The group existed in some form from that point on, built around its founder and only constant member, the late, great Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group's music underwent stylistic changes over the years, but was always characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics. This compilation is ideal for anyone wanting to discover the weird and wonderful world of the Fall. "They are always different; they are always the same." 

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                                Cover of The Rough Trade Singles by The Fall.

                                The Fall

                                The Rough Trade Singles

                                Superior Viaduct

                                  The Rough Trade Singles collects The Fall's four singles recorded for this influential label in 1980 and 1983 – How I Wrote 'Elastic Man' / City Hobgoblins, Totally Wired / Putta Block, The Man Whose Head Expanded / Ludd Gang and Kicker Conspiracy – none of which appeared on any of the band's studio LPs. With 7-inches being the era's vehicle for buzzing communiqués, The Fall would use the format for short-form, standalone works rather than as mere promotional devices for forthcoming albums.

                                  "Totally Wired" is often cited (and rightfully so) as The Fall's most infectious tune – an amphetamine-fueled anthem with stuttering nods to forebears, yet too incisive to have been made by anyone else. "How I Wrote 'Elastic Man'" is another mad hoedown, one reimagined for the post-punk age. While the playful rhythm machine on "The Man Whose Head Expanded" almost suggests danceability, Mark E. Smith's idiosyncratic shriek on "Kicker Conspiracy" pierces through the twin drumming of Paul Hanley and Karl Burns and the group's unpredictable / unmistakable racket. Together these songs remain some of the absolute best material The Fall would ever release.

                                  Liner notes by Brian Turner.

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                                  Cover of The Fall And Rise Of Edgar Bourchier And The Horrors Of War by Mick Harvey & Christopher Richard Barker.

                                  Mick Harvey & Christopher Richard Barker

                                  The Fall And Rise Of Edgar Bourchier And The Horrors Of War

                                  Mute

                                  The Fall And Rise Of Edgar Bourchier And The Horrors Of War examines the work of a long forgotten World War I poet, Edgar Bourchier, through his poetry as put to music in a concept album. Its release coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, on 11 November 2018.

                                  The works of this long forgotten war poet arrive in 2018 indirectly from the trenches of the Western Front. The wider narrative takes us from Bourchier’s birth in Warwickshire in 1893 through to his final school days and then his pointless death at Passchendaele in 1917, aged only 24. It continues by virtue of the poetry being posthumously published in 1918, adapted into song via a proposed cabaret treatment influenced by the Weimar Republic, through to an Olympia Press reprint of the poems in the 1960s, and then onward into the late 80s when The Moon Lepers translated his words into song. In 2018, Bourchier’s words were revived when the author Christopher Richard Barker approached Mick Harvey to ask if he could help him recreate the scores that had been discovered for the unrealised cabaret show. Happily, Harvey’s interest was piqued.

                                  The route was indirect though, not just because of the twists and turns in the story of Edgar Bourchier and his poetry, but also because Bourchier’s entire backstory and poetry was constructed by Christopher Richard Barker, an author who initially created the character while working on his novel, The Melancholy Haunting Of Nicholas Parkes.

                                  Barker paused from this venture to approach Harvey to ask for his expertise with arranging and recording the scores. In response, a 15-track album was written by Harvey and Barker to give life to an incredibly powerful fictional narrative.

                                  Created as a concept album describing the horror of war, the project seamlessly brings the fictional poetry to life via myriad possibilities of how a forgotten WW1 soldier’s story might open up and continue to be relevant to new generations – from a barely read initial publication of the poetry that came tantalisingly close to being adapted for Weimar era cabaret with the help of German artist, Otto Dix (‘The Kindness of Ravens’, ‘Further Down the Line’, ‘Softly Spoken Bill’, through to the 60s, when Mick Jagger was apparently photographed with a copy of the reprint published by the Parisian underground publishing house which then led to the poetry being discovered by a new generation (‘Listen in the Twilight Breeze’, ‘Poor Poor Surgeon Tim’); then onward to subsequent interpretations of the work by the fictional 80s band, The Moon Lepers on ‘The Expressionist Tell #2’ and ‘Corpse 564’; before finally culminating in the creation of three new pieces by Barker and Harvey (‘I am the Messenger’, ‘The Eternal Black Darkness of my Death’, ‘Lost Bastard Son of War’).

                                  In addition to Mick Harvey and Christopher Richard Barker, the album features contributions from J.P. Shilo, a long time collaborator of Harvey’s and Jade Imagine, Simon Breed and Alain Johannes as guest vocalists. The album was recorded primarily in Melbourne, Australia with some additional vocal recordings in the UK and LA.


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                                  Cover of I Am Kurious Oranj by The Fall.

                                  The Fall

                                  I Am Kurious Oranj

                                  Beggars Banquet

                                    I Am Kurious Oranj is The Fall’s eleventh studio album. Released by Beggars Banquet 30 years ago, in 1988, it contains some of their most loved songs including “Cab It Up!”, “New Big Prinz” and “Jerusalem” which takes its lyrics from a poem by William Blake.

                                    The album was written as the soundtrack to an avant-garde ballet titled I Am Curious, Orange, produced by the experimental Michael Clark Company and performed in London with The Fall playing live. As it said in the original ballet program, replicated inside this reissue, “Mark E. Smith is a history buff and admirer of Michael Clark, and I Am Curious, Orange spawned the idea of a thematic delving into the foibles and little-known psyche of William of Orange.”

                                    According to Mark E. Smith in his book, Renegade, “We adapted the title from a Swedish porno film--I am Curious, Yellow. I was trying to make the point that we all share some kind of common knowledge that’s within ourselves; that comes out in all sorts of things. Some people call it a gene pool. It’s as if you already know subconsciously about historical incidents. You don’t have to have been taught it. It’s in-built. At the time I wanted to put this across, basically as a loose explanation of what was happening in Belfast: it’s in the head and bones and there’s nothing you can do about it. I was on a roll at the time. I’m rarely short of ideas, and I’m not into preserving them much, either. If it’s in your head and you’ve got the right people around you them there’s no better time to tell the story.”

                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                    Coloured LP Info: Orange coloured vinyl. Contains the replica of original programme of the ballet play performed at Sadler Wells Theatre.

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                                    Cover of Levitate - Expanded Edition by The Fall.

                                    The Fall

                                    Levitate - Expanded Edition

                                    Cherry Red

                                      “Levitate” is the Fall’s 19th album originally released in 1997 on Artful Records. It has been out of print for a number of year snow and is much sought after by fans It’s the last album to feature two long-time Fall members, drummer Karl Burns and bass player Steve Hanley (whose playing was once described by Smith as the defining element of the group's music). The album was initially going to be produced by Keir Stewart and Simon Spencer (who previously collaborated with Smith under the moniker D.O.S.E. on the 1995 single ‘Plug Myself In’). Most of the recordings took place at Edwyn Collins’ studio in West Hampstead. However, Stewart and Spencer soon fell out with Smith over payments and left after a week, taking most of the tapes with them. The only tracks from these sessions to make the album were "4½ Inch" (allegedly edited out of samples of a rehearsal recording), ‘Spencer’, later re-dubbed by Smith as ‘Spencer Must Die’, and ‘The Quartet of Doc Shanley’.

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                                      Cover of Urubus Fall From The Dying Sun In An Improvised Manner by Coletivo Vandalismo Feat. Neonthroat.

                                      Coletivo Vandalismo Feat. Neonthroat

                                      Urubus Fall From The Dying Sun In An Improvised Manner

                                      Contort Yourself

                                      Coletivo Vandalismo kick-start a new 12" series for the Contort Yourself label. Hailing from the city of Porto the duo also DJ under the name GAM and released their debut LP on Lake Haze's Eye For An Eye label. Their music has an immediacy that seems to stem from a background in live performance as opposed to polished studio sessions - an improvisational punk aesthetic that manages to carry this EP so strongly. Wild, crashing fx and unrecognisable vocal distortions layer atop wonky 90bpm drum machine grooves and the pair even show off what may be their turntablism skills on 'Zombie Zombie'. There's a nod to early concrete on the closing track 'Black Sun's Demise' with whirring, mechanical noise motifs suddenly jolting us into punishing gabber-at-33-minus-8 territory. The DIY spirit is alive and well here and the feeling that things could fall apart at any minute just adds to the tension.

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                                      Cover of Singles 1978-2016: 3CD Boxset by The Fall.

                                      The Fall

                                      Singles 1978-2016: 3CD Boxset

                                      Cherry Red

                                        The Fall is an English post-punk band, formed in Manchester in 1976. The band has existed in some form ever since, and is essentially built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group's music has gone through several stylistic changes over the years, characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and is always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics. The band is noted for its prolific output: as of autumn 2017 they have released over 32 studio albums, and more than triple that counting live albums and other releases. This collection features all the A-sides recorded across a multitude of labels: Step Forward, Rough Trade, Kamera, Beggars Banquet, Cog Sinister, Permanent, Artful, Action… oh, and Cherry Red! We got the lot!

                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                        CD Box Set Info: 3xCD edition.

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                                        Reduced Cover of The Leaves Fall by Justin Carter.

                                        Justin Carter

                                        The Leaves Fall

                                        Mister Saturday Night

                                        A delicate collection of songs for meditation on spiritual struggle, The Leaves Fall is a window into the parallel reality of Justin Carter. Centered on his intimate vocals, pointed with hints of Arthur Russell and John Martyn; the eight tracks are buttressed by warm acoustic guitars, vibraphones, organs and flourished with modern production. They are familiar but distant, like ghosts living in the present. Carter grew up in a country house in rural North Carolina, a place with a pecan tree and abandoned train tracks in the front yard. On long car rides from home to his dadʼs work as a school teacher, his ears were filled with the prog of Yes, the vocals of Al Jarreau and the complexity of Christopher Parkeningʼs take on Bach. It was his father, who himself has moonlighted as a guitar player and songwriter for nearly 50 years, that taught Carter to sing and play in his early teens.

                                        The Leaves Fall was written on and off over the course of about five years, a secret to most. Carter is more familiar, alongside Eamon Harkin, as co-founder of popular New York parties Mister Saturday Night and Mister Sunday, and their label offshoot, Mister Saturday Night Records. As the Mister thrived, his songwriting continued to tick along in the background, days and weeks stolen here and there to write and record in various locations – from remote studios in the Catskills to basements in Venice Beach.

                                        The album features Jason Lindner, pianist on Bowie's final masterpiece, Blackstar; cello from Archie Pelago's Greg Heffernan; and programming by LIES Records and The Trilogy Tapes producer Marcos Cabral. It was mixed by Benjamin Tierney, who also worked his magic on Kamasi Washington's The Epic. It finds its context in the world of Planetarium, a new listening session established by Carter and his Mister Saturday Night DJ partner, Eamon Harkin, where live music is mixed amongst hours of records to create an immersive, communal listening experience focused on quality hi-fi sound in non-traditional spaces; the album will presented in this manner when toured.

                                        “Nothing makes me happier than to see people letting go. My ambition in all my creative work is to make moments where that can happen. As a DJ, I use othersʼ music to create those moments, but itʼs always been in me to make my own music for that purpose. After twenty-five years of writing music for myself, it makes me really happy to have something to share with others.” - Justin Carter

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                                        Cover of The Rise, The Fall, And The Rise by Brix Smith Start.

                                        Brix Smith Start

                                        The Rise, The Fall, And The Rise

                                        Faber & Faber

                                          The Rise, The Fall, and The Rise is the extraordinary story, in her own words, of Brix Smith Start.

                                          Best known for her work in The Fall at the time when they were perhaps the most powerful and influential anti-authoritarian postpunk band in the world – This Nation's Saving Grace, The Wonderful and Frightening World Of ... – Brix spent ten years in the band before a violent disintegration led to her exit and the end of her marriage with Mark E. Smith.

                                          But Brix's story is much more than rock 'n' roll highs and lows in one of the most radically dysfunctional bands around. Growing up in the Hollywood Hills in the '60s in a dilapidated pink mansion her life has taken her from luxury to destitution, from the cover of the NME to waitressing in California, via the industrial wasteland of Manchester in the 1980s.

                                          What emerges is a story of constant reinvention, jubilant highs and depressive ebbs; a singular journey of a teenage American girl on a collision course with English radicalism on her way to mid-life success on TV and in fashion.

                                          Too bizarre, extreme and unlikely to exist in the pages of fiction, The Rise, The Fall, and The Rise could only exist in the pages of a memoir.

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                                          Cover of The Mountain Will Fall by DJ Shadow.

                                          DJ Shadow

                                          The Mountain Will Fall

                                          Mass Appeal

                                          Five years after the smoked out, kaleidoscopic collage "The Less You Know The Better", experimental hip hop king and turntablist extraordinaire DJ Shadow returns with "The Mountain Will Fall", a bold new chapter in his unconventional story. This first album for Mass Appeal Records finds Josh Davis exploring new realms in addition to the deep samples and kinetic soundscapes that helped to launch his career 20 years ago. On "The Mountain Will Fall" he’s shifted further toward original composition, assembling a vast experimentation of beats and textures, synthesizers and live instruments including horns and woodwinds into twelve tracks of proper head music. Littered with guest appearances from the likes of Run The Jewels, Nils Frahm, Matthew Halsall, and Ernie Fresh, "The Mountain Will Fall" is a diverse and deep set as suited to early mornings or late nights. The spectral electronics of the title track soon give way to the rolling funk of Run The Jewels topped "Nobody Speaks" before the introspective "Three Ralphs" and "Bergschrund" offer a moment of contemplation. "Depth Charge" and "Mambo" recall the abstract insanity of the producer's earlier career. From there the album weaves through alluring jazz (check out the Matthew Halsall collaboration "Ashes To Oceans") before "Ghost Town" and "Suicide Pact" leave us questioning pretty much everything about life. Deep, textured and way ahead of the curve, this is Shadow at his inimitable best.


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                                          Cover of Wake Up You! Vol. 2 - The Rise & Fall Of Nigerian Rock Music (1972-1977) by Various Artists.

                                          Various Artists

                                          Wake Up You! Vol. 2 - The Rise & Fall Of Nigerian Rock Music (1972-1977)

                                          Now-Again

                                          2xLP /  CD comes packaged with a hard cover 100 page colour book, filled with incredible photos and words by Nigerian music historian Uchenna Ikonne ('Who Is William Onyeabor?'). 

                                          The Western world was in the throes of peace, love and flower power as Nigeria descended into Civil War in 1967. The rock scene that developed during the following three years of bloodshed and destruction would come to heal the country, propagate the world-wide ideal of the Modern Nigerian, and propel Fela to stardom after conflict ended in 1970. 'Wake Up You!' tells the story of this time, pays homage to these now-forgotten musicians and their struggle, and brings to light the funk and psychedelic fury they created as they wrested free of the ravages of the late 1960s and created thrilling, original Nigerian rock music throughout the 1970s.

                                          Presented in two volumes, each in a 100 page book full of never-seen photos along with detailed liner notes by Nigerian musicologist and researcher Uchenna Ikonne ('Who Is William Onyeabor?'), with all tracks fully licensed from the bands themselves. 

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          2xLtd LP Info: 2xLP box set with book.

                                          2xLtd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                          Cover of Wake Up You! Vol. 1 - The Rise & Fall Of Nigerian Rock Music (1972-1977) by Various Artists.

                                          Various Artists

                                          Wake Up You! Vol. 1 - The Rise & Fall Of Nigerian Rock Music (1972-1977)

                                          Now-Again

                                          The CD Comes Packaged In A 104 Page Full Color Book, Filled With Incredible Photos And Words By Noted Expert On Nigerian Music, Uchenna Ikonne. The Western world was in the throes of peace, love and flower power as Nigeria descended into Civil War in 1967. The rock scene that developed during the following three years of bloodshed and destruction would come to heal the country, propagate the world-wide ideal of the Modern Nigerian, and propel Fela to stardom after conflict ended in 1970. Wake Up You! tells the story of this time, pays homage to these now-forgotten musicians and their struggle, and brings to light the funk and psychedelic fury they created as they wrested free of the ravages of the late 1960s and created thrilling, original Nigerian rock music throughout the 1970s. The CD will be presented in two volumes, each in a 104 page book full of never-seen photos along with detailed liner notes by Nigerian musicologist and researcher Uchenna Ikonne (Who Is William Onyeabor?), with all tracks fully licensed from the bands themselves. 

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                                          Cover of The Fall And Rise Of Hugh Cornwell by Hugh Cornwell.

                                          Hugh Cornwell

                                          The Fall And Rise Of Hugh Cornwell

                                          Invisible Hands

                                          The first ever Anthology of his post-Stranglers career.

                                          Since leaving The Stranglers in 1990, Hugh Cornwell has made a series of well-received solo albums 25 years on from leaving the band, this album brings together 12 (super-high-quality remastered at Abbey Road) choice Cornwell classics taken from the fi rst 6 solo albums, plus one brand new studio recording, “Live It And Breathe It” (CD only) A solo acoustic tour of the UK in November 2015, will support the release of ‘The Fall And Rise Of Hugh Cornwell” and will feature many of the songs contained on the album, as well as some other fan favourites, and classics from his time with The Stranglers.

                                          “New song “Live it and Breathe it has both bark and bite” - MOJO.
                                          “Cornwell’s pop sensibility remains utterly intact” - Classic Rock.


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                                          Cover of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust - 2012 Remaster Edition by David Bowie.

                                          David Bowie

                                          The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust - 2012 Remaster Edition

                                          Parlophone

                                            Originally released through RCA Victor on 6th June 1972, Ziggy Stardust was David Bowie’s fifth album, co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott. Incredibly, the album was written whilst Bowie was recording 1971’s Hunky Dory album, with recording beginning a couple of months before that album’s release. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London between 8th November 1971 and 4th February 1972, with the line up: Mick Ronson (guitar, piano, backing vocals, string arrangements), Trevor Bolder (bass), Mick Woodmansey (drums), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and backing vocals on ‘It Ain’t Easy’ by Dana Gillespie. As well as performing vocals, Bowie also played acoustic guitar, saxophone and harpsichord on the album and was involved in the arrangements too.

                                            The album eventually peaked at #5 on the UK Album Chart on 22nd July having entered the chart at #15 on 1st July. Key to the album’s rise in the UK were the two TV performances of “Starman” on Granada TV’s Lift Off With Ayshea and nationally on the BBC’s Top Of The Pops. The album’s influence is immeasurable – it converted legions of fans, becoming the zeitgeist and a major influence on the next generation, particular those who were involved in the punk movement – musicians, artists, designers – and the subsequent re-birth of rock and pop.

                                            Famously Bowie killed Ziggy at his peak at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, on July 3rd, 1973, though Ziggy Stardust’s influence was to redefine popular culture forever: pop music was never the same again.

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                                            Cover of The Wonderful And Frightening Escape Route To The Fall by The Fall.

                                            The Fall

                                            The Wonderful And Frightening Escape Route To The Fall

                                            Beggars Banquet

                                              This contains the material from the two singles and the EP, Call For Escape Route, that the band released in 1984, which were also part of the extended cassette ver-sion of the original album. These were the remaining tracks recorded at the sessions.

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                                              Cover of The Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall - Expanded Edition by The Fall.

                                              The Fall

                                              The Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall - Expanded Edition

                                              Beggars Banquet

                                                This expanded edition bundles together The Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall with The Wonderful And Frightening Escape Route To The Fall.

                                                Released in 1984, The Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall was the band’s seventh studio album and their first for Beggars Banquet. It makes few concessions to the larger market - every potential hook seemed spiked with the band’s usual rough take- it-or- leave- it stance - though the integration of Brix Smith into the band added a melodic twist. This LP has been mastered from HD files transferred from the analog tapes.

                                                The Wonderful And Frightening Escape Route contains the material from the two singles and the EP, Call For Escape Route, that the band released in 1984, which were also part of the extended cassette ver-sion of the original album. These were the remaining tracks recorded at the sessions.



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                                                Cover of This Nation's Saving Grace - Expanded Edition by The Fall.

                                                The Fall

                                                This Nation's Saving Grace - Expanded Edition

                                                Beggars Banquet

                                                  This expanded edition bundles together This Nation's Saving Grace with Schtick - Yarbles Revisited.

                                                  Originally released in 1985, their 8th album, This Nation's Saving Grace is one of The Fall’s most loved releases and is often hailed as one of the greatest albums of the 1980s. Drawing from the well of primal rock ‘n’ roll, the band play with muscular spontaneity and inspiration to create music that still sounds unique and challenging, especially against today’s anodyne imitations of Rock and ‘guitar music’. This LP has also been mastered from HD files.

                                                  Available for the first time on vinyl, Schtick - Yarbles Revisited compiles the singles released around This Nation’s Saving Grace and includes 5 tracks from the bands’ 1985 BBC Peel sessions. Also included is the track “Ma Riley” which made its debut on the CD box set in 2011.

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                                                  Cover of Live - Uurop VIII-XII Places In Sun & Winter, Son by The Fall.

                                                  The Fall

                                                  Live - Uurop VIII-XII Places In Sun & Winter, Son

                                                  Cherry Red

                                                  The definitive English post-punk band? Probably! Formed in Manchester in 1976. The band has existed in some form ever since, and is essentially built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group's music has gone through several stylistic changes over the years, but is often characterized by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and is always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.

                                                  This live album has been collated from various gigs over the last three years.

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                                                  Cover of The Münster Sights by The Free Fall Band.

                                                  The Free Fall Band

                                                  The Münster Sights

                                                  Primavera Sound

                                                    The Free Fall Band are five very young timeless pop creators bursting with melody and sublime choruses, hailing from Mataró, a village north Barcelona.

                                                    ‘Elephants Never Forget’ was the band’s debut album, produced by Miqui Puig and released on LAV Records. The record sums up The Free Fall Band perfectly: echoes of The Beatles, Jonathan Richman, The Shins, The Zombies… fun and emotion in equal measure, carefully assembled arrangements and a youthful image.

                                                    2013 put them at the forefront of Spanish pop, thanks to landmark moments such as their performance at the Primavera Sound Festival and supporting Rodriguez in Barcelona. They also released their first step on El Segell del Primavera, an EP with covers of The Strokes, Violent Femmes, New Order, Booker T. & The MGs and Jonathan Richman.

                                                    And now their second album arrives. It’s called ‘The Münster Sights’ and shows the band in another level: the songs reflect a band that have been playing and growing as musicians. The album was produced by Darren Hayman (he used to play in Hefner and has a long and amazing solo career) and engineered by Giles Barrett (from London popsters Tigercats), a perfect choice for The Free Fall Band as they’ve long been fans of both musicians. As a result ‘The Münster Sights’ sounds richer and fatter than their previous efforts and contains such great numbers as ‘Fontana’ and ‘I Want To Know’.

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                                                    Cover of Things Fall Apart - Double Vinyl Edition by The Roots.

                                                    The Roots

                                                    Things Fall Apart - Double Vinyl Edition

                                                    UMC / Music On Vinyl

                                                    The fourth album by The Roots was recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios and released in 1999. One of the cornerstone albums of alternative rap's second wave, 'Things Fall Apart' was the point where the Roots' tremendous potential finally coalesced into a structured album that maintained its focus from top to bottom. If the group sacrifices a little of the unpredictability of its jam sessions, the resulting consistency more than makes up for it, since the record flows from track to track so effortlessly. Taking its title from the Chinua Achebe novel credited with revitalizing African fiction, 'Things Fall Apart' announces its ambition right upfront, and reinforces it in the opening sound collage.

                                                    The backing tracks are jazzy and reflective, filled with subtly unpredictable instrumental lines, and the band also shows a strong affinity for the neo-soul movement, which they actually had a hand in kick-starting via their supporting work on Erykah Badu's "Baduizm". Badu returns the favour by guesting on the album's breakthrough single, "You Got Me," an involved love story that also features a rap from Eve, co-writing from Jill Scott, and an unexpected drum'n'bass breakbeat in the outro. Other notables include Mos Def on the playful old-school rhymefest "Double Trouble," Slum Village superproducer Jay Dee on "Dynamite!," and Philly native DJ Jazzy Jeff on "The Next Movement." But the real stars are Black Thought and Malik B, who drop such consistently nimble rhymes throughout the record that picking highlights is extremely difficult.

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                                                    Cover of Songs Our Days Pass Along Vol. 1 by The Free Fall Band.

                                                    The Free Fall Band

                                                    Songs Our Days Pass Along Vol. 1

                                                    El Segell

                                                      The Free Fall Band are five very young timeless pop creators bursting with melody and sublime choruses. They appeared out of nowhere three years ago from the Maresme. They quickly gained recognition: finalists of the Demoscópicas de Mondo Sonoro or at the Villa de Bilbao (where they were the winners of the Pop Rock category in 2011) azzaldia de Donosti, Faraday, popArb… a series of achievements that led them to record their debut album, produced by Miqui Puig and released on LAV Records (co-released with Buenritmo).

                                                      The record sums up The Free Fall Band perfectly: echoes of The Beatles, Jonathan Richman, The Shins, The Zombies…fun and emotion in equal measure, carefully assembled arrangements and a youthful image.

                                                      2013 has put them at the forefront of national pop, thanks to landmark moments such as their performance at the Primavera Sound Festival and supporting Rodriguez in Barcelona. Before the year is out they will play at BAM and will also take part in the Primavera Sound Touring Party that will take them all around Spain.

                                                      This next step is a mini album of covers (their first record on El Segell Del Primavera) that includes covers of The Strokes, Violent Femmes, New Order, Booker T & The MGs and Jonathan Richman.

                                                      Their second album is planned for the beginning of 2014.

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                                                      Cover of Live In San Francisco by The Fall.

                                                      The Fall

                                                      Live In San Francisco

                                                      Ozit Dandelion

                                                      After what seemed like a very long, drunken, tense-with-anticipation waiting period, the moment is upon me. The band takes the stage, and immediately launches into a big-sounding version of The Joke. Mark bounds onto the stage and starts bellowing into the mic with intensity: "The Joke! Five years in a PC camp, the Joke!" "Ahh," I think, "they're not going to totally suck." This latest incarnation of the Fall includes three hard-working lads named Ben, Spencer, and Jim, who know their shit something fierce. This is an incredibly tight band that is gaining momentum at the expense of every amateurish musician ever to mistakenly step onto the stage. Mr. Smith himself was in fine form, prowling around the stage snarling lyrics into the mic and messing around with his bandmates' amps (but not too much - I have to stress that his behavior was fairly clean on this tour). He seemed to be on something besides straight-up "joie de vivre," but that is hardly an aberration. This man and his friends like to do drugs, and have done since the early days of the band in 1977. Whatever, it's rock and roll. What matters is the music, which was strong. The band was a juggernaut with a mad genius at the helm. Picture a massive battleship with wheels rolling over small towns with a mad banshee snarling and hurning invective down at those foolish enough to stand in the way. Mark E. Smith is an incredibly self-assured performer who exudes more charisma standing still than most lead singers do hopping around and climbing on things. The biggest stormer of the evening was "I Am Damo Suzuki," MES' tribute to one of his favorite bands, Can. One of the first lyrics, "and the drums....come in...and the drums they come in FAST" sent shivers down my spine as the drummer started bashing out the catchier-than-strep beat. In general, the set got faster, louder, and generally "more" towards the end. I think it was during the cover "Mr. Pharmacist" that the energy really started picking up. "Two Librans" off of the Unutterable was also pretty powerful--both because the massive guitar chord hook style of these songs suits the new band pretty well. So now for the $64 million question: are the Fall over? Even worse, were they over a long time ago? The answer, to anyone who is still paying attention, is resoundingly no. This band can fill the GAMH with people going nuts. They are a monument, but unlike other monuments, they continue to create. As Smith once barked, "Ours is not to look back, ours is to continue the crap!" Indeed.

                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                      CD Info: The full 2LP set now on CD for the first time with a bonus track which is a Mark E Smith interview.

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                                                      Cover of The Rise, Fall And Rebirth Of The Independent Record Shop - Deluxe Edition by Last Shop Standing.

                                                      Last Shop Standing

                                                      The Rise, Fall And Rebirth Of The Independent Record Shop - Deluxe Edition

                                                      Proper Films

                                                        THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2013 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                                                        Deluxe Edition Of This Critically Acclaimed Film.

                                                        Now With 74 Minutes Of Extras Including New And Extended Interviews.

                                                        This is an independent film from an independent film company about independent record shops featuring music by independent bands completely financed by music fans and independent record labels.

                                                        The film charts the rapid rise of record shops in the 1960's / 70s and 80's, the influence of the chart, the underhand deals, the demise of vinyl and rise of the CD as well as new technologies.

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                                                        Cover of The Rise, Fall And Rebirth Of The Independent Record Shop by Last Shop Standing.

                                                        Last Shop Standing

                                                        The Rise, Fall And Rebirth Of The Independent Record Shop

                                                        Proper Films

                                                          This is an independent film from an independent film company about independent record shops featuring music by independent bands completely financed by music fans and independent record labels.

                                                          The film charts the rapid rise of record shops in the 1960's / 70s and 80's, the influence of the chart, the underhand deals, the demise of vinyl and rise of the CD as well as new technologies.

                                                          Hear from over 20 record shop owners and music industry leaders as well as musicians including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Billy Bragg, Richard Hawley and Nerina Pallot as they all tell us how the shops became and still are a part of their own musical education, a place to cherish and discover new bands and new music.

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                                                          Cover of Crystals Fall by Sparrow And The Workshop.

                                                          Sparrow And The Workshop

                                                          Crystals Fall

                                                          Distiller

                                                            The band comprises of Belfast born, Chicago-raised Jill O’Sullivan (vocals/guitar/violin), Welshman Nick Packer (guitar/bass) and Scotsman Gregor Donaldson (drums/vocals.) Jill's voice has developed into a powerhouse of flexibility, allowing her to soar from keening Sandy Denny-esque tones to sensual peaks you're more likely to expect from PJ Harvey. They have also slowly incorporated subtle elements and moods from metal, grunge, doo-wop and country into their songs – a friend of the band recently described one new song as 'Joanna Newsom backed by Black Sabbath'.

                                                            "Crystals Fall" is an amalgamation of their previous EP releases plus two brand new songs. All tracks have been reworked and remixed by up and coming producer Paul Savage, except "Medal Around Your Neck", which was produced by Tim Rowkins.

                                                            Album highlights include the sea-shanty-esque "Devil Song", which was their debut single, "Into The Wild", "A Horse’s Grin", "You’ve Got It All", The Gun plus the psychedelic folk epic "Crystals".


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                                                            Cover of Hex Enduction Hour - Deluxe Edition by The Fall.

                                                            The Fall

                                                            Hex Enduction Hour - Deluxe Edition

                                                            Sanctuary

                                                              First released in March 1982, "Hex Enduction Hour" is The Fall's fourth studio album and is regarded as a 'classic' in their catalogue. With Smith's sustained rail against culture as Britain went from being a producer to a consumer, "Hex..." is the point where The Fall mapped-out a whole new territory. A tour-deforce of dense, knotty, broken, brazen, dark, bleak and skewiff alt rock, it's no surprise that the track "Hip Priest" was used during the climax to the film, The Silence Of The Lambs. In short, "Hex..." is when it got really good.
                                                              This deluxe edition adds a complete second disc of bonus tracks ranging from tracks recorded for a Radio One Peel session in September '81, the single "I'm Into C.B." and six live tracks recorded in England and New Zealand between November '81 and August '82.

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                                                              Cover of Things Fall Apart by The Roots.

                                                              The Roots

                                                              Things Fall Apart

                                                              MCA

                                                              Released in 1999, "Things Fall Apart" saw The Roots taking a more sombre tone to their previous two long players, but still advancing their 'live band' hip hop sound. Musically, the group is at its best with guests like Mos Def and Talib Kweli contributing some old-school fun and technique to "Double Trouble", while Erykah Badu's supple vocals on "You Got Me" are offset by innovative percussion, including extending into an organically developed drum and bass rhythm. At the third album point when most hip hop producers and MCs would be running on fumes, the Roots were still synthesizing new ideas.

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                                                              Cover of 45 84 89 A-Sides by The Fall.

                                                              The Fall

                                                              45 84 89 A-Sides

                                                              Beggars Banquet

                                                                Originally released in 1990, the seventeen songs collected here come from The Fall’s Brix Smith era, aka “the golden era of Fall releases.” This is a perfect introduction to the band, and as legendary critic Robert Christgau said, it’s “The only Fall record any normal person need own”.

                                                                The band’s legendary and notorious frontman Mark E. Smith passed away earlier this year at the age of 60. The band’s output since they formed at the height of the punk rock movement in Manchester in 1976 was prolific to say the least. It’s hard to be exact, but in their four decades, The Fall released 31 studio albums, 5 part-studio/part live albums, 32 live albums, 40 compilations, and Mark E. Smith also released two spoken word albums. Another high number is that of former members of The Fall. There were over 60 different band members over the years. Their high volume of quality work over the last 40+ years had an enormous influence which was extolled greatly after his death.

                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                Coloured LP Info: White vinyl edition.

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                                                                Cover of Seminal Live by The Fall.

                                                                The Fall

                                                                Seminal Live

                                                                Beggars Banquet

                                                                  The Fall's contractual obligation album. With Brix leaving (or left, depending on your history) the group, this is a hastily assembled selection of what sound like Frenz Experiment outtakes and nine live tracks, their last for Beggars Banquet. These opening five tracks would have made a nice EP supporting the single "Deadbeat Descendant," the first song featured on the album. They're not among their best, but "H.O.W. (History of the World)" has a certain grim stateliness to it, with a grungy bassline by Hanley leading the group. "Pinball Machine" continues in Smith's long line of rockabilly covers.

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                                                                  Cover of This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall.

                                                                  The Fall

                                                                  This Nation's Saving Grace

                                                                  Beggars Banquet

                                                                    "Feel the wrath of my Bombast!" exhorts Smith on this follow-up to their groundbreaking Wonderful and Frightening World of... the Fall, and this collection is ample proof of the pure confidence the group had at this time. Stompers like "Barmy," "What You Need," and the mighty "Gut of the Quantifier" are all led by Brix Smith's twanging lead hooks, filled by distorted guitars and bludgeoning drums, on top of which Smith rants with conviction. But it's the departures from this sound that mark the real interest here: The synth-driven "L.A." looks ahead to the Fall's experiments with electronica; "Paint Work" is an impressionist piece interrupted by Smith accidentally erasing over some of the track at home; and "I Am Damo Suzuki," a tribute to Can's lead singer, which borrows its arrangement from several of that group's songs. the Fall sound mysterious, down-to-earth, and hilarious all at the same time. The CD reissue adds the singles "Cruiser's Creek" and "Couldn't Get Ahead" as well as their B-sides making this an essential purchase." - AllMusic.

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                                                                    Cover of Hip Priests And Kamerads by The Fall.

                                                                    The Fall

                                                                    Hip Priests And Kamerads

                                                                    Beggars Banquet

                                                                      "So named due to this being a collection of stuff released on the Kamera label, for a long time Hip Priests was the only way to listen to material from the mighty Hex Enduction Hour album, as well as Room to Live and related singles like "Lie Dream of a Casino Soul" and "Look, Know." For that reason alone it was a useful collection, though it was also flawed in that nearly everything was mastered for CD from vinyl, a harbinger of what would eventually happen in the late '90s with any number of early Fall reissues. It's especially noticeable on "Hip Priest" itself. Whether or not one wants to debate the aesthetics of such an approach, it's still more than a little frustrating. Thankfully, the song selection is nearly impeccable -- omissions are unavoidable, but there's no overlap with Palace of Swords Reversed, and the highlights are legion: "Hip Priest," "The Classical," "Mere Psued Mag. Ed.," "I'm Into C.B.!," and the absolutely wonderful B-side "Fantastic Life." The CD and cassette versions both include a useful bonus of interest to hardcore fans -- four live cuts of varying fidelity of other material from that time. "Who Makes the Nazis?" is OK enough, but the take on "Just Step Sideways" gets delivered with rough, fiery authority. At the end of the collection, meanwhile, there's an extremely muddy take on "Jawbone and the Air-Rifle" that will likely cause immediate departures on the part of neighbors and friends. A full quarter-hour ramble and stumble through "And This Day" concludes the release as a whole; it's a great performance that at nearly every point sounds like it'll collapse into formless chaos. Mark E. Smith is his typically contrarian self, while the lineup has its usual off-center way with the proceedings." - AllMusic.

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                                                                      Cover of The Frenz Experiment by The Fall.

                                                                      The Fall

                                                                      The Frenz Experiment

                                                                      Beggars Banquet

                                                                        "After the dark morass of Bend Sinister, the sound of 1988's Frenz Experiment comes as a bit of a shock. The arrangements are spare and broken down to the essentials, with the distorted guitars brought down low and Wolstencroft's drums high in the mix. Marcia Schofield had also joined the band to add keyboards. With most of the songs credited only to Smith himself, this could be seen as a solo album of sorts, or an indication of some rift within the group -- it certainly doesn't translate into the music. For the first time too, his vocals are loud and clear, though certainly not comprehensible; "Bremen Nacht" hints at some sort of run in with a ghost in Germany, "Athlete Cured," with its Spinal Tap-borrowed riff, tells of a "German athletic star" made ill from unusual circumstances -- the narrative turns strange, then funny until wandering off, a classic Smith tactic. Their cover of the Kinks' "Victoria" marked the Fall's first entry into the British charts, but also fit in with Smith's continuing explorations of Britain's history and how it translates into issues of class identity. The CD contains their other two singles from this time -- "Hit the North" and a cover of R. Dean Taylor's "There's a Ghost in My House," which the group makes their own -- plus several B-sides." - AllMusic.


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                                                                        Cover of The Wonderful And Frightening World Of... by The Fall.

                                                                        The Fall

                                                                        The Wonderful And Frightening World Of...

                                                                        Beggars Banquet

                                                                          "The Fall made the leap to a semi-major label -- Beggars Banquet -- with The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall, hooking up with noted producer John Leckie to create another smart, varied album. Contemporaneous with the slightly friendlier "Oh! Brother" and "C.R.E.E.P." singles without actually including them, Wonderful and Frightening World makes few concessions to the larger market -- every potential hook seemed spiked with the band's usual rough take-it-or-leave-it stance. Mark E. Smith's audible, tape-distorting spit on the descending chord blast of "Elves" -- already spiked with enough vocal craziness as it is -- gives a sense of where the album as a whole aims. Brix Smith co-writes about half the tracks, creating a strong partnership with many highlights. It may start with a semi-low-key chant, but when "Lay of the Land" fully kicks in, it does just that, Craig Scanlon in particular pouring on the feedback at the end over the clattering din. Smith sounds as coruscating and side-splittingly hilarious as ever, depicting modern Britain with an eye for the absurdities and failures (and crucially, no empathy -- it's all about a gimlet eye projected at everyone and everything). Two further standouts appear on the second half -- "Slang King," a snarling portrayal of a cool-in-his-mind dude and his increasingly pathetic life, and the concluding "Disney's Dream Debased." Though unquestionably the most conventionally attractive tune on the album, ringing guitars and all, Smith's lyrics portray a Disneyland scenario in hell, however softly delivered. Elsewhere, Gavin Friday from the Virgin Prunes takes a bow with his own unmistakable, spindly vocals on the trebly Krautrock chug of "Copped It" and the slightly more brute rhythm of "Stephen Song."

                                                                          [The CD version, in an admirable move by Beggars Banquet, contains seven extra tracks to fill the disc out, including "Oh! Brother" and "C.R.E.E.P.," along with associated B-sides and the Call for Escape Route EP.] " - AllMusic.

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                                                                          Cover of Perverted By Language by The Fall.

                                                                          The Fall

                                                                          Perverted By Language

                                                                          Sanctuary

                                                                            "Punk may have been the initial spark for the Fall, but by 1983 they had made it clear that whatever trend was next was not for them. Brix Smith made her debut with the band on Perverted by Language, helping to introduce the slightly more pop-friendly era of the group with another fine album. She takes lead vocals at various points throughout, notably "Hotel Bloedel," while her husband plays violin and adds extra spoken word thoughts along the way. The hints of strange beauty that the Fall can sometimes let into its world appear here more than once -- whether it's Brix's influence or not isn't clear, and why not? "Garden" still hits hard while using a softer chime at its heart, while "Hexen Definitive" is almost a country (and western) stroll. Even for all the slightly more accessible touches for a wider audience, the Fall remain the Fall. "Smile" shows the band's abilities at tense audio drama excellently, a relentless, steady build with the Steve and Paul Hanley and Karl Burns rhythm section leading the way, winding up to a total explosion that never comes. Smith's increasingly frenetic vocals match the looming dread of the track to a T. "Neighbourhood of Infinity," notable for its appearance on Palace of Swords Reversed, crops up here in a studio take, again a sequel of sorts to "The Man Whose Head Expanded." Musically it hits its own stride, another of the many motorik-tinged tunes that helped give the Fall its own particular edge ("I Feel Voxish" also fills that bill, and quite well at that). "Eat Y'Self Fitter," touching on everything from meeting heroes (maybe) to returning late rental videos, makes for a great start to things, an endlessly cycling rockabilly chug with extra keyboard oddities and sudden music-less exchanges for the chorus." - AllMusic.

                                                                            Remastered and expanded edition of the cult post-punks 83 classic release. This double CD features the original album, plus six bonus tracks: "The Man Who's Head Expanded", "Ludd Gang", "Kicker Conspiracy", "Wings" and "Pilsner Trail", plus a Peel session from March 83, a remix of "Garden" and six tracks recorded live in Brighton in October 83.

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                                                                            Cover of Summertime by The Fall-Outs.

                                                                            The Fall-Outs

                                                                            Summertime

                                                                            Estrus

                                                                            The Fall-Outs' fourth full length album, recorded at Egg Studios with Johnny Sangster at the helm these thirteen tracks are filled with the Fall-Outs trademark dark cynicism balanced with angelic harmonies and pop smart hooks, this is garage rock / pop at its finest.

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                                                                            Cover of Dragnet - Deluxe Edition by The Fall.

                                                                            The Fall

                                                                            Dragnet - Deluxe Edition

                                                                            Sanctuary

                                                                              "The Fall's second album was also one of the hardest to find in later years, getting only sporadic represses and reissues. Though some opinions would have it that there was a good reason for this -- namely, that it was something of a dead end sonically -- it's not as bad as all that. It's true that more than a few tracks come across as Fall-by-numbers (even then, already better than plenty of other bands), but there are some thorough standouts regardless. There's also another key reason to rate Dragnet -- it's the debut album appearance of Craig Scanlon, who picked up on the off-kilter rockabilly-meets-art rock sensibilities of the initial lineup and translated it into amazing guitar work. No less important is the appearance of Steve Hanley, who would soon take over fully on bass from Marc Riley, who in turn moved to guitar, forming one heck of a partnership with Scanlon that would last until Riley jumped ship to form the Creepers. Generally the songs which work the best on Dragnet throw in some amusingly odd curves while still hanging together musically. The full winner is unquestionably "Spectre vs. Rector," an amazing combination of clear lead vocals and buried, heavily echoed music and further rants, before fully exploding halfway through while the rhythm obsessively grinds away. Another odd and wonderful cut is "Muzorewi's Daughter," which starts out sounding like stereotypical Hollywood music for Native American tribes before shifting between that and quicker choruses. "Dice Man," with its rave-up melody and slower vocal- and guitar-only chorus, not to mention the weird muttering elsewhere in the mix, says it all in under two minutes and has fun while doing it. Through it all, Smith rants and raves supreme, spinning out putdowns, cracked vocals, and total bile with all the thrill and energy one could want from a good performer. " - AllMusic.

                                                                              Expanded deluxe edition of this, the second studio album from The Fall. Includes eleven bonus tracks, including the singles "Fiery Jack" and "Rowche Rumble".

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                                                                              Cover of I Sing The Booty Electric by Voltaire Brothers.

                                                                              Voltaire Brothers

                                                                              I Sing The Booty Electric

                                                                              Fall Of Rome

                                                                              The long-awaited and much anticipated funk record from Mick Collins (the Dirtbobms / Blacktop / Gories / Detroit legend!) has finally arrived. The Voltaire Brothers' album is a project Mick Collins has been thinking about doing for many years. Fall Of Rome hooked up with him and fellow booty shaker Jerome Gray a couple years ago and the recording began. After a delay here and there (OK and few more delays...) Mick and Jerome's dream is ready to go. It's a homage to some of the artists the two of them grew up listening to in Detroit- George Clinton, Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, Marvin Gaye and others.

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                                                                              Fall Silent

                                                                              Six Years In The Desert

                                                                              Revelation

                                                                              Taking the DIY ethic and mixing hardcore, punk rock and death metal they use primal vocals and a precise monsterous guitar attack that will hit you like a punch in the gut. This CD collects the band's previously out of print releases and features 17 hard and nasty tracks.

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