The Unutterable

Excited to see another Fall album on the list. They did make an appearance on the main 1001, but each of their LPs are so unique I’m willing to let the repetition go. This is another insane blend of post-punk and experimental rock topped with some prophetic social commentary. The deadpan lyricism/noise guitar combo works so well in a way few bands can pull off, and makes the LP feel fresh and unique to this day. This band is way overlooked and deserves more recognition, great add!

Noooo not the fall again 1 The unlistenable*

Crazy how consistent of a band The Fall was. This sounds like it should have been the debut album of a cool new 2000s electronic band, but nope, it's actually the 21st(!!) studio album of a band from the 70s. Kinda loses steam by the end, but the first half of this is absurdly good. Some of the funkiest shit ever. Four outta five.

To quote Wikipedia "The Unutterable is the 21st album by English rock band the Fall"... the twenty-first... and almost every The Fall album has a solid three stars quality or up. This is one of the better albums. The music is one big repetition with a drone sound that almost wears you out. Over these chord progressions a manic is shouting... no... Mark E. Smith is spitting the words in your face with lyrics that are funny and eloquent. These are not songs, but a play between torture and reward. In the end the reward remains.

When you order The Stranglers from Temu.

A bit redundant but also suprisingly good! Going on 20 years the band were still making interesting material.

Man, 20 years in and Smith still had it. Always super impressive that The Fall both sounds as distinct as they do each time, while consistently being ahead of the curve on what music's about to sound like. I might gotta check out that 2017 album to see if the trend continued

I really don’t see the necessity of another one of their albums but it’s pretty cool I suppose

I’ve liked every fall album I’ve heard, but for whatever reason, they haven’t made their way into my regular rotation.

Excellent album from The Fall. Definitely in the top-tier category within their infinite discography, as far as I know (I don't pretend having listened to *each and every* LP). Mark E. Smith's life project was already represented in the original list with *This Nation's Saving Grace* (thumbs up), *The Infotainment Scam* (thumbs down for the most part) and *Live at The Witch Trials* (iconic and aesthetically important, but also very thin musically speaking, so neutral thumb on this one). Given how sprawling and uneven Smith's output has been over the years, I think it's a good idea to add suggestions so that post-punk fans young and old can find their way into the mess. And here's a *very* interesting choice in my book. First, Mark E. Smith is in a fine form as both a lyricist and a sprechgesang vocalist on this one. But given that he was kind of a one-trick pony anyway, we need to elaborate further on the *other* qualities that make *The Unutterable* a potential keeper after all these years... One of those qualities is how evenly three different strands of songs are spread throughout the tracklist of this LP. You have the expected ferocious post-punk fare, which is particularly well-executed here. "Two Librans" is clearly the stand-out track from that group of songs, but *Ketamine Song* is also a haunted slower example in that style that's worth the price of admission as well. Then you have goofier numbers perversely borrowing from rockabilly ("W.B."), Gun Club-adjacent rock ("Hands Up Billy") or sardonic easy-listening ("Pumpkin Soup and Mashed Potatoes"). Goofy yes, but also sort of cinematic as well, like the best cuts in that style from *This Nation's Saving Grace*. And finally, you have infectious electronic-driven tracks such as opener "Cyber Insekt", "Dr. Buck's Letter" or "Serum*, apparently owing much to Julia Nagle / Julia Adamson's talents for computer programming shenanigans. A quick aside here: too bad this specific line-up for The Fall was short-lived (just like so many others, ha ha). I could see the specific artistry being pursued here go even further in the years after. I still like *The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)* -- released not so long after this one with yet another line-up -- a LOT. So I don't hold a grudge against Mark E. Smith for being such an abrasive and difficult person to work with, I guess.... The third asset that makes *The Unutterable* a potential mandatory listen (for fans of The Fall, at least) is that 80% of it has aged *extremely well*. Honestly, if a recent up and coming "crank wave" band had recorded most of those tracks in the last couple of years, chances are that the target audience would have found them as fresh as they were back in the year 2000. The electronic tracks shine especially brightly (of course, with that dark, refracted, special kind of Mark E. Smith light!). They're definitely not the heavyhanded electronic stuff lazily following the early nineties trend with a tired wink, as found in *The Infotainment Scam" or other LPs from that earlier period. One single thing prevents me from including *The Unutterable* in my 5/5 list right away though: that problem is that the record doesn't quite stick the landing. The three tracks after "Hands Up Billy" are just the sort of tedious self-indulgent drivel that Smith was *also* capable of, unfortunately (in that rotten realm, see also "Hot Runes" before that last leg). But if the album had concluded the proceedings with "Hands Up Billy", you'd still have an LP that's long enough to satisfy the pickier fans like me. So no real harm done here. Speaking of "pickier fans", the person who suggested this record feels especially hard to satisfy when you browse through their galleries. This user doesn't convey contrarian-for-its-own-sake vibes at all in their reviews, yet I can't help sensing this person as in line with Mark E. Smith's rough sensibility. You know how the saying goes: birds of a feather flock together. I tip my hat to you nonetheless, anonymous user. It's quite an excellent choice you've made here. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 4 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5/5 for the musicianship and production values + 3.5/5 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 99 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 113 (including this one) Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 237 ---- Hey Émile, j'ai répondu sous Demon Days ET ta sélection pour la users list ! 🙂

More vaguely avant garde music from The Fall. I like it just about as much as every other time we've been made to listen to one of them.

This played as I listened

Some songs were fine, others I found complete rubbish

I liked a lot of what's going on musically here a lot - classic post-punk roots but kept fresh with elements of more modern alternative and experimental rock and electronica. As usual with this band I struggle with the fact that the primary vocals just really don't do it for me. I generally liked the lyrics when I could understand them. Really on the fence with this one.

Interesting direction

When I seen another fall album I wasn’t sure given they are already fairly represented on the original list, but again this album is original and different enough from their others I’ll accept it. I don’t think this is their best work but another good and interesting listen.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Cyber insekt, Two librans

straight to the point

Kiinnostava genresekoitus ja huomionarvoista että on näinkin erilainen vaikka on 21. levy yhtyeeltä. 3/5

Electronica, Rock, Punk: Garage Rock. Empezó bien, pero luego me resultó pesado. No me ha enganchado.

I mostly think that The Fall operate in a vaguely similar dichotomous space to Radiohead. I understand that they are a hugely influential band, and they bring talent and innovation to what they do. But I also very much think that they're a bit shit, and I seldom enjoy actually listening to them. Nothing could epitomise this view more than Das Katerer, which may be one of the most annoying and unpleasant tracks of this whole 1,500ish (so far) experience. In further reference to Radiohead though, The Fall's adherents are not, generally, dicks about it. You can criticise the music and that's taken as it's intended, and accepted as a difference of taste, no big. Radiohead are just ponces who'll dip into autistic screeching if you say a word against them.

I am not super familiar with The Fall by any means, but this was much better than I was expecting for a later career record. It feels vibrant and urgent. Rocks for sure.

I'll repeat what I wrote on my other reviews of The Fall which is each time the album popped up, I said "never heard of them". Once again that is true. They had just made absolutely no impact on me after 3 albums and I've already forgotten this. Definitely did not need a 4th one on the list. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Weird, in a good and interesting way, but still very odd. Not their best work, but an engaging and enjoyable album I would (probably) never have heard without it being suggested here.

Rock alternativo. Agobiante. No me gusta. Un 2.

Unutterable. More like unintelligible. I had a hell of a time understanding this album. Between the 80s electronic sounds mixed with other electronic sounds and the rough lyrics this album was not for me. Just a genre and style that is not for my ears. 4.2/10

A fourth album from The Fall wasn’t on my BINGO card. This one was a miss for me. While I really enjoyed the album The Infotainment Scan, lightning hasn’t struck twice yet with The Fall and this was no exception.

I tried, but couldn't really get into this. 2 stars.

The Longer The Unutterable went on the less I liked it and the weirder it became. We had a couple of their albums on the main list I gave a 1 and a 2 respectively and for the 1 I said "It sounds like it was recorded in someone's living room and was half-arsed the entire time. Maybe that's the point, I dunno." Seems it was the point, another 2, it's just not very good.

I nearly rage quit at jazz flute

Rock alternativo. Agobiante. No me gusta. Un 2.

Make it stop.

That voice 💩

What is truly Unthinkable is having 3 albums by The Fall on the list alone and having the sheer brass balls thinking oh no we need more of this rubbish. Fine, you sadist, I listened. Shocking: it is terrible in the exact way every single other thing I've heard from them is. Some riff or 4 bar phrase, repeat for 3.5 minutes, stuff a sock in Mark Smith's gob after he's black-out drunk, and press record. We have Lou Reed and Iggy Pop at home and they both suck so why the curbside version which is actually much worse? 2/10 1 star IMO: Belonged in the book? No.

Well this was horrible. I really don’t have anything more to say except that it was really bad.

I think I'm writing the same review as the album on the list. This band WANTS to he weird. They are trying way to hard. It's not working on me.