Ever been held hostage in a dressing room with your parents? Ever been thrown off the bus in the middle of a Swedish forest or abandoned at a foreign airport? Ever been asked to play at one of the UK’s biggest music festivals with musicians you’ve just met who are covered in blood, or taken part in a ‘recording session’ in a speeding Transit? If so you’ve probably been in The Fall. Dave Simpson made it his mission to track down everyone who has ever played in Britain’s most berserk, brilliant group. He uncovers a changing Britain, tales of madness and genius, and wreaks havoc on his personal life.
The Fallen: Life In and Out of Britain's Most Insane Group
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Review
The best book yet on a band that have evolved into a cross between a large Victorian family and a rehab unit. --The Times (music books of the year 2008)
The general reader will enjoy The Fallen more [than Mark E. Smith's Renegade!] --Observer (music books of 2008)
A hoot.
--Robert Sandall, Sunday Times (music books of the year)
The general reader will enjoy The Fallen more [than Mark E. Smith's Renegade!] --Observer (music books of 2008)
A hoot.
--Robert Sandall, Sunday Times (music books of the year)
Review
'An essential counterpoint to Smith's own memoir published earlier this year.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
For a Fall fan, there's enough here to keep you happy. Brilliant encounters with Craig Scanlon, Kay Carroll, Una Baines and Martin Bramah which give a voice to the previously unspoken and underappreciated members of The Fall. Some seriously funny anecdotes, perhaps the best of all being the story, true or not it doesn't matter, of The Fall's first ever drummer being sacked for writing an anthem called "Landslide Victory", in anticipation of his heroine Margaret Thatcher's election triumph. And all of it gives you a much better insight into the way that some of the greatest Fall albums shambolically came into existence. For that it's worth the read.
But I have to admit to skimming over large tracts of rather contrived autobiographical back story which seems like unnecessary padding. For example, a rather indulgent bit of prolonged musing involves wondering what the two serious girlfriends in his life have in common and how this tenuously links back to some Fall song title. There's also far too much cliched background setting. I can't recall the number of times he'll introduce another member of The Fallen (the collective name of those who were summarily dismissed by MES) and their appearance on a particular album by saying: It was the time when Alvin stardust was number one and the 3 day week was in full swing. It makes me wince to be honest. I see that sort of stuff in badly ghost written footballers' biographies entitled "My Story".
to sum up, it's not a very well written book by some distance, but that shouldn't detract from the brilliance of the subject.
But I have to admit to skimming over large tracts of rather contrived autobiographical back story which seems like unnecessary padding. For example, a rather indulgent bit of prolonged musing involves wondering what the two serious girlfriends in his life have in common and how this tenuously links back to some Fall song title. There's also far too much cliched background setting. I can't recall the number of times he'll introduce another member of The Fallen (the collective name of those who were summarily dismissed by MES) and their appearance on a particular album by saying: It was the time when Alvin stardust was number one and the 3 day week was in full swing. It makes me wince to be honest. I see that sort of stuff in badly ghost written footballers' biographies entitled "My Story".
to sum up, it's not a very well written book by some distance, but that shouldn't detract from the brilliance of the subject.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Colin E Coli
Format:Hardcover
Reasonably entertaining, but the reader should have at least some passing interest in The Fall. Most successful parts are when the book sticks to what it suggests it would do ie find ex-members of The Fall and provide some pen-portraits of what they did pre-hiring and post-sacking.
Unfortunately, the author fills the text with his belief that Fall fans are somehow a breed apart, with a special insight into things ("once you hear The Fall you're not like anyone else...life is something not to be celebrated but suffered, on the way to some higher glory that can only be provided by the knowledge passed by The Fall" and so on). I'm sorry but when I read stuff like that (and it's not the only time it crops up in the book), I literally cringed. I'm a Fall fan. Some of my friends are Fall fans. But we are nothing like this. Nor do we think Mark E Smith is psychic on the basis of a few lyrics (please, please tell me the author was writing tongue in cheek).
Other moans? - The "where is Karl Burns?" thing is increasingly tedious and if the author really believes that Alan Minter "destroyed" Marvin Hagler he'd best get someone else to do his research.
Unfortunately, the author fills the text with his belief that Fall fans are somehow a breed apart, with a special insight into things ("once you hear The Fall you're not like anyone else...life is something not to be celebrated but suffered, on the way to some higher glory that can only be provided by the knowledge passed by The Fall" and so on). I'm sorry but when I read stuff like that (and it's not the only time it crops up in the book), I literally cringed. I'm a Fall fan. Some of my friends are Fall fans. But we are nothing like this. Nor do we think Mark E Smith is psychic on the basis of a few lyrics (please, please tell me the author was writing tongue in cheek).
Other moans? - The "where is Karl Burns?" thing is increasingly tedious and if the author really believes that Alan Minter "destroyed" Marvin Hagler he'd best get someone else to do his research.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Supertzar
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mark E Smith has been fairly derogatory about this book - his boast of having burnt it appears proudly on the front cover. And yet it's an intriguing idea: With the largely unmusical Smith consistently producing authentically Fall-sounding albums regardless of line-up (he famously said "if it's me and your granny on bongos, it's still The Fall") what exactly does he do to his musicians to help them hit what many regard as their creative peaks and what insights can they offer into the fascinating mind of this bizarre and somewhat other-worldly character?
Simpson tries to combine this worthy musical odyssey with that most recent phenomenon, the jaunty but pointless quest. It's not quite Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, but his structuring of the book as a journey towards a largely unlegendary drummer is rather contrived. The text is further 'enhanced' by an unwelcome commentary on the disintegration of his love life. These laboured narrative devices are there to serve a purpose, which is to distract the reader from the pond-skimming depth and repetition of each interview. Simpson seems so overwhelmed at having tracked down somebody who played the kazoo for one night in 1983 that he has forgotten to prepare any questions and by comparison, he makes Jools Holland look like Jeremy Paxman.
All this is a great shame, because his research is excellent and his dedication unswerving. He formulates some interesting theories along the way as to what drives Mark E Smith, but whilst many of his interviewees are legendary to Fall fans, we quickly realise that talking to the monkeys rather than the organ grinder can only yield so much. Sad to say, but if it's funny, legend enhancing MES anecdotes you're after, I'd check out Stuart Maconie's Cider with Roadies instead.
Simpson tries to combine this worthy musical odyssey with that most recent phenomenon, the jaunty but pointless quest. It's not quite Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, but his structuring of the book as a journey towards a largely unlegendary drummer is rather contrived. The text is further 'enhanced' by an unwelcome commentary on the disintegration of his love life. These laboured narrative devices are there to serve a purpose, which is to distract the reader from the pond-skimming depth and repetition of each interview. Simpson seems so overwhelmed at having tracked down somebody who played the kazoo for one night in 1983 that he has forgotten to prepare any questions and by comparison, he makes Jools Holland look like Jeremy Paxman.
All this is a great shame, because his research is excellent and his dedication unswerving. He formulates some interesting theories along the way as to what drives Mark E Smith, but whilst many of his interviewees are legendary to Fall fans, we quickly realise that talking to the monkeys rather than the organ grinder can only yield so much. Sad to say, but if it's funny, legend enhancing MES anecdotes you're after, I'd check out Stuart Maconie's Cider with Roadies instead.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Fall and Insanity
Dave Simpson describes The Fall as "insane": and mental health metaphors commonly crop up both within Fall lyrics and in commentary upon the band. Read more
Published 2 months ago by David Toube
4.0 out of 5 stars
What really went on there ...
Anyone who ever stopped to think about all those other people who pack out mark e smith into a group should read this. Read more
Published 7 months ago by seanjm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Totally Wired (well almost)
I bought this book on the strength of a good review (Q Magazine) then bottled out of reading for a while.
Why? Read more
Why? Read more
Published 9 months ago by Barmee
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable book
I really enjoyed this book. A difficult band to say the least. I had decided the band had a few good tracks but most of it was Mark E Smith waffling indecipherable lyrics. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ian Chamberlain
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read
Essential reading for any Fall fan. Dave Simpson writes in an informal style as he goes about the not inconsiderable task of tracking down 'The Fallen' ex members. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Amazonian
3.0 out of 5 stars
These are the three Rs - repetition, repetition, repetition
The previous 3-star review has it about right. This is a cracking idea for a newspaper article, bloated into book form. Read more
Published on 14 July 2010 by CER
3.0 out of 5 stars
Powder Keg
Mark E Smith has been fairly derogatory about this book - his boast of having burnt it appears proudly on the front cover of the paperback edition. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2010 by Supertzar
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Book I've Ever Read!
This is certainly the best book ever written about The Fall and, coincidentally, the best book I've ever read (and I've read a few hundred thousand). Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2010 by Probat
5.0 out of 5 stars
life before Gok
This is definitely not just a book for Fall obsessives- although it could be the start of a perilous journey in that direction... Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2009 by millyrose
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does anyone have the movie rights?
I enjoyed this book - who could play Mark E Smith in the film version?
As a moderate (rather than obsessive, as the author enthusiastically is) fan of The Fall, I've... Read more
As a moderate (rather than obsessive, as the author enthusiastically is) fan of The Fall, I've... Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2009 by B. Taylor
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