The Fall, "The Frenz Experiment"
Brainwashed - The Fall, "The Frenz Experiment" Written by Eve McGivern Sunday, 18 October 2020 00:00 - Last Updated Sunday, 18 October 2020 11:12 There are three main periods The Fall may be grouped into: the raw punk early years, the more “melodious” classic years, and the post-'90s period up to Mark E. Smith’s passing in 2018. The Frenz Experiment , originally released in 1988 and reissued this year by Beggars Banquet, is part of the “classic” years, a time when the band churned out a series of nearly perfect albums. Beggars Banquet I came upon The Fall in 1987 by way of the compilation of early singles Palace of Swords Reversed . I remember not being entirely sure what to make of them, but loved “Totally Wired.” In those days, I got most of my music from college radio and MTV’s 120 Minutes , so unless either were spinning The Fall, I had so much other music vying for my attention. When lo and behold, the band had themselves a bonafide radio hit with “Hit the North (Part 1),” a funky, groovy little number that, what’s this? — was danceable? The wonderful and frightening world of The Fall was suddenly opened to myself and so many others. Additionally, along came a lovely rendition of The Kinks’ “Victoria” that saw airplay on MTV, and the band started to have greater access to the American psyche. It was the album in which I fell in love with The Fall, and became a lifelong listener (as well as a glutton for punishment in attempting to obtain their entire catalog).
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