mark e. smith reading soccer scores

[miss buenos aires]

Has anyone else heard about this? Just read it in the NYTimes.

On Nov. 19, Mark E. Smith, the witheringly cynical singer for the British band the Fall, read soccer results on a BBC television show, "Score and Final Score." First he cleared his throat - he seemed to have a cold - and then, in a voice like a sharp stick, he began. "Charlton Athletic 1, Manchester United 3. Chelsea 3, Newcastle United nil." And so on, for about four minutes. Fall fans on the Internet have been fascinated by this, as others would be fascinated by Bob Dylan reading the Lotto numbers, but I haven't found anyone stating the obvious: it's like a Fall song. A report, cut into stentorian bursts of Manchester, anti-sentimental, full of proper nouns and not open to debate. (It can be accessed through WFMU's blog, blog.wfmu.org.)

[Otis Westinghouse]

Indeed, but sadly didn't hear it at the time. That would have been a great surprise. For a great comment on the BBC's passion for MES right now, and their bizarre use of Theme From Sparta Prague, see this 5-star review of Fall Heads Roll from good egg Alexis Petridis:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/ ... 23,00.html

[martinfoyle]

Thanks for the reminder, mba. I read the piece Otis linked to on friday and meant to track it down. The results clip, and the Peel piece, can be downloaded from here.

The Fall are an acquired taste which I think I'm starting to get. I think I'll treat myself to the Peel box, it looks like a good sampler.

[Who Shot Sam?]

There's a little interview with MES in the latest issue of The Word, which I read on the flight home today. Some footy stuff in there too.

[Richard]

Thank you for the Fall connections.

Both the videos for Victoria & Kurious Oranj have been screened on the VH1 Classic show the Alternative in the last couple of weeks! Great stuff.

[LittleFoole]

LOL.... I have some serious catching up to do with the Fall.....haven't bought anything since The Frenz Experiment...hah. However, doing so may be at risk to my marriage - Mrs. Foole, although she has been won over and actually can appreciate Mr Costello these days, cannot and will not stand to be in the presence of Fall music... Oh, well, ....the argument that "it could be worse" seems to fall on deaf ears, so to speak
I mean, I could have bootleg Monkees concert audio/video featuring them covering Wreckless Eric's Whole Wide World....scary !!!
Or perhaps anything from Clay Aiken I happen to enjoy MES's lyrical "qualities" - you're forced to actively listen !!! (funnily enough, having to "listen actively" was why my Mrs didn't get into EC at first - "too wordy, he is..." ...her words She doesn't like to have to "think" much while listening to music...hehheh

[Otis Westinghouse]

There's a little interview with MES in the latest issue of The Word, which I read on the flight home today. Some footy stuff in there too.

Aaaaaaarrrrggghhhh! Stop going on about it! My copy still hasn't arrived! clearly there's been a disruption in our postal delivery, with no post for a couple of days. So my copy is probably under a hedge somewhere due to some errant prick of a postie.

Martin: box set is pretty much all you really need of The Fall, though once you've got the bug, a la Frank Skinner, the sky's the limit, and even though many of the renditions are better there than on their vinyl counterparts (check out the feistiness of Kurios Oranj!), some of their most classic tracks are misssing. I have a couple of spare copies I made of BWAP's superb Fall sampler, which has some of the missing classics from the box sent, and would be only too happy to post you one. (I owe you, remember?)

Little Foole: a familiar pattern! My wife can't see why I'd be bothered listening to MES, and it's exactly the same with a Fall fanatic chum (who today kindly sent me copies of Fall Heads Roll - which I guess is a knowing reference by MES to his fame for sacking his band members and the two CD reissue of Hex Ennduction Hour - wahoo!).

[Who Shot Sam?]

Aaaaaaarrrrggghhhh! Stop going on about it! My copy still hasn't arrived! clearly there's been a disruption in our postal delivery, with no post for a couple of days. So my copy is probably under a hedge somewhere due to some errant prick of a postie.

Sorry about that Otis!

Quoting Shack's "Chinatown":

"My postie's gone and left his job I'm gonna state my case, pack my bags get out this place..."

[ReadyToHearTheWorst]

Finally found somewhere to post this ...

Watching Ideal 'tother night, and guess who appeared as Jesus to give a sign to a religious nutter hiding in Johnny Vegas' loft?

Well, obviously, legendary Fall front man, wossisname.