The Fall – Shift-Work

The first Fall record that I have little good to say about. The arrangements are much more conventional and simple than in the past, Mark sounds tired, and his vocals lean more towards his weak singing voice. The power is gone. The meter of the lyrics is also simplified, less interesting.

When a track is over, I can't a thing about it. Instantly forgettable. Maybe even boring. I couldn't say that about the 1979-1990 era. When "Cruisers Creek" was over, you'd still have that riff and that beat in your head. The Mark of "See the shirt tails flappin' in the wind, sidewalk runnin'..." is not evident.

Revisiting it now after some years, I find it is just as boring. A let down, to say the least. I don't think the Fall ever recovered.

This version is quite nice. Quiet vinyl, excellent sound. I have other versions, this is now my fave. If you love this release, you should considering buying one of these!

I am a Fall "stan", but why was so much of the early 90's material so...weedy? I fuck with Extricate, The Infotainment Scan and Cerebral Caustic hard but the LP's didn't really get GREAT again 'til Levitate, imho. Then The Marshall Suite and The Unutterable come along and blow everyone the fuck away.

And Are You Are Missing Winner is the closest Das Gruppe ever came to replicating their live sound in the studio, fight me

Highly underrated MES right here. Cog sinister never disappoints. So what about it.

I've ed images of the cassette shell of my copy of Shift-Work as current s have wear to print/are incomplete. Also J-Card images - but probably not necessary. N.B. My copy is the UK & not the EU release - no mention of Fontana or Fontana logo anywhere on release - just Cog Sinister & Phonogram Ltd (London).