Stew compiled and annotated this compilation by The Fall.
…this is a fine collection; brave, broad and admirably biased…
It is, of course, an appalling concept. Allowing writer/ comedian Stewart Lee to compile a selection of his favourite, latter-day Fall tracks smacks of misguided marketing;an ill-informed attempt to glean the collegiate vote for what surely remains the most virulently anti-student band in Britain. Duh!
Anyway. The onset of the ’90s saw Mark E Smith-uh and his ever-changing chums embrace new technology with gusto – a gambit that would provide a fresh framework for Smith’s misanthropic, beanbag-faced rants. While tracks such as last year’s brilliantly disorderly ‘Touch Sensitive’ could’ve been plucked from the riotous preserve of their late-’70s heyday, ‘A Past…’ shows the ramshackle approach of yore superseded by a battalion of samples and grinding, zeitgeist-courting techno beats. It’s an approach that has yielded some of The Fall‘s finest songs – with the synth-heavy, anti-EU wrath of 1991’s ‘Free Range’ and the deceptively sweet ‘Rose’ proving Smith‘s invective wears many, equally effective, disguises. With ‘The Chisellers’ being the only glaring omission, this is a fine collection; brave, broad and admirably biased.
– NME
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian