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been plucked from the riotous preserve of their late-’70s heyday, ‘A Past…’ shows the ramshackle approach of yore superseded by a battalion of samples and grinding, zeitgeist-courting techno beats.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
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube