THE FALL, MUD ON THE GROUND (CDR, UNRELEASED, UK, 2006)

Fresh from the final studio sessions for Reformation Post TLC, The Fall lineup of Presley-Barbato-McCord descended upon Britain for a blistering series of autumn dates. Tight, fierce and inspired, this was a group firing on all cylinders, rhythmically assured and unleashing a thick, dense sheen of opalescent shoegazer-inspired distortion and waves of reverb-imbedded heaviness. The pre-release material, in particular, glows with sheer, propulsive energy, the twin bass throb of Barbato and Spurr (recruited to provide a conventional bass sound to compliment Barbato's more expansive audio palette), garlanded by Presley's sparkling, lysergically frothy guitar. This is English post-punk dipped in a molten bath of West Coast psychedelia and motorik, frequently breaking off into exhilarating tangents of adrenaline-laced space rock that never lose their pummelling intensity or interest. In many ways it is the sound the group has always been trying to achieve, and Smith responds with a set of growling, knotty vocals, brilliantly punctuating the massive musical storm raging around him, which at times threatens to literally blow the roof off the building.

Highlights on this disc, capturing the best performances from July to November 2006, include "Scenario," one of two new pieces derived from The United States of America's "Coming Down," a finely textured and wistful affair (and subsequently dropped from the setlist in favor of the other song based on the same motif, "Over Over"), and the only performance of "60's Pop CIS," officially listed as "Coach & Horses" but featuring a wholly different lyric and melody than the LP track. Despite the level of sheer genius on display, this lineup would not truly reach its peak until the spring tour the following year, in support of the by-then-released album.

Tracklisting:

01. Fall Sound
02. Reformation
03. My Door
04. White Line Fever
05. Scenario
06. 60's Pop CIS
07. The Wright Stuff
08. Systematic Abuse
09. Reformation (alternate)
10. Systematic Abuse (alternate version
11. Scenario (intro version)
12. Hungry Freaks, Daddy
13. Fall Sound (alternate)
14. Reformation (long version)
(these are unofficial audience recordings)