Group

The Fall

English post‐punk group founded by Mark E. Smith

From: Prestwich, United Kingdom
Active: 1976–2018
Rating: ★ 4.75 (4 votes)
Releases: 262

post-punk
alternative dance
art punk
indie rock
alternative rock
art rock
electronic
experimental rock

About

The Fall were an English post-punk band, formed in 1976 in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. They had many line-up changes, with vocalist and founder member Mark E. Smith being the only constant member. Their music was generally characterised by Smith's caustic lyrics and sprechgesang vocal delivery, an abrasive, repetitive guitar-driven sound, and tense bass and drum rhythms. Although never achieving widespread mainstream success beyond minor hit singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they maintained a strong cult following throughout the years. The Fall have been called "the most prolific band of the British post-punk movement".

Originally emerging out of the late 1970s punk movement, the Fall's music underwent numerous stylistic changes often concurrently with changes in the group's lineup. Long-term musicians included drummers Paul Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft and Karl Burns; guitarists Craig Scanlon, Marc Riley, and Brix Smith; and bassist Steve Hanley, whose melodic, circular bass lines are widely credited with shaping the band's sound from 1979 to 1998. The band were championed by British DJ John Peel, who regarded them as his personal favourite and invited them numerous times on the BBC's Peel Sessions, stating: "They are always different; they are always the same." From 1979 to 2017, they released 31 studio albums, plus dozens of live albums and compilations released against Smith's wishes. The group disbanded after Smith's death in 2018.

From The Fall (band) on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.