THE FALL
HEX ENDUCTION HOUR
Kamera KAM005, released March 1982
http://www.visi.com/fall/
When John proposed to me that I might want to begin an ongoing series reviewing
the oeuvre of The Fall, I, in addition to questioning the dubiousness of the
proposition, was at a loss as to where to begin. With the latest lp, 2G+2
perhaps - a cobbled-together piece of live hooey recorded during last November's
U.S. tour. I mean, at least that would be up-to-date. OK, here's the review:
If you went to the shows (and they were good ones, especially compared to
that last tour - very few walkoffs by Mark E. Smith, no broken noses) then
you already have purchased it and life is no better or worse for it; if not,
and you have no Fall lps in your stack, then no. Not now - maybe never. There
must be, oh, literally 20 Fall albums better than this. End of review.
OR
I could review the Fall chronologically, starting with their punky debut in
77 on the Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus ep (also the debut of
Joy Division - cool, huh?). Then do Early Fall, Live at the Witch Trials,
Dragnet......
and by the time I celebrate my 45th bday we might have gotten ourselves to
maybe 1983.
SO INSTEAD
We begin with The Fall album that changed my life, the one that made me a
fan forever: the album that signed me onto a permanent pathetic codependent
existence with that most undependable and ungrateful of music deities, Mark
E. Smith.
"I've never felt better in my life"
BUT I DIGRESS
It is the slow spring thaw of late April, 1982, Madison Wisconsin, and I am
making my weekly (yeah right, try daily - I lived down the block) trip down
Gilman Street to Paradise Records. As I walk into the shop, I am accosted
(via the blaring hi-fi) by an a belligerent, yet familiar lout:
"This is the home of the brave! Hey there fuckface - hey there fuckface-ah!"
Oooh. Must be the new Fall record. And indeed it is. And by the end of the
song ("The Classical") I'm singing along:
"I've never felt better in my life"
and believing it.
Hex Enduction Hour is for many the quintessential Fall album, which is a bit
funny, as it really doesn't sound all that much like the rest, save the two
that bookend it (Grotesque and Room to Live, respectively.) But it is here
where we experience The Fall at their hardest, their darkest, and their strangest.
Which would be hard, dark and strange indeed. With Hex they move beyond the
Mancabilly of "Container Drivers" or the circus melodies of "Rowche
Rumble" or "Dice Man" into a dark dirgey mess hitherto only
hinted at by, say, "C n C S-Mithering" or "Impression of J.
Temperance."
This particular version of The Fall (remember, they've had something like
27 different lineups) was uniquely prepared to deliver the musical journey
for Mr. Smith's nightmares: jangly Marc Riley on guitar no.1, scratchy (and
stinky) Craig Scanlon on guitar no.2, big bad Steve Hanley on bass (brilliant
on "Classical", "Winter", "Who Makes the Nazis"),
and get this, two drummers: Karl Burns and Steve Hanley's little brother Paul.
Cos y'know, all the great bands had two drummers: Allman Brothers, Greatful
Dead, Adam and the Ants........
Back to the journey. We begin with the aforementioned "The Classical",
a drum and bass driven anthem to amnesia, immediately followed by a more typically
country n northern jaunt "Jawbone and Air Rifle" Downward spiral
time. The next is the true classic of the lp and one of The Fall's finest
tunes ever "Hip Priest" - a alternately whispered/shouted tale of
shamanism, regret, outrage and misunderstanding. Few times in rock music have
dynamics been used to such good effect. Trainspotters will recognize this
tune from one of the more debauched moments of 'Silence of the Lambs'. The
guitarists get their jangly revenge on the next two, "Fortress"
and "Mere Pseud Mag. Ed" aided and abetted by Smith's horribly out
of whack farfisa and tiresome/tireless rants.
Leaving us out of breath for our descent into the next circle of hell......
"Winter" is truly that: a cold slow dark crawl pushed along by Steve Hanley monstrous bass - a white northern speed and alcohol addled c n w dirge-take on a 10 minute James Brown number from the early seventies. So long, so scary, it starts on side one......
and carries over to side two. Brilliant!
A respite, albeit brief, "Just Step S'ways" - compact, spot-on, and to the point. And thanks to Scanlon's guitar part doubling the chorus, impossible not to sing along with. We are then greeted by a dirgy bassline and tom-toms and Smith asking:
Who makes the nazis?
Who makes the nazis?
I'll tell ya who makes the nazis
All the Os
Wino
Spermo
29 year old
Arse-licking hate [....] old
and we are pulled along another confused journey into history, fraught with remembering and forgetting. And there is no comfort in the recollection. The rhythm section are later joined by wiry guitars and what sound like cows mooing......
this is all making no fucking sense whatsoever, yet it is strangely compelling. Very 'trainwreck', but slower calmer. Creepier.
A tea kettle coming to a boil greets us, joined by a pretty piano. A looming
bass. We are in "Iceland". Literally, as the song was also recorded
there. Smith now sounds resigned, exhausted, and very lonely. The tea kettle
no longer sounds friendly.
The second side of the album is a special place indeed, as the band achieves
greatness with the least structure, fewest motifs. and least histrionics.
There are few lonelier stretches of vinyl - perhaps the second side of Joy
Division's 'Closer' - but Hex doesn't even offer the comfort of that albums
glassy production values. This is much more audio verite - a field document
of musical (yes, very musical) terror.
Um. Fatal flaw time. It would go to figure that my fave lp would carry with it a characteristic similar to my favorite movie - that is, one thing that really really annoys me. My favorite film is Orson Welles' 'A Touch of Evil' - a noir classic: that opening sequence, the closing crane shot, Welles himself as a corrupt border cop, and.....fucking hell: Charleton Heston. No, worse still: Charleton Heston cast as a Mexican national. In tons of scenes. EEEEWWWWW!!
Well, Hex Enduction Hour closes with the 15 minute "And This Day" and it is a DUD DUD DUD. Ordinarily, I find the Fall's 'experimental' tunes ok enough, every album has at least one, most feature a violin. Not this time: the bouncy drums, drony bass, circus tent organ, and ranty whine are too damn much and too damn long. You make like it. I simply choose to exercise editorial authority, and skip it altogether.
Which in turn makes Hex Enduction Hour "Hex Enduction 45 Minutes"
and well-nigh perfect. Now if i could just figure a way to do the same with
'...Evil'.
-William Mohline