The Fall - Ersatz GB

The Fall - Ersatz GB (Cherry Red Records)
This time I am record reviewing the new release by Greater Manchester rock and roll band The Fall and I have had my ears syringed this morning so can listen better - The Fall were formed in 1976 by grumpy singer Mark E. Smith and some other Greater Mancunians and they are still going strong but Mark E. Smith is the only one still in the band. Ersatz GB is their 29th album but it is only the second one I have heard; I was sent Your Future, Our Clutter by Domino Recordings a while back but I never got round to reviewing it, I did listen to it at home though and liked it very much.
          The first song on the album is called Cosmos 7 and starts off with some fast punky drumming and bass before some keyboards come in played by Mark's wife Eleni Poulou and then the guitars and vocals come in. Mark's vocals are interesting because he sings in his own style and doesn't really sound like anybody else but I can't really make out what he's singing about; he does sound very angry though like he is having a row with his wife or his father. This is a good, loud and fast rock song which I think would sound very good in concert.
           Next song is called Taking Off so maybe it's about going to another country in a plane or maybe Mark is the pilot shouting at someone on a plane who is weeing in the aisle like that French bloke did recently - I'm not sure why he did that, I think he must have been drunk and couldn't make it to the toilet. I couldn't make out what the song was about really though because I couldn't make out what the words are again but I liked it a lot anyway.
            Nate Will Not Return is after this and is another loud rock song, this one is very poetic and is about a man called Nate who goes to the Tate in London with his Russian girlfriend. I've been to the Tate loads of times because I like the nice pictures there though some of them are a bit weird. I think The Fall are a bit weird too  because of Mark's way of singing but I like his singing and I think more people should sing in their own accents because it's nice to hear.
            Next song Mask Search reminds me a bit of old rockabilly songs and on this one Mark growls a lot again and says he is sick and tired of Snow Patrol, i've never heard Snow Patrol so I had a listen on Youtube and I think they are alright really but Arlo who helps me with these reviews says he thinks they are a bit dull so maybe that's why Mark doesn't like them.
            Greenway is the next song, this song might be about the guitarist who is also called Greenway. The song begins with a piano and then some growly singing comes in and then loud heavy metal guitars come in after that. I like heavy metal, especially Hey Colossus and Black Sabbath who I have reviewed before, heavy metal music is good because it is noisy fun music and I liked this song a lot because it sounds a bit like a heavy metal song. In this song Mark sings about seeing someone who looks like him on TV and also about his cat and dog - I've never seen anyone who looked like me on the TV because I only look like myself, I've also never had a cat or a dog but I'd like to get a day one day; probably an alsatian dog.
             The last song on side A is a much quieter, softer song because it is sung by Eleni and not Mark. She is a good singer and it makes a bit of a change on this record to hear a woman singing so I liked it. I think she might be talking about her marriage to Mark in the song, she must love him very much to sing a love song about him - I'd like it very much if some lady sang me a love song.

           Side B starts with Monocard which starts off with keyboard that sounds a bit like the beginning of the Doctor Who music. This one is another one that sounds like heavy metal but is a bit slower than Greenway, It also reminded me a bit of Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues which is a very excellent song so I'm glad I was reminded of it. Here is a video of The Moody Blues at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970 for people to watch:

         After Monocard is Laptop Dog which is more punky than heavy metal but is still a good song and after that is I've Seen Them Come which starts of with slow drums which speed up and then after a bit the guitar and Mark comes in talking a bit fast so i don't know what he's saying but I think he is talking about a load of places he's been to, maybe with the band or maybe not because I can't really make it out; it's good though.
        The last song is called Age Of Chang - In the song Chang is not a chinese word but is just Change spelt wrong for some reason so maybe Mark can't spell very well or just can't be bothered. This is a good song to end the record on, it's very loud and shouty and very good.
         Overall I think this was a very good record by a very good band, it is a bit weird but that's a good thing, it's funny to be weird and I like weird things. I would give this record 10 out of 10.