The Fall - Cerebral Caustic

Originally released in 1995 on Permanent Records.

• This set was compiled in collaboration with Fall expert Conway Patton and features liner notes by Fall authority Daryl Easlea.
• Mastering was handled by the band’s longtime sound engineer Andy Pearce, with artwork by Becky Stewart.

The Fall were an English post-punk band formed in Manchester in 1976. The band existed in various line-ups throughout its career and was essentially built around founder and sole constant member, the late Mark E. Smith.

Initially associated with the late-1970s punk movement, the group’s music underwent numerous stylistic changes over the years, but was often characterised by a raw, guitar-driven sound and extensive use of repetition, always underpinned by Smith’s distinctive vocals and frequently cryptic lyrics.

The band was renowned for its extraordinary productivity, releasing more than 25 studio albums and more than three times that number when live albums and other releases are included. They never achieved widespread mainstream success, aside from a handful of minor hit singles in the late 1980s, but maintained a strong cult following.

The Fall had a long-standing association with BBC DJ John Peel, who championed them early in their career and famously called The Fall his favourite band, saying: “They are always different; they are always the same.”