The Fall – Psykick Dance Hall (2000)

Never a man over-protective about his back catalogue, Mark E Smith gave permission for many, many compilations of Fall material to be released, including this 2000 compilation, an "Eagle Elite" edition 3CD box set.

It was, I suspect, a sale purchase many moons ago.

So, what to expect. Well, firstly, nothing that hadn't already been released, and it's allegedly remastered from inferior CD reissues, although I hadn't noticed a massive issue with quality on my ancient CD player.

The set contains all the singles and B-sides the band released up to the end of 1982, including the Bingo Master's Breakout EP, the two early tracks released on the 1977 Short Circuit: Live At The Electric Circus 10" album, and a selection of tracks from all the albums up to 1983's Perverted By Language album - a total of 49 tracks.

There's no track by track analysis here - that happens on the original albums. The first CD is roughly the Live At The Witchtrials and Dragnet era, CD2 Grotesque and Slates (with four tracks, which I think come from a Live In London album), while CD3 includes 7 out of Hex Enduction Hour's 11 tracks, I Feel Voxish from Perverted By Language as well as 1982-3's singles.

But, as an extended summary of the first five years of The Fall, this is a decent enough bargain to start you off. Until you can get them all, which you must.

Link to Live In London album, which this set draws from

4* - Compilations can't get the coveted five star award, but this is excellent as compilations go.