The Fall: The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004

The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004
Box set by The Fall
Released 2005
Recorded 1978–2004
Genre Post-punk
Length 7:04:24
Label Castle
Producer various
The Fall compilation album chronology

50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong
(2004)		 The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Mojo [2]
Pitchfork 9.3/10[3]
The Sunday Times

The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004 is a compilation box set by English post-punk band The Fall. It was released in 2005 by record label Castle.

Content

The Complete Peel Sessions comprises each of the twenty-four sessions the group recorded for John Peel's radio show. Peel was an avid supporter of the group from early in their career, and The Fall recorded more sessions for Peel's programmes than any other artist. The set was in the process of being compiled when Peel died in October 2004. The set charts almost all of the group's musical phases up until 2004.

Reception

It was met with some of the most positive reviews of their career. The set prompted Mojo magazine to present Mark E. Smith, the group's sole constant, with their "Catalogue Release of the Year" award (beating releases from The Clash, Jeff Buckley, The Mamas & the Papas, The Kinks and Jack Nitzsche).[4]

Tracklisting and personnel

As the line-up tends to change from one session to the next, it shall be given after the details for each session rather than at the end of the article. To avoid repetition, after their first mention, each member will be referred to only by their initials, unless returning after an absence. Some tracks appear under different titles to their single/album incarnations. Although most differences are slight, the tracks are listed by the titles they were given at the relevant session.

Disc one
Session 1, 30 May 1978
No. Title Length
1. "Futures and Pasts"    
2. "Mother-Sister!"    
3. "Rebellious Jukebox"    
4. "Industrial Estate"    
Session 2, 27 November 1978
No. Title Length
5. "Put Away"    
6. "Mess of My"    
7. "No Xmas for John Quays"    
8. "Like to Blow"    
Session 3, 16 September 1980
No. Title Length
9. "Container Drivers"    
10. "Jawbone and the Air-Rifle"    
11. "New Puritan"    
12. "New Face in Hell"    
Session 4, 24 March 1981
No. Title Length
13. "Middlemass"    
14. "Lie Dream of a Casino Soul"    
15. "Hip Priest"    
16. "C'n'C – Hassle Schmuck"    
Disc two
Session 5, 26 August 1981
No. Title Length
1. "Deer Park"    
2. "Look, Know"    
3. "Winter"    
4. "Who Makes the Nazis?"    
Session 6, 21 March 1983
No. Title Length
5. "Smile"    
6. "Garden"    
7. "Hexen Definitive – Strife Knot"    
8. "Eat Y'Self Fitter"    
Session 7, 12 December 1983
No. Title Length
9. "Pat Trip Dispenser"    
10. "2 × 4"    
11. "Words of Expectation"    
12. "C.R.E.E.P."    
Disc three
Session 8, 14 May 1985
No. Title Length
1. "Cruiser's Creek"    
2. "Couldn't Get Ahead"    
3. "Spoilt Victorian Child"    
4. "Gut of the Quantifier"    
Session 9, 29 September 1985
No. Title Length
5. "L.A."    
6. "The Man Whose Head Expanded"    
7. "What You Need"    
8. "Faust Banana"    
Session 10, 29 June 1986
No. Title Length
9. "Hot Aftershave Bop"    
10. "R.O.D."    
11. "Gross Chapel – GB Grenadiers"    
12. "US 80's-90's"    
Session 11, 28 April 1987
No. Title Length
13. "Athlete Cured"    
14. "Australians in Europe"    
15. "Twister"    
16. "Guest Informant"    
Disc four
Session 12, 25 October 1988
No. Title Length
1. "Deadbeat Descendant"    
2. "Cab It Up"    
3. "Squid Lord"    
4. "Kurious Oranj"    
Session 13, 17 December 1989
No. Title Length
5. "Chicago Now"    
6. "Black Monk Theme"    
7. "Hilary"    
8. "Whizz Bang" (this track was not broadcast)  
Session 14, 5 March 1991
No. Title Length
9. "The War Against Intelligence"    
10. "Idiot Joy Showland"    
11. "A Lot of Wind"    
12. "The Mixer"    
Session 15, 19 January 1992
No. Title Length
13. "Free Range"    
14. "Kimble"    
15. "Immortality"    
16. "Return"    
Disc five
Session 16, 28 February 1993
No. Title Length
1. "Ladybird (Green Grass)"    
2. "Strychnine"    
3. "Service"    
4. "Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room"    
Session 17, 2 December 1993
No. Title Length
5. "M5"    
6. "Behind the Counter"    
7. "Reckoning"    
8. "Hey! Student"    
Session 18, 20 November 1994
No. Title Length
9. "Glam Racket – Star"    
10. "Jingle Bell Rock" (with substantially different lyrics to the original 1957 song)  
11. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"    
12. "Numb at the Lodge"    
Session 19, 7 December 1995
No. Title Length
13. "He Pep!"    
14. "Oleano"    
15. "Chilinist"    
16. "The City Never Sleeps"    
Session 20, 30 June 1996
No. Title Length
17. "D.I.Y. Meat"    
18. "Spinetrak"    
19. "Spencer"    
20. "Beatle Bones 'N' Smokin' Stones" (Captain Beefheart cover)  
Disc six
Session 21, 3 February 1998
No. Title Length
1. "Calendar"    
2. "Touch Sensitive"    
3. "Masquerade"    
4. "Jungle Rock"    
Session 22, 18 October 1998
No. Title Length
5. "Bound Soul One"    
6. "Antidotes"    
7. "Shake-Off"    
8. "This Perfect Day"    
Session 23, 19 February 2003
No. Title Length
9. "Theme From Sparta F.C."    
10. "Contraflow"    
11. "Groovin' With Mr. Bloe – Green-Eyed Loco Man"    
12. "Mere Pseud Mag. Ed."    
Session 24, 4 August 2004
No. Title Length
13. "Clasp Hands"    
14. "Blindness"    
15. "What About Us?"    
16. "Wrong Place, Right Time"/"I Can Hear the Grass Grow"    
17. "Job Search" (bonus track; recorded during Session 24 but not broadcast. It was pressed onto an acetate (coupled with a similarly exclusive track by Half Man Half Biscuit) and given to John Peel for his 65th Birthday on 31 August 2004. Peel played the track on air that night, making it the final track by the group to debut on his show)  

Personnel

Session 1, 30 May 1978
Session 2, 27 November 1978
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Martin Braham – guitar
  • Yvonne Pawlett – keyboards
  • Karl Burns – drums
  • Marc Riley – bass guitar
  • Bob Sargeant – production
Session 3, 16 September 1980
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, keyboards, kazoo, guitar
  • Marc Riley – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass guitar
  • Paul Hanley – drums.
  • John Sparrow – production
Session 4, 24 March 1981
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Marc Riley – keyboards, guitar
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Paul Hanley – drums
  • Dave Tucker – clarinet
  • Dale Griffin – production
Session 5, 26 August 1981
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
  • Marc Riley – guitar, keyboards
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass, toy guitar, voice
  • Paul Hanley – drums
  • Dale Griffin – production
Session 6, 21 March 1983
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, keyboards
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar, backing vocals
  • Steve Hanley – bass, backing vocals
  • Paul Hanley – drums, backing vocals
  • Karl Burns – drums, bass, backing vocals
  • John Porter – production
Session 7, 12 December 1983
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Paul Hanley – drums, keyboards
  • Karl Burns – drums, bass
  • Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
  • Tony Wilson – production
Session 8, 14 May 1985
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Karl Burns – drums
  • Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards
  • Mark Radcliffe – production
Session 9, 29 September 1985
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Brix Smith – guitar, keyboards, vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass, xylophone
  • Karl Burns – drums
  • Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards
  • Dale Griffin – production
Session 10, 29 June 1986
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Brix Smith – guitar
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Dale Griffin – production
Session 11, 28 April 1987
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
Session 12, 25 October 1988
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Brix Smith – guitar
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Marcia Schofield – keyboards, vocals
  • Mike Robinson – production
Session 13, 17 December 1989
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Marcia Schofield – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Martin Bramah – guitar
  • Kenny Brady – fiddle
  • Dale Griffin – production
Session 14, 5 March 1991
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Kenny Brady – fiddle
  • Mike Robinson – production
Session 15, 19 January 1992
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Dave Bush – keyboards
  • Dale Griffin – production
Session 16, 28 February 1993
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Dave Bush – keyboards
Session 17, 2 December 1993
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Dave Bush – keyboards
  • Karl Burns – drums
  • Nick Gomm – production
Session 18, 20 November 1994
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – guitar
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Dave Bush – keyboards
  • Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
  • Lucy Rimmer – vocals
  • James Birtwistle – production
Session 19, 7 December 1995
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Julia Nagle – keyboards
  • Lucy Rimmer – vocals
  • Nick Gomm – production
Session 20, 30 June 1996
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
  • Steve Hanley – bass
  • Simon Wolstencroft – drums
  • Julia Nagle – keyboards, guitar
  • Ted de Bono – production
Session 21, 3 February 1998
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, guitar
  • Julia Nagle – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Steve Hanley – bass, backing vocals
  • Karl Burns – drums, backing vocals
  • John Rolleson - backing vocals
  • Mike Robinson – production
Session 22, 18 October 1998
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Julia Nagle – guitar, keyboards
  • Tom Head – drums
  • Elspeth Hughes – special effects
  • Mike Engels – production
Session 23, 19 February 2003
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals
  • Ben Pritchard – guitar, backing vocals
  • Jim Watts – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Dave Milner – drums, backing vocals
  • Elena Poulou – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Mick Middles – backing vocals
  • Louise Kattenhorn – production
Session 24, 4 August 2004
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, percussion
  • Ben Pritchard – guitar, backing vocals
  • Elena Poulou – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Jim Watts – guitar, bass guitar
  • Steve Trafford – bass guitar
  • Spencer Birtwistle – drums
  • Ed Blaney – guitar, vocals
  • Jerry Smith – production

References