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Shift-Work marked the sophomore effort from a new Brix-less Fall and is a slightly more subdued effort than the raging Extricate. It also marked a new direction for Mark E. Smith and the band as what once was repetitious grooves became interspersed with pop song structures. Don't worry, the classic riffage is still here in "The War Against Intelligence," "Idiot Joy Showland," and "So What About It." But there does seem to be a softening of Smith, albeit slightly. He still rails against foolish pop stars, mass media, and the spawn of the Manchester scene (side two is headed "Notebooks Out Plagiarists") but also here are paeons to Edinburgh ("Edinburgh Man," surprisingly malice-free), social observation ("Shift Work" looks at a modern marriage and is more wistful than angry), and an electronics and violin led portrait of a DJ ("The Mixer"). Probably what's most surprising is that in retrospect most of this works, although it begins to run out of steam near the end. There are hooks and melodies here, and the group ineffably remain the Fall. The following year's Code: Selfish would return to a much harder sound, leaving this a melancholic, introspective album.
© Ted Mills /TiVo
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Robert Gordon, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hanley, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - The Fall, MainArtist - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Grant Showbiz, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Grant Showbiz, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hanley, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Gordon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Kenny Brady, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Gordon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Gordon, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Grant Showbiz, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - The Fall, MainArtist - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marcia Schofield, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - The Fall, MainArtist - Martin Bramah, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Mark E. Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcia Schofield, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - The Fall, MainArtist - Martin Bramah, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
DISC 2
Craig Leon, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jape Richardson, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - The Fall, MainArtist - Martin Bramah, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Hanley, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer - Mark E. Smith, Producer, ComposerLyricist - M. Beddington, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1990 Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Craig Leon, Producer - Mark E. Smith, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Marcia Schofield, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1990 Mercury Records Limited
Craig Leon, Producer - Mark E. Smith, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1990 Mercury Records Limited
Jonathan More, ComposerLyricist - Matt Black, ComposerLyricist - Coldcut, Producer - Mark E. Smith, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1990 Mercury Records Limited
Grant Showbiz, Producer - Mark E. Smith, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Hanley, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Tony Friel, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Una Baines, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Martin Bramah, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Grant Showbiz, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1990 Mercury Records Limited
Grant Showbiz, Producer - Simon Rogers, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1990 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Gordon, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Gordon, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Gordon, Producer - Simon Wolstencroft, ComposerLyricist - Mark E. Smith, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1991 Mercury Records Limited
Mark E. Smith, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1993 Permanent Records Ltd.
Mark E. Smith, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist
℗ 1995 Permanent Records Ltd.
Craig Leon, Producer - Simon Rogers, Producer - Mark E. Smith, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Craig Scanlon, ComposerLyricist - The Fall, MainArtist - Tony Friel, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Una Baines, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Martin Bramah, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1992 Mercury Records Limited
Album review
Shift-Work marked the sophomore effort from a new Brix-less Fall and is a slightly more subdued effort than the raging Extricate. It also marked a new direction for Mark E. Smith and the band as what once was repetitious grooves became interspersed with pop song structures. Don't worry, the classic riffage is still here in "The War Against Intelligence," "Idiot Joy Showland," and "So What About It." But there does seem to be a softening of Smith, albeit slightly. He still rails against foolish pop stars, mass media, and the spawn of the Manchester scene (side two is headed "Notebooks Out Plagiarists") but also here are paeons to Edinburgh ("Edinburgh Man," surprisingly malice-free), social observation ("Shift Work" looks at a modern marriage and is more wistful than angry), and an electronics and violin led portrait of a DJ ("The Mixer"). Probably what's most surprising is that in retrospect most of this works, although it begins to run out of steam near the end. There are hooks and melodies here, and the group ineffably remain the Fall. The following year's Code: Selfish would return to a much harder sound, leaving this a melancholic, introspective album.
© Ted Mills /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 30 track(s)
- Total length: 01:59:04
- Main artists: The Fall
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2007 Mercury Records Limited This Compilation ℗ 2007 Mercury Records Limited
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