The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click) is the 23rd studio album by the Fall, released on Action Records in the United Kingdom in 2003, and then on Narnack Records in the United States, with a slightly altered track listing, in 2004.

Background, recording, and release

The album was recorded at Lisa Stansfield's Gracieland Studios in Rochdale between December 2002 and January 2003 with producer Grant Showbiz.

The subtitle is explained by the fact that the tracks were originally scheduled for release in April 2003 under the title Country on the Click. Promotional copies were sent out and three of the new songs were previewed in the band's 23rd Peel Session, recorded on 19 February and broadcast on 13 March 2003. Smith was unhappy with the mix and decided it needed further work, stating in November 2003:

<blockquote>"The frustration is when people embellish what you're doing. I thought this LP was perfect round about March. But then you trust people—them who shall remain nameless—to go away and mix it and it comes back sounding like Dr. Who meets Posh Spice. You have to go back in and strip it down to what it basically was." This version ("Theme from Sparta F.C. #2") also appears on the US versions of the album. Yet another version appeared on Interim.

A cover version of Lee Hazlewood's "Houston" is included on the album (as "Loop 41 'Houston").

| rev1 = AllMusic

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| rev2 = Alternative Press

| rev2Score = 4/5

| rev3 = Blender

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| rev4 = The Guardian

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| rev5 = Mojo

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| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 7.9/10

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| rev8 = Spin

| rev8Score = A−

| rev9 = The Sunday Times

| rev9Score = 3/3

| rev10 = Uncut

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The Real New Fall LP was positively received, receiving an 85/100 score at Metacritic.com. Uncut called it "Great by Smith’s standards. Practically genius by everybody else’s."

Track listing

UK version

US version

The American release is remastered, features an alternate cover and abbreviates the titles of several tracks, although most are identical to their UK counterparts. "Sparta 2#" and "Recovery Kit 2#" are alternate recordings, while "Mod Mock Goth" and "Portugal" were not included on the UK version of the LP but did feature on UK singles.

Country on the Click (unreleased original version)

"Susan vs. Youthclub" was the lead track from the December 2002 "The Fall Vs 2003" single, and was supposed to be the lead-off single to the Country on the Click album.

Personnel

; The Fall:

  • Mark E. Smith – lead vocals
  • Ben Pritchard – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Jim Watts – bass guitar, guitar, computer, backing vocals
  • Dave Milner – drums, keyboards, backing vocals; lead vocals on "Portugal"
  • Elena Poulou – keyboards, backing vocals

; Additional musicians

  • Simon "Ding" Archer – bass guitar on "Green Eyed Loco Man", "Sparta 2#", "Mad Mock Goth" and "Portugal"; backing vocals on "Portugal"
  • S. Beswick – keyboards on "Recovery Kit"
  • Ed Blaney – backing vocals

; Technical

  • Grant Showbiz – production, engineering
  • Mark E. Smith – production
  • Tim Gracielands – engineering
  • Simon "Ding" Archer – engineering
  • Jim Watts – engineering
  • Mike Boody – engineering
  • Marcus Parnell – cover artwork (UK version)
  • Adie Russell – cover artwork, drawings (US version)
  • Sarah Crespo – cover artwork (US version)
  • Shahin Ewalt – cover artwork (US version)
  • John "Animal" Dwyer – drawings (US version)

Notes

References

  • Lyrics