I had the pleasure of interviewing Mark E. Smith in the early 80s here in Santa Fe New Mexico at Evangelos' bar, which was across the street from the theater The Fall played at. I wasn't even familiar with their music at the time and wasn't sure what to expect at the concert or the interview. I expected Smith might have a lot of attitude, but it turned out he was friendly as hell. We just sat there drinking beer and talking about music. I remember I was impressed and felt a certain kinship because he liked both Johnny Cash and Capt. Beefheart. I do too, of course but at that point I didn't know that many people who liked both.

I wasn't that crazy about their music that night. It seemed so alien! I remember writing that I felt like Dylan's Mr. Jones. I KNEW something was happening but I wasn't sure what it was. They played a lot from Slates that night, which was their most recent EP at the time.

A few years later something clicked though and I became a rabid fan. The music grew on me. Like a weird fungus. I'd love to go back and see that Santa Fe show.

I agree, it doesn't matter if they're garage or not, though lots of their music draws from garage rock.

In one relatively recent review I wrote, "The band is actually sending coded messages to some alien/Lovecraftian sleeper cell. Some isolated Smith yelp in conjunction with some post-Standells guitar hook causes some shift in brain chemistry in some isolated listener, and next thing you know some unwitting Fall fan in Dalhart, Texas, is making a 4 a.m. drive to the Tucumcari airport to pick up a crate of something unspeakable delivered on a secret flight from Bohemian Grove."

http://steveterrell.blogspot.com/2007/04/terrells-tuneup-fall-forward.html

Here's my Fall story.  Some time in the early 80s I saw the Fall in a club in Brixton, London.  At that stage of their career they had released maybe 5 albums and twice as many singles - none of the single tracks were on the albums.  I had them all.  In that gig there was none of the plug-the-latest-album-play-the-hits crap. In a 15 song or so set, they only played 4 previously released tracks, all the rest was new material.  It was utterly uncompromising, made no concessions to the audience, and completely magnificent.  So, no, not garage in sound but embodying something far greater - a couldn't-care-less rock'n'roll spirit that will never die. 

OK, first, I'd say that NO, they're not "the best garage rock band ever." If you wanna talk about "garage rock bands," there are many better than the Fall.

To answer your 2nd question, I'd say, well, who cares? Yes, the Fall is great band (not the best of any genre, but a damned good one). Does it matter if they're "garage" or not? Why the need to label everything?

I put a child on you !!!

The Branded!

And Masshysteri is a great punk band.

This is all-around awful.

Nirvana's "heart-shaped box"

The Stevie Miller thing is great. My Brother pulled a Chris Farley on Miller , once - "Stevie Miller! When you did "Big Ol Jet Airliner"...THAT WAS AWESOME !!!". And he BOUGHT it ,too!.
The Nevermores said:

when I was a kid my friend mark told me about a song by the rolling stones called "I ain't Jeff" turned out to be "angie"

also a great mishearing of steve miller's big ol jet air liner:

"BINGO JET HAD A LIGHT ON"

when I was a kid my friend mark told me about a song by the rolling stones called "I ain't Jeff" turned out to be "angie"

also a great mishearing of steve miller's big ol jet air liner:

"BINGO JET HAD A LIGHT ON"

Not that I listen to Classic Rock Radio (Except at Five Guys. It still " beats " the  drum machine driven hip hop  I have to hear every day.), but , I should'nt be surprised......

Hell , "Should I Stay or Should I Go" was one of the only deliberately Garage Rock - inspired hits of the early 80's. If not THE only.     The Clash worked their balls off to make it. I did'nt have a problem with that.   They were'nt even being called"Punk" by that many people by the time "London Calling " came out, never mind "Combat Rock".  By then, they were just called "Rock". They still did several songs from the first album when I saw them in June , '82 , because Terry Chimes was back on drums.
Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

Yeah, the two Combat Rock singles and "Train in Vain" still get played on Classic rock stations.

John Battles said:

I just remember that The Clash were very popular , at least , toward the end. They had a top - charting LP , two big hits on the radio and on MTV , and one earlier hit back in rotation. They were playing bigger concerts and ginormous festivals. Of course , that all lasted little over a year.

When Mick Jones got the sack , Strummer carried on like the band was going to get back to square one. Virtually no one admits to liking the resulting album , but , I've been told the revamped lineup was'nt bad, live. Of course , by '82 , the accusations of selling out were on everybody's lips. "Combat Rock" lacked direction , but , I did'nt think there was a hit , there. The album as a whole hardly sounds like a sellout.  I saw them on that tour , and they brought the rock. 

So how come we use the word "punk" instead of "rebellious" when that's what is implied?

Yeah, the two Combat Rock singles and "Train in Vain" still get played on Classic rock stations.

John Battles said:

I just remember that The Clash were very popular , at least , toward the end. They had a top - charting LP , two big hits on the radio and on MTV , and one earlier hit back in rotation. They were playing bigger concerts and ginormous festivals. Of course , that all lasted little over a year.

When Mick Jones got the sack , Strummer carried on like the band was going to get back to square one. Virtually no one admits to liking the resulting album , but , I've been told the revamped lineup was'nt bad, live. Of course , by '82 , the accusations of selling out were on everybody's lips. "Combat Rock" lacked direction , but , I did'nt think there was a hit , there. The album as a whole hardly sounds like a sellout.  I saw them on that tour , and they brought the rock. 

I just remember that The Clash were very popular , at least , toward the end. They had a top - charting LP , two big hits on the radio and on MTV , and one earlier hit back in rotation. They were playing bigger concerts and ginormous festivals. Of course , that all lasted little over a year.

When Mick Jones got the sack , Strummer carried on like the band was going to get back to square one. Virtually no one admits to liking the resulting album , but , I've been told the revamped lineup was'nt bad, live. Of course , by '82 , the accusations of selling out were on everybody's lips. "Combat Rock" lacked direction , but , I did'nt think there was a hit , there. The album as a whole hardly sounds like a sellout.  I saw them on that tour , and they brought the rock. 

That's true in a lot of cases , but , a lot of people who were there , either playing music or going to gigs, in the mid to late 70's , will say the same thing , that it ran out of steam , but morphed into Post punk  , Early 80's UK Punk  and American HC....The younger guy I was talking to , he was way more into the early 80's British stuff than I am. There were still bands doing more or less what they'd done 5 or 6 years earlier , but , it would have been like doing Glam Rock in 1978.
 
Sam Sinister said:

When people say that punk ended in the late '70s/early '80s, I always assume that they only find their music from mainstream sources...

Dirtbombs - Kiss Kiss Kiss

Yeah, the Slits version is ace. You gotta love all those Detroit Cobras versions as well. Folc Records are planning a "Queremos ser negro (We Wanna be Black). With Los Chicos at the helm it's bound to be ace. We've also just done a cover of Gino Washington's Outta This World. 'tis up on our page if you fancy checking it out.

One of my all-time favorite covers in general is The Slits version of "Heard it Through the Grapevine."

''Piranha" by I Spit on Your Gravy" is a thoroughly whacked take on guess which already - Garage Punk song by The Monkees , but , originally done , in a more Punked out  manner , by Paul Revere and The Raiders . HA HA. There's a good quote for ya - "The Monkees were cool. They MIMED well" , Mark Lindsay. I heard him tell somebody that !

Also , Quad Pi (Pre - Lithium Xmas ) ,did a slow , trembly ,dark , also almost unrecognizable, "Last Train To Clarksville" as (Last Train To)  Mortville , in homage to John Waters.
 
John Battles said:

"My Sweet Lord" by Lithium Xmas , almost unrecognizeable.

I'm the frontman for an NYC based outfit, Brother K (brotherk.bandcamp.com).  We've released an EP, Claws and Stripes Forever, but want to record with someone new for our next single...a little less digital, a little rawer, like an analog fever dream.  Unfortunately my network of producers/sound engineers that I know is kind of small.  Hit me back if you have the skills and the interest!

Lucas

brotherk.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/brotherkmusic

Well, tonight's the night. Spent several hours yesterday playing different guitars through different amps.

The later was mostly an exercise. For while the old Silveface Twin won the tone contest it is too bloody heavy to lug downstairs, load in and out of the car, and then down into a basement for a one night stand. The DuoVerb isn't much lighter. And that leaves the little Peavey.

The guitar choice was harder. In the end it came down between a 1980 Gibson ES-Artist an the '03 SG. I decided on the later for its beautiful tone and long, 23 fret, butter smooth neck.

I know at some point during the evening I'll wish I had made a different choice. Ideally I'd have all the guitars available and if not several amps at least one that can truly kick ass -something that little Peavey just can't do for all it's many capabilities.

More later. Wish me luck!

-don

Thanx for the nifty heads up on that.....:)

John Battles said:

 YOU'RE RIGHT. IT WAS BEN MILLER. DAM GOT OVER WITH THE PUNK CROWD , BUT THEY WERE VIRTUALLY UNCLASSIFIABLE. I READ AN EARLY REVIEW THAT COMPARED THEM TO HAWKWIND....WELL, THEY DID DO ROBERT CALVERT'S "THE RIGHT STUFF" , A GREAT TUNE.
 
Dead Boy said:

Hmmmmm, it may be Michael Davis, but I don't know, actually, but I think, hmmmmmmmm, it's not Ron(?????).

The sax player was Ben Miller..

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS - Art Garage Punk 1977 - 78

It's very possible.

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I think "Crazy Horses" was also done by Redd Kross but I'm not sure.

John Battles said:

YEAH , EXACTLY. THERE WAS ALWAYS A CONNECTION BETWEEN BUBBLEGUM AND PUNK/NEW WAVE /WTF.      The very first song The Cramps recorded was "Quick Joey Small". Slaughter and The Dogs did it later. Talking Heads did "1-2-3 Red Light", MANY bands did Yummy , Yummy , Yummy , of course , Like The Nervebreakers and even The Residents , but , Lithium Xmas ' Heavy Psych version of "Green Tambourine" must be heard too be believed. The Osmonds' departure from their stereotype BUBBLEGUM IMAGE, "Crazy Horses" was covered by Alexander Harvey , James Last ( of course) , Demented are Go , Tank , and some outfit on Wax Trax records. Wax Trax was one of the greatest record stores in the world , but , you invariably had to hear Industrial Dance music  from their label.

Once , an employee tried to scratch a record along to a Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps album. I looked at him , and said "Sacrilege" . He stopped.
 
Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

The Ramones did more than their fair share of bubblegum covers when starting out and also recorded a couple of classics (Indian Giver, Little Bit O'Soul) and a lot of decent 80s garage bands threw in a bublegum song or two into their set.  There's a lot of good stuff out there whether or not it's by studio musicians.  Sometimes it's the song, not the singer that should be listened to.