There have been many different "best album" polls, but this one takes the favourite song from each album (as voted by you, the FOFer), plus a selection of early singles which never featured on original albums, in a bid to find your all time best!

There are a few surprises, no Blindness for one - beaten by Youwanner; similarly, no Hip Priest!

And BTW, if this has been done before, my apologies, but I couldn't find one! :)

Actually there is no all time #1 Fall song for me and I'm very glad about it.

I once compiled an unranked top 10 list. From the songs included in this poll the following were on it:

Rowche Rumble
Leave The Capitol
The Classical
Garden
Paintwork

Rowche Rumble will always remain a sentimental fave because it's the first Fall song I ever heard in 1979. If I had to choose the ultimate Fall song I would most likely pick The Classical.

In the end I went for Painwork because it sounds unlike anything else, regardless by whom. Ask me tomorrow and I'll come up with a different conclusion. :huh:

...or better ask me not. :D

I voted for Bremen Nacht; I don't know why except that when I play it, I really feel happy and feel The Fall caught something rare.
Other days, it's Sparta FC from the 45....then there's Garden and The Classical.
Glad you asked for favotite instead of best. Also in this mix is Free Range, Marquis ChaCha, and Everything Hurtz.

If you want fights, ask for "best" :lol:

Oh yeah: Prole Art Threat is a favorite :thumbsup: So is Dice Man and, as a person who remembers the death of Hank Williams, Mr Smith has my permission to cover any of the late&great's songs he wants, esp after the killer job he did on Just Waiting.
[there's a thread waiting to happen: imo, unlike Dylan{for example} you can cover a Hank Williams song, do a great job of it, not supercede it, and still have a wonderful effort. With "Watch Tower", for example, Zimmie should have recognized that after Jimi, that song's pretty much his: Not so with Hankus, im-effing-o.]

Actually all the "all time" polls say they're different from the others (...or do they.........there's a new Xfiles movie out this week kids ;)........but I'm always happy to play the game when/if Spectre vs Rector gets mentioned.
That is one track that could be disqualified from the list of 292 (wild guess) cos it isnt really a song.
It isn't even a track you should play to newcomers, if you're being all peppy.
It's arguably the best use of a gather of human beings recording something that will be heard later, that I can mention though. Burroughs, kerouac, thompson,,,whoever....those cunts are pretenders in comparison.....

OK, best song then.

If you're reading this and aint heard it, ........long sigh............., you know what to do.

who makes the nazis?

Top 5

Totally Wired
New Face In Hell
Smile
Cab It Up
Mountain Energie

Very hard.

Today I vote Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul.

Coupled with Fantastic Life, surely one of the singles of the 80's.

It is a harsh one, I agree, I struggled to submit a vote myself!! :rolleyes:

It went top 20 in NZ when it came out. AS it should.
The live version of Fantastic Life on "Fall IN a Hole" is something to hear. JUst that one track defines an entire year for me.

Very easy for me this.

Paintwork.

The very first time I played This Nation's Saving Grace, I heard that track and had a "what the fuck was that moment", played it again and loved it ever since.

There are some great songs missing from the choices. Didn't see Container Drivers or Blindness?

I was impressed to see "British Grenadiers" though. I got asked for my fave track for a radio show about 5 years ago and that was it.
Yeah, it changes every day.......

As I said at the start, I've only included the winning songs from each album poll, plus singles not included on original albums.

And, yes, that strategy will probably alienate a lot of people. I don't think I thought this through properly - just bored yesterday morning so I thought I'd start a poll! :lol:

I'm with most of you here in that my personal favourite changes on a daily basis, so if I've messed this up, feel free to cast it into oblivion! :ohdear:

And my vote puts Paintwork one up from (the almost equally mighty) Garden :applaud:

PS: I already did this poll, sans singles a while back by taking all the top voted songs in the Fall albums section, pretty much like you have.

I also did a "Best of the worst" poll using all the tracks that had recieved the lowest votes on album polls. When multiple songs had recieved the same amount of votes I used my own judgement/bias to decide on the track to include.

Just thought I'd let you know I got there first.... :nahnah:

PS: Who voted Pinball Machine??!!

Knew this would happen! :banghead:

I had a look, before starting this, but couldn't find one - plenty of album polls, but less for just songs.

As for dead heats, Shiftwork was a tie between Edinburgh Man and The Mixer,and like you, Gaz, I went with my personal choice! :)

:o
Hadn't spotted that yet!

And why was said Pinball Machine a poll winner in the first place, over the mighty Deadbeat Descendant? :confused:

My favourite Fall song is probably Smile - but from the list I chose New Face in Hell.

followed by:
Crop-Dust
Free Range
Bremen Nacht
Spectre vs Rector
Garden
The Classical
Leave the Capitol
Paintwork
GC-BG

Agreed.

Also agree on your picking The Mixer from Shitwank as it's a great song on a very weak album (IMHO).
I cannot abide Edinburgh Man :rant:

Ask for fag in Texas.... :applaud:

We seem to be at one on this! :applaud:

My descision to rate Mixer above Edinburgh Man was also swayed by the fact that "whinging dirges" had been accounted for via Bill Is Dead off Extricate. How the feck did that beat Black Monk Theme or Telephone Thing?

Each to thier own, I suppose...

All corkers, Kapitan! :applaud:

{well, apart from Bremen... :huh: :lol: }

"well apart from Bremen" which is only probably the best song ever from planet earth!

For once, duckpin, we must agree to disagree - Bremen (although good, if a little long) is inferior to Carry Bag Man, Athlete Cured and Guest Informant from that particular album, IMHO! :P

I took the 4 versions of Bremen that I have and made a tape loop so that I have 20+ minutes of Bremen and even then I strongly feel it's way too short.
Canned Heat :( had a double album called Endless Boogie and one whole LP was "Endless Boogie" - one song taking up a whole album....I am hoping Mr Smith does something similar with Bremen. When that happy day arrives....well, I just think it'll be a happy day :)

Have you heard the LP version (also included on the red box set)?

Shorter (7 mins instead of 9) and with punchier sound. Highly recommended if you haven't heard it...

Yes, Kapitan, I have that version, and agree it's a better one.

Bremen Nacht Run Out is the most curious, simply taking the last 4 minutes or so of the CD mix.

I think Bremen Nacht is a natural for a collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra. I can already hear those bassoons and baritone horns playing the bassline and reeds and brass alternating the riff....I think it's important that the LSO members wear spiked helmets with Mr Smith having a pith helmet....I'm thinking this would be a winner during LSO fundraising drivetime.

The more I think of this, the LESS I like it!

Your brainwashing attempts are failing! :lol:

Maybe you're right. I took German in the 8th grade and knew what "nacht" meant right off, so maybe I was just being prideful which is one of the 7 deadly sins. I've scaled back my scope of Bremen Nacht and now only wish it be played by the LSO - without The Fall - at the memorial service for baroness Thatcher.

My mind's a-bogglin' at how He Pep made the list, but anyway - my favourite on the list is Kicker Conspiracy, a) because it kicks b) because I understand and completely agree with the lyrics.

Tough to beat Prole Art Threat, though. or the Peel version of Couldn't Get Ahead. or Winter...

Prole Art Threat

once you've said that people are really left with no argument at all....love that song :)

Jew on a motorbike
Jew on a motorbike
Jew on a motorbike
Jew on a motorbike
Jew on a motorbike
Jew on a motorbike
Jew on a motorbike
Jew on a motorbike

Garden is my second favorite song but first on the list, Eat Y'self Fitter being my first favorite song which is not on the list :)

Petty (Thief) Lout

Fair enough. It's difficult, I agree.

I don't know what anybody else thinks, but one day I had this idea that I would write a book called 100 great songs from The Fall and just write about why I thought they were great, but not in a Paul Morley overblown pretentious way. It something I want to do, but don't have the discipline to do it right now.

Perhaps we should get people on here to do their Top 10 songs and I bet the forum would get 100+ to talk about and why they are special.

Anyone whose name is my all time favorite movie has my attention. suggestions?

Sounds like an interesting idea, give it a go - start your own discussion (well it's your idea after all! :) )

[1] I like the song Garden so much that often I'll play only that song from the album just to hear it.
[2] Where does Mark E Smith & his life fit in vis a vis the Cowboy Code and should that be the title of The Fall's next album? If Mr Smith should fall short of the Code :o do you think Eleni will help him get back on track?

1. As BK would say, SACRELIDGE! :o
And the Peel session version is better! :whistle:

2. What the feck is the Cowboy Code?? :confused:

Look under Other Polls: Songs liked by Solomon Burke. Mr Neal Cassady, as a public service, has provided the late Mr Gene Autry's, The Singing Cowboy, Cowboy Code. It was new to me although I was a fan of Mr Autry while still in sigle digits as well as an admirer of his horse Champion and his sidekick Smily Burnette. :thumbsup:
The Peel Session version is indeed superior to the album version when I am playing it; when I am playing the album version, I feel that it is superior. :applaud:
Your kind and thoughtful attention has been appreciated. ^_^
["sacrelidge :lol: ]