David Gilmore wannabes in The Fall?

Neither really, he was involved in some of The Fall’s best records and also some blinding gigs. But the group continues to thrive.

Sad to hear him sounding a bit gloomy on that radio quiz last year.

I have to say that I'm glad he's gone.
He was probably a decent enough fellow, but his style of playing was often unimaginative and too by-the-book. I can imagine that he was the type of person who bought those Guitarist magazines that you see in the newsagents.

:thumbsup: for Ben from me.

He wrote the guitar lines for Dr. Bucks and Sparta, IIRC-which probably means PeterL's assessment is perhaps a little unfair.

I liked Ben - both as music maker and from the odd time i've chatted... he seemed a decent bloke. Even offered to buy me a pint at The Charlotte in Leicester a couple of years ago... how very decent!! (I declined)

I think Ben's loss was very regrettable in 2006. Apparently a great bloke and a very important aid in difficult times. However retrospectively it's probably better he left. The Fall are still going on very strong and I doubt the last two albums (yes, I'm still extremely fond of RPTLC :P ) would have been that splendid without "new blood".

Seems to me that nowadays MES just needs line-up changes for musical reasons, regardless how unlogical and confused his decisions often appear at first.

He co-wrote some of their best songs, imo.
Janet, Johnny + James being one of the greatest... (mind you, I seem to remember reading that was ripped-off of a Davy Graham track, so...)

Ben was excellent and it's utterly regrettable that he is no longer in The Fall.

I have never been of the opinion that "new blood" is ever required. If a musician is playing well and contributes new and interesting ideas and puts in the effort why should they be forced to leave, just to get someone new? Steve Hanley was a very "old blood" and I'm STILL regretting HIS loss too.

I know that The Fall wouldn't be The Fall if it didn't go through band-members like err, like something that goes through something really quick. But I do think he seemed like a lovely fellow and played/contributed very well. I would like him to still be in the group, but then if The Fall did what I wanted all the time they'd be utter shit, and the fact that they don't is why I love them so much.

His interviews that I read were always insightful and entertaining. Seemed like a real nice guy and I for one wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

The problem with Pritchard's guitar playing was that he seemed to use a lot of 'proper' chords, i.e. the kind of minor and major chords that you find in guitar manuals, tuition books etc. This had a tendency to make the groop sound a bit too 'by-the-book' or 'classic-rock'. (Luckily this tendency was generally offset by the sterling work of M.E.S).

Has he follied the bass player towards Heaton?

Probably he was a bit too traditional rock. But like I heard him say in an interview, he does his job and Mark comes in and fiddles with what everyone does and viola it turns into a Fall track.

In interviews he seemed like a good guy.

I have to say, though, I don't like how the whole thing ended. I think it's shit to quit in the middle of something. Unless Mark physically attacked him or put a gun in his face. You finish the tour, then resign. I know that's a lot of "I wasn't there" stuff, but I have "been there" in my own profession and I think you have to finish your commitment.

Two and a half years ago - a long time in Fall years. I think Greenway is a superior and more interesting guitarist and way more suitable to the Fall. Having said that, Ben was an asset to the band and always came across like an enthusiastic and decent fellow. It's hard to comment on the US tour split.

From what I've read/heard, he always seemed to be grateful to be in The Fall.

I only saw him live in Preston in 2005 but he actually seemed happy to be there (unlike 3/4 of the audience).

I do like Greenway but I have suspicions he is a replicant built by MES. Somebody should ask him what he would do if an animal was in peril.

Pritchard was a solid but unexceptional musician.

And there you have the definition of The Fall Sonof.

I met Ben about 3 years ago in Reading. He chatted to us for ages and told us how he would chuck in a few fancy riffs when MES wasn't paying attention. Top bloke who loved being in the band.

The people who knock his style must also hate Country On The Click?

I don't like Roger Waters, but I still like Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

I like PATh'GOD Floyd LP and I used to buy Floyd boots just to hear Richard Wright's keys. (RIP).

Pritchard I will never miss. Didnt like his concert manner and didnt like what he had to say about The Fall.
G'bye stripe pants.

There's a good example of this on the Touch Sensitive dvd. At the beginning of 'To NKroachment: Yarbles' Pritchard seems intent on adding needless slides and twiddly bits (he probably calls them 'glissandos' or something) to the original guitar line. When M.E.S appears on the stage, however, he noticably tones this down.

To be honest, it pretty much ruins the song for me.

"Anji"?

:lol:

I wonder how any of us here would fare living on the road for a couple of months with Mr and Mrs MES?

5 years ago my wife and kids shared a caravan in Weymouth with our then best friends and their nippers. Lets just say it was hard work.

I don't think we've spoken since.

:lol:

I don't understand, Zoot. :cry2: Am I way off? :unsure:
I can't remember where I read it now, but I just found this clip of Bert Jansch which starts off sounding similar - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RqjUWJtH88c&feature=related

I tried to find a clip of Graham playing Anji but there's only about 5000 clips of every amateur guitarist in the world "covering" this song and not a single one of Davy....

I read Pritchard's infamous post-Fall interview for the first time this Saturday. I've gained a new respect for him.

Obviously he could be...you know...lying, but I believe his side of the story. I can't imagine working and being in close quarters with a modern MES is any fun.

Bear in mind MES discovered him when he was a young lad still learning to play, so that might explain his "building block" approach to standard guitar playing, as opposed to the whacky indie tunings of an experienced player.

I met him once after a particularly bad tempered gig, and he was genuinely upset for The Fans at what a disappointing gig it had been. So he cared enough about what he was doing to want to do it well.

He was an integral player/writer in The Real New Fall.

Agree - he did care.
Met him after a bad tempered gig in Stoke, said MES was "frothing at the mouth" with anger in the dressing room! Again, seemed concerned that the fans did not get thier moneys worth... mind you, he soon shut up when MES arrived through the side door and he quickly got back to loading his gear in the van :lol:

He mentions how he felt his first gig with The Fall in The Dedbox Dublin 2001 was so bad, described on the web as "complete bollocks" or something like that, and how it was upsetting for him, I was there, and I thought it was a fuckin' great gig, and various friends whose opinions I resepct concurred, some of us met MES & Eleni on Grafton Street in the wee wee hours of the morning, one of my friends was shouting "Ya played a blinder!!" at them, this was before Blindness too!

He loved being in The Fall.

Thought he had a career there

sad

Well he aint DEAD! I'm sure he could develop a carreer in music elsewhere if he wants it. It's just that after his bad experience he might not want it anymore.

But I will never stop hoping that we will once again see him up on a stage playing his guitar someday.

never saw a bad show with the guy

Anyone else got a Ben Pritchard , Guitar hero T Shirt?
I have.
It was from some company in Brighton I think??
Clayts pulled the plug on them selling them because they weren't official.
It was a laugh going to work in it , trendy people going" oooh I know who that is , don't tell me"
I didn't , they never came back to me :D

I want one of those t-shirts.

I wonder if he ever arrived at rehearsal to find his effects pedal in jelly?

"...cock, cock.....you're a cock...."

I agree that Ben's more rockin' songs could be a bit too conventional sounding, I think much of the harder stuff on COTC is credited to Jim Watts. However, I think Ben's strong point was in the softer songs. In two albums we have Recovery Kit, Janet Johnny, Channel Fuhrer and Midnight in Aspen...all 4 are wonderful and a rare example of MES in that certain mood. If there's one thing I miss about his departure, it's this side of the Fall which rarely sees the light of day.

but times roll on

True.
I liked his time in the group.
Cheers. :beer:

well not many other people merit a whole introduction to an autobiography.