Name: The Frenz Experiment
Brand: The Fall

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

bbp91cd

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Discs

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2007-07-11

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

PIAS

Tax rate GB

UPC / Barcode

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

The Fall

Genre GB

New Wave / Post Punk

Label GB

after the dark morass of 'bend sinister', the sound of 1988's 'frenz experiment' comes as a bit of a shock. the arrangements are spare and broken down to the essentials, with the distorted guitars brought down low and wolstencroft's drums high in the mix. marcia schofield had also joined the band to add keyboards. with most of the songs credited only to smith himself, this could be seen as a solo album of sorts, or an indication of some rift within the group - it certainly doesn't translate into the music. for the first time too, his vocals are loud and clear, though certainly not comprehensible; 'bremen nacht' hints at some sort of run in with a ghost in germany, 'athlete cured,' with its spinal tap-borrowed riff, tells of a 'german athletic star' made ill from unusual circumstances - the narrative turns strange, then funny until wandering off, a classic smith tactic. their cover of the kinks' 'victoria' marked the fall's first entry into the british charts, but also fit in with smith's continuing explorations of britain's history and how it translates into issues of class identity. the cd contains their other two singles from this time - 'hit the north' and a cover of r dean taylor's 'there's a ghost in my house,' which the group makes their own - plus several b-sides.

The Frenz Experiment

Music GB