It’s hard to fall – no pun intended or, indeed, barely made – into the middle ground when it comes to Greater Manchester’s most cantankerous son Mark E Smith.
Over three decades and an entire record store of albums behind him as leader of The Fall, you either adore John Peel’s favourite band or simply have no interest whatsoever. Plenty have certainly done the former, drawn to Smith’s economically poetic way with words and reputation for resolving the odd disagreement with his knuckles. New fans continue to accumulate though, a rolling stone phenomenon set to continue after moving to independent label bastion Domino for latest album ‘Your Future Our Clutter’. Bristling with clattering energy and straight-out urgent propulsion that The Fall last truly captured in 1980s glory days, whispers are already accumulating that this is their finest record for a generation. After preceding 2008 studio album ‘Imperial Wax Solvent’ cracked the Top 40, it’s a real return to signature Fall rawness, too.
In the bar of an above-its-station central London hotel, we sit patiently awaiting the last of Mr. E Smith’s interviews for the day. The setting seems somewhat sterile compared to the inner city working class griminess The Fall have become synonymous with. To our relief, and trepidation, however, when our time arrives, Smith has tired of such anodyne surrounds. “Shall we go to the pub?” he enquires. Why, yes, Mark, we believe we shall, while inwardly musing how if we ask the wrong question it might result in wearing, rather than sharing, a beer. Particularly if he’s had a few himself…
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Clash Magazine Issue 50
This is an excerpt from an article that appears in the 50th issue of Clash Magazine. Pick it up in stores from May 7th. |
The recording process for this album seems fairly lengthy by The Fall standards.
We were supposed to start in February, but I cracked my leg open so we actually started in April. I recorded a lot of it in a wheelchair. It’s probably good to record an LP in ten months for The Fall. It’s usually three or four months.
The record was recorded in more than one studio – is there an audible difference between material?
It doesn’t sound like that. You got to listen to it a couple of times. People seem to like it, but I don’t like to listen to it anyway.
You don’t listen to your records back after they’re recorded?
Nah, I’m fucking sick of it, you know what I mean?
Where does this album sit in The Fall’s legacy?
[Lighting a cigarette] ‘Imperial Wax Solvent’ was quite successful really, for us, so we wanted to do something a bit different. You’ve got to start worrying when you get in the Top 40.
What did producer Ross Orton bring to the record?
[With a mildly confrontational grin] Do you know any of his work? What else did he do?
Um, he was in Fat Truckers. He worked with Pulp…
I didn’t know. He’s plays drums for Pulp, that’s right [we think he means Jarvis Cocker’s band]. We were working with him a few weeks before we found out that, which was the kiss of death for him really.
Did you give him a rough ride?
Big time. He took it very well actually. We had good fun tormenting him and I think it comes out in the music.
You’re working with Domino now. How have you resolved any problems with labels in the past?
Change the label. (Laughs) Is that good business practise? It seems to work for me.
Outside of The Fall, you’ve just guested on the new Gorillaz album ‘Plastic Beach’…
Yeah. I never related it to Blur. They kept asking me and I was like, ‘I don’t wanna do it’, then I thought, ‘Well, maybe they need some help’. I actually thought the Gorillaz were some kiddie rap, like helping out Dizzee Rascal or something. I didn’t realise it’s a big thing, so I arrive at the studio, limping, and…
…Damon Albarn was there?
Yeah. I walk in and there’s all the stars of the universe there, people you’re supposed to know. Domino were crying, like, ‘You’ve worked with Damon Albarn’. It’s a very southern thing. Where I live in Manchester the Gorillaz mean jack shit, honestly. But down here Blur are like gods aren’t they? It’s alien to me.
Were you more of a fan of your fellow Lancastrians, Oasis, then?
Yeah, Blur were doing a nancy Oasis thing. They were shite. My lads [in the band] are like, ‘Who the fuck’s Blur? Who the fuck’s Oasis?’ That’s why I adore them. They’re more into Motorhead. I think that’s the best way.
You’ve gone through countless members over the years – are you content with the current line-up?
Yeah. It’s good because we’ve all got different tastes. The rhythm section’s into heavy metal basically, then there’s [his wife] Elena who’s totally into techno, and the guitarist is into fucking rockabilly. But it all congeals together good. It worked on the last LP; it works better now. I’m old enough to be the drummer’s dad, y’know what I mean? He’s twenty-seven or something. I’m bound to say that it’s the best line-up but I do think it’s the best ever.
Do you think that helps to attract youngish fans, still?
Yeah, that’s what’s good about it. You’re always dreading the audience’ll be full of forty-year-olds. I don’t mean to be ageist. But they’re not actually.
The Fall have grown up grounded in the era of radio. What do you make of the mooted closure of BBC 6 Music?
Somewhere down the line I’m obviously going to be asked to support Radio 6. I’ve never fucking listened to it. I’ve done interviews with it, and it’s not that I don’t agree with it, but it’s not like Peel or anything. It’s not underground. I remember going down there and being asked to bring me top ten down. They didn’t have anything that I liked. They didn’t have any reggae from 1973; they didn’t have any fucking rave music. So what were they playing?
Do have you got any regrets?
Any regrets? No, not at all.
There’s nothing you’d do differently given your time again?
Nah.
Words by Adam Anonymous
Photo by Jesse Jenkins
There are more pictures of Mark E Smith in our online gallery HERE.
