VARIOUS ARTISTS
Perverted By Mark E. (Zickzack)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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The inevitable tribute to The Fall is a rambling, overdrawn, spastic mess of genre hopping and inconsistent performances. In short, it's almost perfect. What better way to pay homage to the wild and woolly Mark E. Smith than with a taste of his own vile medicine? Pop gems are deconstructed in mid riff. Delicious hooks are left hanging. Brilliant band sequences are followed by stage fisticuffs. Why suffer such insufferable torture? Because Mark E. Smith is a fucking genius, and when he's on, there's no one quite like him. Which of course begs the question: why bother with his songs when Smith isn't involved? Cuz you can't help yourself, curiosity addict.

Track List:

CD 1

Knarf Rellöm & DJ Patex with Phil Hayes (How I Wrote Mark E. Smith) * Jowe Head (Choc-Stock) * Woog Riots (Mark E. Smith & Brix) * Barbara Manning & the GoLuckys! (Paintwork) * The Container Drivers (The Ex-Members of the Fall Club) * The Creeping Nobodies (Wings) * Les Sourires Trompeurs (Pervertis par Mark E.) * Like A Stuntman (Oh! Brother) * Preston School of Industry (Mere Pseud Mag. Ed.) * The Hector Collectors (Spectre vs. Hector) * Locust Fudge (Cannibal Man) * Rockformation Diskokugel (The Salford Lad) * The Black Eyed Snakes (My New House) * Chris Brokaw (Bill is Dead)

CD 2

Tocotronic (Ich hab geträumt, ich wäre Pizza essen mit Mark E. Smith) * I, Ludicrous (I've Never Been Hit by Mark E. Smith) * The Barcelona Pavilion (C.R.E.E.P.) * Jeffrey Lewis (The Story of The Fall) * Chris Cacavas (Totally Wired) * Doc Schoko (Life Just Bounces) * No Existe (Mark E.) * Michaela Melian (Fallen) * Boy Division (80's 90's) * S.Y.P.H. (Fiery Jack) * Viva Las Vegas (8 p.m.) * Chris Knox (Hip Priest) * Klaus Walter (Ich habe geträumt, ich wäre Neckermann quälen mit Mark E. Smith) * Gerald Wrede (Bremen Nacht) * Egoexpress (Tribute to The Fall)

© 2005 - John Sekerka