The Wonderful and Frightening World Of...

Untitled

The Wonderful and Frightening World Of... is the 7th album by The Fall, released in October 1984. It was the band's first album with the successful Beggars Banquet label who put them with name producer John Leckie. Brix Smith co-wrote around half the tracks. Paul Hanley left the band immediately after the accompanying UK tour, ending the group's distinctive "twin drummers" period.

Production

The album was produced by John Leckie.

Three older, previously abandoned songs were returned to during these sessions. "Oh! Brother" and "Copped It" dated back to the group's earliest incarnation (they can be heard on Live 1977 issued by Voiceprint Records in 2000) and "Draygo's Guilt" was being performed live in 1981 (it can be heard on the Live in Leeds section of the Perverted by Language Bis DVD, issued by Cherry Red in 2003).

The album's cover artwork (like that of its predecessor Perverted by Language) was painted by Danish-born artist Claus Castenskiold.

Reception

Ned Raggett in a retrospective Allmusic review feels that the album is not aimed at the commercial market, describing Mark E. Smith's vocals in "Elves" as "audible, tape-distorting spit", Craig Scanlon's guitar work in "Lay of the Land" as "feedback ... over the clattering din", and Smith's lyrics in places as "coruscating and side-splittingly hilarious" and "portray[ing] a Disneyland scenario in hell"; overall his view is that it is a "smart, varied album".

Ryan Schreiber in a Pitchfork Media review described it as one the highlights of The Fall's career full of "artsy and other-worldly" songs ranging from "bouncy and insane ... Sex Pistols- meets- Plastic Bertrand new-waviness" to "refreshing pop rock".

The album reached 62 in the UK charts on September 1984.

Track listing

Side One ("Frightening" side)

1. "Lay of the Land"
2. "2 × 4"
3. "Copped It"
4. "Elves"

Side Two ("Wonderful" side)

1. "Slang King"
2. "Bug Day"
3. "Stephen Song"
4. "Craigness"
5. "Disney's Dream Debased"

Cassette

1. "Lay of the Land" (Mark E. Smith, Brix Smith) – 5:45
2. "2 × 4" (M. Smith, B. Smith) – 3:38
3. "Copped It" (M. Smith, Karl Burns) – 4:15
4. "Elves" (M. Smith, B. Smith) – 4:47
5. "Oh! Brother" (M. Smith, Burns, Steve Hanley, Craig Scanlon) – 4:01
   • from the "Oh! Brother" single, June 1984
6. "Draygo's Guilt" (M. Smith, Scanlon) – 4:29
   • from the Call for Escape Route EP, 12 October 1984
7. "God Box" (M. Smith, B. Smith) – 3:18
   • from the "Oh! Brother" single, June 1984
8. "Clear Off!" (M. Smith, Scanlon) – 4:40
   • from the Call for Escape Route EP, 12 October 1984
9. "C.R.E.E.P." (M. Smith, Paul Hanley, S. Hanley, Scanlon. B. Smith) – 4:42
   • from the 12" edition of the "c.r.e.e.p" single, 24 August 1984
10. "Pat-Trip Dispenser" (M. Smith, B. Smith) – 4:00
    • from the "c.r.e.e.p" single, 24 August 1984
11. "Slang King" (M. Smith, P. Hanley, B. Smith) – 5:21
12. "Bug Day" (M. Smith, Burns, P. Hanley, S. Hanley, Scanlon, B. Smith) – 4:58
13. "Stephen Song" (M. Smith, P. Hanley, S. Hanley) – 3:05
14. "Craigness" (M. Smith, Scanlon) – 3:03
15. "Disney's Dream Debased" (M. Smith, S. Hanley, B. Smith) – 5:17
16. "No Bulbs" (M. Smith, B. Smith) – 7:51
    • from the Call for Escape Route EP, 12 October 1984

Original US Version (PVC/Beggars Banquet)

Side One

1. "Lay of the Land"
2. "2 × 4"
3. "Copped It"
4. "Elves"
5. "C.R.E.E.P."
   • from B-side of the 12" edition of the "c.r.e.e.p" single, 24 August 1984

Side Two

1. "No Bulbs 3"
   • from the 7" bonus included with the Call for Escape Route EP, 12 October 1984
2. "Slang King"
3. "Bug Day"
4. "Stephen Song"
5. "Craigness"
6. "Disney's Dream Debased"

CD edition (1988)

The album was belatedly issued on CD in 1988. The track listing duplicated the content and running order of the cassette edition almost exactly, substituting the extended "C.R.E.E.P." for the 7" version, although it added a brief spoken introduction by Brix Smith unheard elsewhere. (The running time for this version of "C.R.E.E.P." is 3:08; all other running times listed above for the cassette apply to the CD version.) The CD was not, however, given the cassette's extended title.

4CD Omnibus Edition (2010)

Disc 1

• as per original UK LP

Disc 2 (Singles and rough mixes)

1. Oh! Brother
2. God-Box
3. O! Brother
4. c.r.e.e.p.
5. Pat – Trip Dispenser
6. C.R.E.E.P.
7. New Fiend (2 By 4)
8. No Bulbs 3 (Unedited Version)
9. Slang King 2
10. Draygo's Guilt
11. Clear Off!
12. No Bulbs
13. Lay of the Land (Rough Mix)
14. Pat – Trip Dispenser (Rough Mix)
15. New Fiend (Rough Mix)
16. Slang King (Edits Version 1)

Disc 3 (BBC sessions)

1. Creep (Peel session)
2. Pat – Trip Dispenser (Peel session)
3. 2 By 4 (Peel session)
4. Words of Expectation (Peel session)
5. God Box (Jensen session)
6. Lay of the Land (Jensen session)
7. Oh Brother (Jensen session)
8. Creep (Jensen session)
9. No Bulbs (Long session)
10. Draygo's Guilt (Long session)
11. Stephen Song (Long session)
12. Slang King (Long session)
13. Copped It (Saturday Live)
14. Elves (Saturday Live)
15. Fortress / Marquis Cha Cha (Saturday Live)

Disc 4 (Live at Pandora's Music Box Festival)

1. Lay of the Land
2. Craigness
3. 2 By 4
4. Draygo's Guilt
5. No Bulbs
6. Kicker Conspiracy
7. Stephen Song
8. Copped It
9. Pat – Trip Dispenser
10. Middle Mass

Personnel

• The Fall:
  • Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
  • Brix Smith – lead and rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Craig Scanlon – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Steve Hanley – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • Paul Hanley – drums, keyboards; grand piano on "Clear Off!", backing vocals
  • Karl Burns – drums, percussion, lead bass guitar, backing vocals
• Gavin Friday – vocals on "Copped It", "Clear Off!" and "Stephen Song" (credited as a "friendly visitor")
• John Leckie – production, backing vocals on "Lay of the Land"
• Joe Gillingham – engineering
• Claus Castenskiold – cover painting

External links

• The Wonderful and Frightening World Of... at Discogs (list of releases)