Slates (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Slates
Type = Album
Artist = The Fall


Released = 27th April 1981
Recorded = February 1981
Genre = Post punk
Length = 23:45
Label = Rough Trade Records
Producer = The Fall, Adrian Sherwood, Geoff Travis, Grant Showbiz, Mark E. Smith
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wzfrxqy5ldhe link]
*"Uncut" Rating|5|5
Last album = "Grotesque (After the Gramme)"
(1980)
This album = "Slates"
(1981)
Next album = "Live in London 1980"
(1982)

"Slates" is the fourth album by The Fall, first released on the 27th April 1981 on Rough Trade Records. Containing 6 tracks and pressed onto 10" vinyl, it was eligible for neither the single nor album charts, being too long for the former and too short for the latter. However, it was included in the UK Independent Album chart, where it reached #3.

Track listing

ide one

#"Middle Mass" (Steve Hanley, Marc Riley, Craig Scanlon, Mark E. Smith) – 3:32 (audio|The Fall Middle Mass.ogg|sample)
#"An Older Lover Etc." (Paul Hanley, S. Hanley, Riley, Scanlon, Smith) – 4:36
#"Prole Art Threat" (Riley, Smith) – 1:57

ide two

#"Fit and Working Again" (Riley, P. Hanley, S. Hanley, Smith) – 2:59
#"Slates, Slags, Etc." (The Fall) – 6:34
#"Leave the Capitol" (Riley, Scanlon, S. Hanley, Smith) – 4:07 (audio|The Fall Leave the Capitol.ogg|sample)

Reissues

Slates made its first appearance on CD in 1992 on the Dojo label, where it was coupled with live album "A Part of America Therein, 1981". This pairing was re-pressed with amended artwork in 1998 by Castle Music. Slates was finally given a proper CD edition in 2004 with 7 additional tracks being added to bolster the brief running time.

*2004 CD edition
#"Middle Mass"
#"An Older Lover etc."
#"Prole Art Threat"
#"Fit and Working Again"
#"Slates, Slags, etc."
#"Leave the Capitol"
#"Middle Mass"
#"Lie Dream Of a Casino Soul"
#"Hip Priest"
#"C'n'C - Hassle Schmuck"
#"Lie Dream Of a Casino Soul"
#"Fantastic Life"
#"Medical Acceptance Gate"

Tracks 7-10 formed the group's fourth session for John Peel, tracks 11 and 12 were issued as a single in December 1981, track 13 was an outtake from 1981 previously featured on a budget compilation titled "The Collection" (Castle, 1993).

Personnel

*The Fall:
**Mark E. Smith - vocals, piano, harmonica
**Marc Riley - electric guitar, electric piano, vocals
**Craig Scanlon - electric and acoustic guitars, piano
**Steve Hanley - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
**Paul Hanley - drums, percussion
*Kay Carroll - vocals, kazoo
*Dave Tucker - vocals, clarinet

External links

* [http://www.freehosting.hostrave.com/p/fall/lyrics.html?http%3A//www.freehosting.hostrave.com/p/fall/slates.html Lyrics]