Dear Friends,
Last night I went to my favorite place to buy tortilla chips and got supplies to make dinner for the family. I bought the usual stuff, including some of the green sauce I like a lot. It occurred to me that I should have bought two things of it so I could take Doug one.
I haven’t gone there since Doug died.
As I stood there in the kitchen making dinner, I had a few chips and it really sunk in that he and I would never sit there together and enjoy tortilla chips and dip together again. These were post- Doug dips, I guess. I was proud of myself that I didn’t tear up. I felt sad, but I’m getting to the point where the waterworks don’t turn on as much.
He sure did like that green sauce from Ranch Market, though. I’m glad we got to share so much of it. I definitely dipped a few for him.
*****
Looking forward to the walk this morning and catching up with Tom and Q. I’m hoping my back isn’t flaring up the way it has been, but it has stayed relatively manageable. I’m going to have to get a massage soon, I think.
I write that hoping that it doesn’t come off too bougie. I haven’t had a massage for a long time and the kids bought me one for Father’s Day in 2023 and I have yet to use it. I think it is time. I need to get some of those knotted muscles unkinked.
That sounds way dirtier than I intended.
*****
One of the numerous musical gifts bestowed on me by Alex was an appreciation for The Fall. Prior to meeting him in the early 90s, I had only heard of the band and had never explored them. He was (and probably still is) a big fan, so I figured, why not.
I was in Zia one day after work at Easy Street and found a used copy of the Middle Class Revolt CD. The price was right for taking a shot at something I hadn’t heard before and I liked it instantly. There was something about the way Mark E. Smith delivered the lyrics that hooked me.
Smith, albeit unknown to me at that point, had quite a reputation for doing things his own way. I thought the delivery of the words over these killer post-punk riffs was fucking fantastic. “15 Ways” kicks things off there really is no letting up for the rest of the record, in my humble opinion.
Having heard a lot more of The Fall since buying this record, I know there is a good reason why many of their fans kind of dismiss Middle Class Revolt. It doesn’t have some of the same sparkle that their more popular releases have, sure, but when you dive in with a record, it always holds a special place in your heart
I turned Rhondi on to this record when we met, as well, and it sparked something in her. We have quite a few more Fall records because of Middle Class Revolt. “M5#1” is another song that I really like off the first side of the record (which we have on vinyl now, too). “The Devil makes work for idle hands.”
Over the thirty years now that I have been listening to The Fall, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t taken a fair amount of inspiration from Smith and the band. You can probably hear the influence of The Fall in more than a couple of The Father Figures songs. One of the most notable places was in one of our last songs, “Counting Backwards.”
The subtle nature of how The Fall let a song unfold was attractive to me at the time. When I got Middle Class Revolt I was listening to a lot of heavy, noisy music that was anything but subtle. “Surmount All Obstacles” is a perfect example of how a song can unfold in a way that ends up taking you by surprise when it is all over. I like the bass line to that one a lot, too. It just sort of feeds the song, guiding it along throughout, but isn’t flashy at all.
“War” is a cover of a Henry Cow song. It was most likely the first time I heard a Henry Cow song. I’m learning about the band now, though, and I love what I hear. I like The Fall’s take on the song. They attack it the way you should attack a song called “War” and the little run up the guitar/bass neck in the song that punctuates the changes is very cool.
“You’re Not up to Much” is kind of a rambling mess of a song that totally works. It’s signature Fall, really. I feel like a lot of the songs of theirs that I am drawn to seem like they could come off the rails at any moment and just implode. There is a danger to them and that danger is very interesting to me.
“Hey! Student” is a banger. The pace of the song is right up my alley. Apparently this one, after some reading, is a reworking of a song called “Hey! Fascist” that the band played a lot in the early years. We need a song like this now.
“Junk Man” is one of my favorites on the record and it is also a cover. A band called Groundhogs did this one first. I like how it kind of sounds a bit like The Cramps if they were English and stuck on themselves. It makes for a fun ride, though.
“The $500 Bottle of Wine” made it on to a lot of mixed tapes that I made in the mid-90s. It’s super catchy and was one that had an energy and attitude that perfectly matched the name of the song. It was also fun to write on those little cassette j-cards.
The penultimate song is “City Dweller” which feels like The Fall poking fun at bands like Blur and their ilk. Now, I love Blur, so I’m not slagging here, but it feels like this is one that The Fall through on the record to say, “We can do this stuff, too, and we can do it better.”
“Shut Up!” finishes things off perfectly. This is a song by The Monks originally but The Fall more than do it justice. I love it, too, because of the way Smith’s vocals come in. Talk about sounding like you don’t give a fuck. This one oozes that feeling.
What else can be said about Middle Class Revolt? It is a thoroughly underrated and underappreciated record in my book. Listen to it today.
*****
See you tomorrow.
AI's version of a Middle Class Revolt.
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