That the first
Fall album in a near endless stream would not only not sound very punk at all but would be a downright pleasant listen (thanks to
Yvonne Pawlett's electric piano on
"Frightened") seems perfectly in keeping with
Mark E. Smith's endlessly contrary mind. His inimitable drawl/moan and general vision of the universe (idiots are everywhere and idiotic things are rampant) similarly sprawl all over the music -- there's no question who this is or whose band it is, either. That said, most of
Live at the Witch Trials is co-written with
Martin Bramah, whose guitar work here is noticeably much more inclined to chime and ring instead of brutally scratch away like
Craig Scanlon's awesome work would soon do.
Bramah's not just here to sound tuneful, though, and the killer
Marc Riley/
Karl Burns rhythm section both keeps up the energy and provides surprising grooves. On chugging tracks like
"Two Steps Back," it's not hard to tell that
Smith's Krautrock fandom is coming into play. With
Pawlett's keyboards providing a pretty garage kick on top of it all, the result is an all-around treat. Brilliantly scabrous tracks are everywhere, one of the most memorable being
"Rebellious Jukebox," simultaneously one of the most tuneful and aggressive songs from the early lineup,
Smith pouring it on along with the band. The driving funk of
"Music Scene," meanwhile, redefines misanthropy (and more) with a particularly central
Smith target in mind.
"No Xmas for John Quays," meanwhile, almost establishes
the Fall formula on its own:
Smith chanting and yelling over a quick, semi-rockabilly shamble and attack punctuated by unexpected stops and starts. ~ Ned Raggett
