Castle Us / Ryko
2005
The Complete Peel Sessions 1978 - 2004
About This Album
Work was well underway on The Complete Peel Sessions when the legendary John Peel passed away, so there's some comfort in the thought that the Fall's greatest cheerleader probably got to see and hear some kind of prototype of this incredible box set. He often referred to the band as "the mighty Fall": this box set is the evidence. Collecting all 24 sessions that the edgy, unclassifiable group did for Peel's radio program, this six-CD set is overwhelming and probably too much to digest for newcomers. Listeners who have already absorbed the excellent overview 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong, picked up an album or two, and are up for a challenge should put this set near the top of their list because these sessions usually ran four songs long, forcing the often-wandering and sprawling Fall to cut to the chase if they wanted to make an impact. Despite Mark E. Smith's flippant attitude toward practically everything, the 24 sessions here all display a need to make that impact with an urgency and drive that's woefully absent from all but the band's best albums. Highlights are too numerous to list, and this puts the set next to 50,000 Fall Fans and This Nation's Saving Grace in the Fall "Hall of Fame.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,2,3,4,7,8,10,12,13,14,15 and 16)

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Disc 2 (try tracks 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10)

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Disc 3 (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,13 and 14)

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Disc 4 (try tracks 1,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,14 and 16)

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Disc 5

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Disc 6

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