The Fall

With rare exception, Fall albums have always been hit or miss in terms of song quality, and Idiot Joy Show, the 1995 concert disc from the Mark E. Smith-fronted collective, doesn't stray from that rule. Marking the return of Smith's ex-wife Brix Smith to the fold, the group -- then touring behind the Cerebral Caustic record -- sounds rejuvenated in a live forum. Captured at the Junction in Cambridge in October of that year, the group kicks off with the rollicking title rant "Idiot Joy Showland" and descends into midtempo hookery like "M" without difficulty. The Fall's dynamic does equate to chaos, however, on "The Chiselers," as the divorced Smiths seem to fight for chances to be heard atop an aggressive piano line. The band fares far better with "Stay Away," a Johnny Paycheck cover, but this is hardly a suitable introduction to the Fall. Newcomers will find the group's studio initiatives far more accessible, leaving Idiot Joy Show to hardcore fans alone. [A one-CD edition was issued in 2005.] ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide