| Live at the Witch Trials is the debut album by The Fall, first released on 16 March 1979. It is not, despite its title, a live album, but was recorded in the studio in one day and mixed by producer Bob Sargeant the next. In 2004, bassist Marc Riley told the BBC that the group had been booked into the studio for a week but that Mark E. Smith had fallen ill, leading to the cancellation of the first 3 days. No singles were taken from the album, a practice that would be commonplace for the group until 1986. Some songs dated from earlier incarnations of the group with both Tony Friel and Una Baines featuring on the writing credits. Described by AMG as "brilliantly scabrous",[2] the album was given a generally positive reception, with Record Mirror in particular giving it a full five stars and describing the album as "a rugged, concerned, attuned, rebellious jukebox".[3] Melody Maker was less impressed, being especially negative about the group's then-rhythm section of Marc Riley and Karl Burns.[4] In the event, by the time the album was released, Burns had already left the band and guitarist Martin Bramah also quit shortly afterwards to form Blue Orchids, leaving Mark E. Smith as the sole remaining founder member. "Frightened" (Mark E. Smith, Tony Friel) -- 5:02 "Crap Rap 2" / "Like to Blow" (Martin Bramah, Smith) -- 2:04 "Rebellious Jukebox" (Smith, Bramah) -- 2:51 "No Xmas for John Quays" (Smith) -- 4:38 "Mother-Sister!" (Smith, Una Baines) -- 3:20† "Industrial Estate ... |
