Shift-Work
Encyclopedia
Shift-Work is a 1991 LP by the British rock band The Fall. Released through Phonogram Records
, it marked, in the opinion of critic Ted Mills, a change in direction for the group, as "repetitious grooves became interspersed with pop song structures." Non-vinyl versions of the record feature the single "White Lighting", originally recorded by The Big Bopper
. Of the songs on the original tracklist, several have been noted as being more "introspective" than previous Fall efforts. "Edinburgh Man" for example, in which lead singer Mark E. Smith
longs to be in the city of Edinburgh
, Scotland
has been described as "surprisingly malice-free" and, in one enthusiastic review, as the best Fall song ever.
The album reached number 17 in the UK charts, a two place improvement on their previous best, The Frenz Experiment
.
The album was re-released on Voiceprint in 2002 adding 2 additional tracks to the original 14 track CD; "Blood Outta Stone" and "Xmas With Simon". This incarnation was also made available in a 2CD set with Voiceprint's edition of Code: Selfish
in 2003. It was reissued again in an expanded and re-mastered form by Universal
on 7 May 2007.
Disc Two
convinced Smith to change it to something less controversial. In October 2003 Universal released The War Against Intelligence - The Fontana Years, a collection of Fall songs from the albums Extricate
, Shift-Work, Code: Selfish
and related singles, even as the United Kingdom was involved in another Gulf War.
Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
, it marked, in the opinion of critic Ted Mills, a change in direction for the group, as "repetitious grooves became interspersed with pop song structures." Non-vinyl versions of the record feature the single "White Lighting", originally recorded by The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
. Of the songs on the original tracklist, several have been noted as being more "introspective" than previous Fall efforts. "Edinburgh Man" for example, in which lead singer Mark E. Smith
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
longs to be in the city of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
has been described as "surprisingly malice-free" and, in one enthusiastic review, as the best Fall song ever.
The album reached number 17 in the UK charts, a two place improvement on their previous best, The Frenz Experiment
The Frenz Experiment
The Frenz Experiment is a 1988 album by The Fall. It was released on Beggars Banquet Records, and like the group's other albums with the label, it has a different track listing across the various formats on which it was released: LP, CD and cassette. A number of the tracks are credited exclusively...
.
The album was re-released on Voiceprint in 2002 adding 2 additional tracks to the original 14 track CD; "Blood Outta Stone" and "Xmas With Simon". This incarnation was also made available in a 2CD set with Voiceprint's edition of Code: Selfish
Code: Selfish
Code: Selfish is a 1992 LP by British rock band The Fall which entered the chart at number 21. It is characterised by its harsher sound, in relation to the previous year's Shift-Work, and draws influence from techno music. This was probably due to the addition of techno fan Dave Bush to the line-up...
in 2003. It was reissued again in an expanded and re-mastered form by Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
on 7 May 2007.
Original UK vinyl
- "So What About It?" (Mark E. SmithMark E. SmithMark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
, Craig ScanlonCraig ScanlonCraig Scanlon is a British guitarist, best known as a member of The Fall between 1979 and 1995. During this period he co-wrote over 120 of the group's songs; Mark E. Smith excepted, this tally is unmatched by any other musician to have passed through the group.-Career:Scanlon joined the band...
, Simon WolstencroftSimon WolstencroftSimon Wolstencroft is a musician from Manchester, England, best known for playing drums with The Fall between June 1986 and August 1997.Wolstencroft was a member of an early incarnation of The Stone Roses; having previously been a member of The Weeds and The Colourfield. He was also drummer for...
) – 3:25 - "Idiot Joy Showland" (Smith, Steve HanleySteve Hanley (musician)Steve Hanley is an Irish-born English musician, based in Manchester. He is best known for playing bass guitar in The Fall from 1979 to 1998, and afterwards in The Lovers....
) – 3:43 - "Edinburgh Man" (Smith, Scanlon) – 4:44
- "Pittsville Direkt" (Smith, Hanley, Scanlon) – 4:02
- "The Book of Lies" (Smith, Scanlon) – 2:58
- "The War Against Intelligence" (Smith, Scanlon) – 3:17
- "Shift-Work" (Smith, Scanlon) – 4:38
- "You Haven't Found It Yet" (Smith, Scanlon) – 4:07
- "The Mixer" (Smith, Scanlon) – 3:37
- "A Lot of Wind" (Smith) – 3:46
- "Rose" (Smith, Scanlon) – 3:20
- "Sinister Waltz" (Smith) – 4:13
Original UK CD and cassette
- "So What About It?"
- "Idiot Joy Showland"
- "Edinburgh Man"
- "Pittsville Direkt"
- "The Book of Lies"
- "High Tension Line" (Smith, Hanley, Scanlon) – 3:48
- "The War Against Intelligence"
- "Shift-Work"
- "You Haven't Found It Yet"
- "The Mixer"
- "White Lightning" (The Big BopperThe Big BopperJiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
) – 2:14 - "A Lot of Wind"
- "Rose"
- "Sinister Waltz"
2007 reissue
Disc One- As per original UK vinyl
Disc Two
- "White Lightning" - 2:14
- "Blood Outta Stone" - 3:34
- "Zagreb (Movements I+II+III)" - 5:55
- "Life Just Bounces" - 4:13 (later re-recorded for Cerebral CausticCerebral CausticCerebral Caustic is an album by The Fall, released in 1995 on Permanent Records. It spent one week on the UK charts at number 67, 19 places lower than its predecessor Middle Class Revolt, marking the end of one of the group's relatively more successful periods.The album was most notable for the...
) - "The Funeral Mix" - 3:31
- "High Tension Line" - 3:47
- "Xmas With Simon" - 3:28
- "Don't Take The Pizza" - 2:37
- "So What About It? (Remix 1)" - 4:23
- "So What About It? (Remix 2)" - 4:33
- "So What About It? (Remix 3)" - 4:11
- "The Re-Mixer" - 4:08
- "Cloud Of Black" - 4:28
- "Arid Al's Dream" (from Volume Four) - 4:48
- "The War Against Intelligence" (PeelJohn PeelJohn Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
Session) - 3:03 - "Idiot Joy Showland" (Peel Session) - 3:47
- "A Lot Of Wind" (Peel Session) - 5:25
- "The Mixer" (Peel Session) - 4:32
Miscellenea
The War Against Intelligence was the original title of the album until the outbreak of the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
convinced Smith to change it to something less controversial. In October 2003 Universal released The War Against Intelligence - The Fontana Years, a collection of Fall songs from the albums Extricate
Extricate
Extricate is a 1990 album by post-punk band The Fall. It was made immediately after bandleader Mark E. Smith divorced Brix Smith. Brix's departure influenced more than just the subject matter of the album, it also helped define the sound of this album: her background vocals and post-punk guitar,...
, Shift-Work, Code: Selfish
Code: Selfish
Code: Selfish is a 1992 LP by British rock band The Fall which entered the chart at number 21. It is characterised by its harsher sound, in relation to the previous year's Shift-Work, and draws influence from techno music. This was probably due to the addition of techno fan Dave Bush to the line-up...
and related singles, even as the United Kingdom was involved in another Gulf War.
Personnel
- The Fall:
- Mark E. SmithMark E. SmithMark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
– vocals - Craig ScanlonCraig ScanlonCraig Scanlon is a British guitarist, best known as a member of The Fall between 1979 and 1995. During this period he co-wrote over 120 of the group's songs; Mark E. Smith excepted, this tally is unmatched by any other musician to have passed through the group.-Career:Scanlon joined the band...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Steve HanleySteve Hanley (musician)Steve Hanley is an Irish-born English musician, based in Manchester. He is best known for playing bass guitar in The Fall from 1979 to 1998, and afterwards in The Lovers....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Simon WolstencroftSimon WolstencroftSimon Wolstencroft is a musician from Manchester, England, best known for playing drums with The Fall between June 1986 and August 1997.Wolstencroft was a member of an early incarnation of The Stone Roses; having previously been a member of The Weeds and The Colourfield. He was also drummer for...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Mark E. Smith
- Kenny Brady – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Cassell Webb – backing vocals
- Craig LeonCraig LeonCraig Leon is an American born record producer, composer and arranger currently living in England. Leon was instrumental in launching the careers of many recording artists including The Ramones and Blondie...
– backing vocals - Martin BramahMartin BramahMartin Bramah is a British musician best known as a founder member of both The Fall, Blue Orchids and Factory Star....
– guitar on "Rose" - Marcia Schofield – keyboards on "Rose"