The Fall

Back before they were musicians--before they played riffs requiring digital articulation and sang the occasional backup or even response--they tossed off live product all the time. The formula was simple--Mark E. harangued and the band crashed and droned. No atmospheric gunk like "Mollusc in Tyrol" or incompetent covers like "Pinball Machine" and, yes, "Victoria," which in the great tradition of bad live albums betrays its studio version. "Mollusc in Tyrol" and "Pinball Machine," God help us, are studio versions. (Grade: C+)