Mike76

The music of Snakefinger is quite indefinable; it could perhaps be framed as the meeting point between freak rock à la Zappa and New Wave. A mutant rock contaminated by the technology of the time that, in a live setting, became more physical and punk compared to the studio recordings.
The first single "The Spot"/"Smelly Tongues" (a cover of the Residents) is undoubtedly among the best, while I have always found the cover of "The Model" a bit dull and too linear.
"Chewing Hides The Sound" and "Greener Postures" might be a tad scattered but are full of surprising and stimulating ideas, "Manual Of Errors" is always good but a step below. I've also heard good things about the subsequent "Night Of Desirable Objects" and its previous band Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers, but I've never delved deeper.

I don't have a great affinity for prog albums; even when I can find good insights and interesting ideas, almost always everything is undermined by erraticism and/or overall prolixity. However, in this album, the good moments not only exist but they don't fade away in a few seconds; they are well developed (notably the nighttime atmosphere of "Terzo Incontro"). Many criticize the vocal parts (and even Leone himself expresses dissatisfaction), but for me, they are on par with the average of prog albums from that era.

I preferred 2 Unlimited, but yes, Snap! is also very representative of the era and with the benevolence of nostalgia, they can be forgiven.

Seen in 1998 at the Singles Tour in Casalecchio. "Ultra" had not had a tour due to Gahan's health and personal issues still being resolved, so there was great anticipation. Expectations were met with a fantastic repertoire and excellent performances; I have fond memories of it.

Edit to the review: "Edit 1: Added the rating (previously forgotten), corrected a link, fixed a word." See the old version link rotto

Beautiful is the Collodian quote.

Of course, I wasn't aware of the existence of this live, but I have "Room To Live" and in the bonus there's a live version of "Hard Life In The Country," even more interminable than the studio version, performed in New Zealand in '82 (so I assume it's from the same tour as this live).
I appreciate a lot of things from The Fall, like the drunken punk with the little video game keyboard from their early days, for example, but in the early '80s they probably really believed they were Can and created some excessively long and monotonous monster tracks that don’t align with my tastes and patience; "For seven minutes... Nothing happens, you stagger, you fall, you stay standing," the reviewer rightly writes, but that bores me, just as I struggle to endure pieces like "Hip Priest," "N.W.R.A.," or "Winter."
Battlegods is correct when they hear the guitars of Josef K in "Hard Life In The Country," but those are more taken from "Heaven Sent" than from "Sorry For Laughing." Smith has the talent and ability to make everything sound "Fall," wrapping it all up with his pompous drunken voice, but the pilfering is there.
Overall, "Room To Live" isn’t bad as an album, even though among the ones I have from The Fall, it’s the one I like the least.

Not bad but too indebted to JD for atmosphere and sound. More than the synth dance turn of "From The Hip," I prefer the free eclecticism of the second album, "The Key Of Dreams."

For me, alchemy is more Devo + Piero Focaccia/Edoardo Vianello and it's not always brilliantly executed.
Nevertheless, it's true, original and distinctive, a good example of Wave in Italy.
"Volare" is a beautiful specimen of a silly cover-sneer.

But damn, the same sofa again!