The Infotainment Scan
| The Infotainment Scan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Fall | ||||
| Released | 26 April 1993 | |||
| Recorded | Suite 16, Rochdale | |||
| Genre |
Alternative rock Post-punk Alternative dance | |||
| Length |
40:36 (LP & cassette) 50:08 (CD) | |||
| Label | Permanent/Matador | |||
| Producer | Rex Sergeant, Simon Rogers, Mark E. Smith | |||
| The Fall chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Melody Maker | favourable[2] |
| The New York Times | favourable[3] |
| NME | 8/10[4] |
The Infotainment Scan is 15th album by The Fall, released in 1993 on Permanent Records in the UK and by Matador Records in the US. At the time of its release it was considered the band's most accessible album and came when the band were experiencing unprecedented recognition in the media. It entered the UK album charts at number 9.
Track information
The album features covers of the Sister Sledge disco track "Lost in Music" and of Steve Bent's "I'm Going to Spain", an obscure song which Bent performed on the British talent show New Faces in 1974 (Bent's version was included on The World's Worst Record album, compiled by disc jockey Kenny Everett in 1978).[5] The CD edition of The Infotainment Scan also includes "Why Are People Grudgeful?", the only track to be released as a single (albeit in a different version). It is based on two reggae songs: "People Grudgeful" by Joe Gibbs and "People Funny Boy" by Lee "Scratch" Perry.[6]
Of the original compositions on The Infotainment Scan, "Glam-Racket" drew much attention for its alleged criticism of Britpop band Suede, with the lyric "you are entrenched in suede". At the time, Suede were regarded as a "nouveau glam rock" band. "The League of Bald-Headed Men", meanwhile – identified variously as a "jokey conspiracy theory" and a "diatribe against gerontocracy" — appears to borrow its riff from Led Zeppelin's "Misty Mountain Hop", despite claims by Fall front man Mark E. Smith that he had never heard the band's music.[7] A remix of "The League of Bald-Headed Men", retitled "League Moon Monkey Mix", is also included on the CD edition.
"Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room" adapts its title from Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room, an episode of The Twilight Zone.[8] Smith had previously borrowed episode titles What You Need and Time Enough at Last (and would later use Kick the Can).
Reissues
The Infotainment Scan was reissued by Artful in 1999 with the same track listing as the original CD editions. It was remastered and expanded to a 2xCD set by Castle Music in 2006 in slightly amended artwork. The first disc followed the original CD album programme, while the second added B-sides, demos, alternate versions and radio sessions.
Legacy
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[9]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ladybird (Green Grass)" | Mark E. Smith, Craig Scanlon, Steve Hanley, Dave Bush, Simon Wolstencroft | 3:59 |
| 2. | "Lost in Music" | Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Glam Racket" | Smith, Hanley | 3:12 |
| 4. | "I'm Going to Spain" | Steve Bent | 3:27 |
| 5. | "It's a Curse" | Smith, Scanlon | 5:19 |
| 6. | "Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room" | Smith, Scanlon | 4:27 |
| 7. | "Service" | Smith, Hanley, Scanlon | 4:11 |
| 8. | "The League of Bald-Headed Men" | Smith, Hanley | 4:07 |
| 9. | "A Past Gone Mad" | Smith, Bush, Wolstencroft | 4:19 |
| 10. | "Light/Fireworks" | Smith | 3:46 |
| Additional tracks (CD only) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 11. | "Why Are People Grudgeful?" | Lee "Scratch" Perry, Joe Gibbs | 4:33 |
| 12. | "League Moon Monkey Mix" | Hanley, Simon Rogers, Smith | 4:36 |
| 2006 Castle reissue bonus disc | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Ladybird (Green Grass)" (Peel Session #16 - 13/3/93) | 4:05 | |
| 2. | "Strychnine" (Peel Session #16 - 13/3/93) | Gerry Roslie | 2:54 |
| 3. | "Service" (Peel Session #16 - 13/3/93) | 3:36 | |
| 4. | "Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room" (Peel Session #16 - 13/3/93) | 4:19 | |
| 5. | "Glam Racket" (Mark Goodier Session - 17/5/93) | 3:34 | |
| 6. | "War" (Mark Goodier Session - 17/5/93) | Peter Blegvad, Anthony Moore | 2:36 |
| 7. | "15 Ways" (Mark Goodier Session - 17/5/93) | Smith, Scanlon, Hanley | 2:51 |
| 8. | "A Past Gone Mad" (Mark Goodier Session - 17/5/93) | 4:35 | |
| 9. | "Why Are People Grudgeful?" (CDSPERM9 single mix) | 4:28 | |
| 10. | "Glam Racket" (CDSPERM9 single mix) | 3:33 | |
| 11. | "The Re-Mixer" (CDSPERM9 single mix) | Smith, Scanlon | 6:03 |
| 12. | "Lost in Music" (CDSPERM9 single mix) | 3:50 | |
| 13. | "A Past Gone Mad" (alternative version) | 4:39 | |
| 14. | "Instrumental outtake" | Scanlon, Hanley | 3:46 |
| 15. | "Service" (instrumental demo) | 4:40 | |
| 16. | "Glam Racket" (instrumental demo) | 3:21 | |
| 17. | "Lost in Music" (mix 3) | 4:40 | |
| 18. | "Lost in Music" (mix 7) | 4:39 | |
| 19. | "Lost in Music" (mix 14) | 4:28 | |
Personnel
- Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes, production (2,10)
- Craig Scanlon – guitar
- Steve Hanley – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Simon Wolstencroft – drums
- Dave Bush – keyboards, programming, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Rex Sargeant – production (1,4-9,11)
- Simon Rogers – production (3,12)
- Pascal Le Gras – cover art
References
- ↑ The Infotainment Scan at AllMusic
- ↑ http://www.visi.com/fall/gigography/93apr24.html
- ↑ 11 Jul. 1993
- ↑ 24 Apr. 1993
- ↑ "MP3 Download Dinner Bell For September", WFMU's Beware of the Blog.
- ↑ Why Are People Grudgeful, The Fall Online.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave (September 1993). "Falling Forward". Alternative Press. pp.43–44.
- ↑ http://annotatedfall.doomby.com/pages/the-annotated-lyrics/paranoia-man-in-cheap-sh-t-room.html#n1
- ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
