Mark E Smith & Ed Blaney - The Train: Part 3

Second batch of Train-related sounds from Fall guys

Ed Blaney was a member of The Fall for a short period of time (like most Fall members, save for Mark E Smith) in 2000-01. Parts one and two of The Train appeared on a single CD in 2008, made up of strange rumblings recorded on the hoof on journeys around Europe.

It’s pretty much the same story – only longer – with Part Three. For 40 minutes, sounds of rattling carriages, conductors, ticket inspectors, doors opening and general hubbub fill your ears (and if listened to while on a train, it’s a very strange experience indeed). Smith’s audio involvement here seems to be that of a recurring tramp, accompanying a strummed acoustic guitar with fragments of a melody that eventually wheedles its way into your brain. You get the feeling that Blaney, aside from the axe-work, is controlling the sounds here and that this is his baby, which is no mean feat when you consider the reputation of his companion.

Fall fans will lap it up, not least for Smith’s abstract witticisms. Taken as a sound collage, however, The Train manages to stand on its own merits: unusual, quaint and alarming.

Voiceprint | VP 503 CD

Reviewed by Jake Kennedy
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