Oh! The Fall John Peel Sessions box set! OH! you guys.

So, Saturday we spent driving down to the lookout with Amber (7) and Alice (5) singing "NO! (because I'm not old enough)" with gusto, and having to wait until "Top of the Pops" had finished when we got there...

But anyway, I digress.

Has there been any decent reviews of this set in the 'press'? Yeah, NME gave it a "this is excellent" type brief writeup, but hey that's not nearly enough. I presume the Mojos/Uncuts' reviews are forthcoming, but come on....

http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/the_fall/reviews/8577
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/entertainment/music/albumreviews/s/155/155565_the_fall__the_complete_peel_sessions_sanctuary_.html

My copy's in the mail, I wear a bib for the drool.

I had ordered my copy through The Ideal Copy but just got a note saying this...

We are experiencing a bit of trouble getting this product. It turns
out that it was manufactured and released in the UK last week - but
that Sanctuary didn't manufacture nearly enough to cover the demand.
To make matters worse - they are having trouble manufacturing more
and don't expect to have them available again until May 23rd - I've
included a copy of the email our supplier received from Sanctuary
below. On top of this - Sanctuary has now scheduled a US release of
this title - it's expected to come out on June 7th.

So basically, do what I'm doing (and what TIC is kindly giving me the option to do), hold off or cancel the import orders and wait a bit.

The last box set to make the chart (I think) was the Jam one, which made top ten. Not that That is important really, but this would have sold as much if they'd shipped it as such...

Anyway, I'm back on the box.. "hhot... Aftershave boppp"

Groovin with Mr. Bloe..

Mark: Chewbacca
El: Chewca

.. Makes me think of Pirini Sclarosa every time.

Meanwhile, "Whizz Bang!! Butterflies for brainzzz"

OK, hold your thoughts, I've hit a dud track!

Yup.

"The City never sleeps at night". OK, granted it has no Mark E on it, and is given to the band and the girl backing vocalist steps up, but its a bad karaoke version of a (presumably) good track.

But, I have just heared "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" which sounds exactly like you think. And is fant.

So, Yep, I'm still on this. Just as well I'm not reviewing this for a magazine/newspaper. Mind you did anyone else that reviewed it listen to it all? That's a tall order.

Rice + Beans + water = FAll Peel Sessions Box Set!

Now transferred to my car but discs 4-6 are going to have to wait until I've finished the (really rather lovely so far) new Eels album.

Particularly looking forward to the last track on disc 5....

Um, it's alright. It won't change yer allegiance. Bit of a knock off, but yeah.

Actually, for all the slagging "Jungle Rock" gets in the book and from MES previously, I like it a fair bit.

I heared a snatch of "I can hear the grass grow" on the BBC4 docu, so I'm very looking forward to that.

And it's bloody great. Sanctuary have done a great job with the packaging; nice sturdy master-box, unlike say, what they did with the Lonnie Donegan 1955-67 set.

Have only listened to the first disc thus far, but it's striking, and I finally get to hear "No Xmas for John Quays", "New Puritans" and "Lie Dream of a Casino Soul", which do not disappoint!

I'm hoping, but non too confidently, that they include a passage of Peel speaking right at the end of CD6, after the last session; what a great, poignant touch that would be...

i'll do that, tim. thanks!

Hex is the consensus as the best (my favorite is Slates), but they are indeed rough sailing for neophytes. A few of the live records are quite good; most are not.

50,000 and the Peel box have 18 songs in common, but they're all different versions, sometimes very different.

Nearly done, you guys.

and i'm by no means a fall die-hard; more a keen casual fan. but on a purely objective level, a selected body of work like this is just fucking awe-inspiring.

Plus, having it as the "CD de jour" for drives to and from work eases the task somewhat!

The task being driving to work, not listening to the Fall, which is not a task but a pleasure. But you knew that, right?

hmm, i'm guessing these are still in print ...

If the forthcoming (September!) LP sounds anything like this I've already got my album of the year.

Awww. What a fucking good thing.

My wife has spent the last 11 years being forced to listen to the greatest band in the history of the world, even she was excited at this.

I now have over 80 cds of The fall, even all the dodgy compilations but this is...breathtaking. I have about half the sessions on tape but the joy of hearing them like this is difficult to put into words really, I won't even try...

http://www.believermag.com/issues/200506/article_wolk.php

I have not had enough time with this box yet, but two highlights thus far the stadium rock version of Australians In Europe and 2004's absolutely wonderful Blindness, proof that they can still do....whatever it is they do.

True/False ?