For
The Unutterable,
Mark E. Smith settled in with the (mostly) new lineup that debuted on 1999's
The Marshall Suite and recorded yet another gorgeous, rambunctious, only occasionally scrutable masterpiece. Though it's not overly chocked with new ideas (especially for those already well-versed in the
Fall canon),
The Unutterable benefits from excellent songwriting and the crisp production of soundman extraordinaire
Grant Showbiz, on loan from
Billy Bragg. The far-too-short opener "Cyber Insekt" immediately launches the listener into a dense, chaotic sound world that's only amplified throughout the album. The heavy rockabilly guitars and pummeling drums heard on
The Marshall Suite are practically overwhelmed by the rich variety (and quantity) of synthesizer effects accompanying most tracks. And whereas most
Fall albums have little explicit humor (though much implicit in the lyrics),
Smith even sounds downright pleasant on the hilarious technology send-up (and
Charles Bukowski tribute) "Dr. Bucks' Letter," laughing through a few of his lines over a heavily distorted bassline that's closer to percussion than harmony. The brief track "Octo Realm" is also fun (each of the bandmates takes turns introducing different characters in odd voices), though it prefaces a hazy, heat-stroked rant named "Ketamine Sun" (one that definitely earns its title). Despite a few tracks whose blueprints have been heard on countless
Fall LPs in the past (just listen to the jaunty garage stomp "Hot Runes"), and a dangerously wizened-sounding
Mark E. Smith on several tracks,
The Unutterable is another excellent work from a band that, by all rights, could've burned out before some of their youngest present-day fans were even born.
[In 2025,
Cherry Red Records issued an expanded edition of
The Unutterable that extended the album from one to four discs. Disc one features the original album freshly remastered by
Andy Pearce, and disc two is devoted to the "Testa Rossa Monitor Mixes," early rough mixes from the
Unutterable sessions that add some dub-like space and murk to 11 of the LP's tracks, along with two instrumentals. (The Testa Rosa material was previously issued in 2019 in a limited Record Store Day pressing.) The final two discs feature live shows from 2001, one from Newport, Wales, and another from Edinburgh, Scotland. Both appear to have been taken from audience tapes, with plenty of crowd noise and boomy audio, but they capture this lineup of
the Fall playing with swagger and some very real enthusiasm, especially the Newport gig. Both shows have been issued before, which means this extensive box doesn't deliver anything new, but the bonus material wasn't well circulated, and will be welcome for most serious
Fall fans. The set also includes a booklet with interviews from several former bandmembers offering their memories of this lineup, as the band were finding a second wind.] ~ John Bush & Mark Deming
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