From Smash Hits, 1979 - reviewer: Ian Cranna #FallFriday

Smash Hits takes no prisoners! (#2) I like S25, and this LP in particular, but the ACR / EW&F crack = actual LOL.

Today's chazzer booty, £1.50. On CD, Mr. Cutler's 1st album for Virgin, who quickly signed him up after hearing his cameo on Robert Wyatt's peerless Rock Bottom. Dandruff features some of the earliest instalments of the Life In A Scotch Sitting Room saga, amongst other Ivor-ian tidbits...

More people remember this single for the intro than the song itself I reckon but, man, I could use some sweltering 1965 sunshine right now...

Mondays, eh?

A rare pic of Mark Smith being given a big hand - from New Musical Express, November 1980. #FallFriday

45th anniversary. 35p! David Sylvian on the cover, and an early (for me) sighting of Fad Gadget. Long live Smash Hits!

John Barry meets Martin Rev? Soft Cell - who were always the best of the Brit synth bands (the ones that charted anyway) - had as much in common with Throbbing Gristle as the Human League. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret was released the week after my 15th birthday - what an education! R.I.P. Dave Ball.

To celebrate the rerelease of my short story collection Help The Witch via @swiftpress.bsky.social I’m giving away TWO signed copies each with a beautiful original linoprints by my mum, from the book (now v rare & worth £40). To enter you just need to repost this and pop a reply below.

#Last4Albums Slapp Happy - Sort Of John Maus - Later Than You Think Art Objects - Bagpipe Music R. Stevie Moore - What's The Point? Slapp Happy features most of Wümme-era Faust as its backing band, and the Art Objects released their sole LP shortly before evolving into the Blue Aeroplanes.

So, ask yourself... ...where has this song been all your life?

An excerpt from Lee & Herring's Fist Of Fun book, c.1995. "Stew" also warbles on about the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and John Zorn on the same page, which must've baffled the show's teenage fans at the time but hallelujah to that. #FallFriday

Breaking news.

If I could freeze time at the flick of a switch I wouldn't hesitate, no. Early Chameleons on Belgian telly, whup!

The myth persists that these dour-looking '80s Factory Records bands were a joyless lot, but No.68 definitely had perfect comic timing.

Today's chazzer booty, £1. I found an old Beano annual in a charity shop earlier this week and was surprised to discover that I'd completely forgotten about Billy The Cat. This "coming soon" ad was published in the weekly Beano comic in March 1970 - drawn by David Sutherland.

"I remember the times this was the beginning of a permissive new age, but it's the same old cabbage." #FallFriday

Now playing /// First listen, and it's reminding me of '70s Eno, peak Cocteau Twins, and (of course) Cate f*cking Le Bon so far. She's singularly brilliant and I don't understand why she isn't HUGE but I'm happy for her to remain "our little secret" for a while longer...

The shouts of the boys in the factory.

Punch in punch out.

A big fave in the '90s but I honestly can't remember the last time I listened to it - time moves on, etc - but it's playing now and it (still) sounds fantastic... headphones on, submerging. Q: What does your soul look like?

Herr Smith addresses snarky NME hacks - May 1986 #FallFriday

Smash Hits takes no prisoners! Harsh, but...

Now playing: Are there any other bands who, half a century after their inception, are still releasing music as good as the Mekons? Best British band of the last 50 years? I'm probably biased but, almost certainly, yes.

Smash Hits (of course), 1982.

De-Evolution is real...

One of the very best DJs I've ever had the pleasure of dancing to, second only to The Chairman (Weatherall). RIP.

When you look at the pigeons The crippled pigeons And the litter The wind-blown litter And the wing mirror The whacked-off wing mirror And you see beauty in it all You know you’re in trouble.

Beneath the rule, a country hides.

Poets Against The Bomb (1981) - inc. readings by Ivor Cutler, Adrian Henri, Pete Brown, Phyllis King, Brian Patten, Harold Pinter, Adrian Mitchell, and several more I don't recognise.

Now playing: an iceberg in a jungle. I've had a swift lunchtime beer so I'm tempted to jump around the living room to this - but I have creaky floorboards so I don't think the neighbours would approve. Released 42 years ago. I don't believe it!

Today's chazzer booty, 50p. I watched the film again last year, for the first time since the '90s - tough viewing, but (still) brilliant. Slint, Daniel Johnston, and lots of Lou Barlow on the soundtrack CD.

The Graun just published its list of the 20 best ever Floyd songs and can you guess which one they didn't include? The silly sods... Grumpy postcard from Nottingham:

The contentious "Papal Visit" - The Fall at their spectral, hallucinatory best. Imagine if they'd released an entire LP of tracks like this one, "WMC-Blob 59", "Iceland", and "Medical Acceptance Gate"? #fallfriday

Chatham Town welcomes desperate men (and women).

Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.

Bobby Peru don't come up for air.

Yesterday's chazzer booty, £3. Believe me when I say rock and roll is here to stay.

Hector Berloiz - Highlights From La Damnation De Faust (Classics For Pleasure LP, 1973) - cover illustration by Harry Clarke. #FallFriday

Yesterday's chazzer booty, £1. No cover artist credit unfortunately.

MES in Central Park, NYC, 18th May 1990 - photographer: Ebet Roberts #FallFriday

To Maureen, with love and squalor.

"The OUTSIDERS GROUP" - Pre-Fall letter from MES to bassist Tony Friel, January 1977. Was ist "Chile's Dead", "Paranoid Baby"? Happy memories & a bitter taste? It took them nearly 30 years to release their "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" cover but they managed it eventually! #FallFriday

Joe Totale vs. Mere Music Mag. Hack - from Sounds, August 1980. #fallfriday

Nez says: Buy This Record (wink).

Q: What is your greatest fear? A: Insanity. I am on a recovery programme – clean from drugs & drink for many years – & if I stopped doing all that stuff I’d go crazy pretty quick & pick up drugs again, because I was a real f*cking addict. I'm currently half way through his memoir & it's a cracker.

Tough crowd! But a terrific clip... I'm so grateful that recordings like this one still exist. 24K Dylan gold.

I'm on a Dylan roll at the moment, exhaustively reacquainting myself after watching *that* film through my trembling fingers (for some of it anyway). I've got as far as Planet Waves and had no idea about this until now...

"Brix prepares to save the nation" - from Sounds, September 1985. #FallFriday

"There's a new club in town Plenty of space to posey around It's a copy of the Peppermint Lounge." Live take with pre-cog Creepers guitar riff. Take that, Hacienda! #FallFriday