Rarely has the age-old fan argument over whether or not a band, or in this case an posthumous album, has the right to bear the name of the original group got so heated as evidenced by the social media comments leading up to and following the release of this record. Post Script is a collection of previously unused Mark E Smith vocals recorded between 2001 and 2014 laid over new musical backings by former manager Ed Blaney and former Fall bassist Simon “Ding” Archer.
Blaney was the band’s manager for a few years at the turn of the century, and also played with them on occasion during that period, and Archer was in the band for roughly a year, up to early 2004. Blaney also collaborated with Mark E Smith on side projects, and was a friend and boozing buddy. There can be no doubt that the two of them were close. Whether or not calling this album a Fall album was appropriate, or even wise is moot! Unlike other posthumous bands like Gong or Tangerine Dream, the main man (and the man who was The Fall) wasn’t around to give his consent, and who can say for sure that he would have given Post Script his blessing? Although I’m sure he’s having a sardonic grin at the controversy that rages in its wake.
The closest parallel I can think of is An American Prayer, which was credited to “Jim Morrison & The Doors”. Perhaps a more diplomatic credit for Post Script would have been “Mark E Smith & The Fall”? Whatever, following the torrent of nonsense on the Book of Face and elsewhere, Ed Blaney posted a heartfelt response on his birthday: “It’s made with the utmost respect, love & positivity. There isn’t no huge master plan or anything else, we just did it…” and “Why call it The Fall? Mark was and still is The Fall.” You can’t argue with that. Well, you can, but you’d just be revealing yourself as a small-minded gatekeeper.
Enough of that, what about the music? There’s a definite Fall energy in these grooves, particularly in Retro Song, which would grace any of the better Fall albums. As Ed also said in his post, if it hadn’t worked out in the studio, the album would never have been made. Post Script opens with the single 30 Degrees, which lurches along in a familiar fashion and is decent enough, but to my ears a lot of this sounds a bit “Fall by numbers”, and some of the tracks blur into one another. Colonel’s Retreat followed by A Caveat is a prime example of this. Also, Smith’s vocals, as was often the case with The Fall’s 21st century output, are largely impenetrable, which doesn’t help in the attention-grabbing stakes.
The aforementioned Retro Song jolts this listener out of his reverie, and is the most energetic thing on the album. It speeds along in classic Fall fashion repeating a bass line over a fast repetitive beat. Simple but effective, in the manner of all the best Fall songs. The stark contrast with the next song, Irish Northern Man, with its spooky soundtrack overlaid with Smith’s snarling and growling provides the best track coupling on the record.
It’s certainly the case that Post Script has livened up no end since Retro Man, and Dehydrated gets a tad psychedelic, Smith’s reverbed vocals adding layers of menace to the dislocated backing. We arrive at the last track, and The Book is a considered, even introspective affair. Smith’s heavily treated vocal is once again mostly indecipherable, which is a shame because his surreal train of thought was often highly entertaining.
In conclusion, and as Smith was a football fan, Post Script is a game of two halves, with a rather flat first half followed by a decent second half comeback. I’ll probably not play it much after this review, as my memory of the Salford iconoclast is firmly ensconced in songs like Eat Y’Self Fitter, Container Drivers, Cab It Up, Blindness, and How I Wrote Elastic Man. A “look-back bore” indeedy! 🙂
TRACK LISTING
01. 30 Degrees (4:02)
02. So Long (4:07)
03. Colonel’s Retreat (5:02)
04. Caveat (4:09)
05. Final Position (5:31)
06. Retro Song (4:09)
07. Irish Northern Man (7:02)
08. Dehydrated (3:54)
09. The Book (6:22)
Total Time – 44:18
MUSICIANS
Mark E. Smith – Vocals
Ed Blaney – Guitar, Vocals
Simon “Ding” Archer – Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Rough Trade
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 2nd October 2026
LINKS
The Fall – Website | Facebook (Cherry Red Records FB Page)
