May 19, 2023 • 9 mins
"Totally Wired" by The Fall
"Totally Wired" is a staple of Punk, Post-Punk, and New Wave compilations and playlists. Not that The Fall would allow itself to belong to any scene. The band outlasted any of those with which it was compiled and over the years counted over 60 members. The thing that kept The Fall goin and breaking apart was cantankerous and quotable Mark E. Smith. Please join us on this look into what their seventh album called "The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall."
You can hear "Totally Wired" in different versions and more music by the artists involved here: SpotifySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"Totally Wired" is a staple of Punk, Post-Punk, and New Wave compilations and playlists. Not that The Fall would allow itself to belong to any scene. The band outlasted any of those with which it was compiled and over the years counted over 60 members. The thing that kept The Fall goin and breaking apart was cantankerous and quotable Mark E. Smith. Please join us on this look into what their seventh album called "The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall."
You can hear "Totally Wired" in different versions and more music by the artists involved here: SpotifySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
The Shark Deck. Hello and welcometo the best song ever this week.
A short deep dive into a songand what makes it special. The best
song ever this week this week isTotally Wired by The Fall. I'm Scott
(00:32):
Frampton. We won't hear the songhere regrettably, but there's a link to
a short playlist of songs from TheFall throughout their long career in the show
notes. I hope you do giveit a listen, So let's begin.
Marquis Smith sang with the voice ofa drunk who had been eighty six from
a bar, braying his remonstrations fromdown the street. The Fall were for
(00:57):
forty prolific years, as steadfastly individuala band as there's ever been. The
sound changed with its multiple lineups.Button Front was always Smith contrarian, caustic,
wit, absurdist poet, a postpunk last on his man if It's
Me and Your Granny on bongos,Smith said when asked about the sixty odd
(01:19):
band members have passed through the group, It's the Fall. On the group's
nineteen seventy nine debut live at theWitch Trials, Young Smiths speak sings on
the song repetition We Dig repetition inthe music, and we're never going to
lose it. He held fast toboth repetition as a foundation of the band's
(01:40):
music and the one note vocal stylethat made a weapon of his working class
man Cunian snarl. The Fall formedafter Smith saw the Sex Pistols at the
Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall. Otherbands that sprang from the forty two people
in attendance included The Buzzcox, JoyDivision, a New Order, and The
Smiths. The most punk thing aboutthe sweater wearing Smith, however, was
(02:07):
his recalcitrance. Their music owed moreto bands like Can, the ones that
loosely came to be described as crowdrock. But where Can used repetition to
hypnotic effect, The Fall founded itcould induce tension and anxiety. That's their
nineteen eighty one song Hip Priest scoringthe climax of silence of the Lambs.
For example, rocknroll isn't even musicreally. Smith once said, it's a
(02:32):
mistreating of instruments to get feelings over. Totally Wired is perhaps Smith's most direct
literal song title. The feeling Itgets over is of manic chemical over stimulation.
For Smith, it was Speed,which like a pint of Bodington's was
to him a good working class drug, not like pot, which was for
(02:53):
hippies. Still, the tracks Coketo the Gil's feeling is palpable, even
if you've never ventured past a espresso. The nineteen eighty song begins with a
driving tom tom beat and Smith's yelpingI'm totally wired. In his way of
breaking all the syllables into different parts. A half minute in, Steve Hanley's
(03:14):
circular bassline surges in the mix,swamping Smith's vocals. Hanley was the longest
tenured musician in the Fall, andthe one to receive the most credit from
the generally uncharitable Smith, who saidhe is the Fall sound. The tempo
itself isn't manic. It's the wholeof the song, the way it feels
(03:34):
out of control as a guitar shrieksand shimmers in the background. Hanley's otherwise
nicely melodic bassline thumps like your heartis about to beat out of your chest.
I drank a jar of coffee,smith sings, and then I took
some of these, and now I'mtotally wired. I drank a jar of
coffee, and then I took someof these perfectly evokes this sensation in few
(03:57):
words. It's something you'd say inthe back of an amblance as an emt
shines a pen lay in your pupils. Another lyric, my butterfly's stomach growls,
growls. Meanwhile, it's like somethingfrom a toddler. Smith's lyrics can
being scrutable to all but those attunedto the details of Northern Victorian architecture,
regional slang, British politics, seaports, shipping, the historical import of certain
(04:21):
Manchester Street corners, William of Orange, mistrust of London English football, HP
Lovecraft, and the perfidies of themusic business. His fractured syntax can also
make them seem tossed off. Butit's worth our Akin to William as Burrow's
tape cutups, cracked but carefully consideredcombinations to provoke feelings otherwise sheltered by the
(04:42):
conventions of language. The song isalso an answer to the tacit question why
are you like this, to whichthe lyrics answer I'm always worried. Then
again, the question to the audienceinherent any provocational art, is why are
you like that? The song wasThe Fall's first sort of hit single and
(05:03):
had since become a standard inclusion forany punk, post punk or new wave
compilation, something which Smith's naturally hated. He was suspicious of music scenes and
refused to socialize with anyone who waspart of one, even members of his
own band. Smith claimed that heonly fired about half of The Fall's sixty
members offenses included eating a salad anddancing to a song by the Clash,
(05:27):
and that the others, including wivesand girlfriends, left of their own accord.
Both this turnover and the threat ofit were intentional. For thirty two
albums, what he called creative tensionkept the band in the only place where
it could exist, on the edge. As legendary BBC Radio One DJ John
Peel said of The Fall his favoriteband. They are always different, they
(05:51):
are always the same. Smith livedmost of his life in Prestwich, a
suburb of Manchester and the world's firstindustry j city, the home to the
quote satanic mills described in William Blake'spoem Jerusalem, which Smith appropriated for the
song Dogs Life Slash Jerusalem. Thefamily home stood behind the town's largest employer,
(06:12):
the Prestwich Mental Hospital, which whenit was known as the second Lancashire
County Lunatic Asylum, what's the largestsuch facility in Europe. A girlfriend and
initial member of The Fall, UnaBaynes, worked there as a nurse.
Smith would sometimes pop around to sneakpatients out to the pub. I used
to be psychic, he said,but I drank my way out of it.
(06:33):
The Fall is named for Albert Camu'sfinal novel, where the protagonist reflects
on his life to a stranger ata bar, revealing his method for enduring
the suffering in a world that,without objective truth, is ultimately meaningless.
Smith was cantankerous, belligerent and impossibleto be around for too long, but
(06:54):
until his death in twenty eighteen,he remained uncompromisingly true to his young man's
manifesto. He never did lose thatlove for repetition and songs like Totally Wired.
He invites us all to revel init as his method for enduring the
suffering of the world. Thanks forlistening. We'll have a bit more after
(07:15):
the break. The Substack email versionof the best song ever this week.
Sometimes as a future called rare personalAside, I've been encouraged to do a
bit of those to that end.Well, I've got a birthday coming up,
and I really don't like talking aboutmyself, but I'm going to try
(07:39):
so. Like I said, I'vegot a birthday coming up. I'm one
of those people who struggles with them. It's not about seeing another year go
by or growing older. That's allgoing to happen. I just don't know
what to do or how to feelon this day, which is the most
focused on me in my life.I mentioned this because, well, maybe
it's an explanation to why these havea bit more of a philsophical bent lately.
(08:01):
The one birthday tradition I enjoy isthinking and reading about the meaning of
things. Or maybe some of youfeel the same way, and maybe it
feels good to hear someone else voicethese feelings. Well, at least now
you know why these personal sides arein Dear Rare. Thanks again, really
(08:22):
thanks for listening to me talk aboutan artist I love, even though he
and his music could both be incrediblydifficult. Thanks again, See you next
week. I'm Johnny Mack, hostof Daily Comedy News. Do you like
(08:52):
the little Letterman homage there on themusic bed? Yeah? Start your mornings
with a quick seminent recap of lateNights, Not Dave, All Late Night
and the latest on Dave Chappelle,Chris Rock, John Maliney, tick Me
Too, Eliza's Lessenger, Amy Schumer, Joe Rogan, Mark Marin, all
your favorite comedians. It's daily comedynews. It's an easy way to start
your morning, and I promise I'llkeep it clean. Daily comedy news wherever
(09:15):
you get your shows,
The Shark Deck. Hello and welcometo the best song ever this week.
A short deep dive into a songand what makes it special. The best
song ever this week this week isTotally Wired by The Fall. I'm Scott
(00:32):
Frampton. We won't hear the songhere regrettably, but there's a link to
a short playlist of songs from TheFall throughout their long career in the show
notes. I hope you do giveit a listen, So let's begin.
Marquis Smith sang with the voice ofa drunk who had been eighty six from
a bar, braying his remonstrations fromdown the street. The Fall were for
(00:57):
forty prolific years, as steadfastly individuala band as there's ever been. The
sound changed with its multiple lineups.Button Front was always Smith contrarian, caustic,
wit, absurdist poet, a postpunk last on his man if It's
Me and Your Granny on bongos,Smith said when asked about the sixty odd
(01:19):
band members have passed through the group, It's the Fall. On the group's
nineteen seventy nine debut live at theWitch Trials, Young Smiths speak sings on
the song repetition We Dig repetition inthe music, and we're never going to
lose it. He held fast toboth repetition as a foundation of the band's
(01:40):
music and the one note vocal stylethat made a weapon of his working class
man Cunian snarl. The Fall formedafter Smith saw the Sex Pistols at the
Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall. Otherbands that sprang from the forty two people
in attendance included The Buzzcox, JoyDivision, a New Order, and The
Smiths. The most punk thing aboutthe sweater wearing Smith, however, was
(02:07):
his recalcitrance. Their music owed moreto bands like Can, the ones that
loosely came to be described as crowdrock. But where Can used repetition to
hypnotic effect, The Fall founded itcould induce tension and anxiety. That's their
nineteen eighty one song Hip Priest scoringthe climax of silence of the Lambs.
For example, rocknroll isn't even musicreally. Smith once said, it's a
(02:32):
mistreating of instruments to get feelings over. Totally Wired is perhaps Smith's most direct
literal song title. The feeling Itgets over is of manic chemical over stimulation.
For Smith, it was Speed,which like a pint of Bodington's was
to him a good working class drug, not like pot, which was for
(02:53):
hippies. Still, the tracks Coketo the Gil's feeling is palpable, even
if you've never ventured past a espresso. The nineteen eighty song begins with a
driving tom tom beat and Smith's yelpingI'm totally wired. In his way of
breaking all the syllables into different parts. A half minute in, Steve Hanley's
(03:14):
circular bassline surges in the mix,swamping Smith's vocals. Hanley was the longest
tenured musician in the Fall, andthe one to receive the most credit from
the generally uncharitable Smith, who saidhe is the Fall sound. The tempo
itself isn't manic. It's the wholeof the song, the way it feels
(03:34):
out of control as a guitar shrieksand shimmers in the background. Hanley's otherwise
nicely melodic bassline thumps like your heartis about to beat out of your chest.
I drank a jar of coffee,smith sings, and then I took
some of these, and now I'mtotally wired. I drank a jar of
coffee, and then I took someof these perfectly evokes this sensation in few
(03:57):
words. It's something you'd say inthe back of an amblance as an emt
shines a pen lay in your pupils. Another lyric, my butterfly's stomach growls,
growls. Meanwhile, it's like somethingfrom a toddler. Smith's lyrics can
being scrutable to all but those attunedto the details of Northern Victorian architecture,
regional slang, British politics, seaports, shipping, the historical import of certain
(04:21):
Manchester Street corners, William of Orange, mistrust of London English football, HP
Lovecraft, and the perfidies of themusic business. His fractured syntax can also
make them seem tossed off. Butit's worth our Akin to William as Burrow's
tape cutups, cracked but carefully consideredcombinations to provoke feelings otherwise sheltered by the
(04:42):
conventions of language. The song isalso an answer to the tacit question why
are you like this, to whichthe lyrics answer I'm always worried. Then
again, the question to the audienceinherent any provocational art, is why are
you like that? The song wasThe Fall's first sort of hit single and
(05:03):
had since become a standard inclusion forany punk, post punk or new wave
compilation, something which Smith's naturally hated. He was suspicious of music scenes and
refused to socialize with anyone who waspart of one, even members of his
own band. Smith claimed that heonly fired about half of The Fall's sixty
members offenses included eating a salad anddancing to a song by the Clash,
(05:27):
and that the others, including wivesand girlfriends, left of their own accord.
Both this turnover and the threat ofit were intentional. For thirty two
albums, what he called creative tensionkept the band in the only place where
it could exist, on the edge. As legendary BBC Radio One DJ John
Peel said of The Fall his favoriteband. They are always different, they
(05:51):
are always the same. Smith livedmost of his life in Prestwich, a
suburb of Manchester and the world's firstindustry j city, the home to the
quote satanic mills described in William Blake'spoem Jerusalem, which Smith appropriated for the
song Dogs Life Slash Jerusalem. Thefamily home stood behind the town's largest employer,
(06:12):
the Prestwich Mental Hospital, which whenit was known as the second Lancashire
County Lunatic Asylum, what's the largestsuch facility in Europe. A girlfriend and
initial member of The Fall, UnaBaynes, worked there as a nurse.
Smith would sometimes pop around to sneakpatients out to the pub. I used
to be psychic, he said,but I drank my way out of it.
(06:33):
The Fall is named for Albert Camu'sfinal novel, where the protagonist reflects
on his life to a stranger ata bar, revealing his method for enduring
the suffering in a world that,without objective truth, is ultimately meaningless.
Smith was cantankerous, belligerent and impossibleto be around for too long, but
(06:54):
until his death in twenty eighteen,he remained uncompromisingly true to his young man's
manifesto. He never did lose thatlove for repetition and songs like Totally Wired.
He invites us all to revel init as his method for enduring the
suffering of the world. Thanks forlistening. We'll have a bit more after
(07:15):
the break. The Substack email versionof the best song ever this week.
Sometimes as a future called rare personalAside, I've been encouraged to do a
bit of those to that end.Well, I've got a birthday coming up,
and I really don't like talking aboutmyself, but I'm going to try
(07:39):
so. Like I said, I'vegot a birthday coming up. I'm one
of those people who struggles with them. It's not about seeing another year go
by or growing older. That's allgoing to happen. I just don't know
what to do or how to feelon this day, which is the most
focused on me in my life.I mentioned this because, well, maybe
it's an explanation to why these havea bit more of a philsophical bent lately.
(08:01):
The one birthday tradition I enjoy isthinking and reading about the meaning of
things. Or maybe some of youfeel the same way, and maybe it
feels good to hear someone else voicethese feelings. Well, at least now
you know why these personal sides arein Dear Rare. Thanks again, really
(08:22):
thanks for listening to me talk aboutan artist I love, even though he
and his music could both be incrediblydifficult. Thanks again, See you next
week. I'm Johnny Mack, hostof Daily Comedy News. Do you like
(08:52):
the little Letterman homage there on themusic bed? Yeah? Start your mornings
with a quick seminent recap of lateNights, Not Dave, All Late Night
and the latest on Dave Chappelle,Chris Rock, John Maliney, tick Me
Too, Eliza's Lessenger, Amy Schumer, Joe Rogan, Mark Marin, all
your favorite comedians. It's daily comedynews. It's an easy way to start
your morning, and I promise I'llkeep it clean. Daily comedy news wherever
(09:15):
you get your shows,
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