The Fall Cup: Stage 2, Groups A-B

                


The panel must award a total of 78 points to the songs in these groups; no song may receive more than 20 points, and they must give points to at least 8 of the 12 songs. The top 4 go through to the last 64.

Group A is made up of the qualifiers from groups 1 and 2 in the first stage.


A resounding victory for 'New Puritan' was no surprise, given how it comfortably topped group 2 - even if Eric described it as 'not special to my ears'. 'Living Too Late's passage to the last 64 was also relatively comfortable, Lewis singling out the 'crushing bass line' of the 12" version 'Living Too Long' for particular praise.

It was very tight for the remaining pair of places. Surprisingly, 'New Big Prinz' got a zero from bzfgt, but its qualification was assured by strong support from Eric. 'Hip Priest' squeaked through on a tie-break: bzfgt boosted 'Victrola Time' with a whopping 17 that tied the scores, but 3/5 of the panel preferred the former.

'Who Makes The Nazis?' is one of Eric's favourite Fall tracks - 'a classic example for me of the ways in which odd arrangements, tempos and instrumentation can be applied to a "repetition, repetition, repetition" structure to produce something sublime' - but fell three points short. 'R.O.D.' was divisive in round 1 and continued to be so here. Richard in particular remained immune to its charms: 'Eeriness from the dressing-up box, not the heart of terror'.


'Youwanner' making fourth place in group 2 was perhaps a little surprising, and it divided the panel here even more than 'R.O.D.', getting a 14 from bzfgt but zeroes from Eric and me. Richard's view was ' relentless yet building in intensity, like being trapped in the engine room of a rickety ship at full stream, cogs and sprockets flying off at all angles'.

Now that we're at the second stage, we're inevitably going to have to bid farewell to some really strong songs. The abrasive aggression of 'Mere Pseud Mag. Ed.' and the joyfully exuberant 'Victoria Train Station Massacre/New Facts Emerge' didn't make it, despite both attracting high scores (from Richard and myself respectively). 

'Birmingham School of Business School' was dismissed by Richard as 'lead-footed funk' by Richard and was well off the pace, as was the engagingly grinding 'Arms Control Poseur'.




Group B is made up of the qualifiers from groups 3 and 4 in the first stage.


First-stage group toppers 'Bury!', 'Couples Vs Jobless Mid 30s' and '4½ Inch' secured the top three positions with predictable ease. There was another tie-break situation with 'Jerusalem' and 'I Feel Voxish', but this one was little more clear-cut, with only bzfgt preferring the latter. Of the remainderer, only 'The League of Bald Headed Men' came close, largely due to an 18 from Eric: 'a delicious and muscular chug and amusing lyrics, delivered energetically, making it one of the best bits of 90s/lads era Fall, a beloved cut I return to often in making various mixes for various purposes'.

There was a clear gap between these six and the rest. Richard's comment on 'Y.F.O.C./Slippy Floor' was that 'the final band did one or two many of these anonymous riffs'. bzfgt gave 'Das Vulture Ans Ein Nutter-Wain' his highest mark in round 3 and followed that up with a weighty 17 here; Lewis remained unimpressed: 'I'm astonished this inept attempt at German set to a lumpy and tuneless mess won any points in the first round, let alone went top 6.'

The most controversial exits in this round will undoubtedly be 'Totally Wired' and 'Rowche Rumble'. 'Petty (Thief) Lout' and 'Can Can Summer' were predictable casualties, although the former did get some decent support from bzfgt and Lewis.

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