Is there one of their albums I should listen to in order to "get it?"

Just listen to their song "Totally Wired" on repeat. It don't get any better.

Heh. Here's a contender for The Shins Will Save Your Life status. The AMG review of the Totally Wired compilation:

Arguably the essential period of the Fall was the tenure the legendary Manchester group spent signed to Rough Trade, during which time they produced their most arresting and original work in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest recorded anthologies in the history of British post-punk rock. Essential Records had the genius to compile this low-priced, two-disc set surveying the seminal 1980-1983 period; it serves as an excellent starting point for newcomers to the group and an essential upgrade for the owners of the group's thrashed LPs and singles. While the Fall continued through two more decades, producing an enormous amount of material, they never topped the vital era that produced these recordings. Every track still sounds as uncompromising as the day it was released, and close to 30 years later, this collection is a startling reminder that alongside the recorded works of Sonic Youth, it's hard to imagine a world without the Fall. In that, it's safe to say that this is the holy grail collection of one of the most vital and influential groups of the '80s. - Skip Jansen

I'm not disagreeing, necessarily, but...

Download the Fall track "The Classical" from their 2nd-greatest album Hex Enduction Hour, too. As great as "Totally Wired" is (and it's fucking awesome), for me, "The Classical" is Why The Fall Is Astonishingly Good. More backstory: according to potentially apocryphal legend, Motown Records wanted to get in on the ground floor of this punk thing going on in the early 80s, so they expressed some interest in The Fall. Mark E. sent them a copy of "The Classical," which had just been recorded but had yet to be released. Apparently (for the obvious reason if you listen to the song), they made it about 8 seconds in.

I hear that the 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong compilation is pretty good, too.

Joe: got box. Will write more after 2 pm meeting.

OK, I'm starting to understand The Fall, based on the two recommendations. I guess I just haven't been up that branch off the punk tree, even though I apparently have (thanks to their followers).

If someone could arrange for Lyle Lovett to sing to me constantly, that'd be great. North Dakota at least once every couple of hours.

For those of you with digital cable, Showtime C is showing the documentary "Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways". It will be rebroadcast today at 4:30pm.

[ETA: OK, not a great film. JJ didn't participate, they didn't have a lot of archival footage, and a lot of memories are fried at this point.]

Are you people listening to Nellie McKay? She's so kickass.

Thank you. The backlash is already in on her, and I just don't get it. Yeah, she's kind of cutesy at times, but not to the point of distraction. Beyond that, she's all manner of accomplished and lyrically talented. And hot, so hot.

And also, she's ready to cut anyone who fucks with her. I like that.

Yeah, the hell with assertive women in pop music--I want more actually violent women in pop music. "Won't U Please B Nice" goes on my Disturbing/Great list.