Description
The Fall – Totale’s Turns (It’s Now or Never) – Vinyl Record
First live album by The Fall. Dragnet-era lineup with Marc Riley, Craig Scanlon, Steve Hanley and Mark E Smith combative sneer. First time available on vinyl in the USA. Notes by Brian Turner.
Released on May 5, 1980, Totale’s Turns (It’s Now or Never) is the first live album by the legendary post-punk band The Fall. Known for their raw energy, confrontational stage presence, and leader Mark E. Smith’s unfiltered vocal style, The Fall were at their most abrasive and unpredictable during this era. Unlike a typical live album, Totale’s Turns is deliberately chaotic, lo-fi, and antagonistic, capturing The Fall’s early performances with all their flaws, spontaneity, and confrontational spirit intact.
By 1980, The Fall had already begun establishing themselves as a formidable force in the UK post-punk scene, with Mark E. Smith’s biting wit and disdain for the mainstream shaping their sound and attitude. Following their debut album Live at the Witch Trials (1979) and its follow-up Dragnet (1979), the band released Totale’s Turns, a collection of live recordings from 1979 and early 1980, with one studio track (“New Puritan”) added for good measure.
What makes Totale’s Turns unique is its raw, almost confrontational presentation. Instead of being an edited, polished live album, the recording preserves audience heckling, Mark E. Smith’s sarcastic onstage banter, and the band’s deliberately rough and disjointed performances. This wasn’t meant to be a “concert experience” in the traditional sense—it was The Fall as they truly were: unapologetic, abrasive, and unpredictable.
Notable Tracks & Highlights
“Intro” – Mark E. Smith immediately sets the confrontational tone, opening the album with “The difference between you and us is that we have brains.”
“Fiery Jack” – A live version of one of The Fall’s early classics, driven by a repetitive, stomping rhythm and Smith’s manic, slurred delivery.
“Rowche Rumble” – A hypnotic, drug-referencing track that showcases the band’s trademark repetition and groove.
“Muzorewi’s Daughter” – One of the longer tracks, where the band stretches out with a loose, jagged post-punk groove.
“In My Area” – A song that exemplifies The Fall’s ability to turn simple riffs and spoken-word lyrics into something hypnotic and unsettling.
“Choc-Stock” – Another track filled with dissonant guitar riffs, primitive rhythms, and Smith’s caustic vocals.
“New Puritan” (Studio Track) – The only non-live track, featuring an eerie, almost prophetic spoken-word delivery over a skeletal, repetitive instrumental.
“No Xmas for John Quays” – A fan-favorite early track, played here in a particularly shambolic yet captivating version.
“Spectre vs. Rector” – A song that borders on the avant-garde, with stream-of-consciousness lyrics and shifting, unsettling instrumentation.
“Cary Grant’s Wedding” – A bizarre, seemingly improvised song that ends the album on a surreal note.
Totale’s Turns is not an album for casual listeners. The production is rough, the performances feel more like a battle between band and audience than a traditional gig, and Smith’s vocals are deliberately confrontational. The Fall’s early sound was a mix of garage rock, punk, and post-punk, and this album highlights their ability to create something hypnotic and engaging out of repetition, noise, and raw energy.
The guitar work is jagged and dissonant, the basslines are repetitive and trance-like, and the drumming is primal—all trademarks of The Fall’s early style. Smith, as always, sounds like a man more interested in provoking reactions than in pleasing a crowd, a stance that would define The Fall’s career.
Upon its release, Totale’s Turns received polarizing reviews—some critics dismissed it as sloppy and unlistenable, while others praised it as a raw, uncompromising document of one of the most original bands in post-punk. Over the years, the album has been reassessed as a crucial piece of The Fall’s discography, offering an authentic, unfiltered look at their live performances during their formative years.
Showcased Mark E. Smith’s onstage persona as a performer who was as likely to antagonize his audience as entertain them. Captured The Fall’s early sound in its rawest form, influencing later punk, post-punk, and noise rock bands. Became a cult favorite among Fall fans who appreciate the band’s anti-commercial, rebellious ethos.
Despite—or perhaps because of—its rough edges, Totale’s Turns remains a one-of-a-kind live album, perfectly capturing the anti-mainstream, avant-garde spirit of The Fall.
Totale’s Turns (It’s Now or Never) isn’t just a live album—it’s an experience, a statement, and a challenge to conventional rock performance. The Fall were never about polished production or accessibility, and this album proves it, warts and all.
If you’re looking for a raw, no-frills insight into The Fall at their most unapologetically abrasive and unpredictable, Totale’s Turns is essential listening.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Intro / Fiery Jack
Rowche Rumble
Muzorewi’s Daughter
In My Area
Choc-Stock
Spectre Vs. Rector
Cary Grant’s Wedding
That Man
New Puritan
No Xmas For J. Quay
