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Paint Work (song)

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Wikipedia article




"'Paint Work'" (often written as "Paintwork") is a 1985 song by the English Post-punk band The Fall that first appeared on their album 'This Nation's Saving Grace'. Widely considered the high-point of the album, the track was described in 2019 as "absolutely sublime" by 'Vulture',Berman, Stuart. "[https://www.vulture.com/2018/01/hey-student-its-a-beginners-guide-to-the-fall.html Hey, Student! Its a Beginners Guide to the Fall]". 'Vulture', 3 January 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2022Dora John. "[https://thequietus.com/articles/05559-this-nations-saving-grace-the-fall Messing Up The Paintwork: This Nations Saving Grace Revisited]". 'The Quietus', 24 January 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2022 and as "mildly psychedelic" in 2011 by critic Mick Middles.Middles, Mick. "[https://thequietus.com/articles/05603-the-fall-this-nation-s-saving-grace-review The Fall: This Nation's Saving Grace Omnibus Edition review]". 'The Quietus', 26 January 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2022

Music



The semi-acoustic music is blended with tape collages and Smith's stream of consciousness lyrics which reply on the refrain "hey Mark", Karl Burns' cymbal crashes and Craig Scanlon's meandering lead guitar lines.Pilley, Max. "[https://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4151577-the-fangasm--the-fall The Fangasm: The Fall]". 'Drowned in Sound', 26 January 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2022 Credited to both Smith and Brix, it blends studio recordings with sections recorded on a four track in Roger's flat, and audio from Smiths dictaphone. During the mixing, Smith took the master tape home and accidentally erased part of the track with a snippet from a documentary he was listening to from an Open University lecture by the astronomer Alan Cooper titled " How do red giants make Carbon?"."[https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/program/video:FOUS308H Module S256: How do red giants make carbon?]". Open University Digital Archive. Retrieved 6 May 2022Ford (2002), p. 147 According to Smith, he was "watching telly and singing along to the song after I'd played it, while [his home tape machine] was recording."Pouncey, Edwin. 'Sounds', 28 September 1985 The sudden jump between studio recordings and sudden inserts of home-taped passages fits the mood of the track, and he and Leckie decided to include on the finished version.Simpson, Dave. "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/dec/15/the-fall-nations-grace-review The Fall: This Nation's Saving Grace Omnibus Edition review]". 'The Guardian', 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2022 Smith said "It fits in really good, you can't contrive something like that."

Lyrics



According to Brix, both "Paint Work" and the 'TNSG' album track "My New House" were both written about the house in Sedgeley Park she had just bought to Mark. According to Brix "Hey Mark, you're messing up the paintwork" is something the decorator said."Start Smith (2017), 19851986 Smith said in a 1986 interview that the song lyrics contains "personal jottings and bits, but there's a lot there about England compared to Europe; how if you're not some flag-waving moron you don't fit in. This wasn't what England was about - it was about individuals. And that's what Paintwork was saying."Haslam, Dave. 'City Life', 18 July 1986

Personnel



;The Fall Irvin (2017), p. 495

* Mark E. Smith vocals

* Brix Smith guitar

* Steve Hanley bass guitar

* Craig Scanlon guitar

* Karl Burns drums

* Simon Rogers keyboards

;Technical

* John Leckie production, engineering

* Joe Gillingham engineering

References



Sources



* Edge, Brian. 'Paintwork: Portrait of The Fall'. London: Omnibus Press, 1989.

* Ford, Simon. 'Hip Priest: The Story of Mark E.Smith and the Fall'. London: Quartet Books, 2002.

* Hanley, Steve. 'The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall'. London: Route, 2014.

* Irvin, Jim (ed). 'The Mojo Collection: 4th Edition'. London: Canongate Books, 2017.

* Norton, Tessa; Stanley, Bob. 'Excavate!: The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall '. London: Faber & Faber, 2021.

* Smith, Brix. 'The Rise, The Fall, and The Rise'. London: Faber & Faber, 2017.

Category:1985 songs

Category:Songs written by Mark E. Smith

Category:Songs written by Brix Smith

Category:The Fall (band) songs

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