Sub-Lingual Tablet
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Sub-Lingual Tablet
| type = studio
| artist = the Fall
| cover = Sub-Lingual_Tablet.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2015|5|11}}
| recorded = 2014–2015
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Post-punk
| length = 50:52 (CD)
56:04 (vinyl)
| label = Cherry Red{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/17425-the-fall-announce-new-album-sub-lingual-tablet|title=The Quietus - News - The Fall Announce Sub-Lingual Tablet|access-date=19 September 2016}}
| producer = Mark E. Smith
| prev_title = The Remainderer
| prev_year = 2013
| next_title = Wise Ol' Man
| next_year = 2016
}}
Sub-Lingual Tablet is the 30th and penultimate studio album by English band The Fall, released in May 2015 by Cherry Red Records.
The album was originally going to be named Dedication Not Medication, but, according to Mark E. Smith, "it looked a bit like a Barclays advert".{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/nme-final-interview-mark-e-smith-2227972|title=NME’s last ever interview with Mark E. Smith was a rip-roaring rant on class, music, manners and selfie sticks – read it here|date=25 January 2018|website=NME|access-date=10 October 2018}} Sub-Lingual Tablet marks the first appearance of second drummer Daren Garratt as a full-time member (he previously guested on The Remainderer, uncredited). Meanwhile, "Black Roof" doesn't feature the regular Fall lineup at all; instead, the bulk of it was recorded by former members Rob Barbato and Tim Presley in the United States, with Smith adding the vocals later.
Two of the album's tracks were already released in 2014 in different versions – "Fibre Book Troll" on Modeselektor's Modeselektion Vol. 03 compilation and "Auto Chip 2014-2016" (as "Auto (2014) Chip Replace") on part-live, part-studio album Live: Uurop VIII-XII Places In Sun & Winter, Son.
Reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sub-lingual-tablet-mw0002837866|title=The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet|last=Jeffries|first=David|work=AllMusic|access-date=9 September 2021|language=en}}
| rev2 = Drowned in Sound
| rev2Score = 7/10{{cite web|last1=Bland|first1=Benjamin|title=Album Review: The Fall - Sub-Lingual Tablet|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/18810/reviews/4149004|website=Drowned in Sound|access-date=26 May 2015|date=19 May 2015|archive-date=22 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522011014/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/18810/reviews/4149004|url-status=dead}}
| rev3 = The Guardian
| rev3Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web|last1=Hann|first1=Michael|title=The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet review – predictable and surprising in almost equal measure|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/07/the-fall-sub-lingual-tablet-review|website=The Guardian|access-date=8 May 2015|date=7 May 2015}}
| rev4 = The Line of Best Fit
| rev4Score = 8/10{{Cite news|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/the-fall-sub-lingual-tablet1|title=The Fall release their best album for at least, ooh, seven years|last=Scott|first=Hayley|date=18 May 2015|work=The Line of Best Fit|access-date=9 September 2021|language=en}}
| rev5 = Louder Than War
| rev5Score = 9/10{{Cite news|url=https://louderthanwar.com/fall-sub-lingual-tablet-album-review/|title=The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet – album review|last=Scott-Bates|first=Paul|date=15 May 2015|work=Louder Than War|access-date=9 September 2021|language=en}}
| rev6 = musicOMH
| rev6Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/fall-sub-lingual-tablet|title=The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet|last=Shepherd|first=Sam|date=25 May 2015|work=musicOMH|access-date=9 September 2021|language=en}}
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev7Score = 6.0/10{{cite web|last1=Berman|first1=Stuart|title=The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet
| rev8 = PopMatters
| rev8Score = 6/10{{Cite news|url=https://www.popmatters.com/194440-the-fall-sub-lingual-tablet-2495519495.html|title=The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet|last=Fisher|first=Devon|date=22 June 2015|work=PopMatters|access-date=9 September 2021|language=en}}
| rev9 = Record Collector
| rev9Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{Cite news|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/sub-lingual-tablet|title=The Fall: Sub-Lingual Tablet|last=Peacock|first=Tim|date=20 May 2015|work=Record Collector|access-date=9 September 2021|language=en}}
| rev10 = The Skinny
| rev10Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|last1=McCall|first1=Chris|title=The Fall – Sub-Lingual Tablet|url=http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/the-fall-sub-lingual-tablet|website=The Skinny|access-date=8 May 2015|date=6 May 2015}}
}}
Michael Hann of The Guardian gave the album three stars out of five, calling it "predictable and surprising in almost equal measure"; he criticised the album for having "its share of Fall-by-numbers" but also described "Auto Chip 2014-2016" as "magnificent". Chris McCall of The Skinny said that it was "easily the [band's] best [album] since 2007's Reformation Post TLC". Drowned in Sound reviewer Benjamin Bland said that while the album contained "a series of tracks that could fit into almost any period in the band's catalogue", it included "enough genuinely high quality Fall material" to be of interest to old and new fans alike.
Track listing
=CD version=
{{track listing
| total_length =
| title1 = Venice with the Girls
| writer1 = Mark E. Smith, Dave Spurr, Keiron Melling
| length1 = 4:11
| title2 = Black Roof
| note2 = listed as "Black Door" on iTunes
| writer2 = Smith, Rob Barbato, Tim Presley
| length2 = 1:46
| title3 = Dedication Not Medication
| writer3 = Smith, Spurr
| length3 = 4:47
| title4 = First One Today
| writer4 = Smith, Elena Poulou
| length4 = 2:45
| title5 = Junger Cloth
| writer5 = Smith, Spurr, Melling
| length5 = 4:55
| title6 = Stout Man
| note6 = a reworking of "Cock in My Pocket" by Iggy and the Stooges
| writer6 = Iggy Pop, James Williamson
| length6 = 3:15
| title7 = Auto Chip 2014-2016
| note7 = listed as "Auto Chip 14-15" on iTunes
| writer7 = Smith, Poulou
| length7 = 10:03
| title8 = Pledge!
| writer8 = Smith
| length8 = 6:32
| title9 = Snazzy
| writer9 = Smith, Poulou
| length9 = 2:29
| title10 = Fibre Book Troll
| note10 = listed as "Facebook Troll" on iTunes
| writer10 = Smith, Poulou, Spurr
| length10 = 5:59
| title11 = Quit iPhone
| writer11 = Smith, Spurr, Melling
| length11 = 4:10
}}
=Vinyl version=
- The double-vinyl version was released on May 25 and contains alternate versions of several tracks, most notably longer versions of "Dedication Not Medication" and "Fibre Book Troll", and shorter versions of "Auto Chip 2014-2016" and "Pledge!"
{{track listing
| headline = Side A
| title1 = Venice with the Girls
| writer1 = Smith, Spurr, Melling
| length1 = 4:12
| title2 = Black Roof
| writer2 = Smith, Barbato, Presley
| length2 = 1:46
| title3 = Dedication Not Medication
| writer3 = Smith, Spurr
| length3 = 7:38
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side B
| title4 = First One Today
| writer4 = Smith, Poulou
| length4 = 2:45
| title5 = Junger Cloth
| writer5 = Smith, Spurr, Melling
| length5 = 4:55
| title6 = Stout Man
| writer6 = Pop, Williamson
| length6 = 3:17
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side C
| title7 = Auto Chip 2014-2016
| writer7 = Smith, Poulou
| length7 = 8:21
| title8 = Pledge!
| writer8 = Smith
| length8 = 4:56
| title9 = Snazzy
| writer9 = Smith, Poulou
| length9 = 2:29
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side D
| title10 = Fibre Book Troll
| writer10 = Smith, Poulou, Spurr
| length10 = 11:35
| title11 = Quit iPhone
| writer11 = Smith, Spurr, Melling
| length11 = 4:10
}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from Sub-Lingual Tablet liner notes.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Fall-Sub-Lingual-Tablet/release/6977262|title=The Fall - Sub-Lingual Tablet|access-date=19 September 2016}}
;The Fall
- Mark E. Smith – vocals, guitar on "First One Today", production
- Peter Greenway – guitar
- Elena Poulou – synthesizer, engineering
- David Spurr – bass guitar
- Keiron Melling – drums, engineering
- Daren Garratt – drums, percussion, backing vocals on "Auto Chip 2014-2016"
;Additional personnel
- Rob Barbato – all instruments, recording and mixing on "Black Roof"
- Tim Presley – all instruments, recording and mixing on "Black Roof"
- Simon "Ding" Archer – engineering, voice on "Dedication Not Medication" (vinyl version)
- Mat Arnold – engineering
- Andy Pearce – mastering
- Ken Pearson – artwork
- Charlie Pearson – artwork
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2015)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|UK|31|artist=Fall|accessdate=18 May 2015|rowheader=true}} |
References
{{reflist|40em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305181235/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/sub-lingual-tablet/id977365325 iTunes]
{{The Fall}}
{{Authority control}}