The Fall: Mark E. Smith (vocals); Brix Smith (guitar, background vocals); Craig Scanlon (acoustic & electric guitars); Marcia Schofield (keyboards); Steve Hanley (bass); Simon Wolstencroft (drums).
Named in honor of a series of Swedish softcore films of the '60s, 1988's I AM KURIOUS ORANJ is not a typical Fall album. This is the band's score for a ballet by England's experimental Michael Clark Dance Troupe. Although nearly all of the album's ten songs have vocals, they're necessarily understated, given the music's role as background. As a result, I AM KURIOUS ORANJ is possibly the most low-key release in the band's long and amazingly prolific career. Besides the still rather aggressive title track, the album's highlight is a straightforward and surprisingly lovely version of William Blake's "Jerusalem," probably the most surprising cover ever by a band known for its odd choices in outside material. The CD includes three non-LP bonus tracks, including "Big New Priest," a radically different version of the album's opening track, "New Big Prinz."
