Day 87: In comic type letters...

I've had to use the live version of this song to blog it, as Shift Work seems to be shrouded in copyright mystery, sort it out Youtube...



Song: The Mixer
Album: Shift Work
Year: 1991

This video gives a great impression of the song, I like the bits with what sounds like rehearsals on his little tape walkman and the fact Brix seems to be wearing trainers with a red dress, amazing. The song itself is a pretty good one, it has a warm, satisfied sound to it and the lyrics reflect this. The sound of the melodica can grate for some people, but here I'd say it combines well with Brix's guitar lines and the quick and paced beat laid out by the drums.

The lyrics are great, I feel that this fictional 'Mixer' is MES himself, he sounds relaxed and pleased with the laid-back backing track and lines about reassurance like 'he turns and smiles at me' make me think it's about self-awareness and reflection, but who knows? I still feel MES is not a shameless self-promoter, he is still incredibly question-dodging and still gives interviews as if the journalists are out to get him. I'd say this is more a nod to say that he knows who he is and those doubting him are way off the mark. However, I seem to recall him saying that no Fall song is about himself, but I would argue the opposite, every Fall song seems to be about himself, but without being overly sugary and sickly sweet. You will never find MES singing a folorn ballad for example, or even referring to himself in the third person. He has done that once as far as I know on Middle Class Revolt ('You're sleeping with some hippy halfwit/Who thinks he's Mr Mark Smith).

Overall I'd say this is one to just enjoy, this is The Fall in rare reflective and calm mode.