Have a Bleedin Guess - the story of Hex Enduction Hour

by Paul Hanley

Of all The Fall's long-players Hex Enduction Hour remains one of their most highly regarded. Even the circumstances of its recording, purportedly in an abandoned cinema and a cave formed from Icelandic lava, have achieved legendary status among their ever-loyal fanbase. Have a Bleedin Guess tells the story of the album, including how each song was written, performed and recorded. It also includes new interviews with key players. Author Paul Hanley, who was one of The Fall's two drummers when Hex was created, is uniquely placed to discuss the album's impact, both when it was released and in the ensuing years.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hex Enduction Hour is one of the most ferocious albums in history, a wondrous squall of amateur thrashing and riffing and thumping and snarling set to Mark E. Smith’s most inspired set of inscrutable, unhinged lyrics/narratives, and the finest Fall album in their monolithic canon. Former drummer Paul Hanley (brother of bassist Steve, who co-penned the brilliant The Big Midweek), has written a fan’s treasure trove of trivia morsels in telling the story of this album, where every accident and improvisation cohered perfectly with MES’s monstrous vision, his influences ranging from TV adverts, conspiracy theories, classic horror, the pungency of the London media, to Icelandic mythology and Wyndham Lewis’s Blast (for the toilet-wall-esque cover art), melding with the feverish intensity of Marc Riley, Craig Scanlon, Karl Burns, and the Hanley brothers wrestling with their instruments like cavemen present at the birth of music. P. Hanley has since become a scholar of the scene, and has created a wry, illuminating, pedantic collage of everything Hex, an essential compendium for any and every Fall obsessive.

[Joe Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

There exists a theory that the first Fall album you hear eventually becomes your favourite. Hex was my rite of passage and, whilst it didn't connect immediately, the theory eventually gained validation. (My rediscovery coincidentally transpired during a trip to Iceland; I was totally unaware of the significance of the country's role in the creation of the album, so I suspect some sort of northern witchcraft was almost certainly at work).

As a fan who by this point "understood" the blueprint of The Fall, I was able to revisit the record with much more open ears. As a musician, however, the record's compositional qualities (still unique even for the group themselves) captured my attention as they hadn't before. The vast, cavernous improvisation, the consistent use of deliberately obscured timing, the repetition, the post-production experimentalism... it all felt so purposeful and clear-sighted, even in comparison to other Fall records. Whilst the lyrical subject matter certainly interested but generally eluded me, the sheer quality, otherworldly nature and mystical production of the music kept drawing me back. My obsession peaked as Paul Hanley's book on the record was announced.

It doesn't disappoint. The author/drummer humbly (but rightfully) acknowledges the record's deserving need for further insight; there are no boundaries to cross as the reader and writer feel bound to the work in tandem. Hanley's unique position as both an excellent critical author and a member of the band makes his word very easy to accept, and his descriptions and accounts are peppered with fascinating footnotes, record-straightening anecdotes and some almost impossibly interesting musical and compositional insights.

He writes with a balanced sense of hindsight and authority; his own musical knowledge has clearly developed since 1982 and he assesses his past shortcomings without the need for ego-inflation. He doesn't dwell on nostalgia and avoids any trappings of hero-worship by instead reflecting critically and honestly on the processes behind the songwriting, the recording, the promotion, the reception and finally the historical impact of the album.

Many will hope for a complete lyrical deconstruction or an insight into the mind of MES. What becomes eminently clear is how thoroughly planned the album was - everything was intentional from the song order, the album length, the artwork and of course the layers upon layers of lyrical cross-referencing, story-telling and world-building. The lyrics are explored and contextualised in a manner which allows the reader to take a step back to admire the richness of the whole tapestry, and whilst there's plenty of insight, there is of course only one man who kept all of the answers.

The mystical qualities of the album remain not only intact after such a rigorous debriefing - they are indeed felt by Hanley himself, and as such his approach is adapted so as not to spoil the magic. Simultaneously, his assessment is thorough enough to reveal qualities much, much deeper than those that are immediately obvious, allowing at least my love of the album to grow exponentially over the past week of reading this book. Fantastic and highly recommended read for any fans.

[James Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book Fall heads, of course, but I'd also say for anyone interested in English art, poetry or music in the eighties. Hanley was a young teenage drummer at the time of "Hex" and this, plus his genial, generous character and a nifty way with words, makes Have A Bleedin Guess a great read. There's a nice point made in the introduction that now, after main man Smith's passing, people who like reading and talking about some of the early albums are not just "look-back bores" because all the music is old music. The Fall have now passed into history and this is a fine testament to one of their finest achievments.

[Jonathan Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books about a single album ever written, because (1) the author was there (2) it isn't so very famous or successful to have acquired too much bullshit that needs washing away (3) it does speak for the lives and times it was made in, much better than that Andy Beckett book I read beforehand. Contains explosive details of which other post-punk acts were being ripped-off to provide the Fall's riffs, and if you don't think "The Classical" should be banned as racist you might to ban it for pinching a bass solo from Duran Duran's "Planet Earth".

[John Spiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have stumbled upon this review, you are probably a more than causal fan of The Fall. And if you are a more than casual fan of The Fall, "Hex Enduction Hour" is likely in your Top 10/Top 5/Top 3/Toppermost of all Fall albums. Thus, you owe it to yourself to devour "Have a Bleedin Guess" by former Fall drummer, Paul Hanley.

Unlike most name-dropping, on-the-scene rock crits, Hanley was there, man. He blends a behind-the scenes reportage, wry commentary, and some pretty naff exegesis of MES's gnomic lyrics. Perhaps most importantly, he gave me a greater and deeper appreciation of an album I have played to death. "Have a Bleedin Guess" should be read as a companion piece to Paul's brother, Steve Hanley's "The Big Midweek".

[William Southwell-Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for fans of The Fall, and probably of general interest to anyone who enjoys reading a well-written narrative of the writing/recording of albums.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been listening to Hex Enduction Hour since its release in 1982 (yes, I'm old) but after reading HaBG (twice, once without and once with the record on the turntable) the record has taken on a new lease of life. PH as did his brother Steve (in the The Big Midweek) take you where MES probably didn't want you to go. The tales of the recording are fantastic, insightful and often very funny, although not if you were there I suspect. We all know MES was a piece of work and this book only goes to expand on this legend. The stories of how he and the group developed the songs was a real eye opener and I would have been witness to some of that development, if only I'd have realised it.
I loved the part on how the cover was "designed" and now know why the book looks as it does (thanks to google).
Only one quibble, I love 'And This Day' and always did whenever they played it live.
One of the best books on The Fall by one of the drummers in the best line-up of The Fall. Cigs smoked here.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am absolutely brilliant book. Witty, insightful, detailed... A true joy to read.

[Geoff Winston Leghorn Balme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well you have to be a Fall fan, that's who this is for. So many questions answered, many still unanswered. But, what a terrific inside scoop on a record and a band that has both thrilled and bewildered me my whole life.
It was tremendous pleasure to get quotes from Scanlon, and Reilly as well as many other players in the great enigma of this art.
How did a New England country bumpkin (ME) end up a mad fan for a Manchester garage rock outfit that he could barely decipher? The promise and outlandishness Hex Enduction and the fall in general produced was the most exciting thing happening to me and it zeroed in from MES's weirdo stories and rants to the cantankerousness of the instruments being pounded for the music. As a burgeoning musician myself I loved that my guitar sounded like The Fall (tele and princeton no effects). And that the fall looked and felt so different from everything the K-mart record bin and Kershner's Rock Concert could offer. It was the other world every teenager aspires to.
Thank you Paul Hanley for giving us some more insight.
I do wish that tremendous art wasn't such a goddamned dictatorship so often, but it's clear the input from everyone was necessary to give MES a place to stand. And that the beauty of craft is not necessarily measured in cash. Sorry man, but I'm buying the books! And still buying the records!

[Ashley Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, loveable account of the most enigmatic record ever made written somehow both inside and outside The Fall. Best Fall book since The Big Midweek. Makes me want to go back to the album I'm always going back to, Hex Enduction Hour.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As advertised.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Hanley isn't the first member of the Fall to write about being in The Fall (see also his brother Steve Hanley's excellent 'The Big Midweek'). He's not even the first drummer from The Fall to write about being in The Fall (Simon Wolstencroft; 'You can Drum but you can't Hide'). But this is an excellent addition to the canon of Fall memoirs and Fall musings, bringing new depths to my appreciation of one of The Fall's best albums, Hex Enduction Hour (1982), through a detailed reconstruction of those recording sessions in Iceland and Hitchin. Particularly good lyrical analysis and also highlighted the importance of the drumming on the album (this was the pinnacle of The Fall's 'two-drummer' lineup).

[Gavin Hogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dive into the making of, the meaning of and reaction to one of The Fall's greatest albums. I bought my copy (German pressing, white vinyl) from a record fair in Middlesbrough around 30 years ago and still treasure it.
Great read for any fans or those that are Fall-curious. This or the equally excellent 'The Big Midweek' would be good places to start.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent, a solid read, and I couldn't read it fast enough. Bless The Fall. I'm listening to Hex again with new ears, and appreciating every nuance of the beautiful 'noise'. Along with The Big Midweek, this is easily the best Fall book.

[Dustin Aaron scharlach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good book by former drummer of the Fall, mostly read while listening to Hex Enduction Hour on headphones mid-winter, riding the train through ted wheeler's masterpiece downtown PDX hellscape

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and informative look at the making of the seminal Fall album Hex Enduction Hour from one of the players. Check out the podcast Oh! Brother for lots more good stuff related to the band by the author

[Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fucking great rock book. The kind of book about your favorite record that you want a book about your favorite record to be.

[Lee Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most interesting about that one phrase toward the beginning of The Classical that didn't age well. Also great at demystifying the psychic MES myth, describing the permeable border between unschooled intuitive zero-fuckery and genius. The cover of this suggests the cover of Blast by Wyndham Lewis, an inspiration for the cover of Hex Enduction Hour and the MES approach. Generally, a swell read for fans. For example, cool to learn they got 6K pounds for the inclusion of Hip Priest in Silence of the Lambs. Also loved the "best album of all-time" reviews toward the end that read like vicious pans (along the lines of the singer is a neurotic drinker and the band is no more than a big crashing beat etc).

[Andrew Korell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fall's "Hex Enduction Hour" period including a brief chapter on the "Room To Live" sessions. It's mainly one song per chapter with a mix of Paul's writing and aural history.

I find Paul to be pleasantly accessible and guileless in his writing. He let's other people speak in their own words, and seems pretty straight about his own involvement, contributions, and feelings. I've read a few other books about The Fall but think this is the first one to really talk about how the band develops its music. Maybe the first to really humanize MES. Of course, I haven't read them all yet.

[Steven Pilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

You could say I like pop music will I like this and I'd say probably not . You have to like the fall or be interested in creativity and conflict.

I love the fall and this is perfect , encyclopedic enthralling and written by a good writer who sheds light on a great record and a singular man .

Only gets 4 because just read something that deserved a 5 it's a fantastic book about a fantastic record and you cant say fairer than that 4.9 out of 5 if you need to know

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! https://icannever.wordpress.com/2019/...

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best book on The Fall.

[Knut Sigurd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heilt super på alle vis! Og sikkert den Fall-boka eg har lese som har mest om Karl Burns.

[Martin Raybould · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating ego-light, insider's account of the making of The Fall's finest hour.

[CHAD HADEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Hanley is just as wonderful a writer as he is a drummer

[Terry Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have a bleedin' read.....you won't regret it if you're a Fall fan.

[Shaun Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A just for all Fall fans

Undilutable slang truth!

[A R · Rating 4 out of 5]

good if you care about hex. Journalism from an inside man, not art

[Bryan Hansel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the benchmark of what a book about music should be.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant, entertaining, unsparing, but kind and even-handed. 4.5+ stars.