The Infotainment Scan

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The Infotainment Scan is the fifteenth album by The Fall, released in 1993. In the UK it came out on Permanent Records and in the US on Matador Records, the first official American release since Extricate in 1990. At the time it was seen as the band’s most accessible record and it arrived as the group was getting unusual media attention. It reached number 9 on the UK Albums Chart, the band’s highest-charting album.

The album includes two covers: Sister Sledge’s disco classic “Lost in Music” and Steve Bent’s “I’m Going to Spain,” a song Bent performed on the 1976 TV show New Faces. The CD edition adds “Why Are People Grudgeful?”, which was released as a single in a different version. The track is based on two reggae tunes: “People Grudgeful” by Joe Gibbs and “People Funny Boy” by Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Among the original songs, “Glam-Racket” drew attention for a line many took as a shot at the Britpop band Suede, though Mark E. Smith said it was about nostalgia in general. “The League of Bald-Headed Men” has a riff similar to Led Zeppelin’s “Misty Mountain Hop,” though Smith said he hadn’t heard Led Zeppelin. A CD remix of that track, titled “League Moon Monkey Mix,” is also included. “Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room” borrows its title from a Twilight Zone episode, and Smith had used other TV episode titles in his lyrics before and after.

Reissues followed: Artful reissued the album in 1999 with the same track list. Castle Music remastered and expanded it to a double-CD set in 2006, with slightly revised artwork. The first disc kept the original order, while the second added B-sides, demos, alternate versions, and radio sessions.

Reception was generally positive. Critics praised its wit and its blend of sharp lyrics with shifting music. AllMusic called it one of the band’s best and most accessible records. The Boston Globe and The Independent offered favorable views. The New York Times and The Washington Post noted its approachability alongside caustic lyrics. NME spoke highly of it, while Spin was more mixed. The album is listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005).