Dragnet
by The Fall

In contrast to the first album, 'Dragnet' has no production values whatsoever. The recording studio didn't want their name on the sleeve because of its poor, self-produced, lo-fi nature. It's a different band to the first album. Only Smith and Marc Riley remain from that line-up. Karl Burns, the brilliant drummer left to join PiL, from which he got the sack for being 'too out of it'. The drums on Dragnet are handled by Mike Leigh, an ex-rock and roll cabaret/showband drummer, whose party piece was somersaulting over his drum kit in full Teddy Boy regalia. The keyboard player, Yvonne Pawlett also quit. Her last appearance was on the single 'Rowche Rumble'. New, teenage members, Steve Hanley on bass, and Craig Scanlon on guitar, were ex-roadies for the band. Riley, Scanlon and Hanley were mates, and involved in all the best stuff the band did.

On this album they manage to mix a lot of quite catchy pop songs: 'Printhead', 'Dice Man', 'Choc-Stock' and 'Put Away', with some repetitious dirges that feature Mark's extraordinary squealing: 'A Figure Walks', 'Muzorewi's Daughter' (particularly scary) and 'Spectre Vs. Rector' (as lo as lo-fi gets). The style of these is Northern Victorian horror. There are also songs that comment on the music press, as Smith has always done. He quotes a review, "The band is nothing more than a big crashing beat. The instruments collide and we all get drunk". In 'Psykick Dancehall' he prophecies, "When I am dead and gone, my vibrations will live on". No doubt about it. Elsewhere, "I am a Dice Man. Balls on the line man. Do you take a chance, fan?" Castigating the audience as usual, and referencing the cult novel of the same name.

This album is far more enjoyable than Hex Enduction Hour, even though Hex is more impressive. Some of the lyrics have stayed with me for decades, "They say music should be fun, like reading a story of love, but I wanna read a horror story"; "It's like I drank myself sober, I get better as I get older"; "No sex or records for a year and a day, because they're putting me away". It's great stuff, and I love it.

From Jboy56 11/28/2023 15:09 | #300178

No

For me Dragnet is a vast improvement on Live At The Witch Trials, it quite simply has better songs.

Spectre Vs Rector towers over anything they recorded in the late 70's, a classic tale of exorcism set to an eerie guitar line.

Flat Of Angles is also worth a mention as it is as catchy as the Fall could hope to be on only their second LP.

Psykick Dancehall is also quite infectious and was one of the few tracks of yesteryear that made a live comeback in the early 00's.

One of the best Fall albums. Even more raw and punky than, witch trials, and is none the worse for it. Printhead, dice man, muzorewi's daughter, are just three picks. Uncompromising record.

Very stark, and wickedly funny.