Track Listing

1. Psykick Dancehall
2. A Figure Walks
3. Printhead
4. Dice Man
5. Before The Moon Falls
6. Muzorewi's Daughter
7. Flat Of Angels
8. Choc Stock
9. Spectre Vs Rector
10. Put Away
11. Rowche Rumble (Bonus Track)
12. In My Area (Bonus Track)
13. Fiery Fack (Bonus Track)
14. 2nd Dark Age (Bonus Track)
15. Psykick Dancehall 2 (Bonus Track)
16. Rowche Rumble Take 2 (Bonus Track)
17. Rowche Rumble Take 3 (Bonus Track)
18. Rowche Rumble Take 4 (Bonus Track)
19. Rowche Rumble Take 5 (Bonus Track)
20. In My Area Take 1 (Bonus Track)
21. In My Area Take 2 (Bonus Track)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2363 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Dimensions: .23 pounds
• Running time: 81 minutes

Customer Reviews

These are your new words today:
Dragnet, the second Fall album from 1979, is the second release of the current Fall-reissue programme that will see the great back catalogue reissued in a remastered form, with sleevenotes & a wealth of bonus tracks. This version of Dragnet comes with almost an album's worth of bonus tracks, songs that made up the second side of 1981-compilation 'Early Fall 77-79' (In My Area, Rowche Rumble, Psykick Dancehall II, Fiery Jack)- though the many alternate takes of several of these tracks will be of more academic interest to the hardcore Fall-head. Of the two albums reissued, Live at the Witch Trials is a sounder purchase, as the album proper is more upbeat and it's been expanded to a two-disc, 41-track version.

Dragnet is bleaker stuff, moving towards that lo-fi claustrophobia apparent on later releases like Grotesque(After the Gramme) & Slates. Perhaps this is due to the fact Martin Bramah & Una Baines left to form The Blue Orchids (whose classic, 1980's The Greatest Hit, has recently been reissued)- the album is keyboard-based & has a different kind of tension. MES is joined by long-serving members Craig Scanlan & Steve Hanley and one-time drummer Mike Leigh- the only other member from the Witch Trials- line up being Marc'Lard'Riley, who had shifted instruments in an attempt to replace Bramah. Dragnet is minimal stuff, definitely predicting such lo-fi releases as Confusion is Sex (Sonic Youth), Dial M for...(Pussy Galore) & much of the career of Royal Trux. Recorded over just a few days, it creates a new internal world- MES's paranoia moving into darker climes with such songs as Before the Moon Falls, A Figure Walks & the M.R.James-referencing Spectre Vs. Rector (which predicted a ghost-element in Smith's lyrics, see Jawbone & The Air Rifle & Wings). The closest thing to the demented pop of the debut album is found in Choc-Stock (once covered by St Etienne) & Dice Man (Smith advising us not to read the book of the same name, "the song is much safer").

Grant Showbiz (who would be associated with several Fall albums, as well as The Smiths' Rank & Billy Bragg/Wilco's Mermaid Avenue)helps out on production & helps make such songs as Psykick Dancehall, Muzorewi's Daughter & Put Away a jangly joy like such later songs as City Hobgoblins, Cruiser's Creek & Barmy. Perhaps Dragnet was a response to the over-produced sounds of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, it sounds like Trout Mask Replica recorded in the time it took to record White Light/White Heat.

Dragnet is one of the most angular albums in an angular career, & extra tracks like classic singles Fiery Jack (the first time The Fall did that rockabilly thing) & Rowche Rumble sweeten the sinister climes of the album. Perhaps not the best Fall album for someone to start on, but like many Fall albums, could easily be described as, "The best Fall album in the world ever"...

The Falls Masterpiece
I have all the Falls albums and this has always been my favourite. Takes a bit of getting used to. Side 2 was unlistenable for several months, but then suddenly it all made sense and i have actually preferred it ever since. One of my top 10 albums of all time. Awesome.

Caught in the Cobwebs of Dragnet
Stark, dark, Gripping and interesting. The second studio album by the fall is much more dark and disturbing than Live at The Witch Trials but Dragnet is probably a more consistently interesting album. Whilst the first album has some great quirks with brilliant tracks like Frightened, Futures and Pasts and Industrial Estate where the drums and keyboards are more prominent in the music Dragnet has overall more emphasis on the Mark's lyrics which are more idiosyncratic and compelling in this album.
The Fall had completely changed the line-up since eight months before when they recorded Live at The Witch Trials and due to this the sound is different. At this point Craig Scanlon (guitar) and Steve Hanley (bass) join the band and Mark Riley moves from bass to Guitar while new drummer Mike Leigh supplies less snare orientated drumming with more use of the toms. There is not much keyboards but I will credit Horace Sullivan for his contribution of electric piano and kazoo. This album has much more emphasis on bass and twos guitars. The drums are still a major part of the sound but the drumming is deeper. You can see that Mark E Smith as more influence and control over the sound in Dragnet. However the musician's behind The Fall are always essential to the sound whether they get the credit for it or not.
The opening tune Psykhick Dancehall is a gripping repetitive bass and drum tune with the opening line "Is there anybody there?" suggests what Mark E Smith has previously said about the change of sound for this album it's to get more different people into the music. This is why the album is called Dragnet. The Fall were trying to catch people which also explains the cover showing a butterfly caught in a spiders web.
A Figure Walks is a more disturbing track with more prominent use of the toms on the drums while Mark shouts some creepy lyrics; "A figure walks behind you, A shadow walks behind you". Printhead completely contrasts to this with its ramshackle, garage sound where Mark discusses his animosity with people who write about him and The Fall (so he'll probably hate me for writing this review). Dice Man is a quick, catchier, guitar orientated tune whilst Before The Moon Falls is a stronger haunted tune which sound great. Your Heart Out starts off with this sort of catchy riff but then becomes more disturbing (like something out of a horror film) with mark's sarcastic lyric's discussing a wide range of topics from drugs to his shouting supported by some haunting backing vocals echoing "your heart out". Muzorewi's Daughter has a thudding, drowning sound and Mark screams the title which can be irritating and too harsh but at least it's an interesting tune. Flat of Angles (the title track) in some ways is the strongest track on the album with its acoustic guitar riff, its gripping bass line in the chorus and some Chock Stock is a weaker tune, it's alright though because it acts as medium between the more sinister tunes with its good bass line and it's lighter sound. Spectre Vs Rector is an gripping haunting tune which takes you on some kind of distorted journey as goes through transitions and ends up somewhere different to where it started. Mark's interesting lyric's relating to horror writer M.R. James and supernatural, mental madness guide you through this eight minute trance. Put away ends the album in a sarcastic mad way with great lyrics; "They're putting me away but I'll be back someday". Along with its fast ramshackle sound this track has the addition of a Kazoo, something later used on the next Fall album in New Face In Hell. The bonus tracks on the CD include Fiery Jack (one of the best Fall tunes written), Rowche Rumble, 2nd Dark Age, In my Area and various takes of these tracks from when they were recording the album.
Dragnet is a gripping album which delves into indefinable sounds in a haunting way. However this album is not for the faint heated so it might not be wise to buy this as your first fall album (which I did) because it may take a while to get into it. In any case it's a fascinating album and if your fans of Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Joy Division. It is certainly an original album a definitely worth having if you're an intense Fall fan.