Dragnet (album)
Encyclopedia
Dragnet is the second album
by The Fall, released on 26 October 1979. It was recorded 2nd-4th August of that year.
The album was recorded less than 8 months after its predecessor, Live at the Witch Trials
, establishing at an early stage two key patterns of the group's work; that of high productivity and that of a regular turnover of group members - only Mark E. Smith
and Marc Riley
remained from the debut album and Riley had changed his role from bass to guitar. Dragnet is most notable for the arrivals of both guitarist Craig Scanlon
and bassist Steve Hanley
. Both were just 19 when they joined the group and would form The Fall's musical backbone until the mid 90's. Marc Riley told Fall fanzine The Pseud Mag (issue #2, Feb/March 2005) that it was he who suggested Scanlon should join, as he didn't wish to fill previous guitarist Martin Bramah's shoes on his own. Riley, Scanlon and Hanley were childhood friends and they had been in Fall support band The Sirens together. This is the only studio album recorded with drummer Mike Leigh.
The album is somewhat self-referential lyrically with several songs referencing the music industry; at least 2 tracks – "Printhead" and "Your Heart Out" – quoted or paraphrased reviews of the band's live shows. "Printhead" even verifies this fact within its own lyric. It also had a muddy, inchoate production – Riley has claimed this was a deliberate contrast to the sharp, clean sound of Live at the Witch Trials
(The Pseud Mag, as above). It would be their final album for Miles Copeland's Step Forward label, the group signing to Rough Trade Records
in early 1980.
"Dice Man" takes its title from the novel The Dice Man
by Luke Rhinehart and refers to this on the original sleevenotes.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by The Fall, released on 26 October 1979. It was recorded 2nd-4th August of that year.
The album was recorded less than 8 months after its predecessor, Live at the Witch Trials
Live at the Witch Trials
Live at the Witch Trials is the debut album by The Fall, first released on 16 March 1979. It is not, despite its title, a live album, but was recorded in the studio in one day and mixed by producer Bob Sargeant the next. In 2004, bassist Marc Riley told the BBC that the group had been booked into...
, establishing at an early stage two key patterns of the group's work; that of high productivity and that of a regular turnover of group members - only Mark E. Smith
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
and Marc Riley
Marc Riley
Marc Riley is a British musician, alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music. Formerly a member of The Fall, he had his own record label, In-Tape, and also worked as a record plugger...
remained from the debut album and Riley had changed his role from bass to guitar. Dragnet is most notable for the arrivals of both guitarist Craig Scanlon
Craig Scanlon
Craig Scanlon is a British guitarist, best known as a member of The Fall between 1979 and 1995. During this period he co-wrote over 120 of the group's songs; Mark E. Smith excepted, this tally is unmatched by any other musician to have passed through the group.-Career:Scanlon joined the band...
and bassist Steve Hanley
Steve Hanley (musician)
Steve Hanley is an Irish-born English musician, based in Manchester. He is best known for playing bass guitar in The Fall from 1979 to 1998, and afterwards in The Lovers....
. Both were just 19 when they joined the group and would form The Fall's musical backbone until the mid 90's. Marc Riley told Fall fanzine The Pseud Mag (issue #2, Feb/March 2005) that it was he who suggested Scanlon should join, as he didn't wish to fill previous guitarist Martin Bramah's shoes on his own. Riley, Scanlon and Hanley were childhood friends and they had been in Fall support band The Sirens together. This is the only studio album recorded with drummer Mike Leigh.
The album is somewhat self-referential lyrically with several songs referencing the music industry; at least 2 tracks – "Printhead" and "Your Heart Out" – quoted or paraphrased reviews of the band's live shows. "Printhead" even verifies this fact within its own lyric. It also had a muddy, inchoate production – Riley has claimed this was a deliberate contrast to the sharp, clean sound of Live at the Witch Trials
Live at the Witch Trials
Live at the Witch Trials is the debut album by The Fall, first released on 16 March 1979. It is not, despite its title, a live album, but was recorded in the studio in one day and mixed by producer Bob Sargeant the next. In 2004, bassist Marc Riley told the BBC that the group had been booked into...
(The Pseud Mag, as above). It would be their final album for Miles Copeland's Step Forward label, the group signing to Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
in early 1980.
"Dice Man" takes its title from the novel The Dice Man
The Dice Man
The Dice Man is a novel published in 1971 by George Cockcroft under the pen name Luke Rhinehart and tells the story of a psychiatrist who begins making life decisions based on the casting of dice. Cockcroft wrote the book based on his own experiences of using dice to make decisions while studying...
by Luke Rhinehart and refers to this on the original sleevenotes.
Side one
- "Psykick Dancehall" (Mark E. SmithMark E. SmithMark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
, Marc RileyMarc RileyMarc Riley is a British musician, alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music. Formerly a member of The Fall, he had his own record label, In-Tape, and also worked as a record plugger...
) – 3:51 - "A Figure Walks" (Smith) – 6:13
- "Printhead" (Smith) – 3:18
- "Dice Man" (Smith, Riley, Craig ScanlonCraig ScanlonCraig Scanlon is a British guitarist, best known as a member of The Fall between 1979 and 1995. During this period he co-wrote over 120 of the group's songs; Mark E. Smith excepted, this tally is unmatched by any other musician to have passed through the group.-Career:Scanlon joined the band...
) – 1:47 - "Before the Moon Falls" (Mike Leigh, Scanlon, Riley, Steve HanleySteve Hanley (musician)Steve Hanley is an Irish-born English musician, based in Manchester. He is best known for playing bass guitar in The Fall from 1979 to 1998, and afterwards in The Lovers....
, Smith) – 4:35 - "Your Heart Out" (The Fall) – 3:08
Side two
- "Muzorewi's Daughter" (Smith, Kay Carroll) – 3:45
- "Flat of Angles" (Leigh, Scanlon, Riley, Hanley, Smith) – 4:58
- "Choc-Stock" (The Fall) – 2:40
- "Spectre Vs Rector" (Smith, Leigh, Scanlon) – 7:58
- "Put Away" (Smith) – 3:26
2004 reissue
The most recent edition of the album (remastered for the first time from the original master tapes) issued via Castle Music in January 2004 added not just the tracks from the 2 singles recorded on either side of the album but also some previously unheard alternate takes and breakdowns from the session for the "Rowche Rumble" single. The additional tracks are as follows -- "Rowche Rumble" (Riley, Smith, Scanlon) – 4:01
- "In My Area" (Pawlett, Riley, Scanlon, Smith) – 4:05
- "Fiery Jack" (Hanley, Riley, Scanlon, Smith) – 4:43
- "2nd Dark Age" (Smith, Scanlon, Riley) – 1:59
- "Psykick Dance Hall (No. 2)" (Smith, Riley) – 3:39 - a re-recording of the album track.
- "Rowche Rumble (Take 2)" – 4:05
- "Rowche Rumble (Take 3)" – 0:33
- "Rowche Rumble (Take 4)" – 3:53
- "Rowche Rumble (Take 5)" – 1:35
- "In My Area (Take 1)" – 0:48
- "In My Area (Take 2)" – 5:06
Personnel
- Mark E. SmithMark E. SmithMark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
– vocals - Mike Leigh – drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Marc RileyMarc RileyMarc Riley is a British musician, alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music. Formerly a member of The Fall, he had his own record label, In-Tape, and also worked as a record plugger...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Craig ScanlonCraig ScanlonCraig Scanlon is a British guitarist, best known as a member of The Fall between 1979 and 1995. During this period he co-wrote over 120 of the group's songs; Mark E. Smith excepted, this tally is unmatched by any other musician to have passed through the group.-Career:Scanlon joined the band...
– guitar - Steve HanleySteve Hanley (musician)Steve Hanley is an Irish-born English musician, based in Manchester. He is best known for playing bass guitar in The Fall from 1979 to 1998, and afterwards in The Lovers....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - inner sleeve notes also state "Extra backing vocals Mrs Horace Sullivan (actually manager Kay Carroll) e. piano, kazoo, tapes etc: Smith & Scanlan" (sic - Scanlon's name was spelt this way on all record sleeves until 1983)