And we cruise into the 1990s with a healthy Bob James shot in the arm. Telephone Thing has to be one of the all time great Fall singles. Surely Coldcut ripped off Mardi Gras on this, but of course they failed by not issuing a version without the bells HA HA HA. The 90s brought some scary literalism into the Fall and they started doing songs which were vaguely understandable. Hence we have British People In Hot Weather - it seems that Mark is not a fan. Musically they're in a weird place: a blend of rockabilly guitar and 90s cheesy drum machines and electronics. It sort of works but perhaps only because it's been a journey to get here.
A track on a random compilation delivers one of their most menacing tracks in a while: The Theme from Error Orror. Some random tracks from the Receiver catalogue (including a cracking Black Monk Theme) and a full on truck stop version of White Lightening. Peel Session: Chicago Now which should be good but I find it quite tiresome, A very tidy Black Monk Theme (to be covered later), Hilary and Whizz Bang. Out of the context of the record the songs sound a little disjointed - it's a Peel session of some tracks from the record rather than a coherent whole.
I never had Extricate - my good friend Malcolm had it on tape and I dubbed a copy. I remember kind of liking it but thinking it didn't hold a candle to the early stuff (I was an indie kid after all). But actually it's a fairly together record that works as a sequence rather than having any super stand outs (bar one). Sing! Harpy is mildly boring but I'm Frank is a proper rock song through the prism of the Fall. It's got one of those things which might be a middle 8 or whatever too. Bill Is Dead is a slow one (and actually quite dull) but you need it as preparation for the greatest Fall cover of all time: Black Monk Theme. Everything's up at 11 and it almost sounds like a Fall song, they've even got that super cheesy organ going on.
And then with Popcorn Double Feature (another cover) it all comes crashing down, it's a bad song badly covered. Hilary fits but is largely forgettable. Chicago Now is as good as it gets. The Littlest Rebel splits me somewhat. Musically it's probably the best thing on the record but they lyrics are a little cheesy. I imagine it's about Brix though. They end on And Therein... which is super super rockabilly.
They followed this with Popcorn Double Feature as a single. God knows why, it's just terrible. The flipsides weren't really up to much too, though Arms Control Poseur is good (and much better in the spikier mix).
But even better than all of this is the HI-NRG version of "Black Monk Theme Pt 2." Which is basically Oh How To Do Now, with some bonkers over the top organ noises. Genius - there's even a key change which Mark announces. And even weirder, a track called Extricate which surpasses all of the songs on the lp was only on the CD. Full on twiddly bass electronics and shouty Mark. Best
They played live in Zagreb: it was largely forgettable but has been released anyway. Mostly songs from Extricate with a good Telephone Thing. A mistitled Dead Beat Descendant (down as Tuff Life Boogie) has the most offensive organ sound I've ever heard on it. They close on Popcorn Double Feature.
I also cleaned up a few omissions: Mainly the other versions of Hit The North (I wasn't missing anything there). A weirdo studio outtake from the Beggars days (I African Mancunian) which is pretty good. And a live version of Pilsner Trail which ended up on the Levitate CD. Whew.
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