[Greasy Roads]

A new decade, a new line up, and new producers. MES took the King's shilling and moved to Phonogram, Brix was out and Martin Bramah returned to the fold. Coldcut were at the controls for the A side and as they said at the time, "We madded The Fall up and they madded us up". How true. For the short period it lasted this was a great incarnation of the group, they were blinding live. Not the greatest track on the album so British People In Hot Weather was a fitting B side, this time with Craig Leon and Adrian Sherwood producing who both seemed to do loads of stuff at the time. The 12" is completed by a dub version of Telephone Thing. All in all a bit of a peak this one.

[routemaster]

So what exactly is the difference between the 7" and 12" extended version? And don't say 11 seconds. I heard there was an extra "Gretchen Franklin" involved, but I'm not sure that's true.

[Greasy Roads]

So what exactly is the difference between the 7" and 12" extended version? And don't say 11 seconds. I heard there was an extra "Gretchen Franklin" involved, but I'm not sure that's true.

How should I fucking know?

[routemaster]

So what exactly is the difference between the 7" and 12" extended version? And don't say 11 seconds. I heard there was an extra "Gretchen Franklin" involved, but I'm not sure that's true.

How should I fucking know?

Well you're the fucking vinyl expert, you must have some idea? Or don't you have the 7"?

[Greasy Roads]

So what exactly is the difference between the 7" and 12" extended version? And don't say 11 seconds. I heard there was an extra "Gretchen Franklin" involved, but I'm not sure that's true.

How should I fucking know?

Well you're the fucking vinyl expert, you must have some idea? Or don't you have the 7"?

Was it in the photograph?

[routemaster]

So what exactly is the difference between the 7" and 12" extended version? And don't say 11 seconds. I heard there was an extra "Gretchen Franklin" involved, but I'm not sure that's true.

How should I fucking know?

Well you're the fucking vinyl expert, you must have some idea? Or don't you have the 7"?

Was it in the photograph?

Hopeless, call yourself a completist?

[Greasy Roads]

So what exactly is the difference between the 7" and 12" extended version? And don't say 11 seconds. I heard there was an extra "Gretchen Franklin" involved, but I'm not sure that's true.

How should I fucking know?

Well you're the fucking vinyl expert, you must have some idea? Or don't you have the 7"?

Was it in the photograph?

Hopeless, call yourself a completist?

No. I certainly never bought every format available of every single when they were issued. I'll buy copies of formats I don't have if I see them but otherwise at the time I usually just bought the 12" version.

[Greasy Roads]

This second single from Extricate was a cover version of The Searchers' Popcorn Double Feature. I like The Searchers but this wasn't one of their better tracks and it's certainly not one of The Fall's. There were again multiple versions available but basically there were two non-album B sides on the 7" releases, Butterflies4Brains and Zandra, both of which knocked spots of the A Side. The two 12" versions also have Arms Control Poseur and Black Monk Theme 2. Not the most essential release. I think this was the first one I bought on CD.

[routemaster]

Arms Control Poseur was fantastic, Zandra was OK but I didn't care for the rest. I suppose they were trying for a Victoria or Ghost In My House style cover version which had sold relatively well, but they fucked up on the idea with Popcorn.

[Greasy Roads]

White Lightning or The Dredger EP from the Extricate era has the group's cover of The Big Bopper song as its lead track. The Fall's cover versions were always hit and miss and this one is a miss for me, I much prefer the original. Blood Outta Stone on both versions is pretty much your standard Fall album track. The ordinary 12" has Zagreb which is OK, and Funeral Mix which is filler of the worst kind, a dirge. The Dredger EP has a nice big poster and a flyer for the Reading Festival. It's a numbered limited edition, limited to the number Phongram could sell, I suspect. Unfortunately all you get apart from that to differentiate from the 12" is an elongated version of Zagreb and Life Just Bounces which I always think is going to be a cover of Don't Go Breaking My Heart. It would be better if it was actually. This could all have been edited down and put on one record instead of which for completists there were also a 7" and a CD single. Oh for the days of Totally Wired with just the one 7".

[Amber]

I'm sorry you don't like this one Greasy Roads, it's one of my favourites.

White Lightning is great, but then I don't know the original. Also Blood Outta Stone is the best b-side ever, routemaster loved that one too. Zagreb is nearly as good if only they'd just used pt.2, but I agree with you about the Funeral Mix which is terrible. Nice review though.

[dannynomates]

White Lightning or The Dredger EP from the Extricate era has the group's cover of The Big Bopper song as its lead track. The Fall's cover versions were always hit and miss and this one is a miss for me, I much prefer to original. Blood Outta Stone on both versions is pretty much your standard Fall album track. The ordinary 12" has Zagreb which is OK, and Funeral Mix which is filler of the worst kind, a dirge. The Dredger EP has a nice big poster and a flyer for the Reading Festival. It's a numbered limited edition, limited to the number Phongram could sell, I suspect. Unfortunately all you get apart from that to differentiate from the 12" is an elongated version of Zagreb and Life Just Bounces which I always think is going to be a cover of Don't Go Breaking My Heart. It would be better if it was actually. This could all have been edited down and put on one record instead of which for completists there were also a 7" and a CD single. Oh for the days of Totally Wired with just the one 7".

"I much prefer THE original."

Honestly the grammar from you so-called reviewers is nothing short of shocking.

Dan

[Steve70nearly]

Talking of grammatical incompetence...

[Greasy Roads]

Talking of grammatical incompetence...

What the fuck are you on about you Welsh cunt?

[Steve70nearly]

Talking of grammatical incompetence...

What the fuck are you on about you Welsh cunt?

Well despite some obvious trickery both in mine and dannynomates' advisories, it still says Fallon 45.

[dannynomates]

Talking of grammatical incompetence...

What the fuck are you on about you Welsh cunt?

Greasy Roads warned for excessive profanity.

Dan

[StuckupPercy]

What the fuck are you on about you Welsh cunt?

Shouldn't he have been warned for tautology?

[dannynomates]

What the fuck are you on about you Welsh cunt?

Shouldn't he have been warned for tautology?

It is what it is.

Dan

[Greasy Roads]

High Tension Line was post Extricate and pre Shift Work but sounds firmly in the latter's era, i.e. a bit average. The floaty guitar part is annoying me now I've just played again as it reminds me of something else and I can't think what it is. Grant Showbiz and MES share the production duties. There's nothing wrong with it but it's just rather uninspired for me, just like the album that followed it. Both the 7" and 12" have Xmas With Simon which is fairly unnecessary. The 12" finishes off with Don't Take The Pizza which sounds like it'll be dreadful but is actually pretty good. Like all the best Fall tracks the lyrics are hard to decipher and even if you could nobody's got any idea what the fuck it's about.

[Amber]

Your reviews are getting better and better, Greasy Roads, I love reading these.