3. The Fall - Fiery Jack (January 1980) UK Step-Forward SF 13

Can you remember a time when the record bins, cd shelves, Amazon pages, iTunes listings and other holders of retail music were not stuffed with Fall music?

"Fiery Jack" was their 4th single!  (According to the excellent Fall Online webpage, they have released over 40 singles since.)

This single would be the Fall's last release for Miles Copeland's Step-Forward label.

"Fiery Jack" is the first of several rockabilly-style numbers that the Fall would unleash.  Each had a twanging lead guitar with a pulsating rhythm.  It is very rudimentary and, like many early Fall songs, repetitive musically.  Mark E. Smith's lyrics literally burn with contempt (as usual) - this time at the left-wing writers for the music trade papers.

B-side "Psykick Dancehall (No. 2)" is a faster, tighter version of the opening track from 1979's Dragnet.  Also included, "Second Dark Age," doesn't really take off - almost like a leftover or unfinished track from Dragnet, although the lyrics, as usual, are top-notch Smith rants.

Production is very bright and heavy on the treble.  Way too heavy, as if they overcompensated for the muddiness of Dragnet.