Excavate! - by Bob Stanley (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

'They are always different; they are always the same.' John Peel

Over the course of their prolific forty-year career The Fall were consistently one of the most influential and unique groups Britain has ever produced, with frontman Mark E. Smith hailed as one of the country's sharpest lyricists. Following Mark E. Smith's death in January 2018, there was an outpouring of tributes from a surprising spectrum of admirers.

With contributions from Adelle Stripe, Dan Fox, Elain Harwood, Mark Fisher, Ian Penman and others, alongside never-before seen artwork, photographs, and hand-written material from Smith and the band, Bob Stanley and Tessa Norton book unpack and make sense of the strangely fascinating landscape of The Fall. Illuminating their reference points, lyrical concerns and influences, from shipping dock procedures to Manchester City and contemporary dance to German experimental rock, this book cements their worldview as a vital contribution to British culture.

Excavate: The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall is the definitive atlas to help you navigate The Fall's idiosyncratic world.

Review Quotes

"[A] cultural icon." -- Billy Bragg

"Such a creative force." -- Grayson Perry

"He was absolutely unique at what he did . . . he believed completely in what he did. He was a true punk." -- Peter Hook

"To 50,000 Fall Fans: pls. buy this inspired & inspiring, profound & provocative, beautiful & bonkers Book of Revelations, choc-stock-full of loving Acts by true Apostles, simultaneously both the scrapbook you wished you'd kept and a portal to futures & pasts, known & unknown, & a Fantastic Celebration of this Nation's Saving Grace." -- David Peace

"Mind blowing ... There is so much to be enjoyed in this brilliant book." -- Tim Burgess