This volume offers a comprehensive range of approaches to the work of Mark E. Smith and his band The Fall in relation to music, art and politics. Mark E. Smith remains one of the most divisive and idiosyncratic figures in popular music after a recording career with The Fall that spans thirty years. These essays penetrate the fathomless depths of The Fall's sound and Mark E. Smith's vision, bringing back fresh perceptions that do not 'explain' so much as enhance and expand the inexhaustible mystery of this singular band. Simon Reynolds, author of Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-84 and Totally Wired: Postpunk Interviews and Overviews The strength of this book draws ultimately on the complexity of The Fall, with its cosmic library of 'screwed up' lyrics to unfold, and its vast conurbation of psychic soundscapes to drift through. There is bound to be controversy over whether the band is a legitimate subject for academic study. The best response to the sceptics can be found in the pages of this brilliant collection. Simon Ford, author of The Wreckers of Civilisation and Hip Priest '...as a collection this amounts to a stimulating read.' The Wire '... the first ever anthology of academic articles on The Fall has indeed extended and deepened my understanding of Mark E. Smith and his band... it has been well worth waiting 20 years for this book to see the light of day.' Journal of Popular Music