Rest in peace, Mark E. Smith

[Steve F.]

The lead provacatur of The Fall has died.

http://thequietus.com/articles/23929-rip-mark-e-smith

https://pitchfork.com/news/the-falls...th-dead-at-60/

[Steve F.]

p.s.

I didn't like everything, but yes, I was definitely a fan.

And I admired his insanity (luckily from a distance only; glad I was never close up)

[at least 100 dead]

RIP. The Fall. What a band.

[helix]

much much respect


a true leader

[Dave (in MA)]

I never really cared mu-

Ow.

[Vic2012]

Lol

[at least 100 dead]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...smith-the-fall

[headcrash]

"The Frenz Experiment" and "I Am Kurious Oranj". Fucking genius.

[strawberrybrick]

Strange guy. I remember meeting him at Porky's in London. He was mastering something or another. The engineer would keep asking him if he liked the sound but in reality do nothing...

Engineer: "Okay Mark, how about now?"
"Um...errr... eh..."
Engineer: "Okay, let add a little of bass.."
"Uh... okay... yeah..."
Engineer: "I'll just adjust this a little more.."
"Uh, yeah, that's it"
Went on for an hour. Crazy times.

[GuitarGeek]

Strange guy. I remember meeting him at Porky's in London. He was mastering something or another. The engineer would keep asking him if he liked the sound but in reality do nothing...

Engineer: "Okay Mark, how about now?"
"Um...errr... eh..."
Engineer: "Okay, let add a little of bass.."
"Uh... okay... yeah..."
Engineer: "I'll just adjust this a little more.."
"Uh, yeah, that's it"
Went on for an hour. Crazy times.

My understanding is that's actually a common occurrence in the music biz. I've heard stories of studio guitarists who are asked by a producer to tweak their sound in whichever fashion. So the guitarist reaches over and turns a knob on an effects unit or amp or whatever that's not even patched in, play something, say "How's that?" and the producer will say "Perfect!", ie the producer only thinks the guitarist changed anything.

There's also British effects guru Roger Mayer's tale of going through wah wah pedals with Jimi Hendrix. They'd go through like a dozen, none of which Jimi would like, and then Roger go back to the first one, they'll try it again and suddenly Jimi likes it! I remember Bob Bradshaw, who builds effects/amp switching systems in LA, saying he had the same thing happen a number of times with different guitarists.

So I guess this means The Fall is breaking up, then?

[jake]

Fuck - one of the few artists I have seen live on both sides of the Atlantic. First time was about 1977 at Strathclyde University - the Fall opened for Planet Gong. Free gig with the entire audience stoned out of their heads. I still remember 'Rebellious Jukebox' from that gig - "taxi for Mr Nelson".
A true original - fuck, that is some pile of music he left. Very sad. RIP.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Oh, shit! He was surely the work of legends! He led a hard life at times, of course - and he was never the 'youngest' of his generation either. Still sad and a big loss.

Luckily he left us a -vast- discography to contemplate.

[spacefreak]

One of my heroes, and a man I’m proud to name an inspiration on how to keep going in life.

A tremendous performer as well...

RIP Mr. Smith.

[Zappathustra]

This is painful. Mark Smith is an archetypal rock and roll figure in so many ways. Time to delve a bit more into his vast work, there are gems thrown in in the most random places.

I guess everyone who has seen him on stage has his own crazy stories to say. The last time it was 4 tunes and passing out backstage. But the one before that we were just blown away from the venue.

[per anporth]

He has been a constant presence for 40 years, much of that time at the cutting edge. Part of that extraordinary generation of musicians from Manchester, all of whom were at the legendary Pistols gig in the city which was only attended by 14 people, or whatever.

As a kid, listening to Peel late at night through the earphone from my wee radio, The Fall were always just *there*. My memories of listening to new music from those days sound like Mark E Smith.

Peel's observation was, as so often, adroit: “They are always different, they are always the same."

From his last interview - asked: "Do you like much new music?":

"The standard of music these days is fucking terrible. Being poorly you have to watch shit like Jools Holland. A lot of it sounds like when I was 15 and I’d go round to a long-haired guy’s flat to score a joint and they’d always put on some fucking lousy Elton John LP. That sounds like Ed Sheeran to me, a duff singer songwriter from the 70’s you find in charity shops."

You could put it to music (with yer Granny on the bongos), & bingo, there's The Fall.

[Zappathustra]

Listening to Extricate right now and it's an amazingly solid collection of excellent songs. I am less familiar with the 90's output, although I have been informed that much of MES best stuff lies right there. Dare I suggest that there is some perverted progginess in it? I mean the kraut connection is more than obvious. As well as the American psych/garage component.

I wouldn't mind at all if - condolences paid - this became a Fall music thread...

[at least 100 dead]

Listening to Extricate right now and it's an amazingly solid collection of excellent songs. I am less familiar with the 90's output, although I have been informed that much of MES best stuff lies right there. Dare I suggest that there is some perverted progginess in it? I mean the kraut connection is more than obvious. As well as the American psych/garage component.

Extricate has some fine, fresh tracks. Many fans seem to dislike “Telephone Thing”, but I dig it.

The Fall’s ‘90s output is not to be dismissed. Yes, it’s more user friendly than the stuff from the early ‘80s, but that’s a good thing. They moved on. I’ll concede that the post-Brix albums are uneven, yet some of their greatest tracks can be found on (for example) Code:Selfish and Middle Class Revolt.

[Zappathustra]

Extricate has some fine, fresh tracks. Many fans seem to dislike “Telephone Thing”, but I dig it.

The Fall’s ‘90s output is not to be dismissed. Yes, it’s more user friendly than the stuff from the early ‘80s, but that’s a good thing. They moved on. I’ll concede that the post-Brix albums are uneven, yet some of their greatest tracks can be found on (for example) Code:Selfish and Middle Class Revolt.

Cheers! Two-face from Code Selfish is a killer.

[at least 100 dead]

^ Good one!

“Free Range” is another fantastic track. The lyrics are just so prescient, it’s eerie. Another one of MES’ famous pre-cogs, probably. Code is a really strong album. Top five Fall for me. I shall be cranking it up tonight in honor of the ole pub contrarian. If the he neighbors complain, I’ll just put on “Papal Visit”, followed by “And This Day”.

[Lino]

RIP Mark!

[Rye-Ergot]

My first Fall gig: Sunday, 18 November 1979 Marquee, London

Psykick Dancehall / Rowche Rumble / Cary Grant's Wedding / 2nd Dark Age / Rebellious Jukebox / Printhead / Muzorewi's Daughter / Choc-Stock / No Xmas for John Quays / Your Heart Out / Spectre Vs. Rector / Dice Man / Various Times / Stepping Out

Admission £1.75.

D.A.F. were openers and were also excellent.

[mandrake root]

I knew this day would come. I knew it would be sad. Surreal even. ...And yet there was that thing in most of us that felt - like Keith Richards - MES was in such a post-toxin shape he might never actually die.

I knew I wanted to write, but a simple three paragraph obit just wasn't going to work. I chose instead to try and help those who've never taken the plunge into The Fall's bewildering catalogue to do so via a few pointers.

http://www.realgonerocks.com/2018/01...ential-albums/

[Steve F.]

D.A.F. were openers and were also excellent.

I would have loved to have seen D.A.F. in 1979! YOW.

[Zappathustra]

I knew this day would come. I knew it would be sad. Surreal even. ...And yet there was that thing in most of us that felt - like Keith Richards - MES was in such a post-toxin shape he might never actually die.

I knew I wanted to write, but a simple three paragraph obit just wasn't going to work. I chose instead to try and help those who've never taken the plunge into The Fall's bewildering catalogue to do so via a few pointers.

http://www.realgonerocks.com/2018/01...ential-albums/

Well done.

[mandrake root]

Thank you. Obviously, it's not absolutely definitive, but I think that small group of releases really gives a good overview of The Fall and their quirks.