RIP Mark E. Smith

Zeek12

Sad news. Mark E Smith of The Fall has passed away.

https://pitchfork.com/news/the-falls-mark-e-smith-dead-at-60/

Etc

He was a legend ! His interviews were always hilarious !

Here's a great one http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/3331055

bullpost

One of the best rock songs of any genre you are likely to hear:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7mp9elK49I

Badly Drunk Boy

Rest in peace, Mark-uh!

I don't know if they still do, but on the Final Scores on BBC, they used to use Theme From Sparta FC as their theme. On November 19th 2005, they got Mark E Smith to read the final scores. After the first bit, if you don't want to got through all the scores, fast forward to 4:36. Funny stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBUiPs1PxKo

Declan A Walsh

What can you say about Mark E Smith? He certainly had a unique style of vocals. The music of The Fall was a kind of avant-garde post-punk nightmare... in the best possible way! It could be pretty discordant and challenging at times, not unlike Smith himself!

I was not overly familiar with The Fall's material but I did hear some songs by them and see some performances on the television, including a memorable appearance on Later with Jools. It is clear that over time the music did become a bit (only a bit, mind you!) more mainstream. My personal favourite has always been Totally Wired.

It is sad to see the passing of Mark, but, given his chaotic lifestyle, there was something almost inevitable about this.

R.I.P. to Mark E. Smith, a truly unique talent.

bullpost

Talking of Jools..........

Mark E Smith is the only artist in the history of the Jools Holland show to have a clause in his contract inserted to state that Jools wouldn't play "No boogie-woogie piano, Mister Holland" over The Fall songs.

Schwanz

Seemed off his rocker & being labelled a genius obviously got past the main issue that he couldn't sing for his life.

Maybe I'm missing the point of him but overrated imho he most definitely was.

RIP though of course.

bullpost

Schwanz wrote: »

Seemed off his rocker & being labelled a genius obviously got past the main issue that he couldn't sing for his life.

Maybe I'm missing the point of him but overrated imho he most definitely was.

RIP though of course.

Not sure why you think he was overrated? He didn't trouble the charts that much and his inability to sing is not really a disadvantage for the sound he favoured. Though hes in good company, with Bob Dylan and Lou Reed both being accused of the same shortcoming.

Etc

bullpost wrote: »

Not sure why you think he was overrated? He didn't trouble the charts that much and his inability to sing is not really a disadvantage for the sound he favoured. Though hes in good company, with Bob Dylan and Lou Reed both being accused of the same shortcoming.

Not to mention Iggy Pop, Bernard Sumner and Neil Young

Schwanz

Etc wrote: »

Not to mention Iggy Pop, Bernard Sumner and Neil Young

Everyone you've mentioned have an acquired taste, that's for sure but they still could be easily understood singing and when in an interview.

Can't say that for MES, and quite frankly putting him in the same bracket as those is madness.

Each to their own of course.