RIP Mark E. Smith

The greatest lyricist in musical history, to such an extent that the word ‘lyrics’ is unfit to describe what he did. Other than miles, probably the greatest assembler-of-performers-into-something-unforeseeable there ever was.

These are close to my exact thoughts (expressed better than I could have done). He was a true "visionary" -- as overused as that term may be -- who realized his vision over & over, in a way that made both the expression, and the intent behind the expression, seem entirely sui generis.

I hope he's walking back among us soon, in an expanded / remastered / dodgy-label 2CD version. RIP forever...

The longer late album cuts, like Couples vs. Jobless, Weather Report, Blindness, 50 Year Old Man, Dr. Bucks' Letter are probably my favorite mode of MES songwriting. Those songs are tunnels to get lost in. You emerge at the end and it's a different day.

xP.S. -- if indeed "There are twelve people in the world / The rest are paste" -- I think we were just left with only 11...

"Stop eating all that chocolate. Eat salad instead. In fact, you're a half-wit."

He was the first
To wear an idiotic jacket
In the pub

From the "Record Collection Rock" thread, 2018.

the fall were maybe the pioneers in this field, they obviously borrowed from a whole host of cool but also not-so-cool influences, but then again they don't really fit because it never seemed like just a shallow exercise in showing off what hip records they were into

MES, "New Puritan", 1980.

I curse your preoccupation
With your record collection
New puritan has no time
It's only music, John

“i’m at the barrier between writer and singer” printhead

typical of course for him to see it gleefully as a barrier.

Who tells you what
To tape on your vid. chip
How do you know the progs you miss
Are worse than those you single out?
And what'll you do when the rental's up?
And your bottom rack is full of vids
Of programs you will nay look at
The way they act is, oh, sheer delight
Cardboard copyright
Make it right

poetry FFS

mystical magical ranter, rest in peace.

More from Riley tomorrow on M6 I hear. Have to feel for the lad a bit, he did a proper job earlier tonight. MES said this about him in his last interview:

"Years ago you told me you were offered a BBC 6Music show, would you like to do one yet?
No, I’d love to do radio but think of the politics involved. I mean they have Guy fucking Garvey on, don’t they? It’s the kiss of death. Imagine having to say hello to Marc Riley every day. "

how flair is punished

i think he, they get it? i mean they would have got and did get far far worse.

grotesque so otm as an album.

“The grotesque peasants stalk the land
And deep down inside you know everybody wants to like big companies...”

Cheers for the heads up Neil S

Jesus Christ, "C n' C/ Stop Mithering"!!!!!!! You could be here all night quoting from that one.

"ted rogers brains burn in hell"

posted on the other thread

as someone who always feels a little bit weird abt public grief over celebrities I have to say I feel fucking devastated and honestly don;t know what to do with myself

an inferno of a human being and a monster poet who shaped my perspective from a young age and more than any other artist hot wired my brain and inspired me to keep moving sideways

I'm so full of gratitude to him for refusing to ever rest in peace. I hope that now he can.

Fucking Echo + the Bunnymen never put Ted Rogers brains in hell.

Currently blasting Bend Sinister and marvelling once more at how brilliant it is.

a new face in heaven

haha are you sure? he might be having more fun in hell

always amused at the anecdote about Mark blasting James Murphy for basing "Losing My Edge" off a Von Sudenfed track (even though the VS track came out a few years later), when in reality it was LCD ripping off Killing Joke who were inspired by The Fall

i can't believe there is never going to be another fall record

what the fuck

Fucking Echo + the Bunnymen never put Ted Rogers brains in hell.

i can't believe there is never going to be another fall record

what the fuck

― Empire Burl Ives (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 22:16 (fifty-six seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

think they have another record in the can actually

also may he live on in an endless run of spuriously sourced live recordings released on labels no one has ever heard of, as above so below

This recent interview was bit of the balm I needed

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jan/24/final-interview-with-mark-e-smith-the-fall-people-still-cross-the-road-from-me

hating Elton John until the end, good man

I thought he'd live another 20 years in spite of the reports. This blows.

yeah obv he has looked so awful for the past year and I get it that we should have seen it coming but I just figured he would ride out what ever this illness was and keep doing his thing

that philip k dick bit hahaha

"Arnie gets it"

Might be time to retire the display name.

"You wouldn't even know the sun was up unless there was a press release on it"
was just getting into this site too
http://annotatedfall.doomby.com/

"whaddaya mean what's it mean?"

LOLz. MES was so hilarious.

Not much I can say, I'm in a weird space. Just checking in. But all that work survives and will, and Neil S "the best thing this terrible country has produced in the last 60 years" otm, otm otm for fucking ever.

Is it important for you to remain angry?
Yeah. People still cross the road from me; I’ve still got that. I can clear a pub when I want to. It’s a talent.

scrolled through his discography wondering what to play. eventually got to 'frightened'. it has to be this

LOLz. MES was so hilarious.

xxp "hate's not your enemy, love's your enemy"

Why didn't you take better care of yourself, Mark?? I knew this was coming. My favorite band ever. Even love the crappy Fall records. No more Fall records! No more concerts! No more interviews! I will miss you horribly. I feel like it's the end of my youth. :(

I come and stand at every door
But no-one hears my silent plea
I knock and yet remain unseen
For I am dead for I am dead
I need no fruit nor even rice
I need no meat nor even bread
And I need nothing for myself
When children die they do not grow
I woke one day to ash in light
My eyes grew dim my eyes grew bright
Death came and turned my bones to dust
And scattered swirling in the wind
I need no fruit nor even spice
I need no sweet or even bread
And I need nothing for myself

https://img.discogs.com/1RBrttjKInfUguZxH7kn1RD8I1M=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/A-9457-1220655566.jpeg.jpg

xxp murder all bush monkeys

Why didn't you take better care of yourself, Mark?? I knew this was coming. My favorite band ever. Even love the crappy Fall records. No more Fall records! No more concerts! No more interviews! I will miss you horribly. I feel like it's the end of my youth. :(

xxp murder all bush monkeys

An Easy Rider coot
Grabbed the edge of my coat
Said: 'You're too smart for here'
I said: 'I'll see the manager'

The young black kids get screwed up the worst
They go over to the Hampstead houses
In the English system they implicitly trust
See the A&R civil servants
They get a sex thrill out of a sixteenth of Moroccan

An Easy Rider coot
Grabbed the edge of my coat
Said: 'You're too smart for here'
I said: 'I'll see the manager'