Mark E Smith.

[The Crofted Crest]

Sad news.

So it's just granny on bongos now, is it?

 

[Dirk]

I can honestly say that I've never heard of Mark E Smith, or The Fall, but he obviously meant a lot to many people.

 

[further]

Very sad news indeed,finally got to see the Fall last year.

 

[User169]

Bugger. Saw them first in the late 1980's and few times since, tbh musically hit & miss for me but he was always interesting.

Can't believe this was 12 years ago, it was mesmerising after Robert Plant's dirges.

"He also delayed filming several times by wandering in and out of shot, calling Robert Plant 'c.u.n.t.y' and just generally behaving like what he is,"

And as pointed out in the Graun obit,, he had it written into his appearance contract that under no circumstances was Jules Holland to play “boogie-woogie piano anywhere near the Fall”

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Didn't know him, much of what I knew about him I didn't like, but that was hearsay and treated as such, not a fan of his music but he, and The Fall, liked or not were icons to certain people of a certain age and I'm saddened by his death in a way that is quite unexpected.

 

[palinurus]

Dave Simpson’s obit in the Graun sums him up nicely.

Not quite 'The Observer magazine just about sums him up'

 

[threebikesmcginty]

And as pointed out in the Graun obit,, he had it written into his appearance contract that under no circumstances was Jules Holland to play “boogie-woogie piano anywhere near the Fall”

Feckin good ol' boy.

 

[Fnaar]

Not my cup of tea, but a friend shared this on Facebook: (from Viz)

 

[nickyboy]

Not my cup of tea either. But in a time of increasingly manufactured artists, it's refreshing that someone so "out there" as Mark E Smith could carve out a very successful recording and performing career

 

[FishFright]

Not quite 'The Observer magazine just about sums him up'

Occasionally a 'like' doesn't do the job

 

[Yellow Fang]

One thing about Mark E Smith was that The Fall were still making some decent tracks up until recently. I can't think of anyone else his age who did once they got past their mid 30s. I bought one of their recent albums. It had one or two decent tracks, but that's about average. When I bought lots of CDs and cassettes in my youth, they mostly only had one or two decent tracks. It was a rare CD that had four. I wondered whether musical creativity just withered with age, or perhaps each artist had a seam of songs in them which they mined out, or maybe it was all the drugs. Some of the classical composers seemed to go on longer. Actually the only one I know who did was Edward Elgar.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Radio 6 have played some belters today. Some very moving tributes to MES from ordinary fans saying how much he meant to them. I just loved how mithered he looked and his distinctive voice.

 

[Adam4868]

Not many can say they never "sold out" Sad,but I guess he lived the life,loved his interviews as much as his music."bitter and speed Mark E"

 

[StuAff]

Never got into The Fall (have enjoyed some of the stuff posted though…that could get expensive), but he was a legend.
About time his efforts on Final Score got a mention…also featuring the late great Tim Gudgin.

 

[GuyBoden]

Some very original music...........

I heard them live at the Carlton Club, Warrington 1979 and many times after that, I even saw them in Sydney 1990, Martin Bramah's last ever gig.

Hip Priest (Peel session, the best version.)