I used to be psychic, but I drank my way out of it
March 19, 2013 11:58 PM Subscribe
The Savage Wit Of Mark E Smith, frontman and only consistent member of English post-punk band The Fall.
Hm, as much as I love The Fall & Mark E Smith, those quotes were neither savage nor witty, and there was no real sense about the images they were teamed up with.
Around the NME editorial meeting table: "Hey, can somebody rustle up some stock portraits of MES & paste random quotes into them?"
Stop mithering.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:02 AM on March 20, 2013 [5 favorites]
Around the NME editorial meeting table: "Hey, can somebody rustle up some stock portraits of MES & paste random quotes into them?"
Stop mithering.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:02 AM on March 20, 2013 [5 favorites]
I have just realised that he looks like Johnny Cash channeled through David Lynch's mind.
posted by Leverpuller at 3:02 AM on March 20, 2013
posted by Leverpuller at 3:02 AM on March 20, 2013
I lost my temper with a friend.
posted by sonascope at 3:43 AM on March 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sonascope at 3:43 AM on March 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
While his lyrics are evidence enough of his gift for using and abusing the English language, his interviews never fail to be anything less than a masterclass in agressive, righteous and unapologetic vitriol.
He's no Shane MacGowan in this regard, but I guess 'e's the best the English can muster.
posted by three blind mice at 3:50 AM on March 20, 2013
He's no Shane MacGowan in this regard, but I guess 'e's the best the English can muster.
posted by three blind mice at 3:50 AM on March 20, 2013
I love me some Fall and some Mark E. Smith, but I am not sure I would ever use the word consistent when describing him.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:59 AM on March 20, 2013
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:59 AM on March 20, 2013
The MES-McGowan-Cave three-way from 1989 is one of my favorite rock journo pieces ever. It's where The Fall started to make sense to me, particularly this observation/manifesto:
"My attitude is if you can't deliver it like a garage band, fuck it. That's one thing that's never been explored, delivering complex things in a very straightforward rock'n'roll way. My old excuse is if I'd wanted to be a poet, I'd have been a poet."
posted by bendybendy at 4:06 AM on March 20, 2013 [10 favorites]
"My attitude is if you can't deliver it like a garage band, fuck it. That's one thing that's never been explored, delivering complex things in a very straightforward rock'n'roll way. My old excuse is if I'd wanted to be a poet, I'd have been a poet."
posted by bendybendy at 4:06 AM on March 20, 2013 [10 favorites]
I don't have musical heroes, but if I did Mr. Smith would be number one.
posted by Decani at 4:19 AM on March 20, 2013
posted by Decani at 4:19 AM on March 20, 2013
The MES-McGowan-Cave three-way from 1989 is one of my favorite rock journo pieces ever. It's where The Fall started to make sense to me, particularly this observation/manifesto:
Is this real? Either way its amazing and should be its own FPP. Odd that Nick seems to have ages the best, at least based on seeing them all live. I only saw The Fall after being told that my own 'yelling stream of consciousness poetry over music' thing was like Mark E Smith. They were completely engaging, and they're one of those bands I respect utterly but haven't properly explored yet.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:48 AM on March 20, 2013
Is this real? Either way its amazing and should be its own FPP. Odd that Nick seems to have ages the best, at least based on seeing them all live. I only saw The Fall after being told that my own 'yelling stream of consciousness poetry over music' thing was like Mark E Smith. They were completely engaging, and they're one of those bands I respect utterly but haven't properly explored yet.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:48 AM on March 20, 2013
Man before today I would never have thought poor typesetting could make me so upset.
posted by shakespeherian at 5:40 AM on March 20, 2013
posted by shakespeherian at 5:40 AM on March 20, 2013
Did anyone get to the wit part of this? If they did, can they share it with me?
Seriously. I like a lot of The Fall's music. But there's very little redeeming about its frontman.
posted by to sir with millipedes at 5:41 AM on March 20, 2013
Seriously. I like a lot of The Fall's music. But there's very little redeeming about its frontman.
posted by to sir with millipedes at 5:41 AM on March 20, 2013
I do like the one-two punch of decrying society's casual application of violence to solve problems in Iraq followed by the suggestion that people he doesn't like should be lined up against a wall and executed.
posted by shakespeherian at 5:47 AM on March 20, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 5:47 AM on March 20, 2013 [2 favorites]
"Could've been worse. You could've been lead singer of The Fall."
posted by Artw at 7:27 AM on March 20, 2013
posted by Artw at 7:27 AM on March 20, 2013
Did anyone get to the wit part of this? If they did, can they share it with me?
Seriously. I like a lot of The Fall's music. But there's very little redeeming about its frontman.
posted by to sir with millipedes at 1:41 PM on March 20 [+] [!]
A lot of it has to do with that whole irony and hyperbole thing some folks struggle so much with.
posted by Decani at 7:34 AM on March 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Seriously. I like a lot of The Fall's music. But there's very little redeeming about its frontman.
posted by to sir with millipedes at 1:41 PM on March 20 [+] [!]
A lot of it has to do with that whole irony and hyperbole thing some folks struggle so much with.
posted by Decani at 7:34 AM on March 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Fair enough, but there's only one witty one amongst the lot (Doncaster). The rest are just like random things Mark E Smith has said.
posted by Flashman at 8:51 AM on March 20, 2013
posted by Flashman at 8:51 AM on March 20, 2013
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