Re: OT: RIP Mick Karn

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

From: William Walker <billwalker@baymoon.com>
> >Subject: OT: RIP Mick Karn
> >I just heard the sad news  about Mick Karn loosing his battle with
> >cancer.  What a truly unique and beautiful bassist he was. His
> >fretlless bass playing was as orignal sounding as any I've ever heard,
> >a very vocal sound,  melodic yet grounded and earthy and funky.
> >listen to Polytown with Torn and Bozzio or Tin Drum by Japan to hear
> >what I mean
> >    A great one has joine the great band beyond
Oh, that is the saddest of news.   I've always loved Mick's playing 
since I first heard
Tin Drum by Japan back in the day.   That record was so far ahead of 
it's time and
Mick's incredibly unique voice was a large part of it.

It's hard to have a unique voice on an instruments played by hundreds of 
thousands
of musicians around the planet but Mick had just that.   He was the 
single reason
(and not Jaco, though I loved his playing, too) that inspired me to 
start playing
fretless bass myself (though my attempts at what he did are a pale 
imitation at best).

He also had the amazing quality of standing out completely and yet 
always been tasty
and never overplaying.   That's really hard to do as a bassist I think.

Also, I'm very sad because I know that he had approached you, Bill,  
about touring with him before his
ill health nipped that in the bud.   It makes me so sad that I won't get 
a chance
to hear how the two of you would have sounded because I can hear it in 
my head
as if it were happening and it's amazing as I imagine it.    I'm sorry 
for your loss, too.

Long live Mick Karn and his creative spirit.

rick walker