RIP Thread - Raise a glass to those who have passed

[coqui_chris]

the keyboards and Piano in LA Woman, I've never heard anything so depressing and so uplifting at the same time. I can't enter that city without listening to that song. City of night, indeed.

Never been west of Chicago, but why do I get the feeling that I can SEE Los Angeles when I hear that song ...?

[TheBigCasino]

it is LA, it is.

[Lush City]

it is LA, it is.

The 'city at night' is truly intoxicating. Either up in Palos Verdes in the South or Mulholland Drive in the Sepulveda pass to the North at night you get the picture. Laurel Canyon has a great view too.
Zappa even put together a piece called City of Tiny Lights http://youtu.be/QH-rR42jeI0

[coqui_chris]

I know its been done, but sometimes I think I really should've made my way to Southern California to be a scumbag there

[Lush City]

Was born here and that is what I became. Thank God I'm no longer a liberal and cleaned that part of my life up. So come join us if you can stand the traffic.

[FearNoBeer]

R.I.P Mr Manzarek. I first got into The Doors about 20+ years ago...you see, I was quite young then and all I cared for was metal/hard rock (mainly seventies hard rock, which I still love). I still like them a lot. Ray seemed to be an intelligent, peaceful man. His keyboard playing was quite tasteful.
The Doors added another dimension for me in music...bluesy, at times jazzy and psychedelic at the same time. I never thought them as a hippie band and they weren't either! BTW some hippie music is good too, maaaannn...

Jim and Ray, having a jam with some old and new friends...somewhere. Nice thought. And I'm not religious...

[Palinka (RIP)]

The newly discovered fossils of an ancient, extinct, 6ft long, plant-eating lizard have been named Barbaturex Morrisoni after the late "Lizard King".

How the Hell could I forget this? "Alabama Song" was one of the best drinking songs ever.

Actually it was written by Bertolt Brecht for "Haupostille" and later set to music by Kurt Weill for the songspiel "Mahogonny" (sic). For more information, click here.

[Palinka (RIP)]

The wonderful and talented writer Mr Iain Banks has, sadly, passed away at the tender age of 59.

Kindly raise a glass to his memory and one of his, many superb, books to your eyes.

He was the man that wrote, possibly, the best opening line to a book; to whit, "It was the day my Grandmother exploded." If that doesn't intrigue you into reading the rest of the book (The Crow Road), then you must have quite a dull imagination.

[Bur]

I will have to look to this once there's time for that. And I can read straight.

Raising a glass however is something I can still do.

Cheers.

[TheBigCasino]

Rest in Peace, Sir. A Macallan for your journey.

[GSG]

A fabulous writer - he will be sadly missed. Read his works, they are well worth it.

To Iain (M) Banks, a great talent gone too soon.

[Palinka (RIP)]

Be sure to check out his only non-fiction book, Raw Spirit - In Search of the Perfect Dram. It is insightful, educational and very, very funny.

[Palinka (RIP)]

Words of tribute from other authors.

[Shane-O-Matic]

I've yet to read anything he wrote. In fact, I tend to overlook his works in favour of one of his biggest fans (and fellow Fifers) in Ian Rankin. My greatest exposure to Iain Banks has been through my subscription to New Humanist.

Will need to read some of his works over the summer. Might have to sort a wee pub crawl through the Kingdom. Jackie Leven was also from Fife. I owe a lot more to that place that I tend to admit.

R.I.P.

[peetie44]

Raise a glass to James Gandolfini...dead at age 51.

http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment ... age-51.ece