Top 6 "Famous Last Words" *
6. "Wonderful! Wonderful this death!" -- William Etty, English painter (1787-1849)
5. (To a priest) "Hold your tongue! Your wretched chatter disgusts me!" -- Chrétien Malesherbes, French politician (1721-1794)
4. "Die, my dear doctor? That's the last thing I shall do." -- Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount of Palmerston, English politician (1784-1865)
3. "The executioner is, I believe, very expert... and my neck is very slender." -- Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII (1504-1536)
2. "Why not, why not, why not. Yeah." -- Timothy Leary, American counter-culture guru (1920-1996)
1. "The Rakes have always been very adamant and proud of the fact that we give 100% to every gig we've ever played. If we can't give it everything then we won't do it. That was the rule we set ourselves from day one. After much deliberation we have come to the shared conclusion that we can't give it 100% anymore and regret to announce that The Rakes are calling it a day. We are sorry to let down all the people who were coming to see us on the U.K. & U.S. tours. Writing your own obituary is a surreal thing to do but we want to give particular thanks to our much-loved fans, all the great people we've worked with over the years, our management and loyal record label. We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to write music together and perform around the world. Genuinely, thanks for the good times.... That was one hell of a party! But now, we really must get some sleep." -- The Rakes, British music group (2004-2009)
Alright. I'll admit number 1 is a bit long-winded and out of place on this "famous" list but what it lacks in creativity and pizzazz it makes up for in timeliness and pertinence in this forum. As the above statement claims, British indie, arty, post-punk band The Rakes have split up, cancelling all outstanding, previously-announced tourdates. Although often overshadowed by their impeccably mod sense of dress, the London quartet was a firm favorite on the live circuit since its birth and was adept at capturing, celebrating, and escaping the realities of life in memorable singles like "Strasbourg," "22 Grand Job," and "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)." The Rakes leave behind a three album legacy -- Capture/Release, Ten New Messages, and Klang (all on V2).
* Why "Top 6"? Why not, why not, why not. Yeah.
