It’s finally hitting me that we live in a world without David Longdon. What a tragedy, what a loss. I first received the news of his death during lunch. Uncharacteristically for me, I was eating lunch while checking things on my iPad. Two things happened at once–I saw the notice from Louder.com and my phone rang. It was my awesome friend, Tom Woods, making sure that I knew the news. Seriously, the phone rang within seconds of me reading the Louder.com post.

A few years ago, Tom and I had the great fortune of interviewing David for Tom’s rather famous podcast. Tom and I have bonded over many things, but few as precious as the hour we spent with David. David was, to be sure, a master craftsman, an original, and a true-to-life gentleman. While Tom and I were barely concealing our fanboy excitement, David offered us nothing but gratitude and clarity.

When I was at Progarchy.Com, I had the pleasure of “talking” with David over email, and I’ll never forget when I first heard the magisterial song, “A Boy in Darkness”–about child abuse. I emailed David, asking him (and hoping against hope that my suspicions were wrong) if the song was autobiographical. No, he assured me, it was not! Thank, God.

To be sure, Longdon and Spawton were the greatest rock musical writing duo since McCartney and Lennon. Their loss will be felt for a generation or more.

I first heard David Longdon’s excellence in 2009, receiving a mix from the mighty Carl Olson with a Big Big Train song on it. I was, from the first moment, hooked. I still consider The Underfall Yard one of the best rock albums of all time. It ranks up there with Selling England by the Pound, Close to the Edge, and Spirit of Eden. I would also–and, yes, I’m throwing the gauntlet down–argue that Longdon had the single best voice in all of rock.

So, David, thank you for everything. A life beautifully lived. There’s so much more to be said, but my brain and soul are still processing a world without you.