Elliot Smith
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mccutcheon
- New York Scribbler
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Elliot Smith
Self-inflicted stabbed to death? RIP? What do you think Mark? Will he be another Jeff Buckely, with loads of new fans jumping on his musical bandwagon? I mean here is another guy who is always compared to Nick Drake. I once sat next to him at the Cha Cha and had a beer. Elliot, not Nick.
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sara
okay so I can't be sarah anymore. fine.
I just bought xoxo last month, i liked it. Something about the songs made me think about Jake Gyllenhaal in Donnie Dark -- sad, sweet, strange boy. He killed himself? That's a real shame. And as cynical as this is -- if people, and I do mean plural, were buying his cds in rural Virginia before he died then they probably have huge posthumous selling potential.
I just bought xoxo last month, i liked it. Something about the songs made me think about Jake Gyllenhaal in Donnie Dark -- sad, sweet, strange boy. He killed himself? That's a real shame. And as cynical as this is -- if people, and I do mean plural, were buying his cds in rural Virginia before he died then they probably have huge posthumous selling potential.
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sara
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michelle
elliot has left the building...
I hope more people "jump on the bandwagon" It would have been nice if they had while he was still alive....
But I think that is how art makes the great ones immortal.
He was a great one. I can't think of any musician that I know who was not inspired by, touched by, or awestruck by this man's abilities. He was a poet with words and music. This is a major loss to the art world.
He touched many while he was alive, I hope he touches at least that many more in death.
It breaks my heart to think he will never again write a new song. His records have been soundtracks in the darkest times of my life, and inspirations in the lighter ones.
He may be gone but his song is immortal.
xo
But I think that is how art makes the great ones immortal.
He was a great one. I can't think of any musician that I know who was not inspired by, touched by, or awestruck by this man's abilities. He was a poet with words and music. This is a major loss to the art world.
He touched many while he was alive, I hope he touches at least that many more in death.
It breaks my heart to think he will never again write a new song. His records have been soundtracks in the darkest times of my life, and inspirations in the lighter ones.
He may be gone but his song is immortal.
xo
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mccutcheon
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Never said I was a fan. Johnny Cash's death meant much more to me. I don't think I'll write a poem about Elliott. I was just wondering, and asking Mark if he thought he would reach Jeff Buckley status now. I do like singer songwriters though. And I'm always touched in some sad way when artists kill themselves. Maybe it's living too close to that emotion. But when Amanda called me yesterday my cell phone was breaking up and I shouted back, "What Morrisey killed himself?" I have just finished reading 'How soon is Never?' And I thought she said that guy from the Smiths died. Anyway I'm still sad about the whole thing, but it's true. When I sat next to Elliot and had a beer at the Cha Cha with him, I think it was at the height of his career, or rather around the time of that ‘Good Will Hunting' soundtrack, a girl came up to me and whispered in my ear as I was leaving, "My god you were just sitting next to Elliott Smith!" I said, "Who cares?"
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mccutcheon
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Well, McC, you're kindof putting me on the spot, flattering as it may be. I've heard Elliot Smith but his music never made much of an impression on me. I've listened again to him in the wake of his death, and regret that I just happen to be hearing him at the same time as the brand new second album by The Shins. Because though I feel the two are comparable, The Shins have some rather large dimension Mr. Smith lacks. What remains special about The Shins is not only do they worship this British concept of a good tune, but they don't always follow the traditional rules (British) in *constructing* their tunes, which means, yes, once again an American band has added it's own thing to British music.
That's the way it's supposed to be, you know, UK and US music are supposed to build upon one another into infinity. Elliot Smith was said to love the Beatles, but in truth he sounded more folk than pop. Which is fine, except...The Shins are somewhere much more interesting and innovative, to my mind.
Also, McC, since you ask...will Elliot Smith now rise to "Jeff Buckley status"? Well, you put me on the spot, I have no greater power to predict who will become more popular after their death than anyone else here. And in any case, I'm handicapped by not having the tools to understand exactly what you mean by "Jeff Buckley status". I haven't any power at all to comprehend what that might mean to you, just how popular or not popular that might mean. The real nitty gritty is this, and I see that obviously this has been lost in all the distraction of my arguments with Tommy:
IT IS NEITHER FAIR NOR ACCURATE TO LUMP MUSICIANS TOGETHER WHO HAVE DIED SUICIDALLY OR ACCIDENTALLY BEFORE THEY HAD EXPRESSED THEIR FULL MUSICAL POTENTIAL.
Let's say it again:
IT IS NEITHER FAIR NOR ACCURATE TO LUMP MUSICIANS TOGETHER WHO HAVE DIED SUICIDALLY OR ACCIDENTALLY BEFORE THEY HAD EXPRESSED THEIR FULL MUSICAL POTENTIAL.
Jeff Buckley is NOT Elliot Smith is NOT Nick Drake.
And when I hear Jeff Buckley's latest posthumous release, a double CD of stuff he did in a tiny Irish cafe in New York called "Live At Sin-E," it dawns on me that Jeff was remarkable in the sense that he was the only truly talented person to bring a major label to its knees for about...15 years, roughly. And I ask myself "why did the major label so quickly understand his genius?" and then I remember that his DADDY was famous among some of those record company guys.
Turning our attention to Nick Drake, he didn't have such lucky daddy connections. Though I would probably say Jeff Buckley was just a tiny bit more of a genius than Nick Drake, Drake deserves more credit because he didn't have a famous daddy, his music took 20-30 years for people to fully appreciate, he wrote a prophetic song about people only famous after their death called "Fruit Tree", AND he tuned his guitar in ways mysterious and complex to even a big fan. But it's really only coincidental that Buckley's best material didn't get released until he was dead, and I daresay had he lived even another year or two, he would have reached "Jeff Buckley status" anyway. So which is more brilliant, Drake or Buckley? It's not at all important. Because if even only ONE of them was alive today, let alone both, we wouldn't be comparing them unnecessarily to begin with, let alone with Elliot Smith.
I almost bought the new Belle & Sebastian, but then, I didn't buy the last one either. Is it good Martino?
That's the way it's supposed to be, you know, UK and US music are supposed to build upon one another into infinity. Elliot Smith was said to love the Beatles, but in truth he sounded more folk than pop. Which is fine, except...The Shins are somewhere much more interesting and innovative, to my mind.
Also, McC, since you ask...will Elliot Smith now rise to "Jeff Buckley status"? Well, you put me on the spot, I have no greater power to predict who will become more popular after their death than anyone else here. And in any case, I'm handicapped by not having the tools to understand exactly what you mean by "Jeff Buckley status". I haven't any power at all to comprehend what that might mean to you, just how popular or not popular that might mean. The real nitty gritty is this, and I see that obviously this has been lost in all the distraction of my arguments with Tommy:
IT IS NEITHER FAIR NOR ACCURATE TO LUMP MUSICIANS TOGETHER WHO HAVE DIED SUICIDALLY OR ACCIDENTALLY BEFORE THEY HAD EXPRESSED THEIR FULL MUSICAL POTENTIAL.
Let's say it again:
IT IS NEITHER FAIR NOR ACCURATE TO LUMP MUSICIANS TOGETHER WHO HAVE DIED SUICIDALLY OR ACCIDENTALLY BEFORE THEY HAD EXPRESSED THEIR FULL MUSICAL POTENTIAL.
Jeff Buckley is NOT Elliot Smith is NOT Nick Drake.
And when I hear Jeff Buckley's latest posthumous release, a double CD of stuff he did in a tiny Irish cafe in New York called "Live At Sin-E," it dawns on me that Jeff was remarkable in the sense that he was the only truly talented person to bring a major label to its knees for about...15 years, roughly. And I ask myself "why did the major label so quickly understand his genius?" and then I remember that his DADDY was famous among some of those record company guys.
Turning our attention to Nick Drake, he didn't have such lucky daddy connections. Though I would probably say Jeff Buckley was just a tiny bit more of a genius than Nick Drake, Drake deserves more credit because he didn't have a famous daddy, his music took 20-30 years for people to fully appreciate, he wrote a prophetic song about people only famous after their death called "Fruit Tree", AND he tuned his guitar in ways mysterious and complex to even a big fan. But it's really only coincidental that Buckley's best material didn't get released until he was dead, and I daresay had he lived even another year or two, he would have reached "Jeff Buckley status" anyway. So which is more brilliant, Drake or Buckley? It's not at all important. Because if even only ONE of them was alive today, let alone both, we wouldn't be comparing them unnecessarily to begin with, let alone with Elliot Smith.
I almost bought the new Belle & Sebastian, but then, I didn't buy the last one either. Is it good Martino?
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Jack Chiefton
- Old Skool Pax
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Ouch
I enjoyed Roman Candles, only Smith album I've got, but stabbing yourself in the heart? Jesus H. Christ, there has to be an easier way out than that!
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Tommy Martyn
- Mile High Club
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Was just reading a blurb online about Mr Smith, apparently he left a note of several pages length. Most of it was about some mumbling fucking arsehole he once sat next to in the Cha Cha. The last line is particularly poignant.............."and I would rather stab myself in the fucking heart than face the possibility of ever having to sit through that again."
As a point of interest has anybody else sat next to a dead popstar?
As a point of interest has anybody else sat next to a dead popstar?
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sara