The OFFICIAL Unofficial Achewood Message Board

Trivial Pursuits => Arts & Entertainment => Topic started by: Mite on October 22, 2003, 10:48:41 am

Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: Mite on October 22, 2003, 10:48:41 am: Or so says John A. at scary go round. The closest thing to corroborating evidence I could find is this (http://www.sweetadeline.net/) from "the official fan site". I'm kinda at a loss for eulogizing this morning, so if there's a raging fan out there, please take over.

I can't say I was a huge fan, but I like what little I've heard. Anybody have an album recommendation?
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: jough on October 22, 2003, 03:49:50 pm: Either/Or was really good.

Not much of a fan, though. There was a song he did for a movie soundtrack (besides an interesting cover of the Beatles "Because" he did for the American Beauty ST) that was really pretty. Had a strange name.

Another one bites the dust, huh?
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: jough on October 22, 2003, 03:53:05 pm: Posted from AP 11 minutes ago (John A. is quick!)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&e=1&u=/ap/20031022/ap_en_mu/obit_elliott_smith

By RYAN PEARSON, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Elliott Smith (news), a singer-songwriter whose dark-tinged, introspective songs and plaintive singing voice won universal critical acclaim, has apparently committed suicide, his publicist and coroner's officials said Wednesday. He was 34.

Smith's body was found by his live-in girlfriend Tuesday, Los Angeles County Coroner Records Supervisor Marsha Grigsby told Associated Press Radio.

He sustained a single stab wound to the chest that appeared to be self-inflicted, she said.

Smith's New York-based publicist also confirmed his death.

Smith released five widely acclaimed solo albums that garnered modest commercial success. His song "Miss Misery," recorded for the film "Good Will Hunting," was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998.

Smith's songs were often compared with those of Alex Chilton (news), Nick Drake and the Beatles, his favorite band. They were marked by intricate melodies written over unorthodox chord changes.

Lyrically, they addressed such dark subject matter as drug addiction, troubled relationships and loneliness — though Smith tried to distance himself from the label of confessional songwriter.

"I don't feel like my songs are particularly fragile or revealing," he said in a 1998 interview in the Los Angeles Times. "It's not like a diary, and they're not intended to be any sort of super intimate confessional singer-songwriterish thing."

And the song I couldn't think of is "Pitselah".
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: jay-ell on October 22, 2003, 04:35:14 pm: This message board is starting to remind me of old people who scan the obituaries daily to see if any of their friends are dead.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: AugustWest on October 22, 2003, 05:22:03 pm: Jack Elam (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/031022/482/ny1410220435&e=4) died today, too.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: slink on October 22, 2003, 06:28:40 pm: Quote from: "Asherdan"

What a funny wall-eyed bastard.

That's how I'd like to be remembered... Even though I'm not.
Fortunately for me none of my heroes have died recently.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: andalucia on October 22, 2003, 08:23:39 pm: I dont listen to Elliott much anymore, but a few significant moments in my silly teenage life had Elliott Smith soundtracks... so I'll be bringing out the black armband tomorrow.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: Limmo on October 22, 2003, 09:28:48 pm: Well, I'm never going to see the suicide scene in The Royal Tenenbaums ( which has an Elliott Smith song running over it ) the same way again.

I didn't even know Jack Elam was still alive. The funny old wall-eyed catching-a-fly-in-a-gun-barrel bastard. Guess we brought two hosss too many.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: V-Adore on October 22, 2003, 10:32:32 pm: Quote from: "jldunston"
This message board is starting to remind me of old people who scan the obituaries daily to see if any of their friends are dead.

At least we're not phoning the old house to see how many of our friends have died. (http://www.achewood.com/index.php?date=04252003)

That said... I'm not familiar with Smith's work to any major extent, but it's sad nonetheless. See you at the crossroads, Elliot.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: pmcd9 on October 23, 2003, 03:34:15 am: Elliot Smith was on my list of people I wanted to hear more of. I saw him on SNL a few years ago and was intrigued. Dammit I hate to be a post death bandwagon jumper. I guess i'll wait til next year to get into him.

~Paul
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: andalucia on October 23, 2003, 04:35:21 am: Good call Paul... the bandwagon's already rolling: My Kazaa upload list is clogged with dozens of people uploading Elliott's songs.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: Mite on October 23, 2003, 10:43:50 am: Actually, I think I'm going to become a full time post-death bandwagon jumper. I started it with Warren Zevon, and that was well worth it. There's just so much music to get in to; organizing one's purchases chronologically by death seems to be as good a way as any.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: pmcd9 on October 24, 2003, 04:22:55 am: I'm actually on a hurry up and see 'em before they die crusade. No i'm not. Not really, 'cos all of the good ones are already dead.

~Paul
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: AlohaDawg on October 24, 2003, 05:14:16 pm: Quote from: "Mite"
Actually, I think I'm going to become a full time post-death bandwagon jumper. I started it with Warren Zevon, and that was well worth it. There's just so much music to get in to; organizing one's purchases chronologically by death seems to be as good a way as any.

And keeping up with new releases is not a factor! This is good, if somewhat ghoulish thinkin'.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: andalucia on October 24, 2003, 06:37:17 pm: Me, I'm way too much of a snob to openly be a post-death bandwagon jumper... my musicgeek friend and I were actually bitching at school about all the people mourning Elliott who'd listened to him for like a week.

We are jerks.

(I have the same problem with hip car ads. First the Walkmen, now Modest penis? Soon I wont be able to listen to anything without qualifying that I LIKED IT FIRST DAMMIT)
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: andalucia on October 24, 2003, 06:39:06 pm: Quote from: "andalucia"
Me, I'm way too much of a snob to openly be a post-death bandwagon jumper... my musicgeek friend and I were actually bitching at school about all the people mourning Elliott who'd listened to him "for, like, a week."

We are jerks.

(I have the same problem with hip car ads. First the Walkmen, now Modest penis? Soon I wont be able to listen to anything without qualifying that I LIKED IT FIRST DAMMIT)
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: jough on October 24, 2003, 08:10:16 pm: 'lucia, did you mean to edit your post or quote yourself?

Anyway, the need to like something first, to be "indie" and hip tends to fade with age. Just like what you like, and don't bother telling anyone else about it if they can't/won't share in your enthusiasm.

This is my advice to you.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: AugustWest on October 24, 2003, 08:50:02 pm: Quote from: "jough"
Anyway, the need to like something first, to be "indie" and hip tends to fade with age. Just like what you like, and don't bother telling anyone else about it if they can't/won't share in your enthusiasm.

I've felt this way for years. Much longer than you.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: jough on October 24, 2003, 08:58:31 pm: I bow to your out-uncooling me. You win THIS time, Dr. Jones.
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: AugustWest on October 24, 2003, 09:06:14 pm: Muh-hu-wahahahahaha!
Title: RIP Elliot Smith
Post by: pmcd9 on October 25, 2003, 04:16:10 am: I was the first person in my school to discover AC/DC and the Scorpions. Whoo hoo.

~Paul