Elliott Smith

[Hamer]

I was wondering if there was anybody else on this board who is a fan of the late musical genius. It always intrigued me to find people who are into both bands like The Offspring and artists/bands such as Elliott, because people into such a wide range of music are too few and far between.

I was introduced to Elliott's music a year or two ago by two old members of this very BBS (I'd call it a community but it's not really like that anymore, it's more of just a board now) and would just like to know whether there are any more of us lurking about on here anywhere. Actually.. I'm really interested now. Hmm.

[nieh]

Elliot Smith wasn't bad. I enjoyed him the few times he was on it's just...there's nothing he did that you couldn't hear elsewhere. I don't think I'll ever spend money on one of his albums. It was just basically post-Beatles rock but depressing and (intentionally) lacking in hooks. Listen to Modest Mouse, The Shins, John Vanderslice, Rooney, etc. You already have a connection to Elliot Smith's music, so you'll be able to point out more differences between him and those other bands than I would, but the similarties are certainly there and as much as I enjoy a lot of those people while they're on, I'd feel like I was wasting money buying something by them.

[Hamer]

Hmm. Somehow I just can't identify with not being able to find something unique about his music. His electric guitar playing wasn't particularly original or inventive but I believe him to be the most amazing acoustic songwriter I've ever heard.

Talking about his first few albums here (and even some tracks from his later ones), a lot of the stuff is just enthralling... Well to me anyway. Being a guitarist myself I have never found another guitarist who was as creative as he was acoustically. His voice was so full of emotion without you getting the feeling it was forced, and he was actually human (something that is lacking in today's songwriters).

I consider his death as more of a tragedy than that of Hendrix or Kurt Cobain... A huge inspiration to me.

Oh by the way, I really like talking about him and the effect he has had on my own songwriting and attitude to music and guitar playing, in case it's hard to notice :P

[nieh]

give me an example!

[BREAK]

It always intrigued me to find people who are into both bands like The Offspring and artists/bands such as Elliott, because people into such a wide range of music are too few and far between.


This is only true because:

1. Offspring fans are too ignorant to know about Elliot Smith
2. Elliot Smith fans are too cool to be into the Offspring

As for me, I don't really like either all that much. Sorry.

[Little_Miss_1565]

I love Elliott Smith, and damn do I miss 'im.

And there is no way in hell he killed himself.

[nieh]

if you love him as well, recommend me some of his good acoustic stuff. Show me why he's better than all the other people/groups in his genre.

[Marit]

I love him! His music is amazing, I haven't been a fan too long though..

[SicN Twisted]

Elliot Smith was amazing. he was one of the last songwriter/poets to really send chills down my spine.

And he most definately killed himself. Big shot of dope, multiple stabs to the heart.

[Little_Miss_1565]

if you love him as well, recommend me some of his good acoustic stuff. Show me why he's better than all the other people/groups in his genre.

Start with his self-titled album. That one is just him with his acoustic guitar, and it is, as Sic said, spine-chilling. I consider myself a pretty big fan of his and I'm not all that fond of the new album.


Elliot Smith was amazing. he was one of the last songwriter/poets to really send chills down my spine.

And he most definately killed himself. Big shot of dope, multiple stabs to the heart.

How in the hell did he get through his sternum, though? Dope's a depressant. I think he was on drugs and wasn't able to defend himself from who-the-hell-ever.

[SicN Twisted]

There were over 20 stab wounds. I don't think he pierced his heart as much as he beat through his breast plate and shut his heart down. It's obvious he killed himself, there was a note, prior attempts, the works. Even his family and friends said he had been drifting towards it.

His new album's pretty good. It's not amazing like his self titled, but it's a respectful folk singer's stab at rock and roll. Dylan did it, why can't Elliot? I still don't think anything of his matches the genius of songs like Needle in the Hay and Between the Bars.

[Little_Miss_1565]

Nothing will ever touch "Needle in the Hay" or "Between the Bars," from him or anyone else.

20 stab wounds? Shit. I heard 2.

[SicN Twisted]

only 2 had fatal impact. But apparently he gouged for awhile.

Christian Brothers and Division Day are also great songs.

[scream]

I only have one of Smith's song -- Angeles. Lovely.

[Hamer]

2 stab wounds, one to the heart and one to the abdomen. The heart wound was inflicted first. Which is impossible... Go figure. And there were no drugs found in his system following his death. I've probably still got the death certificate/report on my computer somewhere around here...

I love the new album too. Easy to tell that it wasn't he who finished its production, but I love it all the same.

[Little_Miss_1565]

"Southern Belle" is another great song. I blame my love of that song, and my love of Britney Spears' "Toxic," for why I'm cultivating an obsession with "Southern Belles in London Sing" by the Faint. Or something.

Elliott was totally murdered.

[SicN Twisted]

I saw the guy from the faint getting an espresso at Starbucks. I said "hey man, you're from the Faint" and he smiled and walked away.

[Hamer]

(I love the two of you.)

I'm surprised to find anybody else here, although what a nice surprise it is.

[Hamer]

Nieh... New Jersey?! Where about? I was there only this year, in Vineland, to meet the two people who I mentioned earlier in this topic who got me into Elliott Smith.

Spooky.

[nieh]

My apartment is in Collingswood, near Camden, Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, etc. I work in Mount Laurel, and I tend to hang out around Glassboro, Medford, Mount Laurel, and so forth. I know I've been to (or at least through) Vineland, I just can't think of where it is off the top of my head.

[SicN Twisted]

Elliot couldn't have possibly been murdered. He was diagnosed with severe clinical depression, and friends and family reported he had been acting suicide. THere was enough epidermal puncture to show that he could have been gouging for more then an hour.There weren't drugs found in his system because heroin can leave your system in as little as 9 hours depending on the dose. His fucking works were on him when he died. Everything points to suicide. Plus, he was so nice and sensetive. Who would murder him?

[Hamer]

From the report I've read, he and his girlfriend were having an argument and she walked into another room away from him before hearing him cry out, only to to run back into the room to find him with a knife stuck in his chest. That's her story anyway. I think. I'm pretty sure I didn't just make it up off the top of my head... yeah, quite sure.

[Little_Miss_1565]

So he had what, 10 seconds to stab himself 20 times, twice fatally?

[Kayleigh]

I fell in love with Elliott Smith when I saw 'The Royal Tenenbaums', and heard 'Needle In The Hay'. I think it's an absolutely amazing song.

I only have 'XO', but I am very, very in love with that album.

[Hamer]

So he had what, 10 seconds to stab himself 20 times, twice fatally?

Exactly. It was two wounds though. I wish I could find the report now.

[always paulala]

i finally registered hamer (ha! it's odd referring to you as that now for some reason)...never thought i'd be back on this board...elliott gives me incentive

so it would only be appropriate for me to reply to this thread first..

i believe that elliott committed suicide...due to many factors, one being an article i recently read (by Spin...it's surprisingly incredible and just came out). elliott was, in fact, clean of any illegal, illicit drugs...but, he was still on prescription medication. this, though, was not the cause. elliott was cleaning up his entire act. he stopped drinking alcohol, eating red meat, consuming refined sugar or caffiene, taking illegal substances, and even cutting down extremely on his many prescription meds (jen chiba had all his medication on a daily schedule..so to help him get off them)...the problem with suddenly allowing your body to clear itself of all these sunstances for a year, is the fact that these substances surpressed teh emotions and feelings that have plagued elliott his entire life, and that have attributed majorly to his clinical (if not unipolar) depression. memories from his childhood were coming back, emotions once dulled by substance abuse were no longer in control...in other words, elliott's mind was now plagueing him full force. though he was more energetic and his drive to finish his album was pushing forward, friends claim he was as suicidal as ever, and threantened frequently...im not going to go into it anymore, bec anyone can read all about this...especially in his biography and the Spin article which is mainly made up of first hand accounts from friends..

elliott's music is literally the only music that has made me cry...and...i find that wonderful.

some recomendations of acoustic stuff ...in order of first album - recent(this is hard):
condor ave.
needle in the hay
southern belle
the biggest lie
between the bars
angeles
say yes
tomorrow, tomorrow
everything reminds me of her
get lost
fond farewell
last hour

i miss him.

[HornyPope]

MY flatmate plays his songs often. Wouldn't know it by name but yeah it's good stuff. He was presented to be as a "huge beatles fan" and that's always cool in my book.

[Evil-Dead]

I know of a man who got shot in the heart while making a getaway and was still able to drive (and steer) for awhile before he died. he was on drugs though

[Inshane]

His music is often the thing that comforts me in my hysterical sad times.