Elliott Smith is dead.

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Suicide Squeeze: baseball term, referring to a bunt and steal attempt -- usually from second to third, I think.

bucky wunderlick (bucky), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:48 (twenty years ago) link

from 3rd to home actually.

zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 13:54 (twenty years ago) link

Thanks to the Elliott hatas for staying off-thread so far.

I'm really bummed.

w_l, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:19 (twenty years ago) link

Do people really hate Elliott Smith? I accept I might be biased but it seems difficult.

DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:21 (twenty years ago) link

*coughs* Which is all I'm going to say, because it would be crass to say more.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:24 (twenty years ago) link

this is such a horrible gloomy depressing thing. his music was always so tragic, i kinda hoped it was a release for him. apparently not enough of one. his music is beautiful and i hate that there won't be more of it.

Emilymv (Emilymv), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:25 (twenty years ago) link

Does anyone have a link to a site with the full recent Under the Radar interview? I seem to recall someone out there in cyberland scanning the whole fascinating cover story, but I can't finid it now.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:31 (twenty years ago) link

Ned I am very surprised? Did you ever hear Mic City Sons?

J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:32 (twenty years ago) link

I do in fact have that album and was always a Heatmiser fan, but honestly, for Neil Gust more than anyone else.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:43 (twenty years ago) link

(unedited)

elliot smith is a bit of a wuss
elliot smith is purely coincidental
elliot smith is one of the year's most important discoveries
elliot smith is still musing in the shade of an afternoon bar with a soft
elliot smith is looking for an indie label to record new material after working out an agreement with current label dreamworks
elliot smith is wearing a t
elliot smith is out
elliot smith is that his own lyrics are intensely personal
elliot smith is the most brilliant songwriter to come along since a guy named bob dylan
elliot smith is that none of the songs on the album may ever be played on commercial radio
elliot smith is happy right where he is
elliot smith is sorrow and love
elliot smith is the perfect acoustic martyr
elliot smith is that if you've never seen him
elliot smith is getting old
elliot smith is doing it now
elliot smith is still his old indy
elliot smith is playing "rose parade
elliot smith is starting in fifteen minutes in key arena
elliot smith is a multiple
elliot smith is really great
elliot smith is probably a name youíre going to hear a lot from
elliot smith is the king of the world
elliot smith is supposed to be so good
elliot smith is most definitely an acquired taste
elliot smith is kind of pretentious but i hear he's good live
elliot smith is representative of the lovemint view of females and the world
elliot smith is an excellent songwriter
elliot smith is a kindred spirit
elliot smith is the name chosen by airman 1st class glen and kimberly smith for their son
elliot smith is plain
elliot smith is an extraordinary singer/songwriter
elliot smith is capable of
elliot smith is to red stripe as guided by voices is to pabst blueribbon? hmmm
elliot smith is working hard in long beach
elliot smith is a prime example of that sort of thing
elliot smith is nearing completion of his next album
elliot smith is great
elliot smith is in complete accord
elliot smith is not afraid to admit that he is what they are best known for
elliot smith is my favorite
elliot smith is on it's way
elliot smith is one of my favorite musicians
elliot smith is a tough tough man
elliot smith is working on a
elliot smith is an acquaintance
elliot smith is one of my favorite songwriters
elliot smith is a really quiet singer and it was annoying because you could hear them talk over the music
elliot smith is not
elliot smith is signed to
elliot smith is good
elliot smith is on the cards? d
elliot smith is here
elliot smith is on alternative radio and birddog got himself a band and a record on sugar free
elliot smith is a kind of real loser lost in hollywood but however
elliot smith is great for the daytime drives
elliot smith is recording his fourth solo album
elliot smith is fast becoming one of my favorite artists out there
elliot smith is always my big favorite
elliot smith is playing the trombone
elliot smith is a god and anyone who doesn't agree needs to
elliot smith is a beautiful guy
elliot smith is such a genius cos this is
elliot smith is an impressive songwriter
elliot smith is the evil kate abusing me song
elliot smith is a fucking
elliot smith is the celebrity that i have a crush on
elliot smith is searching for a true representation of the brain
elliot smith is doing his best to overcome them
elliot smith is
elliot smith is one groovy cat
elliot smith is a couch surfer complaining that you don't get hbo
elliot smith is on 88
elliot smith is selling his 1984 2+ 2 300zx asking $2
elliot smith is definitely good
elliot smith is leather love
elliot smith is in mine
elliot smith is rapidly becoming a modern day pop legend
elliot smith is an amazing performer
elliot smith is currently studying english at cambridge university

Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:48 (twenty years ago) link

I know that it's really rockist of me to posthumously lionize someone for their playing ability and compositional virtuousity, but even as I cared less and less about Smith's music, I remained amazed by some of the patterns and figures he managed to weave out of nothing but an acoustic guitar. I can't think of many other songwriters who wrestled with structure and yet still wrote songs as toothsome as Elliott did.

mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:48 (twenty years ago) link

(Dean, a filter maybe?)

mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:49 (twenty years ago) link

Well yeah, you'd have prolly got loads more if you'd spelt his name right

DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 15:52 (twenty years ago) link

The Under the Radar link only features outtakes that never ran in the original Elliott Smith interview. But at some point you could find scans online of the cover story itself, which was a lot more than what's currently archived on the site. I guess I'll keep digging.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 16:04 (twenty years ago) link

Saw him in London waaay back in '98 or something, about the time of X/0.

It was cute the way he cut all the songs short halfway because he was too embarassed to play the solo.

What a shame. Never a fan of Figure 8, but I kept checking the 'net to find out when the new one was coming out.

Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 16:16 (twenty years ago) link

elliott smith is able to say so much with just his voice and his guitar
elliott smith is well known now
elliott smith is most well known for his exquisite guitar playing and saddening lyrics
elliott smith is a compelling figure
elliott smith is a cult favourite
elliott smith is that elliott smith is a hard guy to figure out
elliott smith is left with an album about himself
elliott smith is a man who is confused and fucked up
elliott smith is independent once again
elliott smith is the exception here
elliott smith is one of these individuals
elliott smith is scheduled to head back into the studio in mid
elliott smith is not paul simon
elliott smith is certainly more the extremist
elliott smith is one of those rare souls whose body of work is one giant
elliott smith is talking about the united states and somewhere in here
elliott smith is back again with his fifth full length release
elliott smith is working on a new album currently titled from the basement on the hill and has worked an agreement with his
elliott smith is one of the most talented
elliott smith is a sportswriter for the olympian by night and the video guy even later at night
elliott smith is all that meets the eye
elliott smith is currently enjoying
elliott smith is about the best musician modern music has ever seen
elliott smith is most often compared to a lesser known brit?the late folk singer nick drake
elliott smith is touring? this is the place
elliott smith is an anachronism
elliott smith is virtually unknown here in australia
elliott smith is a gifted songwriter and composer
elliott smith is one of that tiny handful of artists
elliott smith is sitting at his desk writing lyrics
elliott smith is a genius
elliott smith is not bigger than the beatles i will never know
elliott smith is like listening in on someone else's most intimate conversations while being lost in your own memories of
elliott smith is the second coming of paul mccartney or brian wilson
elliott smith is one of the rare folk singers i regularly look forward to listening to
elliott smith is nearly finished recording his next album
elliott smith is a name that many people were perfectly unaware of until a few years back
elliott smith is one of those nuggets that makes all of the searching worth the effort
elliott smith is as strong and heartbreaking as ever; he reaches the listener from somewhere inside and pulls out emotion through
elliott smith is said to have completed fifteen songs for his forthcoming
elliott smith is one of the best out there today
elliott smith is indeed one of those intriguing artists whose work becomes exponentially more fulfilling once you learn a little
elliott smith is
elliott smith is a man who refuses to disappoint
elliott smith is one of those artists who will never become massive and sell millions but those who discover him love him
elliott smith is the champion of the world
elliott smith is an enigma of the pop
elliott smith is squeezing in another us tour to support figure 8
elliott smith is one of the most promising
elliott smith is definitely one of the most gifted contemporary songwriters
elliott smith is a man you can trust
elliott smith is now a star of indie rock
elliott smith is not depressed
elliott smith is a talented and accomplished songwriter who crafted his sound while living in portland
elliott smith is finally happy
elliott smith is vaunted as the 90s equivalent
elliott smith is going back
elliott smith is the closest thing we are going to get to a millennial bob dlyan
elliott smith is probably the most famous artist in the american singer/songwriter tradition right now
elliott smith is that he is not loud enough
elliott smith is not your typical mainstream artist
elliott smith is proof that things really mustn't
elliott smith is behind the wheel of a rental car in portland
elliott smith is the new business development manager for the maastrict
elliott smith is a man of many faces
elliott smith is doing fine
elliott smith is found under "e" not "s"
elliott smith is a participant in agpix's green book
elliott smith is in my opinion one of the most dynamic and talented independent musicians in the business today
elliott smith is pretty firmly ensconced in the canon of outstanding contemporary talent and for the most part this album kept the goods flowing
elliott smith is still toasting the oscar nomination he received for best original song earlier this year
elliott smith is on tv
elliott smith is coming to town
elliott smith is a musical genius
elliott smith is the focal point of portland
elliott smith is now out there playing catcher in the wiffle ball game
elliott smith is one of the lesser
elliott smith is a sensitive crooner whose tunes reach directly to the soul?
elliott smith is set to release his latest album
elliott smith is coming back to town
elliott smith is wonderful

Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 16:34 (twenty years ago) link


good call on the typo. but i really liked the first batch more ... anyhow, this one has the uplifting ending.

Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 16:35 (twenty years ago) link

he was a lot less crap than people gave him credit for. what a fucking shame.

david mc, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 16:48 (twenty years ago) link

I filed him under "too pretty"... as if that's possible, and I'm sorry now.

Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 17:30 (twenty years ago) link

RIP Elliot

Daniel (dancity), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:15 (twenty years ago) link

His song was so wonderful in the Royal Tenenbaum's suicide scene.

A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:16 (twenty years ago) link

"...'depressing' isn't a word I would use to describe my music. But there is some sadness in it -- there has to be, so that the happiness in it will matter."
- Elliott Smith...

:(

despres, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:17 (twenty years ago) link

pretty devastating. though people've been comparing him to nick drake from the start, so it's not completely unexpected. ill probably cry about it later, but for now it's just eerie.

Felcher (Felcher), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:21 (twenty years ago) link

whenever i think of him i think of how miserable or petrified or both he looked when he sang solo during the academy awards. talk about out of place. he looked so small up there on that stage. and so unlike everything else that came before and after him that night.

scott seward, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:21 (twenty years ago) link

I remember his fabulous gig at Leeds Festival in 2000.
I feel very sad today.
So long Elliott, rest in peace.

Sami (Sami), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:26 (twenty years ago) link

I saw him at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto around the time of the Oscars (can't remember when it was exactly) with Mark P. We were both up against the stage, like 2 feet away from him. Everything about the night was perfect, but what blew me away more than anything was his guitar playing abilities. He was such a talented guitarist (I watched his hands in awe the whole night), which many don't focus on because he was also such a great lyricist/singer.
I haven't stopped thinking about this all day. This is really sad.

Jonathan (Jonathan), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:35 (twenty years ago) link

When this happens, I always happen to wonder where I was on the exact moment he died. I don't know why.

I'm filing through my Elliot Smith memories now. All the times I've ever said his name to anyone, or vice versa. They're all positive.

David Allen, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 18:42 (twenty years ago) link

Jonathan: so very jealous, esp. since the Horseshoe is my favourite venue. I've been listening to his music all day, and the overcast weather isn't helping my sadness.

peanut (peanut), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 19:06 (twenty years ago) link

When this happens, I always happen to wonder where I was on the exact moment he died. I don't know why.

I wonder where he was. I've been in some rotten moods in my day, and have imagined slipping away into calm oblivion, but not once EVER have I thought that things might be better if I STABBED MYSELF IN THE FUCKING HEART! And what the fuck kind of knife gets through a breastbone? Did he take a running start? That's extreme violence, extreme pain, extreme punishment. It's so grim, it's fascinating.

Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 19:16 (twenty years ago) link

it was always the best when elliott would crack a smile. all goofy face.

i shared a smoke with him once, then went inside the venue to realize --hey thats elliot smith, i guess he doesnt have bleached hair anymore. it was a small going away gig for lou barlow moving to la. 75 people there maybe. everyone sitting on the ground. acoustic set. heavy metal horns, then elliott. he kept skrewing up chord shifts. but it didnt matter.
mark p on the money. his guitar playing was so fucking out there.
a very sad day.

kephm, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 19:34 (twenty years ago) link

kenan, you're doing it again : (

RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 19:39 (twenty years ago) link

i'm back.

elliott smith, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 19:47 (twenty years ago) link

Completely coincidentally, I had to listen to my copy of XO today (as part of my gargantuan reassessment of my record collection). I had already read the thread last night on ILE where it wasn't clear whether or not he really died. It was kind of frightening noticing all the death references on it, especially since he wasn't diving into his depression so much as struggling against it. This is really depressing and I'm sad that we're never going to know what great music he might have made. My sister was a really big Smith fan in high school and I'm not looking forward to telling her this happened.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 20:03 (twenty years ago) link

I agree with what Kenan says - I've been thinking all day about how much one must hate themselves to do what he did. Most suicides seem like a desire for quick release, but this...this seems like he wanted his last moments to be agony. I can't even begin to understand this guy's pain. And I'm glad about that, really.

Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 20:05 (twenty years ago) link

When I heard "Elliot Smith memorial" on the radio, I was shocked. I haven't read any news about it yet.

RIP.

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 20:15 (twenty years ago) link

wasn't his new album slated to be released soon?

Felcher (Felcher), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 20:19 (twenty years ago) link

Ned: Shut the fuck up. You just HAD to let it be known that you don't care for Elliott Smith, huh? You must have a huge ego. SOOOOOO annoying. Goddamn, that shit riles me up.

shut up, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 21:41 (twenty years ago) link

I found out this afternoon when I checked my e-mail at work. I told a couple of my fellow editors, but they didn't know who I was talking about until I mentioned Good Will Hunting. I've pushed them to run an obit in tomorrow's edition of the paper.

Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 21:49 (twenty years ago) link

And will they, Bruce? He certainly deserves one. As I said in the other thread, tis a sad waste of life/talent. (Like him or no, you have to agree he had something to contribute---even if it was his own vision.

Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:09 (twenty years ago) link

probably the wrong place but it boggles ,y mind how someone could dislike some of elliott smith's music, especially his acoustic playing. I did think some of the rock numbers of figure 8 fell off a bit but he could write the prettiest sad songs. I hope that his last record isn't tied up in legal entanglements over lable ownership and sees the light of day soon, in some form, legal or otherwise.

anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:11 (twenty years ago) link

I loved Elliott Smith's solo records and the Heatmiser records and could never be convinced otherwise. I think Ned's getting a raw deal here, though. Just because Smith no longer walks among us, Ned's supposed to like him now? That makes no sense at all.

johnny fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:16 (twenty years ago) link

I think Figure 8 might be his best.

It's unreal that he is gone. I didn't know him. But it feels like I did.

, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:19 (twenty years ago) link

Johnny, I believe there's a loss of objectivity going on. Silly gal I am, I thought ILX supposedly ran on difference of opinion.

Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:19 (twenty years ago) link

No, that was tried, but graham had to go.

N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:23 (twenty years ago) link

Ned: Shut the fuck up. You just HAD to let it be known that you don't care for Elliott Smith, huh? You must have a huge ego. SOOOOOO annoying. Goddamn, that shit riles me up.

You should calm the fuck down, oh brave anonymous poster. Ned was answering a question which I thought was valid to answer, and just left it at that, and then responded to J0hn's followup. Or do you prefer that no one is allowed to express polite dissent anymore? Ned did NOT just pop in unprovoked and go "Ho ho! well sad that he died, but i never cared for him. so nyah". (for the record, i never really cared too much for elliott smith's music at all -- but this event makes me incredibly sad and nervous and sickened nonetheless).

donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:23 (twenty years ago) link

Ned can say whatever he wants. What annoyed me was:

1. He voiced his opinion with a sickly false respect for the dead. If he really didn't want to be "crass" he wouldn't have said anything at all. His post made the exact same point as saying "hey, i don't like elliott smith". It just reeked of "no thread is complete without my two cents" egotism.

2. This isn't a classic/dud thread. Every other post is pretty much just people expressing their positive feelings for the man and his music, and it was amazingly refreshing and suprising to see such heartfelt discussion is possible in this forum.

shut up, Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:31 (twenty years ago) link

So his songs have been running around my head all day. I saw Elliott open for Tindersticks in Pontiac a long time ago (before Good Will Hunting) and back then I was hearing things from friends who knew people at KRS that he was having a terrible go at it. If anything, I think the success might've made him want to stick around a little bit longer. But that show was great. I was sitting on the floor with a few friends as the club was just starting to fill up and saw just one of the most honest sets ever. He seemed like he was about to stop playing at any moment if it weren't for our encouragement. Tragic that he never found a way to be happy enough to want to live.

Aaron W (Aaron W), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:41 (twenty years ago) link

Either complain to me directly, Shut Up, or don't bother.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:46 (twenty years ago) link


Ned can say whatever he wants. What annoyed me was:

1. He voiced his opinion with a sickly false respect for the dead. If he really didn't want to be "crass" he wouldn't have said anything at all. His post made the exact same point as saying "hey, i don't like elliott smith". It just reeked of "no thread is complete without my two cents" egotism.

2. This isn't a classic/dud thread. Every other post is pretty much just people expressing their positive feelings for the man and his music, and it was amazingly refreshing and suprising to see such heartfelt discussion is possible in this forum.

All your presumptions (which i disagree with) about Ned's statement and attack came off as far more crass than Ned could ever be accused of in this thread. And I forgot that opinions were only allowed on C/D threads. How could i have forgotten?

And don't get me started about the irony of you accusing people of "two cents egoism". If you were really concerned and hurt, you would have emailed Ned off-thread about this instead. (and maybe you did), of course you'd have to take the brave step of actually faking a new anonymous email account for that to remain anonymous for, ur, important reasons, I'm sure.

donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 22:53 (twenty years ago) link

I take SSRI’s. I was prescribed about three years ago.

Everyone says they’re happy pills. They’re not. If I’m having a shit day I still have a shit day. But it’s not like a shit day/week/month/half-a-fucking year like I used to have. I used to wake up every morning thinking about death.

Not in a wanky self-absorbed romanticised ‘everyone will miss me when I’m gone’ kind of way. More like an animal that knows it’s gonna die soon. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, be around a dying dog.

My conscious mind was in denial about suicide, my unconscious mind was running amok. I was dreaming about how I was gonna go. I had preferred method, location, time – all ‘hypothetical’ of course. The shadows that took me at night were always present in my waking time. Turning ‘the act’ over and over. Refining. Planning. Don’t tell me that‘s a fucking normal state of mind,

People think of suicide like an act. It’s more like an unstoppable motion, a whirlpool event that becomes irreversible at a certain point down the spiral wall. You can see clearly where it all went wrong, back at the outer reaches before you went down the flume. At this point you’re at the mercy of the beast. It either spins itself out or you go down the hole. Depression is cyclical. Next time round it may not be so benevolent.

I was lucky. I got help in time and made it through the potentially dangerous first 2 weeks of treatment. My dosage is now reduced although I accept that I may have to be on medication for the rest of my life. Life still has it’s attendant miseries and humiliations – ho, ho. Still,I can deal with them better without this dark ambient noise that drowns out everything else.


P.Penn, Tuesday, 28 October 2003 21:06 (twenty years ago) link

My entire family (on both sides) has been ravaged by mental
illness, though I personally have not experienced any of these
problems yet. I've done a lot of research into the subject,
and in my opinion alex in manhattan has his head up his ass.
This kind of holocaust-denial is all too common, unfortunately.
It probably stems from an age-old fear of mental disease,
and as such it's understandable, but it's not very helpful
to those troubled people who refuse to get a psychiatric
evaluation or even consider the possibility that medication
could improve their lives - until the day they decide to
implement their own ultimate remedy. It's tragic innit.

squirlplise, Tuesday, 28 October 2003 22:18 (twenty years ago) link

Brit calls German a Nazi SHOCKAH!!

Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 09:23 (twenty years ago) link

two months pass...
Smoking Gun's got some interesting stuff up today...

janni (janni), Friday, 9 January 2004 20:13 (twenty years ago) link

nine years pass...

ten years gone

Johnny Fever, Monday, 21 October 2013 20:35 (ten years ago) link

47 minutes gone hahahahaha never change ILX

rip van wanko, Monday, 21 October 2013 21:23 (ten years ago) link

maybe i was a little misguided upthread. i don't think i would romanticize suicide as much anymore. in any case i still believe there are situations where suicide may be a relief. like when you have a tumor which eats up your brain. like this guy for example.

it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 21 October 2013 21:51 (ten years ago) link

five years pass...

Would have been 50. RIP.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 7 August 2019 00:48 (four years ago) link

Man everyone was so mean 15 years ago

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 7 August 2019 01:11 (four years ago) link

I knew better than to read posts, this was just the first non album Smith thread I saw.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 7 August 2019 01:57 (four years ago) link


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