The Tragic Story of Elliott Smith
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มี.ค. 2023
- 🎸 MY TOUR DATES
bit.ly/MarySpenderTour
🥁 SUPPORT PATREON
/ maryspender
MY COURSES
🎤 How To Write Songs
bit.ly/thecraftofsongwriting
🎸 Learn Fingerstyle Guitar
bit.ly/3vfo7mz
📷 How I Built My TH-cam Channel
bit.ly/41JTSk2
🎛️ Learn Ableton
- How To Produce bit.ly/3Qs0rCl
- How To Perform bit.ly/3QolLIZ
✍️ MY NEWSLETTER
bit.ly/21stCenturyMusician
🎵 MY BACKING TRACKS
Apple Music apple.co/3Al6df3
Spotify spoti.fi/2VX2nu2
Bandcamp bit.ly/2UYP4Ja
📖 MY REFERENCES
bit.ly/maryspender_bibliography
![[4K] TREASURE(트레저) “KING KONG” Band LIVE Concert 킹콩은 라이브를 찢어🦍 [it’s KPOP LIVE 잇츠라이브]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/p8bLLOxPDD8/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm making changes and would love your support. Please consider becoming a Patreon Supporter.
www.patreon.com/maryspender
Those are some serious prices, wow...
When you posted your poll about why people watch your channel , I answered that I didn't care about this sort of content. Yet here I am, watching the whole video because of a story so well-told
@@aaronaragon7838 When the greats like Steve Vai, Jacob Collier or Nita Strauss, to name a diverse few, charge $5 or less a month to learn from and suppot them, then these prices seem a bit steep to me. But it all comes down to personal preference I guess, apples and oranges .
uh, "took his own life..."??
with all due respect, you may want to do a little research into the circumstances of his "suicide" (allegedly stabbing himself in the chest).
you might find the coroner commenting that it is unusual for these kinds of suicide attempts to have only one, clean entry point into the chest (as Elliot's did) - usually there are multiple wounds from repeated attempts.
not to mention the story of his girlfriend - who's prints were found on the knife because she pulled it out of him. (hmmm)
I have not seen in awhile the video a friend of Elliot's made exposing all of this.
anyway, these are details that I was exposed to.
just sayn.
Me, me, me... Shameless.
One of my favorite songwriters ever. People sometimes say his music is depressing, but I can listen in almost any mood and not feel like it's bringing me down in any way. A true loss that he wasn't with us for longer.
So cool to see you here and to learn you're an Elliott Smith fan as well. And I completely agree, his music had so much more emotional nuance and complexity to it beyond sadness and it's unfortunate to see people simplifying it to that. Truly beautiful stuff.
I saw Miss Misery in one of your playlists years ago, which was one of the reasons I started listening to Elliott! Thanks man, love your streams btw
@@fooball4589 that’s really awesome
hi! agreed. his work never fails to make me feel so many emotions though, may it be sadness, happiness or anything else.
wholeheartedly agreed, even his unreleased stuff is so comforting to listen to. he deserved so much more
I spent 6 dark years in rainy Portland addicted to heroin in the 2000s. Elliott Smith was the soundtrack to my life at the time. He got me through some very tough times. Luckily, my best friend had a record player, so we got to listen to his music at its best. I felt a connection to Elliott's music & lyrics on a soul level, unlike any other musician. Sadly, my best friend opted to end his life, and he passed while listening to Elliott. I eventually escaped Portland and am now 10 years clean. I still love Elliott's music and mourn his passing.
I'm glad you are clean now, and I'm sorry you lost your friend. Thank you for sharing your story here.
Not only was he an incredible songwriter, but he was a *ridiculously* talented guitar player, and very underrated at that. Once you try to learn some of these songs, it becomes quickly apparent just how skilled he was.
I was watching an interview with the engineer that did most of his records and he said said that one thing that stood out to him all the years later was that “Elliot didn’t really make mistakes. He never really had those moments of fumbling at the guitar that most players have where they’re making basic mistakes trying to convey his ideas.”
I’m generally paraphrasing here but I think about that every time my fingers slip off a d chord…
What an artist.
@@iancavalari7286 Was the interview with Larry Crane at Jackpoy in Portland?
@@jeremyserwer2586 ok I was misremembering but after some digging I found the quote. It’s from JJ Gonson the manager of Heatmiser his band and it was from a Pitchfork piece:
“Elliott had a natural aptitude that was unique. He could hear music and make it come out of his fingers in a way that most guitar players can't. He never stumbled. It was like there was a channel that went straight from his brain to his fingers, and that was immediately evident watching him play live. You only see that kind of skill level once in a while, so when you see it, you know.”
@@iancavalari7286 I don't know that name but I definitely listened to Mic City Sons as my gateway to Elliott back in 95. I remember they came up and played in Everett at a bar I worked the door for(Jimmy Z's) and somehow i missed the show!! I stole a cop and speeder poster though that was still up. Luckily I saw him 3 times--including his last gig in Portland at the Crystal which he sadly did not resemble the quote you posted--he was in rough shape but the crowd loved him anyway.
I lived in Portland from 99 to 2008 and met a number of folks he played with--including doing a show with Pete Krebs for a benefit for another musician at the Doug Fir. People really loved him there but he was not accepted as immediately as Mary suggests--he toured and went elsewhere before Portland embraced him. Any way thanks for sharing the quote and sorry for the long response/bragging!
@@jeremyserwer2586 no doubt. That’s incredibly dope you had those experiences. I sadly never got the chance to see him so I’m envious for sure!
I was lucky (and old) enough to see Elliott live a number of times. As aspiring musicians, my friend and I gazed in awe at Elliott's ridiculous talent and his ability to play highly complex guitar runs and chords with ease. I still regard him as one of the greatest songwriters of all-time, and it's a crime that he's still not getting the credit he deserves (Phoebe Bridgers for one owes him a beer or two!)
Elliott smith is widely and aptly held in high regard by this new wave of more melancholic singer song writer artists, it’s just that his influence wasn’t really recognized until now. As you mentioned yes phoebe bridgers owes a lot to him and she recognizes that, at a concert of her I went to they had trivia up about her and a few of them mentioned Elliott smith.
Ugh I can’t stand Phoebe. She rips him off so bad but says she is a huge fan and was highly influenced by him so it’s okay. It would be okay if the music was good but it isn’t. Kyoto is okay but she lacks Elliotts knack for melody. All is is a bunch of beeps and bloops, her “nice” dime a dozen vocals, and just blah. Everyone praised her “Punisher” album so much and I just don’t get it. It got better reviews than Elliott got on his best albums. I just don’t get it.
There was a vinyl record store in Santa Monica called Penny Lane. They were playing Elliott’s “Either/Or” on the speakers and right when it ended Elliott walked in. The manager said “Hey Elliott, we were just playing Either/Or.” Elliott replied “It’s okay. I’ve heard it enough.” This was during the lead up to the Oscars.
Thank you for sharing this anecdote
Grew up in Orange County in the 80s and 90s and had forgotten about that place. Thank you
I was fortunate to see Elliott play in his high school band in 1986. I did not really know him although we had many mutual friends. His guitar skills blew me away and the songs were complex and catchy. I saw his rise through Heatmiser and solo work and was in awe of his songwriting acumen and his ability to make me feel emotion through his music. He will forever be one of my most admired artists and I hope he knew the depth of connection that his fans felt for him and his songs.
I really can’t see how one could compare Elliott to Nick Drake - they seem oceans apart to me. I love them both. To me Elliott is operating in a more Beatle inspired vibe and Nick was more influenced by jazz and British folk. They’re both great.
Only thing is perhaps some alternate tunings but still
Elliot was beyond the Beatles. Beatles were pretty simple and overrated. Elliot engineered a whole new way of songwriting and guitar playing.
Simplicity isn’t a bad thing. There would be no Elliott without The Beatles. Anyone who doesn’t realize how amazing both The Beatles and Elliott were has undeveloped musical taste. Radiohead too.
It's just a common comparison that people use, for some reason. It's a really bad one though, I'm totally with you there. I saw Elliott Smith live a few times. I've listened to both for thousands of hours and I can only assume this is a comparison someone made one, and everyone just repeats it without thinking it through. Their lives, lyrics, music, and deaths were just totally different. But they both played acoustic guitar and sang...so that must be it?
@@andycook7220 the similarity is that they both play a lot of folkish music that is often about depression. And they both ended their lives. I agree though that Elliott has a more angular approach and there’s way more seething anger and such. Nick Drake is just super calm but sad.
From a Basement on a Hill is heartbreaking, it gives us a little glimpse of where he was going and it's so rich and beautiful.
Miss Misery is a masterpiece. But for me, when the little piano solo chimes in in 'Pitseleh', that's just divine
He was a wonderful songwriter. His music is deep, heartfelt, haunting, and even quietly angry at times. Powerful stuff.
Thanks for this. I met him a couple of times back in the Heatmiser days. He was just such a nice guy and was genuinely thankful when people came out to the shows.
I only first heard him a couple of years ago. But he's become an absoloute hero of mine
Elliott is the most underrated artist of his generation- what a talent. Such a challenging guitar player and a phenomenal lyricist -
Thanks for this video / yes he eclipses many many artists / sometimes I feel he is like all four Beatles - plus George Martin - in one /
Id love if Rick Beato or other music appreciation channels start analyzing his work - - his body of work is encyclopedic- heck his posthumous work eclipses most songwriters ! 😅
thank you for using underrated correctly. elliott was the epitome of underrated.
How is he underrated, he is regarded as a musical genius, a highly talented musician. He was even in the Oscars. He is not underrated at all, maybe not a household name, but not underrated.
@@jabosolar maybe underappreciated is a more accurate word. at least the OC's usage is more correct than how most ppl use it--EX: "kurt cobain is so underrated."
but i will die on the hill when i say smith is underrated. he def was underrated while he was alive; one oscar win still didn't generate enough buzz. he is only considered a genius nowadays posthumously.
Yeah he is getting far more popular posthumously just like Nick Drake. He is really far more talented than almost anyone besides The Beatles. If you know, you just know.
Sparklehorse is amazing too. Also ended his life. I wouldn’t say he is as much a genius as Elliott, but it’s great for depressed people like me who make it worse by listening to depressing music.
When people talk about Elliott Smith, it always has a level of admiration and reverence than nearly any artist. People who like him always absolutely love him, there really isn't anybody comparable in style or substance. He encourages a certain level of passion from people that you hold quietly instead of scream from the rooftop.
I sometimes feel bad even calling this guy a singer-songwriter, cause there are almost no musicians with that label attached that have his level of musicality. His approach to recording, his impeccable skill on the guitar, his ability to utilize silences like they are another instrument adding weight to the melodies, all that is in a league that sets him apart. He understood music in a way that was special and unique and I'm still sad he didn't get to share more of that gift with the world. It would have been fascinating to watch his evolution.
It's honestly incredible Gen z hasn't discovered him yet and he's not all over tik tok
@@dre6289You'd be surprised, as a zoomer, I know tons of other zoomers who also adore Elliott
@dylantaylor603 I was born in 96, I'm barely a millennial. When I was in high school no one I knew was listening to him. My older sister is the one who showed him to me. Hope he's getting more attention now
@@dre6289Let’s keep it that way.
@@dre6289im gen z and im obsessed with his music
I saw a film back in 02 with one of his songs in it. The Royal Tenenbaums. I was 15 and it changed everything for me. Then in 03 I remember looking up on the internet “Elliott smith tour” or something like that, and I just saw “memorial service for Elliott smith”.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.
"I'm in love with the world
Through the eyes of a girl
Who's still around the morning after"
To me, the opening lines of "Say Yes" are easily in the top 5 all time best song openings ever.
love this song so much
I was lucky enough to photograph him for an NME feature in Minneapolis at Prince’s 7th Street Entry.
Quiet, humble, incredibly talented. Must pull the negatives up and scan them.😢
Yes you should! I photographed him too for Dazed&Confused in '98 and although I only shot 4 rolls ( I was too poor to afford more ) there are so many great images.
If you ever manage to scan those pics please tell me where I can search for them
Same!!! Would so LOVE to see them, glad you both got to have that experience 💕
you photographers are FORTUNATE!!!!!! to have met Elliott even once and taken his picture... WOWWW 🥲🤩😵💫😲😱
If either of you guys happen to scan those photos and upload them lmk !
This is a beautiful tribute. Thank you for bringing this to us.
Discovered Elliott Smith a bit late, when the Figure 8 album came out. I read a glowing review and immediately went to buy the CD. It wasn't long after that, I went to buy his entire back catalog, including the Heatmiser albums. I still remember the morning that I found out he had died. I was making breakfast, and the story came across the bottom of the tv screen, on a cable news channel. What a terribly sad day that was.
I was a classmate of Elliott's at Hampshire College back in the late 80s. I only had minimal interactions with him and I didn't think much of his band, Heatmiser, the one time I saw them play on campus. Looking back, I think his music was ahead of the times and I wasn't ready for it, kind of like how people dismissed Van Gogh during his lifetime only for him to be recognized for his genius much later.
holy shit i didn't know he went to Hampshire!!! Jesus Christ. I'm literally from Boston area and went to Goddard up in Vermont in the 80's and was part of the whole Phish initial ramp up (i was at the Hampshire Halloween show they played and drove them in and long story here). Were you there when David Foster Wallace was teaching? That is mental i knew a ton of folks at Hampshire and it was the last place I took mushrooms (insert longer story) many moons ago.
@@rightrightrightuhhuhuhhuh6516 I was there from '86 to' 90. That must have been before DFW. However, I did catch Phish when they played at Hampshire (maybe '88?}. The only two things I remember from the show was that they played The Lizards and they had speakers with rotating baffles of sorts to market the sounds flutter a bit.
@@johnelstad Your name seems super familiar to me did you grow up in Easton, MA? I think i was at the first halloween show they performed at but i had a bad mushroom trip and ended up fetal for like 10 hours curled up in one of the awful concrete bunker dorms there. My roomate was dating Trey Anastasio the singer for Phish and he puked in my car on the way down to Amherst from Montpelier lol
@@johnelstad i was pretty tight with some folks who were at Hampshire, most from the Goddard or Montpelier VT area, Anton Cole and Josh Brower, and Jessamyn West who were there around that time... I wished i had gone to Hampshire rather than Goddard which was basically like about to go under and had 50 students total and no actual campus facilities outside raggedy dorms and a cafeteria but it sure was pretty up there but just very weird lol
*jaw drop*
Great video I got into Elliott Smith when I started hearing Miss Misery. I saw him twice (XO and Figure 8 tours). Seeing him sing and play guitar onstage was transfixing. I remember thinking I'd never seen so much talent in one person. As a guitarist, trying to learn his songs is a tall task.
The Basement On The Hill posthumous album is so haunting. The song PRETTY UGLY BEFORE brings me to tears just thinking about it. He was a rare & magical being like Nick Drake.
Thank you from covering him. He deserves so much more recognition
Your essay on Elliot Smith encouraged me to listen to his entire catalogue. Well done.
My ex-gf lived in his old house in LA and there were constantly wreaths and memorials being left out in front of her house and in the street. It was pretty creepy
I count myself as one of the lucky ones who got to see Elliott play live, probably in 1997, with Sebadoh, and even got to meet him and Lou Barlow outside the club. They were just smoking cigarettes and we struck up a conversation like old friends. What a great guy.
Thank you so much for discussing Elliott smith. He is one of my favorite artists of all time. What a great chordsmith and songwriter.
Elliott really is brilliant. I’m in awe constantly learning his songs, like I don’t see these chord changes and combos together like this in most music. Truly a treasure. RIP Elliott! He’s also the only artist i discovered young but haven’t really grown out of.
From a Basement on the Hill I think is one of the best albums I've heard recording/mixing wise. Listening to it over headphones especially, doesn't get much better than that. Such a great guitarist and lyricist
Hey Mary, just wanted to let you know that you are one of the very few creators which videos I play regardless of the topic they cover. The storytelling is always of the highest quality. I basically enjoy just listening to you and I know you always share something valuable. Keep it up! All the best!
Loved Elliott’s music. I had the opportunity to see him live several times. He wrote the soundtrack for my early twenties. An amazing artist. Thank you for the video!
Finally someone is talking about him, he is so underrated. I don't think there is or there ever will be anyone who will be able to write as ingenious and complex chord progressions as Elliott Smith.
Totally agree! He was incredibly original and ingenious with his melody. I wish somebody would analyze the theory behind his songs.
while I don't agree to this whole underrated idea anymore, I feel you on the last sentiment... the thought of all the songs he had yet to make is just utterly sad. a sort once in a lifetime kind of sad. almost like grief.
@@kinnklem8534 Underappreciated is more like it. Hardly anybody talks about him on music channels. I leave a comment on every Rick Biatto video, because I think he would love his stuff.
@@BadDreamFucker I saw Fantano made an Elliott tier list, and he praised him as his favorite singer-songwriters of all time. Back in the day Pewdiepie had a video where he played Needle in the Hay. Those might have been one-offs, but they exist. Elliott's music speaks to the depressed though, so there will always be a sort of divide between those who get that something extra from it, and not. Biatto might be of the latter. He must surely have heard his stuff.
@@BadDreamFucker you really think Beato hasn't heard of Elliott Smith? lmaoroflol
I met him at Largo on Fairfax in the late 90's, early 2000s. He was a sweet and gentle man. RIP
Nice piece Mary. Elliott Smith is a true genius, Figure 8 was the first album I heard then I traced my way all the way back to Roman Candle. Incredible song writing. Thanks.
Likewise! Someone made a mix of California' songs (cuz they wanted me to move there with her) and it had LA, and I was like 'WAIT!' bought figure from there and still shocked how much I love/listen to him still 25 years later!
What a wonderful tribute, Mary. Thank you.
Thanks for everything you do Mary! Great channel ✨🎶🔥🐎
He released XO while I was at West Point, and that album still connects me to the gloomy, grey rainy days while attending a grey, gloomy (at times) school in upstate NY. It sounds dreary, but so many amazing memories to that soundtrack.
Lovely video, Mary! Love you, love your videos!
His songs were just... no words to describe them... Emotionally, for a "heart of stone" person, no words... Greetings from a "Barcelonian" from San Diego.
I like to think I’m a rational, pragmatic and generally emotionally detached person, but watching this video brought a lot of emotions back for me about the life and loss of Smith. Thank you
A brilliant mini documentary. Mary is so good at this stuff. Long live the music of the quiet master, may his gentle approach tread on forevermore, surprising the hearts of those that will listen
Elliot Smith was likely the most underrated singer songwriter of our generation. I saw him live with Heatmiser, and twice live with his own band. Technically as a guitarist alone he was a monster, but his lyrical genius, vocal brilliance and humbleness was perfect for the music he made which was all sincere at all times or else he couldn't play it.
I live in Portland now (above a basement on a hill...) and his ghost is everywhere here.
Again and again Thank you Mary for another great sharing!
Elliott Smith was unsung rockstar. I love the fine work he left behind, they sound so hollowly cheerful and catchy. RIP
great video! i just listened to either/or yesterday for the first time and i am blown away
Hello Mary, Thanks for this Awesome Video
Missed this video for some reason. Thanks so much for doing this, Mary. Been almost 20 years since we lost him. What a beautiful soul.
Mary - thank you very much for making this heartfelt video- I had never listed to Eliot Smith (except via that great movie Good Will Huntingbut I never made the connection). Just started listening to Either Or and I immediately love it. Will have to hear all his stuff now.
I also got to love Nick Drake very late, also Bert Jansch and Davy Graham...
Thank you so much for sharing this. Will listen and I am sure I'll enjoy it .
Thank you for a wonderful primer on Elliott.
The band I'm with has decided we'd like to attempt 'Son of Sam', mostly at the suggestion of our Bostonian keys player, and being an artist I'd never come across your video was really helpful in terms of trying to understand Elliott.
You just gained a subscriber! Thank you and keep up the good work Mary!
Thank you so much for this wonderful tribute to a truly kind soul and unique singer songwriter. I will always be listening to his songs
Really great one Mary
that was a great video. nicely done
Elliott will always be on my list of favorite musicians. I hope that any 20 yr olds who love music, songwriting and lyrics will look up his body of work. Thanks Mary
Absolutely I am so happy to hear my friend and fellow musician who passed away two years ago has a teenager who is getting into Elliott even though he was gone for a couple years before she was even born. I just have a place in my life when I was listening to just him and I think it kept me from ending up yon the same trajectory as my friend whose girl child is so into the Elliott album XO she is just so talented too
20 year old who loves elliott smith. 😫💜
What a great video. Very informative and a beautiful tribute to this amazing musician. Thank you for making this, more people really need to know about this guy
Dear Mary, my friend now passed, beloved trumpeter Ron Miles, introduced me to Smith’s records. I was lucky to be near the stage for a Smith concert at the Ogden in Denver. Now both are passed, and my heart aches with the losses. Smith and I are roughly the same age and Day In The Life was an early obsession for me as well. I can’t believe we’re twenty years down the line. Fwiw, Amity is my fav. Thank you for this lovely and gentle remembrance of the man. Love and best wishes, Daniel
Elliott is my favourite musician of all time, he is my biggest inspiration for guitar and music in general. Thank you so much for making a video on him, it is clear he has impacted you just as he has impacted myself and many other people. Rip Elliott ❤
Really enjoyed this, just wish it was longer. I could have listened to you talk about ES all day :)
Gracias for sharing this with us!
Nice report, Thks
Thanks for doing this 🙏
Thank you for this video. Just beautiful
Mary Spender, as always a great video, but this video goes beyond great. Elliott Smith was a very passionate person and you have that same passion for telling this story, and others. Thank you so much for introducing me to him here. 😌🎼
Thank you so much for bringing attention to one of the most amazing song writers to me, and he should be remembered more. My favourite is also Either Or, it is more matured song writing without the finishing polish of expensive productions. The songs with their beauty, character and cracks shine through most beautiful. Every year I go back to Elliot Smith
Great video! Thanks so much.
Thank you for this!
Elliott Smith had as much musical talent as any three Beatles.
I'm alive today because a little guitar lick in "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands" made me so curious that I realized I wasn't ready to give up yet.
I think my favorite thing in his entire body of work is the guitar line coming in after the first verse and chorus of "Can't Make A Sound." He sings this beautiful, moody melodic line, ornamented with a little countermelody in the backing vocals, and then plays this gorgeous, swung version of the same line, over an arpeggiated harmony, on the guitar - including the countermelody. And then he ends the line with a flourish of ascending triplets and starts the next verse as though you haven't just heard something staggeringly beautiful. The guitar playing against the vocal in the bridge before song's long coda is also mind-boggling. It's all so graceful and fluid, and full of melancholy and anger while also somehow being uplifting and joyful. I've listened to this over and over again for twenty years and it still hasn't given up its secrets to me.
Don't get me started on "Color Bars."
“You say you mean well you don’t know what you mean, fucking oughta to stay the hell away from things you know nothing about” --- one of my favorite lines ever❤
I love these artist spotlights!
Enjoyed this. Gonna watch it asap. Thanks
Mary, I love your channel. I knew nothing about Elliot Smith. What a great composer and also a great loss. I now listen his music daily. To me he is like a Beatle’s cousin.
Great video! Thanks for showcasing a Portland music treasure.
It was only with Elliott that I felt like I had really learned to play the guitar properly, so that it finally sounded like music. That was a long time ago and unfortunately there won't be any new songs from him, so I listen to the existing songs sparingly to rediscover them over and over again. Thank you for this beautiful tribute.
I watched you on Rick Beato’s channel. I appreciate your insights. New subscriber.
I left a comment for Rick Beato to do a video about Elliott a few weeks ago and now Mary makes one. I just want more people to know Elliott Smith exists and for him to get the credit he deserves.
A special tribute by you to a special artist and it came across as deeply felt. The underlining of the vulnerability in his music is pertinent. He was also a fine tunesmith (no pun...) and his singing has great individuality.
Eclipses Nick Drake? Dunno. Can we have an appraisal of the creator of Five Leaves Left too?♥️
Lovely tribute. He was an outstanding musician and compositor. “Say Yes” is my favorite song.
Thank you for making this video👍
Fabulous, such an influence to my own music ❤
Between the Bars is so beautifully haunting. Terrible that the world lost a great artist.
Thank you Mary loved you for bringing this up I like you Mary I found his music after his death the xo album waltz no 2 is my favourite song to . A legend and never gets the recognition he deserves.
Thank you, thank you, Mary! I found Elliott Smith through Good Will Hunting, and have been listening ever since! What an amazing talent!! It’s so kind of you to honor him this way! He had such a unique quality with his guitar style, lyric and vocals!! Love his music, as it touches the soul!
Hope to see you at NAMM this year!
Well done !
Really looking forward to listening to a recommendation from you.
Thank you for this short fan-docu. As a fan who also found out about this rather unknown but so fu***ing talented and important artist after his death, I can totally relate to the picturre you have put together.
We'll never ever have the chance to watch him performing live, get a chance to make music with him, ask him about whatever, so it's what people tell us that is left behind. It's what each one saw in him, what they experienced and put together that draw a picture of who he was from the outside perspective.
What will tell everyone exactely who this ftagile, emotionally intelligent and yet or thus weired human.being was, is listening to his legacy, try do make sense of his lyrics of which some just can't be understood ad hoc., maybe never.. And then: watch "Heaven Adores You"!
IMHO the more I got to know about Elliot Smith, the more I got what this or that song was actually about - at least that's what I thought. 😁
Sure, that can be applied on every dead songwriter. Some of ES's lyrics seem to be - speaking from a not native speaker's point of view (I'm German 🙄) - let's say: .kind of a.lyrical Jackson Pollock picture. At first it looks as if the artist would have randomly thrown words on the canvas, a little bit of this, then overwriting it/adding some of the other letters that might form words or phrases. But after a while and if youu take a step back, you can see the whole picture and then, at once everything seems to make sense…
Sorry, can't describe it better right now and please ignore mistyping, wrong vocabulary, grammar etc. I'm in a bit of a hurry, miss my glases and my samrtphone's keyboard really is for piano player's fingers… 😅
Named my son after this talented guy. My boy has loved The Beatles since he was a toddler. I guess they have more than the name in common! 😊
My gosh, it was so good. Thank you for making this video
You are wonderful Mary .
My all time favorite songwriter [Nick Drake not far behind]. Elliott was a prodigy and musical genius. His music saved my life more than once. Fun Fact... one of Mary Lou Lord's best songs "I Figured You Out" was a song Elliott wrote, but was disappointed with and threw away [he supposedly said he thought it sounded like "a fucking Eagles song"]. But she knew better and asked to have it. Also, "Miss Misery" exists in an early version with different lyrics called "Some Enchanted Night". There's no way to pick one favorite Elliott song - numerous ones are considered his "best". The more you listen, the more you find. Who else has written so many exceptional songs? Thanks for sharing Elliott's story and music, Mary.
You should check out Sparklehorse if you haven’t yet.
He was murdered. Music wouldn’t have done anything other than play background for a real life Psycho scene.
I saw him play at Glastonbury in 2000. I learnt of him through his work on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. Your fantastic tribute video made me cry. Miss Misery is just brilliant.
I admire the way this is turning around really! You have a music history part that it is a pleasure, thank you so much!!
I listened to Either Or and it reminds me of Crowded House. I look forward to listening to more tracks by Elliott Smith. Thank you Mary
I always enjoy listening to you talk about things. You're highly intelligent, well spoken and have an incredible creative talent.
I'll call you a Genius due to your affable nature and skills.
Let's talk 🙂
I first heard "Between the bars" sung by Madeleine Peyroux, and it was one of those songs that sticks with you. I looked up the original, looked up the chords, and it's been a solid part of my repertoire ever since.
I'm so glad Elliott seems to be getting a massive resurgence in interest and acclaim. In around 2008/9 I heard one song of his and pretty much obsessively got hold of everything I could find he'd ever done. It's absolutely phenomenal and I adore it almost beyond anything else. I rarely meet anyone here (England) who know him that well if at all so this was a refreshing video to see pop up! I've done a few covers of him but I always feel worried that I might taint it or something.
I've always stayed away from that documentary not knowing if I'd enjoy it or not but if you recommend it maybe I'll check it out.
For those who know a bit of his stuff there are also amazing songs which never appeared on an album like _Come to Me_ or the unfinished _See You in Heaven_ .
Very nice!!
im so so thankful, as a elliot smith fan for many years and recent a fan of yours thanks so much for sharing Elliots work, in 2005 living in london his tune coast to coast helped me out of the gutter, the geezers work is really close to my heart, i have a studio now in cornwall n often reference his work to younger artists, massive respect Mary
What a great tribute. Thank you.
Nice! I was just thinking of him today amd that I need to go back and listen
Thanks for this great video. My favourite is his cover for Thirteen.