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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Craig Leve <CraigL@ori.org> |
| Subject | Re: more on elliot smith |
| Date | Thu, 23 Oct 2003 09:32:36 -0700 |
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While I'm angry and saddened at Elliott's passing - I utterly disagree. I
find this kind of thing as solipsistic as the world view that would have to
lead to romanticizing suicide. I mean - this idea of 'proving himself right
as a tortured artist' - who exactly are you to say he WASN'T a tortured
artist? I won't glorify him for this, but for me the evidence is this was a
tremendously tormented individual/psyche. Don't get me wrong, I'm angry here
: angry at a man who squandered a tremendous talent, who couldn't use the
resources he surely had, who couldn't make choices to his own long term
benefit.
Right now we can't separate the music from the life/death. But comments like
these seem to suggest that we can't ever separate these men's deaths from
the music they created. And here, just like the womanizers, thieves, and
others who have made some amazing music, I just couldn't disagree more. I'll
continue to love 'Elliot's' music, but I'll skip the romanticizing chaser
AND the angered/annoyed dismissal, thanks.
my spare change,
-craig
n.p. The Forresters - Skin Deep (check it out, Orange Humble Band fans -
this is the latest project of Anthony Bautovich, who co-wrote many OHB tunes
w/ Darryl Mather). You will definitely hear the distinctive country/Byrdsy
jangle influenced sound, though not Ken Stringfellow's voice! More info at
www.tomthumbrecords.com / www.theforresters.com.au . Bruce has this too!
-----Original Message-----
From: Stewart Mason [mailto:flamingo@theworld.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 10:51 PM
To: audities@smoe.org
Subject: Re: more on elliot smith
At 10:40 PM 10/22/2003 -0400, Jaimie Vernon wrote:
>All the more reason to stop romanticising this guy's musical
accomplishments
>as a means of appeasing our shock and horror at what a total waste of human
>existance Elliott Smith was as a person. No one mentions his cowardly exit.
>Great tunes or not, the guy was a loser. And by taking his life he fulfills
>his career long ambition to prove himself right as a tortured artist. Alas,
>he'll live on as a martyr right next to Drake and Cobain.
Well said, Jaimie, on both points. Given Smith's clear case of severe Nick
Drake worship, this was only a matter of time, and the method involved
("DUDE! He stabbed HIMSELF in the HEART! Geddit?") proves only two things:
1. What a fucking literalist
2. What a fucking drama queen
You cannot tell me there was not an enormous level of self-mythologizing in
this act, and for that, I can only say "Fuck you, 'Elliott' Smith."
S
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