From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V12 #389 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Wednesday, October 22 2003 Volume 12 : Number 389 Today's Subjects: ----------------- FUCK [Eb ] ES [Eb ] RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy [Michael R Godwin ] OT : Elliott Smith dies at 34 [Dominic ] Re: books [grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan)] Re: fegmaniax-digest V12 #388 [grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan)] Re: books [Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey ] RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy ["Matt Sewell" ] Re: ES ["Sumiko Keay" ] RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy ["Stewart C. Russell" ] secondary reap [Eb ] RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy ["Bachman, Michael" ] Hip hop ya don't stop, except I apparently did at some point ["Rex.Broome] Elliott eulogy on Portland's Indymedia.org [carole reichstein Subject: FUCK It's on http://www.elliottsmith.com too. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 00:38:21 -0700 From: Eb Subject: ES Someone on the Velvet Rope message board says it was self-inflicted STAB WOUNDS??? Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 10:11:32 +0100 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 UglyNoraGrrl@aol.com wrote: > I'm a big Beatles fan but this seems a little extreme. Maybe 4 or 5 > albums of your choice. Is Let It Be or Please Please Me really > essential in anyway? Oddly, these are the two Beatles LPs I own. I did have Revolver but my stepdaughter "borrowed" it. > Again I think this is too extreme. Certainly the Velvet Underground and > Nico is essential but the White Light White Heat? Yes, White Light White heat is _vital_: "I heard her call my name", "Lady Godiva's operation" and "The Gift" are all fab. And I would _add_ VU, without which you lose some fascinating stuff, including Cale-era performances. "1969" is required as well if you want to hear the Yule-era live sound. Also I would be tempted to add the de luxe version of "Loaded" with the second CD of outtakes. > > -take one (1) independently released album, any flavor, for each album you > > own by an artist with the little "registered trademark" symbol next to > > their name (Boston, Billy Joel, etc.) What is an independently-released record - I've often wondered? Is it things like RAK, Swansong and Dark Horse, as opposed to Brunswick, Verve and Buddah? Or am I off on the wrong track? - - MRG n.p. Kirsty MacColl "There's a boy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis". Sounds good - who produced it? Stewart Coleman, possibly? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 02:37:05 -0700 From: Eb Subject: First official semi-confirmation I've heard http://www.nme.com/news/106511.htm 2003: Year of Doom. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 06:33:08 -0400 From: Dominic Subject: OT : Elliott Smith dies at 34 I'm devastated.... For those who care : http://www.nme.com/news/106511.htm Dominic Montreal ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 00:55:20 +1300 From: grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan) Subject: Re: books >"Belle Ombre had two new dial telephones since about three months, and one >no longer had to get a long-distance number through the operator." >How do you feel about the first part? Is that English? To me it sounds like >German ... it's also how you'd translate it directly from the French. "...depuis vers de trois mois...", IIRC. jv <- so, is Hitler a pitcher or a catcher? Is Dover a seaport? Has Grover a passport? James James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- =-.-=-.-=-.- You talk to me as if from a distance .-=-.-=-.-=-. -=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time .-=- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 01:02:18 +1300 From: grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan) Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V12 #388 >Let's say you're given temporary control, Trading Spaces-style and with a >similarly modest budget, of your buddy Joe Average Rockfan's record >collection. It is, say, a few hundred discs strong and reflects fairly >decent taste in mainstream "rock" terms. What ten items do you tell him to >add to make his Rock Collection more "Serious"? hm. Good suggestions. Your points 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, and 10 seem okay, with a few minor tweaks. 1) The whole Beatles catalogue? I'd say that half a dozen of the best would be reasonable. With any luck, your music fan will soon hunt out the others. >I'm a big Beatles fan but this seems a little extreme. Maybe 4 or 5 >albums of your choice. Is Let It Be or Please Please Me really essential >in anyway? 'Let it be', no (despite my penchant for both "two of us" and "I've got a feeling"). 'Please please me', maybe - certainly more so that 'Beatles for sale'. 2) seems fine, especially if you mention a few suggestions (Who, Kinks, Byrds...) 4 (Eno) make it one of the song albums, or at a pinch Music for Films. Some of the Ambient stuff may just leave him dazed and confused. >I have to agree here but I would suggest only Eno solo count. >Collaborations just don't measure up. Both "My life in the bush of ghosts' and 'Wrong way up' sure do. The rest I'm not counting as they're hardly 'song' albums. 5) good. 9) even a complation from, say, the Stiff catalogue would be fine. 10) - a very good suggestion My other four suggestions: 1) Get complilations of the best Atlantic and Motown recordings prior to 1970. 2) At least one album which is from a culture significantly different from your own. I don't care if it's traditional Inuit music or Talvin Singh, just something that isn't steeped in the traditions of white boys pretending to be black, white girls pretending to be women, or black boys complaining about having it bad. 3) Find out who influenced your favourite groups. Now find out their influences, then theirs. Sooner or later, you'll probably hit the Beatles or their contemporaries. Now get an album by one of *their* influences. From that time. Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley... these are the sort of names you should be hunting for. 4) Go back to the previous point and have a look at some of the other names of influences that were part way through the hunting process. Get a representative - preferably early - work by each of them (Chances are that will fill in anyone from the Who to the Velvets to Bowie). >- -take one (1) full-length Pixies album for each posthumous Nirvana release >you own. Never did like the Pixies. And I think they'd get more out of the Who if they're Nirvana fans. One Who album per. >- -take one (1) country record recorded before 1982 for each Eagles record. or, take one album featuring work by Emmylou Harris for each Eagles record. >- -take one (1) out-of-print record of *my* choice, and one (1) slap with a >cold dead fish for each of the Top 20 Best Selling Albums of All Time in >your collection. hm. Not sure about this one - I'd take about eight slaps, I think. as to the three hip-hop albums, I'd go for one by Public Enemy, one from LL Cool J, and possibly one by MC Solaar. James PS, re Elliott S: fuck. Is it just me, or did this planet just feel emptier? James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- =-.-=-.-=-.- You talk to me as if from a distance .-=-.-=-.-=-. -=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time .-=- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 07:45:58 -0500 From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: books Quoting James Dignan : > jv <- so, is Hitler a pitcher or a catcher? > > Is Dover a seaport? Has Grover a passport? A lad needs to know, y'know, y'know... ..Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ :: it's not your meat :: :: --Mr. Toad ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 14:39:33 +0100 From: "Matt Sewell" Subject: RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy Beatles... deffo (Mr Russell of Toronto please take note!) a must... I'd say the core albums would be Rubber Soul, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt Pepper, White Album and Abbey Road. White Light/White Heat is *the most* important VU album full stop! I agree with Mike, though, that the Cale-era stuff on VU is fantastic - particularly the viola in Mr Rain or the everything in Guess I'm Falling in Love (a version with vocals is on the box set). I think the best advice would be 1) take the entire collection and sell it 2) buy a copy of Trout Mask Replica! Cheers Matt >From: Michael R Godwin > >On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 UglyNoraGrrl@aol.com wrote: > > I'm a big Beatles fan but this seems a little extreme. Maybe 4 or 5 > > albums of your choice. Is Let It Be or Please Please Me really > > essential in anyway? > >Oddly, these are the two Beatles LPs I own. I did have Revolver but my >stepdaughter "borrowed" it. > > > Again I think this is too extreme. Certainly the Velvet Underground and > > Nico is essential but the White Light White Heat? > >Yes, White Light White heat is _vital_: "I heard her call my name", "Lady >Godiva's operation" and "The Gift" are all fab. And I would _add_ VU, >without which you lose some fascinating stuff, including Cale-era >performances. "1969" is required as well if you want to hear the Yule-era >live sound. Also I would be tempted to add the de luxe version of "Loaded" >with the second CD of outtakes. > > > > -take one (1) independently released album, any flavor, for each album you > > > own by an artist with the little "registered trademark" symbol next to > > > their name (Boston, Billy Joel, etc.) > >What is an independently-released record - I've often wondered? Is it >things like RAK, Swansong and Dark Horse, as opposed to Brunswick, Verve >and Buddah? Or am I off on the wrong track? > > >- MRG > >n.p. Kirsty MacColl "There's a boy works down the chip shop swears he's >Elvis". Sounds good - who produced it? Stewart Coleman, possibly? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Get your hands on designer bargains for less - click here. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 08:46:22 -0500 From: "Sumiko Keay" Subject: MTV confirms Singer/Songwriter Elliott Smith Dead Of Apparent Suicide 10.22.2003 9:32 AM EDT Elliott Smith Photo: Dreamworks Folk-punk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith has died of an apparent suicide, according to the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner's office. Smith's body was found in his apartment, in the Silverlake section of Los Angeles, by a female friend, who took him to a local hospital at approximately 12:18 p.m. on Tuesday. He was pronounced dead at Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center just over an hour later. He was 34. A single knife wound that appeared to be self-inflicted was evident on the body, though police detectives are investigating the incident for foul play and/or other possibilities. No other details were available at press time. Smith (real name Steven Paul Smith) had battled drug and alcohol addition throughout his career. His first two albums, 1994's Roman Candle and the next year's self-titled LP for Olympia, Washington's Kill Rock Stars label, intimated these subjects with haunting, sparsely recorded acoustic songs such as "Needle in the Hay" that drew comparisons to 1960s singer/songwriter Nick Drake and Simon and Garfunkel. He reportedly cleaned up midway through his career, but the problem was believed to have escalated in recent years due to a reclusive nature and sporadic public performances. A cornerstone of the indie-rock scene in Portland, Oregon, in the mid-1990s, Smith gained critical acclaim with 1997's Either/Or and 1998's XO, albums that best demonstrated his ability to delicately deliver poetic, emotional lyrics and beautifully dark, lush pop melodies. "Miss Misery," his contribution to the film "Good Will Hunting" that earned him an Academy Award nomination in 1997, brought mainstream recognition to the artist regarded as a figurehead of the indie-rock underground. Born August 6, 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska, Smith grew up near Dallas and took an interest in music at age 9, and began writing and recording original compositions as a teenager. He moved to Portland in high school, where he played in a local band, before attending Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Returning to Portland, he formed the alternative-rock quartet Heatmiser with future Quasi member Sam Coomes. The band released three albums and disbanded after hitting its creative stride with 1996's Mic City Sons. While still a member of Heatmiser, Smith retreated to his basement to focus on more intimate material in vast contrast to Heatmiser's heavier sound. Roman Candle, on which he played all the instruments, was recorded on a four-track and epitomized the lo-fi DIY aesthetic while showcasing Smith's talent to craft emotive song structures that emphasized the dark themes of his lyrics. The promise of a great songwriter was furthered on Smith's self-titled album. While keeping with an overall melancholy vibe, he concentrated on beautifying the melodies. The songs floated like lullabies, though the lyrics could disrupt sleep for weeks. Smith continued to play all the instruments on 1997's Either/Or, while focusing on the arrangements. Dramatic constructions combine with Smith's eerily potent stripped-down fare for the album that cemented his role in the indie-folk pantheon. At the time of the LP's release, filmmaker and Portland native Gus Van Sant used Smith's music for the soundtrack to "Good Will Hunting." Smith performed "Miss Misery," which was nominated for Best Original Song, at the Academy Awards show in April 1998. The Oscar went to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," from "Titanic," though simply being nominated helped Either/Or become Smith's best-selling album. Smith signed with the major label DreamWorks for 1998's XO, and 2000's Figure 8, albums marked by lush textures and acoustic melodies inspired by the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and latter-day Beatles, that brimmed with a sunny brilliance, but still retained Smith's keen commentaries and forlorn sentiments. He had been working on a follow-up album, From a Basement on the Hill, at the time of his death (see "Elliott Smith Flying Solo On Next LP, But It Won't Sound Like It"). The limited-edition 7-inch single "Pretty (Ugly Before)" was released in August on Seattle indie Suicide Squeeze Records, and the previously unreleased songs "Splittsville" and the instrumental "Snowbunny's Serenade" appear in the film "Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician," directed by Silverlake resident Steve Hanft, who's helmed videos for Beck. After limited theatrical showings, the movie was released on DVD October 7. In June, Smith performed on the second stage of the Field Day festival in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which was headlined by the Beastie Boys, Radiohead, and Blur. A brief tour of the U.S. followed. He was scheduled to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Los Angeles on November 9. Joe D'Angelo, with additional reporting by Ryan J. Downey and Rod Perez ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 09:26:40 -0500 From: "Sumiko Keay" Subject: Re: ES The MTV report said one. . . but it's still being investigated. sumi >>> Eb 10/22/03 02:38AM >>> Someone on the Velvet Rope message board says it was self-inflicted STAB WOUNDS??? Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 11:54:22 -0400 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy Matt wrote: > > Beatles... deffo (Mr Russell of Toronto please > take note!) a must... but, why? I'd say it was so much dead shelf space. A bit like having a bible in your bookshelf; orthodoxy expects it, but what does it do for you? I'd suggest some Chicago electric blues and Bo Diddley in its place. Even some Lonnie Donegan might be more meaningful. Lose all Yule-related VU, 'cos if Lou thought he was an asshole, that's good enough for a muso. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 17:11:56 +0100 (BST) From: Michael R Godwin Subject: RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy On Wed, 22 Oct 2003, Stewart C. Russell wrote: > I'd suggest some Chicago electric blues and Bo Diddley in its place. Artistes to look for include Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam Maghett, Otis Spann, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Hound Dog Taylor, Homesick James and ELMORE JAMES. Whee! > Even some Lonnie Donegan might be more meaningful. Some of that 50s stuff is great, before he went commercial. There was a good quote from Kevin Coyne in this month's 'Uncut' on his reasons for disliking the Beatles. I'll dig it out if I haven't thrown it away. > Lose all Yule-related VU, 'cos if Lou thought he was an asshole, that's > good enough for a muso. Yes, but Lou thinks the same about Cale, Zappa, Dylan, all west coast bands, everybody who's alive and might be a threat to Lewis's status as number one living human being. The only people he respects are Delmore Schwarz, Andy Warhol and possibly Lester Bangs, and that's because they're no longer contending. He certainly didn't like Andy when he was still alive. I'm not claiming that Yule is wonderful, just that Lewis is not a reliable asshole-meter. - - MRG n.p. Elmore James "Stranger Blues" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:10:39 -0400 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy Michael wrote: > > Lewis is not a reliable asshole-meter. Is everyone's irony meter off today? The idea of improving someone's record collection; it's straight out of Austen. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 10:56:38 -0700 From: Eb Subject: RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy >Matt wrote: >> >> Beatles... deffo (Mr Russell of Toronto please >> take note!) a must... > >but, why? I'd say it was so much dead shelf space. A bit like having >a bible in your bookshelf; orthodoxy expects it, but what does it do >for you? Ah, it must be time for Stewart's bi-monthly Beatles swipe. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 11:10:37 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: MTV confirms >Folk-punk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith has died of an apparent >suicide, according to the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner's >office. Smith's body was found in his apartment, in the Silverlake >section of Los Angeles, by a female friend, who took him to a local >hospital at approximately 12:18 p.m. on Tuesday. Jeez, I forgot he was actually *local* now.... >simply being nominated helped Either/Or become Smith's >best-selling album. Interesting...wouldn't have expected that. http://www.elliottsmith.com appears to be inoperable due to heavy traffic. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 11:46:52 -0700 From: Eb Subject: secondary reap Jack Elam. Though something tells me that at least one of his eyes is still rolling around alive. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 15:47:07 -0400 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: Record Geek Eye for the Mainstream Rock Guy Matt wrote: >Beatles... deffo (Mr Russell of Toronto please take note!) a must... I'd >say the core albums would be Rubber Soul, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour, >Sgt Pepper, White Album and Abbey Road. I would drop Abbey Road and add Help. >White Light/White Heat is *the most* important VU album full stop! I >agree with Mike, though, that the Cale-era stuff on VU is fantastic - >particularly the viola in Mr Rain or the everything in Guess I'm Falling >in Love (a version with vocals is on the box set). My favorite VU album is the eponymous third one, but I do miss John Cale on it and often wondered how it would have sounded with JC instead of Doug Yule. I am also a fan on the Cale-era stuff on 1985's VU. I prefer to listen to the box set's cd's so I can listen to the bonus cuts, rather then my LP's or my earlier edition VU cd's. I would list the four VU's as essential and add 1985's VU as fifth essential. I wonder how many jazz albums should be required? I probably have 200-300 jazz cd's so I would suggest the geek list must included a minimum of 5 jazz and drop the hip-hop. Michael B. NP Ben Webster Quiet Now Until Tonight ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:17:35 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeff Dwarf Subject: Re: secondary reap Eb wrote: > Jack Elam. Though something tells me that at least one of > his eyes is still rolling around alive Tony Renna, IRL driver makes three. ===== "Pentagon officials says Americanizing Iraq is difficult because Iraqis have had little to no reliable information for the past 35 years, and have lived on a diet of innuendo, rumor, conspiracy theories, fear, and propaganda. Sounds like the problem is they're too Americanized." -- Bill Maher "Being accused of hating America by people like Ann Coulter or Laura Ingraham is like being accused of hating children by Michael Jackson or (Cardinal) Bernard Law." -- anonymous . __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 14:02:02 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: Hip hop ya don't stop, except I apparently did at some point Aaron: >>For me, hip-hop before 1992 or so is like rock before 1976 -- I largely >>don't go for it, despite the obvious roots later stuff has in some of it, >>and despite the universal acclaim that some of it gets. I'd bet most folks here lean in the opposite direction where their hip-hop is concerned... I certainly do. But I also like older rock that that, too, so who knows. In any case my hip hop records are almost exactly the ones that everyone makes fun of white guys my age for having (most PE, the first NWA, early De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, etc. (although not Digable Planets)). It should be noted that I distinctly recall seeing whole bunches of the same people at the Egyptians and PE shows in LA in around, yup, 1992. Nora: > I'm a big Beatles fan but this seems a little extreme. Maybe 4 > or 5 albums of your choice. Is Let It Be or Please Please Me > really essential in anyway? I just went with the full catalog since there's essential stuff on each record, and yeah, you could cover a lot of it with the Red/Blue collections, but that would also include *so* much material overlapping with the *really* essential albums that, like, why bother? Now, I'll admit that there was a long stretch time when my Beatles collection on CD was basically "everything from Help! on up,and the Red Album to cover the early stuff", because I'd gotten Red as a gift. But that was a long time ago. I still don't have the Blue comp. >>What do you count as independent? Are Matador, Sub Pop, and Merge >>Indies? What about Kill Rock Stars or Barsuk? Fair question... I'd say that, like obscene material, I know it when I see it. Those labels would all count in my book. Anyhow... I'm on record as not especially an Elliott Smith fan, but damn, is that depressing news. And yeah, I'm done with this year. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:50:55 -0700 (PDT) From: carole reichstein Subject: Elliott eulogy on Portland's Indymedia.org What a goddam depressing day. I'm listening to XO, weeping and so sad that this brilliant, sad-sack little guy is gone. Sigh. Now a lonely angel tramp booting around the outskirts of someone else's heaven. Portland's loneliest guy, our poet of heartbreak and staggering home on a cold midnight from clubland, tipsy and full of love and dread of work the next morning. __________________________________________________ Elliott Smith Dead at 34 [Updated Wednesday, October 22nd, 2003 from http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/03-10/22.shtml Will Bryant reports: Elliott Smith has died at age 34, according to an obituary posted late Tuesday on Sweet Adeline, Smith's official website. Rumors had been circulating on the Internet all day about Smith's apparent suicide; by early evening, the overwhelming traffic from well-wishers and fans was crashing Sweet Adeline's discussion board. A handful of posts indicated that representatives from Smith's label, Dreamworks, were attempting to contact Charlie Ramirez, the webmaster for Sweet Adeline. Within hours, Ramirez posted the following: "As you probably realize, I'm pretty devastated about having to say goodbye to Elliott... it's never easy to put into words what someone means to you... Elliott was such a lovely man... I will always have his love, kindness, intelligence, humbleness, creativeness, greatness and so much more in me forever because that's what he was and i'll always love him for being who he was... I'll miss you so much. We will all miss you. See you in heaven, Elliott." Smith had been working on his sixth studio album, From A Basement On The Hill, since late 2001. At various points, the self-recorded album was being shopped to indie labels and later, tentatively scheduled as a double-disc offering on DreamWorks' 2003 schedule. Last November, Smith was reportedly involved in a scuffle with Los Angeles county sheriffs at a Flaming Lips show. Smith retained the services of an attorney in the matter, and had publicly sought witnesses to the incident on Sweet Adeline. Smith reportedly claimed his hand was injured in the fracas, causing the cancellation of at least one planned show this spring. But this wasn't the first time Smith had cancelled a show because of pain in his arm. A February 2002 London concert was postponed after Smith had flown all the way across the Atlantic-- claiming he'd slept on the arm during the flight. In May 2002, Smith flubbed more than half of his planned setlist at a Chicago show, again claiming difficulties with an uncooperative hand. Smith's continued difficulty with live performances and the multiple delays with Basement-- including claims that Smith disappeared for days and couldn't be found-- led many to speculate that the singer might be using heroin or other hard drugs. Smith had written very candidly about past drug use in his songwriting, most notably in the 1995 track "The White Lady Loves You More." In January, Smith even played a benefit show for a free needle exchange aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS and hepatitis among intravenous drug users. Smith's new songs deal frankly and obsessively with drug use and suicide: a quick perusal of the Basement song titles alone yields the now-poignant "Memory Lane," "Strung Out Again," "Let's Get Lost," "Shooting Star," "A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free" and "Fond Farewell." "Give me one reason not to do it," Smith taunts in "King's Crossing," another unreleased Basement cut. I last saw Elliott Smith at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles nine months ago, a birthday gift from my girlfriend. Out of all the live shows I've ever witnessed-- and I've witnessed a lot-- I've never left a show feeling more uneasy and concerned for the well-being of the artist performing. Smith's live sets have always been hit-or-miss; in particular, his live gigs from the past couple of years have often been marred by forgotten lyrics, butterfingers on his own florid guitar parts, and so on. But on this night, Smith performed beautifully-- mostly unaccompanied on acoustic guitar, but also with some spare drumming and backup vocals on a few songs. It was his between-songs banter, fractured and urgent, that really fostered my concern. Smith couldn't have asked for any better-- a sold-out, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, focused intently on the frail and inarticulate figure center stage. "My heart's weak because, like, uh..." Smith started at one point, trailing off in mid-sentence before launching into the obscure single "No Confidence Man." As soon as the song began, Smith became erudite, focused, passionate. Between songs, he stuttered and aborted sentences mid-thought, as if utterly unable to communicate without his music. Smith was scheduled to play the Los Angeles-area incarnation of this year's All Tomorrow's Parties in November. As previously reported, Smith released the single "Pretty (Ugly Before)" as a limited-edition seven-inch on Suicide Squeeze in August; the single was expected to serve as a teaser for the forthcoming album. In June, Smith was awarded a "Best Rock/Pop Songwriter/Composer" award from the alternative paper LA Weekly. Like me, Smith grew up in Dallas, TX and was physically and emotionally tormented by insensitive schoolmates before moving west. Smith went to high school in Portland, OR and attended college in Massachusetts. In 1992, Smith formed Heatmiser with bandmates Neil Gust, Tony Lash, and later Sam Coomes. Heatmiser released three albums and an EP, but it was Smith's self-recorded 1994 effort Roman Candle that drew attention to Smith's spare, confessional songwriting and innovative guitar work. After Heatmiser disbanded in 1996, Smith's solo career took off-- eventually landing the singer several songs on the soundtrack to Gus Van Sant's 1997 film Good Will Hunting, including the Oscar-nominated "Miss Misery." Smith signed with Dreamworks in 1998, quickly serving up the baroque XO and ambitious Figure 8, backing both releases up with extensive full-band tours. Last year, Smith enlisted Flaming Lips manager Scott Booker to manage his career and shop Basement to indie labels. In the last ten months, Smith had played acoustic sets extensively across the U.S., including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Philly, and Hoboken. Smith's last public performance was at the University of Utah's Redfest festival last month in Salt Lake City. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V12 #389 ********************************