Elliott Smith and the big nothing (1 Viewer)

[clonan attack]

Just read the Elliott Smith biography "Elliott Smith and the big nothing" BY Benjamin Nugent (a fan, not a friend, but he works harder for it)
really really interesting read.

i'd defo recommend it, doesn't deal overly with his death, concentrates more on his childhood and heatmiser and quasi and the places he lived.

Texas, Portland, New York, LA (Which he grew to HATE) , Even France for a while,
while he had a tough enough life and a horrible few years after figure8 he wasn't the unhappy depressed person everybody makes him out to be by any means, just perfectly meloncholic.

never had him down as a fighter either.
anyway twas a good read, anyone else read it?

 

[coast to coast]

I wouldn't say I was disappointed, because I didn't expect a lot, but I thought it was pretty average, maybe even crap. I already knew a good deal of biographical detail and he didn't really shed any light (for me, at least) on his life. Also understandably a lot of people close to Elliott Smith didn't talk to him (i.e. Sam Coomes, Jennifer Chiba, Joanna Bolme, Neil Gust, Rob Schnapf, Scott Booker, friends from Portland, New York and L.A. etc...) perhaps because they respect his privacy, perhaps cos it was way too close to his death. Either way, I didn't find a great deal in there that I hadn't already read in press articles. I get the feeling he was a bit of a weirdo mentaller tho!

Also Nugent makes some embarrassing mistakes for a music journalist - he misquotes lyrics and confuses the drummer from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with the owner of Def Jam, although do have eerily similar names, thats what research is for!

By the way, I'm clearly obsessed with Elliott Smith so excuse my ludicrously high standards!

 

[chickenham]

Anyone want to recommend some albums?

 

[coast to coast]

Heatmiser - Mic City Sons

Elliott Smith - Roman Candle, Elliott Smith, either/or XO, Figure 8, From A Basement on a Hill

That should get you started. I can make you a rarities comp if yr still hungry.

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

is elliot smith that guy that fell down the stairs in holland and died?
mates with teh frames guy?

 

[snakybus]

chick and ham, I recommend XO and Either/Or

Figure 8 is good but not as great as those two

Not gone on Basement-->Hill

 

[Anthony]

no that's ed harcourt.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Also understandably a lot of people close to Elliott Smith didn't talk to him (i.e. Sam Coomes, Jennifer Chiba, Joanna Bolme, Neil Gust, Rob Schnapf, Scott Booker, friends from Portland, New York and L.A. etc...) perhaps because they respect his privacy, perhaps cos it was way too close to his death.

wasn't jennifer chiba the girlfriend that locked herself in the bathroom while he stabbed himself in the chest? apparently. some think she did it. he had defensive marks on his hands and he was hardly fighting himself now was he?

 

[coast to coast]

yeh i read that and the autopsy on smoking gun (note: in retrospect, i don't know why i did that)... it seems a bit weird but i mean its elliott smith, i'd say its odds on he offed himself as disappointing as that is. even tho he was off the drugs at the time, its still more than likely given his noted instability. have you read the article from SPIN magazine about him? I have it scanned at home if u haven't.

 

[clonan attack]

coast to coast if you could throw that SPIN article up i'd mucho appreciate that

also for whoever was asking i think the first three albums (Roman Candle, Elliott Smith and Either/Or) are far better than the last 3.

think you can actually get the 3 of them in some weird multi pack for a pretty good price, ask in tower, thought i saw it there once

 

[Jamesy Yakuza]

Reading this at the minute, it's pretty interesting,,,

Probably go with "Elliott Smith" and "Either / Or"

I like XO too though,,,

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Either/Or

 

[Donkey OJ]

either/or for me is the best elliott smith album.

 

[coast to coast]

Even handier than waiting for me to do what I promised - I found the SPIN article on the internet:

http://www.blamonet.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58965&perpage=35&pagenumber=3

It should be in the this thread as thumbnails.

You should also check out http://www.undertheradarmag.com as it has the last interview both in its published form and with a load of extra edited bits thrown in.