every time i watch his live performances, i cry. i'm saddened by the fact that i will never get to experience his music live with him ever. so deeply, utterly and wholly sad.
@@babyfactory587 Jack Black performed at a Elliot Smith memorial party in front of Elliot Smith's intimate family and friends. He talks about it on a talk show. Amazing story.
Finally! An Elliott performance where they actually use the instruments used on the album! I mean, I dig the "intimate acoustic" performance as much as the next man, but it disappointed me that as his albums got more layered and complex, he seemed to never bother to try and recreate that live. Are there are more performances where he used a band like this?
+mywhychromosome He did! Most notably in his Figure 8 tour. You should check out the bootleg of his show in La Cigale 2000-09-29. Or his Howlin' wolf/ irving plaza shows on youtube. They're right up there in terms of his best
Melissa Callaghan Thanks guys! I'm definitely gonna go down the rabbit hole and check this stuff out. To the other commenter, I meant including stuff like piano...I've seen a handful of clips with him on electric guitar, sam coomes on bass, and Janet on drums, but it's like a very distorted loose garage band sound, still not emulating the records...
I haven't seen any of the many full band "re-creations" equal what Elliott did in his studio, either doing instruments himself, or with trusted few helping out. Tell me if I'm wrong but i thought he got the "fuller" sound to come across as so intimate because he basically did it all himself. This stage band effort was just to give-in to the system and reluctantly make these appearances. Thoughts?
+Patrick James Staples He's certainly way up there in my opinion. There seems to be a rule that The Beatles be considered the best band of all time, but it seems plain to see that Elliott alone towered over their combined powers. A once-in-a-generation compositional genius who needed nothing but a studio and his mind to create an absolutely masterful LP. I wouldn't put a single album above another.
The reason you can't compare anyone else to the Beatles doesn't have to do with raw ability, but it's simply the fact that by whether random chance (being in the right place at the right time), or foresight, it's the fact that they did so many of those things FIRST. Starting off as a "skiffle" band, then boy-loves-girl-, wanna hold your hand etc songs, expanding eventually into using DISTORTED guitar (unheard of!!) in weird, angular rock songs occasionally dipping into different time signatures, then blowing open into the full on Psychedelia of "I Am The Walrus"/Sgt. Pepper's...Elliott is an amazing, brilliant, descendant of The Beatles, and one can certainly prefer him to them...or not like them at all....but, c'mon....
@JULIAtalk yeah it's amazing how the time has passed, it's just a wonderful thing how clear Elliott's influence is on modern indie music. He was truly a saint, and I'm sure he will never be forgotten.
one of my favorite musicians playing one of my favorite songs on one of my favorite shows hosted by one of my favorite comedians. holy cow, this is orgasmic.
@eleutheromaniac First of all, Elliott didn't write about negative subjects all the time...and second; artists go on talk shows to promote their album through playing singles. Son of Sam was a single off of Figure 8.
Without a great Eiilott Smith song. However, for me personally it is also his most egnigmatic. It's a mysterious song that engages my mind. Also, I'v heard some of Jack Black's comments about Elliott Smith in an interview he did. In my opionion, he sounded rather jealous.
just checked out the jackass black thing . I don't think he seemed jealous .he just needs people to feed him lines so he can make sense when he talks .
I think their falling out was in fall of 2001 so this would be before. Though that guy on piano isn't Jon Brion. I think that was the piano player who was one of Conan's musicians back then.
Elliott Smith on guitar and vox... Sam Coomes on bass... Jon Brion on keys? or... was this after their falling out? It doesn't look like Jon... his hair was longer and rarely if ever wore glasses...
Christian Hansen there’s so many of them but they’re not getting the same attention as Elliott did. Look for Sufjan Stevens, Aldous Harding and Grizzly Bear
