Elliott Smith - 1969-2003
by Maarten Schiethart
published: 12 / 10 / 2003

intro
Maarten Schiethart pays a personal tribute to the American singer-songwriter, Elliott Smith, who died in October
Elliott Smith is reported to have stabbed himself in the chest and subsequently to have died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, 22. October. Born 6. August 1969, Elliott Smith was, perhaps with Chris Stamey, one of the few to stand in the shadow of John Lennon. Elliott Smith shareda similar great genius of imaginative songwriting and he without doubt had one of the most affectionate voices in pop music. He kept a low profile until recognition in Nijmegen and Antwerp filtered through from music circles back in his native (West Coast) America. I now deeply regret staying in Arnhem whilst he played Amsterdam just one day after I had been to an Amsterdam concert by some act whom I typically cannot think of right now. Sod me, I felt not like going to Amsterdam - again - and was told the next day by my mates how stupid I'd been. He played an acoustic set though around that time the band that later became Quasi accompanied him on albums such as 'Either/Or' which again without doubt is one of the best albums from the 1990's. Releasing his albums and singles on a host of labels and ultimately on Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks, the one release that springs to my mind above is 'Division Day' for Suicide Squeeze. 'Division Day' is the track that should make 99,9% of today's singer-songwhiners blush with embarrassment over their own failures. The original b-side of the 'Division Day' seven inch single, 'No Name #6', is a free download from Suicide Squeeze. Elliott Smith was recording a supposed double album for Dreamworks. Another tragic Double Fantasy indeed. We'll deeply miss Elliott Smith.
reviews |
From A Basement On The Hill (2004) |
![]() |
Last studio album album from the late, great Elliott Smith, which while unfinished at the time of his death last year, shows itself to be "one of his most well rounded and focused works" |
most viewed articles
current edition
Man From Delmonte - InterviewPennyblackmusic - Book of the Year Award 2024
Pennyblackmusic - Writers and Photographers' Albums of the Year 2024
Clive Langer - Interview
Johnnie Johnstone - Interview
Marianne Faithfull - Reflections
Laura Nyro - Profile
Vinyl Stories - Vinyl 2024
Johny Brown - Corpse Flower
Bob Dylan - A Complete Unknown
previous editions
Marianne Faithfull - InterviewHeavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EP
Michael Stuart Ware - Pegasus Epitaph: The Story of the Legendary Rock Group Love
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Marianne Faithfull - Interview
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Jimmy Nail - Interview
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
most viewed reviews
current edition
Ringo Starr - Look UpEmily Burns - Die Happy
Pixie Lott - Encino
Dusty Springfield - The BBC Sessions
Dorie Jackson - Stupid Says Run
Joan Armatrading - How Did This Happen and What Does It Mean?
Rosie Lowe - Lover, Other
Beabadoobee - This is How The World Moves
Oïmiakon - Comptoir Des Vanites
Unthanks - In Winter
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart