Trouble, from the Thumbsucker soundtrack.
A Cat Stevens cover well suited to Elliott's style.
It was recorded in 2003, not long before his death, and the wear and tear on his voice is obvious...the more live shows I collect, the harder it is for me to listen to anything after about 2000. The drugs and whatever other problems he had make them too sad after the purity and ease of the earlier shows.
Everything comes through in his voice, which is part of what made him so brilliant...but it can make listening to later recordings (even an official release like From a Basement on the Hill) depressing, like driving slowly past a pile up on the freeway.
It's the same feeling I get listening to Billie Holliday's later recordings.
You can sense their sadness at being so reduced they can no longer do what was once effortless, and knowing it's their own damn fault.
Fucking heroin.
No comments:
Post a Comment