Elliott Smith on Freaks | Blank on Blank
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2015
- "A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not."
- Elliott Smith in 1998, as told to Barney Hoskyns
We came across a really lost special tape for this episode of Blank on Blank: Elliott Smith interviewed in 1998 by Barney Hoskyns. It's a little eerie hearing him now more than 10 years after his death, but it's also kind of soothing to hear his signature comfort and discomfort bubbling beneath the surface. It's kind of like his timeless collection of music. Smith died under mysterious circumstances in 2003 at the age of 34.
In this animated film Elliott Smith talks about feeling like a freak in high school, how he initially didn't feel confident singing in the style that became his signature voice, what he said when people compared him to Paul Simon, writing about people with addictions, the internal chaos that people face, and how his music isn't happy or sad. "I couldn't say what it is"
Enjoy, everybody. RIP, Elliott.
ELLIOTT SMITH QUOTES
"There's a bunch of Elvis Costello records that made all the difference between feeling like a total freak and feeling like ... only a freak. A freak among other freaks"
"I've been doing four-track songs by myself since I was like a teenager, where I'd sing in a way that I ... I just didn't think other people would like it, so I didn't play it for them but eventually I got over that, which I'm happy that I did."
"People would be like, "Paul Simon." I'd be like, "I don't feel like I'm anything like Paul Simon."
"Certain songs just feel a way that's hard to put into words and it's not happy and it's also not really sad but I couldn't say what it is"
Get the interview backstory, GIFs and more @ blankonblank.org/interviews/el...
Hear the full interview with Elliott Smith @ RocksBackpages.com
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Executive Producer: David Gerlach
Animator: Patrick Smith
Audio Producer: Amy Drozdowska
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This might be the best interview with Eilliott Smith I've heard. He often seemed very annoyed by interviews. Here he's actually engaged.
+tamonator we loved it, too. Hear the full interview rocksbackpages.com.
after Miss Misery broke, dude was having to do interviews for an hour every morningn when he went to the studio - not surprising he came off apathetic, especially considering the Oscar-crowd were never gonna be 'his crowd' as well as being pretty shallow themselves.
JebaJebaJemeh Yeah, interviews in general are pretty stupid or at least unsatisfying. That's why this one stands out.
I noticed it too
tamonator woman
My favorite part is his interaction with the waitress. One of the greatest indicators of the quality of a good heart is how they interact with/treat wait-staff. Seems like an incredible person to know.
he interacted with her like any normal human being
indo popstar you’d be surprised how many people treat wait-staff like dirt
@@cardholder_john yeah can confirm
@@ecoterrorism_liker7251 i think that’s the point
@@ecoterrorism_liker7251 ya but what the comment is saying is you can see how people really are depending on how they treat others
Finally someone interviews him in a way that suits him. Gently, quietly and giving him space not like you would any other pop star
"A lot of people are kind of depressed. I’m happy some of the time and some of the time I’m not." - Elliott Smith. Our latest.
He should live in the South of France for a while.
Philippus Yaas That is an unlikely scenario, given that he is dead.
Ooops! Forgot about that.
Just a few years ago? (Now, I am recalling this, vaguely.)
Philippus Yaas Well, more like 10 years ago, in 2003.
"i don't know, i have no idea, (laughing) somewhere where people aren't so mad. would be nice, but i don't know if there is anywhere like that. who knows." if there is, i think it's probably Norway. in one of the mountain towns. but he went to LA. :(
thanks for posting this. it was really nice.
I just like to hear him talk about anything.
Elliott was a genius in all aspects. You can tell he was such a sensitvie man. A real, sincere artist able to create really deep and melodic catchy songs. Also so smart... Everything he said, every reasoning and his way of thinking was so interesting. A really interesting guy who couldn't fit on this cruel, cold place. So sad... Hope he's doing well wherever he is, if he is somewhere now.
Elliot Smith passed away in 2003 due to two stab wounds. Still to this day no one knows if it was self inflicted or otherwise...
God I wish I was around to see him play live
he’s coldy dead.
@@caidenbensoni7843 Lmao his gf killed him it’s almost too obvious.
@@thebeatlesremastered8144 ???
This interviewer really understood how to approach Elliott and not make him annoyed, thank you.
"Somewhere where people aren't so mad" 😓
Mad in every Sense
The part at the end, when the 'credits' are rolling.. and Elliott is talking about maybe leaving America sometime.. holy shit... it hit me so hard to be reminded that he never made it out :(
yeah especially with between the bars playing in the back
I always say to my psychotherapist that 'I want to get out of here somewhere' just because I can't force myself to say 'I want to die'
Let's hope he went somewhere nobody is angry or hateful
he did play in other countries
@@purplebrains4892 I've noticed this a lot with myself too. It's easiest to think about living another life, living somewhere else than confronting what we're feeling. The night before my high school graduation I remember I stayed up all night looking at plane ticket prices to New Zealand because I didn't want to think about how I still felt like a failure. And that won't change without tackling the issue. Recognizing that escapism, while it can help sometimes, it's not the way to approach our problems. But sometimes it's too painful to do it head-on.
his voice is so beautiful. obviously his singing voice is perfect but wow his talking voice is so calming and nice
Either/Or has to be one of my favourite records
No doubt.
i say yes
X/O is by far my favorite Elliott album
My favorite album of his is Figure 8, but Either/Or is a masterpiece. I mean truly, I can't think of a better-constructed, more profound sequence of music.
@@fennelmaloney487 Figure 8 is also my favorite
he did write pretty happy sounding melodies to lyrics on sad subjects. His songs were drama and drama means happiness and sadness in one. The dichotomy. Duality. He was a great artist. Extremely talented. Each album he made was amazing in it's own right. It's worth owning his discography. Listening to every song he made. They're all so different from each other melodically.
Andres F I think even the happiest and saccharine stuff is brutally depressing. It's like an amazing hologram of his soul.
very polite to the assistant/waitress or whatever, I've seen many interviews where the interviewee doesn't acknowledge the person who brings them a drink. I just feel like he was a really nice and sensitive person, and I believe that how a person treats service people is a great indicator of their quality of character.
Honestly, listening to Elliott Smith interviews always calms me down. He had such a calming and kind aura about him… what happened to him makes me sad. Glad he lives on through his art
Elliott Smith is the person to me who I would hug and never let go, I’d cry into their chest and feel genuine comfort, he feels like home.
Every time I learn more about Elliott Smith I feel a little more heartbroken. I hope he had some idea of how meaningful his music was and would continue to be for people such as me
He actually had a very pleasant and nice voice. Doesn't sound like his singing voice, but it keeps its softness. I wish he was still around..
What do you mean "actually" as if it's completely unexpected?
I share a lot of the same feelings as Elliot Smith, and I am now the same age as he was when he died, 34. Permanent melancholy is manageable for some, but every day will be a struggle. I admit, I sometimes ask if the struggle is worth it, and I am not sure I will ever know.
Try intense cardio and weight training. I have spent years and years in and out of deep depression and drug addiction (clean now😃) Exercise is the only thing that keeps me sane and clean. Please hang in there and try to help yourself!
Never give up PLz
Elliot gave up
Every thing you are going throw will go away someday and you will be soo happy because you got rid of it
Life is beautiful even with it sadness
Just plz dont
@@md_alhssn4 did he though? The circumstances around his death are pretty iffy. Two stab wounds to the heart with zero hesitation marks?
@@Groovy_Bruce Just want to say that this claim is some bullshit. I know it might seem crazy that someone could kill themselves without hesitation, but it happens. Addiction is messy. Depression can be overwhelming. Particularly the claim that his girlfriend killed him is a sexist tactic used against women like Jennifer Chiba and Courtney Love, who were already targeted as women in the punk and alternative scene (just want to disclaim that I'm not defending Courtney's racism or other wrongdoings). We'll never know exactly what happened the day Elliott Smith died, but trying to tear it apart years after it was correctly labeled a suicide is not only feeding into rumors and speculation, it is also incredibly invasive of his personal life after death.
@@Groovy_Bruce I also want to say that it seems more likely that he would commit suicide without hesitation marks than a woman who loved him would kill him without hesitation marks. Typically with murder, we only see a lack of hesitation marks in serial killers.
Oh sweet Elliott… how we miss his mesmerizing and healing presence.
I watch this video every once in a while. I find it conforting, his voice and how at ease he sounds.
"Somewhere where people aren't so mad, but who knows if there is any place like that" And then he went to heaven.. thank you for everything Elliott..
Honestly this is one of my favorite videos of all time.
I was just listening to Elliott a few days ago. A nice sunny day out in the country. I was listening to a CD I had made when Elliot died. I was so taken by how amazing he sounds. There’s nobody like him.
Just an amazing spirit. I was so crushed when I got the news of his death. I felt terrible for him and terrible about the idea of never hearing a new song from Elliott. He really was and remains one of a kind.
“Somewhere where people aren’t mad.. but I don’t know if there is anywhere like that”
"Somewhere where people aren't so mad. I don't know if there is a place like that. ... I don't know." ~
Roman Candle is extremely underrated
not by me. it was the first thing I heard by him, and it was a revelation. it was the most intimate thing I'd ever heard, the production so raw, but the songwriting so refined and brilliant
Beautifully expressed.
That's my favorite album of his every song is a masterpiece one of my favorites on that record is the instrumental kiwi maddog 20/20
Shows the genius of elliot and how he was capable not only as a songwriter and vocalist but also as an instrumentalist and arranger
Ive never heard Elliott talk before. I thought he was this tortured soul that was just horribly sad all of the time and them ultimately killed himself. Turns out he was the exact opposite and so terribly normal.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Don't believe everything you read (regarding his death), and listen to Elliott. I talked to him several times, I clearly remember his voice, I have tons of recordings but I rarely listen to them these days... it's so moving to hear him again. And the animation is so good!
His voice has a calm normalcy to it.. As I was drawing, I felt that he put a lot of thought into what he said, even off the cuff remarks seems insightful and filled with sincerity. One of my favorites yet.
***** Nobody can say Elliott was manic depressive based on a few interviews and clichés people get from the internet and books! That's a serious diagnosis and, actually I seriously doubt he was a manic depressive according to what I know.
Alyson Camus I'm so jealous you got to talk to him. He changed my life by just being himself. By just surviving as long as he did. This interview was just breathtaking to see. I never heard him talk about dependence in that way before. But it makes complete sense when you sit with his lyrics.
Elliott’s music is honestly something of comfort to me. Rather than being objectively sorrowful or sweet, it’s just a form of comfort whether I’m personally happy or sad. I hope that made sense. I’m glad I discovered him. I wish more than anything that I could meet him. Rest In Peace, Elliot 💙
"people seem so chaotic internally, but being filtered through some form--like making a record--sort of filters it down into something that can be understood. It's hard to represent chaos or an absence of something. It's much easier to represent the presence of something or _a_ situation. People can _be_ chaos but it's hard to fit it into some creative piece that you made. It's hard."
I really loved how he explained the complexity of the emotions.
This made me tear up. I miss you man.
This is the best interview of elliot I've ever heard i really appreciate the fact that the interviewer didn't interrupt him and let him finish what he had to say rather than cut him off mid sentence to ask another question
To hear him laugh, everything is so sad and I can’t handle it anymore
these drawings are brilliant! he is brilliant.
His voice is so calming
I agree with a lot of the sentiments posted here. The format of these interviews is very comforting and intimate. They've been very soothing for me as I process the election results here in the U.S.
Ah yes, the election. What a traumatic event.
"somewhere where people aren't so mad" valid more now than ever.
Listening to him makes me happy, yet sooo sad. Wish he was still around.
That voice of his is so soothing
somewhere where people aren't so mad, would be nice. but i dont know if there is anywhere like that, who knows.
"oh, definitely... yeah" -Elliott Smith
2:53 I've never heard anything like this, I'm actually mind-blown
thanks to the reference to elliott in rick and morty, his music gets md through the day. i honestly dont know where id be without him.
Hope you are in that happier place
We love and miss you.Elliott
It actually feels like he’s being interviewed after his death
13 years. This is beautiful, thank you.
The drawing helps me understand what he's saying so much better
Ashley Romero that's exactly what I dig about this channel
This interview took place the same day I was born, holy shit
Thank you for putting this together. I've been an old school fan and had never heard this interview.
What a beautiful, lovely human.
It tears me apart listening to some of his songs, the words seem so real and honest, and the fact that he never made it out of USA is so sad I feel so sorry for him...
This is easily the best Elliott Smith interview that I've ever heard.
What a good interviewer. Great questions, open ended and not tiring stuff musicians get asked all the time
I remember listening to him when I was younger,life seemed so open back then and I was excited by every new book or song I heard.Since I lost that its been hard to enjoy anything again.
+The Manhattan Project Yeah... I've been seeing that coming up ahead for me.
Waltz #2 is my dark horse candidate for top 3 songs ever.
Try the song "taking a fall" if you haven't heard it yet.
King's crossing is also an amazing song, as well as ballad of big nothing
Melodically it may be Elliott's best. Lyrically though I think he has some better ones
Underrated and this interview needs to be seen by more people. We miss you ES
love this guy, his songs are so layered with lyrical and musical complexity you get different feels for it every time you listen, his songs never fail to stir the imagination.
"Blank on Blank" should post a rare interview of Jeff Buckley if humanly possible.
anything thats not on youtube already would be pure gold, even if its just him saying 'yes, no, yes, yes, no,' etc, to a bunch of questions
Sameeee!!! I love Elliott and Jeff... and my third Richey Edwards... like my holy trinity... and then David Sylvia too
@@mishababernathy7165 see this only now but thanks a lot i looked up these names, i already love the manic street preachers !
YES PLEASEEE.
I have to say this is probably the best series I've seen! Absolutely wonderful!
Pain expressed in beauty.
This easily becomes my favorite youtube channel. Thank you.
Who knew Double D would grow up to be a musician?
But seriously, this was an awesome video and I'm glad to be introduced to Elliot Smith. The guy's a genius, and these pbs vids are spreading all kinds of fascinating artists and scientists to all kinds of people who'd otherwise probably never hear of them. If there isn't one for Mr. Rogers, there should be soon!
a great and beautiful human, he left behind a great impact on some souls...
Wow he was so intelligent . I miss him so much😟😟😟😟😟
Gosh, i'm amazed with how it captured Elliott's essence. Thanks for this.
Elliott was in a league of his own, he was pure as snow and bright as the sun. Rest in peace, you beautiful cosmic being.
hauntingly beautyfull. just like his music. well done.
Wow, I like this a lot. never heard it bfore. love his honesty
_I don't know if there's anywhere like that._
Rest easy, pal. ):
love you elliott, just too good for this world
xo I suppose
thank you for this !
i adore his music
In this interview, Smith does a remarkably good job of articulating something few people ever manage: he gets at the purpose at the crux of creative endeavour. His description of the “chaos” of a person’s inner life, the constant existential battle of being a human being-the daily tug-of-war of reason fore and impulse aft, the rational ego struggling to tame the animal id-and how the act of artistic creation (songwriting, for example) can render that chaos intelligible. Attempts to describe the infinitely unique maelstrom of consciousness quickly run into the severe limits of prosaic language. Subjectivity is, in this sense, subject to its own Heisenberg principle: you can let yourself feel it and therein necessarily lose the objective standpoint needed to deconstruct its concept and rebuild it in legible sentences, or you can switch on your analytical hat and in so doing exempt yourself from experiencing the very form of subjective experience you seek to analyse. The more you know about an electron’s position, the less you can know about its speed; the more you seek to analyse your emotions, the less you see them. Generally speaking, the more strife one encounters, the more chaotic one’s inner life may be, and the more important it may be for them to have a creative channel through which to communicate their experience and make themselves understood: “People seem so chaotic internally, but being filtered through some form like making a record sort-of filters it down so that it can be understood”. And he’s absolutely right. He’s absolutely right when he says “it’s hard to represent chaos or the absence of something”, and that “it’s much easier to represent the presence of something, or a situation”. The creative process is a middle way between, on the one hand, the analysis (breaking down) and re-synthesis (putting back together) of perception in language, and, on the other hand, direct experience. It is a middle way which straddles description and experience-a mimetic practice that is neither a description of a thing nor the thing itself but rather something in between, something which is it’s subject but at the same time has its own life, something that is legible but at the same time bends to no external rubrics. I’ve read a fair bit on this stuff, and few people are able to articulate this dimension of creative practice as lucidly as Smith did in this interview. You can feel his lyrical talent in the way he reaches for his words in constructing his descriptions-punctuations of “like” and “sort-of” are not halter-marks; they create space, and give subtle signals to his interlocutor as to the approximate degree of conviction in each of his statements, constructing and flexible interpretive space not dissimilar to that he is describing when he talks about songwriting. Even in an interview, even in his prosaic speech, Smith speaks in kind and thoughtful lyrics.
Also, Kierkegaard is EVERYWHERE in Smith’s work. Somebody must have written on this?
Elliott Smith, God rest him, was a brilliant artist. His lyricism, and above all his kindness, remind me of Keats, who was also a notoriously kind friend, and who’s poetry fortified our appreciation for the strength of the bond between love and beauty. My one hope is that our civilisation can grow towards elevating souls like his, souls that, presently, are increasingly bullied and scorned and exploited in the dominant culture of ruthless individualism among the powerful.
If you know someone like Elliott Smith in your life (and I’d wager there are more of them among us than we tend to think), please be kind to them, reach out to them, support them, and love them. They’ll return the favour 10 times over.
this is great, thanks for posting. i'm excited anytime there's something on youtube relating to Elliott Smith that i haven't already watched 100 times. looking forward to seth avett's tribute record and show here in Nashville on March 17th. likely the closest i'll ever get to a live ES experience.
There is no anger where you are now, my friend, thanks for the inspiration...
Beautiful interview, delightful animation
I'm far from the biggest Elliott Smith fan I know, but I loved this. Awesome work!
it's so true to as chaos is something that cannot be explained. you understand or you don't. if you don't, I'm happy for you. happy holidays smithies
Wow what a great interview and animation and concept!
This is FANTASTIC!!!! Thanks :-)
This is so beautiful. Elliott was an angel :')
one way i like to describe elliotts music is sad but in a hopeful way. that’s just me though
especially songs like “bottle up and explode!” and “Wouldn’t Mama be Proud.” That’s why I like figure 8 so much.
"Somewhere where people aren't so mad"
This is great work, congrats!
I adore this channel ✊🏻. Keep it up, don’t change a thing.
Everyone should love this guy and his music! I sure do!
Majestic as always
The most beautiful creature
What a beautiful man! So sad that Elliott Smith died. R.I.P Elliott, you're a legend!
man such treat for me, I'm big admirer of Smith's music. Cheers!
These videos are nothing short of awesome . Just subbed :)
Thanks a lot for sharing! :)
Thank you for sharing this.
Our pleasure.
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
Thank you for watching.
I've watched this video so many times and it still manages to make me happy. Oh elliott.
Also, that little snippet of music at the end.. what's that?? Sounds vaguely like between the bars at a certian point but not really?
Subscribed. Watched the Tom Waits one and now this. Holy crap so good!
+kile bates The Jim Morrison one is the best. Check it out if you haven't seen it. Funny stuff.
great interview
Great interview. It looks like there aren't any more videos being posted here, which is a shame, because there are so many more pwople I'd like to here. One that comes to mind is Mitch Hedberg.
BEST elliott smith interview ever.
It was awesome listening to this but at the same time, so sad. It's like a reminder of how horrible the world and people can be.
And if people were just...nicer to each other. How much easier it would be.
This channel is amazing!