When Elliott Smith died in October 2003, the rock world came to a standstill. Everybody from Death Cab to Travis to Conor paid tribute. Beth Orton and Beck played a tribute concert. This is what Beck had to say at the time: “This is really a memorial for his fans, but also for his friends. He had a lot of friends in L.A. and in these parts, and this is our chance to say goodbye and thanks.”
According to MTV Beck, Beth Orton, Lou Barlow, were playing WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES.
And where are they now?
I am old enough to have gone through many deaths among friends, enemies and everything in between. I know how life continues. There are no choices. Life is a brief state of being and only the living can be a party to it.
And I realize Elliott Smith’s legacy is the music and I am fine with that as well.
But.
Elliott Smiths personal, subjective, story IS NOT OVER. The LAPD don’t know whether he was nurdered or committed suicide. The story goes on however much people may want to close the story. It goes on and on as long as the LAPD refuse to do their job and make a final ending conclusion to how he died.
And all these “friends in LA” and the rest of the world are implicated in refusing to help close this door.
Imagine what would happen if, say, Beck went on the record on this story. Imagine the deluge from friends and media alike. he recorded for Dreamworks. Where is David Geffen? You can’t even imagine what would happen if a Bruce Springsteen would stand up for Smith’s right to have his finishing end concluded.
Singing at a memorial is all well and good, but if Smith was your friend, why not fight for him. You got me. But it is an indictment of the gladhanding, backslapping, self-serving hypcrites in the music biz. As big an indictment as you can find.