R.I.P Mark Linkous

tobym20

Vivadixie.... the soundtrack to a disaffected sixth form. I had the pleasure of seeing him live twice - once at the Union Chapel which was magical. A great loss...

ped shayer

What a shoddy piece of writing.

rod liddle

Toby - I was there, too, at the union chapel.

Matt

A Mark Linkous obit in the Spectator - crivens. Cheers Rod. Sparklehorse were fantastic live too - always different, but (almost) never dull. Now we'll never see him again...

tobym20

I kind of lost my way with him after Good Morning Spider which I think is also great, although is far more over produced and less raw. Somewhere I believe I have a Sparklehorse t-shirt which people used to look at me in with puzzlement ....

rod liddle

me too, to a degree, toby.

Paul D

..and there I was thinking that the cosmic American music of Gram Parsons in the early 70s gave rise to the Americana genre!

Anyway, agree Rod that this is a sad loss. Loved all the Sparklehorse albums. RIP Mark.

rod liddle

Parsons helped - with Nesmith, Harris and a few others - to invent country rock, not americana, shurely.....

km

He had far more than just fleeting moments of brilliance! I can't find fault with any of his albums. RIP Mark, you are sorely, sorely missed

wrinkled weasel

Oh for goodness sake, act your age. This is sub Coldplay.

And while we are at it, why is it you are never seen in the same room with disgraced MP Elliot Morley?

(photo comparison) http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-think-we-should-be-told.html

Ray

Mark who?

Dixon

Never heard of him. But I endorse your observation that...if I may paraphrase...rock (pop etc ) music is not worthy of being written about.

Sure, I listen to it plenty. In fact, I've totally dumbed down my "playlists" since discovering that serious music is emotionally draining and that the dance genre is a balm. But to see Scooter ( my favourite daft band ) structurally analysed by some dimwit deconstructionist pseud just makes me snort with derision. And all that guff on TV about what brilliant minds these strummers have. Indeed, when the Strummer Joe died it was reported like the passing of Einstein or Socrates.

Whats more, these air-heads actually BELIEVE the guff spewed about them. Take a peek at that BBC Jools (er) Holland show and the pompous, pretentious big-headed expressions worn by the ah.."artists". They seem to think we are so privileged, us mere mortals, to be allowed to watch them strumming away the three or four notes and a whine or two.

Indeed, this towering infernal of kitsch which we endure is largely driven by the BBC. Not least by its free advertising of these precious dorks. The real indication being when in the early 90's, Radio 3 started broadcasting the stuff. At which time I ceased listening to it, discovering in the process that being free from Hindemith and Lutislavski is actually like the storm-clouds parting. The guards of Gitmo should have played the prisoners 24/7 Parole Tisset, that would have made them talk!

So there is a paradox here, on the one hand, I prefer listening to pop-n-rock over genuinely serious music ( most of the time ) but on the other hand, I cannot abide the way its creators are raised onto pseudo-intellectual pedestals. Writing about them...at all...generally does that by default.

Ish.

Particularly sad when you discover someone’s music only because they have died but I had never heard of him/them until your post Rod and love the song you linked, and others.

While I and others read the blog for your political comment, please do add your two penneth on music ocassionally...

GHS1961

Good to know that I'm not the only Speccie reader who loved the music of Sparklehorse.

Four remarkable albums but I would agree with Rod that Vivadixie is the best. Certainly the one I reached for when I heard of Linlous' sad death.

Paul D

..umm,Rod... Country rock when they plug their guitars in, Americana when they unplug them.

"Rainmaker's coming to soak us in water"

A J Scott

Your first sentence says it all. Why go on? There are far more important things for you, Mr Liddle, to spend your talent writing about, as indeed you usually do - and much appreciated for that, too.

CaptainTurniphead

Impressed that the Spectator has reported this poignant story... distressed by the boggle-eyed pomposity of several of the other posters.

PS Sparklehorse weren't bad, but Mellow Gold is uniquely superb

Dixon Too

Dixon, I cannot entirely agree with you. What about the time you were invited to write for Mojo?

Dixon

No, Dixon Too, you miss the point, I was indeed invited to write by some music mag or other, but I didnt reply did I!

Its obviously not rock music I am aiming my scathe at but the parasitical industry of babble and promotion its now enmeshed with.

Dixon

"CaptainTurniphead
March 10th, 2010 4:52pm
Impressed that the Spectator has reported this poignant story... distressed by the boggle-eyed pomposity of several of the other posters.

PS Sparklehorse weren't bad, but Mellow Gold is uniquely superb"

Its 100% a matter of utterly subjective opinion.

skydog

Never heard of him.

radgie gadgie

The world was a little poorer when Erick Lee Purkhiser died last year too.

DZ

Shock horror! I thought Rod was a willowy, athletic, youthful scribe writing intelligent stuff at a level well beyond his tender years, in fact, as his byline photo shows him and his parade-ground upright name suggests. Then, to while away a few moments over the Co-op Assam I followed that weaselly link and found .... what!!!! Two old greybeards without beards, the upper one I assume to be Mr. Liddle Snr. Now I am not sure if one can catch a dose of cognitive dissonance from looking at photos, but that's roughly the effect. One of the above-mentioned photos needs updating, unless the chirpy youthful lad is the real one.

Enormous Trousers

Had heard the name Sparklehorse but not the music. Reminds me of Mercury Rev.
Oddly, I'm a big fan of both Neil Young and Tom Waits, but had never heard of Alex Chilton.
Will look him up, cheers Rod.

Edith's cake shop

It's a pretty thin and overrated medium, journalism.

Stick to writing about whatever it is you know about.

For anyone unaware of Sparklehorse and interested in discovering Mark's music...try "It's a Wonderful Life" or, if your feeling adventurous, last years lovely collaboration with Christian Fennesz "In the Fishtank". Neither of which have anything to do with "Americana".

A. MacAulay

Dixon. Yes playing Neue Musik to the GITMO internees would have broken them in double time but the casualties amongst the guards would have been too high. The job must have been depressing enough.

Steve Richards

Well said Rod. Mark was a true talent, albeit cursed with depression which, we assume, eventually cost his life. His songs are little known but maybe his passing may fire interest in one of the great singer/songwriters. RIP Mark

Like yeah man

Youtubed him and found this weed soaked tribute. Hippy ain't dead, man! Best bit "I'm listening froo all the stuff I own of Sparklehorse today in tribute of it, of him..." If only my days were so free. Brilliant. Strangely watchable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbdJEdRBhVs

Sir Graphus

I'd never heard of the fellow, but if he's a mix Neil Young and Tom Waits, then he's got to be great. I've gone immediately to Spotify, and having a great new musical experience. Cheers Rodders

Carl

Ta Rod. Based on your last recommendation I also downloaded some tracks by the Only Ones. It gives me an enormous feeling of satisfaction to contribute to an old rocker's pension.

rainbow

"Just sometimes"...more like, a genius spirit who gave, all of us, a dream through his musical talent.
"Thats real brilliance" all the time!
The music industry is polluted with fake breeds who make plastic souless music for the force fed masses. Sparklehorse was a very special man behind a world of hope and humbleness. The joy will be left through the music. The dream is a second life and Mark is living that dream up above where the stars sparkle....

Matt

Thanks for writing this, Rod. Like all Spectator readers, I love Sparklehorse. I was lucky enough to hear him perform thrice. The second time, at Manchester University Students' Union, everyone sang along to "Homecoming Queen" in tune, and in time. I've never heard that at a gig before. RIP.

Marko Stamenkovic

Of all the last people you'd think were diametrically opposed to Linkous. I am rather impressed Rod Liddle was a Sparklehorse fan. His caustic words in his various columns (especially about my beloved CFC) contrast cosmically with what it sounds like he has appreciated coming out from Linkous' magical and twisting music. Good for you. Perhaps you can help me on the memorial concert at the RFH I am planning.