It's a beautiful record but hard to listen to. Every time someone asked DCB how he could write so many clever lines in his lyrics and he would respond with something like "I wrote 99 less clever versions first--you're seeing only the best one." He made it clear that his genius didn't fall from the sky, that he had to work at it. Which is a useful thing to hear for those of us who feel less talented.
Purple Mountains belongs nowhere near the patio hall of fame. Maybe it should be the first entry in the dark basement hall of fame instead.
This is a gorgeous piece about a beautiful record. Thanks for writing it, Steve.
I loved this quote:
"Because songwriting for Berman was ultimately an expression of life, not death. He’s fighting to stay alive on Purple Mountains, and the effort is courageous and valiant. 'I don’t have religion or culture. I don’t have anything I can believe in when I’m really scared,' he told me. 'When I play the songs, I feel the fear disappear.'"
I had to take a few years off from the record after his death and only returned to it this summer. When I did, I was overcome by how well crafted it is. "I Loved Being My Mother's Son" -> "Nights That Won't Happen" is some of the best music ever made, and the LP as a whole is truly one of the best records of the last several decades easily. That said, I am glad that I first was able to hear it in that liminal period post-release but before his passing in summer 2019. It really felt celebratory in a way that is hard to imagine myself back to now. But I took solace this summer when I revisited the record in just how beautifully rendered it all is.
You knew him in a way that most fans did not. But when I first listened to the album, it felt desperate, something well past a plea for help, and after he died I was so pissed that his label allowed him to live in that tiny apartment by himself above their studio and failed to take any steps to help him.
All My Happiness is Gone was written about his friendship with Malkmus. This line from an interview at that time made me laugh/wince:
Do you think Malkmus’s tendency to not be reflective on his music has helped his career? What might he gain from being more reflective?
"[He] might look into what kind of problems he faces as a man going into old age without any experience of personal failure or psychic crackup."
It's a beautiful record but hard to listen to. Every time someone asked DCB how he could write so many clever lines in his lyrics and he would respond with something like "I wrote 99 less clever versions first--you're seeing only the best one." He made it clear that his genius didn't fall from the sky, that he had to work at it. Which is a useful thing to hear for those of us who feel less talented.
Purple Mountains belongs nowhere near the patio hall of fame. Maybe it should be the first entry in the dark basement hall of fame instead.
This is a gorgeous piece about a beautiful record. Thanks for writing it, Steve.
I loved this quote:
"Because songwriting for Berman was ultimately an expression of life, not death. He’s fighting to stay alive on Purple Mountains, and the effort is courageous and valiant. 'I don’t have religion or culture. I don’t have anything I can believe in when I’m really scared,' he told me. 'When I play the songs, I feel the fear disappear.'"
I had to take a few years off from the record after his death and only returned to it this summer. When I did, I was overcome by how well crafted it is. "I Loved Being My Mother's Son" -> "Nights That Won't Happen" is some of the best music ever made, and the LP as a whole is truly one of the best records of the last several decades easily. That said, I am glad that I first was able to hear it in that liminal period post-release but before his passing in summer 2019. It really felt celebratory in a way that is hard to imagine myself back to now. But I took solace this summer when I revisited the record in just how beautifully rendered it all is.
You knew him in a way that most fans did not. But when I first listened to the album, it felt desperate, something well past a plea for help, and after he died I was so pissed that his label allowed him to live in that tiny apartment by himself above their studio and failed to take any steps to help him.
All My Happiness is Gone was written about his friendship with Malkmus. This line from an interview at that time made me laugh/wince:
Do you think Malkmus’s tendency to not be reflective on his music has helped his career? What might he gain from being more reflective?
"[He] might look into what kind of problems he faces as a man going into old age without any experience of personal failure or psychic crackup."
This is a beautifully written piece, Steven. I love this album and your assessment of it. Thanks so much for this.
Jesus- very depressing.
Alex Pickett! I read The Restaurant Inspector last month and absolutely loved it.