1104-GQ- VE05 LIT SMITH ELLIOTT many perfect imperfections. a display case. And few museum pieces come with so his heartbreaks, betrayals, and precious memories in like medicine, an all-too-human hero willing to put make your heart actually ache. To his fans, Smith was swirling pop was so ecstatically gorgeous, it could lyrics were tough on the world (and his himself), peat—work better than others. And though Smith’s 154. drugs, alcohol, hurts, and some remedies— His message was simple: Life melodies and disarming humor. ing his depression with lilting tally honest confessor, disguis- hill new of six albums (including the pope of mope. Over the course Smith was no open-mike-night bars they haunt. But Elliott are as common as the dank SENSITIVE >V PRO TE YCCMIAIN OEPOE RTE PASS‘NTEZN’&‘H O FWR;COI’ 4BLAE’&‘HT CHICKS’ & ‘WHITE ‘4 BALLADES’ WAR’; CHOPIN’S OF FOG ZONE’ & ‘THE THE SPEARS’S ‘IN EXPLORE: BRITNEY TO COMBINATIONS SYNC OTHER kisses good? Why can’t they wish their Jeff Tweedy sings the lyric Moments later, Wilco’s with a kiss in 10:35 time (and he’s not red). Satan appears for the first moment in chrome was not red / He was When the Devil came / He The song’s first lines are begins on The song “Hell Is Chrome” 5 minutes 53 seconds e ob o o:Wilco’s new combo for you: of the Moon REMEMBER THE SPOOKY movie at chapter one, with the screen showing the Icon Productions symbol. the coincidences UNHOLY EVENTS OCCUR WHEN WE PLAYWE WILCO’S WHEN UNHOLYOCCUR EVENTS JESUS, ), Smith proved to be a bru- GQ from a basement on the THE SPLIT OPINION SPLIT THE : Judas betrays Jesus MUSIC .NOVEMBER.04 . At this A Ghost Is Born. singer-songwriters The Passion, to h Passion. The The Wizard of Oz precise Revolver AI WALTERS DAVID DID YOU HEAR THE NEW A Ghost Is Born on re- things that happened when you synced Pink Floyd’s —CARYN GANZ Well, hang on to your bongs, ? stoners, because we have a perfectly. coincide You Think” minute Wilco “Less Than Passion beating scene in 52:44 I’m told. on my hands / I just do as sings, Jesus’s arrest, Tweedy Roman guard asks about 18:40 found after he began the record at the 00:01 mark and the There’s no blood The extended When a sympathetic and the fifteen- and The Passion of the Christ. The with him. asks Jesus to let her die occurs exactly when Mary “Company in My Back” remember me always die / So you can 1:49:51 film, the CD is repeating). fear help in every way / I felt no arms / I received so much welcomed / With open Tweedy sings, Jesus is greeted warmly, Sunday flashback in which 1:13:58 you want to climb down o≠ a bridge, too.— mor and even hope. A great sad stand misery as an ephemeral state, tinged by hu- & Wine, and, of course, the Smiths, acts that under- be better challenged by folks like Nick Drake, Iron less sky. If you’re into the Miserablists, I think you’ll a hero for people who liked flying kites in the wind- the same sad song over and over again. He became GREAT, OR JUST A GHOST IS BORN IS GHOST A (at this point in the MEDICINE FOR Here’s just a few of WAS SMITH Tweedy’s lyric After the Palm MOPES? I was on the song Dark Side I will and emotional barriers, sang able to clear certain creative one-note depressive who, un- Smith was with a his words: one else. Rather, I find fault Beatles impression than any- did musically; he did a better lem with Smith is not what he generation worship. My prob- death has provoked best-of-his- more so, now that his tragic overrated, and I feel that even long felt Smith. he’sBut I’ve DON’T I LOOK, CON WHILE WATCHINGWHILE “I’m a Wheel.” screams on the song starts right when Tweedy finally dies in that begins when Jesus 1:53:08 record should make The earthquake WILCO? hate Elliott hate The Passion OI KAHN HOWIE AS WE CALL IT, TRACK FIVE. CHRIST AT GOLGOTHA, OR THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST THE PASSIONOF THE ghost is born from me / I lay it down / A ever gonna take my life sings, ominously, “Theologians,” and Tweedy supporters, Wilco plays and cradled by his taken down from the cross 1:56:01 fitting good-bye. undeniably beautiful, and a bit shambling, but it’s also live shows, Down”). Much like Smith’s (“Don’t Go woe-is-me lyrics occasionally tiresome, (“Coast to Coast”) and ambitious melodies tendencies, good and bad: showcase Smith’s to fifteen tracks that basement as a double album, work. Originally intended corrupts most posthumous for-fans-only stink that thankfully lacks the iffy, 1998’s majestic made—that would be the best album he ever basement on the hill Elliott Smith’s album last smith’s review When Jesus is was pared down basement . from a No one’s XO —B.R. from a —but it isn’t is a

SMITH: AUTUMN DE WILDE. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST: EVERETT COLLECTION.