Purple Mountains (RIP David Berman, August 2019)

(Btw I just looked up the Pitchfork review of that Destroyer record and it's truly pathetic, just a bunch of indie rock horse-trading and market analysis. The reviewer wastes multiple paragraphs drawing parallels between Bejar's career arc and Guided By Voices, a band that his band sounds nothing like, a band that at that point had been broken up for 4 or 5 years. The concluding paragraph tells us "I caught only one pun, two snippets of others' famous lyrics, and two references to other bands" but I guess the writer+editor thought readers of this review would be more interested in William Bowers's parodies of GbV song titles than in knowing, e.g., that one of those famous lyrics is Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)". I could go on, I won't.

I was talking to one of the screenwriters of Top Gun 2 after its Comic-Con panel last weekend. Turns out the guy is a big Purple Mountains fan, believe it or not. He told me he managed to work in a last-minute line for Aging Maverick to say: "I feel the need... the need to speed into the lead suddenly decline."

Anyway, this album is basically unruinable for me, and that's good, because otherwise the sound of that third line being snuck into "Nights That Won't Happen" as an obvious last-minute overdub might've just shot the whole thing down for me like a MiG over the Indian Ocean.

How does PM come up in conversation with an action movie screenwriter?

Easy, it's all I talk about anymore. Also, he writes rom-coms too.

Was listening to the album on headphones in a small shop then took them off to hear 'Darkness And Cold' playing on their speakers. Felt nice, can't say that has ever happened before, strange for it to be a Berman-related experience

Paul, you're gonna wanna register that here, I think.

Obscure Singles Heard at CVS

I know "Darkness and Cold" is the single with the video starring Steve McNair, but I hadn't picked up on the "first and goal" football reference in "All My Happiness is Gone" until someone pointed it out to me this morning.

Fittingly, I'm very proud of myself for being the only one I know so far to have discovered the lil reference to Starlite Walker in "Maybe I'm the Only One for Me."

I wonder how many clicks per week pitchfork would lose if they did away with patronizing aspies by summarizing works of art on a numerical scale.

please don' talk like this on this board or elsewhere. instead, choose not to be an asshole. thanks.

You're right that I shouldn't have used the a-word there, but I do think numerical ratings does a great disservice to the written language. Which is kind of the whole point of a review.

Excuse me, do! Do a great disservice to it. Heh

I agree with you on that point massively actually, I think numerical ratings as a default did irreparable damage to music criticism

i give this album 5 bag of popcorn

and a grape Fanta

Anyway, this album is basically unruinable for me, and that's good, because otherwise the sound of that third line being snuck into "Nights That Won't Happen" as an obvious last-minute overdub might've just shot the whole thing down for me like a MiG over the Indian Ocean.

― del griffith, Thursday, 25 July 2019 21:13

I hadn't noticed that. Now I'll hear it every time. Thanks for ruining this album for me forever (joke)

DB albums have always had weird, obvious overdubs. Which is why I find it so strange he left the weak go of the first line of the album.

I agree it's great though.

Fittingly, I'm very proud of myself for being the only one I know so far to have discovered the lil reference to Starlite Walker in "Maybe I'm the Only One for Me."

Hadn't caught that, thanks for pointing it out! I'm a little surprised I haven't seen anyone note how Snow Is Falling in Manhattan is kind of an extension of "We're trapped inside the song."

Anyway I love this album and I'd say the first five tracks are a perfect album side.

Finally listened to this in full... I dig it (natch), and can also see why he used a different moniker this time around; somehow it doesn't feel like a Joos record.

Holy fuck.

Just heard from Peyton Pinkerton. I wish it was a sick joke. Our friend David Berman has committed suicide. Devastated beyond words.

— Joe Pernice (@JPernicious) August 7, 2019

GODDAMN.

We couldn't be more sorry to tell you this. David Berman passed away earlier today. A great friend and one of the most inspiring individuals we've ever known is gone. Rest easy, David. pic.twitter.com/5n5bctcu4j

— 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖌 𝕮𝖎𝖙𝖞 (@dragcityrecords) August 7, 2019

fuck, awful news

oh no.... goddamn it. what a talent

Fucking hell. RIP

what the fucking goddamn fuck

Aw man

:(

oh fuck

Oh no

Rest in peace, few as great as him. Felt something so friendly and warm in his voice and words.

I was just introducing a friend to his work and life story yesterday. He'll be spoken of long, long after many of his contemporaries are forgotten.

Damn.

wasn't a huge fan but this is such a punch in the stomach after reading a fair amount of the press about this album and the last few years of his life

Just.... man.

“Nights That Won’t Happen,” christ

Actual Air is a legit great collection of poetry, and it unlocked Berman's catalog for me -- the only artist in my personal history who's ever done so.

terrible news

life is brutal

Thinking now of his friends, family, bandmates, and how they must be coping or trying to process this.

ugh been thinking so much about him the last few months as well, this is awful awful news

Wow

This is a total fucking crusher

Dammit.

Awful news. RIP DCB

ughyh

Horrifying
I have no words.

oof

wasn't a huge fan but this is such a punch in the stomach after reading a fair amount of the press about this album and the last few years of his life

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, August 7, 2019 7:51 PM (fifty-six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Me too.
Not many songs better than "Random Rules"

yes

horrible

fucking hell man. RIP.

with touring scheduled to start next week, it almost feels like he wanted to prove once more that he could still do it before he decided to travel on

I want to post lyrics but there’s just too many

If it is a suicide, I don’t think I’m strong enough to re-listen to his records.