Posts tagged Sparklehorse
R.I.P. – Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse
Mar 9th
I’m a little late to the draw here, but over the weekend a relatively little known artist named Mark Linkous, better known as Sparklehorse, took his own life in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was 47 years young. That is a real shame. It was allegedly set off by a text message. How would you like to be the sender? No thanks. I hope it was worth it. Reports say it was roughly 1:20 PM in the afternoon when this all happened so we’d like to believe this wasn’t some alcohol or drug fueled spur of the moment decision. Then again most of us don’t lose our composure over a text message. I’m not passing judgment here though. It may a Wonderful Life, but each of us has our own crosses to bear. I’m turning 50 years young myself next Monday. I never ever dreamed of being this old and yet here we are. Now life gets interesting.
My first exposure to Sparklehorse was in 1995 when I came across a copy of Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot. I heard the song called “Rainmaker” on the radio just one time before I jumped on board the Sparklehorse train. I instantly added it to my mixed cut cassette tape empire because I liked it so much. The title of the record was a mouthful and a pain in the neck to deal with, but I’m sure it was intended to draw attention to the release. On that count it seems like it was successful. I was, and still am, impressed with Sparklehorse. It’s a real shame Mark decided to pack it in, but it was not the first time he displayed a certain instability. In 1996 he nearly lost both legs after overdosing on a lethal combination of drugs while on tour with Radiohead. He recovered after spending some six months in a wheelchair and, as it turns out, lived another 14 years.
Sparklehorse was essentially a one man outfit. It was a setup not unlike Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails except that the Sparklehorse sound bordered on Stoner Indie music. I don’t know if that category exists, but it does now. Mark’s music was sometimes hard to pin down and describe. It had some of that jangly Alt Country Wilco feel to it at times, but it could be as spacey as, say, Catherine Wheel too. I loved it because it was way off the beaten path. Sparklehorse didn’t get a lot of radio airplay so whatever audience it had built up was based word of mouth. Their music was mesmerizing to listen to because they didn’t have to adhere to any genre or record company directive. It’s not the kind of thing you throw into your CD player to get you pumped up for an event, but it had its place among the reflective late night set. It’s not going to rock you to your feet, but it was easy to get lost in the trippy feeling embedded in the melodies. I don’t know a thing about recording vocals, but I’m assuming he is singing through some kind of device that alters his voice a tad. It’s dreamy and hypnotic at times.
Nobody has any concrete answers for suicide. I’m pretty sure everybody contemplates it at some point or another, but reason and good sense usually rule the day. Everybody has demons, but most of us keep them at bay. I wish everybody could. Mark was obviously very talented and I wince every time I hear about suicide, but it’s particularly galling when someone with so much to offer the masses makes that decision. This guy is going to be missed, plain and simple and it sure doesn’t seem like it had to be this way. I hope whatever afterlife may exist makes Mark a happier man and I’m really sorry he felt like he had to go now. Rest in Peace.
I’m leaving you folks with a couple of Sparklehorse favorites. You can track them down on 1995′s Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, 1998′s Good Morning Spider and 2001′s It’s a Wonderful Life. I’m also tacking on their wonderful cover of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. That one is from a 2001 Promo only called Chest Full of Dying Hawks which may be hard to locate. I hope you like them.
Sparklehorse – Wish You Were Here.mp3
Sparkelhorse – Wish You Were Here.mp3 YSI
Buy or download It’s a Wonderful Life from Amazon here.
