R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

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Brad
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R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

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Nick
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by Nick »

Holy shit that’s terrible. His newest album, Purple Mountains, was just released a few weeks ago and is great. Seemed like he was making a strong comeback. How awful.
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spiritualized
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by spiritualized »

Oh man, that's insane, every critic has been raving about Purple Mountains and how this was a great example of a successful comeback.
RIP.
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Rob
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by Rob »

Before the release of his new album I was not familiar with him and I haven't got around to it yet (damn you, Moderately Acclaimed!), but one I'm most eager to. I wonder what happened, but it certainly sounds sad.
Huangal70
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by Huangal70 »

I think its a fairly safe bet that it was suicide given his history of depression / wife leaving him last year / some of his lyrics. American Water is one of the best indie albums of the 90s and everyone should give it a try, especially if they like Pavement.
Harold
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by Harold »

Jap123 wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:11 pm I think its a fairly safe bet that it was suicide given his history of depression / wife leaving him last year / some of his lyrics. American Water is one of the best indie albums of the 90s and everyone should give it a try, especially if they like Pavement.
Joe Pernice (of Pernice Brothers) posted a tweet Wednesday confirming that it was suicide - that tweet has been deleted, likely because it pre-empted official confirmation of the C.O.D. (he probably feels terrible about that, although you can't blame him for letting grief cloud his judgment).

I listened to Purple Mountains for the second time last night, and it's very, very difficult now not to hear it as a 44-minute suicide note (as many have already noted, one song actually opens with the line "The dead know what they're doing when they leave this world behind"). I hadn't been that familiar with Berman's music overall before, but I'll certainly be listening to American Water tonight.
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by Nick »

Harold wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:00 pm
Jap123 wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:11 pm I think its a fairly safe bet that it was suicide given his history of depression / wife leaving him last year / some of his lyrics. American Water is one of the best indie albums of the 90s and everyone should give it a try, especially if they like Pavement.
Joe Pernice (of Pernice Brothers) posted a tweet Wednesday confirming that it was suicide - that tweet has been deleted, likely because it pre-empted official confirmation of the C.O.D. (he probably feels terrible about that, although you can't blame him for letting grief cloud his judgment).

I listened to Purple Mountains for the second time last night, and it's very, very difficult now not to hear it as a 44-minute suicide note (as many have already noted, one song actually opens with the line "The dead know what they're doing when they leave this world behind"). I hadn't been that familiar with Berman's music overall before, but I'll certainly be listening to American Water tonight.
Given the fact that some of his song titles off his new LP were “All My Happiness is Gone”, “Darkness and Cold”, and “Maybe I’m the Only One for Me”, I guess his cause of death shouldn’t come as such a huge shock. The signs were there, plain to see.
Huangal70
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by Huangal70 »

Nick wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 7:02 pm
Harold wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:00 pm
Jap123 wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:11 pm I think its a fairly safe bet that it was suicide given his history of depression / wife leaving him last year / some of his lyrics. American Water is one of the best indie albums of the 90s and everyone should give it a try, especially if they like Pavement.
Joe Pernice (of Pernice Brothers) posted a tweet Wednesday confirming that it was suicide - that tweet has been deleted, likely because it pre-empted official confirmation of the C.O.D. (he probably feels terrible about that, although you can't blame him for letting grief cloud his judgment).

I listened to Purple Mountains for the second time last night, and it's very, very difficult now not to hear it as a 44-minute suicide note (as many have already noted, one song actually opens with the line "The dead know what they're doing when they leave this world behind"). I hadn't been that familiar with Berman's music overall before, but I'll certainly be listening to American Water tonight.
Given the fact that some of his song titles off his new LP were “All My Happiness is Gone”, “Darkness and Cold”, and “Maybe I’m the Only One for Me”, I guess his cause of death shouldn’t come as such a huge shock. The signs were there, plain to see.
And in Stephen Malkmus' tweet he made it pretty clear it was a suicide
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Matski
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Re: R.I.P. David Berman Dead at 52

Post by Matski »

Shocked and saddened. When Berman called it a day with the Silver Jews it felt like he was doing it so he could deal with some of the heavier stuff going on in his life. With the recent formation of Purple Mountains I was hoping that it was a sign that things were finally starting to work out for him.

Thanks for all the great music, David. Ever since I first heard 'American Water' it has been one of my favourite rock records of the 90s. I have also been meaning to get a new copy of 'The Natural Bridge' for quite a while now - a record that I love almost as much. You'll be missed.
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