Jump to content

Jay Bennett R.I.P


Recommended Posts

How sad. What the hell happened? I suppose that's not how everyone processes this kind of thing, but it just makes me wonder what the hell happened to him. The guy was 45..... I don't know. I guess it doesn't change anything, but it just seems so strange that someone his age would pass so suddenly from a surgery.

 

In any case, may he and his loved ones be well, peaceful and happy.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 809
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

I get goose bumps every time I see that scene......great song .....should've been on YHF if at all at least "hidden'' on the end.     -Robert

This isn't in anyway a confirmation but as of 6:58 eastern his wikipedia page has news of his death: Jay Bennett.   --Mike

Does anyone know Basil II (Robert) well? He's a huge fan of JB, is there a fast way to contact him?   --Mike

Posted Images

What a loss. It's sad to say that i'm old enough to have been a UT/Son Volt/Wilco fan since anodyne came out when i was in college. The first wilco show i saw was in 97 and the wild energy of the band was unlike anything i had seen before. We hung out with the band for a long time after the show and jay was extremely friendly and enthusiastic about the music. I also saw him when he and ed burch came through after "palace at 4am" came out. again, i found him to be humble, friendly, and an unbelievable talent. i've always felt the jay bashing came from people who had never witnessed him live or spent a few minutes with him. his latest solo effort is stark and beautiful and this news makes it all the more poignant. it's a sad day for music.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Another blog story.....

 

http://ccsbandwagon.blogspot.com/

 

That's a beautiful tribute.

 

How sad. What the hell happened? I suppose that's not how everyone processes this kind of thing, but it just makes me wonder what the hell happened to him. The guy was 45..... I don't know. I guess it doesn't change anything, but it just seems so strange that someone his age would pass so suddenly from a surgery.

 

In any case, may he and his loved ones be well, peaceful and happy.

 

 

I think we've found that it was not from surgery as one site reported, but in his sleep. The Sun Times article mentions that they'll be doing an autopsy.

 

Ugh, it's all so unreal.

Link to post
Share on other sites
i've always felt the jay bashing came from people who had never witnessed him live or spent a few minutes with him.

yup... i found this to be true most often than not as well.

 

the one time i met him after a solo show in '02 or '03, he was totally nice, down to earth, and just 100% genuine. at that point he had definitely seemed to take the whole thing in stride... i realize things may have changed since that time, but still.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just spent a somber half an hour talking with one of my closest friends and fellow Wilcophile John about the news. We watched I Am Trying To Break Your Heart together quite a few times and saw a lot of ourselves-- desperate to be understood, not always able to find the right words to communicate how we felt-- in J.B. The three albums he made with Wilco had an extreme and profound impact on my life, and I felt he had an excellent talent for melody and fine taste in vintage keyboards. My heart goes out to his family, all his friends and bandmates, and all of us fans affected by his passing.

 

 

--Mike

Link to post
Share on other sites
I was never 100% clear on this, but did Jay write the lyrics to "My Darling?"

 

If so, then those lyrics take a whole new meaning.

 

Yes, he did. They were about his niece, I believe. Or rather, for his niece.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Bah. Sad, sad stuff. It feels compounded in that he never seemed to find his place in the universe after departing from Wilco, but maybe that's just a Wilco-fan-centric point of view. Love him or hate him, he was a driving force between a lot of beautiful music in the band for a good stretch.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I was never 100% clear on this, but did Jay write the lyrics to "My Darling?"

 

If so, then those lyrics take a whole new meaning.

 

He recorded his own version for "The Palace at 4 AM". I actually prefer him singing it over Jeff, especially after finding out they were his words.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I finished Summerteeth and have moved on to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Thought I'd post this here as a little tribute:

 

(from Glorious Noise)

 

The Jay Bennett track-by-track listing of instruments played on YHF

 

Wilco chat rooms and bulletin boards (not to mention more legitimate music news sources) have been abuzz with rumors that Jay didn't actually play that much on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Glorious Noise asked Jay to give us a track-by-track list of exactly what he did, and here it is for all the Wilco nuts to see for themselves!

 

1. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Pump organs

Wurlitzers

A piano ("normal")

A "prepared piano" - many folks playing it together

Noiz section (including toy piano) - many folks making noiz together

Distorted synth

Manual re-amped drum effects

 

2. Kamera (writing credit: much of the music, no lyrics)

Electric guitars

Background vocals

Synths

Percussion

Mellotrons

 

3. Radio Cure (writing credit: much of the music, some lyrics)

Synths (fake organ/noiz/fake piano/whistle)

Electric guitar

Background vocals

Leslie banjo

Manually effected drum sounds

 

4. War on War (writing credit: some music, no lyrics)

Acoustic guitars

Wurlitzer

Omnichords

Background vocals

Synth

 

5. Jesus, etc. (writing credit: much of the music, some lyrics)

Wurlitzer

Background vocals

 

6. Ashes of American Flags (writing credit: much of the music, no lyrics)

Drums

Bass

Pianos

Synths (airy sounds/fake organ)

Acoustic guitars

Mellotron

Manual tape loop effects

"Artificially generated orchestra sounds" (too weird to explain)

 

7. Heavy Metal drummer

Hammond organ

Piano

 

8. I'm the Man Who Loves You (writing credit: some music, no lyrics)

Acoustic guitars

Acoustic slide

12-string guitars

Wurlitzer

Background vocals

Artificial kick drum

 

9. Pot Kettle Black (writing credit: some to much of music, no lyrics)

Wall of feedback

Electric guitars

Mellotrons

Synth

"B-Bender electric guitars"

Manual keyboard effects

 

10. Poor Places (writing credit: much of the music, no lyrics)

Noiz section (egg beater guitar/Morse code loop)

Wurlitzer

Acoustic guitars

Nylon string guitars

Piano loops

"Guitar hell " @ end of song

 

11. Reservations

Pianos (3+)

Pump organs

Electric tack pianos run through Roland synth trigger (bubbly sounds)

Mellotron (mock human voice - high "iiiiiiiiiiiiii" sounds)

 

Thank you, Jay. :wub

Link to post
Share on other sites
i wouldnt be the wilco fan i am today if it weren't for jay, and in all honesty feel that they have lost something since his departure. rip jay.

ditto...

 

while i've enjoyed their post-YHF output plenty, it's no question for me that my favorite period of Wilco was Being There through YHF, and it's no question how big of role he played during that time.

 

he was def the McCartney to Jeff's 'Lennon', no question

Link to post
Share on other sites
while i've enjoyed their post-YHF output plenty, it's no question for me that my favorite period of Wilco was Being There through YHF, and it's no question how big of role he played during that time.

 

he was def the McCartney to Jeff's 'Lennon', no question

 

...couldn't have put it better myself...

Link to post
Share on other sites
i wouldnt be the wilco fan i am today if it weren't for jay, and in all honesty feel that they have lost something since his departure. rip jay.

I agree. His gifts are something that will never be duplicated.

 

AND - I'm a total unabashed Nels fan, too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

At a loss for any words to express how I feel

 

So Sad

 

 

There's a whisper

I would like to breathe into your ear but

I'm too scared to

Get that close to you right now

 

There are dreams we might have shared and

I still care and I still love you

But you know how

I've been untrue

 

In the beginning we closed our eyes

Whenever we kissed

We were surprised to

Find so much inside

Link to post
Share on other sites
ditto...

 

while i've enjoyed their post-YHF output plenty, it's no question for me that my favorite period of Wilco was Being There through YHF, and it's no question how big of role he played during that time.

 

he was def the McCartney to Jeff's 'Lennon', no question

 

agreed on all accounts.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Tragic, sad news...another talented soul added to Rock and Roll Heaven.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...