R.I..P Tom Rapp - Pearls Before Swine

[Zappathustra]

Say goodbye to one of the greats of our music...

[Scrotum Scissor]

Oh, that's terrible! And he was, what - 70 or thereabout?

One of my fave US singer/songwriters of the late 60s era, vaguely in the league of an orchestrated Ackles, a Buckley or sometimes even an Ochs, although they were all pretty different. One Nation Underground, The Use of Ashes and the absolute masterwork which is Balaklava - these were immense statements of otherworldly visions in song, word and sheer aura. I think Rapp was blessed with that very special of gifts for an artist, the seer's gaze. It allowed him to feel assets of simple human endeavour without the need for judgement or calling, meaning that he brought across stories which weren't so much messages as they were reminders.

And that sore and apparently fragile, yet never weak voice! I'll keep spinning it into old age.




Thanks for the tunes, the obvious truths and the company, man.

[Rarebird]

Didn't they recently re-release the first Pearls Before Swines album?

Still on my list of stuff I need to listen to.

Sad to hear he is dead.

[Zappathustra]

Didn't they recently re-release the first Pearls Before Swines album?

Still on my list of stuff I need to listen to.

Sad to hear he is dead.

That first one is a masterpiece, and still haven't decided if Balaklava is any better.

[Rarebird]

Found the interview which he gave to a Dutch newspaper last year.

It seems he had cancer.

[Zappathustra]

... the seer's gaze. It allowed him to feel assets of simple human endeavour without the need for judgement or calling, meaning that he brought across stories which weren't so much messages as they were reminders.

Elegant, eloquent and to the point. I Saw The World is one of my favorite songs.

And his lisping (I hope this is the correct word - I had to look it up in the dictionary), was it natural or intentional? Because it works wonders in their music.

[Scrotum Scissor]

And his lisping (I hope this is the correct word - I had to look it up in the dictionary), was it natural or intentional? Because it works wonders in their music.

It's what we call a "half-lisp" here in Norway, in that it's essentially created by a mellowing of the lip (rather than the tongue) to the teeth. I once heard a radio interview with Rapp (from one of the 'All Tomorrow Parties' events, IIRC), and the lisp was still in place in his speech.

Bizarre to contemplate how he was an activist against age-discrimination on his older days, campaigning for the cause as a lawyer et al. His music informed so many current hipster-folkies, one should think he didn't have to guide them as to tolls of time.

[Dana5140]

My story, told often. I worded on a set of shows with him way back in the early 1970s at Michigan State University. I had the ESP Disks, and was somewhat familiar with his songs. But he was just an outgoing, nice person. And in each show-there were three- he told a long and convoluted joke, different each time, in which the punch line was "If Jesus were a spider, we would all be wearing asterisks around our neck." I loved his music, and I will miss him.

[Buddhabreath]

Tom you wrote and performed songs with beautiful depth and sensitivity that will always echo in the back of my mind. Thank you.

[Lopez]

One of my all-time favorites. His music and lyrics mean a lot to me. I was lucky to have seen a Pearls performance in 1972 outside of Philly. Tom and the band were just wonderful. Before he sang his last number, he said, "Here is our last song, and my goal in life is to have written it." It was "Suzanne." Bye, Tom.

[Scrotum Scissor]

"Suzanne."

His version on Balaklava is simply astounding. By far the finest Cohen-cover I've ever heard; Rapp completely owns that song, assisted by a lone oboe playing the part of Suzanne in the back.

The work of genius.

[Trane]

Wow...

RIP

That first one is a masterpiece, and still haven't decided if Balaklava is any better.

I'm most partial on Use od Ashes, really...

Not a fan of the post PBS albums except for one (Stardancer, but I've lived without it for decades)

[spellbound]

One of the best. Rest in peace, Tom.

[rcarlberg]

These things too shall pass away. RIP Tom

[progeezer]

RIP Tom. This thread made me drop almost $50 for One Nation & Balaklava cds. I know my good friend Lopez, who posted previously here, is a huge fan, and I had forgotten (that shit's happening all the time now) just how much I loved Pearls (I had both on vinyl).

[spacefreak]

One of my all time faves, both solo and with Pearls Before Swine. Of mention is also his late 90s comeback. A Journal of the Plague Year (featuring Damon and Naomi and the Bevis Frond) is a wonderful record.

Very sad day.

[interbellum]

I loved what This Mortal Coil did with The Jeweler:



I only have the LP "The Use Of Ashes", where the original came from. Bought it after a memorable evening during which a beautiful girl I just met put this on and asked me if I knew it. I didn't but thought it was probably from 1970 or so, which made an impression on her. Well, nothing happened between us, but as I had great memories of her I bought the album (in 1980). Once I had a compilation-box-set from the band in my hands, but it was too expensive for me then.
As Rainbird wrote: there was a large interview with Tom a few weeks ago in the Dutch national newspaper de Volkskrant.

May you and your music be remembered Tom!