Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse first heard the Robyn Hitchcock song “Listening to the Higsons” as a single in the early 80’s. The artist listened to the tune a lot during that time and it was still a favorite when Linkous recorded the hard hitting version with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in 2009.
“Listening to the Higsons” is featured on Bird Machine, which is the Posthumous Sparklehorse album that will be released on September 8. Over the course of four Sparklehorse records and two collaborative projects, Linkous had built a reputation as one of alternative rock’s most distinctive and influential songwriters.
But the intimacy and honesty that made his songs so special also laid bare the troubles the artist carried. As Linkous continued to work on his fifth album in late 2009 and early 2010, the artist was recording with Steve Albini in Chicago and in front of his beloved 1968 Flickinger mixing console at the Static King studio. At that time, the depression Linkous had battled for many years began to take its toll because on March 6 the artist took his own life at the age of 47 years old.
“Listening to the Higsons” is a great song because the instrumentation sizzles the air with face smacking rock while the vocal performance serenades the ears with bittersweet harmony. Linkous was a talented musician because his love for Robyn Hitchcock’s music can be felt through this version of “Listening to the Higsons.”
From the time Linkous began working on these songs, 14 years have passed and it was a long time for a collection of tracks that were already recorded at the time of the artist’s death.
But there is something too in the album’s long and complex gestation, which is the love and care Linkous’s family close musician friends have shown to every detail that makes Bird Machine a Sparklehorse record.
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