Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

Whatever happened to the band Squeeze and Emitt Rhodes ("Lullabye")? Furthermore, why are so many of my favourite artists creatures of an early death (Elliott Smith, Jeff Buckley)? Then of course there's the taut emotional fabric of Wilco, the Smiths, the Shins, Morphine, Belle and Sebastian, Rufus Wainwright, Velvet Underground, Simon and Garfunkel, Sister Hazel, Janis Joplin. Elvis Costello, and Toad the Wet Sprocket.... tragic beauty, the poetry of the bleeding, beating heart. No, I'm not linking that last list to the music store.

In quite a reflective mood...