Animal Collective members Avey Tare and Geologist pay tribute to late Purple Mountains singer David Berman with a cover of Silver Jews’ “Ballad of Reverend War Character.” Proceeds from the downloads of their rendition via Bandcamp will be donated to MusiCares and Music Health Alliance.
“A few weeks ago we planned on seeing Purple Mountains together,” the band members said in a statement; Berman died by suicide on the eve of his first tour in years. “Instead we spent the night listening to David’s records and talking about how much his music and art meant to us. He was an inspiration for decades. One we wouldn’t be here without.”
Avey Tare and Geologist continued, “We’ve been playing covers of his music since 1994 when we first picked up guitars together, so it felt like one of the few things we could do to get through the sadness. The next day we worked on this cover of ‘Ballad of Reverend War Character.’” The song originally appeared on Silver Jews’ 1996 album The Natural Bridge.
Following Berman’s death on August 7th, Animal Collective turned to social media to thank the beloved singer-songwriter for his many acts of generosity. “Many years you opened our ears. ‘Instead of time there will be lateness. And let forever be delayed,’” the band wrote, quoting Silver Jews’ “The Wild Kindness.”