Coming Up Roses: A very brief primer on Elliott Smith

I recently purchased Elliott Smith’s “from a basement on the hill” on vinyl from Amoeba records. For those of you not familiar with Elliott Smith, this was his last album, finished by friends and released posthumously in 2004. To say this is a treasure may seem pretentious and is probably lost to those with little or no knowledge of Smith’s work, however to the fan this is completely understood. My sentiment partially stems from the fact this was his final album and there will be nothing new from this musical genius (although some rarities and previous unreleased songs were put out in 2007’s “New Moon”).

His lyrics are a mixture of passion, pain, heartache, loss, and Johnny Walker (red), inspired by Kiwi Maddog 20/20 and accompanied with raw but beautiful chord transitions. His body of work is a cautionary tale to those who feel things a little too deeply…

If you are not familiar with Smith’s work take some time to listen and you just might hear him. Go into oblivion with his 1994 debut album “Roman Candle” to his 2004 swan song “from a basement on the hill” and everything in between.

Below is a playlist of exceptional songs to help you become familiar and hopefully a fan:

Between the Bars (Either/Or)
Say Yes (Either/Or)
Angeles (Either/Or)
Angel In the Snow (New Moon)
Miss Misery [early version] (New Moon)
Needle In the Hay (Elliott Smith)
Alphabet Town (Elliott Smith)
Somebody That I Used To Know (Figure 8)
Waltz, No. 2 (XO)
Twilight (from a basement on the hill)
Kiwi Maddog 20/20 (Roman Candle)

Final Thought:

Listening to Elliott on vinyl only enhances the experience. There is something quite beautiful listening to him through the light hiss and crackle of the needle against the record.