Cut down in his prime, Elliott Smith nevertheless created a wealth of beautiful, moving material — stark songs about love and loss that stand strong even now, seven years on from his passing. An Introduction serves as just that: the perfect first encounter for those unfamiliar with Smith's singular work.
All his albums are good and there are not that many. Personally, "From A Basement On The Hill" is one of my favorite albums of all time, but many prefer his 90s releases. Like others have said, this does not include all his "best" songs.
'A perfect first encounter' with Smith's work, Amelia Raitt? Seriously? A compilation that skips over XO and Figure 8 almost entirely because they're on Dreamworks not KRS, omits his most famous song (the Good Will Hunting version of "Miss Misery"), and doesn't find room for fan-favourites "Speed Trials" or "Say Yes" off Either/Or. So no, it's not 'perfect' in my opinion. It's o.k. but definitely not essential for neophytes and completely pointless for fans. I have no problem with KRS reissuing Smith's work whatever their motivation, but this is a half-assed, incomplete effort. At least licence a few more songs off Dreamworks next time, guys.
because he's dead.
Does anyone need an introduction to Elliott Smith at this point? He was an amazing musician, but this album just seems like KRS trying to make some $$ off readily available material.
"Say Yes" is his best song. In a world where you can download songs individually... greatest hits and collections seem unnecessary, but to miss his best song is unbelievable.
Whether you're happily married or told Cupid to shove it a long time ago, we can all agree on one thing: to quote the one-and-only Nazareth, "Love hurts/ Love scars/ Love wounds/ And mars." Or something. That's why we went ahead and compiled a list of 36 Songs To Soothe the Pain, from the bloodletting confessionals of Neko Case, Bright Eyes and Sunny Day Real Estate to the melancholic melodies of Sigur Rós, the Shangri-Las… more »
Whether your tastes skew toward classics by The Smiths and Wilco or current cutting edge tastemakers like Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian, you're sure to discover something you love on Indie Hits, Past & Present. more »
How exactly does one identify "folk-punk"? There's no easy answer, as different artists within the subgenre's horizons arrived at its intersection via different journeys. One could argue that Woody Guthrie was not only the original folkie but also the original folk-punker; look no further than the iconic photo of Woody with a guitar bearing the slogan "This Machine Kills Fascists." Boiled to its essence, folk punk is generally tradition-based acoustic music delivered with a forceful… more »
Elliott Smith's biography is cursed with details better suited to a cheesy tabloid star than a brilliant indie-rocker. There's depression, drug addiction, failed attempts at recovery, suggestions of childhood sexual abuse. Once he walked off a cliff, impaling himself on a tree. ("But let's talk about something else," he blithely asked an interviewer, hardly the suave deflector.) There were concerts when he couldn't remember songs and doting audience members came to his rescue, calling out… more »
