Elliott Smith Either Or Download Blogspot
Speed Trials 2. Ballad Of Big Nothing 4. Between the Bars 5. Pictures Of Me 6. Rose Parade 8. Punch And Judy 9.
Conflicted about the Either/Or 'Remastered' Edition
Hello,
With the release of the Either/Or remaster and it's arrival on my front porch yesterday evening I finally got around to listening to it and.. Oh boy. It's a mixed bag to say the least.
If you haven't been in the loop Either/Or has received a re-release for it's 20th anniversary. This version has been remastered by Larry Crane, the archivist of the estate of Elliott, and features the Either/Or album remastered in it's entirety, a handful of rarities, a -side, a few live songs from Elliott's 1997 Yo Yo a Go Go performance, an Elliott Smith recording of a Mary Lou Lord song, and an entirely new version of Bottle Up and Explode that has never been leaked or released prior to this. Before getting into this I would like to iterate that Either/Or is a fantastic album and some of these will be nitpicks. Even with the issues this remaster has it is in no way unlistenable. The nitpicks will have a point though and I'll get back to them.
For the most part the remaster is either barely noticeable, a marginal improvement in the case of Cupid's Trick, or objectively worse. The full band songs seem to have received the best results from the remaster but as soon as there's an acoustic guitar standing on it's own, particularly with the intro to Ballad of Big Nothing and the entirety of Between the Bars, the sound suffers and the negatives of the remaster really come to light. There is noticeable distortion on the acoustic guitar tracks, especially the lower notes of Between the Bars. Worse is that existing issues, like the hiss from the drum track during Speed Trials, an issue that has existed since the album's original release and came as a result of Elliott's recording choices, still exist. It might even be worse in the remaster as it seems every song has been made louder, a trend that's been pervasive in music releases in the last 15 years and something that I would've hoped the guys in charge of an Elliott Smith release wouldn't have fallen prey to. Datalogic skorpio x3 usb driver.
So if the original songs are either slightly better or noticeably worse what else is there? Aside from the new version of Bottle Up and Explode, Elliott's version of the Mary Lou Lord song he wrote for her, and the live stuff there's the keys intro to a leak of New Monkey and an official release of I Don't Think I'm Ever Gonna Figure You Out. Keen listeners will probably already be aware that these songs have been floating around for ages and if you've grabbed any of the unreleased or rarities compilations on the web you've definitely heard these before. The live recordings, however, seem to be entirely new and have not previously been leaked. Their existence was hinted at when the Heaven Adores You sountrack landed and it seems that there's more to that set than just Elliott's recording of Say Yes. It's definitely not the best live recording (I think that honour goes to the Stockholm, Sweden bootleg on YouTube) but it's definitely not unpleasant. He even plays My New Freedom, another rarity that never received an official album release.
In regards to the Mary Lou Lord song I Figured You Out, Elliott had previously written this and played it with Mary Lou Lord who ended up doing her own version and putting hers out there. Elliott's version has never seen the light of day until this record and I think it's definitely a decent song. If your tastes align more closely with Elliott's own, however, you might write it off as sounding like, 'the fucking Eagles, man.'
And then there's the new version of Bottle Up and Explode. I feel this song is going to be a polarizing song given the YouTube comments for it on Kill Rock Star's page but, personally, I am a huge fan of it. I'm not sure if it's just the novelty of having a new Elliott song or not but it's an incredibly interesting song even if you might not like it yourself. If you haven't heard it the song is up on the KRS YouTube page and is definitely worth at least one listen. Basically imagine if he'd recorded Bottle Up during the FABOTH portion of his career and you'll have an idea of what to expect with much less traditional Elliott instrumentation, almost completely different lyrics, and much darker lyrical themes that I'm sure will be dissected for years to come. Please keep in mind however that the cute little keyboard outro on the YouTube copy is in fact present on the album release as well.
Elliott Smith Roman Candle
Purchasers of the vinyl will also be treated with a very nice set of packaging with a lengthy intro printed onto the inner sleeve of the double album, lyric sheets, an digital download code that will get you access to a download of the album in most conventional audio formats, and the records themselves. Either/Or is on the first record and all the new stuff is on the second one.
So after all that I'm kind of conflicted about this one. For anyone who already had the album I'm not sure there's value in picking up this remaster; the remaster isn't handled as well as I would've liked, the live recordings aren't the best, and you can just buy or rip the new song and call it a day. Worse is that, going forward, this might even replace the original pressing of the album in record stores which troubles me a bit. Mi tuzi re sajna ringtone. This is by no means the 'definitive' version of Either/Or and the idea that it might replace the original if they stop pressing that one is not a pleasant one. It's also very difficult to differentiate between the original and the remaster if you look at their packaging; the only obvious differences are a small half sleeve of paper that goes along the left side of the release vinyl packaging and some shuffling around of the positioning of the track listing on the back of the packaging.
What do y'all think? I'd like to read a more positive opinion and see if there's anything I'm missing or under-appreciating. Cheers!
Invisible Hits is a column in which Tyler Wilcox scours the internet for the best (and strangest) bootlegs, rarities, outtakes, and live clips.
Like Nick Drake, the singer-songwriter he’s most often compared to, Elliott Smith’s tragic death inevitably casts a pall over his music. Smith’s songs were already dark, but his passing at the age of 34 in 2003 (perhaps a suicide, perhaps not) turned them pitch black. Next week’s reissue of Either/Or is surely a different listen now than it was in 1997, and not just because of a few previously unheard tracks. It can be difficult to hear his work—as masterfully written, performed, and produced as it is—without a gloomy specter creeping into one’s mind.
But another way back into Elliott Smith’s music awaits on Archive.org, the nonprofit online repository that hosts several dozen live recordings of the songwriter, uploaded by fans and collectors with the permission of Smith’s estate. These tapes, stretching from his first solo forays to his final appearance in 2003, give an alternate view of the musician. The darkness lingers, of course, but the songs have room to breathe a bit more in a live setting, allowing us to appreciate Smith’s craft afresh. We even get to hear him crack a joke or two.
Club Congo // Scottsdale, Arizona // late 1994 or early 1995
In 2017, with Smith's legend firmly in place, it’s easy to say that the songwriter's early solo shows should have been met with a hushed, respectful silence. But in the mid-’90s, some audience members just didn't give a shit. This tape, one of the oldest known documents of Smith as a solo acoustic performer, is a battle between a chatty Club Congo crowd and Elliott's early repertoire. “You guys always pay $7.50 to come and talk?” he complains half-heartedly at one point. But if anything, the distracted crowd—which, to be fair, does seem to include plenty of fans—seems to intensify Smith's delivery. Of special interest is the skewed remake of the old folkie number, “Little Maggie,” with Smith locating the harrowing heartbreak lurking in the timeworn lyrics. (Tracklist and legal download here)
Morning Becomes Eclectic // May 6, 1997
Promoting Either/Or in the cozy confines of KCRW's studio a few years later, Smith didn't have inattentive bar patrons to deal with. But he did have Morning Becomes Eclectic’s inquisitive host Chris Douridas’ questions to deflect, whether about his influences (“I was really into Kiss and the Beatles”) or his upbringing (“let’s not get into that”). Awkward interview segments aside, the music here is captivating, a crystal clear example of Smith’s growing power as a live performer. His whisper-thin vocals cut to the quick with every phrase, while his elegant-yet-urgent guitar playing is note-perfect—check out the bone-chilling rendition of “Needle in the Hay” or the deceptively breezy “Say Yes” for proof. As uncomfortable as Smith sounds when not singing his songs, this was just the start of his time in the spotlight. Less than a year later, he’d be performing at the Oscars, thanks to the inclusion of “Miss Misery” on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. (Tracklist and legal download here)
Le Pavillon Lion // Bourges, France // April 17, 1999
Smith came to prominence as an acoustic troubadour, but he had his sights set on a bigger sound. To support the more lushly produced XO, the songwriter toured with a lean trio made up of Quasi’s Sam Coomes on bass and backing vocals and Paul Pulvirenti on drums. This tape of the band in France is a high-energy thrill ride, with Smith leading his cohorts through hopped-up versions of XO’s highlights and rearranged older favorites, as well as a few previews of Figure 8. Any fans expecting a mellow night must’ve been surprised by the explosive readings of “Son of Sam” and “Baby Britain,” among others, showcasing Smith’s scratchy, urgent electric guitar. He could switch gears effortlessly, though: check out the solo mini-set here, including a hauntingly gorgeous “Easy Way Out.” This is Smith at his most confident, his most dynamic, his most accessible. (Tracklist and legal download here)
The Wiltern // L.A. // November 9, 2001
In 2001, Smith began working on what would becomeFrom a Basement on the Hill, released posthumously in 2004. Though these prolonged sessions with an array of collaborators stretched on until Smith’s death, he began previewing songs early on in the creative process. This mini set from a Los Angeles benefit show is all new material, and it offers skeletal portraits of despair in songs like “Let’s Get Lost,” “Strung Out Again,” and “Twilight.” The Wiltern’s natural echo lends a ghostly vibe to the set, with Smith’s vocals sounding even more vulnerable than usual and a frayed edge creeping into his typically fastidious guitar work. (Tracklist and legal download here)
Henry Fonda Theatre // L.A. // February 1, 2003
Elliott Smith Either Or Lyrics
“The songs came from Elliott,” his friend Sean Croghan wrote in the liners for rarities collectionNew Moon. “Elliott was not a creation of his songs.” He’s right, of course, but it would take a healthy dose of denial to not hear a man nearing the end of his rope on this tape of an early 2003 gig. Still playing a wealth of new material destined for inclusion on From a Basement on the Hill, the laser focus of previous years is gone, in its place a ragged desperation. The pure self-loathing on the opening “King’s Crossing” is almost tangible. But there are flashes of the old brilliance, including a precisely rendered “Between the Bars,” and even “Miss Misery,” a song Smith rarely returned to after its Oscar nomination. There’s even some welcome humor in his occasionally rambling between-song banter, and a loose cover of Oasis’ “Supersonic,” with 764-HERO’s Robin Heringer joining in on drums. “This is probably going to piss some people off,” Smith says by way of introduction, before launching into Noel Gallagher’s cocksure lyrics and swaggering melody—a million miles away from his own approach. But you can tell that, for at least a few minutes, Smith is enjoying a temporary escape from his demons. (Tracklist and legal download here)