Elliott Smith was one of those rare artists whose music really got to people. If you took the time to really immerse yourself in the words, sights and sounds of his music… the spaces between his gorgeous, wiry double tracked vocals, floating like little phantoms over the brittle but confident strum of his guitar… then I know there are moments, songs and albums that still conjure up really deep feelings of hurt, hope, ache and foggy-eyed wonder with each semi-reluctant re-listen.
He was just one of those artists, you know? From his stint with Heatmiser through his early solo albums, Oscar-nominated breakout and sprawling Beatles-esque latter work, Elliott Smith made uncompromisingly real music that never strayed from the bleak, often insufferably depressed person he was for much of his adult life. His songs never lied, never sugar coated reality. His emotional and musical bravery outlasted his own ability to keep the demons at bay and today, just short of a decade since his passing, we're still listening… still marveling at the amount of heart, soul and unadulterated grrrr that went into his songs… and still wondering how life could be so unkind to someone with such a beautiful gift.
In honor of Elliott's 43rd birthday, I wanted to take a quick look back at five of his all-time most essential songs. Everyone has their own personal favorites (definitely share yours in our comments section below or on our Indie Rock and MusicOlogygroup all week long), but these are a few of the songs that really defined and shaped Elliott's sound, his career and his legacy. Take a listen.
"No Name #3" Roman Candle (1994)
"Clementine" Elliott Smith (1995)
"Between The Bars" Either/Or (1997)
"Miss Misery" Good Will Hunting Soundtrack (1997)
"Waltz #2 (XO)" XO (1998)
What are some of your favorite Elliott Smith songs, albums, moments or memories? Get the conversation started in our comments section below.
Leonora Reiley:
"I Figured You Out." I know he claimed to have hated it, but I love it.
August 7, 2012
Kevin Moore:
White Lady Loves You More, Plainclothes Man (HM), Satellite, No Name #3, The Last Hour
August 7, 2012
Paul Valecce:
King's Crossing, Miss Misery, Waltz #2, Last Call, Independence Day
August 6, 2012
Jia-Lian Lin:
biggest lie, angeles, say yes, miss misery, kings crossing
August 6, 2012
Daryl Hiebert:
I Better Be Quiet Now, Say Yes, Pitseleh, Placeholder, Waltz #2 ... I'm never going to know you now, but I'm going to love you anyhow
August 6, 2012
Tom W:
Bled White, Needle in the Hay, A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to Be Free, Pretty (Ugly Before), Twilight, Kings Crossing...of the ones you posted, Waltz #2 gets me the most...probably the most of any of his songs.
August 6, 2012
Maíra Ferraz:
Alameda, Between the bars, Coast to Coast, Last Call e Son of Sam. Foi dificil fazer essa seleção, Elliott é simplesmente maravilhoso em qualquer álbum.
August 6, 2012
meagan joyce :
Alameda, Angeles, St. Ides Heaven, Sweet Adeline, No Name #5
August 6, 2012
Adam Fine:
See You in Heaven, King's Crossing, Angeles, Condor Ave., Waltz #2
Aaron Winston:
"All Cleaned Out" should be added to that list. So simple and beautiful
August 6, 2012
Thom Huttner:
Needle in the Hay, because I feel that outside of his work on the Goodwill Hunting soundtrack, hearing that song in Royal Tenenbaums was how a lot of people first experienced Elliott. Such as myself.
August 6, 2012
Colleen Bean:
Matt, I (almost) totally agree! Those are my favorite songs too, although I would probably switch out Riot Coming with King's Crossing or Roman Candle...so hard to choose just five...
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