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He thought ‘Steve’ sounded a ‘jock’ and ‘Steven’ too
bookish. To some the words ‘identity’ and ‘crisis’ might
come colliding at this point as inevitably and as disastrously
as the starboard side of the Titanic was to brush against
that iceberg – but that still didn’t stop some people
crying foul play when Steven Paul 'Elliott' Smith collapsed
into the arms of his girlfriend, Jennifer Chibba and
died aged 34 from two stab wounds to the chest. The
pair had been arguing, and Smith – already hooked on
antidepressants – appears to have bowed out in the only
credible fashion a troubled genius can bow out.
Whilst the earliest indicators of all this may have
been that Elliott graduated with a degree in Philosophy
and Political Science from Hampshire College in 1991
(your travel plans are always likely to go awry in Massachusetts
– just look at the fate of American Airlines Flight
11 from Boston to Los Angeles on the morning of September
11th, if you don’t believe me) some might say that his
tragic ending might have been glimpsed when he started
seeing white vans following him around his Silverlake
home and accused his label DreamWorks of stealing his
material.
But none of that really matters as I still remember
Elliott as the incurably bookish character who strummed
out almost inaudibly against the background of ‘Good
Will Hunting’ the gorgeous, murmuring promise of ‘Angeles’
and ‘Miss Misery’. Elliott’s was the name I stayed behind
for long after the credits started to roll and in some
ways I’m still waiting for it now some thirteen years
later, still waiting for somekind of completion, a gag
reel, a final scene.
On November 1st 2010 Domino Records in the UK
will release, ‘An Introduction to ..’ on
CD and 180 gram vinyl. The album features fourteen tracks
compiled from all seven of the Elliott Smith albums
released.
As the title suggests, the record is intended as an
introduction to one of the most absorbing songwriters
of recent years and features a combination of rare and
signature versions.
Tracklisting as follows:
01. Ballad of Big Nothing - from Either/Or
02. Waltz #2 - from XO
03. Pictures of Me - from Either/Or
04. The Biggest Lie - from Elliott Smith
05. Alameda - from Either/Or
06. Between The Bars - from Either/Or
07. Needle In The Hay - from Elliott Smith
08. Last Call - from Roman Candle
09. Angles - from Either/Or
10. Twilight - from From a Basement on the Hill
11. Pretty (Ugly Before) - from From a Basement on the
Hill
12. Angel In the Snow - from New Moon
13. Miss Misery (early version) - from New Moon
14. Happiness (single version) - from Figure 8
More info:
http://www.dominorecordco.com/elliott-smith
'ELLIOTT SMITH - AN INTRODUCTION TO ...' OUT NOVEMBER
11TH 2010
Alan Sargeant for Crud Magazine 2009©
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