Elliott Smith

From A Basement On The Hill

The Best Record Never Made

Review Score:

(10/10)
4 years ago I accidentally downloaded an orchestral version of Elliott Smith' "Between the Bars" while looking for MP3's.

That was the best mistake I've ever made, because since then I've become completey immersed in the music of Elliott Smith. He was a troubled man with a wicked pop sense, and easily this album is the closest you'll get to a lost Beatles album written only by John Lennon.

A lot of the songs on "Basement" were performed live by Smith, months before his death. Those rough ideas develop into amazing muiscal paintings on this album. Particularily "King's Crossing", which made my jaw drop when the drums came in.

Essentially, had this album been completely finished by Smith, it would most certainly have been "The new White Album". Smith had originally intended the album to have a second disc of instrumental experiments. Well, experimental, not so much "Experiments" themselves.

This is easily the best album to come out this year, a year already blessed with gems (K-OS - Joyful Rebellion, Nas - Street's Disciple, The Zutons - Who Killed The Zutons, Phantom Planet - Phantom Planet) to name a few scorchers.

I highly reccomend this album, and all of his albums. Though, if you like it more stripped down, I'd reccomend his first 3 albums (up to "either/or"). I love "Figure 8" very much though, as it was the first Smith album I got.

R.I.P. - Elliott Smith

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