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Elliott
Smith
From A Basement On The Hill
(Anti)
How does a fan review the final album of their favorite artist?
I don’t know how people could do without losing their
senses, so in order to keep me sane for the next week or so
I will be writing this review with as much responsibility to
the reader as humanly possible. Of course some of you may think
that my review is somewhat biased and I can’t lie and
say that it won’t be, but I’ll try my hardest to
represent this album as truthfully as my little heart can.
Here’s the back story: Once upon a time there was this
artist named Elliott Smith. He played in a little rock band
named Heatmiser until he emerged as a solo artist. His solo
career took off and one by one his albums were embraced by his
ever growing fan base. Though never fully recognized by mainstream
media, except for his Academy Award nominated “Miss Misery,”
Smith continued to produce music that was not only technically
amazing but extremely touching to anyone who would take the
time to listen to it. His music was the window into his troubled
lifestyle and in turn, his music was the doorway to his listeners'
inner feelings and thoughts. A year ago on October 21st, Elliott
Smith was found dead in his apartment. He left behind an abundance
of songs and From A Basement On The Hill is the album
he was working on when he met his untimely death. With the help
of his family and friends, the work was completed and released
for those of us that needed one piece of closure- something
more than a few words of sympathy from a distant person. This
is his final goodbye, even though he may have never intended
it to be.
From A Basement On The Hill begins with a long silence
that soon breaks with the quiet beginning of “Coast to
Coast.” The subtle beginning soon fades as the percussions
kick in and his electric guitar spurts in the melody. As Smith’s
familiar voice falls in, the first song of his last album finally
seems to start. His trademark barely-there, whisper-like yet
oddly strong and forceful voice sings; “And if you can’t
help then just leave it alone, leave it alone, leave it alone,
yeah just forget it,” with such a detached yet emotional
(if that’s even possible) feel that it brought a sense
of sadness and hope to this listener. The next track, “Let’s
Get Lost,” is classic Elliott Smith- with solitary acoustics
and his voice alone making this track a gorgeous example of
how he could take two simple instruments and turn two minutes
and twenty-seven seconds into something stunningly beautiful.
Most of these songs are familiar to his fans because in the
few years before his death and after the release of 2000's Figure
8, Smith toured and previewed acoustic versions of these
songs. “Pretty (ugly before),” “Strung Out
Again,” “A Fond Farewell,” “A Passing
Feeling,” “Shooting Star,” and “A Distorted
Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free” were all staples
in his live shows and now here they are in what we’re
told is their completed form. While some of these tracks remain
pretty consistent with the live, acoustic versions (such as
“A Fond Farewell,” “Pretty (ugly before)”,
and “A Passing Feeling”), others employ more guitar
riffs and a harder edge than that of their previous incarnations.
The most dramatic shift in direction has to be “Shooting
Star,” which instead of the delicate acoustic guitar now
has blaring electrics which seems too abrasive for Smith’s
voice and lyrics. This was the only disappointment I had with
the album. I found the music of “Shooting Star”
uneven when compared to Smith’s voice. The words he sings
seem to come out of nowhere while the music (which up until
that point was blaring and in-your-face) immediately slows down
enough to catch up with his slow and gentle voice. As soon as
the vocals stop, the abrasive music rushes to catch up making
this track seem a little less like something Smith would have
composed himself and a little more like something that was put
together by those working on his album after his death.
“King’s Crossing” employs some of the prettiest
music of the entire album. After the lyrics “I can’t
prepare for death anymore than I already have” there is
this emotional and overpowering swell of instruments which only
continues to grow as the song continues. Smith’s voice
displays a sense of urgency and calm restraint despite the uneasiness
of the music and the lyrics. As a fan I can’t listen to
“Twilight” and “Last Hour” without trying
my hardest not to cry. It isn’t the lyrics that get me,
despite their astounding quality, but the closeness I felt while
listening to those songs. It felt as though he was closer to
the listener in these songs then in any of the other tracks.
“Twilight” a.k.a. “Somebody’s Baby”
is stunningly intense and quietly heartbreaking. Once again
its just Mr. Smith armed with an acoustic guitar and his impeccable
voice. He can evoke emotion from the emptiest shells with the
simplest of words and strum of his guitar; and he does so within
this track. “Last Hour” has Smith’s voice
taking the stage as the lead. His voice has a tiny tremble in
it as he sings lyrics such as, “I’ll be staying
down where no one else is gonna give me grief.” With this
song it felt as though it was just Smith and I listening. His
ability to take one out of the busyness of life and take them
into solitary is something I haven’t seen in any of the
singer songwriters currently in the market.
The album ends with a track that was officially released as
a different version before this album came out. “A Distorted
Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free” was released as
a B-Side to a 7” single but with everything in life, its
simplicity changed. On this album it’s faster than any
of the other versions and boasts a smooth guitar melody that
wasn’t present before. Smith’s voice seems to lift
this tale of pessimism up to this almost hopeful place of solitude.
This, his last track, seems to symbolize everything he produced;
despite being largely considered sad and depressing his music
contained the most hopeful and uplifting music I’ve heard
in awhile.
Despite some of the seemingly prophetic lyrical content, Elliott
Smith didn’t set out to create his final album when he
began writing the songs that now comprise this album. And while
this may not be considered his greatest work, it is a fitting
goodbye to the fans that found solace in his words and a home
in his music. I sit here listening to the piano melody of “A
Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free” fade
into silence and I know that this is what I’ve been fearing
for the last year, this is the regretful end of my favorite
artist’s career and even though I’m filled with
a sadness I can’t begin to explain, I can’t help
thinking what a beautiful end it was.
Reviewed by
Angela Rodriguez
October 25th, 2005 |
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