Elliot Smith

Retrospective.

A timid man ambles on stage with only an acoustic guitar to accompany him. He by no means resembles a star. A worn face and a short, withdrawn stature reinforce his introverted stage presence. He plays his song soft and delicately as if whispering only to himself, unaware of the crowd mouthing every lyric along with him.

Elliott Smith gained his following based on this very sense of intimacy and became an underground rock icon. While many artists make music specifically for their fans, Smith’s songs are entirely his own, personal and introspective. Smith didn’t even intend for his first recordings to be heard by anyone other than a few close friends. But in due time the folk-rock singer-songwriter with a personal, but often rough-around-the-edges attitude was unapologetically thrust into the spotlight in 1997, after his song, “Miss Misery” from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack achieved a nomination for an Academy Award.

Unfortunately, the Cinderella story of a troubled musician pushed into prominence ended tragically some six years later with Smith’s death. Although his catalog of songs and his position in the world of independent music has now been immortalized, Smith has always had a prominent place in the hearts of his devoted fans.

The status of indie rock hero doesn’t get handed out too easily, and sadly it is often given to those who die before their time. Artists like Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, and Elliott Smith seem to gain more recognition after their tragic deaths than during their lives. A lot of this comes with the idea of a budding artist’s creative abilities being suddenly cut short. Fans love wondering what could have been if their favorite artist hadn’t died too soon. Whereas the death of more popular artists such as Jim Morrison or John Lennon touch a whole nation, the death of underground musicians primarily affects their committed fans and the music community.

Premature deaths also put an artist’s songs into a stark, jarring reality. When Elliott Smith’s posthumous album, From a Basement on the Hill, was released in 2004, only a year after his apparent suicide, many fans quivered at lines from the foreboding track entitled “King’s Crossing,” where Smith states, “I can’t prepare myself for death anymore than I already have.” He continues to tell us of his addictions and inevitable breakdown, climaxing with the line, “Give me one good reason not to do it!” Lyrics like these cause Smith’s mourning followers to say, “If only I had known I could’ve helped him,” or some other remorseful, but ultimately unrealistic remark. We take these words more seriously now that they’ve actually been executed, even though Smith has sung of such grim topics of abuse and addiction since the beginning of his career.

Through his six-album catalog Smith lets us into his world and shows us that he’s not afraid to document the most personal moments of his life. In “Waltz #2 (XO)” Smith tells us of his estranged relationship with his mother and his regret for leaving her behind. In “Some Song” Smith documents his abusive stepfather and in “Coming up Roses” we are vividly told about a heroin addiction. The subject matter here definitely depresses, but it becomes so successful because it always maintains its realness and honesty without trying to yield pity from the fans.

The willingness of Smith to share what is precious to him causes his followers to become more than fans; they develop a friendship with the artist even though they have never met him in the flesh. This sort of relationship displays itself in the persistent forgiveness given to Smith throughout his troublesome years. At his infamous appearance at the Sunset Junction Music Festival in 2001, Smith aborted 11 songs out of his 22 song set, due to his inability to recall the words of his own songs and play his intricate guitar parts. Despite the painful performance fans still sang his praises, trying to make any and every excuse for the show’s mishaps. Without such devoted fans always behind his back, Smith’s erratic behavior and unreliable performances would have surely caused him to slip into oblivion.

Smith’s also held a certain amount of importance in the musical community which was proven by the numerous tribute albums released and memorial concerts held after his death. Individuals such as Ben Folds and Rhett Miller and bands like Rilo Kiley have all done their part and recorded songs about or dedicated to Elliott Smith and his memory. The Portland band, Earlimart, even went so far as to purchase Smith’s New Monkey studio in California in order to keep it intact and not see Smith’s collection of equipment be sold off to the highest bidders.

Thankfully artists like Elliott Smith are always being rediscovered. In 2007 a two-disc collection of previously unreleased material from Smith’s time with the Kill Rock Stars label entered Billboard’s Top 200 at number 24. The New Moon collection consists of 24 tracks of outtakes, b-sides and rough sketches of what would later become classic Elliott Smith songs. Considering that these tracks left on Smith’s cutting room floor are more solid than most other artists full lengths prove that Elliott Smith’s talent was unique, true and can still be cherished.

By Brett Oronzio




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