Elliott Smith gets a career retrospective. What's essential? What's missing?

When singer-songwriter Elliott Smith died in Los Angeles 2003, he left behind a vast and diverse catalog of his inimitable songwriting and virtuoso musicianship across four different record labels. On Nov. 2, Kill Rock Stars will try to encapsulate it on a single career-retrospective CD and double LP, "An Introduction to ... Elliott Smith."

Smith's progression from the hiss-soaked home recordings of "Roman Candle" to the orchestral suites of "XO" and the acid-tinged noise experiments of the posthumous "From a Basement on the Hill" was never less than fascinating, and "An Introduction" could be a useful first stop for younger fans beginning to unpack his legacy. But as with all retrospectives, the track list is forever up for debate. Most of his indisputable great songs are included -- "Needle in the Hay," "The Biggest Lie," "Angeles" and "Between the Bars" -- ably represent his KRS years, generally considered his creative peak by most fans.

But the compilation leans a bit heavily on his breakthrough "Either/Or," and curiously skirts all but one track, "Waltz #2," from his much-underrated major label debut "XO" (it also takes only one from its follow-up, "Figure 8"), and leaves off a few of his most beloved stray recordings. No cover of Big Star's "Thirteen"? Only an early demo version of "Miss Misery," the song he performed at the 1998 Oscars? No "High Times," probably the most harrowing song on the B sides collection "New Moon"?

Licensing such a wide catalog surely posed its own difficulties, and synopsizing his career on one record is an impossible effort. But hopefully, this will spur curious fans to pick up absolutely everything he's done -- there still hasn't been a singer-songwriter who can match Smith at his best. Full track list after the jump, and David Greenwald has more thoughts over at Brand X.

-- August Brown

Photo by Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

1. "Ballad of Big Nothing" -- from "Either/Or"

2. "Waltz #2" -- from "XO"

3. "Pictures of Me" -- from "Either/Or"

4. "The Biggest Lie" -- from "Elliott Smith"

5. "Alameda" -- from "Either/Or"

6. "Between the Bars" -- from "Either/Or"

7. "Needle in the Hay" -- from "Elliott Smith"

8. "Last Call" -- from "Roman Candle"

9. "Angeles" -- 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"

---

Clicking on Green Links will take you to a third-party e-commerce site. These sites are not operated by the Los Angeles Times. The Times Editorial staff is not involved in any way with Green Links or with these third-party sites.

---

Comments

[August Brown [LA Times]]

Also! If it's going to be "Either/Or" heavy, "Say Yes" should really be there too.

[Leonard Braddock]

As a big fan of Elliott's music, I had been wondering when the re-issue of his work would begin and what would be included. It's easy to say that the collection of songs listed is missing this or that. But I think back to how my own introduction to music back in the 1970s sometimes began with a "Greatest Hits" album from bands including The Beach Boys, David Bowie, and even The Beatles. What's important is the chance for his music to reach someone who's never heard it before. And if it clicks with someone, then they'll probably go out and buy all of the albums to hear the full library. There will never be a perfect collection, but i'm for anything that gives somebody in the next generation the chance to be introduced to his music.

[SuperLative]

Elliot Smith was an excellent songwriter, a great "mope-rocker"

But there have been many who can "match" (and even surpass) him "at his best"

Just because he died tragically doesn't mean we should inflate his talents.

[Sean]

So masterful in everything he did except his life. I'm sure some of that wasn't his fault. I was living in Hollywood at the time and remember seeing him in the Borders near the Beverly center all the time buying books. I came close to saying hello once but chickened out in the end. I wish I could have told him how great he was. I should have done that because I still listen to his stuff all the time, it's a huge part of my musical make -up. Younger generations must be exposed to Elliott Smith and his amazing legacy of wonderful songs and arrangements.

[Michael]

Shouldn't the first line read: "When singer-songwriter Elliott Smith KILLED HIMSELF (or) COMITTED SUICIDE in Los Angeles 2003..."?

While Smith's music can be debated as to it's "greatness", he did do an abjectly selfish and cowardly thing in taking his own life and it shouldn't be glossed over or obfuscated. But PC being what it is, especially if the subject is deemed "hip" (read irrelevant) by those who have zero clue as to what is truly "hip" and relevant, why let a few of those pesky things called FACTS get in the way of a good lie, er, story?