Either / Or

Product Information

It appears that 20 years has past since the late Steven Elliott Smith recorded his greatest album "Either/Or". His third studio album, released in 1997 is a very strong contender for the title his greatest, and certainly in my own top 40 releases of all-time. It contains the seminal "Between the Bars", his sweetest love song "Say Yes", the hurt tale of abuse "2.

It's the ideal bridge between the skeletal sparseness of his early work and the lush studio orchestration of his later stuff, which is a touch over-produced for me. Secondary copies sent out will be opened and inspected before being re-shipped to guarantee a non defective replacement.If you're an Elliott Smith fan - this is a must; even if you want to start listening to him, this is a must.

Other highlights are the breezy pop of Ballad Of Big Nothing ("All spit and spite/you're up all night and down every day"), the druggy drawl of Punch and Judy ("I used to like it here/now it just bums me out to remember") and the self-loathing of Rose Parade ("I'd say it's a sight that's quite worth seeing/it's just that everyone's interest is stronger than mine/and when they clean the streets/I'll be the only shit that's left behind). If you enjoy great, intelligent songwriting, you can't go wrong with any of Elliott Smith's releases, but this one captures him at the beginning of his established peak and relative popularity. Following on from Roman Candle, Smith's startling debut, Elliott Smith is another work of lone ambition. The additional content features five live multi-track recordings from the Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in Olympia WA in 1997, as well as three previously unreleased studio recordings and one b-side gem.With distinct production, instrumentation, and vocals, the recordings found on Alternate Versions offer a new perspective on one of Smith’s most highly acclaimed albums, and separate them from the original cuts found on Either/Or. If I was pushed to single out just four of them personal highlights on this album, then I guess I would have to opt for Sixties-tingled 'Alameda' with it's terrific rhythm, 'Angeles', a particularly catchy tune which I believe to be about the hypocrisy surrounding the music business, the stirring 'Between the Bars', made famous in the same year of this record when it was used in the closing credits of the hit film 'Good Will Hunting', and the heart-warming, frankly adorable 'Say Yes', which fades things out beautifully.

In questa edizione un secondo cd con uno sciamanico live, più due tracce alternative alle originali, con un libricino molto ben fatto, con testi e foto, piacevole da sfogliare. When I first heard his music, I had to get past his soft vocal style, which could be mistaken for "weak" or "wimpy", but in the end, it's perfect for letting the songs really shine on their own. This album is packed with great songs, several of my favorites being "Ballad of Big Nothing", "Pictures of Me", and "No Name No. His songs struck a nerve well beyond the Northwest music scene - Madonna, of all people, covered the morosely pretty drunk's lullaby 'Between the Bars. Every record is shipped in original factory-applied shrink wrap and has never been touched by human hands.Smith's music usually revolves around him and an acoustic guitar which means that while the 2017 versions are sharper there is not a quantum leap in quality. The highly acclaimed Either/Or, the third album from Elliott Smith and his last written and recorded in Portland, OR, broke through to a larger international audience.

Of the new content, the five live tracks recorded at the Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in Olympia, Washington in 1997 are of pristine quality with the harrowing "Some Song" especially powerful. The double LP is packaged in a gatefold jacket that includes an insert of the original liner notes, a postcard of the original master tapes, and several never-before seen photos. As well as the original album in remastered form, this edition adds a disc of 1997 live recordings and as-yet-unreleased studio recordings. Either/Or' ultimately provides a very enjoyable, and laid-back listening experience, but when you start to listen closely to the lyrics, you'll soon see how dark and disturbing the majority of these songs were.It's no secret that Smith dealt with alcoholism and addiction, but through his music you can see that he was able to experience love as well. This album features the original tracks carefully remastered from original tapes under the supervision of Larry Crane, owner of Jackpot!