An Intro To
Elliott Smith
An Introduction To
Hits collections make for hit records around the holiday season, or so I learned during my decade or so of time spent working at record stores. So many have milked this concept, from The Beatles to Radiohead to Sarah McLachlan. Too many to count. And while a hits collection of Elliott Smith cuts from the forever credible Kill Rock Stars imprint might sound a bit odd, I have to admit to kinda/sorta loving the idea.
Smith, who died in 2003 from stab wounds to the chest, never quite found a mainstream audience, though he did come close on multiple occasions. Like any great artist who dies in their prime, Smith's star has burned brightest in his wake, his records selling consistently ever since. His labels have issued posthumous records, reissued his records and commissioned his songs to be used in films. And while he remains something of a cult hero, I believe it's now safe to say that Smith will likely go down as the solo singer/songwriter of his era, penning a huge number of songs that somehow just keep on sounding better and better with each passing winter season.
The total package, Smith was an excellent guitar player, composer, singer and, most of all, writer. All that in mind, when I heard that Kill Rock Stars were planning a hits collection titled An Introduction To Elliott Smith, I was as confused as anyone. For starters, why not just buy Smith's studio records if you think you might like him? They're all pretty good (some are downright classic) front to back. Also, in this iTunes age of music consumption, why wouldn't a new fan pick their own tracklist and burn their own "Introduction" onto a CD-R disc? After all, no one seems to care about liner notes, printed lyrics, essays or packaging anymore (and damn if this collection doesn't feature particularly awful cover art).
Then I saw the Kill Rock Stars selected tracklist. Damn near perfect. Listening through each of the songs (as compiled in my iTunes using the proper albums), I was sold. This disc, bad art and all, must exist. It must exist so that brothers like me can buy it for little sisters everywhere. It must exist so some late bloomer can pick it up on a lark, go home and fall deeply in love with the sweet sound of Ells, one track at a time - a new favorite every day. Sure, there are a whole lot of great songs missing, but each selection included is strong enough to create a new fan.
Opener "Ballad of Big Nothing" starts things off in an honest way, easily standing as Smith's most all-around beloved track (aside from the Oscar-nominated "Miss Misery"). "Waltz #2 (XO)," another of Smith's signature tunes, comes up next, then "Pictures of Me," "The Biggest Lie," "Alameda" and so on, everything in its right place. Everything sounding as good as ever. Classic stuff, really.
Longtime fans, obviously, won't be buying this disc for themselves - they already own the records. But many of those fans, myself included, will feel like they're changing someone's life when they hand the disc - wrapped and bowed - to a friend or loved one this holiday season. Listening through the tracklist a second time, I've found myself jealous of the young people who will discover Elliott Smith through this collection. It's a powerful playlist, made perfect for winning over new lifer listeners. Â 10/10