The Loop : Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill

Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (2004)

Part two of our "October 19, 2004" portion is Elliott Smith's posthumous release, From a Basement on the Hill.

I first heard about Elliott the day after he died. I was in a Government class Senior year of high school where we were required to report five "current events" during the semester. For some reason that day, I decided that I was the day I'd look up something to share. Since I had a one-track mind, I immediately jumped to a story about a musician who had killed himself named Elliott Smith. I jotted down a few notes and took it with me to school.

When it was my turn to talk, I stood up and discussed the life and death of this man. A few of my classmates asked "who???" and I answered "His song was on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack", as if I knew any more than they did. I got my check mark for the day and never really investigated him further.

My brother was the one who ended up tracking down some of his music, in no particular order, that I burned for myself and scribbled "Elliot Smith Mix" on the disc (yes, I mis spelled Elliott) It had songs like "Alameda", "Last Call", "Waltz #2" and "Happiness", but nothing comprehensive. I added "Angeles" to my Acoustic Christmas mix and that's where it really clicked. I used him for part of my "Boys with Guitars" episode of my TV announcement segement, where I got in trouble for using the word "suicide". I eventually tracked down all of his records and proceeded to kick myself every day that I didn't know about him until after he was gone.

There were rumors swirling that he was working on a record and his estate was planning on releasing it, which was finally announced for October 19, 2004. As I was dumb and 18, I didn't buy the record because the money wouldn't go to him, so instead ripped it off the internet (*gasp!*) Despite how much albums like XO or Figure 8 meant to me, it's safe to say that this is my favorite Elliott Smith record.

Deep down I think we were all looking for clues into his death through this record that was made so closely to when he died. That's probably what set an immediate "haunting" tone for me when I first listened to it. The beginning of the first track, "Coast to Coast" has this chaotic mash of sound that leads into the music. I often wonder how much of that was added after his death and how much of it was his original work. Lyrics like, "This is not my life, it's just a fond farewell to a friend", "I can't prepare any more for death than I already have", "Burning every bridge that I cross to find a beautiful place to get lost", and "I'll be staying down where no one else gonna give me grief" hint at what he was already planning, which makes it all the more sad. I've read his unofficial biography and articles where friends mentioned how destroyed he seemed those last few months, which is heartbreaking to think about, considering he'd fluctuate back and forth but never truly beat his demons. Every part of his state of mind is splattered all over this album from the dark undertones to the lyrics to the strange interludes like, "Ostriches and Chirping". It is manic and disturbing and I often wonder what it would sound like to the listener if he was still alive.

In trying to dissect this record here, it still is best summed up by a review I read on Buddyhead.com, who said:

"No metaphors here. Life is fucked, and so are you. And it only gets worse the older you get, so buckle up kiddies. The most important singer-songwriter of our generation's post-mortem masterpiece. Who knew the sound of everything falling apart could be so beautiful?"