Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill

JonPorobil · Post by **JonPorobil** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:30 pm

I know, two threads in one day. Bad Jon. But I recommend everyone buy or otherwise obtain this album. It's fine fine work.

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:36 pm

Cool, I have XO and I really dig that. So I'll get this one.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:30 pm

tell us something about it. i mean something useful.
-bill

Phil. Redmon. · Post by **Phil. Redmon.** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:30 pm

It's a pretty great album, and also, a bummer.

The first half is exceptionally strong, and is easier to get hooked on, but the last few songs will eventually take over. There is a break in the middle, the sounds of birds & whistling that really divides the halves.

Musically, the album has a slightly more upbeat feel than figure 8, and certainly more than XO, however, the lyrics are rife with "warnings and indications," so to speak.

I think the best way to describe it is "haunting."

I dl'd it a couple months ago, and have listened to it nearly every day since. The two "tenderest" songs leave me a little flat, but I tend to always skip over "everything reminds me of her" on figure 8 as well.

Don't Go Down is one of the standouts, as is Strung Out Again, but the real winner in my book is King's Crossing. The dynamics are incredible, when it kicks in, it's such a lush release from the tense, quiet build at the beginning of the track.

Sigh.

There's more, but, I guess, I just wanted to chime in and say "I approve of this album."

Also: Is it too soon to suggest "Elliot Steak Knife" as a band name?

Sigh.

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 6:12 am

HeuristicsInc wrote:tell us something about it. i mean something useful.
-bill

i think you need to just listen to elliot smith.

-craig

JonPorobil · Post by **JonPorobil** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 2:37 pm

"Don't Go Down" is the one that got me the most on the first listen. But "A Fond Farewell" and the other one whose title escapes me right now, but whose hook goes "Already somebody's baby" is also really good, in ym opinion. But the whole album is affecting. I wasn't even really feeling the sad emo music vibe, but that conflicting moods didn't make me want to turn off the album, because it's that well-done. Weird?

prayformojo · Post by **prayformojo** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 11:38 pm

This album has honestly moved into my number 1 spot for album of teh year. It really makes me sad, because you hear him really makign new strides in his music on Basement, keeping all of the aspects that made his previous albums so wonderful and addign a new sensability, new instruments, new styles. This was Elliot moving to the next level as a musician. The thing that really sucks about it is that with the growth I hear in this album, I think his next one would have been an absolute masterpiece. *sigh* As it is, this album has only left my CD played twice since I bought it, and both times it was returned to play very quickly.

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 9:35 am

I just picked this up over the weekend. I was not very impressed the first time through, but after a couple more listens, I've fallen in love with it. A really really good disc. I'll have to go back and listen to his other stuff.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:38 am

i wasn't as impressed with this as i was with his older stuff. it just seemed more...dry. i don't know. something.

toddlans · Post by **toddlans** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 8:27 am

yeah i bought this one while xmas shopping this past year, and its one of my favorite albums mostly. there are some tracks i skip but the ones that are good are fucking great. Kings Crossing is such an epic song it just keeps building in momentum then dies off with "don't let me be carried away" songs 1, 2, 4, 6, and 13 are also fucking genius. I get more of his beatles influence on a few of the songs, and for some reason the weezer album pinkerton comes to mind even though its nothing like it. maybe just the darkness and a bit of the drum sounds on certain tracks. i don't my mind works in wierd ways sometimes, but track 4 just says to me beatles meets pinkerton with a real dark vibe. either way the good songs on the cd fucking rock.

c.layne · Post by **c.layne** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 10:41 am

toddlans wrote:i don't my mind works in wierd ways sometimes

yeah.