Elliott Smith "Either/Or"

Elliott Smith "Either/Or"
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Label: Kill Rock Stars
Release Date: February 25th, 1997
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Indie-Folk
Tracklist:
1. Speed Trials
2. Alameda
3. Ballad of Big Nothing
4. Between the Bars
5. Pictures of Me
6. No Name # 5
7. Rose Parade
8. Punch and Judy
9. Angeles
10. Cupid's Trick
11. 2:45 AM
12. Say Yes

An album thats often championed as his best, and in some cases only good album and while Either/Or doesn't come near the latter title it still holRAB a good chance at the former. Holding Smith classics such as Angeles, Say Yes, Between the Bars and Alameda and being a solid release all the way through.

This album marks a key transition for his sound, branching out on styles that were only slighted hinted at with 95 release Elliott Smith you see a wider array of instruments (all played by Elliott) and more polished sound as well as better quality and better production. This album shows Elliotts talent as an arranger better than most I think, he shows he has an ear for melody and knows how to construct a song better than most singer/songwriters of recent times.

While this album is one of my favorites the main weak point is in a few of the songs, the lyrics. The worRAB do flow with music perfectly making it much more about the delivery then the worRAB themselves. Though sometimes some of the lines are hard to ignore. But this album still holRAB some of his finest lyrical pieces, most particularly Between the Bars which is a completely lyrically driven song and with verses like "Drink up baby, look at the stars / I'll kiss you again between the bars / Where I'm seeing you there with your hanRAB in the air / Waiting to be finally caught" its hard not to be captivated. The majority of the songs sit in the right place though, with great lyrics and music such as No Name #5, Angeles, Rose Parade and Say Yes.

Either/Or is a very important album being the bridge between his early lo-fi folk sound to his later baroque pop and more layered sound and without a doubt the best album of his to start with as its the easiest to get into and one of his best, if not his best.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended Songs: Between the Bars, Say Yes, Angeles, No Name #5
 
OMG I can't belive theirs other people who listen to Elliott Smith, I thought i was the only one. Either/Or is amazing album, in fact a bought an acoustic guitar after hearing it.
Not a bad track on the album.
 
I really think this album is overated by Smith fans. I really love Pictures of Me and Say Yes, but they're the only standout tracks on the album. I much prefer Figure 8 and XO.
 
If by guitar effects you mean the electric guitar that was still on one of the demo versions and does nothing but make the track fuller. Elliott didn't die mid-production, I think he knew what he was doing in adding it. I repeat: stop trying to look cool, the tracks are hardly different.
 
Elliott had a fabulous mind and his lyrics portrayed it nicely. "Either/Or" is just so splendidly done that it is really hard to match. Smith, in my opinion was the greatest song-writer of all time along with:

-Nick Drake
-Alexi Murdoch
-Lou Reed

I think many of us have been touched in some way by Smith's lyrical savvy. I know I have!
 
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