Elliott Smith

Steven Paul Smith was born in 1969 in Nebraska, about his ten years he began to learn piano and guitar, teen he listened to Bob Dylan , The Beatles , The Clash , Hank Williams (...), in the early 1990s he graduated in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Hampshire. In 91 he founded Heatmiser , an alternative rock band with whom he released three albums, and in which one finds the future leader, singer and guitarist of Quasi Sam Coomes. He began his solo career by registering alone on the acoustic guitar and without arrangement, it was his girl of the time who concaincted him to send his songs to Cavity Search Records, the boss loves and wishes to publish them immediately, Roman Candle comes out in the summer of 94, Elliott Smith's recurring themes are already there: drugs, treason and depression, ironic of the spell this first intimate jet which totally shows grunge in vogue at the time, and composed of demos that did not stick for Heatmiser, seal of his success the fate of the band that split in 96. Just a year later he came back with a second album of the same name by Kill Rock Stars, following on from the previous one in a little more result, almost all the work is done by Elliott, but we find choruses on St. Ides Heaven his friend Rebecca Gates, and a sidekick of Heatmiser Neil Gust on guitar on Single File. In 96 the filmmaker Jem Cohen realistically a portrait of the name Lucky Three: An Elliott Smith Portrait , in which he performed three titles. Two of these songs are found on Either/Or , which derives its name from the eponymous work of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard , it sees the beginning of 97, and although on rare songs Smith has already incorporated other instruments, for the first time the process is used massively with bass, drums, keyboard and electric guitar all played by the man; This period is dark for the musician who gradually becomes bogged down in alcoholism coupled with taking antidepressants. We are in 1996, Elliott Smith is chosen by Gus Van Sant to be part of the B.O. of his film Good Will Hunting, he works with the master in the matter Danny Elfman, among the songs present there is Miss Misery, with which he makes his first TV appearance in the famous Late Night with Conan O'Brien, as well as a live at the Oscar ceremony. The success is growing, a label change takes place with a signature at DreamWorks Records in 98, Elliott's mental health is not at best, he starts talking openly about ending his life, and he tries to commit suicide after drinking by falling from a cliff, but entangles in a tree that cushions his fall. In the fall of XO, Smith composes this album on the evenings of winter 97/98 largely at the New York bar Luna Lounge, here the baroque pop stands out from the Lo-Fi touch of his past works, due to his careful arrangements and the resolutely modern sound, the production is carried out by Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock (Foo Fighters , Fu Manchu , Jimmy Eat World ...). In 2000, together with the same team, he realized his fifth object, Figure 8 which is very influenced both on composition and on mixing work by the Beatles universe, is recorded among other things at Abbey Road Studios, although some critics find that Smith has lost in subtlety, the album is a commercial success. Elliott has still not solved his problems of depression, followed by aborted recording sessions and several cures of detoxification without result, between 2002 and 2003 he manages to work on a sixth offspring, but fate catches him up before he gets out, Elliott Smith is found lifeless on October 21, 2003, From a Basement on the Hill sees the light of day a year later, fans and critics welcome him as a suicide note.
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