Elliott Smith "Figure 8" LP Plain Recordings plain127 (US)

Brand New and Still Sealed!

2008 Pressing

Out of Print!

Track Listing:

A1Son Of SamA2Somebody That I Used To KnowA3Junk Bond Trader Conductor, Orchestrated By – Drums –  A4Everything Reminds Me Of HerB1Everything Means Nothing To Me Bass –  B2LAB3In The Lost & Found (Honky Bach) / The Roost Bass – Conductor, Orchestrated By –  B4Stupidity Tries Bass – Conductor, Orchestrated By – Drums –  C1Easy Way OutC2Wouldn't Mama Be Proud? Drums –  C3Color Bars Conductor, Orchestrated By –  C4Happiness Backing Vocals –  D1The Gondola ManD2Pretty Mary K Bass –  D3I Better Be Quiet NowD4Can't Make A Sound Conductor, Orchestrated By – Drums – 

Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003) was an American , , and musician. Smith was born in , raised primarily in , and lived for much of his life in , where he first gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he was also proficient with piano, , bass guitar, drums, and . Smith had a distinctive vocal style, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and used  to create vocal layers, textures, and .

After playing in the rock band  for several years, Smith began his solo career in 1994, with releases on the independent record labels  and  (KRS). In 1997, he signed a contract with , for which he recorded two albums. Smith rose to mainstream prominence when his song ""—included in the soundtrack for the film  (1997)—was nominated for an  in the  category in 1998.

Smith suffered from , , and , and these topics often appear in his lyrics. In 2003, aged 34, he died in  from two stab wounds to the chest. The autopsy evidence was inconclusive as to whether the wounds were . At the time of his death, Smith was working on his sixth studio album, , which was posthumously completed and released in 2004.

1995–96: Elliott Smith and Either/Or

In 1995, Smith's  was released on ; the record featured a style of recording similar to Roman Candle, but with hints of growth and experimentation. Though the majority of the album was recorded by Smith alone, friend and  vocalist Rebecca Gates sang harmony vocals on "St. Ides Heaven", and Heatmiser guitarist  played guitar on "Single File". Several songs made reference to drugs, but Smith explained that he used the theme of drugs as a vehicle for conveying dependence rather than the songs being about drugs specifically. Looking back, Smith felt that the album's pervasive mood gave him "a reputation for being a really dark,  person" and said that he later made a conscious move toward more diverse moods in his music.

Smith performing at Brownies, New York City in April 1997, shortly after the release of Either/Or.

In 1996, filmmaker  recorded Smith playing acoustic songs for the short film : An Elliott Smith Portrait. Two of these songs would appear on his next album, , which was another Kill Rock Stars release. Either/Or came out in 1997 to favorable reviews. The album found Smith venturing further into full instrumentation, with several songs containing , , , and electric guitars, all played by Smith. The album title was derived from the two-volume  by  philosopher , whose works generally deal with themes such as , , death, and .

By this time, Smith's already-heavy drinking was being compounded with use of . At the end of theEither/Or tour, some of his close friends staged an  in , but it proved ineffective. Shortly after, Smith relocated from Portland to , .

1997–98: "Miss Misery" and the Oscars

In 1996, Smith was selected by director and fellow Portland resident  to be a part of the soundtrack to his film,. Smith recorded an orchestral version of "Between the Bars" with composer  for the movie. Smith also contributed a new song, "Miss Misery", and three previously released tracks ("No Name #3", from , and "Angeles" and "Say Yes", from ). The film was a commercial and critical success, and Smith was nominated for an  for "Miss Misery". Not eager to step into the limelight, he agreed to perform the song at the ceremony only after the producers informed him that his song would be played live that night—either by him or another musician of their choosing.

On March 5, 1998, Smith made his  debut on  performing "Miss Misery" solo on acoustic guitar. A few days later, wearing a white suit, he played an abridged version of the song at the Oscars, accompanied by the house .  and  won the award that night for best song with "" (sung by ) from the film . Smith did not voice disappointment about not winning the award.

Smith commented on the  of the  experience: "That's exactly what it was, surreal... I enjoy performing almost as much as I enjoy making up songs in the first place. But the Oscars was a very strange show, where the set was only one song cut down to less than two minutes, and the audience was a lot of people who didn't come to hear me play. I wouldn't want to live in that world, but it was fun to walk around on the moon for a day."

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