Review
Elliott Smith
An Introduction To...

It is hard to understand the purpose of a release like An Introduction to Elliott Smith. Should it be seen as a retrospective look at one of the more revered artists to come out of America in the nineties or a record label sanctioned attempt at creating the type of mix-tape people used to make pre-internet when you wanted to introduce friends to one of your favourite bands. As the title suggests, this release falls firmly into the latter camp. And thankfully, it is a damn good one.

An Introduction... does partially fall into the first camp by showing the spectrum of his career, giving samples of every album, including 2007’s rarities collection New Moon. The prominence is, unsurprisingly, on the material released on Kill Rock Stars and is all but bereft of material from the DreamWorks era with XO and Figure 8 only represented by one track apiece. Sadly, one suspects that this is due to copyright issues. It appears that “Miss Misery” also falls foul of this with the early version being used instead of the version that got Smith an Oscar nomination.

As is always the case when the artist is question has such a rich back catalogue to pick from, some of the song selections may cause the more devoted fans to moan about what has been omitted. It is a testament to the sheer brilliance of Smith that whilst the songs that have been chosen for this release are undeniably excellent, there are even greater tracks not present here. This may be a lean collection but it means that there are absolutely no filler tracks to sift through and dissuade the potential fans. Appearances by fan favourites such as “Angeles” and “Needle in the Hay” mean that this is an album that could be put on repeat for several hours at a time without creating any sense of boredom. In addition, the track order on the album is surprisingly well considered, “Ballad of Big Nothing” works so well as an opener, you wonder why it did not start Either/Or and the single version of “Happiness”, which is superior to the album version, works perfectly as a closer with its instrumental outro.

Oddly one of the greatest strengths of this album is that whilst it gives you a sample of Smith, it stops short of giving a full portrait meaning that later delves into his work will be rewarded with a greater understanding of his music. Whilst it shows Smith through the ages, the album is designed to ease those unfamiliar into his work and as a result it avoids the more experimental aspects of his later output, using the relatively quiet “Twilight” and “Pretty (Ugly Before)” to show off posthumous From A Basement On a Hill.

Whilst there is generally very little to offer older fans of Smith, the album does offer the bonus of remixed versions of “Last Call” and “Angel in the Snow.” Although they are not massive departures from the versions found on Roman Candle and New Moon respectively, they are different enough to warrant a listen or two.

For all but the most obsessive, this is an album that has nothing to offer the more seasoned fans. For those who have only heard the name in passing conversation, through Good Will Hunting or a random track played at a party, this is a solid purchase. Living up to its title, this is an excellent introduction to Elliott Smith.