I Own That CD! - Elliott Smith

The fourth release from Elliott Smith, XO, came out in 1998 and was his first release on a major label (DreamWorks). Having just come off his performance of “Miss Misery” at the 1997 Oscar telecast, it was meant to be an introduction to the mainstream, and while it did garner widespread praise, it never truly thrust him into the mainstream. And that was probably okay with Smith. XO was beautiful while remaining dark lyrically. It’s my favorite release from Elliott Smith and it’s today’s feature on I Own That CD!

It is a pop record disguised as a morbid, slacker release. Gone is just the voice and an acoustic guitar. Added are jaunty pianos, drums and even horns. The angelic, painful voice is still there. It’s delicate but with a little more money behind the release, it becomes a bit more powerful.

Kicking off with “Sweet Adeline”, a song inspired by Smith’s recollections of his grandmother singing in her glee club, Sweet Adelines International, the album ebbs and flows musically and emotionally. Smith continues to mess with timing, never being straightforward - see “Tomorrow, Tomorrow” followed by “Waltz #2 (XO)” as prime examples.

Then comes a favorite, “Baby Britain”. Borrowing from The Beatles, it’s a lighthearted jam (about addiction). The piano is pretty, the bounce to the song makes you think otherwise about the song. Two other favorites are “Bottle Up and Explode!” and “A Question Mark”. Two songs that are far beyond the “guy and guitar” format, incorporating a much richer and bigger sound.

While his producers and collaborators helped Smith to create a fuller sound, more instrumentation, and a little experimentation, Elliott never really veered from his talent’s path. His lyrics were still heartbreakingly tender and true, his guitar still weepy and subtle.

I’d pair this one with Jeff Buckley’s Grace. Tremendous talent that left everything in the music. There was no hiding behind anything. These are open and honest songwriters. And sometimes that means sadness and depression. Difficult to listen to knowing now the path that Smith ended on.

I have loved everything Elliott Smith has done, but I consider this his masterpiece. And I own it on CD - You can borrow it if you’d like.