Callie is here to introduce you to Elliott Smith. This program is made possible thanks to generous listener support and with help from KXCI’s Education team.
Transcript:
0:04: From KXCI Tucson, I’m Callie, and I’m here to talk to you about Elliott Smith.
music sample: (0:30) Elliott Smith- Pitseleh
0:20:Stephen Paul Smith, although more well known as Elliott Smith, is one of my favorite musical artists.
0:29: He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but he was primarily raised in Texas and lived a lot of his adult life in Portland, Oregon.
0:37: He was born on August 6th, 1969 and died on October 21, 2003 at the age of 34.
0:44: (0:35) Elliott Smith – Say Yes
0:53: She Smith’s music is defined by his melancholic, whispery, acoustic music.
1:08: In fact, much of his earlier music was recorded in his girlfriend’s apartment.
1:14: His main instrument was guitar, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica.
1:17: music sample: Elliott Smith- (1:10) Elliott Smith – The Biggest Lie
1:21: He was a part of the band Heat Miser, but his first original album, Roman Candle, was released July 14, 1994.
1:29: His self-titled sophomore album is one of my personal favorite albums ever.
1:34: It has the same sort of recording style as Roman Candle, showing more experimentation though.
1:40: This is his best album lyric-wise, in my opinion.
1:51: And the lyrics focus on topics such as falling out of love, existentialism, isolation, and emotional dependency.
2:03: The three songs I like the most from this album are Saint Ide’s Heaven, Good to Go, and The Biggest Lie.
2:17: In February of 1997, he released the album Either or, which received good reviews.
2:23: I’d say the thing that launched Elliott Smith into fame is his song Miss Misery.
music sample: (1:17) Elliott Smith – Miss Misery
2:29: From his 1998 album XO, Smith made Miss Misery for the film Good Will Hunting.
2:38: He was nominated for an Academy Award, yet he didn’t win.
2:45: His last true album was Figure 8, with compilation albums and scrapped tracks being released after his death.
2:53: I’ve been listening to Elliott Smith for roughly 3 years.
2:57: Even though Smith died over 20 years ago, I still find multiple people resonating with his music, including me.
3:04: Elliott Smith wrote about his existentialism, touching upon fears that most would be unable to express, like his ability to write about his disconnect from the people around him.
3:21: I find his music comforting because of how well he understood unfortunate situations and deep emotions.
3:31: I’m Callie and you just heard Bonus Tracks from KXCI Tucson.
3:35: To hear more episodes, visit our website at KXCI.org.
