Product Description

Final studio album from Nebraska born singer-songwriter whosadly died in October 2003 at the age of 34. He worked on this follow up to 2000's lushly produced, Beatlesque 'Figure 8' for the best part of two years. A number of these tracks feature guest backing vocals from Smith's former Heatmiser collaborator, Sam Coomes.

Track Listing

1. Coast to Coast
2. Let's Get Lost
3. Pretty (Ugly Before)
4. Don't Go Down
5. Strung Out Again
6. Fond Farewell
7. King's Crossing
8. Ostriches & Chirping
9. Twilight
10. A Passing Feeling
11. Last Hour
12. Shooting Star
13. Memory Lane
14. Little One
15. A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12277 in Music
• Released on: 2004-10-18
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
There's always a stigma attached to posthumous albums; witness the releases of Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, even Jimi Hendrix and see the formula repeat-most releases are of a standard far below the artist's established catalogue, but are lapped up eagerly by the devoted. The posthumous release of From a Basement on a Hill from Elliott Smith, a man so often on the cusp of commercial acceptance, means that this album, regardless of its quality, will always tagged his 'death disc'. The injustice is that it is without doubt the most enjoyable album that Smith ever produced. Sounding as potent as ever with his trademark sound (imagine George Harrison permanently fronting The Beatles, but with power chords), the opening rock 'n' roll crunch of "Coast To Coast" sets out the blueprint for this excellent album, taking in acoustic delicacy and squalling guitars in equal measure, offering only an ambiguous hint of his passing on "A Fond Farewell", but flooring the listener with its sheer brilliance. The collision of chaos and melodic beauty puts this album in the five-star bracket and should be heard by all rock-music fans; it's just a shame Elliot Smith isn't around to enjoy the acclaim. --Thom Allott

From the Label
The release of this album coincides with the first anniversary of Elliott Smith’s death. From a Basement on a Hill retains something of the "grand sound" of his acclaimed Figure 8 and XO records, and combines it with the intimacy so integral to the breakthrough Either / Or and his first two albums. At times simply stunning in its scope and tightly wound melodic dexterity, From a Basement on the Hill has all the power and poise Elliott has become known for.

Customer Reviews

Bloomin' amazing.
Although I have only recently discovered Elliott Smith, he has quiickly become one of my favourite arists-simply due to his songwriting talent and melodic charm. His carefully constructed lyrics and chords to match, make his music easily accessible yet complex; and gives a perspective on reality that many can empathise with.
The stand out song on this album, in my opinion, is "Twilight". It combines a melodic guitar with Smith's melancholy vocals and incredibly emotive lyrics.
Other stand out tracks: "Memory Lane", "A Fond Farewell" and "Little One", which are all Beatle-esque.
I would strongly recommend this album to everyone, no matter what your musical taste is. A must have.

A Fond Farewell
I haven't got much to say that hasn't been said before, but this is one of my all-time favourite albums and I just wanted to add to the long list of tributes. Yes, it was released posthumously, but don't assume this is some kind of half-baked cash-in on his tragic death, or a pile of demos never meant to see the light of day a la Jeff Buckley's 'second album'. No-one is suggesting that Basement is exactly the album that Smith would have intended it to be, had he lived, but quality-wise you just can't fault it.

There are so many beautiful songs here that it's kind of mind-blowing. A Passing Feeling, The Last Hour, Memory Lane, Pretty (Ugly Before) are some of my personal favourites. The recent release of New Moon shows what an astonishing number of top-notch songs he had just knocking around in his back catalogue, the sort of tunes that today's legion of horribly insipid singer-songwriters would probably give a kidney for. These are beautiful songs about ugly things, though: drugs, depression, mental illness. Great for providing solace when you're feeling down yourself, but not so good for those who like their lyrics upbeat, and the mood here is way more melancholy than some previous releases (Figure 8, Either/Or). As for me personally, I'd take Smith's anguish over a breezy pop song any day of the week. And Basement is one of those rare gems - an album I can listen to all the way through without skipping a single track. He saved the best till last.

i like alot
if you've never heard him, or of him then you should. quite the best singer/songwriter of the nineties. if you have heard of him you're already his biggest fan. where the new breed spring from is anyones guess, and if you're willing to, please soak yourselves in crap. but certainly dont decide to write a good review without listening to elliot smith.