Twenty years on from its initial release, Elliott Smith’s much-beloved third album Either / Or receives an Expanded Edition reissue. Gathering it up into one source, however, confirms Smith's genius and once again proves that the "torment saint" was utterly unique and indispensable. There are some wonderful acoustic songs on here - not least the booze-stained Between the Bars ("Drink up baby, stay up all night/with the things you could do - you won't, but you might"), the spectrally beautiful Angeles ("Someone's always coming around here, trailing some new kill" and the claustrophobic, desolate 2.

His songs of loss and loneliness have the broken-poet aura of Smog or Mark Eitzel, but he offsets the gloom with a hatful of damnably catchy melodies and progressions, turning suffering into pop and making it signify. In terms of the remastering comparing with older versions, it doesn't really sound that revolutionary. On a happier note, last year, to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary, we were given this expanded edition, which benefits from new sound remastering, and nine bonus tracks, all but one of which had never been released before. To commemorate the 20th Anniversary of this masterpiece, Kill Rock Stars proudly presents Either/Or: Expanded Edition.Hailed as a "future folk hero" by Alternative Press, Elliott Smith's Either / Or represents a stylistic and songwriting breakthrough, taking it to the "next level," creatively speaking. Although that's a word which has been overused so much, especially in recent times that it has become almost cringe-worthy, don't cringe when you hear it said of Elliott, because he really does merit such a title. Others worth a mention in dispatches include the bittersweet "Rose Parade" with the immortal opening lines "You asked me to come down and watch the parade/To march down the street like the Duracell bunny/With a wink and a wave from the cavalcade/Throwing out candy that looks like money".

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. It appears that 20 years has past since the late Steven Elliott Smith recorded his greatest album "Either/Or". All that's left to say is Rest in Peace Elliott, and thank you for all the music that will continued to be enjoyed for many years to come. The one "new" song present is the wonderful pop/rock of “I Figured You Out,” a track that Smith gave to his friend Mary Lou Lord to record because it “sounds like the f*****n’ Eagles. Although Elliott's music was always largely on the (wonderfully) depressing scale, 'Either/Or', though only occasionally, actually has it's more upbeat pop moments, but every track, upbeat or otherwise, is a little work of art.

One of our favorite Elliott Smith records in an edition of 600 copies on 'Alameda Twist' blue, pink and white colored vinyl. The constant push and pull between the dissonant and melodic, dealing with today's disappointment and loneliness knowing that things could change tomorrow.

With distinct production, instrumentation, and vocals, the recordings found on Alternate Versions offer a new perspective on one of Smith’s most highly acclaimed albums, and separate them from the original cuts found on Either/Or. This album is packed with great songs, several of my favorites being "Ballad of Big Nothing", "Pictures of Me", and "No Name No. When I first heard his music, I had to get past his soft vocal style, which could be mistaken for "weak" or "wimpy", but in the end, it's perfect for letting the songs really shine on their own. Following the album's release, Smith would be struck to the forefront of popular culture after performing the song "Miss Misery", which appeared in the film Good Will Hunting, at the 1998 Academy Awards.This album features the original tracks carefully remastered from original tapes under the supervision of Larry Crane, owner of Jackpot! Smith's music usually revolves around him and an acoustic guitar which means that while the 2017 versions are sharper there is not a quantum leap in quality. The last LP he released with independent label Kill Rock Stars, the record saw an expansion in Smith’s sound, while retaining the raw, often desolate emotional heft with which he’d become synonymous.

Ranking as one of the best albums of the 1990s, and always (if you care for such things) mentioned within lists of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by the likes of Rolling Stone, NME etc. The highly acclaimed Either/Or, the third album from Elliott Smith and his last written and recorded in Portland, OR, broke through to a larger international audience. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. With a profound influence on the alternative music scene, Smith's intricate guitar work and poignant lyrics shine throughout the album. Smith's third album, Either/Or, was produced by himself, Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf and released February 25, 1997.Book-ended by the two singles "Speed Trials" and "Ballad of Big Nothing", Either/Or did not chart in the US but was acclaimed by critics. This led to the Oscar nomination for best song with "Miss Misery" which is not included on this album but saw Smith undertake one of the most real if culturally out of place performances in the ceremonies history.