Smith, Elliott / From a Basement on the Hill
| Album: | From a Basement on the Hill | Collection: | General | |
| Artist: | Smith, Elliott | Added: | Oct 2004 | |
| Label: | Anti- | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2004-10-18 | Pull Date: | 2004-12-20 |
|---|
| Week Ending: | Dec 19 | Dec 12 | Dec 5 | Nov 28 | Nov 21 | Nov 14 | Nov 7 | Oct 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airplays: | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Dec 07, 2023: | Pest Control
King's Crossing |
4. | Nov 10, 2021: | regular school (rebroadcast from Dec 3, 2018)
Pretty (Ugly Before) |
|
| 2. | May 25, 2023: | The Aleko Show
Shooting Star |
5. | Aug 30, 2021: | regular school (rebroadcast from Dec 3, 2018)
Pretty (Ugly Before) |
|
| 3. | Apr 27, 2023: | The Aleko Show
A Passing Feeling |
6. | Nov 06, 2019: | The Library
A Fond Farewell |
Album Review
Mor
Reviewed 2004-10-23
Reviewed 2004-10-23
A solid postmortem release from the indie king. The album was mostly recorded and produced before he died, and final production was done by some of his friends. This album takes us back to guitar-heavy Elliott. Great range, as usual, from quiet intimate ballad to loud noise pop. As usual, beautifully orchestrated, rich instrumentation, and lots of Fab Four influences. Note: officially released Oct 19th, three days shy of his one-year death anniversary.
Personal favorites: 2, 3, 6, 15. FCC: 5, 7, 12, 15.
1. Noise pop, but not your average pop song. Full sound, even banjo. Starts w/40 secs strings hum. Banjo later transforms to piano. Tones down, and spoken vocals over piano take over. Quiet fade out.
2. ** Between Nick Drake and the young Neil Young, beautiful acoustic ballad, one of Smith’s best, with great vocal harmonies. **
3. * Power pop, mid tempo. Starts mellow but picks up. Guitars, short CCR-like riff, heartbreaking piano, wow. *
4. Grandaddy. Synths and guitar noise, clear vox. Mid tempo.
5. FCC (I think) few seconds in. Starts with guitar and vox, drums explode later. Slow tempo, Pink Floydy, wailing guitars.
6. ** Inspiring tune, heartbreaking lyrics ("fond farewell to a friend"), and you got to get the chill when Elliott sings about suicide. **
7. FCC ("fuck up"). Starts quiet with spoken sample and lush soundscape. Piano rises, slightly off, vox enter, choir, guitars, drums… great buildup.
8. Quiet filler that befits its title.
9. Heavy acoustic strum, slow & quiet, Elliott’s sad vocals. Synths/strings enter is long repetitive bridge, and stick around for the rest. Nice.
10. Beatleseque twangy slow/mid opening. Another buildup track, becomes louder and faster.
11. Quiet, acoustic, touching.
12. FCC ("fuck","shit"). Back to loud noise pop. Mid tempo, sharp guitar bridges.
13. More Beatles inspired tune and execution. Mid tempo.
14. Slow, quiet. Vox echoed + humming choir. Quiet electric guitar.
15. * FCC "fuck" (but repeated in such an angelic echo... how can this offend anyone is beyond me...). Featured in MoveOn.org Future Soundtrack for America. Twangy guitars, high-pithced vox, drums added, it’s good! *
Personal favorites: 2, 3, 6, 15. FCC: 5, 7, 12, 15.
1. Noise pop, but not your average pop song. Full sound, even banjo. Starts w/40 secs strings hum. Banjo later transforms to piano. Tones down, and spoken vocals over piano take over. Quiet fade out.
2. ** Between Nick Drake and the young Neil Young, beautiful acoustic ballad, one of Smith’s best, with great vocal harmonies. **
3. * Power pop, mid tempo. Starts mellow but picks up. Guitars, short CCR-like riff, heartbreaking piano, wow. *
4. Grandaddy. Synths and guitar noise, clear vox. Mid tempo.
5. FCC (I think) few seconds in. Starts with guitar and vox, drums explode later. Slow tempo, Pink Floydy, wailing guitars.
6. ** Inspiring tune, heartbreaking lyrics ("fond farewell to a friend"), and you got to get the chill when Elliott sings about suicide. **
7. FCC ("fuck up"). Starts quiet with spoken sample and lush soundscape. Piano rises, slightly off, vox enter, choir, guitars, drums… great buildup.
8. Quiet filler that befits its title.
9. Heavy acoustic strum, slow & quiet, Elliott’s sad vocals. Synths/strings enter is long repetitive bridge, and stick around for the rest. Nice.
10. Beatleseque twangy slow/mid opening. Another buildup track, becomes louder and faster.
11. Quiet, acoustic, touching.
12. FCC ("fuck","shit"). Back to loud noise pop. Mid tempo, sharp guitar bridges.
13. More Beatles inspired tune and execution. Mid tempo.
14. Slow, quiet. Vox echoed + humming choir. Quiet electric guitar.
15. * FCC "fuck" (but repeated in such an angelic echo... how can this offend anyone is beyond me...). Featured in MoveOn.org Future Soundtrack for America. Twangy guitars, high-pithced vox, drums added, it’s good! *
Track Listing
| 1. | Coast to Coast | 8. | Ostrich & Chirping | |||
| 2. | Let's Get Lost | 9. | Twilight | |||
| 3. | Pretty (Ugly Before) | 10. | A Passing Feeling | |||
| 4. | Don't Go Down | 11. | The Last Hour | |||
| 5. | Strung Out Again | 12. | Shooting Star | |||
| 6. | A Fond Farewell | 13. | Memory Lane | |||
| 7. | King's Crossing | 14. | Little One | |||
| 15. | A Distorted Reality Is Now a | |||||