Today would have been Elliott Smith’s 50th birthday. It’s hard to believe he’s already been gone for 15 years. And of course, it’s impossible to imagine everything the singer-songwriter might have created and accomplished in that time. Hell, he’d still be in his prime. I guess we just have to be happy we had him for as long as we did.
Anyway, to mark today’s bittersweet occasion, his final major-label releases XO (1998) and Figure 8 (2000) have just been reissued digitally in expanded editions that include all the assorted B-sides and bonus tracks that appeared on singles, promos and the various international versions of the albums. I haven’t had a chance to scope them out thoroughly yet, but you can listen to both if you scroll down a bit and look at the right-hand side of the page.
Here are some details from the press release: “XO features a handful of excellent B-sides released on the UK singles for Waltz #2 and Baby Britain: The instrumental Our Thing, the rocker How To Take A Fall, the brooding The Enemy Is You and the full-band version of Some Song (Alternate Version). It also includes a demo of Waltz #1 and an early version of Bottle Up and Explode!, as well as a remix of Baby Britain and a radio edit of Waltz #2. It’s rounded out with Miss Misery, Smith’s Oscar-nominated song from Good Will Hunting that was included as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of XO.
“The bonus tracks of Figure 8 include the titular, faithful cover of the School House Rock classic, written by Bob Dorough, that gave the album its name but was only released as a B-side on the UK Son Of Sam single along with the rollicking gem A Living Will. Three songs from the rare French promo 3 Titres Inedits are included: The Beatlesy I Can’t Answer You Anymore, Pretty Mary K (Alternate Version) and Happiness (Acoustic). An acoustic version of Son Of Sam is also featured along with Smith’s gorgeous cover of The Beatles’ Because, which was featured in the film American Beauty and on its soundtrack and included on the Japanese edition of Figure 8.”
As usual, these two are far from the only new releases announced today. Check out the rest of the recent additions below — they include a ton of promising reissues — and don’t forget to hit the Upcoming Releases page for the entire fall list, which is shaping up quite nicely, if I do say so myself.
August 9
Roxy Blue | Roxy Blue
Soleil Moon | Warrior
Unruly Child | Big Blue World
August 23
Chants | Seven Spheres
Rapsody | Eve
August 30
Illusions of Grandeur | The Songs of the Siren
Necronautical | Apotheosis
September 6
John Comyn | I Need Love
Copperhead | Gazing in the Dark
Tashi Dorji & John Dietrich | Midden
Statistics | Robson Street Hymns EP
September 13
Nathan Micay | Butterfly Arcane
Mott the Hoople | Mott the Hoople Vinyl Reissue
Mott the Hoople | Mad Shadows Vinyl Reissue
Mott the Hoople | Wildlife Vinyl Reissue
Mott the Hoople | Brain Capers Vinyl Reissue
Planet England (Andy Partridge & Robyn Hitchcock) | Planet England EP
https://youtu.be/eJluGVJA_uI
September 20
Pony In The Pancake | Summer Sun
September 27
Lee Abraham | Comatose
aswekeepsearching | Rooh
Creeping Death | Wretched Illusions
Ecstatic Vision | For The Masses
Mystery Jets | A Billion Heartbeats
https://youtu.be/Ro9yGeNlYAY
October 4
Brantley Gilbert | Fire & Brimstone
J. Pavone String Ensemble | Brick and Mortar
Lisa Prank | Perfect Love Song
October 11
Various Artists | Factory Records: Use Hearing Protection
October 18
The Grand Mal | The Grand Mal
The Joy Formidable | A Balloon Called Morning 10th Anniversary Reissue
October 25
Ariel Pink | Ariel Archives: Underground
Ariel Pink | Ariel Archives: Loverboy
Ariel Pink | Ariel Archives: Oddities Vol. 2
November 8
Various Artists | Factory Records: Communications 1978-1992
