Elliott Smith
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225707278
2008-07-15T00:31:15Z
209.162.43.119
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{{for|the self-titled album|Elliott Smith (album)}}
{{for|the biographical book|Elliott Smith (book)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|Name = Elliott Smith
|Background = solo_singer
|Img = Elliott Smith live NYC.jpg
|Img_capt = Elliott Smith performing in New York City, January 2003.
|Img_size = 200 pixels
|Landscape = yes
|Birth_name = Steven Paul Smith
|Origin = [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]], [[United States|U.S.]]
|Born = {{birth date|1969|8|6|mf=y}}<br /><small>[[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]], [[United States|U.S.]]</small>
|Died = {{death date and age|2003|10|21|1969|8|6|}}<br /><small>[[Los Angeles, California]], [[United States|U.S.]]</small>
|Genre = [[Indie rock]]<br />[[Acoustic rock]]<br />[[Indie folk]]
|Occupation =
|Years_active = 1991–2003
|Instrument = [[Guitar]] <br /> [[singer|Vocals]] <br /> [[Piano]] <br /> [[Clarinet]] <br /> [[Bass guitar|Bass]] <br /> [[Harmonica]] <br /> [[Drum kit|Drums]]
|First_album = ''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]
|Latest_album =
|Notable_albums =
|Notable songs = "[[Miss Misery (song)|Miss Misery]]"
|Label = [[Virgin Records|Virgin]] <br /> [[Cavity Search Records|Cavity Search]] <br /> [[Kill Rock Stars]] <br /> [[Suicide Squeeze]] <br /> [[DreamWorks Records|DreamWorks]] <br /> [[ANTI-]] <br /> [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]]<br /> [[Domino Records|Domino]]
|Associated_acts = [[Heatmiser]]<br />[[Quasi]]<br />[[Mary Lou Lord]]<br />[[Pete Krebs]]<br />[[No. 2 (band)|No. 2]]
|URL = [http://www.sweetadeline.net Official website]
}}
'''Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith''' ([[August 6]], [[1969]] – [[October 21]], [[2003]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[singer-songwriter]] and [[musician]]. Smith was born in [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]], raised primarily in [[Texas]], and resided for a significant portion of his life in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]], where he first gained popularity. His primary instrument was the [[guitar]], but he was also proficient at [[piano]], [[clarinet]], [[bass guitar|bass]], [[Drum kit|drums]] and [[harmonica]]. Smith had a distinctive vocal style characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery"<ref>{{cite web | author=Huey, Steve | title= ''Elliott Smith'' review | publisher=''[[Allmusic]]'' | url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE5731ADE49A87520D0853B56C6B623A258FE4EFB87126E5F56C8FB304BC31777FD70C38F97E8F33DD235AEFF31A65210D1CAEE50B0DD66373D8EE4A269284F36&sql=10:oykqoaeauijv~T1 | accessdate=2006-07-24}}</ref> and use of [[Multitrack recording|multi-tracking]] to create vocal [[harmony|harmonies]].
After playing in the [[rock music|rock]] band [[Heatmiser]] for several years, Smith began his solo career in 1994 with releases on the independent record labels [[Cavity Search Records|Cavity Search]] and [[Kill Rock Stars]]. In 1997 he signed a contract with [[DreamWorks Records]], for which he recorded two albums. Smith rose to mainstream prominence when his song "[[Miss Misery (song)|Miss Misery]]", included in the soundtrack for the film ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'', was nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] in the [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]] category in 1997.
Smith battled with [[clinical depression|depression]], [[alcoholism]] and [[drug addiction]] for years, and these topics often appeared in his lyrics. At age 34, he died in [[Los Angeles, California]] from two stab wounds to the chest.<ref name="autopsy"/> The [[autopsy]] evidence was inconclusive as to whether the wounds were [[suicide|self-inflicted]].<ref name="RSinconclusive">{{cite web |author= Dansby, Andrew |title= Smith Autopsy Inconclusive - Police keep investigation of singer-songwriter's death open | date=[[December 31]], [[2003]] | publisher= ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elliottsmith/articles/story/5936000/smith_autopsy_inconclusive |accessdate= 2007-12-16}}</ref> At the time of his death, Smith was working on his sixth studio album, ''[[From a Basement on the Hill]]'', which was released posthumously on [[October 19]], [[2004]].
==Biography==
===Early life===
Steven Paul Smith was born at Clarkson Hospital in [[Omaha, Nebraska]]. His mother, Bunny Welch ([[née]] Bunny Kay Berryman), was a music [[teacher]] at an elementary school, and his father, Gary Smith, was a [[University of Nebraska]] medical student at the time. His parents divorced about a year later, and Smith moved with his mother to live in [[Duncanville, Texas]]. Much later in his life, Smith got a tattoo of a map of Texas on his upper arm and said "I didn't get it because I like Texas, kinda the opposite. But I won't forget about it although I'm tempted to 'cause I don't like it there."<ref name="Shuttp6">Shutt, 2002. p. 6</ref>
Smith endured a difficult childhood<ref name="SPIN">Gowing, Liam. "Mr. Misery". ''SPIN''. Volume 20 number 12. December 2004.</ref> and a troubled relationship with his [[stepfather]] Charlie.<ref name="ShuttP3"/> Smith reflected the impact of this part of his life in the lyrics of "Some Song": "Charlie beat you up week after week, and when you grow up you're going to be a freak."<ref name="ShuttP3">Shutt, 2002, p. 3</ref> The name "Charlie" also appeared in the lyrics for "Flowers for Charlie" and "[[No Confidence Man]]". The family was a part of the [[Community of Christ]] through much of Smith's childhood, but eventually began attending services at a local [[Methodism|Methodist]] Church. Smith felt that going to church did little for him, except make him "really scared of [[hell]]".<ref>Nugent, 2004, pp. 12–14</ref> In a 2001 interview, he stated, "I don't necessarily buy into any officially structured version of spirituality. But I have my own version of it".<ref>[http://www.sweetadeline.net/bio2.html sweet adeline | biography - page 2<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
At the age of nine, Smith began playing the [[piano]], and at ten began learning guitar on a small [[acoustic guitar]] bought for him by his father.<ref name="UnderTheRadar2">{{cite web | author= Kagler, Marcus and Redfern, Mark| year= 2003| title= Better Off Than Dead, Elliott Smith Comes Clean | publisher= ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'' | work= Bonus Material |url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/issue4/elliottsmith.html | accessdate=2006-09-12}}</ref> At this age he also composed an original piano piece, "Fantasy," which won him a prize at an [[arts festival]].<ref name="Shuttp2">Shutt, 2002, p. 2</ref> Many of the people on his mother's side of the family were non-professional musicians; his grandfather was a [[Dixieland]] [[drummer]] and his grandmother sang in a [[glee club]].<ref name="Shuttp2"/>
At 14, Smith moved from [[Texas]] to [[Portland, Oregon]], to live with his father, who was then working as a [[psychiatrist]]. It was around this time that Smith first began trying drugs and alcohol with friends as well as experimenting with [[sound recording|recording]] for the first time, borrowing a [[Multitrack recording|four-track recorder]].<ref name="Shuttp2"/> During high school, Smith played clarinet in the school band and also played guitar, piano and sang in the bands Stranger Than Fiction,<ref name="ShuttP3"/> A Murder of Crows<ref>{{cite web | title = A Murder of Crows | publisher = Sweet Adeline | url =http://www.sweetadeline.net/amurderof.html | accessdate = 2007-11-14}}</ref> and The Greenhouse,<ref name="pushby">{{cite web |author= Norvell, Forrest |title= Recorded Music: Elliott Smith, 1969-2003 |publisher= pushby.com |date= [[October 23]], [[2003]] |url= http://www.pushby.com/forrest/arc/005521.html |accessdate= 2007-11-14 }}</ref> billed as either Steven Smith or "Johnny Panic". He graduated from [[Lincoln High School (Portland, Oregon)|Lincoln High School]] as a [[National Merit Scholarship Program|National Merit Scholar]].<ref name="Shuttp4">Shutt, 2002. p. 4</ref>
After graduation, Steven Smith began calling himself "Elliott", saying that he thought "Steve" sounded too much like a "[[Jock (subculture)|jock]]" name, and that "Steven" sounded "too bookish".<ref name="Shuttp4"/> Biographer S. R. Shutt speculates that it was either inspired by Elliott Avenue, a street that Smith had lived on in Portland, or that it was suggested by his then-girlfriend. A junior high acquaintance of Smith speculates that it was so as not to be confused with [[Steve Smith (musician)|Steve Smith]], the drummer of [[Journey (band)|Journey]].<ref>{{cite web |author= Pittman, Mark |title= Memory Lane: Remembering Elliott Smith |publisher= Being There |date= February 2005 |url= http://www.beingtheremag.com/content/0502/smith.html |accessdate= 2007-11-14}}</ref>
===Heatmiser===
{{main|Heatmiser}}
Smith graduated from [[Hampshire College]] in [[Amherst, Massachusetts]], in 1991 with a degree in [[philosophy]] and [[political science]]. "Went straight through in four years," he explained to ''Under the Radar'' in 2003. "I guess it proved to myself that I could do something I really didn't want to for four years. Except I did like what I was studying. At the time it seemed like, 'This is your one and only chance to go to college and you had just better do it because some day you might wish that you did.' Plus, the whole reason I applied in the first place was because of my girlfriend, and I had gotten accepted already even though we had broken up before the first day." After he graduated he "worked in a bakery back in Portland with a [[Bachelor of Arts|bachelor’s degree]] in philosophy and [[legal theory]]."<ref name="UnderTheRadar2"/>
While at Hampshire, Smith formed the band [[Heatmiser]] with classmate [[Neil Gust]].<ref name="ShuttP5">Shutt, 2002, p. 5</ref> After graduating from Hampshire, the band added drummer [[Tony Lash]] and bassist [[Brandt Peterson]] and began performing around Portland in 1992. The group released the albums ''[[Dead Air (Heatmiser album)|Dead Air]]'' (1993) and ''[[Cop and Speeder]]'' (1994) as well as the ''[[Yellow No. 5 (Heatmiser E.P.)|Yellow No. 5]]'' EP (1994) on [[Frontier Records]], and were then signed to [[Virgin Records]] to release what became their final album, ''[[Mic City Sons]]'' (1996).
Smith had begun his solo career while still in Heatmiser, and the success of his first two releases created distance and tension with his band.<ref name="UnderTheRadar"/> Heatmiser disbanded prior to ''Mic City Sons''' release, prompting Virgin to put the album out inauspiciously through its independent arm, [[Caroline Records]]. A clause in Heatmiser's [[record contract]] with Virgin meant that Smith was still bound to it as an individual. The contract was later bought-out by DreamWorks prior to the release of his album, ''[[XO (album)|XO]]''.
===''Roman Candle''===
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|title="Condor Ave"
|description=Sample of Elliott Smith's "Condor Ave" from ''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]'' (1994), reported to have been written when he was around 17 years old,<ref name="ShuttP3"/> showing Smith's early songwriting style and [[lo-fi]] sound.
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His first release, ''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]'' (1994), came about when Smith's girlfriend at the time convinced him to send a tape of "the most recent eight songs that [he’d] recorded on borrowed [[Multitrack recording|four-tracks]] and borrowed guitar" to [[Cavity Search Records]].<ref name="UnderTheRadar"/> Owner Christopher Cooper immediately requested to release the entire album of songs, which surprised Smith, as he was only expecting a deal for a seven-inch record.<ref>Shutt, 2002, p. 6</ref> Regarding the record, Smith said "I thought my head would be chopped off immediately when it came out because at the time it was so opposite to the [[Grunge music|grunge]] thing that was popular. [...] The thing is that album was really well-received, which was a total shock, and it immediately eclipsed [Heatmiser] unfortunately."<ref name="UnderTheRadar"/>
Smith felt his solo songs were not representative of the music Heatmiser was making: "The idea of playing [my music] for people didn't occur to me... because at the time it was the [[American Northwest|Northwest]] – [[Mudhoney]] and [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] – and going out to play an acoustic show was like crawling out on a limb and begging for it to be sawed off." <ref>{{cite web |author= Matthew Fritch |title= Down on the Upside |publisher= Magnet Magazine |date= Sep./Oct. 1998 |url= http://www.sweetadeline.net/down.html |accessdate= 2008-02-18}}</ref>
The instrumentation of the recordings was primarily [[Steel-string guitar|acoustic guitar]], occasionally accompanied by brief [[electric guitar]] riffs or a small drum set played with brushes. Only the final track, an instrumental titled "Kiwi Maddog 20/20" (a reference to the [[bum wine]] [[MD 20/20]]), had full band instrumentation.
Smith's debut solo performance was at the now-defunct Umbra Penumbra on [[September 17]], [[1994]]. Only three songs from ''Roman Candle'' were performed, with the majority of the ten-song set comprised of [[B-side]]s, Heatmiser tunes, and unreleased tracks.<ref>{{cite web | title=1994-09-17 - Umbra Penumbra - Portland, Oregon |publisher= SomeSongs: An Elliott Smith live music resource |url= http://www.somesongs.net/showtemplate.php?1994-09-17 | accessdate=2006-04-21}}</ref> Soon after this performance, he was asked to open for [[Mary Lou Lord]] on a week-long U.S. tour. Several more short tours followed, and Smith helped her record one of his songs "I Figured You Out", which he once called "a stupid pop song [written] in about a minute" that he discarded for "<nowiki>[sounding]</nowiki> like the fucking [[Eagles]]."<ref>[http://youtube.com/watch?v=EbtzSEepz28 Live performance] (1997) at Stinkweeds in [[Tempe, Arizona]].</ref>
===''Elliott Smith'' and ''Either/Or''===
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In 1995, the self-titled album ''[[Elliott Smith (album)|Elliott Smith]]'' was released on [[Kill Rock Stars]]; the record featured a similar style of recording to ''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]'', but not without hints of growth and experimentation. Though the majority of the album was recorded by Smith alone, friend and [[The Spinanes|Spinanes]] vocalist Rebecca Gates sang harmony vocals on "St. Ides Heaven", and Heatmiser guitarist [[Neil Gust]] played guitar on "Single File". Several songs made reference to [[drug]]s, but Smith explained that he used the theme of drugs as a vehicle for conveying dependence rather than the songs being about drugs specifically.<ref name="ShuttP7">Shutt, 2002, p. 7</ref> Looking back, Smith felt that the album's pervasive mood gave him "a reputation for being a really dark, [[depression (mood)|depressed]] person," and said that he later made a conscious move toward more diverse moods in his music.<ref>{{cite web |author= Peisner, David |title= Elliott Smith - The Well Rounded Interview |url= http://www.well-rounded.com/music/reviews/elliottsmith_intv.html |publisher= ''Well Rounded Entertainment'' |accessdate= 2007-12-29}}</ref>
[[Image:Elliott Smith live 1997.jpg|thumb|left|Elliott Smith performing live in New York City, 1997.]]
In 1996, filmmaker [[Jem Cohen]] recorded Smith playing acoustic songs for the short film ''[[Lucky Three|Lucky Three: an Elliott Smith Portrait]]''. Two of these songs would appear on his next album, ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]'', another Kill Rock Stars release that came out in 1997 to favorable reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A1020.htm | title=Acclaimed Music: Either/Or. | accessdate=2007-12-29| publisher=Acclaimed Music}}</ref> The album found Smith venturing further into full instrumentation, with several songs containing [[bass guitar|bass]], [[drum]]s, [[keyboard instrument|keyboards]] and electric guitars, all played by Smith. The album title was derived from the two-volume [[Either/Or|book of the same name]] by [[Denmark|Danish]] philosopher [[Søren Kierkegaard]], which deals with such themes as [[existential despair]], dread, death and [[God]].
By this time, Smith's already-heavy drinking was now being compounded with use of [[anti-depressants]].<ref>{{cite web |author= D'Angelo, Joe and Perez, Rodrigo |title= One Of Us Is On The Moon |publisher= ''[[MTV News]]'' |date= [[2003-10-29]] |url= http://www.mtv.com/bands/s/smith_elliott/news_feature_102903/ |accessdate= 2006-07-03}}</ref> At the end of the ''Either/Or'' tour, an [[intervention]] was staged by close friends of his in [[Chicago]],<ref>{{cite web |author= D'Angelo, Joe and Perez, Rodrigo |title= One Of Us Is On The Moon |publisher= ''[[MTV News]]'' |date= [[2003-10-29]] |url= http://www.mtv.com/bands/s/smith_elliott/news_feature_102903/ |accessdate= 2006-07-03}}</ref><ref name="SPIN"/> but it proved ineffective.<ref name="SPIN"/>
===Miss Misery and the Oscars===
In 1996, Smith was tapped by director and fellow Portland resident [[Gus Van Sant]] to be a part of the soundtrack to his film, ''[[Good Will Hunting]]''. Smith recorded an orchestral version of "Between the Bars" with acclaimed composer [[Danny Elfman]] for the movie. Smith also contributed a new song, "Miss Misery," and three other previously released tracks ("No Name #3", from ''[[Roman Candle]]'', and "Angeles" and "Say Yes", from ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]''). The film was a commercial and critical success, and Smith was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for "Miss Misery". Not eager to step into the limelight, he only agreed to perform the song at the ceremony after the producers informed him that his song would be played live that night — either by him or another musician of their choosing.<ref name="UnderTheRadar">{{cite web |author= Kagler, Marcus and Redfern, Mark |year= 2003| title=Better Off Than Dead, Elliott Smith Comes Clean |publisher= ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'' | url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/es.html
| accessdate=2007-10-14}}</ref>
<!-- FAIR USE of Elliottsmithoscars.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Elliottsmithoscars.jpg for rationale -->
[[Image:Elliottsmithoscars.jpg|thumb|right|Elliott Smith performing "[[Miss Misery (song)|Miss Misery"]] at the [[70th Academy Awards|1998 Academy Awards]].]]
On [[March 5]], [[1998]], Smith made his [[network television]] debut on ''[[Late Night With Conan O'Brien]]'' performing "Miss Misery" solo on acoustic guitar.<ref>{{cite web | title=Late Night with Conan O'Brien - Episode Guide| work=Season 5, Episode 903 - Credited as "Elliot Smith" | url=http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/episode_guide/160.shtml | publisher= NBC.com |accessdate=2006-04-23}}</ref> A few days later, wearing a white suit, he played an abridged version of the song at the Oscars, accompanied by the house [[orchestra]]. [[James Horner]] and [[Will Jennings]] won the award that night for best song with "[[My Heart Will Go On]]" (sung by [[Celine Dion]]) from the film ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''. Smith did not voice disappointment about not winning the award.<ref>{{cite web |author= Garcia, Gilberta |title= Back to Earth |date= [[October 12]], [[2000]] |publisher= ''[[Phoenix New Times]]'' |url= http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2000-10-12/music/music.html |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>
Smith commented on the [[surrealism]] of the Oscars experience: "That's exactly what it was, surreal... I enjoy performing almost as much as I enjoy making up songs in the first place. But the Oscars was a very strange show, where the set was only one song cut down to less than two minutes, and the audience was a lot of people who didn't come to hear me play. I wouldn't want to live in that world, but it was fun to walk around on the moon for a day."<ref name="bostonglobe">{{cite web | last = Anderman | first = Joan | title = Tunesmith To The Miserable But Don't Mistake His Characters For Him, Says Elliott Smith | work = (Fee required) | publisher = ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' | date = [[March 26]], [[1999]] | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/cgi-bin/ngate/BG?ext_docid=0EADDD9A00EC0029&ext_hed=TUNESMITH%20TO%20THE%20MISERABLE%20BUT%20DON'T%20MISTAKE%20HIS%20CHARACTERS%20FOR%20HIM,%20SAYS%20ELLIOTT%20SMITH&ext_theme=bg&pubcode=BG | accessdate = 2007-11-25}}</ref>
===''XO'' and ''Figure 8''===
In 1998, after the success of ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]'' and "Miss Misery", Smith signed to a bigger independent record label, [[DreamWorks Records]]. Around the same time, Smith fell into [[clinical depression|depression]], speaking openly of considering [[suicide]], and on at least one occasion made a serious attempt at ending his own life.<ref>{{cite web |author= D'Angelo, Joe and Perez, Rodrigo |title= One Of Us Is On The Moon |publisher= ''[[MTV News]]'' |date= [[2003-10-29]] |url= http://www.mtv.com/bands/s/smith_elliott/news_feature_102903/ |accessdate= 2006-07-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= Scherl, Alexis |title= Why We Love Elliott Smith |publisher= ''Inkblot Magazine'' |date= |url= http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/We_Love_Elliott_Smith.htm |accessdate= 2008-05-22}}</ref><ref name="SPIN">Gowing, Liam. "Mr. Misery". ''SPIN''. Volume 20 number 12. December 2004.</ref>. While in [[North Carolina]], he became severely intoxicated and ran off a cliff. He landed on a tree, which badly impaled him but broke his fall.<ref name="SPIN"/> When questioned about his suicide attempt, he told an interviewer, "Um, yeah – I jumped off a cliff. But it didn't work."<ref>{{cite web |author= Scherl, Alexis |title= Why We Love Elliott Smith |publisher= ''Inkblot Magazine'' |date= |url= http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/We_Love_Elliott_Smith.htm |accessdate= 2008-05-22}}</ref> Christopher Cooper, head of Cavity Search Records (which released ''Roman Candle''), said about this time in Smith's life: "I talked him out of thinking that he wanted to kill himself numerous times when he was in Portland. I kept telling him that he was a brilliant man, and that life was worth living, and that people loved him."<ref>{{cite web |author= D'Angelo, Joe and Perez, Rodrigo |title= One Of Us Is On The Moon |publisher= ''[[MTV News]]'' |date= [[2003-10-29]] |url= http://www.mtv.com/bands/s/smith_elliott/news_feature_102903/ |accessdate= 2006-07-03}}</ref>
Smith's first release for DreamWorks was later that year. Titled ''[[XO (album)|XO]]'', it was produced by the team of [[Rob Schnapf]] and [[Tom Rothrock]]. ''XO'' also contained some instrumentation from well-known [[Los Angeles]] musicians [[Joey Waronker]] and [[Jon Brion]]. It contained a more full-sounding, [[baroque]] pop sound than any of his previous efforts, with songs featuring a horn section, [[Chamberlin (music)|Chamberlin]]s and elaborate string arrangements and even a [[drum loop]] on the song "Independence Day". His familiar double-tracked vocal and acoustic guitar style was still apparent. The album went on to peak at number 104 on the ''[[Billboard 200]]''<ref>{{cite web |title= Elliott Smith - ''XO'' |publisher = ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' |url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=172041&aid=319805 |accessdate= 2007-05-18}}</ref> and sold 400,000 copies<ref name="mysteriousdeath">{{cite web |title= The mysterious death of Mr Misery |publisher= ''[[The Guardian]]'' |date= [[March 19]], [[2004]] |url= http://arts.guardian.co.uk/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1172275,00.html |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref> (more than double that of each of his two Kill Rock Stars releases), becoming the best-selling release of his career.<ref>Nugent, 2004, p. 201</ref> Smith's backing band during most of this period was the Portland-based group [[Quasi]], consisting of former bandmate Sam Coomes on bass guitar and Coomes's ex-wife [[Janet Weiss]] on drums. Quasi also performed as the opening act at many shows on the tour, with Smith sometimes contributing bass, guitar or backing vocals. [[List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests#Season 24|On October 17, 1998]], Smith appeared on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and performed "Waltz #2." His backing band for this appearance was John Moen, [[Jon Brion]], [[Rob Schnapf]] and Sam Coomes.
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[[Image:Elliottsmithfigure8era.jpg|thumb|left|Smith in a press photo circa 2000.]]
In response to whether the change to a bigger record label would influence his creative control, Smith said: "...sometimes people look at major labels as simply money-making machines, they're actually composed of individuals who are real people, and there's a part of them that needs to feel that part of their job is to put out good music."<ref>{{cite web |author= Dansby, Andrew |title= Smith Comes Up Roses |date= [[April 22]], [[2000]] | publisher=''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elliottsmith/articles/story/5924200/smith_comes_up_roses |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref> Smith also claimed in another interview that he never read his reviews for fear that they would interfere with his songwriting.<ref>{{cite web |author= Allen, Jamie |title= Elliott Smith keeps moving |date= [[May 17]], [[2000]] |publisher= ''[[CNN]]'' |url= http://archives.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/17/elliott.smith/ |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>
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''[[Figure 8 (album)|Figure 8]]'', which was released in 2000, featured the return of Rothrock, Schnapf, Brion, and Waronker, and was partially recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios]] in [[England]]. The album garnered generally positive reviews<ref>{{cite web |title= Elliott Smith: Figure 8 (2000): Reviews |publisher= ''[[Metacritic]]'' |work= "Universal acclaim" metascore of 81/100 |url= http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/smithelliott/figure8?q=figure%208 |accessdate= 2007-05-18}}</ref> and peaked at number 99 on the ''Billboard 200''.<ref>{{cite web |title = Elliott Smith - ''Figure 8'' |publisher = ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' | url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=172041&aid=418165 |accessdate = 2007-05-18}}</ref> The album garnered praise for its [[power pop]] style and complex arrangements, described as creating a "sweeping kaleidoscope of layered instruments and sonic textures."<ref name="AMGfigure8"/> However, some reviewers felt that Smith's trademark dark and melancholy songwriting had lost some of its sublety, with one reviewer likening some of the songs to "the self-pitying complaints of an adolescent venting in his diary."<ref>{{cite web |author=Smith, Ethan |date=[[April 17]], [[2000]] |title= Möbius Smith |publisher= ''[[New York Magazine]]'' |url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/pop/reviews/2847/ |accessdate=2007-12-05}}</ref>
Album art and promotional pictures showed Smith looking cleaned-up and put-together. An extensive [[Concert tour|tour]] in promotion of the record ensued, including television appearances on ''[[Late Night With Conan O'Brien]]'' and ''[[The Late Show With David Letterman]]''. However, Smith's condition began to deteriorate as he had become addicted to [[heroin]] either towards the end of or just after the ''Figure 8'' tour.<ref name="SPIN" />
===Final years and recording of ''From a Basement on the Hill''===
A follow-up to Smith's 2000 album was originally planned to happen with [[Rob Schnapf]], but their sessions were abandoned. Smith also began distancing himself from manager Margaret Mittleman, who had handled him since the ''Roman Candle'' days.<ref name="SPIN" /> He finally began recording a new album with only himself and [[Jon Brion]] as producers sometime during 2001. The pair had recorded a substantial amount of music for the album, when Brion confronted Smith about his drug and [[alcoholism|alcohol abuse]].<ref name="basement2">{{cite web |author= Weaver, Jordan |title= Elliott Smith Lives Again! From a Basement on the Hill V.2 |url= http://www.confabulators.com/2005/elliott-smith-lives-again-from-a-basement-on-the-hill-v2 |publisher= The Confabulators |accessdate=2006-04-21}}</ref> Their friendship promptly ended, and Smith scrapped all of their work up until that point. He later said: "There was even a little more than half of a record done before this new one that I just scrapped because of a blown friendship with someone that made me so depressed I didn't want to hear any of those songs. He was just helping me record the songs and stuff, and then the friendship kind of fell apart all of a sudden one day. It just made it kind of awkward being alone in the car listening to the songs."<ref name="UnderTheRadar" />
When Brion sent a bill for the abandoned sessions to DreamWorks, executives [[Lenny Waronker]] and Luke Wood scheduled a meeting with Smith to determine what went wrong with the sessions. The singer voiced what he believed to be intrusion upon his personal life from the label, as well as poor promotion for the ''Figure 8'' album. The talks proved to be fruitless, and soon after, Smith sent a message to the executives, stating that if they did not release him from his contract, he would take his own life.<ref name="SPIN"/> In May 2001, Smith set out to re-record the album, mostly on his own, but with some help from [[David McConnell]], a member of the band [[Goldenboy]]. McConnell told ''SPIN'' that, during this time, Smith would smoke over $1500 worth of heroin and [[crack cocaine|crack]] per day, would often talk about suicide, and on numerous occasions tried to give himself an [[overdose]]. [[Steven Drozd]] (of [[The Flaming Lips]]) and [[Scott McPherson]] played a few drum tracks, Sam Coomes contributed some bass and backing vocals, but almost every other instrument was recorded by Smith.
One of the few highlights for Smith in 2001 was inclusion of his song "Needle in the Hay" in [[Wes Anderson]]'s dark comedy ''[[The Royal Tenenbaums]]''. The song plays during a suicide attempt. Smith was originally supposed to contribute a cover of The Beatles' "[[Hey Jude]]" for the film, but when he failed to do so in time, Anderson had to use [[Mutato Muzika|The Mutato Muzika Orchestra]]'s version of the track instead.<ref>{{cite web |author= Miller, Nancy |title= "Life Aquatic" director reveals his muses |date= [[2004]] |publisher= ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' |url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1008489_2,00.html
|accessdate= 2008-05-22}}</ref> Anderson would later say that Smith "was in a bad state" at the time.<ref>{{cite web |author= Miller, Nancy |title= "Life Aquatic" director reveals his muses |date= [[2004]] |publisher= ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' |url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1008489_2,00.html
|accessdate= 2008-05-22}}</ref>
Smith's live performances during 2001 and 2002 were infrequent, typically in the [[Pacific Northwest]] or Los Angeles. A review of his [[December 20]], [[2001]] show at Portland's [[Crystal Ballroom (Portland, Oregon)|Crystal Ballroom]] stated concern over his appearance and performance: his hair was uncharacteristically greasy and long; his face was bearded and gaunt; and during his songs he exhibited alarming signs of "memory-loss and butterfingers".<ref>{{cite web |author= WW Music Staff |title= Elliott Smith (1969–2003) |date= [[October 29]], [[2003]] |publisher= ''[[Willamette Week]]'' |url= http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4489
|accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref> The crowd would often have to shout out the lyrics (and in some cases, guitar chords) when Smith could not think of them.<ref>{{cite web |author= Stoltz, Peter |title= Elliott Smith—San Francisco, CA |date= [[December 17]], [[2001]] |publisher= ''[[Magnet (magazine)|Magnet Magazine]]'' |url= http://www.magnetmagazine.com/live/livesmith.html |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>
In the first of only three concerts performed in 2002, Smith co-headlined [[Northwestern University]]'s "A&O Ball" with [[Wilco]] on May 2 in [[Chicago]].<ref>{{cite news |author= Murtaugh, Dan |title= A&O Ball signs on a second headliner |date= [[May 2]], [[2002]] |publisher= ''[[The Daily Northwestern]]'' |url= http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2002/05/02/Campus/Ao.Ball.Signs.On.A.Second.Headliner-1909814.shtml |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref> Smith's performance was described as "undoubtedly one of the worst performances ever by a musician"<ref name="NUcomment">{{cite web |author= Winn, Luke |title= Did You Behave? |date= [[May 21]], [[2002]] |publisher= ''NUcomment'' |url= http://www.nucomment.com/archive/issues/020521/features/wilco.html |accessdate= 2007-12-28}}</ref> and an "excruciating...nightmare".<ref>{{cite web |author= Dombal, Ryan |title= Shot in the arm |date= [[May 3]], [[2002]] |publisher= ''[[The Daily Northwestern]]'' |url= http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2002/05/03/Campus/shot-In.The.Arm-1909849.shtml |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref> A reporter for the online magazine ''Glorious Noise'' made the statement "...it would not surprise me at all if Elliott Smith ends up dead within a year."<ref>{{cite web |author= Brown, Jake |title= Just Say Yes |date= [[May 3]], [[2002]] |publisher= ''Glorious Noise'' |url= http://www.gloriousnoise.com/articles/2002/just_say_yes.php |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>
On [[November 25]], [[2002]], Smith was involved in a brawl with the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] at a [[Flaming Lips]]/[[Beck]] concert.<ref>{{cite web |author= Lang, Alison |title= Elliott Smith found dead at 34—Troubled musician struggled with fame and addiction |date= [[October 24]], [[2003]] |publisher= ''[[The Queen's Journal]]'' |url= http://www.queensjournal.ca/articlephp/point-vol131/issue17/arts/story3 |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref> Smith later said he was defending a man he thought the police were harassing. Assuming that Smith was [[homeless]], the officers allegedly beat and arrested him and his girlfriend, Jennifer Chiba. The two spent the night in jail. Smith's hand and back were injured in the incident, causing him to cancel a number of shows.<ref name="UnderTheRadar" /> [[Wayne Coyne]], lead singer of The Flaming Lips and a friend of Smith's, stated concern over Smith's appearance and actions, saying that he "saw a guy who had lost control of himself. He was needy, he was grumpy, he was everything you wouldn't want in a person. It's not like when you think of [[Keith Richards]] being pleasantly blissed out in the corner."<ref>{{cite web |author= Orshoski, Wes |title= Friends, Peers Mourn Elliott Smith |date= [[October 23]], [[2003]] |publisher= ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' |url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2008549 |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>
Smith had attempted to go to [[Drug rehabilitation|rehab]] several times, but said he "couldn't honestly do the [[Twelve-step program|first step]]... I couldn't say what you were supposed to say and mean it."<ref name="UnderTheRadar" /> In 2002, Smith went to the Neurotransmitter Restoration Center in [[Beverly Hills]] to start a course of treatment for his [[drug addiction]]. In one of his final interviews, he spoke about the center: "What they do is an [[intravenous drip|IV]] treatment where they put a [[Hypodermic needle|needle]] in your arm, and you're on a drip bag, but the only thing that's in the drip bag is [[amino acids]] and [[Saline (medicine)|saline]] solution. I was coming off of a lot of psych meds and other things. I was even on an [[antipsychotic]], although I'm not [[psychotic]]."<ref name="UnderTheRadar" /> After his 34th birthday on [[August 6]], [[2003]], he gave up [[alcohol]], [[caffeine]], [[red meat]], [[refined sugar]] and his longtime (sometimes abused) regimen of [[psychiatric medication]].<ref name="SPIN" /> Director [[Mike Mills (director)|Mike Mills]] had been working with Smith during his final years and described Smith's troubles and apparent recovery: "I gave the script to him, then he dropped off the face of the earth… He went through his whole crazy time, but by the time I was done with the film, he was making ''From a Basement on a Hill'' and I was shocked that he was actually making music."<ref name="Thumbsucker">{{cite web | author=Perez, Rodrigo | year=2005| title= Elliott Smith, Polyphonics Bring Balance To 'Thumbsucker' Soundtrack |publisher= ''[[MTV News]]'' |url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507697/20050816/smith_elliott.jhtml?headlines=true | accessdate=2006-07-24}}</ref>
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|description=Sample of Elliott Smith's "Shooting Star" appearing on the posthumously released ''[[From a Basement on the Hill]]'' (2004) showing a dissonant passage on distorted guitar, an example of Smith's experimentation with different sounds and a "more noisy" style before he died.
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With things improving for Smith after several troubled years, he began experimenting with [[noise music]] and worked on his girlfriend Jennifer Chiba's [[iMac]] with the intent of learning how to record with computers, noting that it was the only method with which he was still unfamiliar.<ref name="UnderTheRadar"/> Smith jokingly labeled his experimental way of recording "The California Frown" (a play on the [[Beach Boys]]' "California Sound").<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web |author= Smith, RJ |title= Elliott Smith's Uneasy Afterlife | date=[[July 18]], [[2004]] | publisher= ''[[The New York Times]]'' |url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9406E3DF163AF93BA25754C0A9629C8B63 |accessdate= 2006-04-29}}</ref> He said of the songs: "They're kind of more noisy with the pitch all distorted. Some are more acoustic, but there aren't too many like that. Lately I've just been making up a lot of noise."<ref name="UnderTheRadar"/>
He was also in the process of recording songs for the [[Thumbsucker (soundtrack)|''Thumbsucker'' soundtrack]],<ref>The soundtrack was later completed by [[The Polyphonic Spree]].</ref> including [[Big Star (band)|Big Star]]'s "Thirteen", and [[Cat Stevens]]' "Trouble".<ref name="Thumbsucker"/> In [[August 2003]], Suicide Squeeze Records put out a limited-edition [[vinyl]] single for "Pretty (Ugly Before)", a song that Smith had been playing since the ''Figure 8'' tour. [[Steve Hanft]] described the last six months of Smith's life as being "like the light at the end of the tunnel" and was convinced that Smith was clean and recovered.<ref name="OnTheMoon">{{cite web |author= D'Angelo, Joe and Perez, Rodrigo |title= One Of Us Is On The Moon |publisher= ''[[MTV News]]'' |date= [[2003-10-29]] |url= http://www.mtv.com/bands/s/smith_elliott/news_feature_102903/ |accessdate= 2006-07-03}}</ref>
===Death and reactions===
Elliott Smith died on [[October 21]], [[2003]], at age 34 from two [[stabbing|stab]] wounds to the [[chest]].<ref name="autopsy">{{cite web |publisher= ''[[The Smoking Gun]]'' |title= Official Autopsy Report on Steven Paul Smith |url= http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/esmithaut1.html |date= 2004-01-08 |accessdate= 2006-04-21}}</ref> According to girlfriend Jennifer Chiba, with whom he was living at the time, the two were arguing, and she locked herself in the bathroom.<ref name="mysteriousdeath"/> Chiba heard him scream, and upon opening the door, saw Smith standing with a [[Kitchen knife#Meat Knives|kitchen knife]] in his chest. She pulled the knife out, after which he collapsed and she called [[9-1-1|911]]. Smith died in the hospital with the time of death listed as 1:36 p.m. While Smith's death was originally reported as a [[suicide]], the official [[autopsy]] report released in [[December 2003]] left open the question of possible [[homicide]].<ref name="autopsy"/> A possible [[suicide note]], written on a [[Post-it note|Post-it]], read, "I'm so sorry—love, Elliott. God forgive me."<ref name="autopsy"/> <!-- Don't change the spelling of Elliott's name here or add information that the suicide note contained a misspelling, the misspelling was with the coroner -->
According to ''[[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]]'', producer Larry Crane reported on his Tape Op message board that he had planned to help Smith mix his album in mid-November. Crane wrote: "I hadn't talked to Elliott in over a year. His girlfriend, Jennifer, called me [last week] and asked if I'd like to come to L.A. and help mix and finish [Smith's album]. I said yes, of course, and chatted with Elliott for the first time in ages. It seems surreal that he would call me to finish an album and then a week later kill himself. I talked to Jennifer this morning, who was obviously shattered and in tears, and she said, 'I don't understand, he was so healthy.'"<ref>{{cite web |author= Leslie-Hynan, Chris and Bryant, Will |date= [[January 5]], [[2004]] |title = Elliott Smith Autopsy Inconclusive; Police Investigation Remains Open |publisher= ''[[Pitchfork Media]]'' |url= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/32994-elliott-smith-autopsy-inconclusive-police-investigation-remains-open |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>
The [[coroner]]'s report revealed that no traces of illegal substances or alcohol were found in his system at the time of his death. The coroner did find [[anti-depressant]] and [[attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder]] medications in his system, but at prescribed levels.<ref>{{cite web |author= Peliseck, Christine |title= The Elliott Smith Mystery |publisher= ''[[LA Weekly]]'' |date= [[January 1]] [[2004]] |url= http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/the-elliott-smith-mystery/2112/ |accessdate= 2007-05-06}}</ref> With his death not being officially declared a suicide, a journalist noted that some have suspected foul play, but also that the authorities do not seem to be investigating the case further.<ref>{{cite web |author= Hurewitz, Jeremy |year= 2007 |title= Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing |url= http://www.nypress.com/18/25/books/hurewitz.cfm |publisher= ''[[New York Press]]'' |accessdate= 2007-05-15}}</ref>
[[Image:Elliott Smith Memorial Wall.jpg|thumb|The memorial outside Solutions Audio in [[Los Angeles, California]] in August 2006.]]
Soon after his death, a fan memorial was initiated outside of Solutions Audio (4334 [[Sunset Boulevard]], [[Los Angeles, California]]), the site at which the cover of the ''Figure 8'' album was shot. Farewell messages to Smith were written on the wall, flowers were brought and photos, candles and empty bottles of alcohol mentioned in Smith's songs were left.<ref>{{cite news |author= Bryant, Will |title= Elliott Smith Dead At 34 |publisher = ''[[Pitchfork Media]]'' |date= October, 2003 |url= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/2003/10/22 |accessdate= 2007-02-03}}</ref> The owner of Solutions has, [[as of April 2008]], allowed the memorial to stand. Memorial concerts were held in several cities in America and England.<ref name="nytimes"/> A petition was soon put forth with intent to make part of the [[Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California|Silver Lake]] area a memorial park in Smith's honor. It received over 10,000 signatures, but no plans to go forth with the park have been announced.<ref name="nytimes"/> Another memorial is located inside Smith's former high school, Lincoln High, and was erected in [[July 2006]].<ref>{{cite web |author= Baumgarten, Mark |title= Elliott Smith, the Myth and the Man, Memorialized |publisher= ''[[Willamette Week]]'' |date= [[July 13]], [[2006]] |url= http://localcut.wweek.com/?p=362 |accessdate= 2006-08-08}}</ref>
<!-- ATTENTION
PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR BAND, YOUR FRIEND'S BAND, YOURSELF OR YOUR FRIEND TO THIS SECTION. It is meant for culturally significant bands ONLY, as per Wikipedia's standards. Thousands of musicians have covered Smith/written tribute songs for/about him. If you are culturally significant enough, someone who does not know you will add you or your band to this section. Thanks.
For more on Wikipedia's notability standards for music groups, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:MUSIC ------->
Since Smith's death, many musical acts have paid him tribute. Songs in tribute to, or about Smith have been released by [[Rilo Kiley]] ("Ripchord" and "It Just Is" on ''[[More Adventurous]]''<ref>{{cite web | author=Lakeland, Grant | year=2004| title=Friend of the Heroes' review of Rilo Kiley's ''More Adventurous'' album | url=http://www.friendsoftheheroes.co.uk/reviews/music/week67b.html | accessdate=2006-07-02}}</ref>), [[Sparta (band)|Sparta]] ("Bombs and Us"<ref name="nytimes"/>), [[Third Eye Blind]] ("Elliott Smith" on ''[[Symphony of Decay]]''), [[Mary Lorson]] ("Lonely Boy" on ''Realistic''<ref>{{cite web | author=Peters, Nick | title=Mary Lorson & Saint Low 'Realistic' | url=http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=79630 | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-11-29}} </ref>), [[Ben Folds]] ("Late" on ''[[Songs for Silverman]]''<ref>{{cite web |title= Joke's over |publisher= ''[[The Guardian]]''|date= [[29 April]], [[2005]] | url = http://arts.guardian.co.uk/fridayreview/story/0,,1472117,00.html |accessdate= 2007-02-19}}</ref>), [[Rhett Miller]] ("The Believer" on ''[[The Believer (Rhett Miller album)|The Believer]]''<ref>{{cite web |author= Robertson, Jessica |title= Rhett Miller Becomes a "Believer" |publisher= ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |date= [[9 December]], [[2005]] |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/8940043/rhett_miller_becomes_a_believer/?rnd=1139957806164&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.872 |accessdate= 2007-02-19}}</ref>), [[Earlimart (band)|Earlimart]] ("Heaven Adores You" on ''[[Treble and Tremble]]''<ref>{{cite web |author= Perez, Rodrigo |date= [[September 30]], [[2004]] |title= Elliott Smith Casts A Long Shadow Over Earlimart's ''Treble'' |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1491513/20040930/earlimart.jhtml |publisher= ''[[MTV]]'' |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>), [[Pete Yorn]] ("Bandstand in the Sky" on ''Nightcrawler'', a song jointly dedicated to [[Jeff Buckley]]), and [[Ginger Sling]] ("Faith" on the "Room" EP<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-MKa8CbxdU Ginger Sling], [[Electronic Press Kit]], Transcendental Media, 2007.</ref>). Several [[tribute album]]s have been released since his death: ''To: Elliott From: Portland'', ''Home to Oblivion: Elliott Smith Tribute'', ''Remote Memory: A Tribute to Elliott Smith'', ''A Tribute to Elliott Smith'' and ''The String Quartet Tribute to Elliott Smith''.
===Posthumous releases===
''[[From a Basement on the Hill]]'', with almost four years in production, was released [[October 19]], [[2004]] by [[ANTI- Records]] (a part of [[Epitaph Records]]). With Smith's family in control of his estate, they chose to bring in [[Rob Schnapf]] and Smith's ex-girlfriend [[Joanna Bolme]] to sort through and mix the album. Although predicted by Smith to be a double album (or a regular album with a "bonus disc"), it was released as a 15-track single album. Many of the darkest songs from the sessions (later leaked onto the [[Internet]]) were not included, such as "True Love" (which deals graphically with addiction and rehab), "Abused", "Stickman" and "Suicide Machine" (a reworking of the ''Figure 8'' era unreleased instrumental, "Tiny Time Machine").<ref name="basement2" /> It is rumored that it was the family's wishes not to have these songs on the record, as they had the final say in what should and should not be released.<ref name="basement2" /> Reviews of the album were mostly very positive,<ref>{{cite web | author=| year=| title=Metacritic: ''From a Basement on the Hill'' | work=The album holds a "Universal acclaim" metascore of 88 | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/smithelliott/fromabasementonthehill?q=From%20a%20Basement%20on%20the%20Hill | accessdate=2007-01-25}}</ref> but some were more critical; [[The Onion]]'s A.V. Club wrote that "the album he left behind turns out to be messy, complicated, and unquestionably not his defining work...the album still earns its place—not at the top, and unfortunately as a bookend—in a jarringly important body of work."<ref>{{cite web |author= Modell, Josh |title= Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill |date= [[October 25]], [[2004]] |publisher= ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' |url= http://www.avclub.com/content/node/15627 |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref>
''[[Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing]]'', a biography by [[Benjamin Nugent]], was rushed to publication and hit stores shortly after ''From a Basement on the Hill'', barely beyond the first anniversary of the musician's death. Smith's family, as well as Joanna Bolme, Jennifer Chiba, Neil Gust, Sam Coomes, and Janet Weiss, all declined to be interviewed and did not support the publication of the book. It contained interviews with Rob Schnapf, David McConnell, and [[Pete Krebs]]. The book received mixed reviews, with ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' remarking that while "Nugent manages to patch together the major beats of Smith's life, he can offer little meaningful insight" and that Smith's fans "will be disappointed by this short and shallow biography."<ref>{{cite web | author= Bemis, Alec Hanley | title= ''Sleepwalker''| publisher= ''[[LA Weekly]]'' | url= http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0306813939/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books | accessdate= 2008-05-12}}</ref>
On [[May 8]], [[2007]], a posthumous two-disc compilation album entitled ''[[New Moon (Elliott Smith album)|New Moon]]'' was released by Kill Rock Stars. The album contained 24 songs recorded by Smith between 1994 and 1997 during his tenure with the label. The songs consisted of demos, early versions, previously released [[b-side]]s and some unfinished tracks. In the U.S., the album debuted at number 24 on the [[Billboard magazine|''Billboard 200'']], selling about 24,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{cite web |author= Hasty, Katie |title= Buble Sidesteps Bone Thugs To Claim No. 1 |date= [[May 16]], [[2007]] |publisher= ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' |url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003585672 |accessdate= 2007-12-26}}</ref> The record received favorable reviews<ref>{{cite web |title= Elliott Smith: New Moon (2007): Reviews |publisher= ''[[Metacritic]]'' |url= http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/smithelliott/newmoon?q=new%20moon |accessdate= 2007-07-20 }}</ref> and was [[Metacritic]]'s 16th best-reviewed album of 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metacritic: Best Albums of 2007 |url= http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2007.shtml |publisher= ''[[Metacritic]]'' |accessdate= 2007-12-29}}</ref> A significant portion of the proceeds from album sales are to go to [[Outside In]], a social service agency for low-income adults and homeless youth in Portland, Oregon.<ref>{{cite web |author= Walby, Sam |title= BBC Collective - Elliott Smith - New Moon |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A28826904 |publisher= ''[[BBC]]'' |date= [[2007-11-09]] |accessdate= 2007-11-29}}</ref>
On [[October 25]], [[2007]], a book titled ''[[Elliott Smith (book)|Elliott Smith]]'' was released by [[Autumn de Wilde]], which consists of photographs, handwritten lyrics and "revealing talks with Smith's inner circle".<ref>{{cite web |author= Ramirez, Charlie |title= Sweet Adeline News Archives for May 2007 |url= http://www.sweetadeline.net/may07.html | accessdate = 2007-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Amazon.com: Elliott Smith: Books | url= http://www.amazon.com/Elliott-Smith-Autumn-Wilde/dp/0811857999/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-9730510-7160857?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184926505&sr=8-1 | accessdate = 2007-07-20 }}</ref> De Wilde was responsible for the ''Figure 8'' sleeve art, making a landmark and ''de facto'' Smith memorial of the Solutions Audio mural. A five-song CD featuring previously unreleased live recordings of Smith performing acoustically at [[Club Largo]] in Los Angeles was included in the release.
==Musical style and influences==
Smith respected and was inspired by many artists and styles, including [[U2]],<ref>Nugent, 2004, pp. 17-21</ref> [[The Kinks]],<ref name="filtermag">{{cite web |url= http://www.filter-mag.com/index.php?c=2&lid=26 |title= Back Where They Started|accessdate=2007-12-23 |author= LaGambina, Gregg|date= [[March 26]], [[2003]] |work= Interview between Elliott Smith and Ray Davies |publisher= ''[[Filter (magazine)|Filter]]''}}</ref> [[Elvis Costello]],<ref name="delicate">{{cite web |date= August, 1998 |title = The delicate sound of an explosion |author= Greenfield-Sanders, Timothy |url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_n8_v28/ai_21007971/pg_1 |work= Interview with musician Elliott Smith |publisher= FindArticles.com |accessdate= 2007-12-23}}</ref> [[Motown Records|Motown]] and [[flamenco]] records,<ref name="Shuttp2"/> [[AC/DC]],<ref name="NMEchat">Chat with Elliott Smith at [http://NME.com NME.com], [[March 28]], [[2000]]</ref> [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]],<ref name="newmoon">''[[New Moon (Elliott Smith album)|New Moon]]'' (2007) liner notes. Kill Rock Stars.</ref> and [[Modest Mouse]].<ref>Madsen, Rick (1997). ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dso7e0ov7Yo Untitled]'' <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Modest Mouse]] documentary<nowiki>]</nowiki> Interview</ref> Smith claimed to listen exclusively to select albums (such as ''[[The Marble Index (album)|The Marble Index]]'' by [[Nico]]) for months.<ref name="NMEchat" /> Sean Croghan (a former roommate of Smith's and member of bands Jr. High and Crackerbash) said that Smith "listened almost exclusively to [[slow jam]]s" in his senior year at college.<ref name="newmoon" /> Smith was also known to gain inspiration from novels, religion and philosophy. He liked classic literature, especially [[Samuel Beckett]], [[T. S. Eliot]], and [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]] (and other Russian novelists).<ref name="NMEchat" />
Smith mentioned his admiration for [[Bob Dylan]] in several interviews, citing him as an early musical influence. He once commented: "My father taught me how to play "[[Don't Think Twice, It's All Right]]". I love Dylan's words, but even more than that, I love the fact that he loves words."<ref>[http://www.sweetadeline.net/bio2.html sweet adeline | biography - page 2<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Smith covered Dylan's "[[When I Paint My Masterpiece]]" several times in concert.
Smith was a dedicated fan of [[The Beatles]] (as well as their [[solo project]]s), once noting that he had been listening to them frequently since he was about "four years old"<ref>Smith said this when asked "Have you been listening to a lot of Beatles lately?" in ''[[Strange Parallel]]''.</ref> and also claimed that hearing ''[[The Beatles (album)|The White Album]]'' was his original inspiration to become a musician.<ref name="NMEchat" /> In 1998, Smith recorded and contributed a [[cover version|cover]] of the Beatles song "[[Because (The Beatles song)|Because]]" to the ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'' soundtrack, which can be heard during the closing credits of the film. Although this was the only Beatles song that Smith ever officially released, he is known to have recorded at least one other ("[[Revolution (song)|Revolution]]", during the sessions for ''XO''), and played many songs by both the band and the members' solo projects at live concerts.<ref>{{cite web |title= Multimedia |work= Live Covers |publisher= Sweet Adeline |url= http://www.sweetadeline.net/multimedia.htm |accessdate= 2007-12-02}}</ref> Smith was also rumored to have recorded a version of "[[Hey Jude]]" for the 2001 [[Wes Anderson]] film ''[[The Royal Tenenbaums]]'' to be played during the opening scenes, but the song never materialized. In a [[December 2004]] interview with ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', Anderson said that although Smith was lined up to record the song, he "was in a bad state and just wasn't able to."<ref>{{cite web |author= Miller, Nancy|year= 1994 |title= The Life Melodic |publisher= ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' |url= http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1008489-2-3_4|16338|322351|1_0_,00.html |accessdate= 2006-06-22}}</ref> ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' did include Smith's song "Needle in the Hay", which played during a scene in which one of the principal characters attempts suicide.
Regarding his songwriting, Smith said:<ref>"Songwriting with Elliott Smith" [video interview], Musician.com</ref>
{{cquote|The way I think about it is... I don't really think about it in terms of language, I think about it more like shapes. That's an interesting thing to talk about but it's difficult. I'm really into chord changes. That was the thing that I liked when I was a kid. So, I'm not like a... I don't make up "a riff" really. It's usually like... that sequence that has some implied melody in it or something like that.}}
Smith said that transitions were his favorite part of songs and that he preferred to write broader, more [[impressionist]]ic music closer to [[pop music|pop]] rather than folk music.<ref name="Shuttp2"/> Smith compared his songs to stories or dreams, not purely confessional pieces that people could relate to.<ref name="bostonglobe"/> When asked about the dark nature of his songwriting and the cult following he was gaining, Smith said he felt it was merely a product of him writing songs that were strongly meaningful to him rather than anything contrived.<ref name="bostonglobe" />
==Selected discography==
{{dablink|For an extended list of work, see [[Elliott Smith discography]].}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Release date
!Album
!Label
|-
|[[July 14]] [[1994]]
|''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]''
|[[Cavity Search Records]]<br />[[Domino Records]]
|-
|[[July 21]] [[1995]]
|''[[Elliott Smith (album)|Elliott Smith]]''
|[[Kill Rock Stars]]<br />Domino Records
|-
|[[February 25]] [[1997]]
|''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]''
|Kill Rock Stars<br />Domino Records
|-
|[[August 25]] [[1998]]
|''[[XO (album)|XO]]''
|[[DreamWorks Records|DreamWorks]]
|-
|[[April 18]] [[2000]]
|''[[Figure 8 (album)|Figure 8]]''
|DreamWorks
|-
|[[October 19]] [[2004]]
|''[[From a Basement on the Hill]]''
|[[ANTI-]]Records<br />Domino Records
|-
|[[May 8]] [[2007]]
|''[[New Moon (Elliott Smith album)|New Moon]]''
|Kill Rock Stars<br />Domino Records
|}
==References==
*{{cite book |author= Nugent, Benjamin |title= [[Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing]] |publisher= ''[[Da Capo Press]]'' |year= 2004 |id= ISBN 0-306-81393-9}}
*{{cite web | author= Shutt, S. R. |year= 2002 |title= The Time It Took a Cigarette to Burn |work= Scenes from the Life and Art of Elliott Smith |url= http://www.sweetadeline.net/bio.html | accessdate=2007-02-01}}
===Notes===
<!--<nowiki>
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below.
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{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
===Official===
* [http://www.sweetadeline.net SweetAdeline.net] - Official Elliott Smith website
* [http://www.sweetaddy.com SweetAddy.com] - Official discussion forums
* [http://www.cavitysearchrecords.com/elliottsmith.html Cavity Search Records]
* [http://www.killrockstars.com/artists/viewartist.php?id=493 Kill Rock Stars]
===Unofficial===
* {{AMG Artist|sql=11:t9z8b5m4nsqf|artist=Elliott Smith}}
* {{MusicBrainz artist|id=03ad1736-b7c9-412a-b442-82536d63a5c4|name=Elliott Smith}}
* {{imdb name|id=0808129|name=Elliott Smith}}
* {{MySpace|elliottsmithnewmoon|Elliott Smith}}
* [http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/elliott_smith.html BrainyQuote] - Elliott Smith quotes
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3203923.stm BBC obituary]
===Media===
* [http://www.elliottsmithbsides.com ElliottSmithBsides.com] - Unreleased demos
* [http://www.archive.org/details/ElliottSmith Archive.org] - Extensive collection of full-length live recordings on the [[Internet Archive]]
* [http://www.trashtreasury.com Trash Treasury] - Download hub for live recordings and discussion forum
* [http://www.blamonet.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=17 BlamoNet] - Image gallery
{{Elliott Smith|state=}}
{{Heatmiser}}
{{featured article}}
{{Persondata
|NAME=Steven Paul Smith
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Elliott Smith
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=American singer-songwriter
|DATE OF BIRTH=August 6, 1969
|PLACE OF BIRTH=Omaha, Nebraska
|DATE OF DEATH=October 21, 2003
|PLACE OF DEATH=Los Angeles, California
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Elliott}}
[[Category:Elliott Smith| ]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:American alternative musicians]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American rock singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Cause of death disputed]]
[[Category:Hampshire College alumni]]
[[Category:Indie rock musicians]]
[[Category:Kill Rock Stars]]
[[Category:Oregon musicians]]
[[Category:People from Omaha, Nebraska]]
[[Category:People from Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:People from Duncanville, Texas]]
[[Category:Deaths by stabbing]]
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