has been to gratuitously traipse down memory lane, with the convenient stance that a hit parade of '70s funk will lend an otherwise bloodless film some street cred. Thankfully the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting doesn't strive for fake urban cool; this film about white, working-class Bostonians gets a mostly white, working-class sound. The soundtrack effectively mirrors the half-filled desires and lives that the film capitalizes on: restlessness, ennui, doubt, and unrequited love rule here. Elliot Smith contributes the most, and the best, songs, beautiful weepers that outshine Danny Elfman's somber original score, which makes only a few appearances. --Alan E. Rapp  (less)

This is his final recording, which found him returning to an edgier, guitar-driven sound, alongside his trademark heart-rending balladry. MUZE Notes: Elliott Smith's death in 2003 left a cavernous hole in the world of popular music. Tender, intimate, and painfully honest, the songs in Smith's catalogue capture the fragility of human existence with rare, breathtaking beauty. On his first posthumous release, Smith reaffirms his status as an extraordinarily gifted artist, giving fans yet another reason to mourn his tragic loss. Conceived as an ambitious double album, FROM A BASEMENT ON THE HILL was ultimately narrowed down to 15 tracks by Smith's close friends, producer Rob Schnapf (Beck's MELLOW GOLD, Smith's X/O) and musician Joanna Bolme (the Minders, ...  (less)

ambitious songs into symphonic excursions for solo piano. O'Riley brings the same technique to bear on Elliott Smith, a singer-songwriter of considerably more fragile design but who still reveled in idiosyncratic song structures and dense arrangements. Like the Radiohead albums, this isn't Smith turned into Muzak. O'Riley probes the dark underside of Smith's lyrics instrumentally, with shrouded chord clusters and tonal washes. He'll often go toward the angular more than the melodic, fracturing songs sideways. The approach is challenging and sometimes oppressive. It's a relief when he emerges from a storm of overtones to an almost baroque minuet on "Coast to Coast." So goes it for most of Home to Oblivion , as O'Riley makes Smith's music his ...  (less)

the latter believed to be among the last tracks he ever put to tape.  (less)

Talking to Mary From the 1995 sessions at Leslie's. This is Elliott's rough mix as the master tape is sadly missing. 03. High Times From the 1995 sessions at Leslie's. An early working title was "Coma Kid". The "drums" are really just doubled snare (with the throw off loose) and ride cymbal. 04. New Monkey From sessions for Either/Or. The "bar" was certainly La Luna in Portland, with "the millions of fans ignoring the bands." 05. Looking Over My Shoulder From sessions for Either/Or. The title of this song is not certain. 06. Going Nowhere From sessions for Either/Or. Due to the limits of eight tracks you rarely get bass guitar on these sessions unless it is integral to the arrangement. One of the most haunting songs in this collection. 07. Ri...  (less)

greater detail on subsequent releases. The title track is remarkable but with four songs referred to in sequential order as "No Name #1," "No Name #2," etc. ... the inspiration isn't always fully firing. Blessed with a quiet angelic voice and a lyrical mind that easily transforms the squalid details of everyday life into something worth hearing about twice, Smith stood on the verge of getting it on. With his next, self-titled release, he did. --Rob O'Connor  (less)

are a diverse crowd hailing from across the USA, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. Each was selected because of the quality of their unique and interesting music, to bring a wide range of takes on Elliott Smith's music worthy of a tribute to his legacy. This fully licensed tribute complements any Elliott Smith fan’s CD collection – each cover is treated with the respect it deserves while at the same time exhibiting a fresh take on these classic songs. The originals on the album are all from musicians who were inspired to perform and create by Elliott Smith’s music. Unlike many tribute albums, the track listing of “A Tribute To Elliott Smith” flows seamlessly from one song to another, really keeping...  (less)