Figure 8

Live these songs

That was interesting. Great songs. Intriguing voice. 3 stars

Solid album. Not his best though.

I really enjoyed this. Fairly new to his music.

I like his top songs but the deep cuts aren't for me

Liked the music AND the lyrics

This is what I needed to hear today

Had no idea what or who this was but really enjoyed it. Not sure why. Was it the color of the sky that day or just the soft sounds after a long night? Regardless 4/5

Favorite Songs: Son of Sam, Pretty Mary Kay

This was the worst one so far. It's just whiny and boring.

FEELINGS. FEEELINGSSS. FEELINGS

It’s very indie in a 90s way and that can give it a dated vibe because that’s a specific sound from a very specific era, but the somber tone of Smith resonates. He is really pouring his heart and soul about topics that people should be able to relate to and if they can’t relate, then the emotion he puts in his voice and instruments at least demands to be felt and can’t be ignored.

Tror jeg hørte gjennom hele, men er ikke sikker, 3.5

Never would the 20yo me have predictable the 43yo me would Raye Sepultura and Elliot Smith 4starts in the same week but here we are. Really hear the influence on 2010s style dream pop

6.5/10

Growing up, my brother had this album but it was one of the few I never borrowed (read: stole)... Probably because I was never super into the emo scene. I expected this to be much more morose than it was. To me it kind of sounded like a mix between Simon and Garfunkel and The Shins. I didn't mind this at all. I'm not sure I'd listen to it again but now I'm looking forward to the other Elliott Smith album on the list.

Listened Before? N Pretty good, although this is one of the albums on the list that I can't help but think were given some extra credit due to the tragedy of the death of the artist. That being said - it's an unobtrusive listen but kind of boring. Nothing really sticks out here. Feels like background music to an indie movie. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Son Of Sam

Idk. This was pretty unexceptional all around. Scratching my head at this one

Another great album, got me back onto Elliot smith

A little same-y throughout, but quality same-y is still quality. Nice gentle music.

Solid indie tunes, good musician & lyricist. I was just reading about Smith, seems he had quite the tragic life. I didn't think it was a particularly memorable album but it's decent.

One of my long time favourites. Highlights: Honestly, most of the album - Junk Bond Trader, Everything Reminds Me of Her, Everything Means Nothing to Me, Easy Way Out, Wouldn’t Mama be Proud, Pretty Mary Kay.

Surprisingly meh.

Another great album from Elliott Smith, who I only recently discovered. This one has more piano and orchestral elements, so it sounds more like some Beatles albums or Ben Folds. For me it has a couple of truly standout tracks (Son of Sam and Everything Means Nothing To Me), but the entire album is very solid. Maybe not quite at the level of Either Or, but still amazing.

In the land of hair-splitting is album is like 3.75 stars and Either/Or is like 4.25 stars. But they both get 4 stars here.

This was the first time getting two albums from an artist in really close proximity and it was hard to judge this one without considering how great Either/Or seemed - especially in the wake of a bunch of mediocre to bad albums. But this is still really great, even though it goes in a different direction than Either/Or.

Really enjoyed listening to this one. It has a different feel from Either/Or, but one that I also very much appreciated.

Oh yes, I very much like this album.

About 750 albums ago, Elliott Smith's Either/Or became a new favorite so I was more than happy to hear from him again. Figure 8 seemed not as woeful but just as appealing as Either/Or. I'll take it.

My boyfriend at the time of this albums release was a huge fan of Elliott Smith so this was a keystone to my turn-of-the-century soundtrack. It’s a masterpiece. The sadness and shock of the Smith’s passing still reverberate through this album which perhaps had prevented me from listening to this but today it was a warm and lovely place to be. RIP Elliott.

Some melancholic songs and some happy songs. With a lot piano and gitarre.

I’ve owned Figure 8 for about fifteen years, so I’m pretty familiar with this album. I can’t remember if I bought it because I heard about it through the 1001 albums book, or if I bought it because a friend of mine from high school really loved Elliott Smith. Maybe it was a little bit of both. I haven’t listened to this album in years, so I’m really excited to dig into it. Of Smith’s discography, I’ve only listened to this and Either/Or, which I don’t particularly care for. I knew heading into this review that I preferred this album, and that definitely hasn’t changed with time. The album kicks off with the excellent “Son of Sam,” full of wonderful piano playing with perfectly matching guitar playing, Smith’s trademark hushed vocals, and some great organ arrangements underneath it all. The songwriting contains some of Smith’s more abstract and mysterious lyrics, and it’s a great leadoff track for an album that really fires well on all cylinders. From there, the album winds through some other fantastic songs: the bitter and sombre “Somebody That I Used To Know” and the piano driven, heroin allegory “Junk Bond Trader,” before getting to my favorite song on the album, “L.A.” I absolutely love the guitar playing on this song, and how the main melody is interspersed with the twang of some additional guitar notes, but the best part for me are those clicking strums that occur during the chorus. The drumming on this song is great too, and it evokes a sense of shuffling through the streets of a busy city. The first half of the album is my favorite part, mostly because I really love the arrangements. However, the second half of the album really let’s Smith’s songwriting abilities shine. His lyrics range from on-the-nose and obvious to mysterious and subtle, but he always seems to hit the mark. Even though I don’t like the arrangements on the second half of the album as much, they’re still exceptionally done and beautiful. In my opinion, this album is so much richer in sound that Either/Or, and it’s a much more enjoyable listen. There are so many subtle musical elements that this album warrants multiple listens. This album might not be my favorite thing to listen to, but it’s an absolute masterpiece of songwriting and musical production. Full of haunting lyrics, and melodies that fluctuate between infectiously toe-tapping, and melancholy, this is worth a listen for any music lover.

Elliott Smith is baby. I get why Phoebe loves him. Idk how to review music actually truly so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Everybody may not agree. But this is one of the first albums I had no idea who it was AND never heard any of the music. I loved the album and immediately after the album was over, I wanted to listen to it again. that is the first time that has happened with a brand new artist. I realize that this artist is playing to what I like, but he hit it. Love the album and can’t wait to listen to it again.

The album would be better without him singing.

Not bad, not great.

Well, it's not bad. Not bad at all. But with this one I cannot figure out why it is one of the 1001 albums I have to listen. I mean, it is like one of the 1001+ singer/songwriters you could listen to. Listen to any song of the album, than move on to somethin else.

Gentle almost folk-like with that acoustic foundation. Would be nice for a leisurely walk.

That was definitely early-2000's singer songwriter. Had to slog through that one. 1.5 stars

I remember hearing a lot about Elliot Smith at the time he was successful. Apparently he was one of those artists you needed to check out, below the radar, if you know, you know. So under the radar people never stopped talking about him. I never heard much of his music. Now I have and it sounds like Teenage Fanclub and The High Llamas with a bit of Badly Drawn Boy mixed in. I places it's quite loud and rocks a long a bit. Nice enough but wishy washy and bland to me. Not sure I've missed out on too much.

fínt pop ... held ég

Great songs and really unique style and voice. Would like to get more into his music if I ever catch up on these albums.

Wasn’t familiar with this record but love it. His vocals are so unique and interesting and such a great songwriter.

Figure 8 I listened to this 5 times. I love Elliot smith. He is one of my favorite lyricists. From this album “The imitation picks you up like a habit” “Boring as a drug you take too regularly” (Really everything in Junk Bond Trader) “And I gotta hear the same sermon all the time now from you people” “If patience started a band. I’d be her biggest fan” “The enemy is within. Don’t confuse me with him” “I heard you found another audience to bore. Creative thinker who imagined you were more” I love everything means nothing. I also love stupidity tries. Can’t make a sound outro is incredible. I love this album

s.s., Rock/Pop, 2000 -> 2

Sick ass album. Need to go back and get in to the lyrics.

Album was fine but gets a bit old after a while

Ausdrucksstarke Songs, interpretiert mit Gitarre und Klavier. Die teils tiefgründigen Texte wurden melodisch gut und abwechslungsreich arrangiert. Am besten wissen „Son of Sam“ und „Better Be Quiet Now“ zu gefallen.

I love sadboi music but this didn't really click with me. Maybe I'll give it another go eventually but this didn't really make me feel anything.

10/10 some of Elliot’s best work I absolutely love every second of this — I highly recommend giving the deluxe edition a listen

Would not play!

Pleasant, but not memorable.

No idea why this album is here on the list. It sounds like thousands of others, but probably I simply don't get it.

really liked this one! i listened to it more than once, which is rare for me. just a very good album.

this is a very good album. i can't explain it but it just hit differently than so many others on this list. it starts off super strong for the first several tracks and is still good after that, though the songs kinda ran together for me after that. i think i listened to this like 2 1/2 times through and thought it was really solid and moving. favorites: son of sam, somebody that i used to know, junk bond trader, everything reminds me of her, everything means nothing to me, easy way out

Great listen. I can see influences of Radiohead and the Beatles in this. Personally, I’m bigger fan of the soft acoustic stuff on this one. The riffs are cool but feel like Elliot’s voice shines on the softer stuff. I feel like I’d listen to this album again if I was older when released but for now I’ll probably add a song to a playlist.

Every Elliott Smith album we got is a gift. Not the best. But it's nice to hear Elliott going back to a more stripped-down approach after XO. I still favor his early albums. But, again, a gift. Also nice to here a bit more brightness in Elliott's songs. Must have rubbed off on him during his LA-living.

This is a version of Elliott Smith with a lot to love. His songs here feel mature and unleashed. He feels even less tethered to song structure, a lot of great through-composed moments. Lyrics are stellar. And I really enjoy the more focused, semi baroque rock sound. Makes that this was done at least partly at Abbey Road. Feel like I can guess pretty accurately which songs were tracked there. Now I’m imagining every tack piano, harpsichord, every tubular bell coming from that little closet in the side room of Studio B. It’s gotta be B, right? B for Beatles. Even the guitars have a little bit more George Harrison in them. Do the techs at Studio B ever get tired of being asked to set things up the way the Beatles did it? Damn, on “In the Lost and Found” you can literally hear someone walking up the stairs in B! Confirmed. Sorry for the huge digression. I’m a mega nerd for this shit, lol. His piano playing is pretty amazing, I don’t remember hearing his playing on other records! Everything feels cohesive and kind of adventurous and a little nostalgic and NOT what I was expecting for a mid-career, (sadly) last album. And come on, songs like “Somebody that I used to know,” he knew how to write a killer song. 5/5 I loved it! Grew on me a ton.

This album grew on me for sure. It was definitely peaceful and nice to do work alongside. I thought I would dislike this but it was nice. I don’t think I would go out of my way to listen to it again but no complaints. A little too simple to stand out to me, but all in all pretty nice.

Always liked this one - my only critique/preference about Elliott Smith is that often the songs seem to blend and run into one another (I think it's his voice which rarely ventured past that gentle timbre), but not nearly as much on this album - there's more musical variety in terms of tempo and mood than on some of his earlier work. My favourite aspect to his music is how he packed a ton of musical ideas into short songs; i.e. they always seem longer than they are which is *usually* a recipe for boredom but not here - there's rarely any standard or repeated arrangements; a lot of melodic left-turns. "Color Bars" has always been my favourite cut on this one (honourable mention to "L.A." - a keeper. 8/10 4 stars

LAst night I was about to throw it all away

Очень красивая немного грустная музыка. По сложности звучания он выше, чем Either/or. Словил себя на мысли, что перепевка песни "Because" ссо сборника хитов Beatles "Love" взята с этого альбома Эллиотта. Жаль, что этого добряка зарезали.

that was okay

Not to my credit I admit, I’d never heard of Elliot Smith before but it appears he was not so well known on UK side of the Atlantic. So I was quite expectant in learning about a new artist. As I listened I read all the reviews and Wiki page concerning Elliot. What a very troubled man and shocking ending to his life. Reading things like that really do affect how you listen more closely to the music and look for clues as to why and how he turned out as he did. Nothing was apparent on first listen but I stand to be corrected on further listens or when broadening my knowledge of his whole musical catalogue. I generally like singer songwriter troubadour types such as Damien Rice, Bon Iver and Paul Simon etc but I’m afraid this album did not quite measure up to some of the aforementioned works. It is an inoffensive album and just OK. However, I’m sure that judging by some comments there are plenty of his fans about who will keep his flame alive and will rate this album as a lasting memorial to him. 2.9/5 16/4/24

Meh

Shoegazing pish

Enjoyed this record more than his Either/Or album. Seemed to have more going on musically and I found his voice to have more pep to it. Maybe that's it, that it was just a bit more upbeat and less melancholic than the previous. Can see myself revisiting.

Fine

Very good sound.

Love a little Elliot Smith. Murder, or suicide? Wish he was still around.

I had a pleasant time with this, a lot of solid tracks in a row but nothing that really wowed me. Just one step above typical radio quality songs.

think this is my favourite elliott smith - his music, lyrics, production is all on point in this one

i dig it!

Yeah it's okay

3.75

Weak 4

Never heard of him but enjoyed listening.

Never came across Elliott before, but really liked what I heard on this album. Son of Sam - grabbed me as a really interesting track. Nice mix of vocals / music. From folk, piano to rock guitar Somebody that I used to know - As good as Simon & Garfunkel in their heyday. Brilliant track. Everything reminds me of her - loved it Everything means nothing to me - wow. Overall an absolutely brilliant album. So awful to hear how he passed away.

Liked this, but the thinness of Smith's voice can almost cause you to strain to listen at times. Still, strong instrumentals and even some surprisingly heavy electric guitar bits. Favorite tracks: Son of Sam, Somebody That I Used to Know

Love it. So interesting and dark and beautiful and honest. Also check out XO. I think the songwriting on that album is even stronger than this amazing collection.

Fav songs: - Son of Sam - Junk Brond Trader - L.A. - Colorbars

Not really my style. It runs on too long and doesn't really progress. I've had tons of friends swear by him but I've never really got it.

UnInteresting

Very nice album. i WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARTIST BUT HEARD A BIT ABOUT HIM. tHIS ALBUM HAS INTERESTING LYRICS AND IS WELL PRODUCED.

Better than I expected. I figured he’d be more all acoustic singer songwriter and wasn’t. Really enjoyed it and I’d listen to it again.

Never heard Elliot Smith before. Pretty good. Decent guitar. Nice piano. Fairly good voice. Variety of styles. Ok songs. Yeah….I can listen to this.

It's not really cup of tea, but I'm ok with it. It is also in Mark Suciu's part, so I like that. Will I listen to again: 15%

That was really boring. 1 star.

This is really good. Another reason for continuing doing this 1001 albums thing. I had heard of him, but that was about as far as it went. I may have to delve into his discography. Nice soft vocals and heavy guitar, what more do you need? Melodies and there is plenty of those too. A low high 3

The vocals sound like he recorded this himself when he was trying out GarageBand for the first time. The music is a tad bit more upbeat than his first album. There still isn’t much to Elliott Smith for me. I can make it through this album. That’s at least a passing grade for me. Choice Cut: Easy Way Out

Wow, this one took me by surprise. I don’t know much about the Beatles but this feels a lot like them. Overall sad vibe. I think this is one of those to listen on a plane with zero distractions. A lot going on here - first listen I love it.

Melancholy mixed with relaxation. The lyrics through all of this album are sad, occasionally stepping through to the depressing and self-harm areas of Elliott Smith's brain. I found most of the songs to be fairly catchy and melodic, reminding me of the quieter selections from The Beatles's catalogue.

I KNOW this is not for everyone. But it is perfect for me. To be candid, there have been times I have wanted to just drive off a cliff into the abyss, but sitting with Elliott Smith, in this album particularly, let me feel less alone. I do acknowledge that the first half of the album is much stronger than the later half but it is still a complete album listen for me, every time. His voice makes me feel haunted but at peace. My favorite songs are: Son of Sam Somebody That I Used to Know Junk Bond Trader Everything Means Nothing to Me L.A. The Lost and Found Stupidity Tries Color Bars

Elliot smith goes Beatles!?

Elliott is one of those artists who you often see referred to as a life-saver, as in his music helped people out so much that it helped them make sense of their pain and alienation, etc etc, and perhaps put them on a healthier life path. I don't get that. Elliott is an excellent songwriter, however, with so much pathos and honesty packed into every track, so I guess I can see how some people have looked to him as their savior. It's weird, though.

A good album, I liked Son of Sam and In The Lost and Found the best.

Delicate and fragile, and a huge influence on pretty much every singer-songwriter since. What happened to him is such a sad story, but he left behind some beautiful songs.

Sounds like a shitty Beatles copycat

Skilled musician. Didn’t connect with me.

Aangename stem, mooie composities. Maakt benieuwd naar zijn andere albums!

This is very good album, but it's just not as good as his previous albums. I feel the move to a more complex power pop Teenage Fanclub/Big Star sound just doesn't work as well. Also Elliott sounds more disconnected and less emotionally involved in the performance of this album, even though the lyrics are the same. This is a 4.5 for me, but I'm going to round down today.

Smith’s are beautifully written and the tone of his vocals and maturity of his compositions are a mark of his brilliance.

All of his albums were great. There was a time in college when he was all i listened to.

This is probably the Elliott Smith album I'm least familiar with, but it doesn't make it any less amazing. Like his other efforts that I am more familiar with, it's filled with pretty yet sad lyrics accompanied mostly by an acoustic guitar (though there are quite a few more instruments on this album than my more favorite of his offerings.) Going to make sure I listen to this one more often.

4.5

Well, I enjoyed it, but it didn't stick to me like some of Smith's other work. It felt very polished and a little too Beatles-indebted. Highlights: Somebody That I Used To Know, Everything Reminds Me Of Her, L.A., Easy Way Out

now this this how you do a sad emo boy wanna be indie album. pretty good, some fillers but I can see how it would have hit back in the day.

Wasn’t very engaged by this album, it all had the same boring vibe and the songs got less good as the album went on. 2.3

Loved can’t make a sound. Great voice. Some songs are Melancholic but found it restful music .

Really enjoyed this. Constantly threatened to get a bit boring and samey before whisking me off to a whole new place. Packed with lovely building tracks. 4.2

All the albums of Elliott Smith are testimony of a love story that I was a member of at a late stage of my life. Not my style of music in the slightest but because of the memories I shared with a young friend, all his albums rank highly with me. 4 stars.

2.5 This is my second Elliott Smith album and about halfway through this I decided to see what I gave Either/Or. I was shocked to find a 4 because I am finding this guy's voice annoying and didn't note it at all in my first review of him. Maybe that says something about how compelling I found the first album, but this one doesn't hold up for me.

It was like less dissonant Radiohead. A lot of feeling, emotion and pain behind some very beautiful melodies. Listening to the whole thing made me sad but it was musically enjoyable.

I never listened to Elliott Smith before this project. I kinda like his songwriting. Favorites are Somebody That I Used to Know, Everything Reminds Me of Her, Easy Way Out, Better Be Quiet Now. All of which tend to be the ones with just vocals and acoustic guitar. He didn't need that Bye track at the end but that's fine. Did he record it in a cave?

Second time getting Elliott Smith. This album was a pleasant listening experience, but nothing terribly memorable came from it. I get Garden State soundtrack vibes from his music. Makes me want to cuddle with an emo Zach Braff.

Amazing album from an amazing artist.

An absolutely beautiful album from the singer songwriter. While some people may prefer the more acoustic driven work, this album is a sonic masterpiece from start to finish. The production is top notch and I would dare to put this up next a Beatles album. With the starting track “son of Sam” to Happiness is a gandola man, each track offers something special and tragic at the same time.

So emo

The album got better as it progressed

I appreciate the style and it is nice to listen to but not without other artists in between his own songs because of his voice which isn't my favourite style.

For me it's just another singer-songwritert. He doesn't moove me.

awesome

fucking incredible

The vocals remind me of Sufjan, but the songwriting doesn’t have the tenderness of Sufjan and leans into stronger sounds that I don’t find particularly compelling when together. It ends up feeling like I’m listening to a song that has had its lead vocal track removed and I’m just getting the backing.

I like about half of this album, but find the other half too whiny for my taste. That has been my experience with Elliott Smith's music in general, sadly. I want to like him, but I just don't get the hype.

This was lovely. Favorite tracks were Son of Sam, In the Lost and Found, and Happiness/The Gondola Man.

This was just ok. Lovely opening track, then the rest was kinda blah. I remember when he was a big deal when he first came on the scene. Never really took to him.

Probably my favorite solo artist ever. His third-best album (XO, Either/Or). Even before listening today, I can tell you “Happiness” is one of the most beautiful songs, period, and when the drums drop on “everything means nothing to me” is incredible. The first five songs are all bangers (but the other two albums are all bangers). This was the final studio album released while he was alive as heroin and depression consumed him.

Наудивление понравилось, зашло, наверное под настроение пришлось. Не ожидал.

Less depressing than I thought it would be. Sounds like a more modern one-man Beatles

Yea it's alright I guess...

Never heard of this guy. I think his girlfriend stabbed him, just saying.

meh

I didn't care about it

I can appreciate his music, but never really get into it.

An ES album I wasn’t previously familiar with. Sad that it was his last but more cheer than Either/Or which is my go to for ES.

XO>E/O> F8. Four stars within the context of ES‘s discography.

Listening so far, inoffensive enough but quite samey, except for the instrumental part of one track which made me sit up and listen more intently. Didn’t get to the end of the album so 3* is fair.

No, not for me. Dull.

While the lyrics are interesting and warm guitar tones aplenty, I don't really find myself fully drawn into Elliot Smith's voice. Would maybe see myself coming back to this one at some point, but probably rarely. 2.5

Right up my alley - sad but upbeat sounding songs - would probably give like a 4.6 but we round up!

Sad and sleepy. 3=5

This album was easy to listen to. Lyrics were good, melodies were pleasing. Good one.

Classic album.

Such a tragic album. Really hard to listen to, given the context of what he was feeling. Still so beautiful, though.

On paper, this would be an album I would love and give a 5/5 - I’m a sucker for sad indie singers. But while there were some great tracks (“Son of Sam,” “Everything Means Nothing to Me,” “In the Lost and Found,” “Can’t Make a Sound”) the album is kinda boring overall. Not bad, not great, just kinda is.

It was an enjoyable listen but didn’t really have any standout tracks that would bring me back.

I am reticent to give this album a 2 out of 5 because I know that Elliott Smith has a very devout and inspired following and has inspired many musicians after him. But I personally feel as though some of his work, especially in this album, is simple and bland and all sounds the same. Not very impressive and not terribly as deep or tragic as others have made him out to be. That's not to say that I don't like some of his work, His other popular album "Either, Or" has some really great music and fits very well as music to feature in films, cafes, and to comfort a lonely or heartbroken soul. But this album bored me to tears and I couldn't help but feel as though his cult following continually overrates his music.

Good! Like stufjan Steven’s more alt cousin

I liked this. Seems like a lot of good content that I probably missed. Music in the early 2000’s is an interesting space, specifically the small time where the nineties were barely over but pre-9/11. I will listen to this again probably and think it’s worth four stars.

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background I'd probably like this more if I had time to sit with it for a while...downside to this process is 1001+ albums doesn't really allow for that. Anyway, on a few listens (and what I remember from previous Elliot Smith albums...his voice and the slight effect that comes with it never changes. Happy song, Excited song, Sad song, Melodramatic song...all the same in the singing. Instrumentation does vary a bit, but Dylan did a lot more with a lot less. Didn't have time to delve into the lyrics. So has upside, but here we are and I'm moving on,

Was pleasant enough, but didn't feel like it had any moxie. 2.5/5

Yea, nice enough

Outstanding mood album. Nick Drake? The Shins? Beautiful sound. Will definitely help you figure some things out while questioning others.

Albums where a singer wallows in romantic relationships that didn't work out are generally ones I don't enjoy, regardless of the artist's talent. I felt worse about this when I heard this was the last album before Elliott took his own life, and that brought an element of poignancy. It's still not my style of music. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Wouldn't Mama Be Proud Rating: 2

droning singer songwriter strum along wank NNN

A little too on the slow and emotional side for me. It also reminded me of an era of music where I would avoid stuff like this entirely. Im sure its a good album for some, but I wasn't feeling it.

Read the lyrics, I can't tell if it's me not being able to English or him being too cryptic but I couldn't figure out the meaning behind like half the lines. But what I did understand sounded pretty repetitive. I understand wanting to reuse the same thoughts, I don't get many unique thoughts myself, but maybe make your album shorter or something. Reusing one of my earlier thoughts. The main difference I see between Björk and Kate Bush is how more intimate Björk's music is, I feel like it's directed at me personally, like I'm the one she speaks to. With Kate Bush I felt more like I was invited to watch a spectacle, I'm allowed to see only what she decides to show me. And then there's Elliott Smith, this album makes me feel like I'm his therapist. Funnily enough, the bonus song Figure 8 doesn't have this problem, I liked it. Bye and The Roost are also great but do not redeem the rest of the album in my eyes.

I dont have many words to describe this album as a whole but one thing I can say is that the song Bye is one of the most perfect songs I have ever heard in my life. Loved the album. I was glued to the lyrics page during the entirety of it. Fun note is how he in the beginning parts of the album goes into the concept of artists and labels being "safe" and profit-motivated as opposed to prioritizing art and creativity. Side-note, apparently there are two bonus songs on the japanese release version of the album of which the song Figure 8 is among them, I recommend listening to it, its also really good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5iu4vURDWI Fuck man... Bye is so beautiful.

A wonderful album ! A great lost !

Fairly basic. Not bad, not great. I probably should have listened to the lyrics

Paints a picture of a world where I want to stay in for a while.

Sad bastard music

It's still Elliott Smith under all of the unnecessary sheen, so it's still worth a listen. But not nearly as strong as XO or his earlier albums. Less is more...

Repetitive and boring pop-like simple tunes

Really enjoyed this. Kinda a less complicated bright eyes

Right up my alley, super easy to listen to.

I was not familiar with this artist. A slow start for my ears but the second half got my attention. Worth a revisit and a deeper dive at some point. A solid 3

after a while some of these start to blend in to tgt or become forgettable imo but i still rlly like most of these and i also rlly liked the closing track i love instrumentals i love i love i love thats such a good end to the album but the music was rlly good as well just a few forgettable songs but i think for a debut this is rlly rlly good and i am an elliott smith meatrider so blehhh :p

Elliot Smith reminds me of Art Garfunkle; very talented, but not quite enough to be great without an equally talented partner. Still good. Not great.

No comment.

I have such a history with this album. Its beautiful. Elliott Smith is one of the best songwriters and guitar players I think any of us will ever see. Rest in power.

Didn't really know his stuff. Very chilled feel that feels good doing it's thing in the background. The songs have depth though. I can see myself coming back to this and getting more out of it with each play.

This was good! It felt like the bridge between rock from the 1960s and indie rock from the 2010s

Cool vibes. Felt like I’d heard it before but I haven’t

Didn’t really like it. Too soft for my liking. The best song was the cover of “Because”

I hadn’t heard of Elliott Smith before this but I really enjoyed the album, it makes sense how he’s influenced other artists I do listen to regularly.

I really liked this album. I felt Elliott's influence for current music that I enjoy and it feels like a time of tv and movie soundtracking

Never heard of this guy before but I liked it. As some said, vaguely OC / death cab sounding. The wiki said he was in inspo for boygenius members and I hear that

Such sadness

Dreary

Ok. A little boring

Fuck yeah I’m down with wuss-rock…and if you don’t like it I’ll kick your ass!! Actually I’ve always known OF Elliott Smith, but I’ve never been cool enough to actually know his music. This album was decent. Maybe I’d even call it pleasant. Not something I’d cue up on my favorites list…I tend to like just a little more lead in my pencil, a little more starch in my collar…if you know what I mean.

It was nice revisiting this one again. I’ve been an Elliott fan ever since his song placements in Good Will Hunting. I like his earlier stuff like Either/Or better but this one still holds up. An added bonus is having one of my favourite drummers (Pete Thomas of Elvis Costello & The Attractions) featured on three songs. It’s so interesting to see how such a troubled soul could produce such lovely tunes.

I definitely revisit Elliott’s older stuff fairly often, so was expecting to feel like this one doesn’t hold up to those albums. But this album is great, with a more filled out sound to it and the great musicianship featured on everything he did.

A good listen but something I’d need to be in the mood for. I thought this description put it best: “A complex and nuanced work, reflective of Smith’s troubled genius. It’s an album that will resonate deeply with dedicated fans and those who appreciate the intricacies of his song writing. However, its dense arrangements and pervasive melancholy might not appeal to everyone, making it a solid but not universally accessible.” Knowing this was released posthumously makes this album quite haunting for me as well.

This is a good album but not his best. I’m guessing we’ll see another one or two ES albums that I’ll enjoy more. I think this one may get better with additional listens, but ain’t nobody got time for that. I’ll for sure check it out again at a later date. 3/5

It was pretty boring and felt more like they were going for a sound rather than it coming naturally. It's like it's the sound they thought they should be doing, not the one they wanted.

Veldig behagelig, om litt same-y.

Elliott Smith's talent is undeniable and it's a masterful album with a bunch of beautiful songs. that being said, this depressive melancholic sound is not really my thing and I just never find listening to Elliott that enjoyable, even though I was still pleasantly surprised by Figure 8

This is new for me. Some great songs in this album. Very easy listening.

Nicht mein Geschmack.

A pleasant but mostly uninteresting collection.

I am partial to Elliott Smith having listened to him a lot in the 90s. This has some different sounds for him that took me a couple of listens to take in. I still like his earlier work better but enjoyed this album. Easy Way Out and Better Be Quiet Now were reminiscent of what I think of as his classic sound. 3.5 rounds to a 4 on this one.

This is a high 2 star rating, really.

Possibly the wimpiest album I've ever heard.

Very musical, easy listening - nice voice - the album has some variety and nuance, changes of pace and mood, so from that point of view, it's good work.

Felt kind of depressing to me

Liked this quite a bit more than I thought I would. Maybe bc I started out listening to a poorly compiled YouTube including a bunch of low-fi live tracks and a techno remix (????) that when I found the real thing, it was coherent, well balanced, and pretty listenable. Elliott Smith's voice has never been my thing so I'm giving it a 3.5 rounded down since I'll likely not revisit it.

I am 100% confident if you gave Elliot smith the drummer from That Thing You Do! and he made him play everything faster his music would be really really great instead of just good, mood depending

I really liked the effects that they put on his vocals. The vibe was a little depressing but I was enjoying it.

dreadfully dull. hard skip.

If the best song I'll ever hear is in the back half of this album and I never hear it because I refused to keep listening, that's fine with me. Plonky piano music seemingly designed to be put on the mix CD a high school boy who got dumped will slip into the locker of the girl who said she never wanted to hear from him again.

Sombre and melancholic, fine but unlikely to listen again

The music is fine but his voice seems really put on, I ditched out after 5 tracks

I'd never heard of this artist before. I liked most of the songs. The album started strong... then went off a bit...but really enjoyed overall. 4/5

Very good album. Always worth throwing on one of his and was glad to see this one in the mix here

Favourite song - Junk bond trader

Really good production. Stellar songwriting. I can see the appeal. His voice is just a little annoying to me.

Excellent album, previously unknown to me.

Interesting, did not know this artist. I enjoyed a few songs, and didn’t realize he wrote “somebody that I used to know.” I just knew the Gotye version

An enjoyable listen, but the more upbeat music is a bit odd coming from Elliott. I think I prefer his more brooding style from the earlier albums.

Un cinco bajo.

Not offensive. 2/5

Way better than his other album we had to listen to

I listened to Either/Or recently and didn’t enjoy it, so had low expectations going in. It’s so much better than Either/Or, but it’s still so so boring. Just because you’re sad doesn’t mean you can’t be interesting. 2/5

Here's another apparently very popular musician I'd never listened to. Expectations were neutral going in. I was not at all prepared for how good this album is. Every single track is just straight-up quality. I love the voice, I love the song-writing, I don't love the style per se but I do love the execution of it. Definitely planning to re-listen this one and check out the rest of his music too.

He held his breath . . .

Listening to Elliot Smith is an experience of what he was and what he might have been. “Figure 8” itself was a step forward in terms of adding fuller Rock band arrangements on top of his haunted vocals and the bones of his acoustic guitar. The album opener, “Son of Sam,” is a thesis statement and a guiding light: identifying with a notorious serial killer all while offering the listener a catchy, sunny Pop/Rock song is the most Elliott Smith move possible. His introspective acoustic laments survived the grungy ‘90s, made their mark on a new millennium, and then Smith was gone. “And I gotta hear the same sermon/All the time now from you people,” suggests just how world-weary this guy was. But anyone who produces music like this is more than his tragic footnote, that’s for sure. Maybe that’s what Smith meant by the album title—a figure 8 takes you on a journey, returning home again, but never quite seeing the starting point the same way again.

Hmmm.... never heard of him before. Really like it, though. A little like Matthew Sweet, but less rock-y.

I find Elliott Smith's style a bit difficult to get into. At first blush it all sounds very samey, and his voice is soft, frequently disaffected, and competes with the music. Still, it's clear there is some interesting songcraft here... interesting lyrics and some muted energy. After a few times through the album, some tracks grew on me, and ones like Son of Sam, Junk Bond Trader and Wouldn't Mama Be Proud start to become more interesting. There's enough to make me more interested in more listening and exploring his other albums.

Just great.

Actually pretty cool. Liked the sound.

Not my style.

wonderful!

Really good. A nice surprise. Strong start. Some great songs and a few alright ones. But will definitely come back to this one

Quite enjoyed this one, was quite soothing!

Overall quite good. My only complaint is that by the end of the album it was feeling very show-tuney and whiney. A couple gems throughout tho!

as some other reviewer said his wispy fairy voice got a little old..

2000s male indie is the worst genre ever I fear

It’s ok - not a big fan unfortunately

Ah, Elliott. The reedy double-tracked vocals are unmistakably him. The production somehow sounds both simple and lush. When the drums and synthy-strings hit in “Everything means Nothing”- it gets me. It’s a lovely album by my account. 4.0

Really good. I've heard of Elliott Smith but wasn't familiar with his music. I might have loved this back in the day. Sounds like a Paul Thomas Anderson soundtrack with occassional Wes Anderson vibes. 3.9

synes egentlig sangene var fine for sig selv men den var for monoton :/ lige under middel

Ikke hørt den her før. Bed sig ikke lige så meget fast som jeg havde håbet men det lød lækkert

Væsentlig mere kedelig end jeg havde regnet med..

First time listening to this album. Only ever heard a song or two from the artist. It’s pretty good. Peaceful pop. Not annoying. Never too loud or whiny. Better than many of his contemporaries.

white boys were too powerful in the early 2000s

Great album with a sad tone. Elliott Smith makes amazing music when it comes to making the listener feel his emotions

Not nearly as depressing as I thought it would be. The music was pleasant enough, but I didn't really check out the lyrics....kinda just had it on in the background. I doubt I will listen to it again...but you never know.

Sad boy

I was expecting this one to be quite depressing, glad it wasn't. Beautiful, moving music. Elliott Smith was quite a talent.

This is a great album. I was a big Elliott Smith fan growing up and still listen to him every so often. He was such a gifted songwriter and this album has a ton of incredible songs on it. I've got to give it 5/5 just for the songwriting and my nostalgia for it. Standout Tracks: Son of Sam, Somebody That I Used to Know, Everything Reminds Me of Her, Everything Means Nothing to Me, L.A., In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)/The Roost, Stupidity Tries, Wouldn't Mama Be Proud?, Color Bars, Happiness/The Gondola Man, I Better Be Quiet Now

Quality

Partial listen, he’s alright

So so album not my favorite but had some decent songs

Sad boi hours fr

This album is legendary. To preface this, I listened to Elliott Smith’s albums last March (non-posthumous) and everything changed for me. I covered “Say Yes” from Either/Or on my YouTube and then kind of fell out of Elliott Smith. I realized his songs kinda weren’t for me because most of them were about topics I thought were taboo and didn’t wanna talk about. A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends (mind you, we’re both high school kids now) asked me for a 90s recommendation. I showed her Elliott Smith and gave her Either/Or, and I listened to it again for the first time in almost a year. It felt nostalgic and vulnerable. I loved it so much that I decided to cover “Rose Parade”. Well, that cover was literally the day before this one, and I got Figure 8 today. I was so happy and I realized how Elliott Smith is a master craftsman of what he does. This is my favorite Elliott Smith album for a reason, and that reason is because it’s so cohesive. It’s the full amalgamation that is Smith’s sound. 5/5 Favorite Track: “Color Bars”, “L.A.”, “Pretty Mary Kay” Least Fav: I have none

Good album, nice melodic guitar riffs and harmonic moves. Interesting vocals. Good quality studio material. Pleasant impression.

Mopey folkie embraces his inner Beatles.

Muss man in Ruhe hören. Klasse! Für mich eine hörenswerte Neuentdeckung!

Prettier than I suspected. Still a whole lot of esoteric sounding … kinda. I dunno what.

It was good. Better than i expected. Good alt music.

Loved it. A lot of my friends really enjoy Elliott Smith and I totally understand why. Fantastic lyricist with good melodies to boot.

Much more than the lo-fi, “shoe-gaze” pop that I assumed was Elliott’s typical fare considering his reputation. Solid all-around.

I hadn't come across Elliott Smith before being presented with this album by the 1001 albums website. On first play, it came across as a pleasant enough record. On second play, it still came across as a pleasant enough record. After three plays I concluded this was a reasonable output for a 'singer/songwriter', and that I'd leave it at that. 3/5

Reminiscent of Beatles; good listening, the instrumentals are good but don't drown the lyrics. Many song with only guitar accompaniment. Good voice quality; lyrics can be understood. Must be about 15 songs on this album.

A unique voice and sound. The music was pleasing to listen to, but the vocals kind of blended in with the instruments. There wasn’t much contrast

This was not pleasant. I didn’t really find anything I liked about this album. It he emo vibe was strong here.

Not a big Elliott Smity guy personally but I see the appeal

Just ok

Just fantastic!

Better than the last one, nice melodies but much samey. Bland voice Between 3 and 4

Mopey music for people who like moping. Emo with even less edge. The smooth SpongeBob of depressing music. 6/10

Pleasant rainy Monday sounds 3.5/5

This must have been really influential to Death Can for Cutie. But this is probably better.

Wow! why haven't I listened to this album before!! I am floored by the different influences he pulled from the Beatles, Nick Drake, etc.

Elliott Smith fits perfectly into a list that skews toward singer/songwriters. He sings well and writes good melodies. I was surprised only be the fact that I had not heard of him before. But that's why I chose the 1001 site.

Boring

wonderful soft songs

Un cinco bajo.

Elliott Smith doesn’t have to be musically depressing. Amazing work on this album.

Nice album. Like his voice. Sad story

Nice

Have not listened to this in years. Oddly, it reminded me a lot of the McCartney album from the other day. Scruffy production and his way with a melody lifts it above the usual 90s complaint rock. Son of Sam, Junk Bond Trader, Easy Way Out and Better Be Quiet Now all work for me, others meander a bit. I thought Waltz #2 was on here, if it was it might get a four - as it is, a very solid three.

Figure 8 Listening to this I’m not sure why I didn’t get into him when his stuff was coming out - I think at that time I would have really got into it. However now I find it just kind of passes me by - some nice moments and the odd good song, but in the main a bit forgettable. Some of the melodies seem a bit forced and there is a rather distracting nasal tone to his voice. It often feels like a song is about to take flight and go somewhere really good, but then kind of never gets anywhere and just levels out, which is a bit frustrating. Felt this particularly on LA, Stupidity Tries and Wouldn’t Mama be Proud. Enjoyed the White Album/Abbey Roadvibes of Son of Sam and Junk Bond Trader is very good. I liked Colorbars and Better Be Quiet Now too, and Can’t Make a Sound builds to an impressive conclusion. Kind of falls right in the middle for me. Didn’t dislike it and enjoyed some of the songs, but I didn’t find much to excite me or hold my interest. A pretty average ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Un peu trop Dylan pour moi, beaucoup de refrains répétés, quand ça part en rock c'est sympa.

Found the music more interesting than the lyrics. Very Beatlesque

I liked moments on the album but nothing ever quite "hit it" for me for a full song.

A trip through 1001 albums with listening notes is nothing short of personal, and I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a five-star album in my catalogue, if not the very best of Elliott's releases. I've spun this more times than I can remember and I'm still gobsmacked by his impressive grasp of the most basic building blocks of pop music - the marriage of melody and harmony. He gets compared to the Beatles rightfully in this sense - but his unique vocal and undeniably sad story help set him apart as an artist that still seems singular to me, even 20 years on from his death. It could be my age and genre comfort speaking, but an album like Either/Or or Figure 8 feel to me pretty timeless - not a lot of era signposts giving away their age, and good melody never goes out of style. It gives the music grace and appeal. I'm constantly trying to emulate his economy of writing in my own songwriting attempts, and I'm still blown away that "Somebody That I Used To Know" gets in, roves through some supremely charming motifs, breaks your heart, and gets out in just over two minutes. A less-wise songwriter would be trying to get more mileage out of such tightly-crafted chord changes. "Stupidity Tries" remains one of my favorite Elliott Smith tracks, and "Son Of Sam" may well have been the first of his songs I ever heard - I even recall seeing a Figure 8 sticker on a lamppost on campus. Having watched replays of his short-lived show, it's apparent that Jon Brion must have been listening to Elliott demo "Everything Means Nothing To Me" when describing his utter bewilderment at the beauty of his songs in the Elliott doc Heaven Adores You. Only something so intricate and baroque could have so impressed a classically-hardened virtuoso.

Still not sure of the validity of this list of 1001 albums, but at least this one didn’t annoy me. The vocals were good, and the singer can carry a tune. The melodies are mostly pleasant and the songs were lyrically good. I don’t know that I could listen to this over and over, but it was better than a lot of others I’ve gotten.

It was ok

I like Elliott Smith in small doses. Definitely not his best album, but there’s some good stuff here.

Not really a big fan of this. The lyrics seem very simple and repetitive, nothing really innovative or ground breaking. First album I have been glad to be done with.

It’s a vibe, very soft for me but beautiful tunes, feels longing. Gets a bit boring/repetitive. Some nice vocal mixes. Lucked out matching the rainy day vibes. Long way to go, and getting further away Why should you want any other When you’re a world within a world?

Either/Or belongs in the book. This is a great album but doesn’t build on his earlier work. Several other great albums could’ve taken this place of this album in the book.

3,5

Okay, I'm converted. Elliott Smith was a great composer and I honestly like his music. Really good album, bit more polished and optimistic (at least instrumentally) than the few records before. Easy 5 out of 5.

Overall I like this kind of vibe of music quite a bit, but I felt that this was just missing something. It had all the usual elements of a sadboy indie type album but it made me feel nothing. Maybe I just didn’t connect with what he was singing about.

unremarkable

Interesting listen. Unique and varied sound that was pretty good in some stretches.

Half the songs rock harder than I’d have thought. The rest is as expected, and though good, becomes tiresome after a while.

I bought this album when it came out. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to it all the way through, though. So that was nice. Some beautiful music on here and it’s such a shame he’s gone.

It’s absolutely shocking that I wasn’t obsessed with Elliot Smith when I was in college. 4.5/5

Not my usual choice but still good

Meh

I enjoy this laid back/indie sound. Very easy listen with a lot of different sounding track.

There's some really good writing in this album. It's pretty slow and kind of boring... Actually, I don't know if boring is the right word. Because I was very interested in what was going on. Always curious to what was coming next. Not everything resonated with me. I was always told Elliot Smith wrote music for sad people. So perhaps this was just not the right day, or the right emotion to listen to this sort of music. It's not bad, and it's worth a revisit on a rainy day. I tend to cling to acoustic music, after all. I have a feeling my opinion would change on a second listen. But I'm content with giving this a 3/5

Очень не дурно!

good album. reminds me of college