Elliott Smith - 1997 - Either/Or

I, like so many, didn't know who Elliott Smith was until Gus Van Sant's 1997 film Good Will Hunting.

Van Sant, so identified with Portland, Oregon (he directed one of my all-time favorite films, 1989's Drugstore Cowboy), had become familiar with Elliott - who also lived in Portland - through his few solo albums and... you get the idea. You wanna see something great, watch the YouTube video of Elliott performing at the Oscars.

I became a huge fan. Good Will Hunting is a really good film, so much more poignant with Robin Williams suicide. 

This album is so good. I mean, I plead with you, listen.

Though I understand why you might not want to do so. Elliott Smith's music was sad. And in 2004, he committed suicide. Some people try to blame it on his girlfriend, and his suicide is not official, but I was not surprised when I arrived at Walden House Adolescent Services on that morning after and WFG had left a message with one of the residents to let me know...

I had relied on Elliott so heavily post-divorce (circa 2000). He was depressing, sure, but there was always a glimmer of hope to his music. Listen to the closer of this album, "Say Yes", as an example.

When he killed himself, that glimmer of hope was gone. With nearly twenty years having passed, I can finally listen to him again.

Me and my family (Monica and Preslie) were in L.A. a few weeks ago, and Elliott, who had entrenched himself there before his death, was sort of a soundtrack.

P goes to an art school, and she and her friends are fans of Elliott Smith. How weird is that? So we went to the wall that was featured for his album Figure 8.

We also drove by the mural in Silverlake, the Sunset Liquors mural, which is the cover of Shlep Hates Music, Vol. whatever.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. I actually still own this on vinyl.

Now I am gonna quit pontificating and listen.

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