|
| |
|
|
|
This review is about elliott smith's 4th album. It's mostly accoustic when he plays guitar apart from a few songs. He's one of the few artist that really got me in the last couple of years. His amazing singing/backup vocals and very good (although very depressing) lyrics make him one of the best artists of the last couple of years in my opinion. It also helps that he has very great guitar riffs and very orignial songs. Unfortunatly he decided to kill himself in quite a gruwsome way earlyer this year leaving me and i bet a lot of other eliott smith fans in shock.
Ps. A piece of advise Listen To This With Headphones Real Loud... it's really amazing
1.. Sweet Adeline
Good moodsetter for the cd i think, nice start. The guitar riff is really cool. But after some time it gets boring. Then BAM 1;34 Everything hits in, backupvocals, piano etc. It's Amazing. I was in shock first time i heard it, i like it a lot The lyrics in this song are IMO really good with sentences like 'there's a kid a floor below me saying brother can you spare sunshine for a brother old man winter's in the air' The song does get a little old if u hear it lot's of times so 4/5
2.. Tomorrow, Tomorrow
A very impressive piece of guitar playing here, sorta reminding you of songs like Angeles but i don't think it worked very good altough i like sentences like 'they called u failures art, they were wrong love' cause thats cool.. :) but i don't absolutely adore this song 4/5
3.. Waltz #2 (XO)
Now this song i reaaaaaally like, the intro, the vocals, the backup vocals, the piano, the guitar, the lyrics.. It All Works. He sings things like 'So Here It Is, The Revenge To The Tune YOUR NO GOOD' *i wuv it * Also things like 'I'm never gonna know you know, but im gonna love you anyhow..' it's all great 5/5 defenitly
4.. Baby Britain
This song really impressed me the first time i heard it, it stood out, nice piano playing chords. The chorus is really great and then... around 1;35 he sings 'You Got That Look In Your Eye, When Your Saying Goodbye Like U Wanna Say Hi' and i was so impressed i thought to myself 'BEST SONG EVER' but Then................ 2;16 there is this noice in the background.. I HATE IT :amaze: so this song is very great but not perfect 4.7/5
5.. Pitsele
A good song, but not totally amazing. Especially the verses get a little boring after some time, but he got a gift where he always makes that up with a great chorus but this time i don't feel like he did the first 1 minute 45 are pretty much the same and then a piano kicks in and makes it all worth while :) still the least song up untill this point 3.6/5
6.. Independence Day
Another very good song, especially the intro. I listened to this first time with headphones and oh my.. it's the best. The verse isn't amazing but really cool still. The same really cool guitar riff is still playing throughout the song. And when it almost tends to get boring around 2;00 he sings a nice little bridge thingy and everything after that is really great.. amazing great in my opinion. 5/5 again :)
7.. Bled White
This song is OK but like Pitseleh it's a better then avarage songs but you and i know he can do better so it's good but not AMAZING.. i do like sentences like 'I'm Not ****ed Not Quite so i wouldn't skip it :) 4/5
8.. Waltz #1
The first time i heard the album i didn't really like this song, it sounded depressed and really sad when i expected a happier song like waltz #2 but after i listened to it some more i did start to like/love it especially when he says 'I Wish I'd Never Seen Your Face' it's amazing, really 4.7/5
9.. Amity
This song staight up rock in the beginning.. It starts of Real loud AMITY AMITY AMITY AMITY AMITY. it scared me :p but it callms down a bit and kicks out a solo at 1;15 but i don't love it it's kinda cool but i sometmes skip it 3.5/5
10.. Oh Well, Okay
This song has no intro and he starts singing immidiatly in a kinda sad tone.. not really cool but it's ok. Lot's of piano in this song. Again i don't really love this song.. although the ?cello? in the background is really cool and the solo at 1;30 is ok. and the backup vocals after that are cool but it's not brilliant, i again skipt it sometimes 3.6/5
11.. Bottle Up And Explode!
Great guitar intro and really cool riff and his voice kicks in really cool too, i really like this song agian. It got me so happy when i heard this through headphones the first time, the lyrics are probably depressive but i still like it and it still makes me happy :) solo at 1;47 really works this time and that makes the song worthwhile too !! 5/5
12.. A Quistion Mark
There is a trumpet in this song... really weird but really cool for some reason. It makes the song complete and makes it just that little bit different to make it even cooler and then his backupvocals over it all.. it again works.. 4.8/5
13.. Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands
I don't really know about this song.. I don't really love it but it's kinda cool. The guitar is very plain and simple but then he says Stay The **** Away From Things You Know Nothing About And a piano kicks in and some other stuff.. really cool.. i guess 4.5/5
14.. I Didn't Understand
This song is amazing :amaze: It's all sung and it's so brilliant. I think he does every voice himself. I count around 5, 6 different voices in this song and it's almost enchanting. Really sad lyrics though; 'my feelings never change a bit i always feel like **** i dont know why i guess that i just do' But defenitly one of the best ways to end off an album. Really amazing 5.5/5
This album is DEFENITLY your moneys worth. I got into him first by another album (Either/Or) and this one is about as good. Defenitly one of the best albums i've ever heard along with Jeff Buckleys - Grace and some others..
this is defenilty 5/5 material
| other reviews of this album |
FlawedPerfection EMERITUS (5)
A brilliant work of art, Elliott Smith takes his music to a new level with enhanced studio...
NathanBeesley (5)
The songs on XO are gateways to new worlds: It is through their inherent poetry and the fr...
DropTune (5)
A story for another time, XO takes no time in giving its listener one of the most importan...
KjD (5)
Catchy, emotional, and well-written, XO is a masterpiece....
cagedbutterfly (5)
Elliott blends rock with folk and crafts a masterpiece of an album...
|
Yes! I'm so glad someone reviewed an Elliot Smith cd. Great work mate. I have to buy this cd. I'll review Either/Or on the weekend :thumb:
| | |
nice review, elliot smith is great.
| | |
nicely done for the most part. This is one of my favourite albums ever.
| | |
wow...you didn't like all the songs i love. oh well. elliott smith rules, but i wasn't really shocked when he committed suicide; it sucks and all, but listen to his music and you can tell he was a pretty world-weary guy. Either way, he will be missed.
| | |
How come you gave a couple songs 3.6/5 ratings, but then the album rating 5.5/5? That doesn't really add up. :amaze:
Otherwise, good review. I'm bored, I feel like doing my own song-by-song review.
ELLIOTT SMITH - XO
1. Sweet Adeline - I downloaded this album, and for some reason this song didn't get downloaded so I don't have it. I have heard it before, and I know it's good. But that's all I can say...
2. Tomorrow, Tomorrow - I really like the beginning of this track, good guitaring. The vocals and guitar fit together really well. I think it's one of the better songs on the album. 4.5/5
3. Waltz #2 - Debatably one of Elliotts best songs he's every written. Everything in this song is absolutely perfect, the piano, guitar, lyrics, singing and drumming. This song is perfect all the way through. Coming in at a time of 4:40, this is also one of the longest songs as well, which is a good thing. 6/5
4. Baby Britain - Track 3 pumps you up, to be let down by track 4. Baby Britain is probably my least favourite song off the album. Too happy, too poppy, I like the depressing Elliott a lot more. 3/5
5. Pitselah - Just Elliott and his guitar until about the half-way mark, then the piano comes into play, which makes the song even better than it already is. 4.5/5
6. Independance Day - Another great "Elliott style" intro, this is one of his best songs on XO. Generally, I don't like when guitar riffs follow along with the singing. But in this track I do, he does it very well. 5/5
7. Bled White - Awesome guitar intro, then the piano jumps in. This is a solid track,another best off the album. It's a little faster and poppier that some other songs (But not as poppy as Baby Britain) and I think he got it just right. 4.6/5
8. Waltz #1 - Lilsolsman commented on how this song sounded very depressing and he didn't like it at first. I, on the other hand, love depressing songs, as I stated above. I've had people tell me things like that before, "How can you listen to ES so much? He's so depressing." Good music just isn't good music without the feeling. Anyways, this is decent song, not one of my favourites. 3.8
9. Amity - This song kicks into gear straight away. Starting out with guitar, bass, drums and vocals right from the beginning. This is a good song, with a decent electric guitar solo, something that you don't hear too often in Elliotts music. (Or atleast I haven't). 4.5/5
10. Oh Well, Okay - A slower, acoustic track, (and strings). I like how he keeps everything fresh, going back and forth from fast to slow. Instead of keeping it all the same one after another. It's a pretty chillin song. 4/5
11. Bottle Up And Explode! - Another awesome acoustic intro. Elliott is so good at what he does, he has his own formula to songwriting and sticks to it. But unlike many, everything still remains fresh and new. That's one of the things I love about his music. This is a great track, I'd say it's flawless. 5/5
12. A Question Mark - Another brilliant song, this time incorperating horns into the mix. The best part of this song is definately the chrorus, "Cause you know, you know, you know, you know etc." Sounds repetitive doesn't it? Yeah, well, it's awesome. 5/5
13. Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands - Yet another good track, he seems to have saved all the goodies up until the end. Four and a half minutes, the second longest track on the album. Acoustic for about 2/3 of the song, then he adds in the drums, bass, piano etc. I love especially loves when he does that, adds more for me to look forward too. 4.5/5
14. I Didn't Understand - All vocals, this is pretty sweet. As Lilsolman said, I'm guessing that he does all the vocals, but I don't know that for sure. Either way, it's a good song. 3.9/5
Now, some of these ratings may not look too high, but the ratings are based on comparisons between the songs. Don't just think because I gave a song a 3.5 rating, that means it's a bad song. It just means it's my least favourite off the album. Anyways, this is my second favourite Elliott Smith album, first being Either/Or. And I'm out jiggas, final rating:
4.8/5
| | |
1.. Sweet Adeline 4.3/5
2.. Tomorrow, Tomorrow 4/5
3.. Waltz #2 (XO) 5.1/5
4.. Baby Britain 4.7/5
5.. Pitseleh 4.8/5
6.. Independence Day 5/5
7.. Bled White 4/5
8.. Waltz #1 5/5
9.. Amity 4.8/5
10.. Oh Well, Okay 4.9/5
11.. Bottle Up And Explode! 5/5
12.. A Quistion Mark 4.8/5
13.. Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands 4.8/5
14.. I Didn't Understand 5.5/5
Overal 5/5
These are the ratings i would give to the songs after listening to them billions of times
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
My Jazz band is playing A Question Mark, and our teacher in that class played on this album. He is the saxophone throughout the album I believe (can be heard in A Question Mark.)
| | |
Nice review.
I hav'nt heard a mass amount of his stuff but Twilight is deffinately a fav.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
great album. and that's awesome toolbox
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
amazing album, easily my favourite of elliott's studio work
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
great album.
favorite song: amity
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Amazing album.
But your review gave me cancer
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
This is one of those albums that I spend a week on pondering if it's a 5 or a 4.5. Every song on this album is absolutely breathtaking, especially I Didn't Understand.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Sorry, double post (site acting screwy for me).This Message Edited On 05.21.07
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
I didn't understand is amazing. the a capella, oh man, I love it.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
1) Sweet Adeline, 4,5
2) Tomorrow, Tomorrow, 4,5
3) Waltz #2 (XO), 5
4) Baby Britain, 5
5) Pitseleh, 5
6) Independence Day, 4
7) Bled White, 5
8) Waltz #1, 5
9) Amity, 3,5
10) Oh Well, Okay, 5
11) Bottle Up And Explode!, 5
12) A Question Mark, 4
13) Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands, 5
14) I Didn't Understand 5
this album is awesome.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
After listening to Elliott every day for about a year now, I've realised that Waltz #1, although it didn't stand out in front of me at first, is probably one of the greatest and most emotional songs ever made.
| | |
The first five songs, Waltz #1 and I Didn't Understand were the immediate standouts, but after a few listens I grew to love the entire album equally. The only other Elliott album I can say that about is Either/Or, and MAYBE the self-titled.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Yeah I Didn't Understand is terrific
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
This might actually be my least favorite ES album but its still pretty damn good
| | | |
|
| |
