Hear Unreleased Elliott Smith Song From ‘Either/Or’ Reissue
Elliott Smith‘s landmark third LP, 1997’s Either/Or, will be reissued as a deluxe 20th anniversary set on March 10th via Kill Rock Stars. The Expanded Edition – available on 2-LP, 2-CD and digital formats – features five multi-track live recordings from Olympia, Washington’s Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in 1997, along with four rare and unreleased studio recordings.
The collection is highlighted by a previously unheard version of “I Figured You Out.” Smith recorded the song in 1995 as a demo for folk artist Mary Lou Lord, who released a version – produced, performed, recorded and mixed by Smith – on her 1997 EP Martian Saints. The newly unearthed original version showcases Smith’s melancholy vocal harmonies and layered guitars.
Either/Or: Expanded Edition features the album remastered from the original tapes by Larry Crane, archivist of Smith’s estate and owner of Portland, Oregon’s Jackpot! Studios. Crane first conceived the project over a decade ago for a potential 10th anniversary release, but he was overwhelmed by the amount of archival material he discovered. Instead, the estate issued the 2007 posthumous Smith LP, New Moon.
“The bonus tracks would have swamped the album,” Crane told The New York Times. “Elliott was such a workhorse. He put the time in, writing and recording so many songs that didn’t make the cut.”
In addition to “I Figured You Out,” the reissue also features a new version of “Speed Trials” B-side “I Don’t Think I’m Ever Gonna Figure It Out,” a keyboard version of New Moon‘s “New Monkey” and an alternate rendition of XO‘s “Bottle Up and Explode!” with different lyrics.
A double-LP edition is packaged in a gatefold jacket with an insert of the original liner notes, a postcard of the original master tapes and numerous never-before-seen photos.
The acclaimed Either/Or marked a career turning point for the signer-songwriter. Five of its tracks, along with his Oscar-nominated “Miss Misery,” were featured in the hit movie Good Will Hunting.
Either/Or: Expanded Edition Track List
1. “Speed Trials” (remastered)
2. “Alameda” (remastered)
3. “Ballad of Big Nothing” (remastered)
4. “Between the Bars” (remastered)
5. “Pictures of Me” (remastered)
6. “No Name No. 5” (remastered)
7. “Rose Parade” (remastered)
8. “Punch and Judy” (remastered)
9. “Angeles” (remastered)
10. “Cupid’s Trick” (remastered)
11. “2:45 AM” (remastered)
12. “Say Yes” (remastered)
13. “My New Freedom” (Live) (unreleased)
14. Pictures Of Me” (Live) (unreleased)
15. “Angeles” (Live) (unreleased)
16. “Some Song” (Live) (unreleased)
17. “Rose Parade” (Live) (unreleased)
18. “New Monkey” (keys) (unreleased)
19. “I Don’t Think I’m Ever Gonna Figure It Out” (remixed/remastered)
20. “I Figured You Out” (unreleased)
21. “Bottle Up And Explode” (Alternate Version) (unreleased)