XO
by: Elliott Smith
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Sales Rank: 3457
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Music : XO |
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Rating: - * The Rebirth of Elliott Smith ... Emerging from the shadow of Kurt Cobain in the late 90's, Elliott Smith was perhaps the greatest singer songwriter of his generation. Smith's genius was his unabashedly honest, naked, poetic lyricism that was so beautifully complemented by his unpretentiousness acoustic guitar. Like none that came before him, Smith delivers note after note of haunted, sparkling melancholy. Far from gloomy, his songs radiate with incredible emotional intensity. Combining an unbridled punk rage within the guise of an acoustic folk song, his songs speak for themselves. Reflective and introspective, each song unfolds like a delicately wrapped package, revealing itself slowly. Smith's songs present themselves like late night thoughts that just won't go away. Concerning themselves with drug abuse, depression, and troubled relationships, Smith exorcises his inner demons and releases them in a beautiful, blinding, luminosity, albeit born from dark, painful emotional despair. Almost immediately following the release of Good Will Hunting, Smith's popularity exploded overnight. With that popularity followed an offer from a bigger studio with more opportunity. What inevitably followed was a stylistic change in the sound that Smith had become known for. Who knows what XO would have sounded like had he not been nominated for an Academy Award. But XO afforded Smith the chance to embellish his sound with lush production and a rich, full bodied and arguably better sound. A few songs (Tommorrow, Tommorrow, Pitseleh) retain the simplicity of his earlier work). XO is undeniably Smith, the songwriting, the trademark guitar, the voice. Smith's album benefited from increased publicity, and XO would go on to become his best selling album. It is also arguably his most easily accessible album, which has drawn comparisons to The Beach Boys masterpiece Pet Sounds. You will catch yourself singing along to the melody before you realize what he is singing about. Lyrically, XO is just as dark as any of his previous efforts, this time there are just more lights. Perhaps best described as punk rage and despair with a sensitivity. XO is catchy and full bodied, reminiscent of The Beatles and 60's pop. The work on XO is just as complex lyrically as anything he has ever done, yet gorgeous ballads that are layered with pianos, guitars and drums. The result is a fully realized body of work of incredible impact. Smith takes full advantage to show off his proficiency on the piano on several tracks. From the driving guitars of "Amity", to "A Question Mark" XO is no doubt a rock album. Waltz #1 is a gorgeous, soaring, ballad that stands out among as one of the best. No longer a quiet hushed whisper, Smith's incredible singing voice is given the chance to soar, and soar it truly does. His voice truly resonates on songs like Waltz #1 and I Didn't Understand. It is just as easy to imagine the songs without the production, just as acoustic songs. Elliott Smith was a huge Beatles fan and it shows here. The melodies are stronger and catchier than ever. Each new layer fleshes his sound out almost adding another emotional layer. The result is a poppier, catchier sound. Each song flows into the next, and there isn't a dull song on the album. Soaring melodies and gorgeous harmony, supplemented by lush instrumentation allow Smith's songs to truly soar. XO explodes in a kaleidoscopic display of fireworks reaching for the heavens. XO may lose many of the purists who prefer the simple acoustic, although it is undeniable his music is still emotionally resonating. Rating:  - * Yeah I liked this album ... I had heard a few mp3s from friends and so I got into him. would recommend Rating: - * Outstanding Album ... Elliott Smith rarely recorded anything less than great, but XO is one of his strongest albums. In a discography of great work this album is outstanding and deserves praise. Rating: - * Arguably the best Elliott Smith Album ... This has always been my favorite album by Elliott Smith. The more I listen to Either/Or the more I find it hard to decide between the two, but I still think that in the "desert island" situation I'd go with XO. I thought about reviewing each song but I just don't think it's necessary, everyone should own this album. I have bought it as gifts for several of my family members that don't know who Elliott Smith was. Give the gift of music, give XO! Somehow he makes the f word sound pretty. That's gotta count for something. Rating: - * 5 star ... I am gonna keep it simple. If you like good music and you havent listened to any of Smith's work do not hesitate to buy this album. I started with his first album and worked my way onward to the last one released. I recomend all of his work. |
The real joy of the set, however, is nine NBA playoff games presented as they were originally broadcast and almost in their entirety. They last about 90-100 minutes with TV introductions and post-game interviews, but minus halftime, commercials, and some slower moments. The games include such absolute classics as the game in which rookie Magic Johnson started at center in place of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the 1987 "baby hook" game against the Boston Celtics. If you're used to watching current NBA games you might be tempted to just skip to the end, but it's surprisingly rewarding to watch the game develop, to watch the game's superstars strut their stuff (or see a couple of 1972 reserves named Phil Jackson and Pat Riley), and to observe how radically the sport has changed over the years. Variable picture quality and technical glitches are unavoidable (even the 2002 game looks washed out), but this is the first time complete or nearly complete NBA games have been available in the home-video era, and they probably still look better than the VHS tapes you've been saving over the years. Yes, it'd be easy to argue about which games from the Lakers' long history should have been included, and the highlight videos don't have a ton of replay value, but the NBA Dynasty series is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi
