Announced less than a week following what would have been the late, great Elliott Smith’s 41st birthday, An Introduction to… Elliott Smith, a 14-track compilation that includes cuts from my favorite singer-songwriter’s full 5-album solo catalog, an early version of his Oscar-nominated song “Miss Misery,” and tunes off the posthumously released New Moon double-disc and From a Basement on the Hill LP will hit shelves on November 2 via Kill Rock Stars.
Though longtime — or even casual — fans won’t find anything particularly exciting about this release (important songs from Smith’s inimitable career are notably absent due to presumed contractual issues), KRS and Co. are merely hoping to acquaint a new generation of future fans with one of the best songwriters of all time. (An honorable undertaking, I’d say. If you’ve never heard Smith before, this is a fine introduction.)
Download one track off the comp, Either/Or’s “Between the Bars,” here, and check out the full tracklist below:
01. Ballad of Big Nothing
02. Waltz #2 (XO)
03. Pictures of Me
04. The Biggest Lie
05. Alameda
06. Between the Bars
07. Needle in the Hay
08. Last Call
09. Angeles
10. Twilight
11. Pretty (Ugly Before)
12. Angel In the Snow
13. Miss Misery (early version)
14. Happiness