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★★★★★ 5 points (20 reviews)


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  • Issued : 18 Apr 2000

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Item Details

Genre : Rock & Pop Catalogue Number : 0044502252
Format : CD Label : Dream Works Records
Issued : 18 Apr 2000 Item sourced from : USA
Number of Discs : 1

Figure 8

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Other Versions

  • LP   US Edition   ¥3,140   Reissue LP (US Import)   Released: 27 Nov 2007  

HMV Review

Judging only by his earlier, bare-bones indie-label albums, it seemed highly unlikely that Elliott Smith would turn into the ambitious arranger and studio craftsman of his lushly textured Dreamworks debut, XO. A big part of that shift, of course, was the fact that Smith had major-label finances and equipment to work with for the first time; this allowed him to fuse his melancholy, slightly punky folk with the rich sonics of pop artists like the Beatles and Beach Boys. Smith continues in that direction for the follow-up, Figure 8, an even more sonically detailed effort laden with orchestrations and inventive production touches. With a couple of exceptions, the sound of Smith's melancholy has largely shifted from edgy to sighingly graceful, although his lyrics are as dark as ever. Even if the subject matter stays in familiar territory, though, the backing tracks are another matter -- a gorgeous, sweeping kaleidoscope of layered instruments and sonic textures. Smith fleshes his songs out with assurance and imagination, and that newfound sense of mastery is ultimately the record's real emphasis; there's seemingly a subtle new wrinkle to the sound of every track, and yet it's all easily recognizable as trademark Smith. Even if it is a very impressive statement overall, Figure 8 isn't quite the masterpiece it wants to be -- there's something about the pacing that just makes the record feel long (at over 52 minutes, it is the longest album in Smith's catalog), and it can sometimes float away from the listener's consciousness. Perhaps it's that Smith's songwriting does slip on occasion here, which means that those weaker tracks sink under the weight of arrangements they aren't equipped to support. Still, most of the songs do reveal their strengths with repeated plays, and it's worth the price of a few nondescript items to reap the rewards of the vast majority. Fans who miss the intimacy of his Kill Rock Stars records won't find much to rejoice about here, but overall, Figure 8 comes tantalizingly close to establishing Elliott Smith as the consummate pop craftsman he's bidding to become. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

Credits

Joey Waronker(Drums),  Pete Thomas(Drums),  Sam Coomes(Bass),  Jon Brion(Vocals (Background)),  Elliott Smith(Producer),  Rob Schnapf(Engineer),  Rob Schnapf(Producer),  Tom Rothrock(Engineer),  Tom Rothrock(Producer),  Autumn de Wilde(Art Direction),  Autumn de Wilde(Design),  Autumn de Wilde(Photography),  Charles Paakkari(Assistant Engineer),  Dale Smith(Art Direction),  Dale Smith(Design),  Dann Thompson(Assistant Engineer),  Don C. Tyler(Mastering),  Geoff Walcha(Assistant Engineer),  Jimmy Hoyson(Assistant Engineer),  Paul Hicks(Assistant Engineer),  Richard Barron(Assistant Engineer),  Rob Schnapf(Mixing),  Suzie Katayama(Conductor),  Suzie Katayama(Orchestration),  Suzie Katayama(String Arrangements),  Tom Rothrock(Mixing),  Luke Wood(A&R)

Songs

  •   
    1
    Son Of Sam  (03:04)
  •   
    2
    Somebody That I Used To Know  (02:09)
  •   
    3
    Junk Bond Trader  (03:49)
  •   
    4
    Everything Reminds Me Of Her  (02:37)
  •   
    5
    Everything Means Nothing To Me  (02:24)
  •   
    6
    LA  (03:14)
  •   
    7
    In The Lost And Found (Honky Bach)/The Roost  (04:32)
  •   
    8
    Stupidity Tries  (04:23)
  •   
    9
    Easy Way Out  (02:44)
  •   
    10
    Wouldn't Mama Be Proud  (03:25)
  •   
    11
    Color Bars  (02:19)
  •   
    12
    Happiness/The Gondola Man  (05:04)
  •   
    13
    Pretty Mary K  (02:36)
  •   
    14
    I'd Better Be Quiet Now  (03:35)
  •   
    15
    Can't Make A Sound  (04:18)
  •   
    16
    Bye  (01:53)

Customer Reviews

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  • ★★★★★ 

    クララ  |  東京  |  不明  |  11/April/2009

    きれい。ハーモニーがきれい。普通に聞いてて気持ちいいなあ。最初の方は普通にきれいな音楽だなくらいにしか思わなかったけど、後半に向かって段々と疾走感を増していく。尻切れトンボみたいなアルバムはいくつもあるけど、こんなのは少ないと思う。音が重なっていっても透明で、きれいなものを作ろうとしてきれいなんじゃなくて、きれいなものを見ようとしてきれいなのかもしれない。逸話を聞いてなくても、偽善的な美しさではないと思ったと思う。

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  • ★★★★☆ 

    アラーム  |  神奈川  |  不明  |  17/March/2005

    5曲目がとにかく凄い!

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  • ★★★★★ 

    あっこ  |  岡山県  |  不明  |  22/December/2004

    某中古店でこのアルバムが売られていました。なんで〜誰が売ったんだこのばかものめー。といいたくなるくらいいいアルバムです。売った人の気がしれない。いいアルバムをどうもありがとう。FROM A BASEMENT ON THE HILLもとってもいいアルバムです。

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