Search - Various Artists :: To: Elliott From: Portland

Tribute is a true gem

Michael D. Monahan | Atlanta GA | 03/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tribute albums tend to fail their intended audience time and again, mainly because the audience they target are purist fans of the original work. More often than not, these fans view any reworking of the material as a form of sacrilege. Sadly, this is already the case for what is in reality, an outstanding tribute to Elliott Smith, "To:Elliott/From:Portland." Reading the message boards on various Smith fan sites, it doesn't take long to see that this release is loathed by his fan base. The crux of their collective wrath seems to be aimed at the non-sparse production, the reverse of which was a Smith trademark. Unfortunately, they are missing the real worth of this CD - that he was a remarkable songwriter, and given that fact, even relatively unknown artists (all of the bands on this disc are from his hometown of Portland) have a hard time sounding bad when given such a great song to work with. The CD kicks off with the best known band of the bunch, The Decemberists, and their cover of Clementine, and it's performed

almost as sparse as Elliott's original - acoustic guitar, harmonica, and the sound of a crackling fire in the background. The fire is a great effect - and reminds me how few of today's songs would actually sound so good at night in the woods with the smell of burning brush and branch permeating the air. From there, the production gets more lavish as each of the artists takes on the task of honoring his work. In spite of this, these artists do a fantastic job with Smith's material - and for people who were not a part of the near lunatic fanaticism that made up Smith's fan base while he was alive, I think they will be drawn even closer to his original work. Much like one of Elliott's biggest inspirations, The Beatles, a great song still sounds like a great song - even if performed by a guy at the corner pub. Unless you live in Portland, you won't know many (if any) of these artists, with the exception of the Decemberists and Eric Matthews - but please don't let that stop you from discovering this fine CD.

You'll thank yourself later for owning it.



Michael Monahan

Atlantabluesky.com"

The songwriting shines...

barbalib | 03/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a little hesitant about Elliott Smith tribute albums because, obviously, I love Elliott Smith's music and would hate to hear someone butcher it. I decided to go for this album since I'd read a couple of positive reviews and because some money would go to charity. I'm glad I decided to try it! Some of the versions on this album are quite different than the originals, which turns out to be a good thing. I knew Elliott Smith had a rare gift for songwriting, but hearing his songs performed by someone else only highlighted the strength of the songs. The performances on this album all allow the songs themselves to really shine. It's not Elliott, but I would recommend this album for anyone who wants to revisit the songs from a new perspective."

Excellent tribute to Elliott Smith

N. B. Zeev | 12/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a really big fan of Elliott Smith, I really liked this compliation. You can feel that the artists here actually love Elliotts and enjoy giving their own interpratation to his work."