Elliott Smith : Either/Or

I've definitely been getting back to basics. I've now been without television for well over a year, I can't remember the last time I watched a Yankee game and Netflix recently got the boot. It's music and reading. I've finally gotten around to reading A Confederacy of Dunces, which, midway through, is better than I'd anticipated. I don't know, there are certain films, records, books that have that universal acclaim that are often downright terrible.

I like searching for things to do. With more than 50% of my normal media unavailable, I now look through CD racks, scour the shelves for a book I'd forgotten to read. Or maybe read a book again. I recently re-read Bill Morrissey's Edson. I went to the library this week and picked up some DVDs. Since I didn't get to grow up mid 20th century, I can at least pretend.

I recently mentioned an old tradition I'd developed of listening to an entire record via the headphones, uninterrupted. Last night, I put on my Steelers feet pajamas, got into bed, and landed on Elliott Smith's Either/Or, a record I probably haven't listened to in two years. Now, if there's ever a record that almost demands no distractions, it's this one. These are not songs you can listen to casually in transit. Almost every song on the record runs between 2:30-3:30 and every single one is great. I often cite Figure 8 as Smith's masterstroke, but last night's listen (which turned into back-to-back listens) may have changed that.

"Alameda" is arguably the best song on the record, and maybe his best track overall. But then there's the gorgeous "Ballad of Big Nothing," the haunting "Between the Bars" and the uplifting (yep!) "Rose Parade." "They asked me to come down and watch the parade / And to march down the street like the Duracell bunny / With a wink and a wave from the calvacade / Throwing out candy that looks like money / To people passing by that all seem to be going the other way." Alright, maybe uplifting isn't the right word, but it did lift my spirits.

If you're sitting around this weekend, grab the headphones and iPod and give this one a listen. A beautiful 45 minutes.