Who Was Elliott Smith? - An Underground Alchemy Documentary

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  • čas přidán 17. 05. 2023
  • Today we dive into the life of Elliott Smith, A promising songwriter who's life was cut way too short.
    Want to be interviewed on our channel? Throw us a dm on instagram: @underground._.alchemy
    interview edited by nineclover/lachlan thorne
    voiceover by lachlan thorne
    #elliottsmith #documentary #music
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Komentáře • 108

  • @jimtroeltsch5998
    @jimtroeltsch5998 Před rokem +115

    Elliott Smith, imho opinion, was the best song-writer/singer since John Lennon or Paul McCartney. He crafted perfect songs. And almost all of his material, which is a truly prolific amount, are of a similar super high quality, even the b-sides. A phenomenal talent and inspiration.

    • @JesusGomez-ob2qt
      @JesusGomez-ob2qt Před rokem +2

      Neither John or Paul were even top 10 best songwriters of their time what makes you think they're the best of all? You're funny

    • @jimtroeltsch5998
      @jimtroeltsch5998 Před rokem +5

      @@JesusGomez-ob2qt fair point! I personally don't consider them the best, I just know a lot of people do. Tbh, I don't know who would be the best other than Elliott Smith lol

    • @inshambles2
      @inshambles2 Před rokem +5

      @@JesusGomez-ob2qt paul definitely was and is with his melodies

    • @zilooh
      @zilooh Před rokem

      ​@@JesusGomez-ob2qtBig enough joint you smoking pal? because that's really fucking dumb

    • @MRatna
      @MRatna Před rokem

      Very different genre, but I’d put Difford and Tillbrook up there.

  • @winterbeaches
    @winterbeaches Před 11 měsíci +11

    Knew him from Portland. Lots of memories. Invited him to a party once. He was reading in a sandwich shop near Sheridan Fruit. We invited the guy making sandwiches. I didn't want Elliott to feel left out so I said 'hey, book boy...do you like to party?' He shrunk down into his book. I said "it's ok, you can bring your book.'

    • @Missjunebugfreak
      @Missjunebugfreak Před 11 měsíci

      Damn! Did Elliott end up coming to your party? I often wish I'd met Elliott but I'd be scared to say something foolish in front of him.

    • @winterbeaches
      @winterbeaches Před 11 měsíci +2

      @@Missjunebugfreak Yes., both of the guys came. He was pretty accepting of people and would not care if someone said something foolish. i wish you could have met him.

    • @bitesized4503
      @bitesized4503 Před 8 měsíci

      @@winterbeachesthat’s really lovely

    • @SkamniX
      @SkamniX Před 4 měsíci

      This was before he was famous right?

  • @GamesWithBrainz
    @GamesWithBrainz Před rokem +17

    dude he was my absolute favorite artist from like age 13 to 17. I havent hardly listened to much elliott since because the overwhelming mix of nostalgia and sadness that i feel makes it hard to come back to (same thing happens to me with Nirvana), but he will always be a favorite musician of mine and is probably my biggest influence on the music ive made. im sure at some point ill get heavily back into him. Love you Elliott

  • @grendel_nz
    @grendel_nz Před rokem +17

    Didn't realise he had left us. Thank you for this. Good Will Hunting, is an awesome film. Always loved how they used his song at the end. Wish they'd made it clearer that it was his.

    • @undergroundalchemy
      @undergroundalchemy  Před rokem +7

      of course i'm very glad you enjoyed. and yeah elliott really did deserve more attention, even now.

    • @fufuman27
      @fufuman27 Před rokem +5

      He was the main artist for that movie with 3 other songs throughout the film

    • @OlletheOpa
      @OlletheOpa Před rokem +1

      So cool

  • @benforsythe7179
    @benforsythe7179 Před 11 měsíci +17

    I almost never cry, but this video made me tear up. Elliott inspired me to become a musician years back, and I never stop coming back to his music. He's truly one of the greats.

  • @5055672439
    @5055672439 Před rokem +11

    This is a very 2023 gamer version of an Elliot Smith documentary. Very different crowd to the 40 - 60 something’s you see writing comments on videos of concerts of his because they were actually there. I like both groups but wish I got to be apart of the latter.

    • @undergroundalchemy
      @undergroundalchemy  Před rokem +6

      L bozo learn to time travel

    • @5055672439
      @5055672439 Před rokem +2

      @@undergroundalchemy Yeah that’s exactly what I was talking about! :)

    • @georgesandchopin299
      @georgesandchopin299 Před 2 měsíci

      While I agree, it is indicative of Elliott's stature among slightly left-field sensitive kids. You don't get them calling Epic Soundtracks or David Berman from the Silver Jews "daddy"

  • @BehindTheDialogue
    @BehindTheDialogue Před rokem +5

    A year ago, an album from his first band (Stranger than fiction) was uploaded to youtube called Elliott Smith - Early songs. There is a lot of good songs an even prototypes of his later work.

  • @cheemsrei
    @cheemsrei Před rokem +9

    He moved to Oregon because that’s where his father was living at the time, he wanted to get away from his abusive stepfather and mother.

  • @The_Reality_Filter
    @The_Reality_Filter Před 10 měsíci +2

    1:30 holy smokes that's Bachtastic piano playing...

  • @deaddeaddeaddeaddead5667
    @deaddeaddeaddeaddead5667 Před 5 měsíci +1

    last great songwriter. no song is a skip in this man's entire catalogue. his dedication to his craft is astounding and he made it look so effortless

  • @manuelmalheiros5403
    @manuelmalheiros5403 Před rokem +5

    1:27 Rachmaninoff - Op. 3 No. 2

  • @christiangasior4244
    @christiangasior4244 Před 8 měsíci +3

    Clearly one of the most talented singer-songwriters of all time. We definitely lost out on tons of great music as Elliott just shat out banger after banger, very few fillers. Also miss Mark Linkous aka Sparklehorse.

  • @spudly5339
    @spudly5339 Před rokem +3

    This was really really great! Made me laugh but also covered Elliott's life really well with inspiring video footage n stills. Great job!!!

  • @derekcampbell4209
    @derekcampbell4209 Před rokem +1

    Nice video! And thank you, Elliott’s legacy lives on with videos like this reaching new people.

  • @barbarahallowell2613
    @barbarahallowell2613 Před 10 měsíci +2

    ❤ i love your video, and him. I do have to chuckle as the elder I am just because Heatmiser clip just sounds sooo intensly 1991. 😊❤😊 I'm ok with that. I lived through that time, I was lucky enough to be 21 at the time, yes, eek 53 now. It was a very special time in music and culture.
    I'm just amused by hearing that bit for the first time in ages and ages just how much it sounded exactly like that year, lol.
    He did better later, thank the gods.😊

  • @rick.05
    @rick.05 Před rokem +2

    I discovered Elliott Smith just yesterday, damn, i did not expect him to be that great, Speed Trials is a song which i enjoyed a lot

  • @chancegreenisdead
    @chancegreenisdead Před 11 měsíci +1

    this is fantastic great job fam

  • @SeriouslyCinnamon
    @SeriouslyCinnamon Před rokem

    This is such a great video! It’s funny when it needs to be but also is serious when needed❤

  • @Death_G
    @Death_G Před rokem +1

    really enjoyed the video 🔥

  • @ericr.7527
    @ericr.7527 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I saw him live when he was in Heatmiser. He was amazing.

  • @sam1coronasc
    @sam1coronasc Před 11 měsíci +2

    Love Elliot smith! Not many know about this great artist , one of the best!

  • @indieisin
    @indieisin Před rokem +10

    Elliott Smith - the greatest there ever was. Period. Every artist has influences, but he was one of a kind.. he made music that was way more than the sum of the artists he took influence from. It's weird seeing more and more Elliott videos pop on on CZcams - I want the world to know him but he is in a way one of the last best kept secrets - a lot of people haven't heard of his music, but if you play music you definitely have. And if you know good music, you definitely have. RIP Elliott

    • @vonclohk507
      @vonclohk507 Před rokem

      I don't know if he would have gotten much bigger. Most likely he would just stayed in "indie land" but I've fantasized about him Ringo and Paul taking the stage somewhere sometime?

    • @indieisin
      @indieisin Před rokem +1

      ​@@vonclohk507 I mean, I guess we will never know but I have to believe he would have.. he played the Oscars and even though no one there knew who he was his music has that quality to it that if you hear it you know its good -- which is probably how he got nominated in the first place. And he kept evolving as a musician, he might have melancholy songs but they are by no means all slow and folky like Bon Iver, for example. The last album he worked on while he was alive - From a Basement - the way he blends what would otherwise be dissonant sounds and makes them beautiful is just more proof of the immense talent he possessed. Elliott Ringo and Paul playing together... now THAT would be amazing. Almost too much talent playing together I couldn't even imagine..

  • @jarneyjnr2316
    @jarneyjnr2316 Před rokem +1

    The shrek joke got me

  • @dagwoodcalhoun
    @dagwoodcalhoun Před 10 měsíci +1

    Such a fOkken legend...and one of my favs.

  • @vonclohk507
    @vonclohk507 Před rokem +1

    Elliott Smith was a person that sat right next to me at a (now closed) NYC bar called Max Fish and I had NO idea who he was. It was in the mid 90's and my friend said, "he's a great solo artist." I am WAY into indie music and I had NO clue who he was. Well, that's not totally true...someone played me Heatmiser but I didn't like it. Basically I just hated the band name. But there he was just sitting there next to me with his Hank Williams shirt and smashed down Keith Richard's cut. Once I got home a different friend gave me a cassette dub of XO and I've been hooked ever since of course.

  • @fallleaves8963
    @fallleaves8963 Před rokem +1

    Really nice!❤❤

  • @ciaraskeleton
    @ciaraskeleton Před rokem +1

    Angeles is my favourite Elliot song too! That film by Jem cohen is one of my favourite evet pieces of art ❤

  • @pryorii
    @pryorii Před rokem +5

    let's goo

  • @fufuman27
    @fufuman27 Před rokem +2

    He went to Portland bc of his dad😊

  • @anadraham2995
    @anadraham2995 Před 10 měsíci

    Exceptionally well done mini doc 👍🎈👍 looking forward to hearing more of your voice 🛀

  • @ivorytower99
    @ivorytower99 Před 10 měsíci +1

    *I don't know. I wasn't there. I'm just guessing.*

  • @julyboy66
    @julyboy66 Před 5 měsíci

    Les images que tu as partagé sont à mon sens plutôt rares.
    La séquence sur le piano en dit long sur le talent qu’il possédait.
    Merci pour le partage !

  • @Lcacique
    @Lcacique Před 11 měsíci

    Smith didn't meet Neil Gust in Portland. They met in Amherst, while they were in college.
    Nothing on his self-titled record could ever be called a "hit." Hardly anyone outside of the NW had even heard of him yet.

  • @kirstytan7855
    @kirstytan7855 Před rokem +4

    Dude, I really enjoy this video. Your humour made my day😂. Love the sarcasm.

  • @lachlanthorne
    @lachlanthorne Před rokem +7

    Songs id recommend listening to from Elliott Smith are Between the Bars, Say Yes, Twilight and Needle in the Hay

    • @kirstytan7855
      @kirstytan7855 Před rokem

      I really agree ❤

    • @kirstytan7855
      @kirstytan7855 Před rokem +1

      Angeles and waltz 2!

    • @merilynne1548
      @merilynne1548 Před rokem +4

      Can't forget his unreleased stuff like See You in Heaven, Either/Or (the song), and Stickman.

    • @QQ-vc9wt
      @QQ-vc9wt Před rokem

      Add Roman candle and clementine

    • @OlletheOpa
      @OlletheOpa Před rokem +2

      Kings Crossing too!

  • @bycorduroy8269
    @bycorduroy8269 Před rokem +3

    decent educationally but the, “jokes” definitely distract the longer I watch.

  • @Bapuji42
    @Bapuji42 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Gone too soon. Too soon.

  • @motherdreamfyre6828
    @motherdreamfyre6828 Před 11 měsíci

    Once you said “I’m seeing daddy” I subscribed

  • @ronnieblanchet4072
    @ronnieblanchet4072 Před 11 měsíci

    One of Gods greatest creations within His-Story. God bless you!
    Thank you for your work!
    SOLI DEO GLORIA
    (To The Glory Of God Alone)
    Father, Son & Holy Spirit
    -Ronnie

  • @Spagett998
    @Spagett998 Před 10 měsíci

    wow he really was good at piano

  • @fallleaves8963
    @fallleaves8963 Před rokem

    wth he died exactly on my birthday. same year and everything..damn

  • @pauldcruz4161
    @pauldcruz4161 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Sometimes your silly jokes and voice just sounded disrespectful. You obviously like Elliott, so do I so kudos on the hits. The semi comedic comentary?...no sweetheart!

  • @Missjunebugfreak
    @Missjunebugfreak Před 11 měsíci +2

    Elliott Smith is my favourite songwriter. I got into his music 3 years ago and i'm forever grateful that i did because he has an immaculate discography. So many masterpieces and his musicianship is fantastic - especially his guitar playing which i think is kinda underrated. I wish Elliott was more popular with people my age (i'm in my 20s) but I love having his music as my lovely little secret. Such a special artist ♡

  • @XOXGENNY
    @XOXGENNY Před rokem +3

    i didn’t know anything about him before

    • @gaylothropmissinformed1046
      @gaylothropmissinformed1046 Před rokem

      That's what's great about him. Make his art mean what you want it to. It's the whole point ❤

  • @BarrieJamesOfficial
    @BarrieJamesOfficial Před rokem +1

    Great job mate. He is a legend. Great banter too.

  • @brooklynboy1000
    @brooklynboy1000 Před 9 měsíci

    He was a talented but overly sensitive soul. In the book I read it said he wanted to kill himself and he thought about it a lot. Did he also do drugs ? Who knows but he was a fragile guy. His music was depressing

  • @ealo8747
    @ealo8747 Před rokem +2

    if you dont know his dad was in Portland i have no faith in the rest of this ”documentary”

  • @meleecritical
    @meleecritical Před 10 měsíci +2

    I appreciate the subject matter very much!
    Tone is distracting 🫤

  • @amelie_belle5
    @amelie_belle5 Před rokem +2

    loved this documentary, every joke was an absolute banger

  • @paulbergner9713
    @paulbergner9713 Před 11 měsíci

    This could have been a lot better if the narrator hadn't ruined it with his horrible commentary, just saying. RIP Elliot. One of the greats!

  • @SonyaBladesBooty
    @SonyaBladesBooty Před rokem +1

    Elliott Smith was an overrated songwriter who was promised way more by the music industry than it could actually give him. That is why he died basically

    • @fondfarewell2
      @fondfarewell2 Před 11 měsíci +5

      99% of today's musician can't even write their own music while you bash a guy who wrote all of his music and played all of the instruments on his albums. even for a troll that's a moronic and pathetic take on someone who was respected and admired by many commercially successful musicians. Elliott said it himself, he wasn't meant to be famous. He never aspired to be, he just liked writing music.

    • @SonyaBladesBooty
      @SonyaBladesBooty Před 11 měsíci

      ​@@fondfarewell2 You sound like an edgy 12 year old who just discovered classic rock. Yep, Elliott was a washed up songwriter who couldn't branch out enough to pivot to other forms of music and as a songwriter couldn't write for other musicians so he petered out and had basically only 1 and a half good albums before he died. Btw kid, being respected by commercially successful musicians doesn't mean jack. If that was the case then Nickelback would be the ones gatekeeping musicians' careers.

    • @Lcacique
      @Lcacique Před 11 měsíci +2

      As someone who knew him, that is not even remotely why he died.

  • @cozxmos
    @cozxmos Před rokem +1

    Nice one man. ES is the all time best 🤍

  • @aswilll
    @aswilll Před 11 měsíci +1

    dude funny is definitely not for you, skip that shit and just make a doc

    • @anadraham2995
      @anadraham2995 Před 10 měsíci

      A bag of hairy balls is definitely for you - eat a bag of fuckin hairy balls 😁