Had a dream about my Elliott (my dog) the other night... nearly 12 months have past since Elliott took up residency with my parents in San Benito, Texas.
I spend an absurd amount of hours at the office and opted to have my parents (whom are retired) to look over him and let him outside to roam about their large back yard whenever he pleases.
This is a 180gram re-release...
I see him roughly once a month... the visits are always short lived and when I do get to spend time with him, I usually pull out some Elliott Smith to pass the time. I named my dog after the singer/songwriter so it's hard to think of one and not the other.
I learned about Elliott Smith after seeing the movie Good Will Hunting... I picked up the soundtrack and then discovered he had a handful of albums to pour over. If you're unfamiliar with his work, I ask that you prepare yourself to possibly come to grips with a number of bottled up emotions.
Case in point, the song Baby Britain. I have gone about a good part of my adult life with an undiagnosed drinking problem. I've never sought any professional counseling for it... I read up enough on the subject and avoid situations where I can potentially get rip-roaring-wasted.
I'm not a bad drunk... in fact, I do a great deal of safeguarding when I decide to get pretty shit faced. I just happen to enjoy drinking by myself more than drinking with others. Which translates into me locking myself into a room, turning off my phone, listening to music at alarming high levels, focusing on whatever is upsetting me and then test the limits of what my body can take.
I think the sweetest high I have ever experienced in life is knowing how far I've pushed the envelope. Which has caused me a number of head and heartaches along the way... I can't tell you how many awkward conversations I've had with loved ones about said problem... all of which are incredibly painful to think about right now, but I feel inexplicably better when I hear this song.
We knocked another couple back
The dead soldiers lined up on the table
Still prepared for an attack
They didn't know they'd been disabled
Felt a wave, a rush of blood
You won't be happy 'til the bottle's broken
And you're out swimming in the flood
You kept back you kept unspoken
- Elliott Smith -
Standout tracks:
- Elliott Smith – Waltz #2 (XO)
- Elliott Smith – Baby Britain
- Elliott Smith – Bled White
- Elliott Smith – A Question Mark
Artists: Elliot Smith
Album: XO
Producer: Elliott Smith, Rob Schnapf, Tom Rothrock
Label: Dreamworks
Recorded: Sunset Sound, Sound Factory, Ocean Way, Sonora, Jackpot!