'Miss Misery' was nominated for Best Original Song at the 1998 Academy Awards, and was performed at the televised ceremony in an abridged version by Smith, backed by the house orchestra, briefly propelling him into the international spotlight.

Book-ended by its two singles, 'Speed Trials' and 'Ballad of Big Nothing', Either/Or did not chart in the US, but was acclaimed by critics.ĭirector Gus Van Sant was highly impressed with the album, incorporating three of its songs ' Between the Bars', 'Angeles' and ' Say Yes' along with a new song, ' Miss Misery', into the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. Either/Or was released on February 25, 1997, on the Kill Rock Stars record label, following Heatmiser's dissolution.

Either/Or was recorded in several locations, mostly in Portland, Oregon – while Smith was still a member of Heatmiser – and was produced by Smith, Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. It's no secret that Smith dealt with alcoholism and addiction, but through his music you can see that he was able to experience love as well.Either/Or is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. The constant push and pull between the dissonant and melodic, dealing with today's disappointment and loneliness knowing that things could change tomorrow. Either/Or captures Smith's ability to play with that contrast beautifully. His lyrics are as bleak and dark as ever, but the songs have a certain pop sensibility to them. The album, with the introduction of instruments aside from the singer-songwriter's guitar and voice, serves as a bridge between the lo-fi darkness of Roman Candle and Elliott Smith and the studio sheen of XO and Figure 8. 1997 was also the year that Either/Or was released. It seemed to be a surprising turn of events for both Smith and his fans. His performance at the Oscars was characteristically nervous but brilliant. Original Lab review:ġ997 marked a turning point in Elliott Smith's career, his music was featured prominently in Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting soundtrack, which led to the singer suddenly becoming the Oscar-nominated center of attention. Lab exclusivo! One of our favorite Elliott Smith records in an edition of 600 copies on 'Alameda Twist' blue, pink and white colored vinyl. Cartridge Headshells / Alignment / Cleaners

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