Legendary indie songwriter Elliott Smith’s final album, From a Basement on the Hill, has been remastered and reissued for its 20th anniversary by Kill Rock Stars. Hear the new versions of the songs below, and pick a physical copy here.
Originally released via ANTI- Records on October 19th, 2004 — almost exactly a year after Smith’s passing — From a Basement on the Hill has become an integral part of the Elliott Smith canon, both showcasing his incredible talent and hinting at what artistic directions he might have taken in the future.
The new reissue was overseen by Larry Crane, Smith’s official archivist, and remastered by Crane and Adam Gonsalves. The two engineers, who previously collaborated on the remasters of Either/Or and Elliot Smith, used digital transfers from Rob Schnapf and Joanna Bolme’s original 1/4-inch tape mixes.
“When comparing the new transfers against previous ones, plus the existing CD master, we felt that the audio quality Adam had pulled off the original 1/4-inch tapes of Rob Schnapf’s mixes (done with Joanna Bolme in 2004) was of a higher quality than what the public had heard on the original release,” Crane explained. “As we worked, I reflected on the fact that Elliott had asked me to come stay with him in Los Angeles in 2003, to sort out this album and see it finished. He passed away about ten days before I was due to fly down. Now, with the 2024 remaster of From a Basement on the Hill, I felt more connected to this record that I never got to work on 20 years ago.”
“Many of the mixes felt wild and idiosyncratic,” Gonsalves added. “The creative verve of the album is something we strove to honor, and we hope you enjoy this remaster as much as we do.”
The vinyl edition is presented in a deluxe mirror-board gatefold LP sleeve, while the CD comes packaged in a wallet case. Pick up a copy of either here.
Earlier this year, the deluxe edition of Smith’s major label debut album XO received its first-ever vinyl release (available here). Revisit our review of the iconic album.
From a Basement on the Hill (Reissue) Artwork:
From a Basement on the Hill (Reissue) Tracklist:
01. Coast to Coast
02. Let’s Get Lost
03. Pretty (Ugly Before)
04. Don’t Go Down
05. Strung Out Again
06. A Fond Farewell
07. King’s Crossing
08. Ostrich & Chirping
09. Twilight
10. A Passing Feeling
11. The Last Hour
12. Shooting Star
13. Memory Lane
14. Little One
15. A Distorted Reality is Now A Necessity to be Free