To: Elliott From: Portland

by To:elliot From:portland / Vario

Overview

In the notes in To: Elliott From: Portland, Expunged Records president Anthony Davis writes, "Elliott Smith was someone who told your sad story and made you feel like you were not alone." With this in mind, Davis set out to release a tribute album to the late singer, featuring covers from other Portland musicians (the city that Smith called home) with whom Smith's distinct, fragile style resonated and who counted themselves among his many fans. Tribute albums are always accompanied with much dissent, because almost never are the new versions of the songs better than the originals, but Smith's songs had touched too many people to not make one. Though die-hard fans will most certainly object to Lifesavas' hip-hop rendition of "Happiness," or To Live & Die in L.A.'s made-for-modern-rock-radio "King's Crossing," for the most part, the artists stay true -- almost too true -- to the original versions, keeping the sparse, melancholic arrangements, the breathy vocals, the quavering, emotional voice. While "The Ballad of Big Nothing," performed by the Thermals (and mixed by Joanna Bolme, Smith's ex-girlfriend), is a near copy of the original, and very good, the most successful arrangements are in fact those that are willing to stray slightly from Smith's already proven path. Amelia's version of "Between the Bars" brings a fantastic song to greater heights as vocalist Teisha Helgerson pulls even more emotion out of the melody, and the electronica-esque "Angeles," by Crosstide, shows how well Smith's songs can transfer from genre to genre (the same cannot be said, sadly, of Lifesavas' version of "Happiness," which doesn't actually come together as a song until the very end). But the star of the show is a cover of the previously unreleased "High Times," by former roommate Sean Croghan, whose angry guitar and angry voice reflect the feelings shared by everyone Smith had affected: the sadness for the promise lost with his friend's early death. ~ Marisa Brown

Product Details

Release Date:	02/07/2006
Label:	Expunged Records
UPC:	0634457168923
Rank:	116535

Tracks

1. Clementine  -  Decemberists  - Elliott Smith
2. Satellite  -  Helio Sequence  - Elliott Smith
3. The Biggest Lie  -  Dolorean  - Elliott Smith
4. Ballad of Big Nothing  - Elliott Smith  -  Thermals
5. I Didn't Understand  - Elliott Smith  -  Swords
6. Rose Parade  -  Sexton Blake  - Elliott Smith
7. Between the Bars  -  Amelia  - Elliott Smith
8. Needle in the Hay  - Eric Matthews  - Elliott Smith
9. Division Day  - Elliott Smith  -  We Are Telephone
10. Angeles  -  Crosstide  - Elliott Smith
11. Wouldn't Mama Be Proud?  - Justin Meldal-Johnsen  - Keith Schreiner  - Elliott Smith  - Jeff Trott
12. Speed Trials  -  DJ Reverend Shines  - Jennifer Folker  - Chris Funk  -  Knock Knock  - Elliott Smith
13. King's Crossing  - Elliott Smith  -  To Live & Die in LA
14. Happiness  -  Lifesavas  - Elliott Smith
15. High Times  - Sean Croghan  - Davis Lee Hooker  - Scott Sloan  - Elliott Smith

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Davis Lee Hooker   Primary Artist
Scott Sloan   Primary Artist,Voices,Guitar (Electric)
Eric Matthews   Primary Artist
Jennifer Folker   Primary Artist
Lifesavas   Primary Artist
We Are Telephone   Primary Artist
The Swords   Primary Artist
Knock-Knock   Primary Artist
To Live & Die in L.A.   Primary Artist
Sexton Blake   Primary Artist
The Decemberists   Primary Artist
Jeff Trott   Primary Artist,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic)
The Thermals   Primary Artist
Amelia   Primary Artist
The Helio Sequence   Primary Artist
Justin Meldal-Johnsen   Primary Artist,Bass
Keith Schreiner   Primary Artist
Chris Funk   Primary Artist
Crosstide   Primary Artist
Dolorean   Primary Artist
Sean Croghan   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
DJ Reverend Shines   Primary Artist
Teisha Helgerson   Vocals
Bret Vogel   Vocals,Guest Artist
Eric Hedford   Vocals,Keyboards
Joshua Hodges   Guitar,Vocals,Wurlitzer
Brandon Summers   Guitar
Benjamin Weikel   Keyboards
Mark Orton   Percussion,Bass Harmonica
Jesse Emerson   Autoharp,Keyboards,Bass (Upright)
Scott Weddle   Guitar

Technical Credits

Bret Vogel   Performer
Rian Lewis   Performer
Hutch Harris   Performer
Ryan Stowe   Performer
Jeff Stuart Saltzman   Mixing
Eric Hedford   Engineer
Jeff Trott   Engineer,Producer
Joshua Hodges   Producer
Tony Lash   Mastering
Bob Salcedo   Mixing
Jordan Hudson   Performer
Joanna Bolme   Mixing,Engineer
Kathy Foster   Performer
Evan Railton   Performer
Elliott Smith   Composer
Mark Orton   Producer
Steve Jennings   Mixing
Corey Ficken   Performer
Joey Ficken   Performer
Jason Locken   Graphic Design
Scott Sloan   Mixing,Editing