Elliott Smith's intensely intimate music and open-hearted, Beatlesque pop songs have left a deep mark on a generation of fans and musicians in the wake of his tragic death in 2003. In Autumn de Wilde's remarkable photographs and conversations with close friends, family, and musicians he inspired, this is the first and only portrait of the beloved and troubled singer/songwriter by those who knew him well. Complementing de Wilde's riveting, personal images are ephemera, handwritten lyrics, and revealing talks with Smith's inner circle, many speaking here for the first time. Also included are a foreword by Beck Hansen and Chris Walla, and a live CD of unreleased solo acoustic performances.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Significant Seven, December 2007: Laden with all kinds of PostSecret-era ephemera, as well as pages and pages of outtakes from DeWilde's photo shoots with Smith and fascinating discussions between the author and Smith's contemporaries, Elliott Smith is a stunning example of how a tribute book should be made. DeWilde's photography is stark and intimate but never probing, and what comes across is as real a portrait of Elliott Smith as any fan may ever see. Thumbing through the book I was often reminded of a reluctant child, standing quietly yet somehow furiously, waiting for the scrutiny he's suffering to end--it's the same kind of sweet, sublimated emotion that makes his songs (for me, anyway) so powerfully good. That's the beauty of this book: it shows you the artist that you want to see, yet protects Smith from the kind of rueful sentiment one might expect to be lurking here. (P.S. The bonus CD featuring Smith's cover of "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down" is worth the price of admission alone.) --Anne Bartholomew
About the Author
Autumn de Wilde directed Elliott's video for "Son of Sam" and created the packaging for his album Figure 8; the cover image of him in front of a wall in L.A. led to the site becoming a spontaneous memorial for the singer after his death. She has also worked with Spoon, Death Cab for Cutie, the Raconteurs, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jenny Lewis, Fiona Apple, and others. She lives in Los Angeles.
Beck Hansen has collaborated with de Wilde for many years, most recently on photographs and videos for his album The Information.
Chris Walla is a guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie and has worked as a producer with numerous bands.
Beck Hansen has collaborated with de Wilde for many years, most recently on photographs and videos for his album The Information.
Chris Walla is a guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie and has worked as a producer with numerous bands.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
73 of 81 people found the following review helpful
By Beth
Format:Hardcover
Don't get me wrong, the pictures are great in this book. It's some of the interviews that are somewhat frustrating to me. The intro is basically a conversation Beck and Chris have glorifying Autumn. I know this is a book with her photographs, but it made the book seem very tacky from the start.
I don't like that de Wilde chose to interview some people who didn't even know Elliott. I also felt that she related everything back to herself much too often. Several of her comments feel awkward and inappropriate, and I feel that they should have been edited out. For instance, there is one point in the book where she brings up another book she's working on in an interview (with Chris Walla I believe it was?). She says something about how it is her best work. Whether or not this is an attempt at humor, it is clumsy and trivial. Consequently, these conversational excursions prove incoherent and messy, subtracting from the overall focus of the book.
Another example of de Wilde focusing attention on herself is when she talks about how she could've had a romantic relationship with Elliott the first day she met him. Instead, she says she used sheer willpower and resisted the temptation. It seems like she doesn't think he could've refused her. The way she states her ideas sometimes suggests that she thinks very highly of herself.
Other than these points that I found irritating, the other interviews provided some good insights. I wish she had interviewed other people though (I would've preferred an interview with Elliott's parents or his brother). The book overlooks some major topics; only one sentence is dedicated to his stint in rehab while his self injury and previous flirtation with suicide are completely overlooked. I understand the fact that this book primarily interviews his friends, but I would've liked to see his family and early childhood mentioned more: what about the rocky relationship with his stepfather and his alleged childhood abuse? These are very important things, and I believe it is an error that they go unmentioned. Though these are painful topics they are also crucial.
I like the fact that this book humanizes Elliott. One of my favorite parts (other than the pictures) is the collection of quirky music that he liked. This book is really written for big fans, so if you aren't deeply interested in Elliott, borrow it from someone or browse through it at the bookstore instead.
EDIT: This is more of what I sought from the book but didn't find - http://www.lummoxpress.com/journal/j002/smith.php
I don't like that de Wilde chose to interview some people who didn't even know Elliott. I also felt that she related everything back to herself much too often. Several of her comments feel awkward and inappropriate, and I feel that they should have been edited out. For instance, there is one point in the book where she brings up another book she's working on in an interview (with Chris Walla I believe it was?). She says something about how it is her best work. Whether or not this is an attempt at humor, it is clumsy and trivial. Consequently, these conversational excursions prove incoherent and messy, subtracting from the overall focus of the book.
Another example of de Wilde focusing attention on herself is when she talks about how she could've had a romantic relationship with Elliott the first day she met him. Instead, she says she used sheer willpower and resisted the temptation. It seems like she doesn't think he could've refused her. The way she states her ideas sometimes suggests that she thinks very highly of herself.
Other than these points that I found irritating, the other interviews provided some good insights. I wish she had interviewed other people though (I would've preferred an interview with Elliott's parents or his brother). The book overlooks some major topics; only one sentence is dedicated to his stint in rehab while his self injury and previous flirtation with suicide are completely overlooked. I understand the fact that this book primarily interviews his friends, but I would've liked to see his family and early childhood mentioned more: what about the rocky relationship with his stepfather and his alleged childhood abuse? These are very important things, and I believe it is an error that they go unmentioned. Though these are painful topics they are also crucial.
I like the fact that this book humanizes Elliott. One of my favorite parts (other than the pictures) is the collection of quirky music that he liked. This book is really written for big fans, so if you aren't deeply interested in Elliott, borrow it from someone or browse through it at the bookstore instead.
EDIT: This is more of what I sought from the book but didn't find - http://www.lummoxpress.com/journal/j002/smith.php
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is a beauty. The photos speak for themselves, and if you're an Elliott Smith fan you've seen much of Autumn de Wilde's work over the years, even if you don't know it.
But what is most understated in this being a "photo book" is that it contains some of the most personal and heartfelt interviews ever conducted about Elliott. Autumn was great at capturing the contrast between the depth and severity of Elliott's depression, and the less-covered joy and happiness that Elliott so often shared with and brought to his friends. The Jon Brion interview was particularly touching, as he talked about Elliott both as a musician and a friend.
It doesn't provide a breadth of new information, but the first-hand accounts from those who knew Elliott best are worth reading for any fan. It was enjoyable to see how one man's genius touched so many people in different ways.
But what is most understated in this being a "photo book" is that it contains some of the most personal and heartfelt interviews ever conducted about Elliott. Autumn was great at capturing the contrast between the depth and severity of Elliott's depression, and the less-covered joy and happiness that Elliott so often shared with and brought to his friends. The Jon Brion interview was particularly touching, as he talked about Elliott both as a musician and a friend.
It doesn't provide a breadth of new information, but the first-hand accounts from those who knew Elliott best are worth reading for any fan. It was enjoyable to see how one man's genius touched so many people in different ways.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By B. Leach
Format:Hardcover
This is not an easy book. The photos are diverse, from polaroids of Elliott goofing off to more polished stills that were used in the video for "Son of Sam" or cover art for Figure 8. More telling are the ones where deWilde dared and Elliott allowed her to get get closer, giving us the opportunity to be face to face and eye to eye with the man.
Tougher than looking into the blue glarestare of Elliott Smith is working through the interviews. I agree that this is for the passionate fan--this is not a rough sketch of his biography, nor does it bank on his tragic tug-of-wars with self-destruction. It does not skimp on details, but what you'll be learning is Elliott's fondness for clowns, his antics as his sister's personal hairdresser, what he requests he sent up on napkins nights Jon Brion was playing, the bar fights (yes, bar fights) he got into, his guilty pleasure artists and songs. This is the story of a person, not a persona. And as such, it relates directly back to the people talking and how he touched them. There are interviews with old friends, girlfriends, and roommates as well as one particularly moving conversation with his younger sister. These interviews, though adoring through sincere love of who he was and what he did and how that was important to everyone on a wide-spread but still entirely personal and individual scale, are not grandiose praises of the tortured artist. They are documents of memories and insightful, self-aware human reactions to somebody that we used to know: I hate you for leaving, I love you for being.
In the opening conversation between Beck and Chris Walla, they talk about the appeal of a series of photos because they tell a story. Not just the decisive moment, the perfect photo, but the collection. The book closes on a number of polaroids from various LA locations that Elliott had previously posed against. Seeing these places without him intensifies the loss, but it they are also the most vivid of the bunch. The colors crisp and bright, the lighting cheery--maybe he did get hold of that red balloon after all.
Tougher than looking into the blue glarestare of Elliott Smith is working through the interviews. I agree that this is for the passionate fan--this is not a rough sketch of his biography, nor does it bank on his tragic tug-of-wars with self-destruction. It does not skimp on details, but what you'll be learning is Elliott's fondness for clowns, his antics as his sister's personal hairdresser, what he requests he sent up on napkins nights Jon Brion was playing, the bar fights (yes, bar fights) he got into, his guilty pleasure artists and songs. This is the story of a person, not a persona. And as such, it relates directly back to the people talking and how he touched them. There are interviews with old friends, girlfriends, and roommates as well as one particularly moving conversation with his younger sister. These interviews, though adoring through sincere love of who he was and what he did and how that was important to everyone on a wide-spread but still entirely personal and individual scale, are not grandiose praises of the tortured artist. They are documents of memories and insightful, self-aware human reactions to somebody that we used to know: I hate you for leaving, I love you for being.
In the opening conversation between Beck and Chris Walla, they talk about the appeal of a series of photos because they tell a story. Not just the decisive moment, the perfect photo, but the collection. The book closes on a number of polaroids from various LA locations that Elliott had previously posed against. Seeing these places without him intensifies the loss, but it they are also the most vivid of the bunch. The colors crisp and bright, the lighting cheery--maybe he did get hold of that red balloon after all.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect
Brand new hard cover book. Nice photos of Elliott. Also, there's a CD included. I'm very satisfied with my purchase. thank you
Published 27 days ago by Strawberry Fields
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good
What makes this book good are the pictures. It comes with a CD. It is the best book I've found on Elliott Smith. If you like him you will like this book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by CC_dm
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
It's amazing how many people around Elliot Smith were using him (and continue to use him) to funnel attention to themselves, and Autumn de Wilde is no different. Read more
Published on June 24, 2010 by M. Kresling
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet Adeline
The interviewing aspect and Autumn's pictures are what make this book so very intimate to me. One could almost feel the excitement, and at times, deepend sadness while studying the... Read more
Published on March 20, 2009 by Joseph C. Derrick
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Intimate Portrait of the Artist
I thought this was a great tribute book to Elliott Smith. I liked the laid back vibe of the interviews, just a bunch of people getting together to celebrate the good times they... Read more
Published on February 6, 2009 by J. Plummer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wilde About Elliott
At first, I was hesitant to purchase this book, because I thought it consisted of nothing but photographs. Read more
Published on July 16, 2008 by Jen Selinsky
5.0 out of 5 stars
Get this!
The pictures in the book are so incredible and definitely bring you back to XO times. It took me awhile to finally buy it, but I would not hesitate. This is a great purchase!
Published on March 15, 2008 by S. Lehrman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read - great pictures
Coming from Autumn De Wilde, This book gets as close as it gets to Elliott Smith's photographical side. There are a lot of formal dedications including a foreword by Beck. Read more
Published on February 6, 2008 by Greater Alexander
4.0 out of 5 stars
Elliot Smith
This Elliot Smith book is really cool. It has tons and tons of pictures, but not a whole lot of text. It also comes with a awesome live cd with around five songs.
Published on January 27, 2008 by DIGlassworks
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing book
It breaks my heart to see the less-than-stellar reviews...this book is beautiful, amazing, and breathtaking. Read more
Published on January 25, 2008 by Ashley Shinn
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