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XO

Elliott Smith
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (159 customer reviews) | More about this product
List Price: $13.98
Price: $12.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
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Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Sweet Adeline 3:15$0.99 Buy Track
listen  2. Tomorrow Tomorrow 3:07$0.99 Buy Track
listen  3. Waltz #2 (XO) 4:40$0.99 Buy Track
listen  4. Baby Britain 3:13$0.99 Buy Track
listen  5. Pitseleh 3:22$0.99 Buy Track
listen  6. Independence Day 3:04$0.99 Buy Track
listen  7. Bled White 3:22$0.99 Buy Track
listen  8. Waltz #1 3:22$0.99 Buy Track
listen  9. Amity 2:20$0.99 Buy Track
listen10. Oh Well, OK 2:33$0.99 Buy Track
listen11. Bottle Up And Explode! 2:58$0.99 Buy Track
listen12. A Question Mark 2:41$0.99 Buy Track
listen13. Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands 4:25$0.99 Buy Track
listen14. I Didn't Understand 2:17$0.99 Buy Track

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XO + Either/Or + Figure 8
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  • This item: XO ~ Elliott Smith

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  • Either/Or ~ Elliott Smith

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  • Figure 8 ~ Elliott Smith

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Product Details

  • Audio CD (August 25, 1998)
  • Original Release Date: August 25, 1998
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Dreamworks
  • ASIN: B00000AEF9
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (159 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,674 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #8 in  Music > Alternative Rock > Singer-Songwriters
    #10 in  Music > Alternative Rock > Alternative Styles > Alternative Folk

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Elliott Smith's fourth solo album and major-label debut, XO, brings narrative detail and a wide range of emotion to an indie meld of '60s-style rock and folk-pop. Whether in the broken stateliness of "Waltz #2 (XO)," the Sgt. Pepper tribute of "Baby Britain," or the explosions of "Amity" and "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands," Smith's melodic and arrangement senses give his vulnerable vocals and brilliant wordcraft the maximum effectiveness. XO is a watershed in singer/songwriter rock. --Rickey Wright


Product Description

Japanese version featuring a bonus track: "Miss Misery". --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.
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Customer Reviews

159 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (159 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves every star, January 4, 2002
By R. Martin (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The first album I ever heard of Elliot Smith was from the movie "Keeping the Faith." It was his song "pitseleh", from his album XO. This was enough to make me go out and buy the album, and I have yet to be disappointed.

There are two things that make this musician stand out in a crowd. First comes his incredible music. His harmonic textures and rhythmic off-beating constantly combine to create a much needed breath of fresh air in this bubblegum pop world. I didn't realize how tired I was of the same old songs (and the same boring song form, ABA) until I listened to Elliot, and found his songs so beautiful in their difference. Second, his lyrics are extremely beautiful and very well crafted. This is not easy pop with lyrics that don't mean anything important (or are already familiar because they say the exact same thing as every other pop band). Elliot tackles hard subjects such as depression and lonliness, and yet can balance it out with a song about personal change from something ugly into something beautiful ("independence day").

So it comes to this: though it's not quite polished, and can sometimes be a bit inscrutable, Elliot Smith's music is profound nonetheless. XO is, in my opinion, one of the best examples of this and well worth anything you pay for it.

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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful transition, July 8, 2005
By Lesley Freitas (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Perhaps the best thing about "XO" is that we get to see Elliott Smith very clearly demonstrating the true range and depth of his talent. As amazing as "Roman Candle," "Elliott Smith," and "Either/or" are--and indeed, they are my favorite Elliott Smith albums--those albums require the listener to truly immerse himself in the music; special attention needs to be paid to all the quiet subtleties, or else much of the beauty and uniqueness can be lost. Smith's earlier albums require a desire on the listener's part to let the music bloom in all its glory; "XO" blossoms on first listen.

"XO" clearly stands out from Smith's previous work, simply based on how much production went into the album; no one could ever accuse "Roman Candle," "Elliott Smith," or "Either/or" of being over-produced. But I also think it would be a mistake to call "XO" overproduced. The rawness and urgency of Smith's music are not glossed over, which is generally what is meant when an album is accused of being overproduced. Instead, Smith's increased resources allow him to bring layers to his music that highlight--rather than detract from--the heart of his songs.

Songs such as "Waltz #1" and "Oh Well, Okay" demonstrate this point perfectly. These songs have all the lyrical and musical integrity and richness of Smith's earlier work, yet he simply could not have produced them earlier, particularly in the case of "Waltz #1." In spirit, however, these two songs--as well as the majority of the album--are a perfect continuation of Smith's work. That they are "fuller" songs, at least musically, allows Smith's talent to be more open and upfront, yet they still retain a certain quietness and subtlety.

Several songs stand out as noticeably different from Smith's earlier work, however. "Amity" sounds more like a song Smith would have written for Heatmiser than for a solo album; it is the one sour note on the album. I also find "Baby Britain" to be a new "type" of Smith song, though in this case the development is good. And the last song on the album, "I Didn't Understand," is a beautiful breathy a capella piece which very skillfully sums up the album's themes and brings it to a close.

"XO" had the chance of falling flat, precisely because of Smith's expanded resources; there was a chance that he would not be able to transition from his minimalistic sound to a fuller one. However, as "XO's" rich lushness demonstrates, Smith fulfilled the challenge well, and he produced a record that is true to the soul of his music.
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34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A great record - but not as great as some other Elliott., May 3, 2000
By Josh Rothman (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews
After listening to Roman Candle I went out and bought XO, Figure 8 and Either/Or on the same day. Since I've spent the last week listening to the bunch of them non-stop, I can say this: XO is an excellent record - but not quite as excellent as the ones on either side of it.

To me, this record feels like R.E.M.'s "Monster" or Archer Prewitt's "White Sky," a transition record setting the scene for something greater. There're a lot of great songs on here, and they're full of all of Smith's trademarks; even the simplest phrases ("She looks so composed/So she is, I suppose") are cleverly delivered and beautiful in their simplicity. But there're also a lot of over-production which relies too much on the arrangement and not enough on the quiet passion or feeling which makes Elliott Smith the man. People here are saying that Elliott Smith is like the new Nick Drake, but Drake would never have produced a song like "Baby Britain," which is campy and unconvincing, even as though it's fun and has a neat-o harpsichord accent in the bridge. He hits the mark on songs like "Tomorrow, Tomorrow" or "Pitseleh," and I really like "Independence Day," but songs like "Amity" leave you feeling like you've just heard a B-side or an experiment, not a finished track. They're more produced than his other songs, but there's something lacking in the delivery or the songwriting. When Smith's not as his very, very best, he gets smothered under all his production. Sometimes it's lovely, as on "Bled White," but sometimes it's unnecessary, as on "Amity."

All the greatness-that-could-have-been on XO is realized on Figure 8, a real five-star record. I say, buy Figure 8 or one of Smith's earlier records before you buy XO. I listen to this CD all the time, but I listen to the others more, and I care about them more, too. I'd lend XO to a friend, I'd keep the others to myself.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my favorites
XO deserves more than 5 stars. It is really an awesome CD. I first started listenin to Smith after I watched GOOD WILL HUNTING and I loved the soundtrack so much that i bought... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ralph Holden

5.0 out of 5 stars love it
i love this cd. the shipper shipped quickly and it arrived in perfect condition.
Published 10 months ago by Brandy Davenport

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rebirth of Elliott Smith
Emerging from the shadow of Kurt Cobain in the late 90's, Elliott Smith was perhaps the greatest singer songwriter of his generation. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Brian B

4.0 out of 5 stars Yeah I liked this album
I had heard a few mp3s from friends and so I got into him. would recommend
Published 19 months ago by Crystal Cardwell

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Album
Elliott Smith rarely recorded anything less than great, but XO is one of his strongest albums. In a discography of great work this album is outstanding and deserves praise.
Published 22 months ago by Eric C. Blundell

5.0 out of 5 stars Arguably the best Elliott Smith Album
This has always been my favorite album by Elliott Smith. The more I listen to Either/Or the more I find it hard to decide between the two, but I still think that in the "desert... Read more
Published on November 11, 2007 by J. Bliss

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 star
I am gonna keep it simple. If you like good music and you havent listened to any of Smith's work do not hesitate to buy this album. Read more
Published on September 20, 2007 by Vincent T. Cook

4.0 out of 5 stars Elliott's legacy
Elliott Smith is good at making music that deceptively seems cathartic, uplifting and even joyous, but then reveal themselves through lyrical inspection and replays as alternately... Read more
Published on September 11, 2007 by Matthew T. Medlock

5.0 out of 5 stars XO, Elliot Smith masterpiece
Elliot Smith was one of the greatest writers/artists since the Beatles and this is my favorite of his albums. Read more
Published on August 4, 2007 by J. Forrest York

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Elliot... how I miss you....
I first heard Elliot's music from the movie Good Will Hunting in 1996 or 1997 I want to say, and I went out the next day and bought every album he made. Read more
Published on June 27, 2007 by M. Sylvia

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