Consequence of Sound ranked the album No. In 2013, NME placed Either/Or at number 149 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Blender ranked it thirty-sixth in its '100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums Ever' list. Spin ranked Either/Or at number 48 on its list of the best albums from 1987 to 2012. Elliott Smith relaxing at an outdoor cafe in early 1998, while on tour for the album Either/Or.

Online magazine Pitchfork ranked Either/Or 59th in its list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1990s. 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. Steven Paul Smith (Aug October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. This existential title is reflective of Smith's interest in philosophy, which he studied at Hampshire College in Massachusetts.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. The album's title derives from the Søren Kierkegaard book of the same name, in which 'either/or' refers to the contrast between aesthetic/subjective experience and ethical/objective being. It has been described as 'a bridge between the lo-fi darkness of Roman Candle and Elliott Smith and the studio sheen of XO and Figure 8'. 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. It was released on Februthrough 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. Despite his often dark subject matter, a preternatural gift for melody helped him pivot from the lo-fi classic Either/Or to the expansive pop of its follow-up.

Either/Or is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith.

Elliott smith either or last.fm