Roman Candle (album)
Encyclopedia
Roman Candle was Elliott Smith
's debut album as a solo artist, even though he was still a singer and guitarist for the band Heatmiser
. The album has a raw, homemade sound (see Lo-fi music
), with Smith playing each instrument and recording it on his four-track recorder
. Kid Tulsa (Pete Krebs) played snare
and cymbal on tracks "No Name #1" and "Kiwi Maddog 20/20". According to the Elliott Smith biography, Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing
, Elliott recorded the album in the basement of the home of then-girlfriend and Heatmiser manager J.J. Gonson. The album was never intended for release, as Smith only expected to get a deal for a seven-inch record, however, after Gonson played the album for Cavity Search Records
, they immediately requested permission to release it in its entirety. Smith at first hesitated, and then allowed permission. On April 6, 2010, Roman Candle (remastered by Larry Crane
) was re-released by Kill Rock Stars
, now with a US vinyl version.
All songs were recorded and produced by Elliott in a basement. The original 1994 album was mixed with help from Tony Lash. Sleeve by Neil Gust. Technical help by Pete Hawkinson. Cover photo by J.J. Gonson. Other photos by Neil Gust.
"The intention that I had was to make the album more listenable. I felt that a lot of the guitar “squeaks” were jarring and very loud, and that many of the hard consonants and “S” sounds were jarring and scratchy sounding. I felt by reducing these noises that the music would become more inviting and the sound would serve the songs better. When I went to Roger Seibel’s SAE Mastering, he proceeded to equalize the tracks a small amount and to make the volume slightly louder. We never tried to make this CD as loud as current, over-limited trends, but just to match the volume of the rest of Elliott’s KRS catalog in a graceful way. Please note that none of this album is “remixed” from the master tapes – it is still composed of the mixes Elliott created himself.
Officially released
Unreleased
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
's debut album as a solo artist, even though he was still a singer and guitarist for the band Heatmiser
Heatmiser
The Music of Heatmiser is a six-song demo cassette, recorded on April 29 and 30, 1992, at Sound Impressions in Milwaukie, Oregon. It was made available only at shows or by mail order....
. The album has a raw, homemade sound (see Lo-fi music
Lo-fi music
Lo-fi is lower quality of sound recordings than the usual standard for music. The qualities of lo-fi are usually achieved by either degrading the quality of the recorded audio, or using certain equipment. Recent uses of the phrase have led to it becoming a genre, although it still remains as an...
), with Smith playing each instrument and recording it on his four-track recorder
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. Kid Tulsa (Pete Krebs) played snare
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
and cymbal on tracks "No Name #1" and "Kiwi Maddog 20/20". According to the Elliott Smith biography, Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing
Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing
Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing is a biography of musician Elliott Smith by Benjamin Nugent. It was published by Da Capo Press on October 30, 2004, just past the one year anniversary of Smith's death...
, Elliott recorded the album in the basement of the home of then-girlfriend and Heatmiser manager J.J. Gonson. The album was never intended for release, as Smith only expected to get a deal for a seven-inch record, however, after Gonson played the album for Cavity Search Records
Cavity Search Records
Cavity Search Records is a record label based in Portland, Oregon formed in 1992 by Christopher Cooper and Denny Swofford. Its roster includes such artists as The Helio Sequence and Pete Krebs, but is most notable for releasing Elliott Smith's debut album, Roman Candle.-Artists:*Atomic 61*Danny...
, they immediately requested permission to release it in its entirety. Smith at first hesitated, and then allowed permission. On April 6, 2010, Roman Candle (remastered by Larry Crane
Larry Crane
Larry Crane is an American editor, recording engineer and archivist based in Portland, Oregon. Crane is the editor and founder of Tape Op Magazine, the owner of Portland's Jackpot! Recording Studio, a freelance engineer, and the archivist for musician Elliott Smith.-Career:Tape Op was started in...
) was re-released by Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
, now with a US vinyl version.
Track listing
(All songs written by Elliott Smith except as noted)- "Roman Candle" – 3:37
- "Condor Ave." – 3:34
- "No Name #1" (Elliott Smith, J.J. Gonson) – 3:03
- "No Name #2" – 3:34
- "No Name #3" – 3:13
- "Drive All Over Town" – 2:36
- "No Name #4" – 2:30
- "Last Call" – 4:38
- "Kiwi Maddog 20/20" – 3:40
All songs were recorded and produced by Elliott in a basement. The original 1994 album was mixed with help from Tony Lash. Sleeve by Neil Gust. Technical help by Pete Hawkinson. Cover photo by J.J. Gonson. Other photos by Neil Gust.
2010 Remastered Version
The 2010 rerelease was remastered by Larry Crane, but the original mixes by Elliott Smith remained intact. On the official press release on sweetadeline.net, Larry Crane said:"The intention that I had was to make the album more listenable. I felt that a lot of the guitar “squeaks” were jarring and very loud, and that many of the hard consonants and “S” sounds were jarring and scratchy sounding. I felt by reducing these noises that the music would become more inviting and the sound would serve the songs better. When I went to Roger Seibel’s SAE Mastering, he proceeded to equalize the tracks a small amount and to make the volume slightly louder. We never tried to make this CD as loud as current, over-limited trends, but just to match the volume of the rest of Elliott’s KRS catalog in a graceful way. Please note that none of this album is “remixed” from the master tapes – it is still composed of the mixes Elliott created himself.
Non-album tracks from original 1993 recording
The following tracks were recorded during the same sessions as the album, but did not make the final cut.Officially released
- "No Confidence Man" - Released on a split with Pete Krebs on Slo-Mo Records in 1994.
Unreleased
- "We're All Friends Now" - According to Larry Crane: "Recorded Fall 1993 on four-track cassette. Same tape as 'Last Call' and 'Kiwi Maddog 20/20'. The recording is very different in mood than the live take, and would have sat kinda odd on Roman Candle if you ask me." There is a video circulating on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, filmed by Mary Lou LordMary Lou LordMary Lou Lord is an indie folk musician, busker and recording artist.-Biography:Mary Lou Lord first gained notice playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston's subway stations Lord became friends with...
, of the 1995 live version.
Added track to 2010 re-release
- "Cecilia/Amanda", previously unreleased, originally recorded in 1997. Available as a free download.