''Roman Candle'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...

. It was recorded in late 1993 and released on July 14, 1994 by record label

Cavity Search A body cavity search, also known simply as a cavity search, is either a visual search or a manual internal inspection of body cavities for prohibited materials (contraband), such as illegal drugs, money, jewelry, or weapons. Body cavities frequen ...

Background and recording

''Roman Candle'' was recorded and released while Smith was still in

Heatmiser Heatmiser was an American rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon in October 1991. Consisting of Elliott Smith (guitar and vocals), Neil Gust (guitar and vocals), Brandt Peterson (bass; later replaced by Sam Coomes, frontman of Quasi) and Tony La ...

. According to Benjamin Nugent's biography '' Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing'', Smith recorded the album in the basement of the home of then-girlfriend and Heatmiser manager JJ Gonson. The album was never intended for release, as Smith only expected to get a deal for a 7" single; however, after Gonson played the album for Cavity Search, they immediately requested permission to release it in its entirety. Smith at first hesitated, and then allowed permission.

Content

The album has a raw, homemade sound, with Smith playing each instrument and recording it on his four-track recorder. Additionally, he used a

Shure SM57 The Shure SM57 is a low- impedance cardioid dynamic microphone made by Shure Incorporated and commonly used in live sound reinforcement and studio recording. It is one of the best-selling microphones in the world. It is used extensively in amplif ...

and an inexpensive

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dynamic microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public ...

to capture the sound. The song Condor Ave may refer to an avenue of the same name in

Homestead, Portland, Oregon Homestead is a Southwest Portland, Oregon, United States, neighborhood in the city's West Hills. The neighborhood is home to Marquam Nature Park (SW Marquam St. & Sam Jackson Park Rd.), which offers urban hiking in the form of the Marquam Trail, ...

. The front cover features a photograph of Neil Gust (of

) and friend Amy Dalsimer, taken by Gonson. Smith chose the image because he "liked the way the picture looked as a 'piece of art'".

Release

''Roman Candle'' was released on July 14, 1994. ''Roman Candle'' was reissued on April 6, 2010 by record label

Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but was originally known ...

. It was

remaster Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...

ed by Larry Crane, with the original mixes by Smith remaining intact. On the official press release on Sweetadeline.net, Crane said of the remaster:

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.

Reception

According to Nugent, the response to ''Roman Candle'' was mixed, with some passing it off as being derivative of

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...

, though ''Roman Candle'' has since been well received by critics. '' In its retrospective review,

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...

opined that the album "remains a searingly honest and decisive collection. As a genesis of exceptional talent it is flawless, and heartbreakingly so." ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'' called the album "far from a genius effort, but nonetheless an important solo performance pointing towards where his many strengths and few weaknesses as a singer and songwriter were." ''

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'' has described the album's musical style as "

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

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Track listing

Personnel

* Elliott Smith – acoustic guitars, vocals, record producer, electric guitar ("Roman Candle", "Last Call", "Kiwi Maddog 20/20"), harmonica ("No Name #2") ; Additional personnel * Kid Tulsa ( Pete Krebs) –

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and

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

("No Name #1", "Kiwi Maddog 20/20") ; Technical * Tony Lash – mixing assistance * Neil Gust – sleeve design and photography * JJ Gonson – album cover photography * Peter Hawkinson – technician

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1994 debut albums Cavity Search Records albums Elliott Smith albums