Elliott Smith Reissues Cause Outrage Among Loyal Fans

Sorry, but removing or changing what is recorded does compromise or change what was originally intended to be heard on the final song, it's called re-mixing and/ or editing. During re-mastering your not necessarily changing guitar, vocal or accidental magic within the recording, however you are altering the high and low frequencies, the esses and the booming lows, or the difference between say the attack of the Who and mellow folk songs. Originally re-mastering was done to retain the overall fidelity during radio play because radio stations would compress the sound, and suck the life out of a music being played, end result.(radio compressed the s&*t out of the music) After all, radio was about selling things, soap, cars, shampoo for the dog, not music, or "ART".... example, Beach Boys Pet Sounds....etc.
We love cheap microphones, and funky recording studios, and accidental "ghost notes" of the studio, Elliott Smith could have recorded anywhere, I think his first was done in a bedroom, for me his records came off like the production was almost secondary, it was an attitude of the era, its about the song you shouldn't "hear " the production.. There was a reason he lived and recorded in Portland(my hometown), Boston, and the small studios of L.A. I think he was looking for that magic that all artists search for and that integrity should be honored, you must be "care full" and not take that away! embrace what was left behind it means a lot to a lot of people especially his fans... Elliott was about the lo -fi, I think...... kill rocks star producers....Mike S., of The Romantics, and Elliott fan

Lo-Fi warts and all recordings often retain an authenticity lacking in some over produced music.

He's really beginning to grow on me. Just been reading an account of his death.....tragically mysterious. R.I.P. Elliott. Some people have compared our music to Elliott Smith....can't see it myself but I'm not complaining, he's very good :-) judge for yourself http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=656132090&v=app_2405167945&ref=profile

Geez people. Larry Crane is an excellent audio engineer. He and Elliott were friends who recorded together, they built studios together. Nobody is a more authentic source for mastering an early ES recording. Most of you probably own 4 or 5 recordings which Larry recorded, mixed, or mastered... you aren't complaining about his work on your other indie rock records.

Larry is one of the most generous and caring people I've ever met. He wouldn't do anything nasty to that recording, cut him some slack.

I listened....boring.....amateurish....who cares......

I guess I can understand some of these comments - however, the song itself is terrible. I couldn't even listen all the way through. I've heard wannabes from American Idol sound better, and thats not saying much. So, I am definitely NOT an Eliot Smith fan to begin with. That said. Music is altered ALL THE TIME now. How do you think someone like A. Simpson becomes popular? I say, no bid deal. Particularly if the raw version is available for comparison.

Why don't you use some common sense, just release it mastered and not mastered and let the buyer choose which they prefer. Seems to me a CD can hold more than one song. You could even release a CD of the raw songs and then release one that you have remastered. Just think, most fans will buy both, so you have doubled your sales.

It won't be an Elliott Smith album--it will be an interpretation of one. And that interpretation will have its own merits and failings, and if it helps a new generation of fans connect with Smith's songs, then that will be a great thing, of course.

It's not "changing" the album. Elliott Smith's Roman Candle is and will always be Elliott Smith's Roman Candle. This will be a comment on that album, and at the very least, it will make us longtime fans think a little bit more deeply about that recording. What do we love about it? What would we change about it, given the chance?

I really don't see what the deal with getting upset. Berfore you cry foul, I LOVE Elliot's music. The pops, squeaks, etc, but then when I listened to a remastered track, I was blown away. It's beautiful. I still have all the original cds, but these 2 I will definitely buy to add to the collection. Depending on my mood at the time will be when I listen to the original, or the remastered cds. If you don't like the idea of the new ones, don't buy them. It's as simple as that

I agree with Tao, and You Suck Steve. You're a loser.

Metallica, acid rock, and the whole counter culture and its derivatives were the worst thing that happened to this country. It is a provocative culture, and provoking someone was probably why Elliot was stabbed. THe counter culture experimented with drugs to bring change for example. The culture who is influenced by that is full of name calling. THey frequently use homophobic names against people they know nothing about too. Culture is worse now with gang rap and hip hop. There are better ways to change things than that culture is using.