Hot "New" Joint: Elliott Smith- "No Confidence Man"
For an artist that has been deceased for as long as Elliott
Smith has been (over a decade now), it’s actually rather refreshing that we,
the record buying public, have not been subjected to an endless amount of cash
grabs from his respective labels. And considering that Dreamworks Records
folded in the mid-2000s, I doubt that the current parent company (Universal
Music) could give a shit about reissuing any special editions of Smith’s two
flirtations with the major leagues; and Portland’s Kill Rock Stars—well, they
are entirely too classy and too ethical of a label to do that kind of
thing. So, save for the 2007 rarities
compilation New Moon, and the
digitally released EP of Either/Or
alternate takes, offered up in 2011 in celebration of Smith’s 41st
(?) birthday—his music has been left alone to speak for itself.
I somehow ended up on the Kill Rock Stars email list, and
even though my Gmail account is super smart and filters all that stuff into the
“Promotions” tab, it’s like damn, I don’t have time to read every fucking email
blast that gets sent out every week from every label I ever bought, like, one
record from in the last few years.
I’m not sure why I was compelled to open this week’s KRS
email, but I am glad I did, because inside there was information about a
digital reissue (for charity) of a long out of print Elliott Smith song—“No
Confidence Man.”
An officially sanctioned reissue, remixed by the Smith
estate archivist, this song, as well as another track, “Shy Town,” were
recorded by Smith and Pete Krebs in 1994. Krebs, at the time, was a member of
alternative rock outfit, Hazel, and Smith was still co-fronting Heatmiser, but
also by 1994, had begun work on his solo debut, Roman Candle.
Both tracks were released on a 7” single, but are now
available in digitally remastered glory, with proceeds going to Outside In, an
organization that helps out homeless youth in Portland.
Smith and Krebs play on each song—Krebs taking lead vocals
on “Shy Town,” so I was a little “eh” on that track, but I mos def had to cop
“No Confidence Man.”
The track rolls along slowly and simply, with some light
percussion to keep time along side Smith’s acoustic guitar plucking and his
rich sounding voice—interestingly, some of the young, raw, rough sounding
“anger” found in his vocals on Roman
Candle are missing here; it’s the very quiet, spidery whispered tone he
would explore later on.
The lyrics and meaning to “No Confidence Man,” (like all of
Smith’s canon) have been the subject of much discussion on the cesspool known
as the Internet—specifically on the dumping ground Song Meanings dot net—a site
that runs half as a database of lyrics, and half as a forum for people to argue
about said lyrics.
The debate on “No Confidence Man” is that it’s either about
drugs—SURPRISE!; or that it’s about the sexual abuse Smith apparently suffered
as a kid at the hands of his step-father. By 1994, Smith was already a master
songwriter—his use of imagery is incredible. Putting together very abstract
sketches of shady characters, there’s just an overwhelming unsettling feeling
that drifts through the entire song.
A quick glance over the lyrics, and even rudimentary
knowledge of Smith’s descent into substance abuse (I mean, “Needle in The Hay”
came only a year later here) it should seem pretty obvious that this track is
about the former, rather than the latter—Lyrics like:
Hearing the bells,
it's 9 a.m.
You better wake up
your friend
Before he won't wake
up anymore
Because I got to
split, I'm late to leave
He gave me nothing but
grief
And some bullshit
story only I would believe…
Seem, to me anyway, to depict a rather vivid portrait of
life in a Portland shooting gallery. And even though there’s some resentment
within the lyrics to the song, there’s a tenderness to Smith’s delivery,
especially in the way he sings towards the end of the song,” I heard quite enough, you’re on it all the
time,” and overall, the entire song feels extraordinarily restrained—not
like that’s a bad quality to the song, but it creates a palpable tension, like
you are waiting for some kind of release that doesn’t arrive, because it was
never promised in the first place.
I would stop short of calling myself a “Smith completest,”
though considering the fact that I am giving serious thought to exactly what
kind of Elliott Smith tattoo I’d want to get (and where), and the fact that I wrote that big huge thing about the 10th anniversary of his death—I’d say I am slightly more than just a casual listener. Whether you are a
completest or a fanboy, “No Confidence Man” is a stark, haunting, and rather
beautiful portrait. It also only costs $1 (more if you donate to the site that
is actually hosting the track) and it is certainly worth way more than that,
given its age.
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