Twenty-five years ago, the late musical mastermind Elliott Smith released Figure 8, his immaculate, ornate, Technicolor second album for DreamWorks Records. In honor of the album’s 25th anniversary, its enduring appeal and continued influence, Interscope/UMe will release Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition), the previously digital-only edition that expands the classic album with all the B-sides, solo acoustic and alternate version tracks that were released on the various singles, promos, and international editions of the beloved 2000 record, on vinyl for the first time. The Deluxe Edition was released as a digital exclusive in 2019 to commemorate what would have been Smith’s 50th birthday.
The first-ever vinyl pressing of Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition) features the album presented on 45 rpm tri-color opaque white, black and red “Figure 8 Mural Vinyl” as a nod to the famous Los Angeles mural that a black and white Smith stands in front of on the iconic album cover. The original 16 tracks are spread across two LPs while a third LP boasts seven bonus tracks, six of which have never been on vinyl. The audio has been mastered for vinyl by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering with lacquers cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. This special 25th anniversary Deluxe Edition will be housed in a tri-fold sleeve and this exclusive vinyl colorway is limited to 3,000 globally. Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition) is available to purchase exclusively here. The record will ship on or around June 6.
The bonus tracks of Figure 8 include the titular, faithful cover of the “School House Rock” classic, written by Bob Dorough, that gave the album its name but was only released as a B-side on the UK “Son Of Sam” single along with the rollicking gem “A Living Will.” Three songs from the rare French promo 3 Titres Inedits are included: the Beatlesy “I Can’t Answer You Anymore,” “Pretty Mary K (Alternate Version)” and “Happiness (Acoustic).” An acoustic version of “Son Of Sam” is also featured along with Smith’s gorgeous cover of The Beatles’ “Because,” which was featured in the film “American Beauty” and on its soundtrack, and included on the Japanese edition of Figure 8. That track, along with “Son Of Sam (Acoustic),” are the only ones that were previously available digitally.
Following the breakout success of his major label debut, XO, Smith again teamed up with producers Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock for his kaleidoscopic follow up, Figure 8, released April 18, 2000, on DreamWorks. The album was recorded throughout 1998-2000 at several studios, including Sunset Sound and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and Smith’s musical temple, Abbey Road Studios in London, where he used the piano that The Beatles used to record “Fool On The Hill.” Unlike XO’s major shift from the albums that came before it, Figure 8 continued Smith’s penchant for ambitious arrangements but took them into even bigger, bolder and sometimes weirder territory.
Rolling Stone praised the album, saying, “Like its predecessor, Figure 8 is full of modern chamber pop, mixing in keyboards, strings and studio flourishes on melodically simple, yet structurally complex songs. ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ and ‘I Better Be Quiet Now’ hearken back to the bare acoustic setting of Smith’s first solo albums, while jangly opener ‘Son of Sam’ and the rainy-day rocker ‘Junk Bond Trader’ sound like long-lost radio singles.” The AV Club enthused, “Figure 8 is even better, a strong collection of lush, densely arranged power-pop (‘Son Of Sam,’ ‘Junk Bond Trader’) and inimitably intimate ballads (‘Somebody That I Used To Know,’ ‘Easy Way Out’),” adding the album “never breaks from delivering Smith’s songs with ornate elegance and a sublime mastery of pop hooks.” Rolling Stone placed Figure 8 on their list of the 100 greatest albums of the decade and it was included in the book “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.”
Revisiting one of Elliott Smith’s most accomplished albums, Figure 8’s (Deluxe Edition) allows for a deeper dive into his creative process with the addition of seven rare tracks, serving as a reminder of Smith’s remarkable talent and the incredible body of work he created in a life that was cut far too short at the age of 34 in 2003.
FIGURE 8 (DELUXE EDITION) TRACKLISTING:
LP1
Side A
1. Son of Sam
2. Somebody That I Used to Know
3. Junk Bond Trader
4. Everything Reminds Me of Her
Side B
1. Everything Means Nothing to Me
2. L.A.
3. In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach/The Roost)
4. Stupidity Tries
LP2
Side C
1. Easy Way Out
2. Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud
3. Color Bars
4. Happiness
Side D
1. The Gondola Man
2. Pretty Mary K
3. Better Be Quiet Now
4. Can’t Make a Sound
5. Bye
LP3
Side E
1. Figure 8 *
2. A Living Will
3. Son of Sam (Acoustic Version) *
4. I Can’t Answer You Anymore *
Side F
1. Pretty Mary K (Alternate Version) *
2. Happiness (Acoustic Version) *
3. Because *
