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Kill Rock Stars share "Some Song" from unreleased Elliott Smith live album

01 July 2020, 12:23 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

Elliott Smith's performance of "Some Song" from the unreleased live album Live at Umbra Penumbra has been released.

Back in May, Kill Rock Stars announced a 25th anniversary reissue of Smith's self-titled second album, which will be accompanied by an unreleased live album Live at Umbra Penumbra.

They announced the reissue and live album with a live version of "Big Decision", and today have returned with "Some Song".

"Some Song" was originally released as the B-side to "Needle in the Hay" back in 1995. A different live version of the track featured on the 2017 Either/Or: Expanded Edition, and an alternative version of the song appeared on last year's XO deluxe edition.

Rolling Stone notes that Live at Umbra Penumbra took place on 17 September 1994 at Portland's cafe Umbra Penumbra, and features the earliest known recordings of Smith as a solo artist.

Larry Crane, who serves as the official archivist for the Smith family, remastered the audio and created the live album from a cassette provided by Casey Cyrnes. Crane says of the live LP, "There are fan-traded MP3s out there of this show, but when people hear what I was able to extract from this original tape, they’ll be shocked."

The reissue will also arrive with a 52-page book filled with handwritten lyrics, noted from Smith’s friends and colleagues, and unseen photographs by JJ Gonson, who also shot the album's cover photo.

The live recording of Elliott Smith's "Some Song" is out now. The 25th anniversary reissue of Elliott Smith will be released 28 August via Kill Rock Stars, and is available to pre-order now.
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