25 years after its original release, Elliott Smith’s Figure 8 returns on deluxe vinyl—restored, remastered, and more emotionally immediate than ever. Long considered his most sonically expansive album, this new edition doesn’t just honor the legacy of Smith’s final studio effort—it sharpens it. Previously only available digitally, Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition) marks the first time both the album and all its B-sides are available on vinyl. Interscope/UMe has reissued Figure 8 on 45 rpm tri-color opaque white, black, and red “Figure 8 Mural Vinyl,” which reflects the iconic album cover taken in front of the now-famous mural on Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake. The 3-LP set is housed in a tri-fold sleeve and has been remastered, giving the much-praised Bong Load release from 2016 a run for its money.
Originally released in 2000, Figure 8 marked Smith’s full embrace of the studio as an instrument. Recorded primarily at Sunset Sound, Capitol Studios, and Abbey Road, it felt light years removed from the hushed, four-track minimalism of Roman Candle. With Figure 8, Smith reached for grandeur, not in ego, but in ambition. The songs can still convey hurt but the bright instrumentation carries a ray of hope. The deluxe edition accentuates this duality with a warmth and clarity that brings out hidden textures in familiar tracks. On this pressing, the swirl of piano and strings in “Everything Reminds Me of Her” floats more delicately over the acoustic bed. The tape hiss of Roman Candle is gone, but the intimacy remains. “Son of Sam” and “Junk Bond Trader,” two of the album’s poppier standouts, now reveal even more nuance in their arrangements, Smith’s double-tracked vocals more pronounced, his Beatlesque piano flourishes crisp and unburied. “Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud” positively shines, the grit in Smith’s voice now distinct against the high gloss of its production.
However, the gems of this release come in the form of its bonus tracks. The bonus tracks included in the deluxe vinyl release of Figure 8 aren’t just collectors’ bait; they offer a revealing glimpse into Elliott Smith’s restless creativity during what would become the final years of his life. It’s fitting that the title track “Figure 8”, famously absent from the original album despite giving it its name, finally appears here. Smith’s rendition of the Schoolhouse Rock! track gives the children’s educational song a strange, ghostly charm. Another standout cover is Smith’s faithful version of “Because”. Originally recorded for the film American Beauty, Smith’s version of the harmonically complicated Beatles song is hauntingly beautiful. Smith’s love of The Beatles is also evident in the B-side, “I Can’t Answer You Anymore,” with his signature multi-tracked vocals, and the presence of a harpsichord is a wonder that this track didn’t find its way onto the album. Also included are acoustic versions of “Son of Sam” and “Happiness” as well as an alternate early version of “Pretty Mary K” which serve to give a glimpse into the way the songs changed in the studio.
For those discovering Elliott Smith for the first time, this pressing is an ideal entry point. For those returning, it’s a vivid reminder of what made Figure 8 such a heartbreaking triumph: the way it paired sorrow with sophistication, and pain with melody. This isn’t just a cleaner version of a beloved album; it’s a fuller realization of the world Elliott Smith was building before it all slipped away.
