You may have noticed my linking a couple of days ago to a guitar-tab page for Elliott Smith‘s song “Angeles”. In my opinion, this is one of Elliott’s most brilliant compositions — lyric-wise as well as melody-wise. As with many of his tunes, Angeles sounds deceptively simple. Only when you attempt to sing and play it on the guitar does it become clear how intricate and beautiful the chord changes are. There’s a different chord just about every single word and if you’re going to play it right, you’re going to have to know every single one of them.
Obsessive as I am, I spent the last couple of days trying to master the tune. Here’s a little QuickTime video with a version I’m moderately satisfied with, warts ‘n all (YouTube edit for those on dial-up). It obviously comes nowhere near the way Elliott Smith performed it — although on occasion Angeles proved to be a tough one to play live, even for him…
You made me realize what an intricate song Angeles was. Probably one of my favorite Elliott Smith songs. Your rendition is excellent — not just technically… you convey the woefulness in your voice as well. It was interesting to see the sun on the guitar as you played on.
Ah, another Elliott Smith fan! Thanks for that kind comment. Yup, Angeles is a favorite of mine too, along with Alameda, Tomorrow, Bottle Up & Explode, Waltz #2, Independence Day, … um I’ll stop now… ;-)