Needle In The Hay vinyl

Recorded in September 1994, but only released the following January, 'Needle In The Hay' is up there with the most iconic acoustic rock tracks of all time. Covered by many - not least in that Kermit the Frog parody video - none have managed to better the original Elliott Smith rendition, which is a broken, tender, heart-on-sleeve stunner.

The other two tracks here are likely less familiar, but also carry the same level of emotional quality. 'Alphabet Town' is the floatiest, rhythms swaying in and out of coherency, at times the tune feels so loose you can get lost in its complexity. 'Some Song', meanwhile, feels like a mirror image of 'Needle...', its alter ego, so similar and yet distinct from the big hitter. A hidden gem waiting to be unearthed.