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Elvis Costello


GregK

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I've recently picked up 2 of the double disc reissues (what a great treat this must be for the hardcore fans!!), King of America and Blood and Chocolate, and I'm thinking of what to get next. I already have My Aim is True, This Year's Model and Armed Forces from the Ryko series, so I'll put those off for now. I was considering All This Useless Beauty or Imperial Bedroom.......any suggestions/comments?

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Trust is an underrated gem; actually one of his best, I think.

Imperial Bedroom was a favorite, demonstrating Costello's mastery of the long melody line in a pop context. (His only rival in that regard would be Stevie Wonder.)

Enjoy the journey. I was a huge fan for the first ten years or so and I still check in at times, but I find his later music to be less than essential. It's certainly impressive how he keeps exploring new genres, but he comes across as something of a dilletente in them; meanwhile, when he returns to aggressive rock on occasion, there's something a bit curdled about it, as well as a certain distance that seems to say that, surely, he's above this now. (I liked the Burt Bacharach collaboration, however--they seemed to inspire each other).

I wouldn't count him out, though. He's clearly in this for the long haul, and look what Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson have done lately.

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Get Happy is actually a pretty good album, if suffering a bit from Nick Lowe's hit-and-run production (though I am a big Nick Lowe fan). Lots of nice numbers (my favorite is "opportunity," yours may not be).

Though influenced by soul and Motown, Get Happy! sounds about as much like those genres as The Beatles did on Rubber Soul, which was VERY influenced by those then current pop sounds. Listen to it again if you doubt me. Still, they couldn't help but sound like The Beatles no matter what genre they drew from. Same with Costello, to a slightly lesser extent.

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It's funny. In the '50s and '60s ALL songs were short. It was extremely rare to find one exceeding the three-minute mark. Many hit songs barely broke the two-minute mark. All time classics from Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, The Stones, Beatles, Beach Boys, Motown. Then Dylan broke the floodgates with "Like a Rolling Stone," (which WAS a great record) and all hell broke loose, resulting in your Vanilla Fudge and In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and the like.

Costello, along with his punk/new-wave cohort, made their mark in the mid-1970s in large part by returning to the days of short and fast--and all the sweeter for it.

Get Happy! is like the weather here in New England: if you don't like it, just wait a few minutes. Lots and lots of great stuff on it. Almost too much. But he hits an idea square on and then doesn't belabor it. Before you know it he's on to the next.

One of my problems with Costello's later "rock" efforts is that the songs are too long. Where he once had his say in the classic three minutes (or less), his later efforts drag on and on, way past four, well into five, and often up to six minutes or more.

Hey E! Just because you CAN fit 80+ minutes onto a CD doesn't mean you have to. Sometimes less is more, even a LOT more.

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I've always liked Punch the Clock. I know it doesn't get the glowing reviews like some of his other albums, but it has the wonderful "Everday I Write the Book" as well as "Shipbuilding" featuring a haunting trumpet solo by Chet Baker. "Pills and Soup" is also a chilling masterpiece. Check it out if you can.

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Get Happy! is like the weather here in New England: if you don't like it, just wait a few minutes. Lots and lots of great stuff on it. Almost too much. But he hits an idea square on and then doesn't belabor it. Before you know it he's on to the next.

One of my problems with Costello's later "rock" efforts is that the songs are too long. Where he once had his say in the classic three minutes (or less), his later efforts drag on and on, way past four, well into five, and often up to six minutes or more.

Couldn't have said it better, myself. :tup

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I just got Delivery Man yesterday and I've listened to it a lot already. Very good, would have been better if he had left the intolerable Lucinda Williams off of it. I can't understand the appeal of her voice. She sounds like she is trying to sing around a mouthful of marbles. Just annoying. But the band is fantastic on this record. Maybe Almost Blue should be next purchase?

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I just got Delivery Man yesterday and I've listened to it a lot already. Very good, would have been better if he had left the intolerable Lucinda Williams off of it. I can't understand the appeal of her voice. She sounds like she is trying to sing around a mouthful of marbles. Just annoying. But the band is fantastic on this record. Maybe Almost Blue should be next purchase?

Almost Blue is nice, but you'd better like Elvis's take on cry-in-your-beer country.

Given what you've really enjoyed, it sounds like you want Imperial Bedroom or Trust - though I'll put in one more strong advisement in favor of Get Happy.

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In the early '80s, as a callow collegian, I was first alerted to honky-tonk country as a result of reading interviews with Costello (though the Village Voice's rock critic Bob Christgau also pointed me in that direction). Even then, as an Elvis II idolator, I realized that E.C. was far from a thoroughly convincing incarnation of tears-in-my-beer country music.

I say, skip Costello's Almost Blue (which, by the way, doesn't contain Costello's own song by that name), and move straight on to George Jones (unless you haven't investigated Hank Williams yet. If you haven't, do so immediately and then proceed). My first exposure to him was on some weird-ass movie tie-in record that I bought at a Massachussetts insurance salvage warehouse: The George Jones Story (Trolley Car Record and Filmworks). AND I LOVED IT. Another of those conversion experiences. He's one of those vocalists, like Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, or Maria Callas, who transcend their particular genre and speak to anyone with open ears.

Highly recommended:

George Jones--Cup Of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury Years (2 CDs--Mercury)

George Jones--The Spirit Of Country (2 CDs--Country Classics--Epic/Legacy)

There's a bit of overlap on these, but they're well worth owning, either or both.

George Jones is an American Master; disregard him to your own peril.

Venture forth from there. Don't miss Merle Haggard and, of course, Johnny Cash (who's more of a folk singer--if folk singers were actually GOOD). Early Moe Bandy is sort of a golden mean of honky-tonk, and don't miss Gary Stewart (Jerry Lee Lewis with a heapin' helpin' of guilt and remorse.)

And a personal :tup to Johnny Paycheck's The Real Mr. Heartache:The Little Darlin' Years (Country Music Foundation Records), which includes such honky-tonk classics without portfolio as "Don't Start Countin' On Me," "The Girl They Talk About," "He's In a Hurry (To Get Home To My Wife)," "(Pardon Me) I've Got Someone To Kill," and "Don't Monkey With Another Monkey's Monkey."

Sheer honky-tonk heaven.

Edited by Kalo
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Delivery Man ...Very good, would have been better if he had left the intolerable Lucinda Williams off of it. I can't understand the appeal of her voice. She sounds like she is trying to sing around a mouthful of marbles. Just annoying.

:D:D I know what you mean, but I like her voice. Her song writing is what really draws me to her. Great song writing on World Without Tears. One of the best in recent memory. Another voice I like, that many do not, is Linda Thompson(Fasionably Late).

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Intolerable? Lucinda Williams? Yeah, her voice is far from conventionally attractive, but a COSTELLO FAN finding her voice unattractive reeks of a double standard.:bwallace:

Still, how we respond to individual voices is so personal that I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. :mellow:

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I'd have to second Johnny E's qualified recommendation of Punch The Clock. I love that tune "Everyday I Write The Book."

It's clearly a commercial compromise, but one that will undoubtedly outlive the commercial successes of its day.

Rick Astley, anyone?

As far as I'm concerned, Nick Lowe had the last word in his 1990 song "All Men Are Liars" :

"Do you remember Rick Astley/He had a big fat hit /It was ghastly."

Sheer poetry, not to mention trenchant social commentary.

I :wub: Nick Lowe and I don't care who knows it.

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I've liked him a long time.

My faves

Armed Forces

Get Happy !

Imperial Bedroom

My Aim Is True

Blood & Chocolate

The Sweetest Punch

The comment about classic single being s...h...o...r...t is true. The other day I timed Gladys Knight 'Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me' 2 minutes 5 seconds.

The Stax singles box Vol 1 shows average running times of 2.30.

Short but sweet. The seventies ushered in the l...o...n..g singles and things have gone downhill since then ! :w

Edited by kinuta
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Greg,

Your getting into Elvis at a very opportune time with all the reissues and twofer's with extra tracks that are on the market now. I'm jealous, most of my Elvis is on vinyl and you wouldn't believe how many 45's and 12 inch singles I had to track down to get those extra tracks that are now widely available. That being said My Aim Is True, This Years Model, Armed Forces, and Get Happy are always mentioned, but for very good reason. You can't go wrong here.

Kudo's to you on Blood and Chocolate and King Of America. Two very fine albums from a comeback year of sorts for Elvis. Don't forget about Trust, Imperial Bedroom, and Almost Blue (Elvis Does Country).

P.S. Check out The Coward Brothers

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Elvis is the MAN! I have been a fan since I heard "Radio, Radio" on a late night "new wave" hour on an otherwise "album rock" station in Witchita KS in the late 70s. I went out and bought his then-latest "Armed Forces" and own all his comemrcial stuff and a few bootlegs.

Where to start with Elvis? Here a few of my thoughts (in chronological order):

1. My Aim is True - has some classics includinging Watching the Detectives, Red Shoes, Alison. On balance, not one I come back to much, but perhaps because it is etched in my mind. Most definitely worth hearing.

2. This Year's Model - One of my all-time favorite rock albums. Tighter than the first one and the first to feature the Attractions. Where to start? No Action, Radio Radio, Lipstick Vogue, I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea are stellar rock songs, regardless of era. Elvis rocks, Elvis is pissed, Elvis is literate.

3. Armed Forces - hardly a let down at all from Model. This one is more diverse from a stylistic point of view. Two Little Hitlers, Senior Service are classics, in addition to the more well know songs - Peace, Love & Understanding, Oliver's Army and Accidents Will Happen. Elvis has made many great albums, but if all I had were these two, I would be a happy camper!

4. Get Happy - pretty well discussed above. I was let down at first - with the two minute gem, you really lose the ability to tell a great story and create any musical dynamics, both of which he seemed to do on the prior two. Plus, this one simply does not rock like the other two do. But ... once I get over my disappointment, I grew to love this one over the years. Definitely top-shelf Elvis.

5. Trust - more of a return to Armed Forces, but not quite as good to my ears. Still, a great one to pull out and put into "heavy rotation" for a month or so. New Lace Sleeves is a pop gem.

6. Almost Blue - the country album. I love country music and I love Elvis, but I think this one blows. Pass.

7. Imperial Bedroom - this is another solid return to form. Everyone calls it his pop masterpiece - whatever. It is more arranged than anything he did previously and the songs don't sound much like punk rock. I like it, the songwriting is very good. Sounds like the classic pop album Paul McCartney never made.

8. Punch the Clock - Probably his most commerical-sounding album to this point. Definitely the first one to incorporate horns as an integrated part of the album. There are some very good songs - Everyday I Write the Book, Pills and Soap, but a little too lightweight for serious repeated listening.

9. Goodbye Cruel World - regarded by Elvis and many as his worst album. The production is out of control - very 80s. Listen to this right after This Year's Model and you will want to puke. Listen to it out of that context and it is kind of interesting, sort of, maybe ...

10. Blood and Chocolate - back with the Attractions in full force. After almost 25 years of listening to Elvis, this one is very close to the top for me. When it first came out, something was missing for me - it is very raw sounding and the emphasis is definitely not on melody. But ... those qualities have turned into great virtues for me. And, the punk rock ethos has definitely returned with a vengence. Key tracks for me include I Want You (one of his all-time best), Battered Old Bird (ditto), I Hope You're Happy Now. If you are a Springsteen fan, this is his Darkness of the Edge of Town.

11. King of America - came out about the same time, the first without the Attractions. Beside Blood, I thought it sucked when it came out, but it has definitely grown on me. It has a country feel, but not to distraction. This one is also regarded as "brilliant", although that is a little strong for me. Solid, middle of the pack Elvis for me, with many charms.

12. Spike/Mighty Like a Rose - I throw these two together because for me, they sound somewhat similar. Plus, I think they are bottom third Elvis. I hear him moving in a lot of directions at once. While some of it works, I simply find a lot of this boring. There are 5-6 great songs over the two albums, but I just don't enjoy these records.

13. Brutal Youth - back with the Attractions. A good but not great album. It sounds just a little forced to me. This is one where the demos sound better than what was actually released.

14. Kojak Variety - a covers album. I don't have enough spare time in my life to deal with this.

15. All This Useless Beauty - another one with the Attractions. This is my favorite later day Elvis. The concept was for Elvis to record an album of songs he originally wrote for other folks. Whatever, I don't think that matters to the listening experience. To me, this is one of his most "mature", "low key" sounding albums. The Atttractions don't really rock, but most of the tunes are great and Elvis really seems to take to the songs vocally. Warning - this one will take some time to grow on you.

16. When I Was Cruel - with the Imposters, who are basically the Attractions (only change is the bass). This one rocks, it is raw, but somewhat uneven. This are some very good songs, but as mentioned above, there are some that just go on too long. Still, woth owning and listening to. I think Episode of Blond is classic Elvis, one of his best ever.

17. The Delivery Man - his latest, again with the Imposter. This one has more of a country blues feel. On balance, the songs are a little better than on Cruel, but I prefer the song and attitude of Cruel. This is a fun record, good party record with some nice ballads thrown in.

I left off a bunch of stuff where he really jumps off the rock road. Check out allmusic.com if you are interested. I love Elvis, but I don't have a lot of interest in going down those paths, even if he does.

The great missing link in all of the above is the bonus CDs issued by Rhino. Each of them is full of stuff - unreleased songs, demos, live versions and covers. Some of the material is excellent. And there are several of the bonus CDs that you can almost listen to as an album straight through. I am glad to have this material, although there is a ton to wade through.

As I said above, Elvis is the man. There is an extraordinary level of depth to his catalog. Others will certainly have their favorites, but I think he is a very rewarding listen in just about any period.

Edited by Eric
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Have been a huge fan but I'm not sure I need much more from him and though I've listened from a distance I've not bought many of the albums from when he moved to Warners and beyond.

Everything is covered above really but there are a couple of collaborations to note. There's a live album with Bill Frisell which has is interesting but maybe not essential and depends on whether you are a fan of Frisell.

I really like the Burt Bacharach collab (though not everyone does) and Bill Frisell has covered the whole album, which I've not heard.

God Give Me Strength was done by Charles Lloyd on one of his recent records and works out well for a jazz vehicle.

Also worth noting that the double reissues sometimes save some of the less interesting albums. Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World have some brilliant live and demo stuff that removes some of the dated production and are filled with non album stuff which show, that even when producing average albums there was still an outpouring of creativity.

Always a good live show too.

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I'd have to second Johnny E's qualified recommendation of Punch The Clock. I love that tune "Everyday I Write The Book."

It's clearly a commercial compromise, but one that will undoubtedly outlive the commercial successes of its day.

Rick Astley, anyone?

As far as I'm concerned, Nick Lowe had the last word in his 1990 song "All Men Are Liars" :

"Do you remember Rick Astley/He had a big fat hit /It was ghastly."

Sheer poetry, not to mention trenchant social commentary.

I :wub: Nick Lowe and I don't care who knows it.

I know it.

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thanks for the recommendations. I think Elvis may be one of those artists who you either have to hear everything or nothing. I'm well aware of all of the early classics, so I will get those eventually, and they seem to be readily available in local stores (I did get Imperial Bedroom but haven't listened to it yet). I went with All this Useless Beauty, which is, at least to me, an underappreciated beauty. The songs and arrangements are so involved, that it seems to be well above most pop music (like most of Elvis' songs, I suppose), and the piano and electric piano playing of Steve Nieve is stunning in many places. Lots of ballads with Nieve's beautiful leads and solos. I think I will get Kojak Variety next, mainly for the bonus disc, which contains some demos Elvis did (in a trio, just him with bass and drum) for a proposed album of country versions of contemporary (or at least non-traditional country) songs by George Jones. Jones rejected them but I've read that THIS is the country album Elvis should have done instead of Almost Blue

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