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I fucking love Elvis Costello

Started by Dr Syntax Head, December 11, 2017, 06:27:45 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Dr Syntax Head

His voice, his lyrics, his absolute mastery of song arrangement. He's a genius.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eifljYPFW-E

thraxx


I subscribe to the philosophy espoused in the recent Chart Music Podcast: Of all the 'real music' artists that I dislike, he's the one that I dislike the least.

Dr Syntax Head



Brundle-Fly

He's a divisive, tricksy character, but I fucking love the old speccy git too. I've enjoyed too much of his music to quibble over any latter ponciness.

Here's a rare cover version that betters the original, I think. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO-rMicIXso




kngen

Quote from: Dr Syntax Head on December 11, 2017, 06:27:45 PM
His voice, his lyrics, his absolute mastery of song arrangement. He's a genius.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eifljYPFW-E

I do love EC a lot, but funnily enough it's a lyric in that song that makes me wince every time I hear it.

QuoteI was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver
When the switch broke 'cause it's old

Come on, Declan. You can do better than that!

Dr Syntax Head

I want to convince my band to cover Pump it up but I have two issues with that. 1, they won't go for that. 2, it's too obvious a cover.

Endicott

Quote from: Dr Syntax Head on December 11, 2017, 07:14:20 PM
I want to convince my band to cover Pump it up but I have two issues with that. 1, they won't go for that. 2, it's too obvious a cover.

Would they go for Hall and Oates?

wosl

His voice remains one of the ultimate barriers.  Appreciate all the great work he's done, the changes of direction and so on, but loathe and detest his vox to a greater degree than almost any other set of pipes (he's the anti-Rundgren in that respect).  There's no way past.


Dr Syntax Head

Quote from: wosl on December 11, 2017, 08:08:19 PM
His voice remains one of the ultimate barriers.  Appreciate all the great work he's done, the changes of direction and so on, but loathe and detest his vox to a greater degree than almost any other set of pipes.  There's no way past.

It's one of my favourite things about him for me. I really dig his vocals.

FredNurke

[tag]Diana Krall's proofreading skills fail her again[/tag]

Brundle-Fly



This Taking Liberties B side collection still gives me the shivers... literally.

1984. Sitting in my first motor, freezing my nuts off and waiting patiently outside the halls of residence for my mercurial first love to emerge. Again.

And week after week, I found (very) cold comfort in these strangely, glacial Costello numbers...

Hoover Factory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FAzWgY8Ftc

Ghost Train
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCkA-ADiao0

...and of course, when she finally arrives...looking like Kylie Minogue before Kylie Minogue was Kylie Minogue.

We'd sit side by side and kiss, kiss and kiss to our favorite EC track rewinded from that cassette in my frosted up old banger.

That stank of cat piss, Monster Munch and two-stroke.

Salad days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-8nRiyrIAk


Jockice

I like him but haven't studied his career in depth. I once wound up a fan by telling him that Punch The Clock was my favourite EC album. Which it is. I got it for my 18th birthday.

This bloke (a friend's elder brother) ended up poking his finger almost in my face and going on about it being 'just a pop album' and This Year's Model containing 'quality songwriting.' Which of course made me even more emphatic about PTC's qualities. Great fun.

non capisco

^ Ha, what is 'This Year's Model' if not a pop album? It's one of the most accessible ones he ever put out!

EDIT: Also he was criticising an album that has fucking 'Shipbuilding' on it for not having 'quality songwriting'. What a maroon!

the ouch cube

The Paul Weller It's Okay To Like

'Brutal Youth' for me. Each song has about five different hooklines.

non capisco

Yeah, 'Brutal Youth' is a belter. Although I really don't like the drum sound on '13 Steps Lead Down', it sounds like Pete Thomas had a bit of old radiator for a snare. But there are so many amazing and stylistically varied songs on it. 'Pony Street', 'Sulky Girl', 'This Is Hell', '20% Amnesia' and one of my all time favourites of his, the glorious swoon that is 'London's Brilliant Parade'.

'The Delivery Man' is my favourite of his late period albums. I love the version of 'Scarlet Tide' at the end.

All time Elv fave album would still have to be 'Blood And Chocolate', though. One of the greatest "my lover done me wrong" albums ever recorded. 'I Want You', obviously, but lesser sung tracks like 'Battered Old Bird' match it for intensity. Always good to have a wallow in the scorching, startling bitterness of that thing. And though I totally understand why folk might hate his voice (especially that breathy vibrato he tended to overuse at the end of every line in later years) I've always loved what he can do with it when on form. The bit on 'Tokyo Storm Warning' when he goes "I knew I was in trouble but I thought I was in.....HE-EEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" is one of my favourite bits of singing any man or woman has ever forced out of their cakehole.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: wosl on December 11, 2017, 08:08:19 PM
His voice remains one of the ultimate barriers.  Appreciate all the great work he's done, the changes of direction and so on, but loathe and detest his vox to a greater degree than almost any other set of pipes (he's the anti-Rundgren in that respect).  There's no way past.

Exactly. His voice is repugnant, I'll never get around it. I've tried and tried, but that ugly phlegm-caked hiccup destroys my chances of ever enjoying his work.

Noodle Lizard

Who was it who said something like "The only reason music journalists like Elvis Costello is because music journalists look like Elvis Costello"?  Some other musician I think.

Jockice

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on December 12, 2017, 05:08:07 AM
Who was it who said something like "The only reason music journalists like Elvis Costello is because music journalists look like Elvis Costello"?  Some other musician I think.
Dave Lee Roth I think.

DrGreggles

I like Elvis, but I know he's produced a few turds in his time.

My first exposure to his would have been 'Spike' in the late 80's (still one of my favourites by him), after which I started chronologically working through his back catalogue.
The late 70's/early 80's stuff has a vast majority of being fucking ace.
Peaks and troughs with his albums since. 'Brutal Youth' and 'When I Was Cruel' are decent enough, but it has been quite a while now Declan.



Jockice

The only time I've ever seen him live I broke a little finger getting out of my seat at the end. So I hold that against him.


SteveDave

I only heard "Imperial Bedroom" earlier this year and these lyrics

"But for his private wife and kids somehow
Real life becomes a rumour
Days of dutch courage
Just three French letters and a German sense of humour

He`s got a mind like a sewer and a heart like a fridge
He stands to be insulted and he pays for the privilege"

Get me every time.

I couldn't sleep the other night because my brain was mashing up "Long Honeymoon" and "Pills And Soap" on a sickening loop.

Dr Syntax Head

Quote from: SteveDave on December 12, 2017, 09:08:55 AM


He`s got a mind like a sewer and a heart like a fridge
He stands to be insulted and he pays for the privilege"



This is why I don't write lyrics. I'll never be that good.

The Roofdog

My favourite Costello song/album changes all the time but currently I'm obsessed with the last track on King Of America. Gets me every time, there can't be many better storytellers in British songwriting

The soldier asked my name and did I come here very often
Well I thought that he was asking me to dance
In my holy coat and hat and him in his red bonnet
We'd have made a lovely couple but we never had the chance

And now you say that you've got to go
Well if you must, you must
I suppose that you need the sleep of the just

daf

Had this stuck great track in my head all day after someone mentioned the Ten Commandments

Pidgin English
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dldrqhTq7W0

One of a thousand bitters that you can categorize . . .