The Elvis Costello appreciation thread

[Canadiens1131]

Just thought I'd do a thread on Elvis.

Amazingly varied, fantastic composer, long career, this guy is just great

I originally got into him when I was browsing my mum's CD collection and stumbled upon The Very Best Of Elvis Costello and The Attractions. I found one or two catchy tracks, like Pump It Up and Peace, Love, and Understanding, and played those to death. With repeated listenings I really got into the other songs on the compilation, such as the haunting I Want You.

I recently purchased the Enhanced version of his album "Get Happy" which includes the 20 track original album with motown and blues influences and that catchy Elvis Costello vibe, plus another 30 (!) tracks on the second bonus disc. 50 tracks, wow! With alternate versions and studio demos, most excellent.

Then I went after Imperial Bedroom with its amazing production values and mind-bending songs like Beyond Belief. Just great, great music My favs being Beyond Belief, And In Every Home, and of course The Loved Ones.

Yesterday I picked up the super-varied album Trust, which has songs such as the catchy Clubhand and You'll Never Be a Man, and a great chilling closer in Big Sister's Clothes.

I think Mr. Costello has slipped into my third favourite artist spot behind U2 and David Bowie.

Interesting that all three of these guys have really varied and evolving catalogues.

 

[carrieluvv]

I love him too.
I just bought Delivery Man recently
I have the greatest hits of elvis and attractions...and goodbye cruel world...the two songs off of that i love are" I wanna be loved" and " in a love feild"
I had that greatest hits on tape....and i wore it out. every song is wonderful...im gonna have to get the CD
Elvis' voice is so cool
for the longest time i thought he was american.

 

[Popmartijn]

Elvis!

A great artist indeed.

I had his Very Best Of... (that 2CD version with the green cover) for a few years and really liked it, so about 18 months ago I got the reissued Trust and saw him in concert (on the North tour). To say I was blown aways would be an understatement. That man has so many great songs!
Over these past 18 months I got most of his (reissued) albums and in a way I can recommend them all to anyone. My Aim Is True is regarded as one of the best debut albums ever. This Year's Model is considered even better. And while they call Armed Forces his 'pop' album, it is nevertheless excellent (as is the bonus disc). Well, the original poster has already told about the musical encyclopedia that is Get Happy!! and the musical variety of Trust. The original Get Happy!! album is 20 tracks in 48 minutes! Not a second of superfluous music, not a note wasted, just tight songwriting and effective playing. And Trust has some wonderful ballads.

Imperial Bedroom is maybe my favourite Elvis Costello album. The lushness of that album really is amazing. I'm still in awe by the closing track, Town Cryer. And the bonus disc is (again) really interesting too. Blood & Chocolate is then really back to basics, just drums, bass, guitar and the piano/organ by the irreplaceable Steve Nieve. Raw, both in sound as in emotion, but another high point of Elvis' carreer. It has my favourite song on it - I Want You - plus 10 other great tracks. And that quality is again sustained on the bonus disc.

I also want to highlight his recent output as that is excellent too. 2002's When I Was Cruel saw him return to rock again and he did it all the way. That album is also loud! And last year's The Delivery Man is a bit more bluesy, with some wonderful duets with Emmylou Harris ( ) and Lucinda Williams. And excellent songs.

At the moment he's on tour with his band The Imposters (which is basically his old backing band The Attractions, but with a different bass player). If you can see him (look for dates on http://www.elviscostello.info ), go for it! Lately his setlists are rarely below the 30 songs and cover everything from his first album to his last and everything in between. And each night sees a completely different setlist.

Masterpiece?
Mastermind!



C ya!

Marty

P.S. My top 5 Elvis Costello songs (at the moment)
1. I Want You (from Blood & Chocolate)
2. New Amsterdam (from Get Happy!!)
3. Goon Squad (from Armed Forces)
4. Town Cryer (from Imperial Bedroom)
5. Tramp The Dirt Down (from Spike)

 

[Lancemc]

Elvis is a mortal God. I'm seeing him in Atlantic City this Saturday! Anyone else seeing him on tour this time around?

 

[diamond]

 

[Canadiens1131]

Nice work!

 

[diamond]

the first time i saw elvis was in 1978.

db9

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

he's really someone I've always wanted to get into but never got round doing it

I know a bunch of you will want to post reccies but I probably won't get round to doing it until damn late so really don't bother

that said the stuff of his I know is all bloody brilliant. he's a great songwriter indeed.

 

[Lila64]

Elvis is da man! He's great, and have I've seen him numerous times from the 80s to present time (even the American Express music funding for schools show at the HOB Hollywood). Hubby caught him in L.A. on 3/26/05 (same night as U2's rehearsal show that I didn't go to!). Hubby had one ticket - he was ranting and raving about the show (till this day!). John McVie (sp) came out and played. Hubby got a copy of this on cassette, but if anyone has a copy of this show on CD in any way, shape or form, I would love to do a bnp. That would score me some points
And yes, we do have the official DVD release that just came out from a Memphis show.

 

[Strato Edge]

Great songwriter, love his music.

 

[medmo]

I saw him Sunday night at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis. David Hidalgo, the singer from Los Lobos, played back up guitar with him and sang a couple of his songs. He also brought an old blues guy up who had played with Howlin' Wolf; I believe his name was Hubert Sumlin. It was my first time seeing Elvis, and he put on an incredible show.

 

[BVS]

Love him.

Saw him live, was underwhelmed, but it was at a daytime music festival in TX summer weather.

 

[Lila64]

According to my Late Night W/Letterman newsletter:


Tuesday, June 6
Bonnie Hunt (Cars)
Elvis Costello & Allan Toussaint (CD, "The River in Reverse")

 

[Popmartijn]

This weekend I bought tickets to see him in September. He'll again be playing with Het Metropole Orkest (the same big band/orchestra as is playing on his My Flame Burns Blue live record).
I can't wait to hear it!

 

[fah]

Count me in too

He is fabulous beyond words

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I saw him for the first time ever last summer with Emmylou Harris, it was fantastic.

Even better, I saw him this year at Opening Night with the Boston Pops. He did some of his hits symphony style, it was amazing. The Pops did part of that ballet score he did, Il Sogno.

 

[Salome]

Imperial Bedroom

 

[Canadiens1131]

According to my Late Night W/Letterman newsletter:


Tuesday, June 6
Bonnie Hunt (Cars)
Elvis Costello & Allan Toussaint (CD, "The River in Reverse")

Holy crap did anyone see this?

Torrent avaliable here if not....
http://urlcut.com/elvis

At the end of the song he works some new lyrics into it:

In the name of the Father and the Son
In the name of gasoline and a gun
Wake me up

This man is amazing. The new album is great, by the way. It's a mix of bitterness at the reaction to Katrina, but also celebration and Toussaint is an amazing piano player.

 

[Lila64]

I did catch it, and it's on our TiVo/DVR Machine at the moment (the whole show). I Elvis. Only heard the new song from the new CD. I tend to not like some of the slower material as much

 

[Popmartijn]

Imperial Bedroom

Told ya!


Imperial Bedroom

 

[jgreen]

Elvis is da man! He's great, and have I've seen him numerous times from the 80s to present time (even the American Express music funding for schools show at the HOB Hollywood). Hubby caught him in L.A. on 3/26/05 (same night as U2's rehearsal show that I didn't go to!). Hubby had one ticket - he was ranting and raving about the show (till this day!). John McVie (sp) came out and played. Hubby got a copy of this on cassette, but if anyone has a copy of this show on CD in any way, shape or form, I would love to do a bnp. That would score me some points
And yes, we do have the official DVD release that just came out from a Memphis show.

I was at one of those shows...he came to a little club called the Hi-Tone down the street from my apartment at the time & did two shows...then a few months later, he came BACK to the same bar & did two more! of course, i was getting married that weekend, so i didn't get to catch round 2....

 

[Lila64]

Just watched this tonite (TiVo'd it on Friday). This was pretty cool.

http://www.decadesrocklive.com/artists/elviscostello.php

Elvis Costello performs with an all–star cast at the Trump Taj Mahal on Friday, May 19th.

Channel Date Time
VH1 Classic July 23, 2006 1:30 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 23, 2006 8:00 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 23, 2006 7:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 23, 2006 9:30 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 24, 2006 2:30 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 24, 2006 2:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 25, 2006 1:30 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 25, 2006 10:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 26, 2006 12:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 27, 2006 1:00 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 27, 2006 9:00 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 27, 2006 10:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 28, 2006 11:00 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 28, 2006 5:30 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 30, 2006 4:00 AM EST
VH1 Classic July 30, 2006 1:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic July 30, 2006 6:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic August 1, 2006 12:00 AM EST
VH1 Classic August 2, 2006 2:30 PM EST
VH1 Classic August 3, 2006 10:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic August 10, 2006 8:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic August 10, 2006 11:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic August 12, 2006 3:00 PM EST
VH1 Classic August 13, 2006 8:00 AM EST
VH1 Classic August 13, 2006 5:30 PM EST

About the Show
Billie Joe Armstrong, Death Cab For Cutie & Fiona Apple were among the eclectic mix of musicians paying tribute to Elvis Costello at Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Trump Taj Mahal on May 19, 2006. This show will premier on July 21st, 2006 on VH1 Classic!

you can watch video snippets from that website, or check some out at youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search=elvis+costello+fiona&search_type=search_videos

 

[Popmartijn]

I had tickets for his show on 6 September (with Het Metropole Orkest). But I can't go on that date.

 

[Lila64]

That makes Lila very

 

[Popmartijn]

That makes Lila very

Marty too.

I'll be in India at that time, so it's not really possible to quickly go over to Amsterdam to go to that concert. And I'm missing my first Pearl Jam concert for the same reason.

 

[I Got Lost]

I just have This Year's Model, but I enjoy it a good deal, especially the songs This Year's Girl and Pump It Up. I plan on checking out My Aim Is True sometime in the near future.

 

[Bono's shades]

I saw the Decades Rock Live thing this weekend on VH1 Classic. It was amazing! I think my favorite part was Fiona Apple singing "I Want You."

 

[Popmartijn]

I Want You is a brilliant song!
Creepy, intimate, manic, raw. Perfect.

 

[Lila64]

Elvis Costello had a brief remote segment on Bill Maher's HBO show this evening, which is the first episode of this season

And Happy Birthday Elvis!

 

[Canadiens1131]

I never posted it here but I got to see Elvis Costello and Alan Toussaint at the Montreal Int'l Jazz Festival and WOW.

Rivaled U2 for my favourite concert ever. I'm 19, and the husband of the brit couple to my right gleamed and recalled to his wife one of the shows he caught on the tour for My Aim is True.

Elvis still has amazing energy live. When he blasted into Peace, Love and Understanding for song 2 it was all good from there on in. The new material with the horn section and piano was great. It was like a big New Orleans party, and we all rushed up front to the stage for the finale of the Sharpest Thorn.

He was great with the audience - cracking jokes, firing back at people shouting random admiration. For instance:

Audience member: "How'd Diana?!"
Elvis: "She's great thanks"
Audience member: "We love her!"
[applause]
Elvis: "I love her too"

And 3 hours of music, it was worth it man, totally worth it.

Amazing! Totally worth the hundred buck ticket

I worship this man.