Wow, I used to have this album on cassette, but it's long gone. This is a forgotten treasure. Thanks.

 jbunniii wrote: 
As Elvis himself says about his "worst album"  some really good songs are stuck inside those arrangements.

 jbunniii wrote: 

I really like "I Wanna Be Loved" (not even his song I don't think)—and the super-cool 80s duet with Daryl Hall: "The Only Flame In Town". There are a few clunkers on this album—but also many great songs. I think Declan is too hard on himself with this one.

glad that was short

 jbunniii wrote: 
My second favorite tune off this album is "The Deportees Club".

"Goodbye Cruel World" is severely underrated overall.  This song is Exhibit A.  "The Comedians" is Exhibit B.

Speaking of slinky...

Papernapkin wrote: 
 SweTex wrote: 
Not true, "A Fool Such As I" and "Jailhouse Rock" have both been played this month.

 Papernapkin wrote: 

Lets keep it that way.

  rule # 1 ,never Q,mr bills doings,,just adopt !

 The_Seeker wrote: 
On your first point you are exactly right. Two words - Geoff Emerick.

On your second, that's a shame - missing out on one of the greatest singer songwriters in the history of rock and roll.

 velvetglove wrote:  As the proud owner of (check's IPOD) well over 500 Elvis tracks, I gotta say I can't agree. Inch by Inch is a mediocre song from EC's self-confessed worst record but I think in the 39 there are more great gems that are not big hits - like Beyond Belief, Man out of Time, Secondary Modern, Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, Monkey to Man, American Gangster Time, -  than clunkers.
Now if there were only 500 plus in the playlist

 alux wrote: 
As opposed to someone who claims that he posts from "atop the pyramid"?

 velvetglove wrote: 
Dude.  Do you have any idea how full of yourself this makes you seem?  

 

 velvetglove wrote: 

Huh, interesting. I hadn't actually thought of it, but now that you mention it...

I don't think Bill hates Elvis, though (just a guess). Elvis-likers (for lack of a better term) are a rather varied lot — for example, I know one who claims her favorite Elvis album is Spike. Um, what?

 holborne wrote: 

I'd like to direct the following to any Elvis Costello fans out there.  Especially those that may be suffering from the same confusion I am (and based upon some of the comments below, more than a few of you are...) 

Costello is incredibly prolific.  Has anyone else noticed that the song choices made here from among his work are, well, downright peculiar?  Jeebus knows that I love the Radio Paradise, but only a few of these choices can be realistically chalked up to sentiment.  38 Costello tracks in the library, with a high percentage of clunkers.  Oh yes, and number of the brilliant ones remain unplayed.  Not once. 

It begs the question I'm about to ask: Bill — are you an Elvis Costello hater?

 Papernapkin wrote: 

Au contraire! I just heard "(Hunka Hunka) Burnin' Love" just the other day.

Yeah, this is an adequate song from a crummy album. And I LURVE Elvis.

Like Elvis, but not one of his best works.

Do you ever notice RP plays Elvis C but never Elvis P?

rocco1207 wrote:

I thought this was his weakest record, but the subsequent ones are mostly consistently good, especially Blood & Chocolate, King of America, and Brutal Youth. Those are all outstanding, IMO, and nearly as good as any of the early stuff.

js5280 wrote:

I became a fan of Elvis's voice with one song: "Al-i-son". Can't say I've liked a lot of his stuff but on his first album, his "aim was true . . ."

pelipeli wrote:

Too bad it is wasted on his songs that always seem quite trite and singsongy IMO. Not an EC fan...

I remember when this song was the Screamer (best new song) of the Week on WLIR 92.7 in NY in July of '84. Oh, the memories..

(click here)

I like his voice; and I was a voice major! That said, there's a lot more to singing than hitting the right notes. Vocal quality is most of what you concentrate on - intonation is what comes with correct placement (and not being tone deaf of course)

ploafmaster wrote:

wtf?

Up to this one I had bought every EC album religiously, as soon as they came out. With this record the magic just seemed to be missing. He's had a few hits here and there but the brilliance seems gone... I have no desire to buy his records anymore.

Correct he can sing and it's a voice many don't like. My mum would call it "affected". I never really liked it but I liked his music so much that I got beyond it and now I kinda like it.

ploafmaster wrote:

I think the problem is that people are confusing a dislike for the sound of somebody's voice with the inability to sing.

Elvis Costello certainly CAN sing. He's generally in tune with the rest of the music, and doesn't seem to have trouble hitting the right notes.

It's the sound of his voice that I don't like, and that's a matter of taste. I suspect for a vast number of other folks claiming he "can't sing" they mean the same thing. If they really mean he can't sing, then either they have perfect pitch and are so picky that most symphonies would grate, or they don't know what they're talking about (literal ignorance, not an insult).


veegez wrote: