ddbz
(The Midwest) | | Posted: May 15, 2013 - 16:14 | |
OK, after the 20th time hearing this song on this radio station I have begun to wonder if the proprietor of this station is married? I very much enjoy this song and if this song is played for "someone" else I am all for it! all the best to all and play it again.
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davewski
| | Posted: Mar 13, 2013 - 22:21 | |
I just love the ambiance of this song. Brings back a lot of good times...
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joelbb
| | Posted: Feb 10, 2013 - 13:42 | |
The first big hit from an enormous talent and the only Film Noir pop tune ever recorded to my knowledge. This cut is an all-time RnR masterpiece. Gave it a 9.
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oldsaxon
(Wales via Vancouver, BC.) | | Posted: Nov 08, 2012 - 11:49 | |
kcar wrote:I remember watching that too...not fully engaged (who is this manic geek) and being sleepily puzzled as to why the hell he wouldn't play the song?
All-knowing Uncle Wikipedia explains...Frankly, I don't think Americans watching were going to link "Less Than Zero" to Oswald Mosley, so Elvis might have made the right call. I sure didn't until I looked at the Wikipedia piece; like a lot of guys, I admittedly don't listen carefully to lyrics. As for SNL banning Elvis for x years: assclowns. Lighten up: the unrehearsed and chaotic make shows like that fun. I saw that show...f**kin brilliant...loved him ever since. |
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kcar
| | Posted: Nov 07, 2012 - 00:16 | |
coloradojohn wrote:Another mighty blast from the past catches up with us on good old RP...
I can never forget how I was first introduced to this song, this guy and his wacky new sound...
Watching SNL, '77, back in the day — this nerdy gawky sweaty pigeon-toed dude comes on with Buddy Holly specs and Fender Jag guitar and tight stove-pipe jeans with the cuffs turned up hideously high (weirdly enough, bell bottoms were the norm then!). He herks and jerks around the stage spastically then grabs the mike and wraps around it and snarls something like, "Nhuh we're not gonna do THAT one...we're gonna do THIS one instead," and HE FREAKED THE WATCHING WORLD RIGHT OUT WITH IT! Next day at high school, we're all imitating the pigeon-toed pose and sneering the wicked, twisted lyrics, "and she is WATCHING the de-TEC-TIVES!" and the teachers are giving us the same sort of stunned and quizzical looks we'd first given Mr. Declan MacManus on the tube the night before...and we sure DUG IT! I remember watching that too...not fully engaged (who is this manic geek) and being sleepily puzzled as to why the hell he wouldn't play the song?
All-knowing Uncle Wikipedia explains...Frankly, I don't think Americans watching were going to link "Less Than Zero" to Oswald Mosley, so Elvis might have made the right call. I sure didn't until I looked at the Wikipedia piece; like a lot of guys, I admittedly don't listen carefully to lyrics. As for SNL banning Elvis for x years: assclowns. Lighten up: the unrehearsed and chaotic make shows like that fun. |
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gemtag
(Texas) | | Posted: Oct 23, 2012 - 12:21 | |
Byronape wrote:
Yeah, I agree there. Irony is good, snarky is good, but to be ironically snarky while projecting an image that I'm not cool enough to be part of the "in crowd" anyway does not give me any reason to want to listen.
I just have no idea what this means. Either you were absent in 77 or you were listening elsewhere to something I would not go near. |
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lily34
(GTFO) | | Posted: Oct 23, 2012 - 12:14 | |
karljonasson wrote:
Well, except the song he did instead was 'Radio Radio' off his This Year's Model album. The producers at SNL banned him from the show for decades for that stunt.
i THOUGHT that was the song i remembered!  i remember it was a super uptempo and i was about to say "wasn't it radio radio" as some kind of slam to producers or something - is why he did it? i can't recall... |
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karljonasson
(Edmonton, AB, Canada) | | Posted: Oct 23, 2012 - 12:12 | |
coloradojohn wrote:Another mighty blast from the past catches up with us on good old RP...
I can never forget how I was first introduced to this song, this guy and his wacky new sound...
Watching SNL, '77, back in the day — this nerdy gawky sweaty pigeon-toed dude comes on with Buddy Holly specs and Fender Jag guitar and tight stove-pipe jeans with the cuffs turned up hideously high (weirdly enough, bell bottoms were the norm then!). He herks and jerks around the stage spastically then grabs the mike and wraps around it and snarls something like, "Nhuh we're not gonna do THAT one...we're gonna do THIS one instead," and HE FREAKED THE WATCHING WORLD RIGHT OUT WITH IT! Next day at high school, we're all imitating the pigeon-toed pose and sneering the wicked, twisted lyrics, "and she is WATCHING the de-TEC-TIVES!" and the teachers are giving us the same sort of stunned and quizzical looks we'd first given Mr. Declan MacManus on the tube the night before...and we sure DUG IT! Well, except the song he did instead was 'Radio Radio' off his This Year's Model album. The producers at SNL banned him from the show for decades for that stunt. |
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lily34
(GTFO) | | Posted: Oct 23, 2012 - 12:10 | |
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coloradojohn
(A Mile High and then some, Cherry Creek, Denver) | | Posted: Sep 21, 2012 - 23:47 | |
Another mighty blast from the past catches up with us on good old RP...
I can never forget how I was first introduced to this song, this guy and his wacky new sound...
Watching SNL, '77, back in the day — this nerdy gawky sweaty pigeon-toed dude comes on with Buddy Holly specs and Fender Jag guitar and tight stove-pipe jeans with the cuffs turned up hideously high (weirdly enough, bell bottoms were the norm then!). He herks and jerks around the stage spastically then grabs the mike and wraps around it and snarls something like, "Nhuh we're not gonna do THAT one...we're gonna do THIS one instead," and HE FREAKED THE WATCHING WORLD RIGHT OUT WITH IT! Next day at high school, we're all imitating the pigeon-toed pose and sneering the wicked, twisted lyrics, "and she is WATCHING the de-TEC-TIVES!" and the teachers are giving us the same sort of stunned and quizzical looks we'd first given Mr. Declan MacManus on the tube the night before...and we sure DUG IT!
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nagsheadlocal
(North Carolina, the new New Jersey) | | Posted: Sep 06, 2012 - 13:25 | |
1977 - the year I abandoned grad school and took a third-shift job, where I was able to play a local radio station whose overnight DJ played Elvis Costello, XTC, Nick Lowe, etc.
Thanks, Pat P., wherever you are!
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slate_dk
(Denmark) | | Posted: Jul 21, 2012 - 02:23 | |
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coding_to_music
(Beantown) | | Posted: Jul 05, 2012 - 15:16 | |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watching_The_Detectives_(song)The single, produced by Nick Lowe, was the first to be credited to 'Elvis Costello & the Attractions', reflecting the new backing band that he was using, previous releases being credited solely to the singer.<7> The lead track was, in fact, recorded in May 1977, before the Attractions existed - the backing band on the song were Steve Goulding on drums and Andrew Bodnar on bass guitar, both from Graham Parker's band, The Rumour.<8> Keyboard overdubs were added later by Steve Nason (later better-known as Steve Nieve).<8> It was also the first top 40 hit in the UK Singles Chart for Costello, reaching #15 and spending a total of eleven weeks in the chart.<7><9>
Andrew Bodnar on bass guitar |
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lemmoth
(NYC) | | Posted: May 01, 2012 - 13:51 | |
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Kaisersosay
(Mighty Mighty Bostown) | | Posted: May 01, 2012 - 13:51 | |
Love Elvis,,,,or I should say the Elvi..
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Byronape
("post-capitalist wreckageville") | | Posted: Mar 30, 2012 - 20:42 | |
Sorcha wrote:My comment is sure to be trashed, but here goes:
I have NEVER liked Elvis C. I cannot *stand* when people sing in that sneery, snarky contrived tone. I suppose he's a clever songwriter, to be fair; but his singing just cancels out any listenability for me.
Tra La..... Yeah, I agree there. Irony is good, snarky is good, but to be ironically snarky while projecting an image that I'm not cool enough to be part of the "in crowd" anyway does not give me any reason to want to listen. |
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lemmoth
(NYC) | | Posted: Jan 27, 2012 - 12:14 | |
WonderLizard wrote:Most critics think The Attractions, EC's band after this album, was his best. Hmm. Don't know if he'd have gained any traction if My Aim Is True had bombed. Clover, a group from Mill Valley, CA, backed him on My Aim courtesy of Nick Lowe, who'd brought them over to England to record. Clover was Huey Lewis's band by then, but he doesn't appear on My Aim. Sean Hopper, later starting The News with Lewis, and John McFee, long time Doobie Brother, do. As a long time Elvis fan, I can appreciate the work of the boys from Clover on MAIT but.........I would put Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas up against anyone in their generation on their respective instruments. |
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Cloudbusting
(Australia) | | Posted: Jan 27, 2012 - 12:12 | |
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johnjconn
(chicago land) | | Posted: Jan 27, 2012 - 12:11 | |
Elvis , the King of Punk
Great album
Great song
Great glasses
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hubcapsally
(Peeyay) | | Posted: Jan 27, 2012 - 12:10 | |
THE REAL ELVIS!  |
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WonderLizard
(2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | | Posted: Dec 28, 2011 - 06:05 | |
WonderLizard wrote:Most critics think The Attractions, EC's band after this album, was his best. Hmm. Don't know if he'd have gained any traction if My Aim Is True had bombed. Clover, a group from Mill Valley, CA, backed him on My Aim courtesy of Nick Lowe, who'd brought them over to England to record. Clover was Huey Lewis's band by then, but he doesn't appear on My Aim. Sean Hopper, later starting The News with Lewis, and John McFee, long time Doobie Brother, do. That's Andrew Bodnar playing the incredible bass on this track. Clover's bassist, Johnny Ciambotti, sat out. |
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Baby_M
(a 100+-year old building in downtown Akron, Ohio) | | Posted: Dec 28, 2011 - 06:01 | |
Sorcha wrote:My comment is sure to be trashed, but here goes:
I have NEVER liked Elvis C. I cannot *stand* when people sing in that sneery, snarky contrived tone. I suppose he's a clever songwriter, to be fair; but his singing just cancels out any listenability for me. For the most part, I agree with you, but on this particular song, that sneery, snarky tone actually works. |
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terrapin52
(Terrapin Station, SC) | | Posted: Nov 26, 2011 - 12:21 | |
Nice seque from Secret Agent Man. I detect a theme.
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WonderLizard
(2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | | Posted: Nov 10, 2011 - 09:44 | |
Most critics think The Attractions, EC's band after this album, was his best. Hmm. Don't know if he'd have gained any traction if My Aim Is True had bombed. Clover, a group from Mill Valley, CA, backed him on My Aim courtesy of Nick Lowe, who'd brought them over to England to record. Clover was Huey Lewis's band by then, but he doesn't appear on My Aim. Sean Hopper, later starting The News with Lewis, and John McFee, long time Doobie Brother, do. |
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nagsheadlocal
(North Carolina, the new New Jersey) | | Posted: Nov 10, 2011 - 08:27 | |
Wow - 1977. The world was awash in smooth "California sound" tunes and it was apparent that rock had slipped into one of its periodic comas.
Then I heard this on a VERY early morning show (I was working third shift) and realized that if this could get out of the dead hours of radio play, it just might herald a change in the musical weather.
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bachbeet
| | Posted: Oct 25, 2011 - 21:45 | |
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Sorcha
(living in the Creative spaces in my mind....) | | Posted: Oct 24, 2011 - 10:38 | |
My comment is sure to be trashed, but here goes:
I have NEVER liked Elvis C. I cannot *stand* when people sing in that sneery, snarky contrived tone. I suppose he's a clever songwriter, to be fair; but his singing just cancels out any listenability for me.
Tra La..... |
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errantpenny
(where the fog breaks) | | Posted: Aug 22, 2011 - 09:00 | |
This song is an instant time machine to a pivotal time in my youth. I made some interesting friends who introduced me to a whole new group of artists and new world of music—all I'd known before was pop radio. This album is definitely on my "Deserted Island 5" list.
Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives
Bob Marley - War
Rolling Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking
I must admit, I don't see the theme here, unless it's that these three artist/bands are all icons.
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ScottFromWyoming
(Powell) | | Posted: May 19, 2011 - 17:00 | |
Cynaera wrote:Not to be a smartass or anything, but for anybody who wants to see what "absolute lack of original thought" looks like, check out macbags' song comments.  Wow no kidding! Don't take drugs, kids. |
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hencini
| | Posted: May 19, 2011 - 16:55 | |
Warren and Elvis in the same hour!?! Truly these are glorious times!!
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