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Elvis Costello

edited October 2010 in Not Sports Related
What do you think of him?

This week Elvis Costello releases his 33rd (I think) studio album. But I still can't work out whether I love him (as much as I did at Live Aid, when he sang "A Northern English Folk Song" - All You Need Is Love) or loathe him (for some of the anti-British bile he's reported to have spouted.

What's the verdict?
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Comments

  • I dont wanna go to Chelsea!
  • Loved him in the early days - first 4 albums. Saw him live numerous times, the first time being before he'd formed the Attractions. Since then I've liked some of what he's done but I think he can be a bit up his own ar$e to be honest. That stuff with the Brodsky Quartet - wtf?
  • Seen him live a couple of times. Got most of his albums.

    His parents came from Sidcup or Bromley, even though he grew up in Liverpool.
  • I will never forget when my mate at school a fellow CAFC fan in 1977 said listen to this , It was My Aim is True by EC it set me on a musical path that I am so gratefull for. I have most of EC albums and although you get 1 absolute cracking album every 6 or 7 releases its worth it. Momofuku is one of the best albums I've bought over the last few years and My Aim Is True still sounds as good today as it did 34 years ago.
  • Love him tbh, his so called anti british is really anti establishment, particularly against subsequent immigrants who do not try and improve their lot, most of us second generation oirish feel like that and tend to be as british or more british than the majority. You would probably find a higher than normal % of white working class oirish decendants in the british army than any other background, other than english, just. plus second gen oirish would mostly consider themselves english anyway, with a few exceptions. You only have to look at the 'english' football team names down the years and see players like Keegan and Rooney who are 2nd or 3rd gen oirish to realise that.

    More english than you lot oi tell ya."Potatoes"
  • Good day for the roses - love it
  • Indeed beds, top drawer.
  • A great back catalogue
    I found I liked albums to different degrees as he diversified after the Nick Lowe/Stiff years
    But a very talented fellow
    As already noted, still very fresh and some classic tracks (Pump it Up, Alison and Roses being three faves)

    Useless fact
    Inner sleece photo on Armed Forces taken in Chislehurst (Steve Naive's parents' house), I understand
  • Pump it Up is brilliant. So is the intro to The Special AKA Free Nelson Mandela, not sure if he wrote that though.
    Good Year For The Roses? - Puke!
  • He's written a lot of great songs. He's also written a lot of songs that just bypass me even when I play the albums. It's not that I think they are bad, they just don't seem so attention grabbing or memorable. Maybe that's the price of being so prolific. My Elvis top 5:
    - Let Him Dangle
    - Pump It Up
    - Veronica
    - Radio Radio
    - The Big Light
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  • I remember buying My Aim Is True and This Year's Model on a day trip to London. I still think they are both great albums, especially the second. Bought Armed Forces the day it came out, weird design that folded out into a big bit of cardboard but included a free 7 inch EP with a live version of Watching the Detectives, which was the song that got me in to him. Last album I bought was Spike, I think. I drew the line at buying the country and western LP and Good Year for the Roses is the worst thing he's ever done.
  • I bought one of his singles- I think it was pump it up- the first for his new record label Radar and it had scratched in the run out groove
    call this number to claim your free gift. When I called I spoke to some harrassed telephonist who said it was a practicle joke at the record plant- I got the impression that she had had more than a few calls!!.
  • Imperial bedroom, useless beauty and the king of america are all brilliant albums, I still enjoy some of his more recent works including North. I saw him with the brodsky quartet and it was a suprisingly great gig.
  • He's on Jools now
  • Saw him on Jools and have to say his music isn't my cup of tea, neither now or in his hey day
  • "My Aim Is True" and "This Years Model" are really great albums, amongst my all time favs. A few of the tracks on "Armed Forces" are good especially "Olivers Army" but it was downhill from there.

    Sidcup or Bromley? I thought they were Irish and he grew up in Downham. I know his real name is Declan McManus.

    I wouldn't put money on it though!
  • Brilliant songwriter/performer IMO.

    Wasn't his Dad the bloke from the R White's lemonade adverts in the 70s?
  • [cite]Posted By: mid_life_crisis[/cite]
    Wasn't his Dad the bloke from the R White's lemonade adverts in the 70s?

    yes

    Didn't think much of his new songs on Later though.
  • He lives in Vancouver now and people here have taken a bit of a liking towards him.
  • Love him, even if he is a miserable get.

    Great live too. Brilliant songwriter, extraordinary lyricist.
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  • Nice cameo on '2 and a half men' too
  • Funny, in print he's the grumpiest man alive, but he always seems very affable when interviewed on TV or radio nowadays.

    I've been a fan right back to "My Aim is True" and although in recent years he seems to do a lot of side projects which can often seem almost self-indulgent, he can still do the business - The Delivery Man from a couple of years back stands up well against anything he's done in the past. I read somewhere his parents got married at Sidcup registry office so he may be the man behind the latest takeover rumour, but being he's a Liverpool fan it's unlikely...
  • edited October 2010
    [cite]Posted By: Vincenzo[/cite]Love him, even if he is a miserable old git.

    Great live too. Brilliant songwriter, extraordinary lyricist.
  • A good appearance in 'Two and a Half Men' - that's about it. Never taken to him myself.
  • edited October 2010
    The wife's grandad used to run the Lib Club in Charlton duting the 70/80s, she said Elvis was in the building, quite often.
  • i've always liked accidents will happen. Also would like to tread down the dirt :)
  • Saw him at Love Supreme last weekend and was slightly disappointed - really sad to hear that this was basically the reason.

    All the best Elvis.
  • Very best wishes Elvis
  • One of my all-time favourites. Get well soon Elvis.
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