Elvis Costello Fan Forum

Yeah, Broken Promise Land is really growing on me! God, he's still got it, Elvis. His way with a melody is still amazing - love that bit "Comin' in under the cover of darkness, coulda said more bout it woulda seemed heartless", then the mournful lament of the title. International Echo is g...

Any news from the good ol' US of A? Did it make the Billboard Chart?

I quite like Sharpest Thorn, but the "do-do-do-dos" annoy me at the end. International Echo and Who's Gonna Help Brother get my vote - though I haven't listened that much yet!

Well, the album hasn't cracked the UK Top 40. Anyone know if it made the Top 50 - or even the top 100?

There's a song that's on the bonus DVD that they definitely shoulda had on the album instead of one of the lesser tracks! It's the one Allen sings - can't remember the title now. Also, Allen shoulda been allowed half the singing duties - Elvis is a bit egotisitical to take all the vocals bar one song!

You can watch the news report here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/default.stm

...but I don't know how long for.

You'll be able to hear it afterwards on the "Listen again" button on the Radio 2 website!

Sorry, meant to say you can see the show here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/programmes/?id=later

No, Otis, you cannae see me in the crowd - I'm at the back!

You can watch the entire Jools show here, until 2nd June.

Don't know if it's available outside the UK, as the site is funded by the UK licence fee payers, so it may not be available worldwide.

I work for the Beeb, and normally it's impossible to get in to Jools tapings, but over the past two weeks it's transpired that, amazingly, the Corp don't have the correct entertainment licence to satisfy Hammersmith Council, so no members of the public have been allowed on the premises to be TV audi...

They did do two numbers after all: Who'll Help Brother Get Further and Ascension Day, Allen at the piano and Elvis (without a guitar) at the mike. Good stuff! Haven't heard the songs before, apart from a brief clip of 'Brother'. 'Brother' had an immediate impact and got people clapping, especially a...

I'm off to the recording of this tonight, so I'll report back tomorrow. I expect they'll only doing one number at the piano, as the lineup features so many biggies that there can't be room for all of them to do two numbers.

Any eagle-eyed types know if this is going to be shown on a Freeview channel in the UK at all?

Cheers,

Neil
-x-

Anyone know what Elvis sang?

Yeah, know it's not out yet, but there's usually someone who's got hold of an advance copy. Anyone heard anything?

Anyone actually heard the album yet? Any good?

Just remembered the bit from Oh Well: "I'd be a pilot or an astronaut" - and there's this wierd noise which just reminds you of an astronaut floating off into space.

I love Oh Well! Great atmosphere, weary lyric, and that great sonic moment around the lyric about the astronaut! The vocal is fantastic too. To the bloke who said he didn't like it - give it another listen on headphones.

Totally agreed about the boring Eisenhower Blues . I can't stand The Blues at the best of times, even though I know pop/rock is based on it. And just as you think the torture is over, the song comes back again! Joe Porterhouse is pretty boring, but I remember Tracie doing the reworked version, I Lov...

That's a great sleeve - though I wish Elvis stopped insisting on wearing hats to give himself some sort of jazz man gravitas! I reckon it'll put younger listeners off!

Agree with the guy about Suffering Face . Two other bare acoustic numbers stand out for me - the two Richard Thompson covers End Of The Rainbow and Withered And Died . The former is terrifyingly savage and bleak, the attack of the vocal something Elvis does brilliantly live (I've always preferred El...

Just wondering. If so, what are your impressions?

Oh yeah, sorry - missed that bit of the thread. Never heard the song.

Anyone know which song Elvis sang?

Last Boat Leaving - yup, gorgeous. The arrangement is fantastic, with the touches of Spanish guitar, piano and the accordion. And isn't the first line a tribute to an Elvis Presley song? In that one he sings "Hush my little one, don't you cry; you know your daddy's bound to die" I also lo...