which elvis costello album do you recommend?

[jfizzle]

hi, i've come here to ask you all a question

i'm wondering which elvis costello album i should get next. so far, i have "my aim is true", "this year's model", "trust", "imperial bedroom", "punch the clock", and "blood & chocolate"

i think "trust", "imperial bedroom", and "punch the clock" are phenomenally superb albums and i absolutely love them. "punch the clock" is my absolute favorite, every song of the 2nd half is pure musical bliss to me, 7 of the most perfect songs ever

i don't like any of the songs on "my aim is true", "this year's model", or "blood & chocolate". i've heard these albums many many times

based on this, do you think there are any other elvis costello albums i'd like? are there any other albums with the musical genius of "trust", "imperial bedroom", and "punch the clock"? i'm looking for original elvis costello songs, so "almost blue" is ruled out

thanks for the help

[Who Shot Sam?]

i don't like any of the songs on "my aim is true", "this year's model", or "blood & chocolate". i've heard these albums many many times

Different strokes and all that, but I don't understand how you could appreciate those three albums you mentioned and not care for anything off the other three. It sounds like your tastes may run toward EC's less punkish, more polished material. You might want to try All This Useless Beauty or perhaps King of America if you don't mind something in a more country-ish vein. His collaboration with Burt Bacharach, Painted from Memory, is also quite good and certainly among his more polished albums.

Happy listening in any case.

[MOJO]

(Not in any particular order, just buy them all!)

Spike, Brutal Youth, Mighty Like a Rose, and if you do care a bit of a country, most definitely, King of America.

[Lester Burnham]

I'd go with Armed Forces and Get Happy!! next.

...not liking anything off My Aim Is True or This Year's Model? Yowza!

[Neil.]

Blimey, I'm staggered you don't like ANYTHING off Blood and Chocolate! It's the one I always recommend as the first Elvis album anyone should buy, as it has all the attitude and attack, allied with really strong, often poppy melodies and dark humour.

If you hate the more agressive sounding stuff, then I'd say deffo go for All This Useless... next, or the mellow King of America. Though avoid 'Eisenhower Blues' on that album!

[blooch]

Hi my friend. The two ideal albums for you would be King of America and Get happy. Get the re issues with extra tracks. If you dont like those then there is no hope for you im afraid lol. I cant believe you dont like My aim is True, his first album with one of his,in my opinion, greatest ever songs, Alison. Now tell me seriously that you didnt like that track? Im not having a go but just standing up for what i believe in. If all else fails convert yourself to some Graham parker stuff a highly underated singer/songwriter from the same era as EC who has penned some cracking songs. Out Of our Idiot is also another EC album which i like. Oh and theres also Nick Lowe. His last two albums At My Age and The Convincer are brilliant. All the best to you.

[jfizzle]

thanks, everyone!

i'll try "king of america", "all this useless beauty", and then "get happy". and maybe i'll come back in a year after it all sinks in, and let you know how it goes

I don't understand how you could appreciate those three albums you mentioned and not care for anything off the other three.

i don't understand it either

i think "battered old bird" is almost good

Alison. Now tell me seriously that you didnt like that track?

i don't like alison. am i the only one?

[Lester Burnham]

Personally, I would wait until the end of your collecting career to get King Of America. Get everything else first, and then once you've developed an appreciation for everything EC (which, hopefully, includes liking his first two albums, as well as Blood & Chocolate!), purchase King Of America. This is how I did it, and I'm glad I did. I listened to a few KoA songs before I was done collecting everything, and they didn't really resonate with me. As soon as I was done collecting everything and was able to digest his songs and get to know the man, everything on KoA made sense, and it's become my personal favorite EC album, and the one that I can relate to the most. (Especially 'Jack Of All Parades', but that's neither here nor there!)

Just a suggestion, of course...

[toofargone]

if its not a silly question, if you "don't like any of the songs on "my aim is true", "this year's model", or "blood & chocolate"" why have you "heard these albums many many times"??!

anyway, my money is on Almost Blue as the best by far and I've got all of them. But then again, I get the feeling I am largely on my own with this one.......?

[JEM]

Based on the albums you've said that you like - and don't like - I think you should hold off on Get Happy. Don't get me wrong - I adore it. But it's not like Punch The Clock at all (in my opinion).

Actually - I can't believe that no one else has mentioned this - but I usually group Goodbye Cruel World with Punch The Clock. It's not my personal fave - but it's got it's fair share of good tunes and it "sounds" a bit like Punch The Clock (same producers on a few tracks). I think that one should be the first one you get (again, based on what you've said you like).

I agree also that I think you'll like All This Useless Beauty and Spike too.

[jfizzle]

i'll try "spike" too, before "get happy"

if its not a silly question, if you "don't like any of the songs on "my aim is true", "this year's model", or "blood & chocolate"" why have you "heard these albums many many times"??!

i can think of sillier questions

i usually have to listen to an album 5 to 20 times before it all sinks in and i really understand that i like or don't like it. there's been a couple albums in my life that i listened to for a year before liking

I usually group Goodbye Cruel World with Punch The Clock. It's not my personal fave - but it's got it's fair share of good tunes and it "sounds" a bit like Punch The Clock

i'll try it as well. i heard it's known to be his worst album, but i don't always agree with the mainstream opinion

[JEM]

i heard it's known to be his worst album, but i don't always agree with the mainstream opinion

I stayed away from it for awhile after hearing it was his worst too. It's not really bad at all. The production is a bit heavy handed (the 80's...) - but there are definitely some great songs on there. Room With No Number, Inch By Inch, Worthless Thing, I Wanna Be Loved, and The Comedians are all top notch (IMHO)...

Let us know what you decided on and what you think of them when you get a chance...

[BlueChair]

Former board regular pip_52 wrote this great Costello primer for my semi-defunct/sort of still running online music magazine Being There.

You can find it here:
http://www.beingtheremag.com/content/04 ... oknow.html

Wow, it looks all retro!

[Spiritinthesky]

My face has always been Armed Forces, I love that album.