Almost Blue Bonus Disc

normabuel · Post by **normabuel** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 8:09 pm

Really is a bonus, as I like it better than the "original" material. Does anyone else agree?

Also, does anyone else agree that the Trust Bonus disc was mostly un-listenable dreck? But of course, you DO get Trust with it. . . .

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:25 pm

I love the Trust bonus disc. In fact, I listen to it more than the actual Trust album. Sure, few of the tracks already found on the album are improved upon, but how could you not love "Black Sails In The Sunset"?!?!?

Sour Milk Cow · Post by **Sour Milk Cow** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 12:04 am

I agree that the AB bonus disc is awesome, but I can't agree with you about the Trust bonus disc. I love them both so much. The alternate version of Hoover Factory makes me happy.

The only bonus discs I don't really listen to much are MAIT and BY. I don't know why-- I guess there isn't much on MAIT that I haven't heard tons of times before on the previous reissues. And BY's alternate takes and demos are fine, but nothing too spectacular. I'm glad to have them on CD, but they don't really jump out the way, say, the Spike demos or the GCW demos do.

The most surprising bonus disc to me is the Armed Forces one. It's fun, and I didn't think it would be.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 2:47 pm

The Almost Blue album is much better than its bonus disc, but I still love the bonus disc.

The Trust disc is also really good. Difford's "Boy With A Problem" is great.

normabuel · Post by **normabuel** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 4:18 pm

So which EC re-release has the best bonus disc?

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 4:29 pm

I think a resounding All This Useless Beauty CD2 will ensue....I agree, but have to give a big shout out to the Spike bonus disc for the acoustic versions of many a great song, and also B&C for the hyped-up Battered Old Bird!!!

I listen to IB bonus disc the least I'd say, surprisingly. Too many alternate versions and stuff to be listenable to in one sitting.

Sour Milk Cow · Post by **Sour Milk Cow** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 4:34 pm

Hard to say. Many of them are kind of like "behind the scenes" features, in a way. Like Brutal Youth and Imperial Bedroom feature a lot of alternate versions which sort of show you how the songs evolved, mixed in with a few b-sides.

In some ways, I'd say my favorite ones are the ones that stand alone like ATUB, KV, and AB. Those are discs that feature many songs that aren't repeated on the album itself, and I find them very enjoyable.

Also, Punch The Clock and Goodbye Cruel World, since a lot of people don't like the production, feature lots of stripped down demo versions. You can kind of look at them as "alternate" versions of the albums themselves. In fact, on my iPod I have organized them in the running order of the albums, and they are fun to listen to like that. (Spike works like that, too, with all those demos.)

Hard to pick a favorite, now that I've started listing them. Probably any of the three stand-alones listed above, with the current top contender being Kojak.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 7:37 pm

Imperial Bedroom and Get Happy!! have the best bonus discs.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 9:49 pm

If only for the George Jones and JOHNNY CASH duets, the bonus disc for Almost Blue is as good as the album. But I really like the album, much more than I remember liking it before. i owned the Columbia release but sold it well over a year ago when i mistakenly thought the AB reissue would be out very soon. I never listened to it much when I had it, but the reissue blew me away. Fantastic stuff, and like I said, i think the bonus is every bit as good.

The Trust bonus disc is phenomenal. I like Trust itself better, but the Trust bonus disc could just about be a stand-alone record for me. And the fast Watch Your Step KILLS the other one. People can throw whatever they want, but I've never really liked the slower one.

The bonus discs that leave me least impressed are TYM's (which makes me sad, since that's my favorite album otherwise) and Brutal Youth's bomus disc, which is ok, but....meh.

Have yet to listen to the Kojak Variety bonus disc, but the GCW bonus is great. I finally can say I LIKE The Only Flame In Town.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 1:53 am

I think that ballad "Only Flame In Town" only makes the album version sound better.

I agree with "This Year Model's" bonus disc... eh. It's like they didn't even try.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 3:11 am

Yeah, I think as the 'bonus disc plan' is to include material recorded at the time of the record, TYM is full of live recordings from the time...which are good, I like the Live Stiffs tour...the other difference is, (and I don't know), but I wouldn't have thought there wouldn't have been as many alternate versions of the early songs , and if there were any in the Stiff vaults, they're long gone.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 4:34 am

I prefer the AB bonus disc more than the original at the moment but that may be because it's still quite new.

I love the AF bonus disc and also play GH, MLAR & PTC bonus discs a lot. I'm not that struck by the GCW bd so far.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:33 am

Hey, you know what's actually a pretty good Bonus Disc compilation (if you will)....Out Of Our Idiot! Cannae stop playing it!

I only bought it off Cecil the Giant Bumblebee on ebay about a year back, but it's quite a cool tracklisting!

1. Seven Day Weekend - Jimmy Cliff, Elvis Costello & The Attractions (on Blood and Chocolate Ressiue)
2. Turning The Town Red - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Goodbye Cruel World Rerelease)
3. Heathen Town - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Punch the Clock reissue)
4. The People's Limousine - The Coward Brothers (On King Of America Reissue)
5. So Young - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Get Happy reissue)
6. Little Goody Two Shoes - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (Only track not reissued)
7. American Without Tears #2 (Twilight Version) - Elvis Costello (on Blood and Chocolate Reissue)
8. Get Yourself Another Fool - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Goodbye Cruel World reissue)
9. Walking On Thin Ice - Elvis Costello & The Attractions with the TKO Horns (On Punch The Clock)
10. Withered And Died - The Imposter (Appears unlisted on Extended Play of Goodbye Cruel World)
11. Blue Chair - Elvis Costello (Appears on Extended Play of Blood and Chocolate)
12. Baby It's You - Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello (On Goodbye Cruel World reissue)
13. From Head To Toe - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Imperial Bedroom reissue)
14. Shoes Without Heels - Elvis Costello & The Confederates (On King Of America reissue)
15. Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo - The Costello Show featuring the Attractions (Blood & Chocolate)
16. The Flirting Kind - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Punch The Clock reissue)
17. Black Sails In The Sunset - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Trust reissue)
18. A Town Called Big Nothing (Really Big Nothing) - The MacManus Gang (On Blood And Chocolate)
19. Big Sister - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (On Trust reissue)
20. The Stamping Ground - The Emotional Toothpaste (On Imperial Bedroom Reissue

normabuel · Post by **normabuel** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 11:15 am

The "old" KoA re-release has several excellent songs on the same CD as the "regular" album, plus a bonus CD of EC and the Confederates. If you include the extras on the first CD, that's a pretty good bonus.

I listened to both AB discs this weekend, and I still think the bonus is better -- I think the George Jones version of Stranger in the House is the best version. Johnny Cash on "We Oughta Be Ashamed" is amazing. I also love the quirky live version of Motel Matches (but not as much as the original). Girl's Talk live. Tear's Before Bedtime. It is great stuff.

I am going to go back and listen to the Trust bonus disc and see if I've missed something, as so many people recommend it, but I remember listening to it, thinking that, as a whole, it was cringe-inducing and never went back to it.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 1:10 pm

Just another way for people to unappreciate Almost Blue.

This album is too great for a disc of rarities to dethrown.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 11:30 pm

I am really enjoying both AB and the bonus disc. Such a great reissue. The bonus disc may be may new favorite of all the bonus discs. And I like it better than the original release, though I really love the original release. That live cut of "Radio Sweetheart" with John McFee makes me want the "Delivery Man" record that much more desperately. The AB bonus disc could easily be a stand-alone release. And it's as good if not better than the original.

Sour Milk Cow · Post by **Sour Milk Cow** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:39 am

The great thing about the AB bonus disc is that it kind of functions as a sequel to AB, or a volume two. I don't think it usurps the original, but it is great to hear more from the same sessions.

I think that this is the first real re-evaluation that this album is getting. The Rykodisc reissue sort of came and went without fanfare, despite a good helping of bonus material. But having it all on one disc meant that the original album was sort of dwarfed by all the extended play cuts. Having them on a second disc allows the album to stand by itself.

I remember in the early days of the internet, it was hard to find a good word about AB. Now it seems like it has a lot more defenders. I know that I have certainly grown to like it more over the years.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:56 am

Almost Blue is one of the single greatest albums ever released. Period. This bonus disc is great, but will not have the lasting power.

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:25 am

wehitandrun wrote:Almost Blue is one of the single greatest albums ever released. Period. This bonus disc is great, but will not have the lasting power.

WHAR, how big is your list of single greatest albums ever? I can't keep track.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:52 am

wardo68 wrote:WHAR, how big is your list of single greatest albums ever? I can't keep track.

That sentence in full:

wehitandrun wrote:Almost Blue is one of the 50,000 single greatest albums ever released. Period. This bonus disc is great, but will not have the lasting power.

I think there was some kind of glitsch in the editing

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 6:10 pm

I think he means album of the DECADE.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 6:54 pm

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 7:24 pm

Crap. I can't wait. I thought I could wait for and pick this up after the new car planned for my wife.

The car has to wait. All this talk is too, too exciting.

As the late Steve Marriot of Humble Pie screamed in live performance "I uhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm Readdddddddyyyyyyyy"

normabuel · Post by **normabuel** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:51 am

OK, so I want back and listened to the Trust bonus disc again. There are some good things on it, but as a whole, I do not think it is as good as some other bonus discs, like the AB disc.

I find myself skipping through songs about half-way through them, which I typically never do on an EC disc. The one song I am having difficulty deciding whether or not I like it is the claustrophobic version of Slow Down. There's a lot going on and I'm not sure if I love it or hate -- I will need to give it a few more listens.

So when I said the disc was "mostly un-listenable dreck," I may have overstated it -=- it is partially un-listenable dreck.

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:15 am

normabuel wrote:OK, so I want back and listened to the Trust bonus disc again...it is partially un-listenable dreck.

The Ryko version of Trust was my favorite by far of that reissue series, as it really enhanced one of my top 5 EC albums. The Rhino doesn't add much, but I've been listening to the songs that weren't on the Ryko this week, and here's what I think:

Most of the so-called alternate versions don't improve on the album versions, with the exception of "Whisper to a Scream"; I really like how he experiments with the melody. The long "Big Sister" has an underlying anger that doesn't come through on the fast version. "Slow Down" is chaotic, but it's very close to the Beatles version, and check out that guitar solo.

So even though I wish there were more, I like it. Also, props to Rhino for including the full ending on "Black Sails".