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Just how great is Elvis Costello

Just got thru listening to Secret, Profane and Sugarcane for the umpteenth time and just sat back in awe and you know this album is in the running with at least 5 of his other albums as my favorite Elvis album. I guess my point is I have over the last 10 years became so conscious of what a treasure he is and really didn't give home the credit he deserves and would like to now. Every album is so different and he will take you down the road he wants you to travel.
tooblue
tooblue OP
2,004 posts
 
Pops, I also was one of those that didn't get EC and just kind of brushed his music off but my love for T Bone Burnett drew me to him and I purchased the King of America and struggled with that album for the first few listening and then it seemed to click and I was hooked. I still don't get all his music but My Aim is True, Delivery Man, Secrets, Profane and Sugar Cane and The River In Reverse just move me each differently.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,277 posts
 

I loved his first album, which I bought as a British import upon it’s initial release. I then liked his second, but didn’t really care for The Attractions. Steve’s piano playing is far too busy for my taste (too many single notes and "tinkling", not enough chords), and the drummer is typically British---not a "pocket" player, instead playing "on top" of the music. The third album I could never get into, and Costello’s ever-increasing vibrato was starting to annoy me. That vibrato is now, imo, completely over-the-top, way overused and excessive.

He then starting doing "theme" albums---a Country music one, a Soul music one, both of which revealed him to be a sincere fan of the music, but a not-particularly distinguished purveyor of it. He's no George Jones or Hank Williams, nor Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. I pretty much lost all interest in him after that. Yup, he’s a talented guy, but the only album of his I kept when weeding out my music collection recently was the King Of America album, his least "British" sounding---no surprise there!

I had a good friend (R.I.P.) who was an excellent songwriter, and a big fan of Brian Wilson and Bob Dylan. I played him the first album, and he didn’t get it. I moved to L.A. in ’79, not seeing him again until the mid-2000’s. By that time, Costello had become his favorite contemporary Pop writer, and he actually said to me "Who needs Brian and Bob when you have Costello?". Then I played him Bob’s Love And Theft album, and he got the answer---HE did!

frogman
7,561 posts
 
Can’t say I am familiar with all, or even a lot, of his work, but whenever I hear Costello sing I always think "this guy is a true artist". When he sings he projects CONVICTION and always delivers the message of the song. He has limited vocal chops, but somehow it doesn’t matter nearly as much as it does with better singers who are lesser artists. His recording with Burt Bacharach is a perfect example. I remember thinking "No way!". And it works; love that record. I really need to listen to more of his stuff. Pretty decent symphonic composer too. A real talent.

I have a different take on his relationship with Krall. For me, the fact that he married her is about the only reason that I don’t write her off altogether; iow, there must be something in her singing that I am just not getting. He apparently does; one would think. To my sensibilities, he is much more the artist than she is.
jafant's avatar
jafant
20,522 posts
 
EC has pulled off many interesting concept albums, with a variety of different artists from different genres of Music. Beauty indeed.
pops
2,283 posts
 
Thanks Rich and Tooblue.  I will definitely give them a shot.  

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