The Elvis Costello album-by-album thread

according to EC's bio, Complicated Shadows, the entire band "partied" for a few records/tours. EC was corrupted by the likes of Bebe Buell pretty early on in LA. i believe Bruce Thomas was the first to go totally clean, but that wasn't for at least a couple more albums post Armed Forces. from the book, i gather Steve Nieve was the youngest, most naive ("what's a groupie?"), and took to the R&R lifestyle head-first.

 

Declan never ever used to drink or take drugs: He was working as a computer operator 9 to 5, had a wife and a kid and would play music all the available time. He was too busy trying to becom a great star to waste time in anything else.
In the "Flip city" years, while he was living in a shared house with the other members of the band, one of his buddy said that Declan never drunk or took any drugs, but recently he was indulging in an activity that could be much more brain damaging: he was listening a lot to "Steeley Dan".

His drinking and drug times started after he become Elvis, notably during the long and frequent tours of the US with the Attractions

 

Well, I would think most folks in the thread know most of the details by now anyway.

 

And in my opinion, you can really "hear" the effects of that when comparing MAIT and TYM.

 

Perfectly agree with that: Just to listen to TYM is like taking the whole tube of amphetamines, so one can only guess how many drugs were needed to produce it.

But in my opinion the main difference is due to the bands; in MAIT he was backed by the Clover, a very good laid back, country-rock band; they had been heroes for Declan in his youth and they were in London for a few months trying to make and promote a record; the Stiff label found a house for them somewhere outside of London and since they had plenty of time to spare they become a sort of house band for the label. The budget for the recording was very strict, so MAIT was recorded very quickly in a basic studio; they had to learn all the song on the spot.
Even if Elvis admired the Clovers, he understood immediately that he had to get rid of them ASAP; he would later say: "I knew perfectely that I was going to need a band with a lot more of bite and with much shorter hair".
The Attractions were the absolute perfect bandt for the early Elvis, extremely tight and energetic, without solo guitar ("I am not going to get a f***ing soloist in my band") and with the big extra of a really, really good classical trained keyboard player.

Another big difference in the genesis of the two albums is the way the song were written: until well after the recording of MAIT Declan (he had not taken the name Elvis yet) was working full time as a computer operator, had a wife and a kid and was litterally pennyless, he would play solo gigs for next to nothing all the time. Most of the songs were therefore written in the public transports during commuting time: "Red shoes" after meeting someone wearing a pair of trainers, some other songs from caracters met in the transports.
The songs from TYM were mostly written during their first US tour during the bus transferts and immediately rehersed with the band, they were also all played live during the tour, so the Attractions were very familiar with them at the moment of the recording

 

Are we going to move on to Armed Forces at some point?

 

Yes... but as promised in post #1, Live At The El Mocambo is next.



Side 1:
01. Mystery Dance (2:19)
02. Waiting For The End Of The World (3:52)
03. Welcome To The Working Week (1:19)
04. Less Than Zero (Dallas Version) (4:08)
05. The Beat (3:33)
06. Lip Service (2:26)
07. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (3:56)
08. Little Triggers (2:47)
Side 2:
09. Radio, Radio (2:33)
10. Lipstick Vogue (4:46)
11. Watching The Detectives (5:48)
12. Miracle Man (4:07)
13. You Belong To Me (2:32)
14. Pump It Up (4:42)

Originally a promo-only LP in 1978 and frequently counterfeited in the years that followed, it finally got a real release in 1993 as part of Ryko's 2 1/2 Years box set. (It was also available by mail for those who bought the first three Ryko CDs individually.)

This was EC's first live album, even if you go by the 1993 release date.

Although "Less Than Zero (Dallas Version)" appeared on Rhino's My Aim Is True, the album was otherwise ignored by Rhino's reissue series.

A question: Several years ago I heard that there's a bit of stage patter on the promo LP that was omitted from the Ryko CD. Can anyone confirm that this is true? And if so, what was it exactly?

 

I agree with that as well and mentioned that in my review.

 

It is true, but I'm not sure what exactly was omitted.

"Mocambo" is a great and exhausting listen. In my opinion, this is the closest EC ever came to true punk rock...on record, at least. It's amazing to me how much faster most of the songs are. "Lipstick Vogue," which is frenetic on record, is downright incendiary here.

Because of the speed and intensity with which the songs are played, there isn't a whole lot of room for technical finesse. In some ways, that is similar to the conceit of the "Blood & Chocolate" album (which is tied with "Get Happy!!" as my #1).

A couple of these versions trump the studio versions, IMHO...particularly "Mystery Dance" and "You Belong To Me."

I could do without the "YEEE-HOOO!" guy who screams in every song...but then again, I've been known to imitate that guy a few times at the EC shows I've seen. I've even met people who get the reference!

 

One of my favorite EC albums outside of Costello & Nieve and Imperial Bedroom.

 

No, not a member of the Attractions. Someone who was at all the sessions from MAIT to Trust, and met EC in 1973. He was also well known for his 'partying habits'.

The wonder of it all is that it took so long for EC to succumb. Considering what was going down on the "Bunch of Stiffs" tour, for example.

Live at El Mocambo: I first heard this in one of its "unofficial" incarnations, back in the early 80s. It's good - but I had heard quite a bit of unofficial material of this kind before I got El Mocambo - it's not my favourite.

 

Live at the El Mocambo is something of a sore point for me. Don't get me wrong -- I quite like the record. I think it gives us a glimpse of the ferocity EC & the Attractions were delivering back in '78. I've always loved it especially for the Dallas version of "Less than Zero". Where the album becomes painful for me, as some of you already know, is that I had a very rare variant back in 1980 that I picked up from a local record store via Jem Imports. I had no idea how rare this record was when I returned it because it skipped on "Radio Radio". When several months passed and no replacement was to be had, I used my credit for the first albums by the Cars and the B-52s. It still pains me. This began my Elvis collecting nightmare. I believe the record was a legitimate release, prepared by CBS Canada for export. The label might've even said, "CBS International". Its most distinguishing feature is that "Radio Radio" is the 2nd song on Side Two and each side of the album contains 7 songs. Real 8/6 versions are pretty tough to come by, and this is made more difficult because most people use incorrect or incomplete information on the Web to ID this rarity. The counterfeits were so widespread that getting an "ElMo" from a record executive was no guarantee of authenticity. I've seen ones that were supposedly real because of the source, and they were not. I've never come across another 7/7 in all my years of collecting. I've bought, traded, and own over a dozen copies of the genuine 8/6 version, have most of the boots and counterfeits, but, truly desire a 7/7. I'd gladly trade two 8/6 LPs for one 7/7. If anyone has one, please contact me.

In the pic below:

Upper left - A genuine 8/6 with CBS Canada press kit -- note the prints of the clippings used on the back cover of the LP.

Next to that, 4 fakes with a real one overlapping. Even though the pic is small, you can see the difference in the darkness of the TYM image in some, the yellows and the red. At least two versions lack spine information.

Next to the covers are 2 fakes. The one on the top shows a matrix that is nowhere near the real release. Below that is an LP that has no bands separating tracks.

On the right is a label that makes no attempt at passing it off as the real deal. The artist is credited as "Buddy Love".

Underneath that is the sleeve for the Nick Lowe Live at the El Mocambo 7" single. At the bottom right are the labels for that release.

In the lower left is a cover slick for one of the counterfeits.

 

Haven't heard the live album and come to think of it did he ever release an official live album? I can't think of one.

 

The closest would be the Costello Nieve box set.

 

Even if you don't count El Mocambo (because it was part of a box set), Deep Dead Blue (because it's arguably an EP), and Costello & Nieve (because it's five EPs), I think you have to count My Flame Burns Blue as an official live album.

 

Which reminds me...I didn't even get my copy of Mocambo in the box set. I bought the first three Rykos when they came out--which all included coupons--and sent away for it.

Ryko also sent me some EC buttons in the package.

 

Well, since I've done this whole catalog in the Rhino era, I never had a chance to get a copy of "Live at El Mocambo." So last night I set about trying to, ahem, obtain a copy.

Having listened, I am kind of split on the record overall. On the plus side, it's clear that the Attractions really worked well as Elvis' band. The songs from "My Aim Is True" generally come off better with this backing, although I really don't like this version of "Waiting For the End of the World." I heard a much better Attractions version in a Rockpalast video. This song and others suffer, surprisingly, from too much energy. "Lip Service" is on the cusp, but comes off well. "Radio, Radio" works. "Chelsea" comes off very good, almost reinvented. I realized that I tend to forget how "Miracle Man" goes, but hearing it here, I just keep thinking of the similarities to "Red Shoes," which I'd rather listen to...

And I'll conclude with my thought that using the phrase "as she looks up from giving head" in a context with the JFK assassination creeps me out.

 

i was ready to buy a copy of Mocambo online today b/c of description i read here this morning but read more later in the day about 7/7s and 8/6s and most importantly whether or not there's print on the spine. saved me.

 

Genuine Live at the El Mocambo LPs don't actually turn up as often as you would think, given how many get listed as such on eBay. The problem is most people have never seen a real one and because of incomplete info on the Web, a particular counterfeit most often gets mistaken for the real article. There are very specific criteria that must be met for both the LP jacket and vinyl to ensure the whole package is correct; even the original plain inner sleeve (if present) has characteristics that differ from the ones found on the counterfeits.

 

Live albums? Yes, "My Flame Burns Blue" is an official EC live album, but I suspect that what people are after is a live album with the Attractions.

The closest EC came to this is the video "A Case For Song" from 1996 which features the Attractions. This is going to reissued on DVD later this year. EC has also done a couple of live DVDs with the Imposters in recent times. There's also quite a few live tracks on "The Right Spectacle" DVD.

If you buy the Rhino "Armed Forces" you'll get 9 songs from a '78 concert at Hollywood High, which is rather good IMHO.

I see the 'Rockpalast' video has been mentioned. Perhaps one day this will get an official release. It is extremely good. EC did another 'Rockpalast' show in '83 with the Attractions and the TKO horns.

 

I really like the Hollywood High stuff!

Isn't there some live tunes on the Get Happy bonus disc as well with the TKO horns? Now there's a show I'd like to have seen..

 

"Punch The Clock" has the bonus disc you want - 5 live tracks from that tour.

 

Regarding the omitted stage chatter on El Mocambo - an intro to The Beat is missing (Elvis talks about playing in front of US college students and proclaims "it's good to be back in a club") and a short intro to Radio Radio is cut ("This song is about the radio, because the radio is no use. It's called Radio, Radio").

These omissions are slight, but they always bugged me.

 

Yes, I'm surprised there was no live album around say the Get Happy or Trust period since live tracks have surfaced on the reissues of the early albums. He was obviously recording live shows but no album surfaced. Anyone know the reason for this?