Elvis Costello Fan Forum

"War is a racket." - General Smedley Butler There's no escaping it. Their scam is our scam, and it's the only scam we got. They can pull paper out of their asses and call it money. We must bow to that, because what else is there? Don't join. Seems simple enough. But you have to do somethi...

The Internet has been the harbinger of an apocalypse. Average people have become quite educated in the true ways of the world. It’s a revelation. I read T-Bone’s speech, and boy is it too little too late. The Monster has decided to reveal itself, and become normalized. One or two more generations, a...

It's the ultimate "love sucks" song.

You definitely just made my Valentine's Day list, Jack. Love to you because you get it, man. You know what you're talking about. You hit the poem's weak spot, and I agree with your assessment of the target. No doubt I'll have to tinker with it. Nothing's boring if you like it. Poetry is actually ver...

I don't mind boring people. A poem is never finished. This one was rewritten a couple of times, but it's mostly a product of sudden inspiration and thought flow. I don't approach writing in a technical manner. For me, it's thought collection, message, and flow of presentation. I'm not asking if it n...

What bothers me about poetry is that it's quite personal, but also universal. Expressing one's humanity is not as easy as it sounds. Last year I was doing a bit of soul-searching, and I wound up going through some old writings. Of course, I'm wrecked by reading some of it, making my own self cry, as...

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of poetry. I only submitted a few poems online one day when I discovered how easy it was. I found out the other day that I can submit via email to a local literary agent, and I might try that. It's like playing the lottery, I guess...can't win if you don't play. I did...

For the Elvis fan that has everything!

...and museums!

I remember Alex and ElVez. It's amazing how long this forum has lasted. I wonder where people go...phones and Facebook, I suppose. Or maybe I ran them off. Thanks for the kudos and the recommendations. I shall check it out! Thanks also for the encouragement. I submitted online four poems to The New ...

Wow, thanks for the praise, sulky!

To be honest, something like this just builds up in me and has to come out. I'm grateful to have somewhere to put it where it can be appreciated.

A nice shot of dopamine for me this morning...smiles and waves to you and to anyone else that trudged through it!

He has been my hero for four decades. He saved Rock and Roll from the unwieldy beast it had become, busting it down to a few basic elements…keyboard, guitar and drum…love, angst, and anger. I was in the freaking Air Force at the time. I didn’t have need for much else. On the other end now, I couldn’...

I picked up on that one pretty quick, Dr. Luth...great shot at the corporate radio mindset. I think this one counts, from one of my favorite songs... Dial me a Valentine She's a smooth operator It's all so calculated She's got a calculator She's my soft touch typewriter and I'm the great dictator It...

I have trouble with favorite lists, but it occurs to me that there are Elvis records that mean more to me than others. 1. This Years Model ...my fave of the first two and a half years. I used to be so young and angry. 2. King of America ...after Elvis fell off the radio with Almost Blue , this is th...

What I got out of the movie Purple Rain , was that the audience liked Prince but not as much as the other band, until prince played a song that sucked, then somehow everyone liked him much better. Wide appeal is what's required for a popular hit, plus a beat and a hook, and a hopeful outlook. It's s...

Her name is Isabelle. They had a daughter together but she disowned them a few years after the divorce. They've all been separated for years.

Might have to bring Jimmie in for some comic relief...

The songwriter has an idea of how the vocals should sound. In Elvis' case, he knows how it's going to sound and what works. He also has a lifetime of tricks he can employ here and there as spice. On the current release, the words "confessed" and "welcome" come to mind, the little...

I think most of the world would agree that Elvis does not have a "beautiful" voice. It is very distinctive, however, and he manages to put it where and when it needs to be, all up and down the register. Yes, the high-end is often strained, which is okay for Rock and Roll, but maybe not so ...

Hey...just skimmed this thread, and found very few clues to what the premise and the plot to the musical might have been. Has it been revealed? Anyway, listening to the new release and songs that may or may not have been included, I have surmised a scenario of my own... A man is commissioned to pain...

"Insidious"!

Perfect! I can see it used as a promotional device...





...mmmmmm! Insidious!

It doesn't matter what kind of music your are into, because Elvis has a little something for everyone. He's like the Santa Claus of songwriters. I can literally feel my vocal chords trying to work out the songs on this recording. I'm getting better, but the range is sometimes impossible. Forget the ...

Hey thanks for the positive review of my review! This record now pretty much controls my brain. It's sinking right in and nesting comfortably. Thank you Elvis! Yeah, I get that Dusty Springfield feel, maybe some Dionne Warwick. I could see Beck sampling it... Still don't hear it on the radio, though...

Nice deconstruction here. Elvis has been saying that maybe he wasn't the best original choice for singer of the band. But, when it comes to Elvis, I've never heard a cover sound better than his original. He's trained his voice well over the years, and he's become very adept. I don't know what kind o...

...sorry about the separate thread. I didn't want this rambling mess to disjoint someone else's. "Young poets imitate. Mature poets steal." - T. S. Eliot I got the rent caught up and made the car payment. Stupid cellphones... So we got a little food, and saved some gas money, and I said wh...

I woke this morning with under lime under lime under lime and here it is near noon and still under lime under lime under lime repeating repeating repeat repeating. Most of the tracks are on YouTube now. I haven't heard any of it on the radio. It isn't Momofuku . But, I didn't hear that on the radio,...

I'm jazzed about the release next week, and pleased because the new part-time job I got is working out, so it looks like I might be able to indulge my fandom. All the released songs I've listened to over the phone-youtube-bluetooth-speaker bar connection are irritating me tremendously. Am I hearing ...