Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Pretty self-explanatory
rightbrain
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by rightbrain »

Admittedly, it's a "cover" song, but the singing on "World Of Broken Hearts" (1982 b-side) is unlistenable . . .
sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

Secret, Profane and sugarcane is my least favourite of Elvis's albums. I cant think of the title of the song at the moment. but its the one that sounds like a load of drunks singing on a lurching ship and then it just stops.

Another vote for Eisenhower Blues.

Any of the 'bama lama' type songs. I would gladly never hear again.
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ahawkman
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by ahawkman »

Another vote for She... it pains me that this one was in a hit movie and had so much exposure.
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DeathWearsABigHat
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by DeathWearsABigHat »

IbMePdErRoIoAmL wrote:"Why Can't A Man Stand Alone?" leaves me cold. It's the only song I can think of on any EC album that I regularly skip.
Funny innit. That'd be in my all time top 20 of EC songs!!

Least favourite: never been keen on 20% Amnesia, The Delivery Man, Georgie & Her Rival and I echo others' opinion on Eisenhower Blues.
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IbMePdErRoIoAmL
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by IbMePdErRoIoAmL »

sheeptotheslaughter wrote:Secret, Profane and sugarcane is my least favourite of Elvis's albums. I cant think of the title of the song at the moment. but its the one that sounds like a load of drunks singing on a lurching ship and then it just stops.
Surely you don't mean "She Was No Good" - one of the best tracks on a largely great album?
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Fishfinger king
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Fishfinger king »

The Stamping Ground would take my vote every time. Horrible dirge.
She would be second to last - at least The Stamping Ground is never played in concert - why we have to suffer She is beyond all reason.
Broken next.
Tramp the Dirt Down also in the mix - and similarly overplayed in concert.
God's Comic I would agree suffers by familiarity.
The only other pet hate I have that's not been mentioned is Poor Fractured Atlas.

I enjoy Playboy to a Man, Party,Party, Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, Hairdo and Button My Lip. It takes all sorts, I guess.

And the worst album is clearly Secret, Profane and Sugarcane (unless you count For The Stars)
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Arbogast
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Arbogast »

I'm really glad this thread was put up...it's even more interesting than I'd expected.

I never thought God's Comic or Tokyo Storm Warning would be anyone's least fave. And I'd been reluctant to mention Eisenhower Blues cuz it's the only song I dislike on an album, KOA, that's top-five for me..but yeah, I've never liked that song. I'll also echo Bama Lama Bama Loo.

Also interesting: I thought there'd be any number of tracks from Goodbye Cruel World among people's "worst"s, but so far not a one. Not even Peace In Our Time!
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by stricttime81 »

I'll throw out one nobody has mentioned - "This Town" from Spike. There is something about the sound of it that I can't stand. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me. But "Broken" is probably my least favorite.
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cwr
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by cwr »

I'm not sure I'd be confident enough to label any of my Least Favorite Costello songs as "horrible" or wretched or say the drumming by Pete Thomas is bad, etc.

There are 3 songs I don't really care for, and skip way more often than I would choose to let them play if they came up in shuffle mode, but I'm pretty confident they're not "bad" songs, they just don't appeal to me.

My Three Sons
International Echo
The Long Division

I like the sentimental nature of M3S, and get why EC likes it, but for me, it was interesting on first listen and then I was kind of done with it.

IE just never clicked with me, despite me liking the idea of the song, lyrically.

TLD always felt like the weakest link on PFM. I like it a little better now than when it came out, but just barely.

Some of the other songs listed fit this same category for me, skippable but I don't really think they're "bad."

Of his most consistently reviled songs, I think the one I like the most is "Playboy To A Man." I don't like the demo with McCartney, musically, but I *love* the weirdly-recorded MLAR version. I think it's a funny song and I think he saved it by recording it like a complete maniac.
sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

IbMePdErRoIoAmL wrote:
sheeptotheslaughter wrote:Secret, Profane and sugarcane is my least favourite of Elvis's albums. I cant think of the title of the song at the moment. but its the one that sounds like a load of drunks singing on a lurching ship and then it just stops.
Surely you don't mean "She Was No Good" - one of the best tracks on a largely great album?

Each to his own. I am just not a fan of SP&S. I just find it mostly dreary.
cwr
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by cwr »

This is a side question, but sort of related: which EC album do you *like* while also totally understanding why so many others *don't* like it?

For instance, I love MLAR and truly am baffled by people who dislike it. However, I also really like SP&S but I TOTALLY get why, for a lot of EC fans, it's a snoozer.
Arbogast
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Arbogast »

cwr...

Don't know that there's an album that falls into that particular category for me, but I have experienced a lot of raised eyebrows over the years when I tell people that I think Brutal Youth is one of his very best albums, certainly his most underrated.
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by bronxapostle »

Arbogast wrote:cwr...

Don't know that there's an album that falls into that particular category for me, but I have experienced a lot of raised eyebrows over the years when I tell people that I think Brutal Youth is one of his very best albums, certainly his most underrated.
oh arbo my friend. AGREE, i freakin' LOVE Brutal Youth!!! AMAZING record. in this apparent veering off original topic, i find RIVER IN REVERSE lp to be an uncomfortably "forced" effort. not as natural a fit as we're accustomed to when he tries different genres. though it was a marvelous tour. at least the two NYC BEACON shows. the SLIPPIN AND SLIDIN was simply PUNK ROCK!!!
Hawksmoor
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Hawksmoor »

rightbrain wrote:Admittedly, it's a "cover" song, but the singing on "World Of Broken Hearts" (1982 b-side) is unlistenable . . .
Aw, I love that! Although, objectively speaking, it probably does fall more into the 'guilty pleasures' category than the 'out-and-out classic' category!
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Hawksmoor »

Arbogast wrote:cwr...

Don't know that there's an album that falls into that particular category for me, but I have experienced a lot of raised eyebrows over the years when I tell people that I think Brutal Youth is one of his very best albums, certainly his most underrated.
I totally agree with you (about the LP itself) but my hunch is that your raised-eyebrow friends are possibly atypical for EC fans as a whole. I have always assumed Brutal Youth to be one of the best-received and highly-rated (by fans) in EC's oeuvre. Have I read fandom wrongly?
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Ymaginatif
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Ymaginatif »

Just thought of another one:

the final seconds of "The Days Take Care Of Everything " ...

(if not all of the song)
rightbrain
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by rightbrain »

Curious what you guys think if the question were posed this way:

If you had approximately 6 minutes of your life that you could never get back, would you rather spend it on "Tokyo Storm Warning" (from Blood & Chocolate) or "Stick Out Your Tongue" (from Wise Up Ghost).

For me, it's a no brainer . . . I'd prefer to waste the time on "Tokyo Storm Warning." At least it's got that Monkees "Auntie Grizelda" guitar figure and the immortal words: "Death wears a big hat/'cause He's a big bloke/We're only here for this instant."

"Stick Out Your Tongue" is an automatic "skip" when listening to the otherwise excellent Wise Up Ghost.
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docinwestchester
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by docinwestchester »

rightbrain wrote:"Stick Out Your Tongue" is an automatic "skip" when listening to the otherwise excellent Wise Up Ghost.
Interesting. I love the funky arrangement and actually prefer it to the original Pills and Soap, which has never been a favorite of mine.
Arbogast
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Arbogast »

That's a little too random a hypothetical for me....
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Harry Lime »

"Tokyo Storm Warning" is a favorite of mine, from a top 5 Elvis album. I really like the monotony of the groove and many of the turns of phrase in the lyrics: "Japanese God-Jesus robots, telling teenage fortunes" etc. Blood and Chocolate is an album of never-skips for me.
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bronxapostle
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by bronxapostle »

Harry Lime wrote:"Tokyo Storm Warning" iI really like the monotony of the groove
EXACTLY Harry; heavenly monotony!!!

how could ANY EC fan dislike this one? it should have been LONGER than six minutes with another three verses.

it was GREAT, clean fun opening the solo sections of the CONFEDERATES 1986 solo WORLD OF TRAVEL sets (if i recall his playful name correctly.)
he broke it up in the middle 2 or 3 times with fun, personal asides. A FANTASTIC SONG that i hope he plays again for me one day soon.
LOVE IT!!
8) 8) 8)
rightbrain wrote:Curious what you guys think if the question were posed this way:

If you had approximately 6 minutes of your life that you could never get back, would you rather spend it on "Tokyo Storm Warning" (from Blood & Chocolate) or "Stick Out Your Tongue" (from Wise Up Ghost).

For me, it's a no brainer . . . I'd prefer to waste the time on "Tokyo Storm Warning." At least it's got that Monkees "Auntie Grizelda" guitar figure and the immortal words: "Death wears a big hat/'cause He's a big bloke/We're only here for this instant."

"Stick Out Your Tongue" is an automatic "skip" when listening to the otherwise excellent Wise Up Ghost.
oh, DEFINTELY agree brain: TSW!!!!!
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by sulky lad »

BA wrote [quote how could ANY EC fan dislike this one? it should have been LONGER than six minutes with another three verses.

it was GREAT, clean fun opening the solo sections of the CONFEDERATES 1986 solo WORLD OF TRAVEL sets (if i recall his playful name correctly.)
he broke it up in the middle 2 or 3 times with fun, personal asides. A FANTASTIC SONG that i hope he plays again for me one day soon.
LOVE IT!!][/quote]

Brilliant BA< no wonder we all love you. What more of the world could EC have torn up in those 3 extra verses ? (and I wouldn't mind betting there were 3 more verses in EC's head !!)
One of my top 3 EC albums - violent aggressive,bitter and yet unbelievably melodic especially side 2.

I also love MLAR if only because I think EC sings like an angel throughout before he got ideas about becoming an opera singer ( sic!)
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by Goon Squad »

Boy With A Problem !


This is the only Elv song I can honestly say I really dislike, almost hate. I just never really "got it". Thought it was very bland, no rhythm, stop start, with wishy washy lyrics. Back in the day when it originally came out , and I was taping the IB album, for car/Walkman etc ( as us old 'uns did in the good old days ! ) I even left it off the cassette , such was my distain ! I always blamed Chris Difford, although I do love Squeeze, for making it so bad ! ! !
So there it is ! I've said it !..................Sorry Elvis ! ( and Chris ! ) :oops:
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Re: Elvis's Worst Song And Why

Post by the_platypus »

Oh man. There are a few ones that I find really annoying. "The Stamping Ground" has a really irritating hook. "Turning the Town Red" too.

Count me among the fans of "Tokyo Storm Warning". I understand the criticisms against it, but I find it such deranged fun.
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