Look Now , October 2018

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rightbrain
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by rightbrain »

Speaking of throwing ashtrays . . . I'm reminded of "And it`s all here and now, she hit him with that paper-weight Eiffel Tower." from Crimes of Paris.
Hawksmoor
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by Hawksmoor »

rightbrain wrote:Speaking of throwing ashtrays . . . I'm reminded of "And it`s all here and now, she hit him with that paper-weight Eiffel Tower." from Crimes of Paris.
...and of course 'Isabelle' is followed by 'Adieu Paris'. I guess by the time you've been writing intricate lyrics about disintegrating relationships for 40+ years, it's going to be possible to draw connections between many of them.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/170097 ... w-concord/

CD review: Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Look Now (Concord) ****

TEN years ago, the game was up. “I’m not of a mind to record anymore,” Costello told Mojo.

He relented in 2010 for National Ransom, a sprawling affair, but a good listen. Since then, he has kept quiet, apart from Wise Up Ghost, a puzzling collaboration with The Roots. Now he goes back on his word, breaking his silence with this lush and lovely collection.

How much you like it may depend on your tolerance of lush and lovely; the Observer thought it “pretty but patchy”. True, the album is infused by the mood of two songs written with Burt Bacharach (Don’t Look Now and Photographs Can Lie), all strings and surging backing vocals. Bacharach also contributed to the closing track, He’s Given Me Things, more of the soothing same. Another collaboration, the winning Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter, sees Costello writing with Carole King.

Costello still swaggers but it’s a sophisticated swagger now. And he rolls plenty of his own song: sung short stories, carefully and luxuriantly wrapped to take account of the occasional barb. Witness opener Under Lime, a great song that strides in with confident gait and delivers an orchestral punch, and Unwanted Number, an unhappy love song with a Motown-style chorus.

Stripping Paper is the stand-out Costello song here, an affecting and clever piano ballad in which peeling away old wallpaper revives memories of happier times when that paper went up. I Let The Sun Go Down is another delight, as too is Dishonour The Stars. And that’s to forget the surging Suspect My Tears.

After a brush last year with a small but aggressive cancer, Costello returns full of purpose, and a sense of wholeness that banishes the uncertainties of National Ransom. He’s in great voice, too – singing better than ever. Pretty, yes; patchy, no.

This is his first album with The Imposters since 2008’s Momofuku – those interlopers being the Attractions minus reportedly quarrelsome bass player Bruce Thomas, replaced by Davey Faragher.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.billboard.com/articles/colu ... artist-100

Lady Gaga, BTS & Bradley Cooper Rule Top 3 of Billboard Artist 100 Chart
Plus, Elvis Costello debuts.

For a second straight week, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper rank at Nos. 1 and 3 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart, respectively. Gaga is the top musical act in the U.S. (on the chart dated Oct. 27) for a fourth total week, thanks to the A Star Is Born soundtrack, which spends its second week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart with 143,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Oct. 18, according to Nielsen Music.

The Artist 100, which launched in July 2014, measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay, streaming and social media fan interaction to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

Gaga and Cooper's repeat Artist 100 placements are also owed to the acts' presence on the Billboard Hot 100. The soundtrack's lead single, their duet "Shallow," stands at No. 10 (down from its No. 5 high), while Gaga's solo songs "Always Remember Us This Way" and "I'll Never Love Again" rank at Nos. 50 and 54, respectively.

Gaga first led the Artist 100 on Nov. 12, 2016, when her album Joanne launched atop the Billboard 200, and again on Feb. 25, 2017, when the set blasted 66-2 following her Super Bowl LI halftime show performance.

BTS surges from No. 7 to No. 2 on the Artist 100 thanks to a surge in social media reaction, as the K-pop kings were especially active on Twitter, posting photos of their European tour. The group rules the Social 50 chart for a 97th week.

BTS has spent two total weeks atop the Artist 100 (June 2 and Sept. 8).

Plus, Elvis Costello bows at No. 51 on the Artist 100, the highest debut on the chart this week, as his new album with the Imposters, Look Now, launches at No. 6 on Top Rock Albums and No. 46 on the Billboard 200 (13,000 units). The set is Costello's highest-charting on the Billboard 200 with the Imposters since 2004's The Delivery Man (No. 40) and his 32nd total entry.
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sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2018 ... y68qGxCZ0w

Album of the Week: Elvis Costello and The Imposters, 'Look Now'

Elvis Costello was sidelined earlier in 2018 with health issues, he cancelled a few shows, but this road warrior is back on the road and set to play the Northrop on November 15th. He also has a new album called Look Now with his trusty backing band, The Imposters.

It's been such a pleasure to follow Elvis Costello's musical adventures for the last 40 years. He's been my favorite singer for years. He is a guy who has done it all musically, from a T-Bone Burnett produced roots/country album to a collaboration with the hip-hop aces, The Roots.

His 31st album (give or take a few) Look Now is his first with The Imposters in 10 years. It's his first album in 5 years. Elvis Costello is in great voice at 64, that same age Paul McCartney and The Beatles sang about so many years ago. Speaking of the Fab 4, you can hear hints of them on a few tunes, including the album's lead track, "Under Lime," which features horns straight off Sergeant Pepper with a dash of Motown. It sounds like sophisticated pop tune from 1966.

There are no Paul McCartney co-writes on this one. But, Costello's old friend and collaborator Burt Bacharach's presence is all over Look Now. They made the Painted From Memory album 20 years ago. Bacharach co-wrote 3 songs, including, "Don't Look Now," which I guessed Burt's involvement before checking the liner notes. "Photographs Can Lie," sounds like two masters having fun creating music, both songs feature his lovely piano playing.

Costello enlists another songwriting guest, Carole King, who co-wrote "Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter," which blends 60's rock and that old Brill Building sound into pure pop perfection.

Another highlight is "Unwanted Number," a tune that Costello wrote for the film Grace of My Heart in 1996, which was originally recorded by the band For Real. This song is Elvis Costello's biggest hit in years. Even spending several weeks in the number one slot on the Americana singles chart, though most wonder, including me, if it's Americana at all. I'll just say its good!

My favorite "I Let The Sun Go Down," is a slice of classic pop with an almost a tin pan alley sound, with Elvis Costello smooth as silk vocal sings, "I'm the man who lost the British Empire," could this be inspired by Brexit? It sure isn't a love song!

While we're talking about love songs...Elvis Costello recently stated in an interview with the Independent, "I wish I could write like Lionel Richie - but heartfelt love songs just aren't what I do." I just hope he keeps doing what he does. Look Now is a lovely album. The sound is uncluttered, roomy and warm. It's a sophisticated pop album that's as as comfortable as your favorite lounging slippers.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

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Album der Woche: Look Now von Elvis Costello & The Imposters
https://www.radioeins.de/musik/cd_der_w ... KpGa2uyHbo
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sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.elmundo.es/cultura/musica/2 ... b45a7.html

Elvis Costello: "No quiero que os preocupéis por mí, me encuentro genial"

El pasado 6 de julio saltaron las alarmas. Dos semanas después de haber actuado en España, Elvis Costello (Londres, 1954) anunció que suspendía su gira debido a una operación para superar "un pequeño pero muy agresivo cáncer maligno". Pero... si se le veía tan bien con los Imposters. Es más, acababa de grabar un disco con ellos, 'Look now' (Universal) que se publica este viernes.

Declan Patrick MacManus pide calma con las manos, aunque sea por teléfono, y explica que aquello tal vez se sobredimensionó, que éste no es un disco de despedida.

Porque no lo es, ¿verdad?

Ya estaba hecho cuando salimos de gira este verano pasado. Lo grabamos a finales de febrero. En el momento de los conciertos, lo teníamos mezclado y todo. Como probablemente sabrán, tuve esta pequeña operación cinco semanas antes del primer concierto. Y como habrán podido comprobar, no estaba suficientemente recuperado de la intervención. Por ese motivo empecé a tener problemas y decidí que lo mejor era posponer la gira.

Así que se encuentra mejor.

Nunca he estado enfermo. Quiero dejarlo bien claro: nunca me he sentido mal y no quiero que os preocupéis por mí. He tenido la increíble fortuna de que me han detectado esto a tiempo y me lo han quitado. Pero si uno ha tenido algún tipo de operación, sabrá que la experiencia es agotadora. Sencillamente, volví a trabajar demasiado pronto y sólo quería recuperar mis fuerzas. No tiene nada que ver con si estoy bien o mal de salud a largo plazo. Ahora me encuentro genial.

¿Ha afectado en algo al disco?

En términos del contenido, no ha afectado en absoluto. Si acaso, que decidí someterme a esta pequeña operación antes de grabar las voces. Supongo que influyó un poco en la emotividad a la hora de cantar. Pero, insisto, ningún tema va sobre la enfermedad.

¿Y de qué van?

Estas canciones no están escritas desde mi punto de vista, y he intentado imaginarme cómo es ser alguien diferente. El disco se llama Look now (Mira ahora), porque las canciones van de cómo nos miramos unos a otros. Ya se trate de una mirada de admiración, de cariño o de tensión. Son instantes muy íntimos que suceden en espacios muy reducidos que hemos intentado reproducir en canciones. Y me siento muy feliz de no cantar sobre lo último que me ha sucedido, sino sobre las historias de otras personas.

¿Diría que es un álbum animado?

No lo veo así. Al menos no usaría esa palabra en primer lugar para definirlo. Creo que es un disco de contrastes, en los estados de ánimo y en los tempos. Las canciones animadas son fuertes, sí. Y he de decir que no creo que la banda haya sonado mejor en disco. Porque una de las razones para grabarlo era tener esta mezcla de todo lo que puedo hacer: desde lo más cañero, en el arranque, hasta las baladas como 'Dishonor the stars' o cosas todavía más íntimas, como 'Photographs can lie'.

Aquí hay temas con Carole King y Burt Bacharach. ¿Cómo entiende la colaboración musical?

He tenido algunos éxitos y he hecho algunos discos que no han vendido una copia. Nunca puedes saber que te deparará la fortuna sobre lo que haces. Lo único importante es encontrar una razón sincera para hacerlo. Y en el caso de las colaboraciones con otros músicos, no lo veo en términos de win-win, que parece de las páginas de un suplemento económico. Cuando se trata de compositores de la talla de Paul McCartney o Burt Bacharach, es todo un reto ofrecerles algo que no les suponga un problema.

Hace un par de años apareció su libro 'Música fiel y tinta invisible' (editado en España por Malpaso). ¿Escribirlo cambió de algún modo su forma de hacer canciones?

Me ha hecho valorar algunas canciones de un modo diferente. Porque entendí que en el momento en que las escribí probablemente no puse el acento en el significado personal, ya que no tenía un público: estaba componiendo para mí mismo sin pensar que estaba contando la historia de mi vida

¿Cree que puede cambiar el mundo con sus canciones?

Mi idea sobre la música es capturar en torno a un baile los sentimientos e ideas que tenemos. Nunca he dicho que mis canciones fuesen «políticas», porque considero que la política trata de la organización y el control del sistema. Por desgracia, los políticos suelen ocuparse primordialmente de defender sus propios intereses o los de sus allegados. Y yo no tengo que nada que ver con eso. En mayor o menor grado, todos hemos sufrido los errores, reduccionismos y vanidades de nuestros líderes.

Esta época de Trump, ¿es inspiradora o descorazonadora?

Ya que internet permite que todo el mundo exprese sus sentimientos todo el tiempo, existe la percepción de que lo que ocurre ahora sea más significativo que todo lo que ha sucedido antes en la Historia de la Humanidad. Hay sitios donde todavía se practica la esclavitud y genocidios que se siguen cometiendo, pero si los comparas con lo que sucedía en los años 30 y 40 del pasado siglo, con Hitler y Stalin, no tiene nada que ver. Es hilarante ver cómo se compara a personajes caricaturescos de hoy con el mal genuino. Aquella gente tenía más posibilidades de hacer el mal, porque había menos información. Sin embargo ahora, que sí la tenemos, lo estamos haciendo fatal, porque todo el mundo está gritando a la vez.

Esto me recuerda a una canción de hace 10 años con los Imposters, 'Harry Worth', que dice: "¿Oyes ese ruido? Bien, eso fue una vez nuestra canción".

Vivimos en un mundo tan ajetreado que lo raro es tener tiempo para concentrarte solamente en escuchar música. Pero si llegas a estar solo, este álbum puede ser un buen compañero.

A cuento de la música social o política, me acuerdo también de 'Shipbuilding', que tuvo gran impacto aunque no se ajustase a los estándares de la canción protesta.

Las canciones son uno de los pocos lugares donde es posible tomar un momento y describirlo. 'Shipbuilding' va de un dilema moral: el de tener de nuevo un propósito en la vida, pero que ese propósito sea construir un barco en el que viaje tu hijo para luchar en una guerra que no tiene ninguna importancia para ti ni para él. Tiene que ver con las ambiciones de otras personas, una aventura imperial en la que ninguno de los verdaderos implicados tiene nada que ganar. Es lo que sucedió con mis abuelos: fueron llamados a luchar por la ambición de un país de desafiar la ambición de otro país. En estos asuntos, siempre hay alguien responsable, pero en ningún caso es la clase obrera, que es totalmente ajena a los sucios detalles en torno a los que gira la historia. Así que mi trabajo es centrarme en esos momentos de humanidad dentro de todo el lío en que vivimos.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opini ... ~b7608d89/

Eén liedje van Elvis Costello en ik ben ineens weer 17 jaar

Column Nico Dijkshoorn

Het onbekommerde verleden staat deze week keihard met beide vuisten op mijn voordeur te beuken. Iemand of iets wil mij waarschuwen, maar ik weet niet waarvoor. Het begon met de nieuwe plaat van Elvis Costello.

Ik had al heel lang geen nieuwe plaat van Elvis ­Costello gekocht. Ook hij had, net als Bob Dylan, de Frank Sinatraziekte onder de leden. Briljant kreunende en piepende zangers denken opeens: weet je wat, ik ga lekker met mijn arm op een piano leunen en zingen zoals Frank Sinatra dat nooit bedoeld heeft.

Ik vergeef ze alles. Bob Dylan zal op een volgende plaat gewoon weer klinken als een stationair draaiende frietmachine. Costello knauwt in 2018 weer als vanouds alsof hij achter in een snackbar met een verstopte neus drie porties fish-and-chips bestelt.

Het is een heerlijke plaat. In alle liedjes zitten ­minimaal vier zinnen waar ik mijn arm voor zou ­geven. Prachtige melodieën, meesterlijke zanglijntjes en pas als je in bed ligt, denk je: zingt hij nou over zijn moeder of de teloorgang van Engeland?

Ik dacht nog iets anders in bed. Wanneer had ik de eerste plaat van Elvis Costello gekocht? Ik tikte de titel in op mijn telefoon. My Aim Is True kwam uit in 1977. Toen was ik 17. Dat was 41 jaar geleden. Meteen doemden gedetailleerde herinneringen op. Ik kocht de plaat in Amsterdam, bij Boudisque in de Haringpakkersteeg. Elvis Costello werd – net als Dire Straits – door muziekkrant Oor voor het gemak ingedeeld bij de punkgolf. Rare bril en een gitaar, dus punk.

Die heerlijke rit terug naar Amstelveen, met de platenhoes in mijn handen. Ik keek naar Costello. Hij leek op ­Koning Boudewijn. Ik keek achter op de hoes naar de titels van liedjes. ­Welcome to the ­Working Week en No Dancing, dat klonk behoorlijk ­recalcitrant. Slechts één titel verontrustte mij: Alison.

Dat vond ik niet erg punk. Alison, zo noemde je je konijn. Alison, dat was de naam van een bepaald type witbrood. Alison, dat was een goed verkopende aardappel. ‘Doe mij nog maar een pondje Alison erbij. Met een uitje graag.’

Thuis luisterde ik plaatkant 1. Het was geen punk, maar toch goed. Welcome to the Working Week ging over mijn vader, alleen wist hij het niet. Prima. En toen kwam Alison.

Ik hoorde een zoet lief, zacht gitaartje. Dit kon nog alle kanten op. En toen de eerste zin: ‘Oh it’s so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl.’ En daarna al die andere prachtige zinnetjes: ‘Sometimes I wish that I could stop you from talking when I hear the silly things that you say.’ Geen wilde drums, geen stuiterende baslijn. Alleen Costello die weemoedig zong over een verloren liefde: ‘Alison, I know this world is killing you.’

Ik weet nog precies hoe mijn kamer rook toen ik Costello voor het eerst hoorde. Naar schoolboeken. Ik weet nog op wie ik verliefd was. Twintig jaar later hadden we twee kinderen. Ik weet nog wat ik at die avond. Natte Bami van Nel. Mijn moeder, die toen nog niet wist dat ze ooit dood zou gaan. Ik weet welke schoenen ik droeg. Zwart zonder gesp. Mijn broer Bas was 7 jaar oud. Hij speelde hamertje-tik.

Alles gestold in de tijd, door een liedje van Elvis Costello.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

Down to number 88 in the U.K. chart
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.billboard.com/articles/colu ... happy-xmas

(...)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Look Now – No. 46 — Costello claims his 32nd charting effort with the arrival of Look Now (13,000 units, nearly all from album sales). He made his Billboard 200 chart debut on Dec. 3, 1977 with My Aim Is True, which peaked at No. 32 on the March 18, 1978-dated list.
(...)
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://jenesaispop.com/2018/10/24/3445 ... streaming/

Tini, Elvis Costello, Kurt Vile y John Grant destacan en ventas en España; Quavo, en streaming


Mientras Ozuna se mantiene en el top 1 de streaming álbumes en España con ‘Aura’ y Malú vuelve al top 1 de ventas con ‘Oxígeno’, en los primeros puestos de las listas de álbumes destaca el repunte de la banda sonora de ‘Ha nacido una estrella’. El disco con música de Lady Gaga y Bradley Cooper sube al puesto 2 en ventas y al puesto 3 en streaming, asegurándose el éxito de cara a la temporada navideña. El single ‘Shallow’ escala además al puesto 34 en nuestro país.

En cuanto a venta de álbumes en España la entrada más fuerte es la de la cantante argentina Tini -conocida por ‘Violetta’ de Disney- con ‘Quiero volver’ (puesto 11, también ha llegado al 84 en streaming).

El resto de entradas en ventas son las de Elvis Costello & The Imposters con ‘Look Now’ (puesto 17), Eric Clapton con ‘Happy XMas’ (puesto 34), Jess Glynne con ‘Always In Between’ (puesto 40), Plácido Domingo y Pablo Sainz-Villegas con ‘Volver’ (puesto 52), Kurt Vile con ‘Bottle It In’ (puesto 60), David Bowie con ‘Loving the Alien (1983-1988) y John Grant con ‘Love Is Magic’ (puesto 93). Entre las re-entradas están St Vincent con ‘Masseduction’ (84) y Dorian con ‘Justicia Universal’ (85).

————————
Google translation:

Tini, Elvis Costello, Kurt Vile and John Grant stand out in sales in Spain; Quavo, streaming

While Ozuna remains in the top 1 of streaming albums in Spain with 'Aura' and Malú returns to the top 1 sales with 'Oxygen', at the top of the album charts highlights the rise of the soundtrack of 'He's born a star'. The album with music by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper climbs to position 2 in sales and to position 3 in streaming, ensuring success for the Christmas season. The single 'Shallow' also climbs to 34th place in our country.

As for the sale of albums in Spain, the strongest entry is that of the Argentine singer Tini - known by Disney's 'Violetta' - with 'Quiero volver' (position 11, she has also reached 84 in streaming).

The other entries in sales are those of Elvis Costello & The Imposters with 'Look Now' (17th place), Eric Clapton with 'Happy XMas' (34th place), Jess Glynne with 'Always In Between' (40th place), Plácido Domingo and Pablo Sainz-Villegas with 'Volver' (52nd position), Kurt Vile with 'Bottle It In' (60th position), David Bowie with 'Loving the Alien (1983-1988) and John Grant with' Love Is Magic '( position 93). Among the re-entries are St Vincent with 'Masseduction' (84) and Dorian with 'Universal Justice' (85).
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

Album chart in Holland: https://dutchcharts.nl/weekchart.asp?cat=a
This week #79
Last week #35
Last edited by sweetest punch on Sat Oct 27, 2018 11:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

Album chart in Belgium: https://www.ultratop.be/nl/albums

This week #17
Last week: #6
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

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Album chart in Germany: https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/ ... 9967292000
This week: ?
Last week: #32
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

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Album chart in Austria: https://austriancharts.at/charts/alben
This week: #21
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by Mr. Hush »

FIRST POST

Thought I’d dip my toe in with thoughts on the new album. As I recall I used a similar forum, perhaps a predecessor, back in the years 2000/2001. I was the Invisible Man then but I disappeared.

I first encountered Elvis through a grainy TV showing of him singing Alison and then on TOTP with Red Shoes. Over the years I guess I’ve had the odd period of virtual obsession but nowadays I seem to prefer Mahler, Sibelius and Beethoven so this is the first ‘pop’ music I’ve really listened to since ‘National Ransom’ give or take the odd offering from The Strokes. I didn’t really like the book nor ‘Wise Up Ghost’, which seemed to ruin lots of my favourite songs. Really loved ‘Momofuku’ and NR though. So I’d been a bit cross with Elvis really. I mean I record music of a sort in my ‘studio’ shed without Burt and Steve or an engineer and it’s not hard to get it out there. I’ll not pretend to understand the finances of the recording industry and obviously there’s legacy to consider but why not just record something for us?... just think of all the pleasure that it brings.

Anyway. The new album is here and I’ll confess that I’m not angry any more. I like all of the songs apart from ‘Unwanted Number’ and any issues on the remaining songs are really just matters of taste. Maybe the drums are a bit heavy on ‘Under Lime’ but they do make it kind of monumental and powerful. And who could criticise those lyrics: funny, sad, serious, throwaway and poetic. And maybe I’d have preferred strings to the woodwind on ‘Stripping Paper’ but you’d have to be made of stone not the feel something for that sad and lonely single piano note towards the end. And maybe ‘I Let the Sun Go Down’ almost crosses the corny line here and there. But overall definitely top ten and maybe even top five. Time will tell.

Comparisons to TYM. Overall the 12 songs seem to have the same affect. It makes me chuckle that ‘I Let The Sun Go Down’ is placed alongside ‘You Belong to Me’, ‘Photographs Can Lie’ in place of ‘Photographs of Fancy Tricks’... ‘Mr and Mrs Hush’ come in ‘Hand in Hand’ and we’re not ‘Living in Paradise’ now just hoping heaven will help us. And of course not to look now at this year’s girl. Funny. 40 years ago I would have been playing the riff to Chelsea on my electric guitar in my pokey flat in Cambridge, now I’m playing my violin in my ‘studio’ shed to ‘He’s Given Me Things’. Not sure what that tells you but the feeling’s the same.

Comparisons to IB. A lot has been made of the comparison with IB and maybe if you add the four extended play songs to the others, sprinkled anywhere to taste, it does have the scope although I’ll be honest, to me it’s not quite that good.

Final thought. I’ve read a few posts thinking that this is the start of a new era. I’m not so sure. Jimmie confessing his crimes so firmly and dictating his final will? The painting of Jimmie as EC by EC? The enigmatic last song? Who is the overriding Godlike artist giving verses and painting pictures from up above and who are the children? Who has lots of money? Would you put that much effort in to something that was not your last record? Hope I’m wrong.

So thanks to Elvis and all of those involved. How does he do it?

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InvisibleMan
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by InvisibleMan »

I thought *I* was the Invisible Man. But I suppose we didn't see each other before.

Anyway, the album is growing. It doesn't exactly work like a McCartney album, which is relatively simpler(*) and straightforward. Now many of the melodies are stuck in my head.

(*) although you can find articulated structures as in Despite Repeated Warning.
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Ymaginatif
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by Ymaginatif »

InvisibleMan wrote:I thought *I* was the Invisible Man. But I suppose we didn't see each other before.

Anyway, the album is growing. It doesn't exactly work like a McCartney album, which is relatively simpler(*) and straightforward. Now many of the melodies are stuck in my head.

(*) although you can find articulated structures as in Despite Repeated Warning.
How many invisible men can there be in a room before it starts feeling crowded? :D
bronxapostle
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by bronxapostle »

Enjoyed both your first AND last post above Mr. Hush. Got me to wondering why you wouldn't share often. Anyway, i see you joined here in May 2015 and indeed, you did not write before now. May i ask, was your user name always this or did it change recently? Thanks, ba
jardine
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by jardine »

Ymaginatif wrote:
InvisibleMan wrote:I thought *I* was the Invisible Man. But I suppose we didn't see each other before.

Anyway, the album is growing. It doesn't exactly work like a McCartney album, which is relatively simpler(*) and straightforward. Now many of the melodies are stuck in my head.

(*) although you can find articulated structures as in Despite Repeated Warning.
How many invisible men can there be in a room before it starts feeling crowded? :D

I think, perhaps, four. creepy thing is, it doesn't depend on the size of the room
Mr. Hush
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by Mr. Hush »

Sorry Invisibleman... didn't mean to tread on your toes... seem to recall there was a Sweet Pear and a Distorted Angel on the previous incarnation but it was quite a while ago.
And thanks Bronxapostle... nice to meet you.. I think I was Nat King Cole at one point but never made a post as the technology beat me. Couldn't resist changing to Mr Hush... the person who runs the site was really helpful with that so thanks.
Hawksmoor
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by Hawksmoor »

Mr. Hush wrote:Final thought. I’ve read a few posts thinking that this is the start of a new era. I’m not so sure. Jimmie confessing his crimes so firmly and dictating his final will? The painting of Jimmie as EC by EC? The enigmatic last song? Who is the overriding Godlike artist giving verses and painting pictures from up above and who are the children? Who has lots of money? Would you put that much effort in to something that was not your last record? Hope I’m wrong.
He's perennially done that, though. 'I Want to Vanish' as the closer on ATUB, 'confirming radio silence from now on' as the last lines on WIWC, and so on. Which is not to say he might go a long time before recording another LP. But 'this is the end' lyrics have long been one of his running gags.
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/progr ... ello-again

Look Now - it's Elvis Costello again

Elvis Costello has just released a new album, Look Now, his first collection of original material for some few years now. William Dart examines the treasure.


Over his 41-year recording career, Elvis Costello has always taken the whole craft of songwriting very seriously.

He can even relate to the traditions of centuries ago without sacrificing his individuality, as he did with his song "Put Away Forbidden Playthings", commissioned for the bicentenary of the English composer Henry Purcell's death and recorded by countertenor Michael Chance and the viol consort Fretwork.

Costello is eminently aware of tone. Every word has intent, ever musical note is precisely placed. And because of this, there can be a sense of savage but under-the-surface irony; an unease that is one of the staples of his style.

When he published his 674-page career story three years ago, with the title Unfaithful Music, there was almost an overflow of fascinating detail about the care taken with his songcraft. He confessed to staying away from any instruments when a tune was forming in his head, in case the guitar or piano might intrude and unnecessarily colour the final result.

There’s often a feeling in these pages of Costello reining himself in.

The song "Indoor Fireworks", from 1985’s King of America was intended to be as plain and bleak as a Hank Williams number. But somehow he couldn’t help himself from echoing the cream in Buddy De Sylva and Lew Brown’s coffee, with an image of being the gin in his vermouth. And right at the end of the chorus, he can’t resist slipping in the title of a Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach evergreen.

In 1998, came an unexpected but welcomed songwriting partnership with the veteran Burt Bacharach.

They'd worked on Alison Anders’ movie Grace of My Heart two years previously, which was the first time that we heard the power ballad to end all power ballads, "God Give Me Strength".

In the film, it was an audition piece, with piano, for a shuffling and awkward Ileana Douglas (lip-synching to a vocal by Kristen Vigard); two years later, on Costello and Bacharach’s Painted from Memory CD, drastically pulled back in tempo, it soars to heaven in an arrangement that does full justice to the Golden Gate spans of its melody.

Elvis Costello’s new album, Look Now, opens with a joyous splash of pop, and why shouldn't it – it's a reunion with his old backing group, The Imposters. And Steve Nieve’s piano casts octaves into the sky in this number. Costello told us earlier this year that he was hoping to combine the scope of his 1982 Imperial Bedroom album with the beauty and emotion of his project with Burt Bacharach.

The song "Under Lime" is definitely one of the bedroom numbers and, like much in the album, hearkens back to Costello’s own musical past. We’ve already met its main character, Jimmy, eight years ago, standing in the rain. Now doing the nostalgia rounds on the tele, there’s something going on in the green, or should that be lime room.

Clocks are ticking away and inspire a delightful excursion into a George Martin orchestra land. Later, they bring on what could only be described as a bit of a Swingle Singers frenzy. It’s irresistible.

The new Elvis Costello album, Look Now, is also an excuse for a number of comings-together. He joins up with, of all people, Carole King, in the song "Burnt Sugar is so bitter". And, just in case you don’t believe it, the brass charts certainly bring out the bitter with caustic crunchy clashes.

It was the new Burt Bacharach collaborations that initially caught my ear and, while there’s nothing in the league of the best numbers from Painted from Memory, it’s interesting to see Costello taking the woman’s role in two of the three numbers.

The first, titled "Don’t Look Now", comes with the bonus of his 89-year-old colleague at the Steinway and, even if it doesn’t have the beguiling curves of classic Bacharach, it’s a deceptive slow-burner and I’m curious to see whether the song might be picked up by any women singers.

If you obtain Look Now as a hold-in-the-hand purchase, it comes with a bonus EP of four songs. They’re all Costello originals, and three of them are triple-time waltzes. I’m sure you’ll enjoy Steve Nieve channeling a boulevard accordion on his Otello organ for the ballad, "Adieu Paris".

The last waltz may already have come your way on the soundtrack to Paul McGuigan’s recent film, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, based on the last days of Hollywood actor Gloria Grahame.

For Costello, the whole movie project brought to mind how we tend to keep people contained in the place that we know them best. For him, Gloria Grahame had always been very much the star of so many classic film noirs of the 50s.

The slow and poised 3/4 of his theme song, "You shouldn’t look at me that way", catches that period, as well as nodding to Burt Bacharach as an unmistakable musical influence. It’s significant that Costello’s own arrangement for piano and a small instrumental band, includes Bacharach’s favourite flugel horn.

This year’s Academy Award for best movie song went to a rather ordinary piece of writing from the kiddie comic feature Coco, the work of Kristen Anderson and Robert Lopez, who made his name with the scores for The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. Unarguable credentials you might think, but Elvis Costello does remind us that movies can be for grown-ups too.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
Mr. Hush
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by Mr. Hush »

Thanks Hawksmoor. That's cheered me up. This is the end right from 'Waiting for the End of the World' I guess. Not sure 'I want to vanish' would ever be good enough as a final song but if memory serves me it was the last with the Attractions? Maybe I'm reading too much in to the confessions and the bookending with TYM and the fact that it's so bloody good. I've opened a book anyway... currently evens on another record in my lifetime. :D
sweetest punch
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Re: Look Now: new album announced!

Post by sweetest punch »

https://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/ ... d=16573733

New Elvis Costello and Graham Parker albums follow separate paths

Two scrawny bespectacled bards, Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, share a history separated by a mere two years, but what a difference it made. Parker arose in the 1974-75 British pub-rock era of Brinsley Schwarz, but Costello’s 1977 debut album arrived with full-rage punk. Of the two artists’ new works, the reunited Elvis Costello & The Imposters’ Look Now (Concord Records) is the more diverse, but Graham Parker & The Goldtops provide a more consistently pub-style boogie on Cloud Symbols (100% Records).

While some may have hoped The Imposters would bring back the sound of 1978’s This Year’s Model, Costello’s decades of dabbling in jazz have led to a more Imperial Bedroom vibe. Tracks like “Stripping Paper” are incredibly rich in both lyrics and arrangement, making this Costello’s most consistent album in years, though not his most rocking.

Parker’s band The Goldtops evoke a more Muscle Shoals sound, while the clever lyrics on tracks like “Bathtub Gin” owe a lot to his Heat Treatment-era work. On balance, Costello remains the literate wunderkind, while Parker is the one who’ll keep the dance floor moving.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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