Me And Elvis Costello ( A New Fan Story)

Pretty self-explanatory
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Bob And Charlotte
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Me And Elvis Costello ( A New Fan Story)

Post by Bob And Charlotte »

I was first introduced to the music of Elvis Costello by a top 100 records of all time. 'My Aim Is True' was in number 54 and i thought i might like that Buddy Holy style guy. I was just 14 years old and wasn´t very impressive about the music in there. My newest CD was about to take a long rest...

A year later i was totally addicted by Bob Dylan (and i still think that he is THE best songwritter of all-time - no contest) and on amother list, top 50 records of the 80´s, Imperial Bedroom were there and i bought that one too. Didn´t care that much... in fact, didn´t care at all!

ps.: by the time that 'Painted From Memory' was released my father gave it to me as a birthday present (he was a Burt Bacharach fan). And i only listen it once. Didn´t like it

Reading a Colin Larkin book, he said that Costello were the second best songwritter of all time (behind Dylan), and it wasn´t the fist time i´ve heard that...

So i bought Nothing Hill soundtrack (and loved the song She). It wasn´t written by Costello. I was dissapointed!

On the day the North was released, i bought it (and guess what) i like it.


Not that i liked much, but i liked enought to give Imperial Bedroom another chance. I was travelling by bus when i heard that album again.
This was three WEEKS ago (i´m 20 yrs old now) and i can´t stop listen this album. What a monumental record. Oh, his debut is almost as good and i already order Armed Forces and This Year´s Model.

Can´t wait to listen those two records for the very first time, as much as i can´t wait to listen to North, Painted From Memory again.

And i bought When I Was Cruel yesterday (but i´ll wait to listen this one)

Since i was 15, Bob Dylan its been my favourite artist. But no other has come so close as Costello did (in only 3 weeks).

Sorry for my English,
Sorry for the long text.
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Poppet
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Post by Poppet »

hey, your english is fine, so far. i understood you. :)

that's how many of us seem to have come to elvis. suddenly, one day, POOF there you go, elvis fan. years of hearing him, and not caring, then, in an instant, everything changes.

what's up with that????? so wierd!

welcome aboard!
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count the cars and watch the seasons....
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Gillibeanz
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Post by Gillibeanz »

I'm sorry but both you and Colin Larkin are wrong - Elvis is THE best songwriter of all time!

I envy you - so much Elvis music to discover for the first time. You have a lot of catching up to do the mans been churning out awesome stuff for 26 odd years! :D
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Bob And Charlotte
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Post by Bob And Charlotte »

Youre totally right Poppet...
And IT IS wierd!!!
Bob And Charlotte
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Post by Bob And Charlotte »

>I envy you - so much Elvis music to discover for the first time.

Can´t wait to listen This Year´s Model. Some say its his best work. (though i think its quite difficult to improve Imperial Bedroom. What amazing record)
WhipsnSpurs
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Post by WhipsnSpurs »

Weird, I had the same experience (kind of!) I worked at my college radio station in Fresno back in the 70's when he first came out, and we "pushed" his music because it was so cool. Lost track of him, except in that casual occurrance of seeing him on TV, or catching the rare radio song.

Then 2 months ago I had the coolest dream about him - out of the blue, after not ever thinking about him. I woke up thinking it was weird, but cool. Why the hell was I dreaming about EC? So I went out and bought
"North" and "Cruel" and "Greatest Hits" and the rest is history!

The day I woke up from my dream, BTW, I looked at a website (just 'cause I was curious by this time) and saw a question/answer thing that said his favorite story was "The Dog That Bit People". Guess which story I had planned to teach to my English classes that day?

How weird is that???????
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Post by wehitandrun »

You people are bloody mystics!





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Branst
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Post by Branst »

The first time I heard Costello was a couple years ago when a friend came over with Armed Forces. He played the first three songs and I was instantly hooked. From that day on, I've been a huge Elvis Costello fan.
wehitandrun
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Post by wehitandrun »

"Alibi" was my first Elvis Costello obsession. I originally started listening to Elvis because I thought he and Daryl Palumbo had similar voices.





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AlmostBlue
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Post by AlmostBlue »

that is the secret to his success.. people see him on TV, hear him on the radio, and like him for 10, 20 years, then poof! the spell is cast, and suddenly the fan has 250 unbelievable songs, each one better than anything else in the library.. It is either one particular song, or one person in a bar saying " I despise that guy." ... Every person has a digital music fingerprint, which is eventually hit by radio play of "Cruel Smile," "Motel Matches," "Still," "Lipstick Vogue".. all areas are covered.. most people eventually get hit :-)
elvisisking63
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Post by elvisisking63 »

It sure feels strange to be an old-timer. I'm 40 years old and have been an Elvis worshipper for MORE THAN HALF OF MY LIFE...from the moment I first heard Armed Forces upon its original release (to save you from doing the math, I was 17).

Sometimes, as I cruise through MTV-land, Rolling Stone magazine, or observe the demographics at Elvis concerts, I get the depressing sense that his fan base is only aging along with me and that nobody in their 20s is catching onto this music. So it's very comforting to hear about younger people getting hooked on Elvis with his recent albums and especially those who are digging deeper to hear the earlier stuff -- I think it validates both that 1) his later albums are worthwhile (despite the grousing of some of the old-timers), and 2) what hooked us 20 years ago is somewhat timeless and was not just an of-the-moment passing fad (which is a legitimate criticism of 99% of pop musicians).
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

I remember when I was first getting into Elvis back in the late 90's (I love that "Back in the late 90's" is now an acceptable phrase). I decided I'd buy his albums chronologically. Bought My Aim Is True, followed by This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy!!, Trust, and Imperial Bedroom. Loved them all in great succession.

After Imperial Bedroom, I stopped for a while cause it wouldn't leave my CD player :D
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Post by wehitandrun »

All of those albums are most definitly timeless.

I never really think about it... but it is so strange that "This Year's Model" came out 8 years before I came out.




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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

Or that you're the same age as Blood & Chocolate!
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
wehitandrun
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Post by wehitandrun »

The Six Degrees Of Elvis. If years count, I'm connected to every album!

Thankgod for When I Was Cruel, or I may have never given Elvis his proper listening(my father's attempts to beat him into my head over my life have built a wall- now I'm a bigger fan than him).

My father has never even heard "Get Happy!!" or "Imperial Bedroom" or "Trust" or "King Of America"- can you beleive this?!






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WhipsnSpurs
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Post by WhipsnSpurs »

[quote="elvisisking63"]It sure feels strange to be an old-timer. I'm 40 years old and have been an Elvis worshipper for MORE THAN HALF OF MY LIFEquote]

Uh, now I really feel old....if you notice my post, I was a COLLEGE in the 70's when Elvis came out.... :( Great times though!
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