Elvis' less appreciated gems: a new series

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:30 pm

I've decided to start a new series of threads dealing with some of EC's less-appreciated numbers. Anyone can start a new thread or add to this one. The only rule is that the song discussed probably wouldn't appear on any "Best of EC" type commercially available compilation. The first song to be (hopefully) discussed will be:

Satellite from Spike. I'll start.

Let me say that Spike was the first EC album I was familiar with track by track. I used to listen to it on cassette with headphones as I drove from one location of my job to another. I always looked forward to this song, as I felt it was a beautiful melody combined with challenging and thought provoking lyrics. I believe Elvis was somewhat prescient this time around, recognzing somehow the nature of the 21st century, where each of us leave our little 'fingerprints' all over the web and management of information is the new gold standard. The stellar lines are almost too numerous to mention, but the opening stanza is an all time classic IMHO:

She looked like she learned to dance
From a series of still pictures
She's madly excited now
She throws her hands up like a tulip
She looks like an illustration from some cocktail party
Where cartoon bubbles burst in the air
Champagne rolls of her tongue like a second language.....

Stunning. I never understood EC's belief that this song bore a resemeblance to a Bacharach arrangment, as there are no muted Spanish trumpets in sight (or sound), but this certainly was an ambitious composition. Chrissie Hynde's backing vocals are lovely, but I wish they'd been mixed a little louder.

Discuss, or add your own underappreciated song to the thread.

And No Coffee Table · Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:40 pm

Oh yeah, "Satellite" is a terrific song, easily my favorite on Spike (and I love Spike). I find it interesting that we don't get the first chorus until 2:43 into the song. That has to be a record for EC.

Turquoise Pajamas Pt Deux · Fri Mar 10, 2006 12:05 am

"Spike" was the first EC album that I purchased. I knew nothing of Elvis until I saw the video for "Veronica" on VH1 in '89. I was instantly hooked at that point. Using my paper route money, I travelled to a Strawberries record store in my home town and picked up "Spike." In addition to "Veronica," "Satellite" was the other song that got repeated playing time, pretty much until the tape on the cassette was worn. I appreciated the lullabye quality in the instrumentation and the fantastic chorus with Ms. Hynde. I was somewhat familiar with the Pretenders at the time so I wanted to hear this collaboration. I was definitely pleased, although I too wished she was higher in the mix. I think what appealed to me most at the ripe age of 12 was the reference to a "pornographer's trousers." I would giggle and turn it down so my parents didn't hear the lyric. Of course, it would only be a couple of years before I would be listening to such anthems like "O.G. - Original Gangsta'" By Ice-T and "Me So Horny" by 2 Live Crew

. In retrospect, "pornographer's trousers" was quite benign. Thankfully, I came to my senses after my teen years passed and returned to listening music that didn't suck.

Brian_Wallace · Post by **Brian_Wallace** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:19 am

Elvis Costello, the new Nostradamus?

The amazing thing about "Satellite" is that the subject matter in the song, sort of actually happened.

Has anyone every gone to the "Beautiful Agony" website? It's not pornographic (per se.) It's simply a collection of videos of peoples' faces (both male and female) while they...die the small death, so to speak.

The url is:

http://www.beautifulagony.com/public/main.php

I don't want to be accused of putting up links to pornography so I apologize if it offends anybody.

Elvis Costello writes a brilliant futuristic tale about "the thrill of watching somebody watching those forbidden things we never mention" and a couple of years later it actually comes true!

Amazing.

Brian

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:40 am

Oh yeah, link it up to Elvis somehow... Don't pretend it's so much about maybe offending someone. Stop hawking porn here, you loser.

Turquoise Pajamas Pt Deux · Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:53 am

Apoplexy has set in. Please stand by...

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:01 am

Not at all, just calling it.

Turquoise Pajamas Pt Deux · Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:04 am

bambooneedle wrote:Not at all, just calling it.

I was referring to my own apoplectic state upon reading Brian's post. First it was "Party Party" then a link to videos of the Big O. Not an endearing start I must say.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:47 am

There's only room for one Big O on this site, and that's Roy Orbison.

Turquoise Pajamas Pt Deux · Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:11 am

bambooneedle wrote:There's only room for one Big O on this site, and that's Roy Orbison.

You Got It

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:06 am

Satellite is a fantastic track and that opening line is my favourite line on what I have to say is not one of my favourite albums.

Upon buying the album and listening to it with anticipation as I do with all Elvis' albums, I found it over-produced. Up until then I'd not really come to grips with the changing Elvis. It had always been Elvis (solo) or with The Attractions. I hadn't really come to grips with how much things had changed for Elvis since late 1984. 1985 had been a barren year, 1986 was a return to form with both bands and then there was a huge gap until Spike. And I was disappointed.

Apart from Satellite, I only really liked only ...This Town, Chewing Gum and Pads, Paws and Claws.

Only a few of the other songs have grown on me since. I still get fidgety and can't wait for Veronica to finish when I hear it live.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:33 am

verbal gymnastics wrote: Upon buying the album and listening to it with anticipation as I do with all Elvis' albums, I found it over-produced. Up until then I'd not really come to grips with the changing Elvis. It had always been Elvis (solo) or with The Attractions. I hadn't really come to grips with how much things had changed for Elvis since late 1984. 1985 had been a barren year, 1986 was a return to form with both bands and then there was a huge gap until Spike. And I was disappointed.

I've always felt lucky in a way that I didn't get into Elvis until Spike, because I can certainly understand how it must have seemed like such a huge departure at the time. I figured it was business as usual- and because my second purchase was Imperial Bedroom, there was nothing to dissuade me from that notion. Now, of course, we take these stylistic shifts in stride, but I can definitely see how jarring it must have been to long time fans. Thanks for the great comments on Satellite everyone.

lostdog · Post by **lostdog** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:51 am

'Satellite' is described in the book Complicated Shadows as:

"an eerily prescient pre-Internet premonition of the way technological advances would be used to fuel a globally interactive pornography industry"

which is true, but I have to say I never got on with the song. A bit draggy.

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:40 am

I think it's a stunner, the way it builds, the arrangement getting more and more intense, with the kettle drums etc. Superb. The sadness of the chorus melody is gorgeous.

Brian_Wallace · Post by **Brian_Wallace** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:41 am

bambooneedle wrote:Stop hawking porn here, you loser.

Well, that was brief. What three posts? If you really think I was "hawking porn..." Obviously, this message board isn't for me. It was fun while it lasted. Thanks.

Brian

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 10:10 am

Actually, I was waiting to see what our Copenhagen Fan thought of the link.

Satellite is one of my favorites from Spike, particularly thanks to the harmonies by Miss Chrissie Hynde. I was especially intrigued to hear the demo version on the Rhino reissue, which I found just as effective in a different arrangement. Pete Townshend may have invented the Internet, but Elvis took it to the next level.

Poor Deportee · Post by **Poor Deportee** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:33 pm

pophead2k wrote:
verbal gymnastics wrote: Upon buying the album and listening to it with anticipation as I do with all Elvis' albums, I found it over-produced. Up until then I'd not really come to grips with the changing Elvis. It had always been Elvis (solo) or with The Attractions. I hadn't really come to grips with how much things had changed for Elvis since late 1984. 1985 had been a barren year, 1986 was a return to form with both bands and then there was a huge gap until Spike. And I was disappointed.
I've always felt lucky in a way that I didn't get into Elvis until Spike, because I can certainly understand how it must have seemed like such a huge departure at the time. I figured it was business as usual- and because my second purchase was Imperial Bedroom, there was nothing to dissuade me from that notion. Now, of course, we take these stylistic shifts in stride, but I can definitely see how jarring it must have been to long time fans. Thanks for the great comments on Satellite everyone.

Agreed - I too came to Elvis through 'Spike.' In fact, when I went back in the wake of that record and enthuisastically bought 'My Aim Is True,' I was horrified (!) by its comparative banality. Here I'd been expecting more of this whacked-out angry eclectic, and instead I got a minimalist, direct rock and roller.

Obviously it didn't take long for me to start to groove to the classic stuff. But I think a lot of EC's musical twists and turns over the 1990s have been less baffling to those of us who came on board with 'Spike.' And I still think it's a great record: all the energy of the early stuff, but coupled with this eclectic profusion of musical nuttiness.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:45 pm

Brian_Wallace wrote:
Well, that was brief. What three posts? If you really think I was "hawking porn..." Obviously, this message board isn't for me. It was fun while it lasted. Thanks.

Brian

Ok bye.

oldhamer · Post by **oldhamer** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:59 pm

Might as well keep all the under appreciated gems in this thread...

I love Satellite. The first verse if just beautiful. As with most people on this board, Spike's one of my favourite EC albums, and Satellite's among the best tracks on it.

I am sure there are several under-appreciated gems, but the one that came to my mind first is Night Rally from This Year's Model.

It just strikes me that among the heavier stuff like Lipstick Vogue, Pump It Up and Chelsea etc, this little gem almost gets overlooked at the end. It's the most "poppy" song on the record, but with lyrics about facism. A foretast of Armed Forces, perhaps......

I also love the fadeout at the end. It's a perfect way to end the album. When I was younger (8-10 maybe) I used to think it was because Dad's tape had buggered up!

Any thoughts?

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:26 pm

I love both of those. Satellite was one of the first tracks to get me into Elvis when I heard my friend's Spike, and one I wish were a staple of the Costellol/Nieve sets.

Night Rally is indeed underappreciated (as the ranking results prove), perhaps because of the for This Years Model relatively weak/annoying chorus, but I think a lot of people would change their minds after seeing the first extremely animated Rockpalast version. And for me, the short but sweet "singing in the showers" middle eight is one of the highpoints of TYM.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:29 pm

Yes, Night Rally is an early overlooked gem. A little fatalistic and paranoid sounding, but lovely all the same.

I'd like to open the floor to another song that people seem to like, but I rarely hear mentioned and have never seen on a 'Best Of' and that is the fabulous Kid About It from Imperial Bedroom. The vocals and lyrics on this song are amazing. I never seem to tire of it. There is something so heartbreaking about the low warble of our man's voice on this one that I don't think he's come close to before or since (well, maybe on Watch Your Step). It is also one of my favorite instances of EC's self-harmonising (which he does on nearly every song, so its saying something).

martin · Post by **martin** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:11 pm

I know its from what may well be the poorest album but Inch by Inch for me is a standout song, its a real clickalong song, its never likely to trouble a compilation cd though.The live version where it runs into Fever, it's a match made in heaven!

Poor Deportee · Post by **Poor Deportee** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:49 pm

Does Big Sister's Clothes count as 'underappreciated?' I love the sound, the poignant chorus, the whole thing.

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:30 pm

Agree about Night Rally! It's one of my fave Elvis tracks - the powerful build to its many punchy moments "I know what they're doing but I don't wanna look", "get that chicken outta here", "singing in the showers", "tak - ing - those... night claaasses". The melancholy melody is really affecting, the bass adding colour and impact as the song progresses. It's always been in my top ten.

P.S. That guy came here obviously trying to illustrate a point about Satellite, and a couple of you were complete tossers to him. He made it pretty clear that the link wasn't meant to be offensive, and was there to illustrate a point about Elvis's prescient lyrics.

Sorry if he's a known troll that I ain't heard of before - but can't believe how hostile a couple of you were to the poor guy.

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:38 pm

Agree with the above. I sent him a pm, but it seems he hasn't come back to look at it - still in my outbox. Loosen up people.

Agree about Kid About It - another one from that record that I think gets overlooked is Town Cryer - which for some reason always reminds me of the Gershwin Brothers tune - Isn't It A Pity - from an excellent Zoot Sims record - Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (with Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson). I remember around the time IB came out there were comparisons to the Gerswhins, but not this song specifcally....In any case the version I'm thinking of is an instrumental and I think the comparisons had more to do with the lyrics than the melodies.