Incredible new, exciting game!!

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 12:16 am

I love the wordplay here, with notions of legal tender/tenderness, bankrupt/at a loss, counterfeit/insincere and the line "You might get much more than you bargained for." The delivery is urgent, as is almost all of my favorite EC album Get Happy!!; the reissue features an interesting slower version where the lines are savored.

Tart

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:08 am

What lush and wonderful imagery he evokes in that song. The double meanings are endless. He engages all the senses in his moral or rather amoral tale. It's not too popular on the board from what I've read but it's my favorite on 'When I Was Cruel'.

Sad About Girls

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:58 am

Written by Steve Nieve and a collaborator, EC sings it feelingly to an insistent piano-driven backdrop. I like the line about the "polythene world" and the girls who visit but "escape" the next morning, while the focus narrows to someone truly loved: "He's so sad about this girl tonight." It is, paradoxically, a mournful pleasure to listen to.

Gigi

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:11 am

This is a hated cover but I love it so much. I love the movie too. Louis Jourdan, not a singer but oooh la la, more talks than sings through it. To hear it sung by Mr. Costello is such a treat and it's perhaps too sentimental for some. Yet discovering you love someone that you've known for a long time is expressed wonderfully. Leslie Caron would have thwarted Mr. Jourdan's attentions if Elvis crooned it to her. (Okay he would have made it difficult to decide) His voice minimal, subdued yet full of emotion captures the meaning in a way only Elvis can do. Now to bed with me!

World's Great Optimist

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 5:30 am

Co-written by EC and Aimee Mann. A bitter song about being hurt, leavened with humor: "Remember when I cried/ And swore I'd never wash the lips you kissed/ I bet you're really glad that I lied." An improved lyric that brings into focus the theme is found on the version titled 'Fall of the World's Own Optimist.'

All These Things

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:59 pm

Elvis covers Allen Toussaint! Lovely, sultry, simple and sensual delivery, as great of a songwriter Elvis is he is humble enough to pick others songs or perhaps proud enough of his amazing vocals to know which ones will showcase them! A wonderful song to discover on the 'Blood and Chocolate' bonus disc.

Next Time Round

Mr. Misery we are taking over, aren't we?

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 5:11 pm

Little thought of gem on B&C...always thought it was supposed to be put at the end of the record as some kind of ironic statement. Great song, really defeatist lyrics with an upbeat tune that carries you with it... this could have been a hit single I think.

Next song:

Little Palaces

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 11:40 pm

Grim housing and even more grim family life are highlighted, although times and manners change the cycle of violence between the generations can tragically continue. EC's vocal delivery is suitably savage, his anger almost palpable.

Romeo's Seance.

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 12:50 am

Oooh Laughing Crow-that's one of my favorites!!

As for the song at hand. . It, to me, is both silly-the seance part but deeper than that. It's the supernatural element of love not time, space nor death itself can part those who love each other. It's also illustrates the urgency of communicating those words and emotions. In the end I find it a rather fun song for some reason. I wish Romeo was calling me. . .

Expert Rites

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 1:12 am

Perhaps Romeo has other ways of communicating with you...

'Expert Rites' is a seldom discussed song, old ways and spiritual emotions are contrasted with harsh modern realities: "I marvel at the wonder of it in our soulless age." The singer is united with the woman he addresses because both have loved and lost, they share sadness and regret. But the last line gives away that he is in love with her: "Don't despair, my would-be Juliet." A beautifully dolorous composition, it is sung by EC with operatic passion. It is one of my very favorite songs on the masterpiece The Juliet Letters.

Taking My Life in Your Hands.

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 1:38 am

I love this song as I do all of 'The Juliet Letters'. The despair of not being able to make your feelings clear. Words fail and sometimes that very fact can make you lose everything. The desperation is so beautiful in this song and makes you see the sorrow of love can be as satisfying in song as the joy of it. The do or die lyrics the refusal to give up is so well stated. It's also a bit of a threat if you think about it. Which often occurs in passionate relationships when one party shuts the other off.

Why Can't A Man Stand Alone?

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:13 am

About how reliance on identity via things attached to oneself can serve to replace what might be found if you question it.
Certain types of men are probably seen to be most guilty of this, but it's also the women giving up their own identities by placating men, going to lengths to fit men's fantasies, who in part facilitate it: "Why can't a woman be just what she seems, must she be tarnished by men who can only be men in their dreams?", and may feel victimized by it, "..it gets hard to lift yourself up". The last verse, "why can't a baby sleep at night .... and never fear the world outside....", I think tries to suggest that it is our conditioning causing us to encrust our identities for self-protection in the face of things. The quivering high notes could be a clue to a baby's sensation of it...

The idea of identity and how it plays with the symbolic or superficial is one running through All This Useless Beauty (Poor Fractured Atlas, ATUB, You Bowed Down), and is looked at rather directly in WCAMSA.

Next: The Bridge I Burned

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 12:24 pm

This is experimental musically and surreal lyrically as if he wrote after suffering jet lag. It reminds me of the bizarre appearance of reality when you suffer from sleep deprivation or have a fit of extreme sanity. The over all effect is pleasing with regret and self-deprecation mixed in nicely. I believe he son played bass on it.

Pretty Words

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:50 pm

Pretty Words, a wonderful track amongst many from Trust with unsubtle lyrics aimed at Thatcherism and the political swing to the right. Tight performance and a tune that sticks in your head and you find yourself humming.

Just Another Mystery

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 1:29 am

The liner notes to the reissue of Mighty Like A Rose reveal that the song was inspired by a newspaper article stating that the body the composer Bela Bartok would tour through Europe before burial. It touches on the frailty of life, the caprices of fame, and the finality of death, sometimes with dark humor:

Kings, queens, the pashas and potentates
Assembled to wish him God speed
But when you've been resting as long as him
It's not really something you need.

The arrangement is ornate, and the language is also rich. It's the only time I've ever heard the word "lachrymose" used in a song. I thought I heard Sean Paul use it once but it turned out he was saying lactose.

Sneaky Feelings

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 1:50 am

A good natured, yet critical study in the complexities of attraction and love. The desire to above it and the denial to be vulnerable.

Ah Sean Paul only rivaled by a mind like Chingy. Do I have the honor of being the first to mention Chingy on the board?

Lover's Walk

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 3:02 am

A list song done brilliantly, cataloging the difficulties of love at high verbal velocity, to the accompaniment of a powerful rock beat. Double meanings abound: lover's walk can be a romantic place or it can feel like walking the plank. EC said there were hints in it of the disintegration of his first marriage.

Yes, you are the first to mention Chingy!

As a service to those who might not be aware of him, he is the dude who does 'Right Thurr.'

Shot With His Own Gun

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 3:33 am

. . and he's glistening.

I remember reading on one of the boards, it was about getting a girl in the family way. It also has the broader view of being self destructive or the cause for your own decline and fall in a relationship. Exquisite piano work by the amazing Steve Nieve, it's beautifully executed.

In The Darkest Place

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 4:28 am

In his Esquire interview EC said he doesn't do "joyful" well. But he excels at darkness, in this song and its companion piece on North 'You Left Me in the Dark.'

There is darkness and gloom that feels total and devastating. "I'm lost, I have abandoned every hope. Maybe you'll understand I must turn out the light." There is frustration that she isn't aware of the torch he bears for her. There is fear, expressed in the haunting line: "Is there light beneath your door and laughter from within?"

In the Painted From Memory tour EC likened it to being in a darkened theater. Nothing is visible until your eyes adjust, and then it is possible to see enough to navigate again: "There's light enough for me to find my way." And there is the recurring line "You know I love you so, let's start again." So there is the glimmering of hope coexisting with all the despair. It seems a contradiction, but it's just life and love.

I love the dramatic arrangement and passionate singing, and it is a first-class piece of songwriting.

I Want You

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 6:31 am

This song continually switches from creeping me out to turning me on. I feel something different almost every time I listen to it.

I love the way the beginning changes after that crazy guitar, and I love to hear how EC's voice takes different turns throughout the song. At times you feel sorry for him, and then at other times you think you should be running as fast as you can from a guy who would say those things. He's so desperate by the ending, and I really feel for him when he says, "Oh no my darling, not with that clown." I seldom find myself listening to this one only once - I usually hit replay two or three times each time I play it.

Sleep of the Just

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 1:10 pm

One of my favourite songs that the man has done, and not just cos of the black crows in the road. It's a really moving song, which is hard to pull off in a song that tells a story from more than one persons point of view. It's also one of the most lyrically confusing songs...I still don't understand about buses in flames and poets rest.

Absolutely brilliant live last week.

Next Song: My Mood Swings

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 4:27 pm

I'm surprised no 'Big Lebowski' fans jumped on this one. I've heard it once, live surrounded by drunken people with no whimsy a very displeasing effect. A good cure for anyone who misses the loud Elvis.

What's Her Name Today?

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:28 pm

An angry song directed at a man who uses women to get back at one who rejected him. It seems a rather altruistic sentiment until one realizes that the narrator has been rejected in favor of this cad.

The lyrics are extraordinary, everything fits together like a timepiece. The emblems of youth and beauty and innocence are evoked, and it seems all the more terrible that the trusting girl is seen as disposable by the jaded man. But the narrator sees her true value, and how wonderful she is.

EC's vocal is powerful, especially unadorned at the end, and the final cymbal crash comes with the force of lightning. There is a tiny error in the piano near the end when a wrong note is struck. Presumably the rest of the performance was so good that it was left in. I love touches like that.

Little Triggers

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 12:02 am

This is such a great, great song. A tribute to the art of making someone jealous. A look, a touch, that creates suspicion and denial. The guessing games and cruelty that some relationships are filled with, all sung with anger and frustration.

The Long Division

Mr. Misery · Post by **Mr. Misery** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 1:04 am

This was the song I most disliked on Painted From Memory, but since hearing it in concert I've come to value the song and abhor the arrangement on the record. The instrumental solo and background singers are particularly grating. The song itself is concerned with the effects of loveless sex, and monogamy betrayed by the introduction of a third partner

. The result is not an angry parting but indifference: "You seem so long past caring."

Can You Be True?