National Ransom - November 2010

[migdd]

You broke my heart in two.

[History History]

Skeddle-daddle-do indeed

[Emotional Toothpaste]

Okay, I'm going to say it. NR is his worst album since Il Sogno and is right up there with Goodbye Cruel and Punch the Clock as his worst. Its in the bottom 3 or 4 anyway. Stuart Duncan's low-volume, mumbling harmonizing gets annoying in a hurry. Its like he is the sideler from Seinfeld, whoa, he's right there behind you! Steve Nieve is the only thing saving this album. Elvis vocals are overwrought. The lyrics can't carry it and some of them we've heard before anyway. There are 3 or 4 okay songs, but on the whole . . . . I can't listen to much of this CD without wanting to hit the eject button throughout much of it.

[FAVEHOUR]

Wow. If you're going to be so dead wrong about an album, at least have the personnel straight. Stuart Duncan plays the fiddle. He isn't singing harmony. And in fact, on most of these tracks, Elvis is doing the harmonies himself.

Of course, you're entitled to your opinion. I think this record is brilliant.

Dave

[Jeremy Dylan]

Well, always nice to say a contrary opinion, but I couldn't disagree with Mr. Toothpaste more. I think it's one of the best records he's made, and I find the indifference with which it was met by many critics who were falling over themselves to heap praise on Kanye West's latest offering rankles me.

[krm]

my opinion - there are sooo many words on this record. As an ESL the meanings of most of the songs are quite tricky and hidden, if existing at all.

[Jackson Monk]

NR is a fine record. It astonishes me how anyone can compare it to GCW, PTC and Il Sogno

Isn't that a bit like comparing, a grape, a parsnip, a lampshade and a Hippopotamus?

Btw, I think PTC is great record, so what do I know?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Absolutely. An 80s pop classic.

Skeddle-daddle-do indeed

I note that the lyrics on the wiki say 'skeddle'. and presumably therefore on the artefact itself, but doesn't it sound more like 'skiddle'? I shall have to listen again.

[Jeremy Dylan]

Absolutely. An 80s pop classic.

Skeddle-daddle-do indeed

I note that the lyrics on the wiki say 'skeddle'. and presumably therefore on the artefact itself, but doesn't it sound more like 'skiddle'? I shall have to listen again.

I'm almost certain it is skiddle, but it's hard to be sure.

[History History]

I love Elvis's voice and can't see that it's much different on this album as from any other - there's some beautifully restrained singing (Bullets, Dr Watson) and the 'overwrought' voice (if that's what it is) is fantastic live.

[Emotional Toothpaste]

Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane is much more listenable.

Lets take apart NR track by track:

1. National Ransom - "shake down, shake down, shake down". Blech!
2. Jimmie Standing in the Rain - great song, sleepy vocals, I like it.
3. Stations of the Cross - another great song. Can't imagine this song being anywhere near as enjoyable without Steve Nieve's piano.
4. Slow Drag - another solid song, but a bit cutesy
5. 5 Small Words - average; mumbling harmonizing, sounds muddy, good bass line
6. Church Underground - could've been on Spike. Even Marc Ribot can't save this dog of a song.
7. You Hung the Moon - a leftover from North or Juliet Letters?
8. Bullets - excellent!
9. I Lost You - excellent!
10. Dr. Watson - boring.
11. One Bell Ringing - really boring.
12. The Spell that you Cast - shockingly horrible.
13. Thats Not the Part of Him - not bad, kinda boring.
14. My Lovely Jezebel - double yuck.
15. All These Strangers - more of that mumbling harmonizing. I can't take it.
16. A Voice in the Dark - skip it! I'll take the darkness

Sorry, not meant to be a mean spirited review, I'm a huge Elvis fan and but this isn't King of America good, where every track is an ace. This one has more than a few misses, and way too many clunkers.

[Jackson Monk]

I'm beginning to think this is a wind-up Mr Toothpaste!

Every track on KOA is Ace? Eisenhower Blues? Dull version on Misunderstood? Glitter Gulch (which is just an alternate take on The Big Light)? It's a great album, but it had it's uninspired moments!

As for SP&S being more listenable than NR, consider this:

2 new versions of old songs written for someone else
2 jogalong (if not unpleasant) songs in All Time Doll and Sulphur to Sugarcane.
2 bloody awful songs in She Handed me a Mirror and I Dreamed of My Old Lover
1 cover version of an old 50s song (albeit a good one)

I like some of that album....but if 'great' were Pluto, Elvis would still be on Planet Earth with SP&S. Easily his weakest album since Kojak....maybe ever! I'd take GCW over it any day.

Never mind, it's all just taste. After all, I think Dr Watson is awesome and One Bell Ringing is one of the most poignant songs I've ever heard. As our American friends like to say, go figure

[docinwestchester]

Sometimes hearing a live version of a new song completely changes my feelings about it.

I really didn't think much of Stations Of The Cross Until hearing EC's version with The Roots and John McLaughlin on Jimmy Fallon's show. It was a phenomenal performance and I love the song now, even though the arrangement on the album is very different.

One Bell Ringing and Bullets for the New-Born King are perfect for live solo Elvis, as demonstrated at the Dec 20 Chicago show. Again, a great performance adds to my appreciation.

BTW, my NR compilation DVD is done, and it's awesome, but I have nowhere to upload it ever since HungerCity stopped paying their server bill. I may have to send out copies by snailmail for those interested until I have a place to put it. PM me if you're interested.

[FAVEHOUR]

I agree with doc, I've found this to be true with the more uptempo songs that didn't do much for me on first listen. I had very little use for the title track or The Spell That You Cast until he started doing them live on TV and webcasts. That leaves only Jezebel as a throwaway track for me.


Dave

[Jeremy Dylan]

6. Church Underground - could've been on Spike.

?? Is that a bad thing? You mean it could've been on the same album as Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, God's Comic, Veronica and Pads Paws and Claws?

[Emotional Toothpaste]

6. Church Underground - could've been on Spike.

?? Is that a bad thing? You mean it could've been on the same album as Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, God's Comic, Veronica and Pads Paws and Claws?

No, its not a bad thing, but you have to admit it sounds like it was taken right from Spike. Those are all good songs you mention, and Church Underground, 20 years later, still isn't as good as any of those.

[the_platypus]

You're out of your mind.

[Jeremy Dylan]

6. Church Underground - could've been on Spike.

?? Is that a bad thing? You mean it could've been on the same album as Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, God's Comic, Veronica and Pads Paws and Claws?

No, its not a bad thing, but you have to admit it sounds like it was taken right from Spike. Those are all good songs you mention, and Church Underground, 20 years later, still isn't as good as any of those.

I don't think it does sound like it's from SPIKE actually. SPIKE has a very contained, micromanaged feel to its production, with very precisely arranged parts. Church Underground is more expansive and is very much a live ensemble recording. Very different feel sonically to something like Deep Dark Truthful Mirror.

[Jackson Monk]

Church Underground is not my favourite NR track, but it's still a good tune and would still stand up to the likes of Pads, Paws and Claws, Coal Train Robberies and Chewing Gum IMHO.
I agree with JD about the sound. Does anything in EC's compare to Spike sonically?

[Otis Westinghouse]

NR doesn't sound like Spike, but in many ways it's the album it most reminds me of in terms of its range and ambition, and the tone of some of it. I woke at 3 something this morning and my mind was racing to much to sleep, so I listened to the whole LP less the title track. It worked well in this context! I'm getting more and more into it, and less opposed to length and fuller (I would agree with the assessment that Jezebel is probably the only thing on it that should be jettisoned - would be fine on National Ransack). One of my favourite moments are the soulful high harmony voice bits on Stations of the Cross. Just wonderful. It's a record of depth that repays replaying.

[Jack of All Parades]

Ah! The conversion of Otis- were you on the road to Tarsus? Smart work all around leaving off the loathsome, lumbering and lugubrious title track-leaves you with some wonderful aural pleasure as you seem to be enjoying the record now. What an epiphany!

[jardine]

Loathsome, Lumbering and Lugubrious sounds like the law firm that the wolf on the cover works with. "Mr. Lumbering will see you now."

[Jack of All Parades]

Or perhaps the extensive multi-national Banking concern that our beloved entertainer has 'shilled' for! I should have added Lupine for the quartet instead of 'settling' for the trifecta.

[Otis Westinghouse]

I guess it's a third play album and for some reason I got distracted. I'm now on about number 6- been playing it all day and can't get it out of my mind! I'm very taken with the chorus of Dr Watson and see entirely what Jackson is saying. Actually there isn't a song on it I actively dislike, they all have their virtues. One or two could have been ditched. I even quite like the title track. I do love the scope of it - lots of country touches, but in places his least 'American' sounding record for a while. Seems that there are a lot of things that hark back to an earlier stage, and the album is quite a good summary of lots of his styles, but with things that are totally new like Josephine. Guess it pays to listen closely a few times over. I've rediscovered my EC mojo and will be playing this loads in the coming weeks. Can I have my card back please?

[ahawkman]

Good lad! You will be forgiven your temporary foray into blasphemous territory .