Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Pretty self-explanatory
Jocko Wainwright
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by Jocko Wainwright »

Chunks of King of America and Goodbye Cruel World do nothing for me. I have big problems with the way Spike was produced (far, far, far prefer the live God's Comic). As far as a specific song, though, I'll go with Chemistry Class. Primarily because it stands out more given the brilliance of the rest of the album. The lyrics are ok, if somewhat incoherent. The problem I have is with the rhythm/delivery/music. I just find something about it unpleasant. I guess I'm not ready for the final solution.
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wordnat
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by wordnat »

Playboy to a Man is soooo bad..... :oops:
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strangerinthehouse
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by strangerinthehouse »

wordnat wrote:Playboy to a Man is soooo bad..... :oops:

Thank you! I can't believe no one mentioned this one until now. It's the one I always skip whenever I listen to MLAR. Definitely my least favorite.

Eisenhower Blues is bad but I don't mind it as much. I haven't listened to Punch the Clock as often as the other albums to dislike any of those songs though Love Went Mad is a bit grating. Chewing Gum in Spike is kind of perplexing but not as bad as the ones I listed above, I think.
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Jeremy Dylan
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

sheeptotheslaughter wrote: 'Sulphur' sounds like a masterpiece once they have finished
Sulphur is a masterpiece.

The songs I gravitate towards the least probably have much to do with production as song content. I rarely listen to most of Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World, but hearing some of those songs in an acoustic setting might turn me around on them, like hearing the fingerpicked Beyond Belief did for that.
redsfan720
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by redsfan720 »

strangerinthehouse wrote: Love Went Mad is a bit grating.
Knew this one was going to come up. It's actually one of my favorite songs on Punch the Clock. The verses are a bit too vogue-ish but that chorus will stay in my head all day. Another brilliant piece in an endless list of Steve Nieve playing brings it to life for me, too.
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bambooneedle
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by bambooneedle »

In recent memory, American Gangster Time.

Why? Fails to engage me on any level. There is nobody in the song - vacuous scattered rambling that is not compelling let alone poetic to any degree. It's far from clear who it is rambling and of whom or really what.
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by bronxapostle »

i feel NO NEED to participate in this thread about LEAST FAVE SONG....pretty stupid! AND, i feel it MY DUTY to say " WOW, how can THIS thread about such a concept receive MORE views than my COOL thread about random sample of one hundred shows seen by your average joe?" http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3 ... f=2&t=9267
go ahead, dare me to list all 616 songs.... :lol: :lol: :lol:
when i was cruel
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by when i was cruel »

Lol I believe this thread is about what the title includes, not a how much Elvis do you know thread. But yes that is quite the list. By the way what's your least favourite EC song Bronx ? :P
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by sulky lad »

On behalf of BA, it's number 617 ! :lol:
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by bronxapostle »

excuse my particularly grouchy day yesterday. to be a good sport, let me wrack my brain for you. it IS a very tough question and to give just ONE answer, i'd have to say.....Coal-Train Robberies! why? it was the number one song left off my LEAST FAVORITE LP!!!
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Ypsilanti
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by Ypsilanti »

Jeez, BA...Coal Train Robberies is probably one of my top 5 favorites of all...but only the Rhino bonus version...it's a totally different song. Actually listening to that disk right now.

Have to say the Rhino bonus disks for both Spike and GCW are among my favorites and most often played. Once all that heavy production is stripped away, really great songs are revealed--including, in many cases, different lyrics as well.

In addition to Coal Train Robberies, the bonus versions of Veronica, Pads, Paws & Claws, Turning The Town Red, Inch By Inch, This Town and several others are shockingly better than the regular Album versions--at least to my ears.
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when i was cruel
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by when i was cruel »

Does anyone dislike Hurry Down Doomsday ?
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migdd
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by migdd »

No. I like it.
when i was cruel
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by when i was cruel »

Agreed but It's on of those EC songs you have to be a true fan to appreciate.
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bronxapostle
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by bronxapostle »

Ypsilanti wrote:Jeez, BA...Coal Train Robberies is probably one of my top 5 favorites of all...but only the Rhino bonus version...it's a totally different song. Actually listening to that disk right now.

Have to say the Rhino bonus disks for both Spike and GCW are among my favorites and most often played. Once all that heavy production is stripped away, really great songs are revealed--including, in many cases, different lyrics as well.

In addition to Coal Train Robberies, the bonus versions of Veronica, Pads, Paws & Claws, Turning The Town Red, Inch By Inch, This Town and several others are shockingly better than the regular Album versions--at least to my ears.
okay ypsi...i WILL revisit the BONUS version at your suggestion. so you do NOT like the first version either??? i know some people dig it...i don't see it! yes, those RHINO double cd packages were the ultimate in compiling stray & live tracks and the GCW, if i properly recall, did feature many LIVE solo versions! SWEET packages those reisssues were WELL WORTH buying, even if like maybe my 4th or 6th version of the releases.....hahaha
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bambooneedle
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by bambooneedle »

Go Away is pretty crap too.
stricttime81
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by stricttime81 »

bambooneedle wrote:Go Away is pretty crap too.

Whaaa? Go Away rocks.
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SoulForHire
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by SoulForHire »

bronxapostle wrote:excuse my particularly grouchy day yesterday. to be a good sport, let me wrack my brain for you. it IS a very tough question and to give just ONE answer, i'd have to say.....Coal-Train Robberies! why? it was the number one song left off my LEAST FAVORITE LP!!!
I think I may have seen the only live performance every of this song, and for this reason it will always have a place in my heart.
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Jeremy Dylan
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

bambooneedle wrote:Go Away is pretty crap too.
Couldn't disagree more. Love that tune. Double Thomas action!
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the_platypus
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by the_platypus »

Yeah, "Go Away" is awesome.
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migdd
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by migdd »

Jeremy Dylan wrote:
bambooneedle wrote:Go Away is pretty crap too.
Couldn't disagree more. Love that tune. Double Thomas action!
I agree with both of you. Go Away is a throwaway song on an album full of mostly Elvis-Lite material. However, the drumming is pretty thrilling (not thrilling enough to make the song any more interesting, though). To me, Turpentine is the more exciting Thomas/Thomas collaboration on that album. It's a better song and the dual drum kits add to the intensity of the tune.
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bambooneedle
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by bambooneedle »

Go Away has no melody or hooks and is mundane overall.
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Ypsilanti
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by Ypsilanti »

I love Go Away because it's Watching The Detectives, revisited, 30 years later...

If Detectives is about the delicious experience of watching some sleazy, pulpy Film Noir movie, Go away is about watching a much fancier European detective movie--a movie, that while full of all the right details, is harder for Elvis to love because of the length and, of course, the sub-titles.

It's Mickey Spillane vs. Lemme Caution

It's Kiss Me Deadly vs. Breathless

C'mon...that's just awesome.

And while my total lack of musical skill makes me unable to prove it, I think the two songs might have something in common, melodically. Can anyone back me up on this?

Plus, Go Away is full of fantastic imagery...Fey little gunsell, powder from a hollow ring...

Add the Double-Thomas thing, and I'm all in...
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Ypsilanti
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by Ypsilanti »

bronxapostle wrote:
Ypsilanti wrote:Jeez, BA...Coal Train Robberies is probably one of my top 5 favorites of all...but only the Rhino bonus version...it's a totally different song. Actually listening to that disk right now.

Have to say the Rhino bonus disks for both Spike and GCW are among my favorites and most often played. Once all that heavy production is stripped away, really great songs are revealed--including, in many cases, different lyrics as well.

In addition to Coal Train Robberies, the bonus versions of Veronica, Pads, Paws & Claws, Turning The Town Red, Inch By Inch, This Town and several others are shockingly better than the regular Album versions--at least to my ears.
okay ypsi...i WILL revisit the BONUS version at your suggestion. so you do NOT like the first version either??? i know some people dig it...i don't see it! yes, those RHINO double cd packages were the ultimate in compiling stray & live tracks and the GCW, if i properly recall, did feature many LIVE solo versions! SWEET packages those reisssues were WELL WORTH buying, even if like maybe my 4th or 6th version of the releases.....hahaha
Yes, those Rhinos are gold! Worth every penny. Love the liner notes, too.
I'm OK with the regular version of Spike. When it first came out, and I was but a young lass, I loved it dearly and played the cassette until the tape broke. Then I fell out of love with it for many years. But the Rhino bonus was such a revelation...I was smitten all over again. And especially Coal Train Robberies. The line "If you don't believe I'm going for good, you can count the days I'm gone and chop up the chairs for firewood"...I can't explain it, but it just slays me. I believe I'd like that to be my epitaph...
So I keep this fancy to myself
I keep my lipstick twisted tight
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Yanyna
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Re: Your LEAST favorite Elvis song and why

Post by Yanyna »

songs like Go Away, Tokyo Storm Warning, etc. are perfect for my morning's travelling by metro... :)
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