New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

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MOJO
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by MOJO »

johnfoyle wrote:http://bloggerhythms.blogspot.ie/2013/0 ... ghost.html


Charlie Ricci

Wednesday, September 11, 2013


I just listened to tracks from the highly anticipated Elvis Costello and The Roots album, Wise Up Ghost and Other Songs, and they are about what I expected: totally tuneless dirges with vocals that try one's patience. If Costello writes insightful lyrics they've yet to penetrate my soul because the sounds the veteran rocker produces never allow me to get that far.

There are bad singers, like Bob Dylan, who I have no problem listening to because they write melodies with interesting arrangements. Others, such as Bruce Springsteen and Larry Kirwan of Black 47, can't sing either but their respective bands are so musical I actually care what their songs have to say. Unfortunately, not even Questlove's highly versatile outfit can save this new release.

I'll admit to a few exceptions. Costello's cover of Nick Lowe's "What's So Funny about Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a fine, rocking track that manages to hide his vocal liabilities. "Alison" takes on a whole new dimension when covered by someone like Linda Ronstadt despite the nasty things the British star said about her version. I also like "Watching the Detectives," but not much else.

David Lee Roth once said that the reason most music critics like Elvis Costello and hate Van Halen is because most critics look like the Elvis Costello. There could be some truth in Roth's words because it certainly can't be the music the highly prolific performer makes.

What is it about this guy that people love? Is Costello just a critic's darling? Do ordinary music listeners like him? Help me out here and tell me if I'm wrong.
Isn't the Internet great? You get chumps like this that actually think their opinion matters. Bring back newspaper PRINT!
Last edited by MOJO on Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by johnfoyle »

It reminds me of this review of Secret, Profane & Sugarcane

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 92397.html



Elvis Costello albums seem to arrive with increasing frequency these days, their diversity appearing more like compensation for their patchiness.

If you didn't like him singing with a string quartet, maybe you'd care for him in a jazz suite? No? How about collaborations with Burt Bacharach? Allen Toussaint? Anne Sophie von Otter? Or, as here, hooking up with T-Bone Burnette for some of those rootsy string-band settings that proved popular for Plant & Krauss? Though far from the most daunting prospect in his sprawling catalogue, this proves no better in practice, partly because Costello's voice has a mean-spirited tone devoid of the siren lure of Plant & Krauss's harmonies, and it's a rag-bag of material that simply doesn't hang together. There's a bluegrass cover of "Complicated Shadows", from 1996's All This Useless Beauty; a fast string-band shuffle of "Hidden Shame", written for Johnny Cash; several tedious, self-pitying romantic country pastiches, one ("I Felt The Chill") co-written with Loretta Lynn; and four tracks written for an abortive opera project about Hans Christian Andersen's love affair with singer Jenny Lind. But it's a shoddy set of barrel-scrapings overall, lacking both focus and impetus.



Elvis' clearly had a sense of humour about it - at the time he included it in the quotes round-up on his site . A Australian interviewer at the time asked him why and he said something like it's always interesting to get all perspectives etc.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by martinfoyle »

"The title song from the new record - Wise Up Ghost - is really a personal moment, it's about me returning to England last year, for the first time after my father died and you know when the world is falling in on you there's a chaos you look for in the rest of the world, but you're trying to be empathetic" - talking to Elvis Costello is always a great thrill. He's a very smart, very talkative chap. What an honour to have 45 minutes on the phone with him. And the new album improves with every listen.
-Simon Sweetman just posted that on his FB page, Blog On The Tracks, also @BlogOnTheTracks on Twitter
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Neil. »

I've listened to it - all the way through, in the dark, on headphones, uninterrupted.

My first reaction is shock. A good kind of shock. I'm startled - I never expected Elvis to sound like this.

This album is more 'vibey' than 'songy'. Troubled, worried moods ebb and flow through a dense, dark, beautiful soundscape. An amazing production.

That's what this feels like - not a collection of songs, which is what we usually get - but a single, pulsating piece which swims in and out of focus - it's almost like the planet has a brain, and this is its stream of troubled consciousness.

Too early too tell whether this'll be in my top ten Elvis albums, but on first listen I'm feeling amazed that he's come up with this at this time in his life. It feels so NEW. The Roots and Steve Mandel have clearly been good for him - and he for them, I'm sure!

The title track I found really shocking - Elvis sounds a bit like God on it, looking down from above, asking the planet to get in shape. (I always suspected he might be!) And then that Brian May guitar comes in! Hilarious and wonderful and very, very odd.

And what does that voice whisper right at the end of the album - "that was the tape"?
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by when i was cruel »

I hope so bad that 'Can You Hear Me?' is finally a good recording of one of my personal favorites that fell victim to bad recording quality, namely 'Do You Know What I'm Saying?'
It's not the days when you leave me, but all I fear are the nights.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Lester Burnham »

Neil. wrote:That's what this feels like - not a collection of songs, which is what we usually get - but a single, pulsating piece which swims in and out of focus - it's almost like the planet has a brain, and this is its stream of troubled consciousness.
Exactly my thoughts; I couldn't have put it better myself.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by invisible Pole »

Another review.

http://whatculture.com/music/elvis-cost ... review.php

Elvis Costello And The Roots – Wise Up Ghost Review
September 12, 2013
Scott Ronan

It is a rare thing when two things you love from two different worlds come together, it does not happen often and can lead to great anticipation. Anticipation was what I felt when I first heard that Elvis Costello was going to be working on an album with Philadelphia’s The Roots crew. Anticipation for what could be an amazing album from two acts who have the capability to produce incredible music but there is also the chance that this album could lead to something best forgotten.

Although as surprised as I was when I first heard of this collaboration it immediately made sense; Elvis certainly has a soulful sound within him and we know The Roots are no strangers to Rock and Roll (remember the Seed 2.0 from 2002 for example). The album is released on September the 17th on the legendary Jazz label Blue Note. The album is 12 tracks long with 3 bonus tracks floating out in the ether somewhere (not reviewed in this review). Questlove and Elvis produced the album with help from longtime Roots producer Steven Mandel. In early 2013 Questlove, told Billboard that the Roots’ gig as the house band for ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon’ had given them the opportunity to back up Costello a number of times. He described the relationship as “love at first sight. From there they went on to spend a year recording the album mainly at the Feliz Habitat Studios in the dead of night and in plain sight at Costello’s
Hookery Crookery Studios. Questlove went on to say ”We had 13 or 14 songs, but then we said, ‘Ooh! Wait a minute! Let’s replace four of these songs with four better songs! And now we have the tightest 12-14 song collection out of about 20 songs that we made.” Whereas Elvis stuck to his usual mysterious description style when describing the album ”the shortest distance between here and there” and containing “both rhythm and what is read.”

The Roots have spent decades working out how to apply a Hip-Hop principle to a live band sound to which Elvis applies both his unique vocal style. At times laying a soft serenade reminiscent of his classic ballad “She” and at other times bringing forth the strong vocal style seen on “Oliver’s Army”. The sound overall brings forth memories of Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield and other Philadelphia Soul Funk legends. The subject matter sits firmly in the scary section covering topics ranging from the abuse of power to the betrayal and the manipulation of desire.

The album kicks off with the Hip-Hop infused Funk joint “Walk us Uptown”. it starts off with some electric sounds before a nice crisp snare comes onboard and then Elvis steps to the mic. He sings with an impassioned voice as a nice bass joins the snare and later a sax comes onboard to complete the early 70′s funk checklist. Its an up tempo track where Elvis touches on social uprisings and oppression. A strong start to the album. If the first track woke you up then the second one, “Sugar won’t work” is a more peaceful relaxing track very reminiscent of the old Philadelphia Soul sound; a nice strings crescendo to begin with soon joined by drums and a lovely bass riff. Then Elvis comes in telling us to “Lighten’ up and shake the crowd”. His voice is soft, his accent coming through more. A mid tempo song with depth and soul.

The third track is “Refused to be saved” a straight Philly funk track with a 70s cop show guitar riff alongside a lovely Hammond organ. Elvis is using his rough voice and it works so well alongside the music to create an atmosphere of car chases and a young Gene Hackman beating up a drug dealer. ”Wake me up” is the album’s fourth track which has a nice marching drum beat with that sweet Hammond organ again and a sultry saxophone. There is also a nice guitar riff in the back to accompany Elvis’ vocals which find him asking there must be something better than this. A well suited combination of music and lyrics combining to make a darker but enjoyable track.

“Tripwire” is the album’s fifth track and features a subdued opening made up of what sounds like a bell being rung underwater. The other tracks were the soundtrack to the middle of the night, whilst the clubs and parties are still going strong “Tripwire” is the soundtrack to the early hours as they sky turns from black to grey as the sun rises. The beat is mellow and Elvis’ lyrics have depth and tell us that “Just because you don’t speak the language doesn’t mean that you can’t understand”. At times his voice falters but it only adds to the atmosphere of the early hours created by the song. His lyrics lead us to believe that someone is waiting for that knock on the door in the early morning with anxiety and trepidation. Elvis performed a live acoustic version of this at the recent Apple product launch but it was performed as a much harder version and not as laid back as this but its this one I prefer. At halfway point through the album we are given “Stick Out Your Tongue”. The track starts off with a lovely drum beat and a seventies guitar riff before Elvis comes sounding like he is singing over an old telephone. The beat is slower than some of the previous joints on the album but the funky guitar riffs and the organ stabs in the background keep it interesting.

“Come the Meantimes” starts of with Elvis asking “what are you going to say to me when you be betraying me?” over an upbeat snare drum and some nice strings. The appears to be the first joint on the album to feature backing vocals and they add a nice extra level to the song along with a bell making sporadic appearances (DJ Premier would be proud). Its a strong upbeat track that wears its Hip-Hop heritage on its sleeve and is better off for doing so. The next track is “(She Might Be A) Grenade” which is a variation of “She’s Pulling Out The Pin” from Elvis’ earlier The Delivery Man album. Its a slower paced track with orchestral strings and a strong drum break as the centrepiece. elvis’ vocals are on point getting the message across of being at the mercy of this woman about to explode.

“Cinco Minutos Con Vos” is the album’s ninth track and start with a nice laid back drum break and some lovely horns. Then we have more 70′s esque guitar riffs before Elvis comes in with a set of ltyics describing a somewhat stalking like scenario. Towards the end of the track he is joined by La Marisoul, lead singer of Los Angeles band La Santa Cecilia who has a lovely voice. This is followed up by the upbeat “Viceroy’s Row” which features a light hearted set of horns over a nice Hi Hat and drums. Although the subject matter is in tune with the rest of the album it seems somewhat happier because of the summery feeling horns, another good track.

The eleventh track is the title track and also the longest on the album coming in at over six minutes. Its also the most cinematic of the all the tracks ons the album with orchestral strings, double bass and backing vocals providing a sound scape for Elvis’ dark lyrics. As the song progresses a the strings become the dominating instrument of the track. lyrically theres not a great deal going on but it doesn’t matter what is there suits the track perfectly. A strong title track. The album end on”If I Could Believe” a wistful piano based track lamenting his lack of belief and what lead him to that feeling. Elvis owns this track completely, this is all about his voice and lyrics. With lines likes “If I could believe you were heaven sent” and “If I could believe two wrongs make a right” he conveys a feeling of sadness and loss. the piano and drums give it an almost ballad like feel. at around 50 seconds from the end of the track we are treated to a final slice of lovely strings.

I completely enjoyed this album far more than I hoped I would. This could have easily been Elvis does Hip-Hop or another Roots crew Rock / Alternative outing. It isn’t either of those things its is a strong soul and funk album with dark and honest lyrics. It creates images in your mind of 70s revolution and dark crime thrillers likes the French Connection. Last year The Roots made an album with Betty Wright that was tragically underrated but a great listen and completely crafted to her style this is another example of this. The collaboration is uniquely Elvis Costello but at the same this also has more of The Roots Hip-Hop heritage running through it. I would have lovely a verse from Black Thought but perhaps that would not have fitted with the rest of the album. A very strong album, worth checking out for fans of both groups but also for people who love that 70s Philadelphia soul and funk sound. As Questlove said ”It’s a moody, brooding affair, cathartic rhythms and dissonant lullabies. I went stark and dark on the music, Elvis went HAM on some ole Ezra Pound shit.”
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by sweetest punch »

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/s ... ise-review

Elvis Costello and the Roots: Wise Up Ghost and Other Songs – review

Elvis Costello and the Roots turn out to be a surprisingly good musical fit on this eerie, angry collaboration
4 stars (out of 5)

Both Elvis Costello and the Roots are what you might call serial collaborators. At an age when a lot of artists sink into comforting nostalgia – making albums that wilfully evoke the albums that made them famous in the first place – Costello seems instead to have embarked on a quest to find new partners to spark his muse: from Burt Bacharach to Allen Toussaint to Swedish mezzo-soprano Annie Sofie von Otter to octogenarian jazz pianist Marian McPartland. As for the Roots, there's a reason one online biography of their drummer/producer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson opens with the adjective "ubiquitous". It sometimes seems like the only way an artist with a even passing interest in vintage soul can guarantee their album won't feature a guest appearance from him is by turning all the lights in the studio off, lying on the floor and pretending to be out when he turns up, perhaps after piling furniture against the door as an extra precaution. In the last few years alone, he's appeared on records by John Mayer, John Legend, Betty Wright, Al Green, Joss Stone, Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Dido, Corinne Bailey Rae, Joe Jackson, Al Jarreau, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Mark Ronson.

Nevertheless, a certain sense of trepidation surrounds Wise Up Ghost and Other Songs, which arrives in a sleeve that mimics the jackets of old City Lights poetry editions – most famously home to Allen Ginsberg's Howl – presumably to underscore Costello's lyrical approach: like the cover, it's rooted in writing from the past, re-editing and juxtaposing lines from old songs. Perhaps it has something to do with the last major cross-generic collaboration unleashed on the world, Lou Reed and Metallica's Lulu, an album that provides a fairly definitive answer to the question you suspect artists from differing ends of the musical spectrum ask when they decide to work together: "Well, what's the worst that can happen?" Perhaps it's down to creeping disquiet about a middle-aged white rocker teaming up with a band whose background lies in hip-hop, never the most edifying form for middle-aged white rockers to dabble in. Costello, though, has a lot of what the police would term "previous" when it comes to working in black musical genres: the New Orleans blues of his album with Toussaint, The River in Reverse, the taut, Motown-inspired miniatures of 1980's Get Happy!, the reggae rhythms that frequently underpinned his early work with the Attractions.

Curiously, it's the latter that Wise Up Ghost most regularly evokes. Although Costello offers a fairly restrained vocal performance here, never unleashing his patent contemptuous sneer – the one that sounds like his eyes are bulging out of his head with incredulous disgust – his is still an enormously distinctive voice, which means building the right scenery around it is a tough call. The sound the Roots settle on is sparse, Thompson's rolling, syncopated funk patterns offset by stabbing guitar and organ, sudden bursts of brass and a host of Jamaican-influenced sounds. Instruments suddenly swoop in and out of the mix, as on a dub album. Opener Walk Us Uptown features a stately skanking bassline; Wake Me Up strikingly counterpoints a vocal so close-miked you keep checking your ears for flecks of spittle with a guitar coated in disorientating echo.

That Costello's lyrical approach automatically invites comparison with the past is occasionally the album's undoing. Stick Out Your Tongue is a languid retooling of 1983's Pills and Soap, perhaps the most cryptic of his livid Thatcher-era state of the nation addresses: it's hard to get around the fact that the new version doesn't have the same menacing drama as the original, which is unfortunate, given that the overall message of the song appears to be that nothing has really changed in the intervening 30 years. But more often it works to considerable effect. The album's sound is frugal and full of space, but doesn't feel airy so much as eerie. There's a queasy, drugged feeling about the music on Wake Up Ghost that fits both the fragmentary lyrics and at least one of their themes. Costello has always been good at conjuring up a sense of imminent apocalypse – from 1986's Tokyo Storm Warning to The River in Reverse's Broken Promise Land – but here the chaos appears to happening at a remove from the songs' narrator. Costello frequently sounds like a man experiencing the unreal sensation of watching tumultuous events unfold on TV, aware that however distantly they're happening, they'll ultimately directly affect him. "Just because I don't speak the language doesn't mean I'm blind to the threat," he sings on Tripwire, to a Southern soul backing drifting languorously along behind a layer of distortion, "But I thought there was more to forgiveness than we conveniently forget." The title track is more densely packed with sound – woozy, spiralling orchestral samples, guitars feeding back – but the effect is the same, dreamlike and troubled, heightened by the way Costello sings in a kind of torpid murmur. He might sound half-asleep, but, for a man who announced five years ago that he couldn't really be bothered making any more albums, Elvis Costello seems as animated as ever.
Last edited by sweetest punch on Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

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http://www.thissoundgoesaround.com/2013 ... -up-ghost/

Elvis Costello and The Roots Present ‘Wise Up Ghost’

I generally peruse the pages of NPR when seeking new music; they tend to filter out the “new and hot” and substitute it instead with the ‘fresh, innovate, and most importantly, something worth listening to’ kind of material. As this has assimilated itself into my daily routine, today’s NPR findings have me feeling more enthused than usual. Why? Because, people, Elvis Costello and the Roots have just released their collaborative project, Wise Up Ghost, to the public. Although the album is not yet available to purchase, any computer owning kid on the block can stream it.

So here’s the thing: when it comes to music, I have to take the occasional breaks from relevance. Sometimes, it’s spawned by hearing the latest Taylor Swift jingle, while other times it’s merely a means of sidestepping the social media energy involved in the process. Long story short, it wasn’t until today that I even knew this dynamic Costello – Roots duo were in the studio together.

As any music lover knows, today’s audible ball game strays from what it used to be in, say, Costello’s day and age. A little less conscious, a little more fist pump-worthy. The Katy Perry’s and Juicy J’s of the industry are no Joni Mitchell or Isaac Hayes. Yet, fear not; there is still hope.

Because there is such a definitive line between the radio stream and ‘the rest’, the latter has taken on a genre of its own. That genre being no genre at all. The lines are blurred (no kids, that was not a Robin Thicke reference), the sounds are strong, and the finite categories are a thing of the past. In the case of Costello and The Roots, this new state of musical mind has become more apparent than ever.

Costello, a 70′s soul maverick in his own right, and The Roots, the Hip Hop collective birthed in ’87 with a repute for maintaining the realness, form their alliance on Wise Up Ghost. Forever broken are any and all previously thought-to-be boundaries. An underlying tinge of funk and body of soul breeds the project’s personality. Entwined with The Roots’ known knack for instrumental flawlessness, Costello’s flaunts his sensual vocals. He introduces old listeners to a sound not entirely foreign, yet not too familiar; to new listeners, he reestablishes himself as more than something their parents listen to.

A few things that any album has to pay attention to are pace, variation, consistency, and sequence. The first track “Walk Us Uptown” that bleeds seamlessly into the sexy, funk-pressed “Sugar Won’t Work” show that The Roots keep their priorities straight. With their instrumentals, they don’t tell you too much, but rather just enough. On the listeners end, wonderment and intrigue transpires.

On “Wake Me Up”, we meet a slow spun confessional from Costello. “My thoughts return to vengeance, but I put up no resistance… Wake me up; there must be something better than this”, he says. The following track, “Tripwire”, rings like a 50′s doo wop track with somber undertones.

Already having noted nearly a quarter of the album, I have to recognize the string laden “(She Might Be) a Grenade” and my personal favorite, “Cinco Minutos Con Voz” accompanied by La Marisoul of the LA band La Santa Cecilia. Here, bringing in the female vocalist adds a layer of innate complexity to the already complex. Horns glide, strings cry, and a layer of mystery tangles Costello into the world of La Marisoul. The two trace one another into a lustful trance, and as the listener, you are never quite ready to be torn from their heat.

All detail aside, I must say all fifty six minutes of Wise Up Ghost left nothing but a blissful residue ringing in my ears. I encourage the younger listeners to raid their parents’ music collection and dust off the turntable or pop open the CD players to get a taste of Elvis Costello. Dousing us with a soundtrack supreme, The Roots and Elvis Costello have proven that timelessness outweighs relevance. We needed the wakeup call; they provided it and then some.

Now, it’s time to put everything aside, wise up, and get your speakers ready. It’s time to groove.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by johnfoyle »

From Rolling Stone Germany -

Image

Translation/summary welcome.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Yanyna »

Got the vinyl today. So here are some pics. To the sound I can´t say anything now because I haven´t heard it yet. I´m only a bit "disappointed" it doesn´t come with digital download (maybe some voucher for itunes?? :P )

For those who are interested in lyrics, please take a look here: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing

Image

Image

Image

Image

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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by John »

How good does that look! The last vinyl I bought was Mighty Like A Rose in 1991. I just might have to revive an old habit.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Natasha »

Oh. My. God. I definitely need this on vinyl.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

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PS.: if someone has the time to add these pics or lyrics to wiki, please feel free to do it :))
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Nice one, but home come you got the vinyl ahead of release date? Bet it sounds great in that format.

Sweetest Punch: please note that you only posted half the Guardian review.

Nice to see Alexis Petridis giving it 4 stars. I love his humour and find myself invariably agreeing with his judgements on things. And his point about the album being most reminiscent of early Attractions (I'm sure he's mainly thinking of WTD here) is an interesting one.

My dilemma is I'll buy it on Monday, but won't have a chance to listen to it till Tuesday, other than the odd bit.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Yanyna »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Nice one, but home come you got the vinyl ahead of release date?
I don´t know. Record store in Prague has it scheduled for tomorrow but they got it sooner. Even yesterday evening they had it in stock. Now idea how it´s possible.


I have to say I like the vinyl but also this album is so compact that I was a bit annoyed with turning the LP´s. Now I want to listen to it in digital in a row.
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Whoops, 'home' for 'how' I'm tired.

Yeah, that's the problem with vinyl, lots of exercise!
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

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http://www.allmusic.com/album/wise-up-g ... 0002563313

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Musicians separated by age, style, and demographic, Elvis Costello and the Roots are nevertheless natural collaborators bound by wide taste, insatiable appetite, and fathomless record collections. This is particularly true of Roots drummer/de facto bandleader ?uestlove, the musical omnivore who is the band's most recognizable member and perhaps the only popular musician outside of Costello who values the music press. This is not incidental to Wise Up Ghost, the unexpected 2013 collaboration between Costello and the Roots. As recognizable as both parties are -- the Roots are Jimmy Fallon's house band, soon to inherit the throne from Doc Severinsen on The Tonight Show; Elvis Costello seizes any opportunity to ham it up on camera -- neither are exactly popular popular artists. Between the two of them, they have a grand total of four Billboard Top 40 hits -- two apiece -- which suggests that their instincts run against the grain, something ?uestlove admits in his 2013 memoir, Mo Meta Blues, when he confesses he always preferred deep cuts to hit singles.

This sensibility thrives on Wise Up Ghost, which quickly dismisses its two potential crossover singles -- the ominous "Walk Us Uptown," which is the greatest indication of the album's vibe, then the slyly funky slow groove "Sugar Won't Work" -- before getting down to the hard work of recontextualizing forgotten music from Costello's Warner years while offering barbed social commentary in the vein of What's Going On or There's a Riot Goin' On. Here, the project's origin as a wildly imaginative reinterpretation of Costello's back catalog is evident, but it also speaks to how Elvis rose to the challenge of working with a live hip-hop band. Lacking the context of heavy samples, he nevertheless embraced hip-hop's postmodernism by jamming together the lyrics of "Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)" and "Pills and Soap" for "Stick Out Your Tongue," while "Refuse to Be Saved" evokes the ghost of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's appearance on "Chewing Gum" and "Tripwire" suggests "Satellite." These two songs were on Spike -- which would've been the Costello album on the charts while ?uestlove was in high school, also not entirely a coincidence -- and much of the sensibility of Wise Up Ghost derives from those sometimes underappreciated early Warner albums Spike and Mighty Like a Rose, two albums overly dense in sonic and lyrical detail.

So too is Wise Up Ghost, a record that flaunts its cerebellum as it progresses, but the Roots' emphasis on smart, textured grooves grounds the album even if it hardly widens the album's potential audience. This is an exquisitely detailed, imaginative record that pays back dividends according to how much knowledge, either of Costello or the Roots or their idols, a listener brings to the album. It's not exactly alienating but Wise Up Ghost does require work from its audience, and the more you know -- and the more you listen -- the better it seems.
Poor Deportee
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Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 7:30 pm
Location: Chocolate Town

Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Poor Deportee »

Man,these rave reviews - which surpass the respectful critical indifference that greeted most of his recent studio outings - really have my blood pumping for this record!!
When man has destroyed what he thinks he owns
I hope no living thing cries over his bones
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Jeremy Dylan
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Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:39 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

My pre-order downloaded this morning. After a few listens, Sugar Won't Work is an early favourite for me. The record to me sounds like a bit of a cross between the When I Was Cruel album and Isaac Hayes doing Walk On By.
bronxapostle
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Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by bronxapostle »

YAY!!! hope my vinyl shows soon too...i ordered from amazon!!
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docinwestchester
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Location: Westchester County, NY

Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by docinwestchester »

And No Coffee Table wrote:Long interview with EC and Questlove: http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/exc ... nspire_to_
Fascinating article. I want to hear that Squeeze cover album NOW. And how funny that GCW was Quest's EC gateway album?!

Can't disagree with this part, can we?:

Elvis has a very jealously guarded fan base. Seriously. Those who are professionals now, those were teenagers that he spoke to in 1977 who are now in their late 40s, early 50s. He spoke to them. He spoke to a level of really smart, powerful people. Elvis has a pedigree, a very smart fan base. I’ve never met an Elvis slouch, like an Elvis fan that’s a slouch. That kind of gave me pause for a second.
cwr
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Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:14 pm

Re: New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

Post by cwr »

Reading Questlove enthusing about GCW makes me want to hear what The Roots might do with "The Only Flame In Town."

Not the "ballad version" that Costello favors, but the full-on saxophone-heavy album version...
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