Is Imperial Bedroom the greatest EC Masterpiece ??

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 5:56 pm

I'm still listening to KOA.

Misha · Post by **Misha** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 12:59 am

Laughing and Blue,,,

You guys are either over-medicated, or woefully under-medicated,,,,but, that said, thanks for a great chuckle....

Who uses a Cookie Monster reference in 2003?!!!!

I have the answer to that now!

Misha · Post by **Misha** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 1:00 am

Ok, Spooky, I didn't see the photo of yours until I was done with the last one....

Don't encourage the boys!!!!

Jackson Doofster · Post by **Jackson Doofster** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 3:28 am

It does not surprise me that ImpBed won the Elvis Cup, but does not command a majority from the fans.

I had a sneaking suspicion that this might be the case. Although previous polls have seen ImpBed come top, more people voted against it than for it. The fact is that there are a core of EC albums that are generally ranked in the top six consistently (see below). The interesting part of the Elvis Cup experiment, is that none of the post 1989 albums make the top eight with the exception of 'North'.

Imperial Bedroom
Get Happy!!
This Years Model
Trust
B&C
KOA

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 12:11 pm

Misha said:

Who uses a Cookie Monster reference in 2003?!!!!

Me, Blue and Spooky dare to push back the boundaries of Muppet/Human relations! In years to come I like to think we'll be thought of as pioneers.

Doof...which ones came bottom.I'll bet it was Cruel Smile.
As to the post-89 thing, I think that's just because of luck of the draw...

Post by **BlueChair** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 1:40 pm

What about best Post-89 albums? I think Brutal Youth is a much better album than North, personally.

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 1:48 pm

I agree, Blue.

The worst one is, without any kind of doubt, All this useless beauty.

THe best one is definitely THE JULIET LETTERS (followed by BY, followed by WYWC...)

Post by **BlueChair** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 1:53 pm

Actually, I think All This Useless Beauty is one of the better ones. It has some amazing songs.. "Complicated Shadows".. "All This Useless Beauty"... "The Other End Of The Telescope", etc.

My order for post 1989 albums (including Spike) would be:

Brutal Youth
All This Useless Beauty
Spike
North
Mighty Like A Rose
When I Was Cruel
Painted From Memory

I can't comment on The Juliet Letters or Kojak Variety, cause I don't have them. And then I guess there's Deep Dead Blue and other weird albums that aren't really albums. But I won't count those

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:05 pm

I like Kojak a lot: it was hard to me to accostume to it, since some of the songs aren´t really quite good, but I thing it´s the sound of the wole album the thing you have to get. The way they re-read some of the songs (including the fantastic version of Dylan´s "I threw..."... though I´d rather listen the Davies´ version of "Days" and would forget Costello´s... but the album is almost perfect! )

Anyway.
If we include Spike, my order would be

The Juliet letters
Brutal youth
Kojak variety
When I was cruel
Mighty like a rose
North
Painted from memory
All this useless beauty

John · Post by **John** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:11 pm

Elvis' post '89 albums are overall not as good as Spike and prior, I feel.
My order would be:-
1. Brutal Youth
2. When I Was Cruel
3. All This Useless Beauty
4. North
5. Mighty Like A Rose
6. The Juliet Letters
7. Painted From Memory
(then a gap to)

8. Kojak Variety
9. Cruel Smile

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:15 pm

We all seem to agree about how good BY is.
And one thing by the way...

Do you think the Brutal´s cover photograph is a reference to the Ray Charles incident ?

(you know, as if EC said: "I have never been a racist, not even in my early years..." ... I have always thought it is. What do you think about it?)

Post by **BlueChair** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:20 pm

I don't think so... it's a picture of Elvis as a child, with a friend of his (who happened to be black)

John · Post by **John** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:25 pm

Maybe KoS.
Though I am sure Elvis has never been racist and one drunken incident seems to be referred back to an awful lot (it was recalled in several of the North reviews). It all happened just before I got into Elvis so I don't remember the coverage at the time.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 3:09 pm

KoS... maybe it influenced it a little bit yeah, cos he (understandably) feels pretty bad about it even today (see Get Happy liner notes).

But, ATUB bad? No chance!!!!! Shallow Grave, Little Atoms, Poor Fractured Atlas, Complicated Shadows, Distorted Angel, You Bowed Down, Other end of the telescope, Why cant a man stand alone...these are all brilliant songs IMHO.

I'd go for...

Spike (during)
Brutal Youth
Mighty Like A Rose
All This Useless Beauty
When I Was Cruel
North
The Juliet Letters
Painted From Memory
Kojak Variety
Cruel Smile... Smile is really good on this though.

The imposter · Post by **The imposter** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 3:54 am

For me it's a very coherent album. Beautiful melodies and no clumsy changes like "north". Then again I like Bacharach's style.

Jackson Doofster · Post by **Jackson Doofster** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:36 am

I like parts of PFM, but give me North over it anytime.

billyboy2674 · Post by **billyboy2674** » Mon Nov 03, 2003 5:46 pm

armed forces that nobody mentioned it?It's one of my favorites.....

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Mon Nov 03, 2003 6:32 pm

Spike and everything after:

1. Brutal Youth
2. When I Was Cruel
3. All This Useless Beauty
4. Cruel Smile
5. Spike
6. Mighty Like A Rose
7. North
8. Kojak Variety
9. Juliet Letters
10. Painted From Memory
11. For The Stars

And 4, 5, and 6 are about tied really. I don't have a strong preference for any of the three. But I would probably at this moment rather hear Cruel Smile than Spike, and Spike rather than MLAR.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 4:32 am

Wow Noise...Cruel smile above MLAR

....interesting mate! I love that we all hear and like different things in his music, it's a credit to the man!

Copenhagen Fan · Post by **Copenhagen Fan** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 5:14 am

Imperial is kinda experimental because of the production, the loops, the orchestration and the sound.....I'm with King Of Spain....and it's the best friggin' album EC has made! basta!

Jackson Doofster · Post by **Jackson Doofster** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 6:00 am

...........and for the record...I'm with KoS and CopFan. Its the best.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 11:21 am

Hmm, the best since Spike?

All This Useless Beauty
When I Was Cruel
Mighty Like A Rose
North
Brutal Youth
Juliet Letters
Spike
Kojak Variety
Cruel Smile

Painted From Memory is left out because I've heard it maybe 3 times at most but don't own it. Don't own Kojak Variety either but listened to it many times. I'm not even bothering with For The Stars.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 11:25 am

I'm not even bothering with For The Stars.

Harsh...but fair!

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:15 pm

I don't know, I send you my spare Spike Cd and then you go and place it below JL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:31 pm

Brutal Youth
Kojak Variety
When I Was Cruel
All This Useless Beauty
North
Painted From Memory-Juliet Letters-Spike-Mighty Like A Rose
Cruel Smile

Elvis Costello Fan Forum

Is Imperial Bedroom the greatest EC Masterpiece ??

Is Imperial Bedroom the greatest EC Masterpiece ??

Post 89 Albums

Significance of Brutal Youth cover

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