Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Pretty self-explanatory
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Whaddya think of Momofuku?

I love it! One of Elvis' best!
11
14%
One of the best? Not sure, but it's pretty freaking awesome!
41
52%
It's quite good!
23
29%
Eh, it's okay I guess
4
5%
It's got one or two good songs but the rest are kind of shite
0
No votes
It's shite. Period.
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 79

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BlueChair
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Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by BlueChair »

Answer this question only if you've had a chance to hear the album in its entirety.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

I'm not quite prepared to say it's one of his best, though my opinion could change upon further consideration. So I went for "It's quite good". Wish there were an in-between option there.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by BlueChair »

Added another option - feel free to change your vote!
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

BlueChair wrote:Added another option - feel free to change your vote!
There ya go!
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migdd
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by migdd »

Pretty freakin' awesome alright! To soon to tell where it will fall in the pantheon of Elvis albums but I can already tell I like it much better than some of the albums others are comparing it to like WIWC (meh - icy cold production leaves me kinda chilly) or Brutal Youth (good - but not classic EC, IMO).
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Poor Deportee »

migdd wrote:Pretty freakin' awesome alright! To soon to tell where it will fall in the pantheon of Elvis albums but I can already tell I like it much better than some of the albums others are comparing it to like WIWC (meh - icy cold production leaves me kinda chilly) or Brutal Youth (good - but not classic EC, IMO).
A bit of a relief to read this, since I view WIWC as one of his absolute worst records, both songwriting- and production-wise. Looking forward to the CD...
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by strangerinthehouse »

One of his best- I cannot get tired of listening to it. The songs that I wasn't crazy about at first, "Flutter and Wow" and "My Three Sons" have definitely grown on me, especially after hearing the live versions from the Ryman concert.

It is much better than WIWC, which I like, this is a tighter record, the songs go incredibly well together.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Mike Boom »

One of his very best records. The songs are all first rate, the playing is superb and the production is unfussy, and straight foward. The best thing about it is stylistically he is just being himself, banging out some new tunes with his band, its not of any genre other than being an Elvis Costello record, and they are always fucking great.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by sexysadie7 »

maybe it's meeting me where i am right now as far as the style and production go, but there is no denying that they are beautifully constructed songs with classically brilliant elvis lyrics and stellar musicianship. i also like how loose and fun it feels. for all of these reasons, i place it in the top third of all EC-related albums on my all-time list.

these songs sound great live too...i was in both memphis and nashville recently, and the energy, especially in memphis, left the crowd breathless! i know for a sad fact that the vinyl sold out very, very quickly...

i can tell you one thing: it will be in my top three albums of the year. (and, as a vinyl collector, i am loving that the band is supporting the RECORD so strongly!)

on a note related to other comments: i think that if WIWC was produced this loosely and spontaneously, i would have enjoyed it much more.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by sexysadie7 »

one more thing: davey's backing vocals (along with those of the other "special guests" on the album) punctuate the songs so well!
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by so lacklustre »

3 and half listens so far, haven't voted yet. I agree with MB about the style being himself rather than being stylistically genre-lised like some of other recent releases (this is v good imo). Not convinced that is one of his best yet though and I dont like My Three Sons yet. A cross between BY and WIWC in sound.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Fishfinger king »

I've also not heard it enough times to vote, but will certainly be in the top 2 or 3.
At last another straight out rock/pop album in which he doesn't overtry - the lack of genre is an excellent thing.
Very Costello-ish as someone else said.
Bit close to Brutal Youth but more produced than Blood & Chocolate.
Lots of songs remind me of others ; not necessarily a bad thing (hints of Dr Luther's Assistant played by Adam & The Ants in Turpentine, Long Honeymoon in Harry Worth, You Saved My Bell in Flutter & Wow, God's Comic in Mr Feathers and Pump It Up in Go Away. Stella Hurt is like Hey Bulldog crossed with Bedlam)
Has anyone else noticed that 3 songs are named after very old TV shows?
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by alexv »

Quite good. I'm skipping Hiding Place, Gangster, Stella, and Eve these days. Turpentine stays in only because of the catchy chorus. I find these songs wordy and clunky. But the sequence of Harry, Drum and Flutter is lovely, as is the other great threesome: Feathers, Sons and Rose. My Three Sons is my current favorite of the lot. I know it's sentimental and mushy, particularly by EC standards, but the song resonates with this father of one very young son. I also like Go Away, a PIU for the new millenium. As others have noted, the better songs channel past EC goodies, but there's nothing wrong with that in my book. Then again I'm just a limited, primitive kind of man.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by queenofthefleapit »

I skip Harry Worth, Flutter & Wow and My Three Sons. I will never be able to enjoy My Three Sons. I cannot even make it past the first verse! I enjoy a sentimental tune now and then but this one is a bit too sappy for my taste. Maybe if I were a parent...nope, that wouldn't do it. :(

I love all of the other songs on the record though! Stella Hurt, Go Away and American Gangster Time are my favorites- they have been in constant rotation on my ipod.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

So far so good. Doesn't strike me as being in the same league as Brutal Youth nor ATUB, let alone the heights of the 70s and 80s, but it's a fine record for Elv to be putting out at this time, and we were due some loud guitar after the Toussaint work. As the father of three sons, My Three Sons could be my anthem! Lovely stuff. I'm hooked on the opening three, but all the songs have qualities. Fourth play or so will really begin to take off.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by spooky girlfriend »

Just came from Amazon on cd and I'm spinning it for the first time now. Will vote later.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Mike Boom »

Repeated listens have made apparent that
1) "Flutter and Wow" is a classic EC ballad, great melody,wonderful singing.
2) No Hiding Place is a cousin of "Home Is Anywhere .." and "I Hope Your Happy Now".
3) "Stella Hurt" is the best song on the record.
4) "Go Away" with ? and the Mysterians vibe is this records hidden gem.
5) "American Gangster Time" is a future EC classic.
6) "Harry Worth" is a cousin of Joni's 'Harrys House" from "...Summer Lawns".
7) "Mr Feathers" doesnt really grab me yet, the melody meanders rather too much.
8 ) "Turpentine" is growing on me still.
9) "My Three Sons" is ok, not great, not bad.
10) This line is intentionally left blank
echos myron like a siren
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by so lacklustre »

AGT is becoming my favourite track. Like OW I love the opening burst of three songs, and also much like the closing three. Drum & Bone is the one track that isn't doing for me at all.
Turpentine seems to have traces of My Little Blue Window?
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by colrow26 »

Got the album on vinyl yesterday and onto my fifth play and gotta say Im loving it. Fave tracks are Turpentine, American Gangster Time and Go Away. Agree with OW and SL that first three tracks really start album off at a good pace. Im also loving Harry Worth ( great title) and My three sons (only someone with a heart of stone could not be touched by this!) but if push came to shove my fave track is .... Flutter and Wow.

To early to compare with previous albums as still at the "new" stage but honest opinion is we could not have expected more from EC, the album is so fresh and instant and as soon as Go away finshes you have to put it on again :D
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by ahawkman »

I think it's a very good effort. He sounds, at least to a degree, like English Elvis again!!!! A good thing, IMO. Plus the organ is back; I love that sound in his songs. Bass is still too heavy, but not to the excess of WIWC and TDM. B+ at least, maybe even an A after more listens. Good work, Declan!
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Lester Burnham »

After having the vinyl for nearly three weeks now, I can say that the excitement of having a new EC record has worn off a bit, and I'm able to view it a little more objectively. The best place to listen to the album is in the car, and the album seems very summery, which is the time of year that I love to listen to EC: in the car, on a nice, long drive, with all the windows down -- oh, and VERY loud.

This is a loud album, and while it has traces of most of his best albums -- the rawness of Blood & Chocolate and When I Was Cruel, the speed of This Year's Model and Trust, and the musical variety of Brutal Youth and The Delivery Man -- it's so unique that it'll be able to not only stand on its own, but also stand up against the better albums of his career. When I Was Cruel was the first EC album I bought, and The Delivery Man was the first one I bought as a bona fide, hardcore fan; while I like both those albums very much, the middle parts tend to drag a bit, and like Spike and Mighty Like A Rose, the whole result can seem overlong.

Momofuku isn't overlong, and there's very little filler at all. The two slower songs -- 'Flutter & Wow' and 'My Three Sons' -- are good to great (I can't really get into 'Flutter & Wow', and it probably stands as the weakest track to me), but it's the louder, faster, harder songs where he succeeds the most. 'American Gangster Time' will probably be the "signature" song (or, if this album had been released 15 years ago, the lead-off single), while 'Turpentine', 'Stella Hurt', 'Song With Rose', and 'Pardon Me Madam' are the four best songs on the album, and maybe the best he's written in quite some time. Even the "quirkier" songs, like 'Harry Worth', 'Drum & Bone', and 'Mr. Feathers', are fun to listen to and, performance-wise, excellent.

I didn't like 'Go Away' at first; I was also wary of the potential for oversentimentality on 'My Three Sons', and the nagging vocal melody of 'No Hiding Place' mildly annoyed me, but I warmed to all three quickly and they now rank just below the aforementioned five "classics". I think what is best about the album is that there was very little deliberation into the recording process; these are simple songs banged out nice and quickly, which is just the kind of album that EC has needed to do for a while. As mentioned elsewhere, When I Was Cruel was supposed to be loose, but came across as being too calculated. Momofuku sounds like it was recorded in a handful of takes, and it sounds like everyone is having a blast recording it, too.

If numbers mean anything, I give Momofuku a 4.5 out of 5.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by invisible Pole »

Loving it so far. The kind of Elvis album I've been waiting for since ATUB.
Not a bad song on the album, though Drum & Bone probably does least to me after a few listens.
My current faves are American Gangster Time and Turpentine.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Gotta agree with two points made above:

1. Yes, the organ is back! Real echoes of the early years in a fun way.

2. Hooray for keeping it the right length! He was really lapsing into overlong territory before, this doesn't outstay the welcome.

It's also amusing how the CD is split into sides A and B although the vinyl is over four sides!
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by spooky girlfriend »

Every listen I keep coming back to Turpentine. I don't even know why.
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Re: Momofuku Poll #2 - Whaddya think?

Post by spooky girlfriend »

Mike Boom wrote:Repeated listens have made apparent that
1) "Flutter and Wow" is a classic EC ballad, great melody,wonderful singing.
Yeah. I really dig this one. It makes you fall in love all over again - with your intended one - AND Elvis - again. It's got that special something.
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