Home Truth

Pretty self-explanatory
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BlueChair
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Home Truth

Post by BlueChair »

Beautiful song, which I hadn't heard before since I don't own Goodbye Cruel World.

Is the album version totally overproduced, or does it retain some of the simplicity of the Costello/Nieve rendition on this tour?

I have a feeling that the bonus disc on the GCW reissue will be a revelation.
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Danny
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Post by Danny »

Totally agreed - I've always thought this was one of his best 'slowies', and the best song on GCW. I am gutted he didn't play it at the Royal Festival Hall in London last year, as I'd love to hear it in the stripped-down version.

I too hope it's included on the re-issue.

Apart from the wonderfully sad melody, there's the despairing lyrics:

"I'd pick up the pieces of what's shattered, but I don't know where to start"

How sad is that? i.e. the relationship is so badly broken, into so many tiny pieces, that there's no way in hell it's going to be fixed again.

Also like the 'you still close your eyes when I kiss you and I close mine too.' (He's lying - how does he know she closes her eyes, if his are closed too?)

I also like the simplicity of the two opposite uses of the word 'tear' which amount to the same meaning:

It's tearing me up
It's tearing me down

WHEN'S THE REISSUE DATE? ANYONE KNOW YET????
elvisisking63
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Post by elvisisking63 »

Don't underestimate GCW! There are indeed some gems on that album that are not really presented in the best arrangements.

I remember hearing "I Wanna Be Loved" when EC toured for the album, and the stripped down live version was a wonderful plaintive-plea ballad--a peek into his torch song future, I think. I've also liked Love Field in the same way but to a lesser degree.

Peace in Our Time, The Comedians, Inch by Inch, and Deportees Club are all wonderful songs. And I think Worthless Thing would fit right into King of America quite comfortably but has gotten short shrift as it's been stuck on the unfairly maligned GCW.

[Edited to add Peace in Our Time--how could I forget?]
Last edited by elvisisking63 on Thu Mar 18, 2004 11:27 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by selfmademug »

Ditto all that. You're in for a treat if you don't know GCW yet. It's easily and in someways justifiably maligned, but I believe it was E himself who said it was a bad record filled with good songs.

And I begged and begged and BEGGED on the first iteration of this board for him to do a new live arrangement of I WANNA BE LOVED, and I'm pretty sure that's why he did it. Of course, I tend to be delusional.

HOME TRUTH was a great one for him to revive. It tore me apart when I heard it at the two recent shows I saw, not least b/c it describes my own situation these days. And on top of that, I have been seriously thinking of cribbing the title for the novel I'm hoping to finish by summer. Not that that will necessarily see the light of day, mind you!
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Post by wehitandrun »

I have found that "Room Without a Number" is one of the best songs I've had the pleasure of hearing... and Home Truth is good too... as well as "Inch By Inch".

Maybe I should look past "I Wanna Be Loved" and "The Only Flame In Town"?



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Post by noiseradio »

I dont like to listen to GCW almost ever. But I can't wait to hear the songs on the bonus disc. The Punch The Clock bonus disc gave me mountains of appreciation for that album. So much so that the overproduction doesn't bother me as much anymore. I'm hoping for the same results from GCW. I WANT to like The Only Flame In Town.
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Post by Copenhagen Fan »

GCW is worth the price of admission just for the exsistence of Home Truth and Inch By Inch, two of my favorite Elvis songs. The rest of the album is not horrible....it has a couple of songs that grow on you...Peace in Our Time, Room Without a Number, The Comedians, The Great Unknown, and Worthless Thing!!!! All good tunes...
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Branst
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Post by Branst »

I love every single song on Goodbye Cruel World. "Joe Porterhouse" and "Sour Milk Cow Blues" had to grow on me more than the others but now I love them just as much. It's too bad this album hasn't received too much praise, it's one of my fave Costello records and in my opinion, deserves to get more attention than it does.

I'm looking forward to this GCW reissue more than I looked forward to any other reissue (minus Get Happy!!). I can't wait to see what Mr. Costello will treat us on the bonus disc. I'm really hoping it's alternate studio takes and demos of the songs but I'd be happy with anything really.

Another reissue I'm looking forward to is King of America but who here isn't? I think waiting until 2005 is way too long but it's not like we have a choice.
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Post by seanpointblank »

GCW isn't 100% horrid. It's just a painfully mediocre record from a brilliant songwriter, thus magnifying the already fairly large flaws it has. EC said himself he changed his mind numerous times as to what he wanted to do with this album as whole, and it shows, the record feels confused and unsure. There may be good songs buried beneath poor arrangements and obnoxious production, but you wouldn't know that if we didn't hear the stripped down version of 'The Comedians', etc. It's at least interesting to hear how much production and a final arrangement effect a song so profoundly, though, and how if you take somethings away it becomes a song of a completely different quality. It's absolutely the biggest flaw in Elvis's suit of ligh...armor, namely in the fact that it's so widely panned and it's a totally safe record. He didn't take any risks with this record like he did with the Juliet Letters, etc.
elvisisking63
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Post by elvisisking63 »

seanpointblank wrote: There may be good songs buried beneath poor arrangements and obnoxious production, but you wouldn't know that if we didn't hear the stripped down version of 'The Comedians', etc. .

That is an absolutely valid point: if Roy Orbison hadn't NAILED The Comedians, I likely never would have gone back to GCW to give it much attention.
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Post by seanpointblank »

Even EC's demo for Orbison is pretty great.
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Branst
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Post by Branst »

I liked Costello's GCW version of "The Comedians" before I even heard Orbison's or Costello's demo for Orbison so you can't speak for me.
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Post by seanpointblank »

Branst wrote:I liked Costello's GCW version of "The Comedians" before I even heard Orbison's or Costello's demo for Orbison so you can't speak for me.
You're one of the oddballs who thinks GCW is great, of course I'm not speaking for you.
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Post by wehitandrun »

seanpointblank wrote:
Branst wrote:I liked Costello's GCW version of "The Comedians" before I even heard Orbison's or Costello's demo for Orbison so you can't speak for me.
You're one of the oddballs who thinks GCW is great, of course I'm not speaking for you.

hahahahaha. :lol:



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