New album review

Pretty self-explanatory
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martinfoyle
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New album review

Post by martinfoyle »

Harson Flenco posted this review on the ec listserv

-I recently had the opportunity to listen to "North," and here are a
couple of my first impressions.

If "Almost Blue" is your your favorite Elvis song, you're going to love
this album. It's a moody collection of piano ballads with string
orchestrations. At first the album reminded me of the concept albums
Sinatra made with Nelson Riddle (Wee Small Hours, Only the Lonely),
especially the opening bars of the very first song. A couple of the
songs were piano only, like "I'm In The Mood Again" and "You Turned
to Me." Other songs had stronger, more dramatic strings, like "Can
You Be True." "Impatience" was a little more up-tempo, with a horn
section and a slight Latin-jazzy vibe to it. But there's a strong
emotional consistency throughout the whole piece -- and this album is
most certainly an entire piece --not just a collection of songs. In
that way it's akin to Beck's "Sea Change" or maybe Joe Jackson's "Night
Music" -- but just in the sense of emotional consistency -- the albums
have completely different sounds. This one's a late-night kind of
album, and a very successful mood-setter. Listening to it , there
were times I felt like I was in a bar at closing time needing one more
martini.

I'm in no position to judge an album after only one listen, I need to
live with the thing for a while to form an opinion. But I can tell you
that I liked what I heard a lot, more than WIWC, and I want to return
to it (which I couldn't say about "Sea Change," although that I've
since become a fan of that album, or "Night Music").
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Poppet
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Post by Poppet »

WHEEEEEEEE!!

Poppet twirls w/ glee!!!

oooh, this sounds lovely!

(yes, i am a giddy sort.)
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pophead2k
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Post by pophead2k »

I know most here prefer 'rowdy rhythm EC' but I am truly excited about the idea of a full-fledged torch album (which, btw, was the original concept behind Almost Blue before it turned country). PFM isn't really a torch record, cause Bacharach's arrangements are always too busy for that type of stripped down 3 am feeling. In fact, the title track from PFM is the only one that approaches torchiness, and that was another guy on the arrangement. I have actually concocted mixed CDs of Elvis' random torch songs (My Funny Valentine, Too Soon to Know, Poison Rose, etc.) so it will be great to have the real thing. Thanks for the info!
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Costellopunk's gonna like this! Sounds great, doesn't it? If the songs are good, this could be a scorcher. I imagine it won't be so immediate, so hard to judge well on a first listen. I wonder how he got to hear it. The Elvis torch LP - can't wait.
Watching_Detectives
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Post by Watching_Detectives »

Simply put: I can't wait! 8) :D
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Post by selfmademug »

Wowzer. *wipes drool from chin* Just the sort of thing I'm in the mood for, I must say.

And as I mentioned once before, it's goint to be very cool knowing he was writing these during the heat of the last touring blitz, when I met all you folks and was so immersed in Elvisiana, to say nothing of seeing him five times in as many months...

The guy's on fire.
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SoLikeCandy
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Post by SoLikeCandy »

Seems like a natural progression to me. He's gotten all of the rowdiness out, and now he's ready to chill. I've always fantasized about seeing EC in a lounge, wearing a tastefully tacky suit and singing into one of those big, old-time microphones...sexy nighttime music. I can hardly wait!!!
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Goody2Shoes
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Post by Goody2Shoes »

I'm trying not to get too excited, so as to avoid disappointment.

But I am getting very excited about this. I have such a huge thing for torch songs and singers.

SoLikeCandy--I have the very same Elvis fantasy.
It's a radiation vibe I'm groovin' on
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LessThanZero
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Post by LessThanZero »

I also just got a chance to listen to North, and it is AMAZING!!

Alright, that's partly a lie. I'm sure it's amazing though!

This sounds like the kind of music I LIVED for 3 years ago! Why couldn't he've made this album BEFORE I met Jody?!?!

that 3 am type music IS MY FAVORITE!! I need to buy a convertible by next summer so I can take EC on late summer night drives!
Loving this board since before When I Was Cruel.
bobster
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Post by bobster »

Well, "Almost Blue" is at least a contender for my all time favorite EC track.....
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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A rope leash
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I'll have another...

Post by A rope leash »

O good! Another wallowing record like "Painted from Memory".

I'll have to stock the bar...

Hey Bob! Welcome aboard!
Gilbert
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Post by Gilbert »

I'm really looking forward to the new album as well.

It might sound petty to some, but I've never before heard of an album where the title track was only available on the internet!

That and the fact that one of the songs is only on the Japanese release paves the way for a reissue in 6 months time with the extra stuff mysteriously added.

Why not just issue the full thing to everyone at the same time???
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Jackson Doofster
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Post by Jackson Doofster »

Well, Gilbert......I can only think of one treason myself......ker-ching!
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verbal gymnastics
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

I agree. Can anyone else see a Cruel Smile type release coming out in the next 6 months or so...?

Damn this "track only available from the internet" lark. I've only just learned how to use email. And even that's not always successful. I can't even transfer my Avatar and I don't even know what a URL is. Please can someone make it easy like it was on the other site?!

I can use the icons though!

Thanks
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bambooneedle
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Post by bambooneedle »

Gilbert wrote:I'm really looking forward to the new album as well.

It might sound petty to some, but I've never before heard of an album where the title track was only available on the internet!

That and the fact that one of the songs is only on the Japanese release paves the way for a reissue in 6 months time with the extra stuff mysteriously added.

Why not just issue the full thing to everyone at the same time???
Hi Gilbert, welcome. I'm guessing the song North will be able to be downloaded and added to the disc if it has been bought. But, yes, it seems a hassle, and unfair. Why not just include it (and the bonus tracks, maybe at the end after a long pause), to begin with?
They might put them on a single, instead.
jack of parades
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Post by jack of parades »

Yeah, its wierd. But Elvis has actually done this kind of thing before. The song Almost Blue was not included on the Almost Blue album, which obviously was an album of covers. And the song Imperial Bedroom is a bonus track on the album Imperial Bedroom. Its Elvis's preverse side coming to the fore.
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HungupStrungup
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at least "Party Party" was on the album Party Part

Post by HungupStrungup »

Actually, there was no such thing as a "bonus track" when "Imperial Bedroom" (the song) was released. It was the B-side of a single, and when I say single, I mean a 45-rpm record, not a CDEP. Long before it became a bonus track, it showed up on the Out of Our Idiot collection.
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Sometimes it delays it"
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