Rank Mighty Like A Rose

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 6:54 pm

1. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No . 4 (my all-time EC fave?)
2. After The Fall (I love playing this on Spanish guitar, but never as well, of course)
3. The Other Side Of Summer (he's so good at uptempo pop, I wish he'd do it more often)
(here's where I'd put Just Another Mystery)
4. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over) (blew me away live recently)
5. How To Be Dumb (hilarious)
6. Georgie & Her Rival (Elvis should play this with Steve and/or the Brodskys, just a wee bit slower)
7. All Grown Up (used to be a big fave, but I'm a bit tired of it)
8. Harpies Bizarre (Steve/Brodksys would sound great on this too)
9. Invasion Hit Parade (I'll shut up about SN/B but it WOULD be great)
10. Broken (YES I LIKE IT...would love to hear a Richard Thompson version)
11. So Like Candy (I like almost everything about this except the title but he insists on singing it every ten seconds or so...ruins the otherwise brilliant lyrics and wonderful arrangement for me)
12. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2 (fine as brief intros go)
13. Sweet Pear (very nice solo & finish, but I have to struggle to get that far)
14. Playboy To A Man (this one has no redeeming features...I forgot about it when I wrote that Love Went Mad might be my least favorite EC track)

Songs 4-9 pretty much depends on my mood.

I don't visit the murky middle of side 2 very often. I wish Just Another Mystery and one of the better McCartney collaborations would have made the cut instead and made this a classic album.

I'm guessing no one else likes Broken more than So Like Candy (Top 3?) or Sweet Pear. If that or Unexpected 2 doesn't come in last I'll be really surprised.

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 7:57 pm

1. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
2. The Other Side Of Summer
3. So Like Candy
4. Sweet Pear
5. Playboy To A Man
6. After The Fall
7. How To Be Dumb
8. All Grown Up
9. Broken
10. Georgie & Her Rival
11. Harpies Bizarre
12. Invasion Hit Parade
13. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
14. Interlude: Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2

Again, for me these come in clumps. The pile at the top all rate pretty close, the ones in the middle I like almost as much, and the ones on the bottom not so much.

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 8:07 pm

Finally I can rank some Warner Honey!! Well, this is my favorite album, so it's really hard. We're talking about Elvis Costello's lyrics crossing Elvis's grom view of the world and ending with a title such as "Mighty Like a Rose". Bizarre, but true. Again, I love every song in this album. It's just wonderful. I don't care what you fans think, Late Colombia and Warner years was a VERY good period for Elvis (though not commerical).

1. Couldn't call it unexpected no.4 (Duh!)
2. After The Fall (The darkest, most emotionally perverse, mind wrenching, soul twisting, ming boggling EC song?)
3.Harpies Bizarre (Love this song)
4.All Grown Up (So meaningful and true--I think he's referring to Mary on this quote "If this life has been such a big dissapointment to you, why don't you stop blaming some guy and go give the next one a try?')
5.Invasion Hit Parade
6.gerorgie & Her Rival
7.Hurry Down Doomsaday
8. Sweet Pear
9. Playboy to a man
10. How to be dumb (more of a letter than song)
11. the Other side of Summer
12. So like Candy
13. Brokem
14. Couldn't Call it Unexpected No.2 (Dosn;t really count though...)\

Does anyone think the 2000's might be a good decade for Elvis (Musically wise)?

MistakenForLilies · Post by **MistakenForLilies** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 8:49 pm

1. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4 (also my all-time fave)
2. The Other Side Of Summer
3. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
4. All Grown Up
5. Georgie & Her Rival
6. How To Be Dumb
7. After The Fall (Yes, great to play on guitar)
8. So Like Candy
9. Sweet Pear
10. Playboy to a Man (I'm swayed by the lovely demo he did with Paul)
11. Broken
12. Invasion Hit Parade
13. Harpies Bizarre
14. Interlude: Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2

DeathWearsABigHat · Post by **DeathWearsABigHat** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:57 am

1. How To Be Dumb
2. Sweet Pear
3. All Grown Up
4. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
5. So Like Candy
6. The Other Side Of Summer
7. Broken
8. Invasion Hit Parade
9. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
10. After The Fall
11. Harpies Bizarre
12. Georgie & Her Rival
13. Playboy To A Man
14. Interlude: Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2

RinghioStarr · Post by **RinghioStarr** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:04 am

1. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
2. The Other Side Of Summer
3. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
4. All Grown Up
5. How To Be Dumb
6. Harpies Bizarre
7. Georgie & Her Rival
8. So Like Candy
9. Sweet Pear
10. Invasion Hit Parade
11. Playboy to a Man
12. Interlude: Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2
13. After The Fall
14. Broken

Miss Macbeth · Post by **Miss Macbeth** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:43 am

I'm quite a new Costello fan so of course I waited a while to buy this one. I honestly didn't think I'd like it. But WOW! It's so much better than I thought. I bought it last week and can't stop listening to it. So, after hearing all these for the first time (except for "So Like Candy") last week, and now constantly for 10 days, this is what I've compiled.

1. All Grown Up (reminds me of myself)
2. How To Be Dumb (genius)
3. The Other Side of Summer (although the video is really corny)
4. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
5. Harpies Bizarre
6. Sweet Pear
7. Georgie & Her Rival
8. Invasion Hit Parade
9. Broken
10. So Like Candy
11. After the Fall
12. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
13. Playboy to a Man
14. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2

Definately one of my top 5 albums. I think I was scared of the "beard" years, but not anymore. I'm becoming a much bigger fan of the later stuff.

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:48 am

1. All Grown Up
2. How To Be Dumb
3. Harpies Bizarre
4. The Other Side of Summer
5. Broken
6. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
7. After the Fall
8. Invasion Hit Parade
9. Georgie & Her Rival
10. So Like Candy
11. Sweet Pear
12. Playboy to a Man
13. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2
14. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 7:31 am

1. So Like Candy
2. The Other Side Of Summer
3. Couldn't Call It Unexpected #4
4. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
5. How To Be Dumb
6. All Grown Up
7. After The Fall
8. Invasion Hit Parade
9. Sweet Pear
10. Georgie And Her Rival
11. Couldn't Call It Unexpected #2
12. Harpies Bizarre
13. Playboy To A Man
14. Broken

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:14 am

Great album but why did Just Another Mystery get left off? This is probably in my top 3 EC songs ever.

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:43 pm

1. Spider To A Man (that drumsolo is just to die for!)
2. Who cares about the rest!?

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:01 pm

1. Couldn’t Call It Unexpected No. 4
2. Georgie And Her Rival
3. The Other Side Of Summer
4. How To Be Dumb
5. All Grown Up
6. Sweet Pear
7. Harpies Bizarre
8. So Like Candy
9. Invasion Hit Parade
10. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
11. After The Fall
12. Playboy To A Man
13. Broken
14. Couldn’t Call It Unexpected No. 2

Taste Of Poison · Post by **Taste Of Poison** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 3:29 am

1. So Like Candy
2. Harpies Bizarre
3. Playboy To A Man
4. Georgie & Her Rival
5. The Other Side Of Summer
6. After The Fall
7. How To Be Dumb
8. Invasion Hit Parade
9. All Grown Up
10. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
11. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
12. Interlude: Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2
13. Sweet Pear
14. Broken

A very fine album - up to AND including 'Broken'!

strangerinthehouse · Post by **strangerinthehouse** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:53 am

1. Couldn't call it unexpected #4
2. So like Candy
3. How to be dumb
4. Sweet Pear
5. The other side of summer
6. All grown up
7. After the Fall
8. Broken
9. Georgie and her Rival
10. Harpies Bizarre
11. Invasion Hit Parade
12. Hurry Down Doomsday
13. Couldn't call it unexpected #2
14. Playboy to a man

Fishfinger king · Post by **Fishfinger king** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:34 pm

1 Couldn't call it unexpected no. 4 (a great live closer - much better than a scarlet tide)
2 The other side of summer (one hero pastiches another- King Hoarse you're so right)
3 How to be dumb
4 So like Candy
5 Playboy to a man
6 Sweet pear
7 All grown up
8 After the fall
9 Hurry down doomsday
10 Georgie and her rival
11 Invasion hit parade
12 Harpies bizarre
13 Interlude CCIUN2
14 Broken (this just isn't an EC song - bland U2ish pap)

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:20 pm

Actually you are right, that literally ISN'T a Costello song, his ex-wife wrote it. As you can see, she really can't write a song. It's kind of weak and missing out on the typical "Hide you meanings" strategy Elvis uses on his songs. but since he loved her so much at that time, he put it on the album. The song isn't that bad musically however, but it does bring the rest of the album down if you were to rate it.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:22 pm

thomasso wrote:Actually you are right, that literally ISN'T a Costello song, his ex-wife (the bitch) wrote it.

Bit harsh. Do you know her personally?

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:34 pm

lol i refer to her peronally as the bitch. I know for a fact Elvis hates her guts, and I've read all about her through many books. I don't personally hate her, bue If Elvis dislikes her, then i dislike her...same goes for everyone Elvis dislikes (Except for Bruce Springsteen, he's another hero of mine

). I've heard several stories about Cait from Elvis (not directly of course, I'd rather ask him what his favorite album is!), and they ain't pretty. The name "The Bitch" actually derrived from himself. I thought that was funny, so I use it nowadays. But it is a bit harsh, so I'll stop.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:44 pm

thomasso wrote:lol i refer to her peronally as the bitch. I know for a fact Elvis hates her guts, and I've read all about her through many books. I don't personally hate her, bue If Elvis dislikes her, then i dislike her...same goes for everyone Elvis dislikes (Except for Bruce Springsteen, he's another hero of mine ). I've heard several stories about Cait from Elvis (not directly of course, I'd rather ask him what his favorite album is!), and they ain't pretty. The name "The Bitch" actually derrived from himself. I thought that was funny, so I use it nowadays. But it is a bit harsh, so I'll stop.

No problem. I know nothing about EC's relationship with her and don't really care to - was just wondering why you referred to her that way.

I've never heard EC denigrate Springsteen - well, not recently anyway. I don't know if you've seen the Roy Orbison "Black & White Night" concert that EC organized in LA, but Springsteen participated in that, presumably on EC's invitation, and seemed to really enjoy himself. I think that one of the tunes on Get Happy!! was supposed to have been inspired by EC witnessing an early Springsteen show ("Temptation" perhaps?), but the latest liner notes for the Rhino reissue are somewhat apologetic about it. I can't imagine that EC doesn't at least respect Springsteen as a songwriter.

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:55 pm

1. So Like Candy
2. The Other Side Of Summer
3. All Grown Up
4. How To Be Dumb
5. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
6. Interlude: Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2
7. After The Fall
8. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
9. Playboy To A Man
10. Harpies Bizarre
11. Georgie & Her Rival
12. Invasion Hit Parade
13. Sweet Pear
14. Broken

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:02 pm

I read he quoted that Springsteen has been doing the same stuff for all his life and just can't realte to that (or something like that). It isn't really an insult, in fact I know that the both of them have respect for each other (and have MAD parties with other rock stars in Vancouver!! YEAHHH!!!!!!!!...umm anyway...) but Elvis has always been against doing 1 thing for a long period of time. It must be friendly rivalry. After all they are similar. They're both the "Dad Rock Star" figures. I like both of them very much (especially Bruce's "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out") but Elvis is right, he's been doing the same stuff for too long.

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:29 am

thomasso wrote:Actually you are right, that literally ISN'T a Costello song, his ex-wife (the bitch) wrote it. As you can see, she really can't write a song.

You don't like Baby Plays Around either?

or any of the songs they co-wrote, for that matter: The Judgement? Basement Kiss? Punishing Kiss? etc.

Branst · Post by **Branst** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:51 am

01. Harpies Bizarre
02. All Grown Up
03. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4
04. The Other Side Of Summer
05. So Like Candy
06. Sweet Pear
07. Playboy To A Man
08. Invasion Hit Parade
09. Georgie & Her Rival
10. How To Be Dumb
11. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2
12. After The Fall
13. Broken
14. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:46 pm

King Hoarse: You're right most fo them are good. "Loveable" Is terrific. But I don't think Broken is all that great. Cait was the bassist for the Pogues I beleive, and after all she was Costello's wife so she must have pretty good musical value (but not romantical...lol Imagine being married to Elvis that must be pretty bad...you just wait krall...)!

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:14 pm

Don't rank this yet I'm going to rank my soon