Your favorite Elvis Costello songs

Been listenin' to a lot of him lately, kind of on a small Elvis Costello kick.

What are yer favorite EC songs?

I'll start off:

"No Dancing"
"Living in Paradise"
"(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (LOVE that cheesy Farfisa )
"Senior Service"
"Miracle Man"

There's plenty more, but I couldn't even begin to list 'em all (aside from the fact that I think This Year's Model is an absolute masterpiece--in fact, the only song I don't like on that is "Little Triggers", but other than that, perfection!) I suspect that's probably the same for a lot of you, but let's hear 'em anyway!

 

Off the top of my head:

The Beat
Hand in Hand
Oliver's Army
Shabby Doll
Pidgin English
God's Comic

TYM and Imperial Bedroom are my favorite albums...

 

Radio Radio
Pump It Up
Oliver's Army
and, even though he didn't write it,
I love "What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding.

Jeff

 

Welcome to the Working Week
Alison
This Year's Model
The Beat
Pump it Up
Radio, Radio
Accidents Will Happen
Senior Service
Oliver's Army
Green Shirt
Love for Tender
Secondary Modern
Men Called Uncle
Possession
Temptation
Clubland
You'll Never Be a Man
Different Finger
Big Sister's Clothes
Beyond Belief (can't get enough of this one lately)
Man Out of Time
Everyday I Write the Book
The Element Within Her
just about all of King of America
I Hope You're Happy Now
Home is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
I Want You
... This Town ...
Veronica
God's Comic
Baby Plays Around
The Other Side of Summer
So Like Candy
Couldn't Call it Unexpected no. 4
Kinder Murder
Basement Kiss
Complicated Shadows
God Give Me Strength
I'm in the Mood Again

... I'm not really a fan though.

 

Sleep of the Just
New Lace Sleeves
In the Darkest Place
Couldn't Call It Unexpected #4
Possession
Battered Old Bird
St. Stephen's Day Murders
American Without Tears 1 & 2
Imperial Bedroom
That Day Is Done
Poor Napoleon
Satellite

and many more...

 

Wow, fave Costello?

My top 25 might look something like this (in something like this order):

Lipstick Vogue
Shipbuilding
Tokyo Storm Warning
Big Boys [demo version]
Pills and Soap
New Lace Sleeves
King Horse
Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
Watching the Detectives
Human Hands
I Want You
You'll Never Be a Man
Goon Squad
Love for Tender
Beyond Belief
Riot Act
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
White Knuckles
New Amsterdam
No Action
So Like Candy
Tiny Steps
Two Little Hitlers
Party Girl
Motel Matches

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

 

Green Shirt
Watching the Detectives
Allison
So Like Candy

 

I mentioned this thread to my girlfriend and she says I should post her list:

Blue Chair
My Little Blue Window

 

I Hope Your Happy Now
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
All This Useless Beauty
Brilliant Mistake
High Fidelity
Opportunity
Riot Act
Chelsea
Lipstick Vogue
God Give Me Strength
Sulky Girl

And many many more...

 

My all time fave is "Beyond Belief"
"New Lace Sleeves" is a close second
and just for fun: "High Fidelity"

Peace (love and understanding )



Norm

 

Yeah, all those too!!

 

Blood & Chocolate
B Movie
Love for Tender
Clubland
Our Little Angel
Accidents Will Happen
London Parade????

 

Favorite "non-Elvis" Elvis:

I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)

doug

 

The entire MY AIM IS TRUE album.

 

I love loads of songs from all phases of EC's career, but just one that springs to mind is 'I Hope You're Happy Now' - I loved the 'Blood & Chocolate' version, but when I heard there were alternate versions available ('Goodbye Cruel World' bonus track, 'I Want You' single B-side) it became a 'collector's dream track' too...

 

Radio Sweetheart is one of those songs I can play 20 times in a row and not get tired of it. Just a great hook and simple, but effective production!

 

What songs are Costello's best?This is a cop out,BUT ALL OF THEM!!!!Except for anything from Goodbye Cruel World,of course................

 

I am sure these are not his best, but these are the ones I have heard and really like.

Man Out of Time - Imperial Bedroom
You Little Fool - Imperial Bedroom

Accidents Will Happen - Armed Forces
Peace, Love & Understanding?, (What's so funny about)

 

There are so many great songs it's hard to pick faves, but here're some:

This Year's Girl (the greatest ever rewrite of Stupid Girl by the Stones)
Watching the Detectives
Accidents Will Happen (a great song about adultery)
Clubland
Some covers: What's So Funny...
I'm Your Toy
The People's Limousine

Brilliant Mistake
I Want You
Couldn't Call It Unexpected #4
45

 

Damn, what a catalog that man has! Impressive is an understatement.

 

How does she feel about "Almost Blue" and "Brown To Blue?"

 

Little Atoms (or anything from All This Useless beauty)

Heck, there are too many to even try to name....


....Veronica
Pump It Up
45
When I was Cruel
Alison..................


Sean

 

What a great thread. This might get a little long....

Welcome to the Working Week
You Belong To Me
Big Tears
Accidents Will Happen
Party Girl
High Fidelity
Temptation
Hoover Factory
You'll Never Be A Man
New Lace Sleeves
Big Sister's Clothes
Black Sails in the Sunset
I'm Your Toy (live)
Beyond Belief
Man Out of Time
Almost Blue
Kid About It
The Town Where Time Stood Still (Imperial Bedroom outtake version)
Shipbuilding
The Flirting Kind
The Only Flame In Town (solo acoustic)
Deportee (solo acoustic)
Find Yourself Another Fool
I Hope You're Happy Now (in all it's wonderful versions!)
Toyko Storm Warning
I Want You
Leave My Kitten Alone (B&C outtake version)
Forgive Her Anything (new version from Rhino B&C *and* demo from Rhino MLAR)
Blue Chair (single version)
Jack of All Parades
Suit of Lights
Sleep of the Just (one of the best trilogies of songs ever sequenced together on an original album in my opinion!)
This Town
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
Veronica
Tramp The Dirt Down
Stalin Malone (vocal version)
The Other Side of Summer
All Grown Up
Sweet Pear
Couldn't Call It Unexpected #4
Just Another Mystery Train
The Birds Will Still Be Singing
Sulky Girl
This is Hell
I've Been Wrong Before
All This Useless Beauty
Complicated Shadows
You Bowed Down
Almost Ideal Eyes
In The Darkest Place
Dust 2
I'm in the Mood Again

As long as that is, ask me again and I'm sure I'd come up with a couple dozen more!

 

New Amsterdam
Red Shoes
God Give Me Strength
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
This Year's Girl
Accidents Will Happen
Brilliant Mistake
From A Whisper to A Scream
Town Cryer
Every Day I Write The Book
Clowntime Is Over
New Lace Sleeves
Almost Blue
Just About Glad
High Fidelity


ok...enough of this - off to the LP12 to cue up "Get Happy"