Your favorite Elvis Costello songs

THe funniest part of your comment is that there are SO MANY excellent songs on 'Goodbye' even though they are atrociously recorded. "The Only Flame In Town" and "The Comedians" comes immediately to mind.

The exceptional Elvis and Nick Lowe duet of "Baby It's You" is an outtake from the era.

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My favourites? I have an autographed copy of 'Out Of Our Idiot' hanging over my desk at work. 'Taking Liberties' aka 'Ten Bloody Marys' is exceptional, my two favourite Elvis albums are b-side compilations, wouldn't you know it!

Beloved tracks of any and all albums:
"Poor Fractured Atlas", "Love For Tender", "Clean Money", "New Amsterdam", "Strict Time"
"New Lace Sleeves", "Party Girl","Chemistry Class" (the Elvis Goes To Washington" live version is particularly amazing.), "Two Little Hitlers", "Talking In The Dark", "The Impostor"
his recording of "I've Been Wrong Before" is jaw dropping amazing.
"Lip Service", I prefer the mix with the split guitars, the wrong one was on the Ryko 'This Years Model'.
"Suit Of Lights", "You Little Fool", "Heathen Town", and last but not least: "Imperial Bedroom"

 

Possesion was stuck in my head for something like two to three years. There are numerous others that I could name.

 

Red Shoes
Less than Zero
Waiting for the End of the World
Accidents Will Happen
Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down
Chelsea
High Fidelity
Good Year for the Roses

I'm sure more will come to me.

 

"THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER!"

He had been threatening to do a cover of "Wonderful" by The Beach Boys for some time, so it was quite interesting to hear his homage to be on the brighter side of their work - and boy did it work! And what a great single!

 

I agree that there are a lot of choices for Elvis fans, but every once in a while I have to pull out the "Americathon" soundtrack just to hear "Crawlin' to the USA". I also like the live version of "The Imposter" on the "Concert For Kampuchea" lp. Let's not forget "Alison" And "Watching the Dectectives" live versions on the 7" that came with Armed Forces.

Other than that, what everyone else said!!

 

I've only gotten into EC in the past year or so, somebody kick me for waiting so long!!

Favorites for me so far include:

Less than Zero
The Beat--man this one's genius
(I Don't want to go to)Chelsea--ditto
(The Angles wanna wear my) Red Shoes
Radio, Radio
This Town

 

Clubland
Watch Your Step
The Other End of the Telescope
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
Party Girl
Radio, Radio
Pump It Up
Red Shoes

 

I Want You
So Like Candy
Alison
Shipbuilding
God Give Me Strength

 

I was able to narrow it down to a few, but sure I forgot some:
This Year's Girl
Accidents Will Happen
Alison
Oliver's Army
Pump It Up
Green Shirt
(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
Tiny Steps
Big Tears
Lipstick Vogue
New Amsterdam
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
New Lace Sleeves
Two Little Hitlers
Hoover Factory
King Horse
Girls Talk
No Action
The Beat
Night Rally

 

My favorite Elvis Costello Song

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the great thread...wow, I was reading through it with baited anticipation hoping that someone would mention MY favorite Elvis song.

Has anyone heard Elvis Costello duetting with Nickleback in a beautiful rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic? It's haunting...Costello's vocals and Nickleback's hard electric backing. Does anyone know if it is available in 5.1?

It's on the extended version of the Armed Forces albulm (it's a hidden track in the Phillipeans release).

There is also an outtake of him and Nickleback hacking around with Yes We Have No Bananas...a song from the 1920s.

I LOVE ELVIS..not t o mention Polka.

 

Ever since seeing this thread, I've meant to respond, although knowing that it would be difficult to whittle down to a list of ten or so. Pulled out all the EC discs tonight and realized I just can't do it. The quality of his albums and songwriting is so consistently high, I ended up feeling like I had no basis for selecting individual songs. While I have compiled EC CD-R's in the past, I have done them soley based on singles/hits/charts, etc., not ever even trying to make stabs at my "favorites". So this is one giant cop-out from me.

I do have to say that Painted From Memory remains my favorite Costello album; it never fails to move me. And I tend to believe that EC has actually improved as his career progressed, even though his ability was already pretty fully-formed on his debut album. In that regard, despite all the youthful enthusiasm and energetic glory, I don't get back to the pre-Imperial Bedroom days very often anymore. So the first things that pop in my head when people discuss Costello are the Painted from Memory album, songs like So Like Candy and Couldn't Call it Unexpected No. 4, most of King of America, etc. Oh yeah, those and his absolutely lovely wife.

 

Hello All!

If you can find it, check out Elvis cut at "God only Knows" with the Brodsky Quartet. It's phenomanal IMHO

 

I think everything he and the band recorded from 'My Aim is True' to 'Trust' is brilliant. 'Imperial Bedroom' was very good too, but things started to change around that time. (I could never stand looking at the pic of him wearing that dumb straw hat on the back of the lp

A few of my faves:

Crawling to the USA
Just a Memory
Girls Talk
Two Little Hitlers
Riot Act
You'll Never Be a Man
New Lace Sleeves
Big Sister's Clothes
Sad About Girls
The Loved Ones
The Element Within Her
God's Comic

B/F

 

Langer and Winstanley ruined those songs on Goodbye Cruel World arrangement wise and sonically the songs weren't that great either!

 

deep dark truthfull mirror
how to be dumb
call it unexpected #4
20 percent amnesia
the beat
so like candy
toledo
i'll think of more later!

 

what he said

 

Imperial Bedroom is one of my top three Costello albums of all time.Things did change ....Elvis was in a transformational mode.He was an angry young man becoming the Cole Porter of his time.I didn't mind the straw hat!!!

 

Fish and Chip Paper
From A Whisper To a Scream
Possession - I think that's the one with my favorite lyric of all time: "You lack lust, your so lackluster. Is that all the strength you can muster." That line has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it.

 

So Like Candy
Brilliant Mistake
Lip Service
Pump It Up
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
London's Brilliant Parade
Sulky Girl
Man Out Of Time
I Want You

Where do you stop?

 

"He's acting innocent and proud, still you know what he's after
Like a matador with his pork sword, while we all die of laughter"
-- "I Hope You're Happy Now" (Blood and Chocolate)

 

I revise my statement! I love that song, but I forgot about:

"Pills and Soap"
"The World and His Wife"
"... And in Every Home"

Oops. I just think that "The Other Side of Summer" was wrongfully ignored and a bold departure. My additional aforementioned favorites are more "Costellowy" and deserve the mention.