There's a new paradigm that asserts you need to release one preview song after the next to keep interest/momentum going in a digital age where the shelf life of a proper album release is about 72 hours. There may be some truth to that for your standard pop artist. I am not convinced that it's the right approach for someone like Elvis Costello, though. The advanced singles don't generate that much steam, and they do deflate the ultimate album release for those who actually still care about such things.
This is currently the only “The Death of Magic Thinking” on YouTube…….from the Red Bank show. This one was combined with “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea”………so it has “Chelsea’s” music where it has its own tune otherwise……..but at least you’ll hear the lyrics. 1st two verses of “Chelsea” > soloing > “Death.”
It's been easy to forget in recent years that Costello used to write the catchiest chorus hooks in history. Sounds like he's finally remembered how.
Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. edit: I suppose that I would possibly approach it differently were I not desperately clinging to the physical media paradigm.
Do these live clips of Elvis singing wayyyy behind the beat drive anybody else insane? I was considering seeing the man next week in Ann Arbor but I can't bring myself to do it. The blessing and curse that is YouTube.
Only for about fifteen or twenty years now. * (Doesn't drive me nuts, but I don't particularly enjoy it...)
Jesus, I was wondering when someone else would say this. This didn't happen when I saw him in 2011, but this happened at the Imperial Bedroom show I posted about on another thread back in 2017. It was only for the first 10 or 15 minutes before he righted the ship, and then it was awesome from that point on. Since then I've seen him twice, and except on slow numbers like "I Want You" (which was glorious), he'll be waaaaay behind the beat on every fast number. It even sounds like he's physically struggling. Maybe it's just him getting older?
I love both Elvis’ and Nick’s recent work but realistically can’t see them working together again. They’re far too far apart musically, and I don’t mean that as a criticism of either.
Saw him last night at the Portsmouth NH Music Hall. First time seeing him live and it was a great show. Charlie Sexton was on guitar.
Yeah I've heard it like that before from him but in Chelsea he's singing 'between the beat' as often as behind it imo or he's hitting the end beat consistently so that the cadence is consistent. His diction is understandable and I like his tone. I don't really hear it as a problem in that clip of Chelsea. The next song, a new one, now that's more of a mess in that respect, imo, new song and all. But having 2 guitar players in this band is insanely exciting! Wow. And really NEW or at least new in respect to recent history for EC. That was molten hot lava to my ears between Chelsea and Death. Wish he was playing somewhere in FL. The new song played sure seems promising as a song from the new album though and despite the timing issues onstage there, fwiw I enjoy hearing a few new songs mixed in with the older ones.
Looking forward to this. I listen to Look Now every few months and that album, after being originally a bit of a disappointment, has been a real grower for me and may be my favorite from the work he has done in the last 25 years or so. I am not sure I can ever get Hey Clockface going though, even though there are a few tracks that I like.
I don't know how many actual records Elvis sells these days (probably more than most artists that have been recording for 45 years), but his concert draw in the US has remained pretty consistent over the past 25 years - on the East Coast, at least, he routinely draws 2000 - 3000 people per show, and much more if he plays an outdoor shed in the summer with a complementary support act or co-headliner. ETA: This is a bigger draw than pretty much all of his peers out of the punk/new wave era (U2 and the Cure being notable exceptions), and pretty good for a guy that only had a couple of singles make the Top 40. Elvis also tours the US pretty much every year, so the draw to each show is less than an act (like u2 or the Cure) that only tours every 5 years or so.
Yes, I’m sure he can still sell out the venues he plays and he is still playing concert halls and theatres, not clubs. But I’d be interested to know the age demographic of his live audience and how many of them belong to his own generation? I would guess a fairly high proportion. He is one of those stars of the time whom millennials don’t seem to have heard about it (and, of course, he’s in good company there).
At the shows I have been to, there have been a fair number of younger people (under 35) - probably a quarter of the crowd. Of course, some of the younger people are there with their parents. In the NYC area, someone like Patti Smith draws more younger people (because she is an "icon", and Elvis definitely is not), but Patti's crowds and venues are usually smaller than Elvis'.
This is a very nice thread. We were fortunate enough to see them play a few weeks ago. A great performance and the new songs fit right in. I wonder if Charlie Sexton will head back to Dylan's band when he gets running again?
You know, when it comes to samples and track releases, I listen to them just long enough to know whether I'm going to buy it or not. At the exact point I make my decision - and often it doesn't take long, say 20-30 seconds or less - I stop listening, and won't until the thing arrives. My general aversion to streaming may be part of that, but either way, I never spoil the party that isn't the mail.
To most college-educated people under 30? Even if they have never heard her music, they know Patti from "Just Kids". If they are into music, they know her from the artists their age who look to her as a role model. Elvis doesn't have anything close to her caché.
I like his sort of gaudy, bleary-eyed, awkward, overly-exposed, strongly colorful representations . I can't not enjoy or 'look away' from their somewhat grotesque, primitive, child-like, amusing, and in their own way vivdly appealing nature. (Perhaps I am biased as some of my own concotions are not dissimilar, only his are better but of course)
I decided to go to a 4th show tonight and drove to Long Island.............(and then remembered why I hate driving to and back from Long Island living in Jersey). They premiered the title song tonight.........kind of a heavier beat from what I remember.......I enjoyed it. If this album has any quieter Bacharach-type songs that get mixed in with his more recent albums, they're not playing them live yet.
I adored Elvis until brutal youth, I’ve struggled since then though there have been plenty of songs I have liked. BY was the last album I loved, though Momufuku was close. Look Now had a few things I liked and plenty to enjoy but some of it grated and Clockface left me cold. So my expectations have been pretty low the last couple of decades! This one sounds like it could me something more akin to BY and Momu but I won’t get excited yet.......
