Imperial Bedroom

If i ever see this guy in person i'm beating the shit out of him fr

Elvis Costello was going through his moody lounge singer phase on most of this album. This sucks almost as much as all his other albums on this list. His voice continues to be ass and his music is boring as all get out. Yet another 50 minutes of my life I can't get back because of one of the most overrated musicians of all time. Jesus, I still have three of these albums left. Kill me! Low 2/5

I'm quite fascinated by how much there is going on in this album at the same time that there is so little about it, and I should explain myself: Musically wise, this album is very unique and hard to describe. I could say it is singer songwriter, but instrumentally is not just the typical acoustic guitar with some added ornaments. There are a lot of many different elements used, to the point where some parts feel almost like chamber pop , others are very jazzy and there even a bunch of them that obtain a very abstract sense, making the whole album quite entertaining to listen to. So, why did I say there is so little going on? The thing is that, emotionally speaking, I don't really resonate with anything. There is undeniably passion put behind the performances and the very peculiar voice of Elvis Costello, but I never feel anything more that entertainment from the playful instruments. Basically, I don't believe there is much substance in this record. The slowest moments don't really feel specially sad, beautiful or moving, and the most high spirited ones aren't super exciting, so I feel very neutral about the whole experience. Overall, I think this is an album that is heavily carried by its variety and entertaining performances, as I don't find a lot of expressive value.

Infinity stars for this gem of an album!!

So samey. Can't really dig it Best tracks: the first one? Rating: 4/10

By now, I am beginning to wonder if there’s a sinister agenda at play, with someone at 1001 HQ playing a clever game to destroy Mr. Costello’s career. What better way is there to make me never want to listen to another Elvis Costello album than to seed this list with a disproportionate amount of his albums which, while far from terrible, are also far from exceptional enough to justify their inclusion. Prior to this exercise, I knew a couple of handfuls of his songs, and I thought of him as a good lyricist and musician. By now though, I will pretty much avoid any of his albums on principle.

The best of Elvis Costello is actually really good. This is ok too That is all I have to say about the over represented artiste.

This was pretty good actually. Not a massive Elvis Costello fan but I enjoyed this

A biting a nothingburger this one. It passed by, it wasn’t bad. It definitely wasn’t good either. It was pretty boring all in all. 2/5

The vocals ruin some very nicely arranged songs.

Not really bad. Just boring.

im over all the elvis costello tbh

That year's model wasn't the best

Correcto

Making cool, inventive arrangements for these songs feels like putting lipstick on a pig

love Elvis Costello - my childhood bff loved him too so we listened to him a lot when we were young. imperial bedroom seems to trudge on / peter out in the 2nd half but on the whole it's great!!!

This is like a Progressive advertisement with Flo. Wholesome and quirky. She’s rocking her 50’s teased up, flipped out hair all in white with her signature lipstick and eyeliner. You know it’s her by sight, voice, and style.

The angry young man matures and explores the recording studio with the help of Beatle sonic enabler Geoff Emerick. More of an inspiration than impression - the album is tidy compared to previous outings. While the sonics have been cleaned up the biting wit is firmly intact. This albums kicks off with an all timer - mini skirt waddle be damned - and sets the tone for an album that continues to explore. While I love this album the energy does flag a bit in side two but that is a minor quibble for an album with such an extraordinary marriage of song and production. 4.5 stars

Pretty solid, some really cool tunes in the mix, among some meh ones. Lyricism on point as is usual for Costello.

Eipä oikein napannut millään tasolla, meni tausta musiikkina.

I think this is my 5th album by Costello and I'm not even half way through the challenge. I am bored rigid by him.

i dont vibe with him

Don't love the style. Don't love the voice. I feel like there's certainly a time & place for Elvis Costello, but it's rare.

This is the 4th Elvis Costello album I've gotten and the first to be good enough to merit a 4 star ranking. It has really lush production, a nice contrast from some of the bare bones, more punk influenced production of My Aim Is True. The slower songs don't work as well with his voice, which is my main criticism. I would definitely listen to this again.

Back from another long break for academic reasons and I'm not sure how I feel about this album... Individually the songs are fun and well made, but as a whole it all blurs together. Probably pretty exciting when it was first released, though I don't think it's hitting the same for me. Nothing terrible but nothing that stands out too much either. Loved the production though, as I always do with a full-ensemble band of instruments!

3,5

Low 4 good listen

Eh

Awesome thing

An Elvis Costello album is a lot like Elvis Costello speaking - starts well, interesting things happening, and things keep happening, and suddenly you realize you’re bored, and it keeps happening, and you start wanting to do other things but it keeps happening and then you realize you’re kinda stuck there until it finally ends.

Not the best

This Art Pop album feels like attending a family gathering with my wife's extended family, surrounded by lots of second cousins whose names I barely remember and whose conversations I struggle to follow. Everyone seems to have an elaborate story to tell, people keep jumping between topics, and there is a certain pressure to appreciate all the little details, even though I am not particularly interested in most of them. The piano, organ, bass and guitar create intricate, sometimes baroque arrangements, while Elvis Costello delivers dense lyrics full of romantic bitterness, clever wordplay and nasal, occasionally whiny vocals. There are moments when I notice the musical craftsmanship, but much of it feels overly elaborate, subdued or simply dull. I find myself politely listening without becoming involved, waiting for a conversation or musical idea that actually catches my interest. By the end, I feel as though I have spent a long afternoon surrounded by people I don't dislike, but whose company I wouldn't actively seek out.

I like the songs, but Elvis Costello's voice is just so boring.

70

442/1089 opening track was a good mood setter and i liked track 2. Shabby Doll is not so much my thing and it irks me that he pronounces “shabby” like “shabba” ling honeymoon is cool and vibey. I also liked Man Out of Time, then it got even better with the outro switch up idk about this one i’m quite torn, it has some strong bits but a lot also just sounds a bit meh and basic to me. It’s a decent album but i def prefer Last Year’s Model i think Town Cryer was a good closer, i liked that one faves: Man out of time, Town cryer, Beyond belief, The long honeymoon 66/100

solid album

Maybe I need to be British to get it.

For me, today marks the milestone of being a quarter through the list, and all of this to say that there have already been four Elvis Costello albums up to this point. With all this aside, this is a worthy addition to the list, as Elvis's witty songwriting is maximized by the beautiful musical arrangements to offer a very interesting experience. 8/10 [KEEP]

One of Declan's best IMO. The Attractions holding it down, great songwriting, the complete package.

This is bland. Really bland. I could agree that Mr. Costello should have an album on the list, but I've already battled through several of his albums in this project and, writing this a couple of hours after listening, I remember nothing of note.

This was alright, I’m suprised I didn’t like it more cause it seems right up my alley but idk his voice annoyed me a bit and tho I did like the instrumentals ( there were some pretty strings) it wasn’t really something that stood out for me. Maybe I would like it with further listens? I think I would listen at least once more to see but other than that it was alright, 3.1224/5

Ground breaking for sure was an inspirtation for pulp who are just above

Costello goes for a fuller production here, with Geoff Emerick giving an air of greater sophistication. I sometimes prefer him a bit rawer, but this does include a couple of my favourite Costello songs: Man Out Of Time and Beyond Belief. I am amazed to learn that the latter was not a single

Bedre enn forrige Elvis Costello-album vi hørte på

Finally!! Our 5th of 6 Elvis albums, and on my notes for 1-4 I always noted I was waiting for this one. Bangers all the way — great melodies, fun to sing along to, emotional singing from Elvis throughout. A wide variety of song styles. Thought for sure this would be on my StoryWorth honorable mention list for Top 10 albums, but it wasn’t — it shoulda been. As much as I love this album, Elvis does not deserve 6 albums in this group.

Multiple times, I thought to myself, “well at least this has to be over soon,” only to check the track list and learn I still had an alarming amount left to experience.

Good, competent, but sort of bland.

I must have been in a much better mood today then when I first heard EC - his voice was what kept my ears hooked when listening to this album. This album had a larger-than-life sound, but it didn't really connect with me.

Devoid of the big hits, it’s still diverting. The recording and production are incredible and experimental, the songs are good. It just didn’t have that moment where the recognisability lifts the experience, so it’s one for another listen.

ugh like getting water on your sweater sleeve while washing your hands thought I had: maybe he's like really attractive and had pretty privilege Google his picture okay no, I don't get this at all

Eh. I preferred 'My Aim Is True'. This is a little too Victorian for my tastes.

2.4 The more I listen to EC, the more he falls out of favour with me, so I guess its a good thing this is the last album we have. There are some interesting/original songs in this, but I think some of it gets propped up by the musicianship of the band. Its amazing a producer never told EC to take it easy on the vocals. Beyond Belief is a burner, very unique song structure. Shabby Doll is a bit of a mess

Elvis Costello Favorite songs: Beyond belief. Man out of time. Almost blue. Tears after bedtime. Some of the orchestrations here remind me of Beatles , MacCartney, George Martin, Bacharach. It’s all cool but I prefer the higher energy rock and Motown inspired style of Get Happy or Punch the Clock. Just realizing that those albums are not on this list- that’s crazy!! The Attractions were a great band it was cool to hear Steve Nieve (keys)and Bruce Thomas(bass) play some cool parts on this album . His voice is a totally weird and can get annoying, I like it but if I didn’t this album would’ve been really rough! Not my favorite album of his but still really good. Tough to rate what is a 5 - I liked this better than a lot of 4s I’ve given but of course not as good not as good as Led Zeppelin or Songs in the key of life. 4.5

Some of the arrangements are kind of interesting but he just doesnt do it for me

His voice was extra annoying this time

This was a cool album. I really enjoyed the vibe and glad that I listened to it.

i didn;t know it, i've heard of him before, i genuinely liked

Bit dull, kind of pased me by.

Still struggling with how much glaze Elvis gets on these lists but I did enjoy the variety on display here

Difficile da valutare. La prima metà migliore della seconda. Musicalmente interessante ma in certe canzoni mi è sembrato che il modo di cantare di Elvis Costello, a tratti da crooner a tratti in pieno stile anni '80, stonasse con la musica, molto ricca, groovy e varia.

Good album. I’ve never listened to a complete Elvis Costello album before, just miscellaneous songs. He’s easy to listen to, seemed like very good production, and some thoughtful lyrics. Good find.

Elvis Castello remains a fave find from this project. Fun instrumentals and timeless vocals. Snap your fingers, step side to side, and have a blast for an hour.

First half was a 4. Second half was a 3.

I like Elvis Costello generally but this was a bit of a snooze-fest.

not for me

As much as I cannot stand Elvis Costello, I did find his use of piano/keyboard marginally more engaging on this album. Way too long of a runtime, but some okay baroque pop moments if that's your thing. Top tracks: Human Hands, Little Hands

It's yet another fucking Elvis Costello album.

I didn't hate it. But I'm still not sold on Elvis Costello

Middle of the road

I did not gel well with this

Yacht tock

I've never really been a fan of Elvis Costello. I guess he's an icon of the era, but I just never really got into his music, or his vibe. So, for me this was a first listen to a full album of his. It's an era and over genre of music I like, so I was up for it. But, nope. Still not a fan, I'm afraid. I them listened to other tracks of his, and felt they were better than the tracks on this forgettable album. So, if I had been listening to his greatest hits probably 3 stars.

This was alright and decent to passively listen to. I did like the opening track but it sort of fell off a bit from there.

This left me cold, I didn't hate it, but it was just musical wallpaper. I'm struggling to remember anything notable even whilst listening to it. 2

I need to spend more time with this album

Great if you like your music boring with no edge, juice, excitement, etc. I hate this pretentious “baroque pop” bullshit.

enjoyable, but I don't really get what makes him stand out, what his image means etc.

nerdy boy. never loved Costello; his voice is high-pitched but not bewitching, and the music stylings are not attractive to me.

An important album in Elvis Costello's discography. The chaotic elements of his earlier albums are all but gone. Costello sounds more subdued, the background more structured and sophisticated. It's a change that's mostly pulled off very well and The Attractions play a big part. They sound great, as always, especially when it comes to percussion. There aren't many instrumental showstoppers here, no moments like in Lipstick Vogue, but the playing is consistently impressive and alert. Their sound remains endlessly creative and enjoyable, it's just less apparent this time. This approach fits Geoff Emerick's production like a glove. Costello himself doesn't stand out as much as he did in his earlier work, which is a shame for a vocalist with such a distinct personality, but he still sounds very good and definitely shows off his maturity and diversity, both as a frontman and as an author. His lyricism remains fantastic as always, full of wit and depth. Four out of six Costello albums generated, one that is among my favourites (Armed Forces) and one that I'm not familiar with yet (Brutal Youth). I'm looking forward to it! Favourite track: Man Out of Time

Second Elvis Costello album but this one is ok.

Different. More subtle and understated, more complex than some of the other albums of theirs that I liked. I will have to listen to this again. Fairly confident it will be worth the time.

Not a huge Elvis Costello fan, but I will say that this one was decent. I think he had a different producer or something. It didn’t really sound like him.

I’m insulted that this boring cunt has SIX albums in the list. Prince has 3 for gods sake

Elvis Snoozestello & The Yawns. This guy has so many albums and they're mid as hell. Cool cover art

Just okay

good stuff by Elvvis 4/5

more elvis costello coming atcha. this is his seventh overall album release. his past releases have dabbled into a few different genre influences, but costello figured that now would be a good time for reinvention, especially when his popularity was starting to fade. opting for a weird poppy rocky set of tracks, costello and his friends made use of uncommon instrument choices; songs were also rewritten and re-edited so much in a way where the guys just really wanted to throw anything and everything in a record. musically, it's definitely a nice shift for the guy. granted i haven't been keeping track of his discography so his previous album or two doesn't immediately pop into my mind, but it's a great sound for him. his singing style is already pretty amusing by itself, and the big band accompanying him only makes the album more of an audio spectacle in my eyes. or ears, in this case. a good amount of songs had something unique going for it, but i did prefer the more energetic and spunky songs over the more slower tracks. it was a very intriguing early 80s new wavey... thing!

I like the energy Elvis Costello puts in. Low 4 high 3

His voice started to irritate me on this. It’s too twee and jazzy. Not my favourite of his

You're in safe hands with Elvis Costello, he is a strong songwriter and this is another consistently lovely record with a bright, detailed sound. An effort has been made to add a little intensity here and there, though it doesn't push as hard in that direction as the much darker Blood and Chocolate.

Costello getting a solid 3 from me, nice arrangements and good production but not my style

Elvis Costello album #5 I got here and if this list has done anything, it has moved me from being sort of neutral about Costelle to being an absolute hater of his output. He has absolutely zero business having more than one album on this list, at a stretch. So this gets a 1/5 out of principle when the actual contents are probably a 2/5.

Ugh. I can't stand the way this guy sings. His voice is so dweeby

I absolutely love Costellos voice. The songs idc the voice makes everything

I think you really have to into Elvis Costello at this point to appreciate this album.

2026.09.05

Elvis Costello and The Attractions Imperial Bedroom Pre-Listening: I’ve always loved Elvis Costello. First memory of him was his cameo on Austin Powers 2. Loved his version of Pump It Up that I first heard from the PCU soundtrack. I never really listened to a full album of his so this should be enlightening. Best Song: Man Out of Time. What’s not to love about this song. Great lyrics. Drums that float below the lyrics and melodies like a magic carpet. Interesting blend of guitar and piano that makes for a disconnected harmony that’s hard to explain. Love it though. Runner-Up: You Little Fool. Gotta love a song that uses a Harpsichord (needed Holly’s ear to actually know what it was). What I like about Costello is that he’s not afraid to go outside the norm. There’s a lot of that in Imperial Bedroom and I appreciated it. Third Place: Either it’s Shabby Doll or Human Hands. Both do a great job of being explanatory tracks for the elements of pub rock, but it depends on what mood you’re. Optimistic? Go Human Hands. Pessimistic? Go Shabby Doll. Either way, it’s the e elements of the song that sell it. But I would say Human Hands has better vocals and lyrics, personally. Post-listening: “Can a mere song change a people's minds? I doubt that it is so. But a song can infiltrate your heart and the heart may change your mind.” — Elvis Costello. That’s how I felt about the songs on Imperial Bedroom. They didn’t change my life, but they were so enjoyable to listen to as I held Ellen on our porch feeling the mist of rain all around us. Perfect Sunday listening music. Worth revisiting this album again. Only knock is that you can tend to forget you’re listening to music with this album if you’re not listening intently. It doesn’t really grab hold of you, more so it dances around you. Score: 9/10 Stars: 4/5

The song "Beyond Belief" is really good! The rest of generic

Didn’t do it for me.

A first listen for me, despite being a big fan of Costello's earlier, more punkier albums. This was surprisingly great - ambitious and artistic without deadening its musical and melodic heart. Looking forward to multiple re-listens, but this is a wonderful album with very few misses despite a artistically bold vision.