Imperial Bedroom

Is it me or is it the case that anything ever farted by Elvis Costello has made it into this list? So this is a protest vote. Yes, I can see how this music would feel the peak of musicness to many, but I find it boring and repetitive. Especially the fifth time around.

Like a slice of slightly burnt, dry toast. Edible, but not very satisfying. If it was a footballer, it'd be James Tarkowski.

Imperial Boredom

Costello's voice has always annoyed me, and the songs on this album are all so bland. It's completely unoffensive and mostly biege. Tedious.

Fucking Elvis Costello.

Kinda boring, can't remember a single thing about it

Elvis #2. I've never listened to him before. He's British, so I imagine we will get a handful of his albums before the list is through. It's hard to pin a genre label on this, it's all over the place. I'll say off the bat that I do not like his singing voice, it strikes me as whiny and annoying. The instrumentals were good, but overall quite bland. It doesn't add up to much, aside from a collection of posh, "adult" pop songs. This is certainly not for me. Favorite tracks: And In Every Home, Shabby Doll. Album art: Really digging this one, love the abstract picture, great colors. The text of the title is a little confusing but also creative. A shame the album is nowhere near as interesting or exciting as this cover. 2/5

Might require a second listen. It’s a really weird, interesting, quirky record. Definitely some Beatles influence. I think you can draw a line from this to some of the chamber pop of the 2010s. I don’t LOVE it but I think it’s pretty fun, pretty solid, I don’t know if I like it better than his earlier records, but it feels very distinctly Elvis Costello

I hate to rate this so low, since Elvis Costello has other records I absolutely adore, but this...was not great. It was dull for me, and for once I found myself annoyed at his vocals. Other than a few tracks, I wouldn't revisit.

It's fine. None of it's bad. It's good, but not great. It's also all over the place, and it's Declan at his most pretentious period. I'm an unabashed Elvis Costello fan, but dude has SIX albums on the list, and that's probably two too many. Let's bump this one from the list.

Well, I guess it’s true what they say: “all good things come to an end”. I had a run of 15 records over the last two or so weeks, that, even if they weren’t all knock-outs, were all (save one) extremely solid and enjoyable. Everything was going great. I was imbued with a newfound sense of joy each morning while partaking in this list. And who should come along, to bring my hopes and dreams crashing down? Elvis fucking Costello, the bespectacled pied piper of shitty records. If he comes to your town, jam oily rags in your ears to drown out his nerdy siren song. Imperial Bedroom (1982) is his sixth studio album and the 32nd of his that appears on this godforsaken list. I don’t even know how to classify the music on this record, it’s like circus-jazz. Yep, that’s it…Circus-Jazz (TM) and Elvis Costello is the lion tamer: We, the audience, watch him intently, secretly hoping to see him mauled by the lion, but, alas, he tempts fate and survives another day.

Very hard album to get through though it had a couple of decent tracks.

Imperial Bedroom by Elvis Costello and The Attractions (1982) “Ineluctable modality of the visible . . . nebeneinander” “Ineluctable modality of the audible . . . nacheinander” —James Joyce, Ulysses (1922), chapter 3, “Proteus” In plain English, these two quoted snippets mean: (1) The inescapable way in which we perceive objects by seeing is adjacently, side by side (German nebeneinander), linking the visible with space. (2) The inescapable way in which we perceive objects by hearing is sequentially, one after another (German nacheinander), linking the audible with time. Space/visible and Time/audible. (This goes back to Aristotle’s Sense and Sensibilia [Περὶ αἰσθήσεως καὶ αἰσθητῶν] section 7, but let’s not get carried away.) There is great wisdom here, which is essential to our fullest understanding of poetry, and hence, our fullest understanding of Elvis Costello’s Imperial Bedroom. The best poetry incorporates both the spatial and temporal modes of perceiving, by producing mental images and setting them forth in an aural sequence. Yet it is helpful to distinguish (without separating) the two modes as our minds absorb the artistry into our souls. Now, a peculiar (perhaps unique) feature of the album as it was originally released is that the lyrics were printed on the inner sleeve, but the hole in the middle of the sleeve was ‘filled in’ by lyrics printed on the label on Side One (!) of the vinyl disk itself. This means that one could only read the entire lyrics with the LP in the sleeve (and properly rotated), and therefore, not on one’s turntable. Thus, since it was impossible to play the record and read the lyrics at the same time, the perplexed owner was forced to not listen to the music if he/she wanted to fully appreciate the message (Perhaps they got complaints, because later RCA versions of the LP simply printed a normal label and the full lyrics on an inner sleeve without a hole). Now this original packaging design may have seemed to be a quirky and annoyingly meaningless gimmick, but I’m sure it was quite intentional. Read these lyrics before you listen. It will keep you, whether you’re aware of it or not, from confusing the nacheinander and the nebeneinander. And what we find when we let the poetry speak first (I recommend the Genius app) is that Elvis Costello had some pretty strange things to say, and he said them quite well. With very clever wordplay (sometimes bordering on the trite, but always entertaining), superior euphony, vivid word pictures, multivalent allusions, clear cadence, and bold emotional evocations, Costello treats themes of troubled and ended relationships, social isolation, philosophical conundrums, lament for the departed, longing for seriousness, savagery in intimacy, frustration in being misunderstood, inexpressible love, the foolishness of adolescent promiscuity. And I won’t spoil it by connecting particular themes with particular tracks. If you just ‘play’ this album, it will zoom right past you. This is the poverty of MTV, YouTube, and the whole phenomenon of streaming, young folks. You’ll have to work hard to overcome the deficiency. I mean, just take his opening quatrain: “History repeats the old conceits The glib replies, the same defeats Keep your finger on important issues With crocodile tears and a pocketful of tissues” This is not hopscotch. This is T.S. Eliot territory (well, I exaggerate, but hyperbole can be found in Eliot himself, although he’d deny it). Hundreds of gems like this in only fifteen compositions. Now the music, well, it’s Elvis Costello, produced by Geoff Emerick, known for his previous legendary engineering work for an obscure British combo called The Beatles, and backed by The (superb) Attractions. What’s not to like? As I’ve said elsewhere, in terms of his music, Elvis Costello is fond of the compositional device of ‘bending’ classic rock & roll, jazz, and pop sonic tropes toward the irrational. It’s more sophisticated than mere mockery. It reflects a redemptive abandonment of mid-60s popular culture’s self-inflicted illusion of hopefulness. It’s a musical expression of the reason why a question mark is curvy and an exclamation point is straight. On the minus side, there is sometimes a slight disconnect on the record between the musical and lyrical moods, but, hey, get over it. This album is a rare combination of musical and poetic sense. By distinguishing these elements as Costello undoubtedly originally intended, we can absorb the interplay as art. 5/5

This album has been giving me goosebumps since it came out 40 years ago. The Attractions are at the top of their game in mellow, loud, chamber pop and everything else. Elvis’s songs cover relationships as usual with biting sarcasm and wordplay. The opening trio of Beyond Belief, Tears Before Bedtime, and Shabby Doll set a level of brilliance followed up through the whole album

What a fantastic album, no incredible songs but consistently good. Well matched to his voice in particular. Will listen to this again for sure

Beautifully crafted but also smug and soulless. Not much fun

Another Elvis Costello album proving he has too many albums on this list. One was worthy, the rest are mediocre.

Eh, Elvis Costello never really appealed to me. This album is pretty typical of my experience with him -- OK singing, and music that I don't like very much. 2 stars.

p487, 1982. 2 stars I know he's a great wordsmith, but lyrically this is just depressing and bloody miserable to listen to. Very few standout tunes either. And something about Elvis Costello's voice leaves me cold, its either a whine or a sneer or a whiney sneer. Well done but definitely not my thing. Not likely to listen to this again. And will avoid sharp objects, pills and alcohol if I do.

Shut up Elvis

Sophisticated arrangements!

a lovely variety of instrumentation, kind of unusual singing voice, and some lyrics that make me wistful for... something. An oddly shaped and unique pop album. Kind of reminds me of Bohemian Rhapsody a bit (but I'm a total layman to Queen...)

He’s a good song writer, but I’m kinda sick of hearing his voice

Another strong Elvis Costello album. Overrepresented? Yes. Overrated? No. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Man Out of Time Date listened: 28/02/24

Up there with the coolest album art we've had so far. I struggled to really 'get' this album - it started off good, but then some tracks just felt like they belonged on a completely different album (like '...And In Every Home'). I appreciate not just pumping out 12 variations on the same style, but I found some tracks on this one went too far the other way, and it made for a weird listening experience when you're coming to this album blind. That said, there are some nice little tracks in there - Tears Before Bedtime and Man Out of Time being two highlights for me. Just a bit confused what to think of this one really

Elvis Costello is an outstanding songwriter and the owner of one of the coolest singing voices I can think of--he and Tom Petty exist in a class of their own where their singing voices just sound cool. I'm making my uncle proud with this one. Favorite track: Man Out of Time

Superb album. His best.

Great listening to the other Elvis.... quite a popular album when I was in college.....

10/10 fucking LOVED the diversity it was so fresh and fun the whole time some parts were definitely a little too experimental for some people but I loved every second I’m definitely disappointed by how many people gave this a negative review why you gotta do this banger of an album like that?

I was an ignorant 1 star wanker about Elvis myself once. Since I’ve hit 40 I’ve learned to embrace his snide, sneering, whinging cynicism. Y’all need to grow up.

This is among my favorite albums of all time and is definitely one of Costello's best. Interesting writing/lyrics, interesting singing, interesting songs, interesting variety, interesting cover art. It's a classic!

"Imperial Bedroom" is the 7th album by Elvis Costello and the 6th album with the Attractions. And what a great album this is! It helps that it has my favorite two Elvis Costello songs ("Beyond Belief" and "Almost Blue"). It was produced by Geoff Emerick not Nick Lowe whom Elvis typically have produce. Elvis said this was his happiest album to date. I don't know; the lyrics are utterly brilliant but I don't know if I'd call them happy. The music is pretty happy though and is definitely a variety of styles. In addition, you can find something musically in almost every song making it worth a listen. The first single released was "You Little Fool" at the insistence of the record company due to its happy music. It is fairly happy music with the piano carrying the chorus and a song about a daughter's cry for attention and romantic misery. Not so happy. The album actually starts with "Beyond Belief" a song which slowly build to a musical climax. Great lyrics and imagery about the cycle of pursuing love....just fantastic. "Man Out of Time" is what Elvis said was the heart of the album and kind of autobiographical about a man disgusted with himself. Great well-balanced music too. "Almost Blue" is a sad piano song about two people growing apart. It needs to be heard in a smokey bar (which don't exist anymore). Pitchfork only ranked this at #155 for albums in the 1980's. There are 154 better albums? Anyway, I have heard a lot of Elvis Costello and this definitely near the top.

Not bad at all

4.5/5. Prob my fav Costello so far. Quite zany

One of my favorite albums.

One of his best.

Amazingly good, Costello doing what he does best

Costello goes full on baroque pop. The album is just a staggering showcase of Costello's talents. He still focuses on what makes us fall in and out of love and looks under the duvet of relationships. Words battle with intricate melodies - this is Costello indulging and allowing us to indluge with him. Best Tracks: Beyond Belief; Man Out of Time; Human Hands

One of my favorite Elvis albums and easily one of the greatest 100 of all time.

One of EC’s best

5 - this album has some amazing tracks that I never expected to find, exactly why I started this journey and it’s worth a second listen I recommend good headphones

The best

This is one of my favorite records. Easy five stars. Elvis' scathing lyrics about his continuing interpersonal and romantic struggles are front and center on Imperial Bedroom. "Men will literally write five albums full of the cleverest turns of phrase about romantic strife instead of going to therapy."

Wow

I never heard of them before, honestly as soon as the backing vocals got less annoying this got really really good

LOVED!

A singularly impressive achievement by a singular artist. Consistiently high-quality songs delivered with and conviction and purpose and supported by intriguing arrangements, ace porduction and very good playing throughout (tense and teasing piano plus pulling bass on "Shabby Doll;" tasteful and undestated strings + horns on "Town Cryer" are among the top grace notes, with the latter being an exquisite way [plus master class in how] to end a great record). So many good cuts – beyond the aforementioned, “Man Out of Time” and “Almost Blue” and "Beyond Belief" and "Little Fool" are among one's faves – and not a dog to be found in the lot AKNF, as was once said. One considers the snark and cynicism to be a feature not a bug. This is peak Elvis and probably the top destination on EC’s long and interesting career journey. One's a resounding yes on this being his masterpiece.

Costello knocks it out of the park, leaving New Wave behind and embracing his love of Bacharach lushness. The production is exquisite and his lyrics retain their bite - his word play is especially brilliant ('Days of Dutch courage Just three French letters and a German sense of humour'). Utterly sublime. Might this be his best work?

World changing…

Enjoyed, can’t remember any of it already

Two songs in I knew this was a great example of a certified banger©

Good

5/5 i really appreciate the packed soundscape. strings come in then vanish. keyboards drive a song then yield to percussion. some really weird production choices baffle me to this day (eg the chorus on kid about it). the excellent songs demonstrate the depth of ec’s writing talent, shown again and again before and after this album.

Elvis Costello album #5 (and still no Bruce Springsteen or Radiohead, arrrgh) -and new favourite! Every time E.C. pops up I let my guard down, but especially so in this one. The lyrics are kitchen sink realism, & the production has everything but the kitchen sink. It's a weirdly good match what a strange transition between "Long Honeymoon" & "Man Out of Time" HL: "You Little Fool", "The Long Honeymoon", "Man Out of Time", "Beyond Belief", "...And In Every Home", "The Loved Ones" May 19, 2023

Top 10 albums all time for me

Another favorite from the past! Elvis & the boys go into a different gear with this one. Smooth and mature.

One of the most creative pop albums I've ever heard. This is a great album to wander through on a Sunday afternoon. It's an album that's full of nuances, one best appreciated when you have time to really sit with it. Sophisticated, richly arranged and stylistically diverse. A bit challenging compared to some of Elvis Costello's other works, but totally worth the effort. Gorgeous arrangements, outstanding musicianship, strikingly clever lyrics, and one of Costello's best vocal performances of his career. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Beyond Belief, Almost Blue, Man Out of Time, Shabby Doll, The Long Honeymoon, Kid About It, Human Hands, The Loved Ones, Boy With a Problem, Pidgin English, Town Cryer, You Little Fool, Little Savage, ...And in Every Home, Tears Before Bedtime

Another classic Elvis Costello record, out of all the ones he made this one would definitely be in my top 3.

Enjoyed more than expected, though took a while to get through. Almost Blue is cracking.

Good surprise

This album doesn’t have the instantly recognizable hits of his early albums, but I agree with the critics who say it was his masterpiece. He borrows from a lot of different styles: jazz, country, baroque pop and blends everything together beautifully. You don’t know what’s coming up next but it always seems to fit. The songwriting is outstanding –Shabby Doll, Man out of Time, and Kid About It are my favorites but there really isn’t a weak track on the album. The production and instrumentation are very sophisticated, and his voice, which can be grating at times is breathy and at its best, due to the mixing I would think. It’s a “mature” sound, different than what came before, and better than what he did afterward.

Unexpectedly great. I loved how intricate all of the songs were. Lots of different instruments and moving pieces.

"History repeats the old conceits...the quick replies the same repeats", this album is tattooed on my brain..."so teddy bear tender and tragically hip", I love this record. This was his third album after his first early period of signature tunes. Trust was a fine lo fi album, then his country covers the wonderful Almost Blue and then this, and let me say his version of Almost Blue on this album wiped the floor with Chet Baker's sodden sulk. EC had been working up to this record, it is truly about the songs and he'd finally got the Attractions where he wanted them. Kid About It (the chorus vocal lines..."say you wouldn't", Beyond Belief, the epic Man Out of Time, Tears Before Bedtime, the Chris Difford penned and superb Boy With A Problem, this is EC in his lyrical and musical pomp, album that is played with monotonous regularity in our house her indoors also rates it highly. For the post new wave punk EC I'd start here.

Wow. Can't believe I didn't know this album.

This album is so good. I would give a 10 rating to 5 of the first 6 songs.

I think is this Elvis Costello’s apex in terms of experimentation. The album is dense, highly melodic and dabbles in unusual melodies and chord changes. It seems influenced by the early 20th century American songbook yet it also looks forward to college rock.

Loved it!

Elvis in fine form

Not the best Costello but pretty dece. 7/10

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Shabby doll, And in every home

He's got some pretty out their ideas

"He`s got a mind like a sewer and a heart like a fridge"

7/10. I listened to this one a bit early, because after getting 6 Elvis Costello albums in the first hundred or so albums, I got really annoyed when there was a crossword hint for an Elvis Costello album, and none of the names I knew fit. On a relisten, I think much the same as I did the first time: good album, but not his best work and the only real standouts are Beyond Belief and You Little Fool, and the former is starting to be ruined by Spotify playing it for me every time a playlist/album ends.

very well-crafted album. lots going on here sonically, musically, lyrically...

Weird good.

While it sounded a bit too close to a billy Joel album, I enjoyed listening to this. Nothing ultra standout but just a nice 50 minutes

I didn't get the option to input a review for Heaven17, but I really dug that album. Never heard of that group before in my life and I'm so confused by so much of what they do, from the album cover to the idea of a fascist groove thang to taking the M out of M-A-D and on and on. But it all added up to a really wonderfully strange experience. "Geisha Boys" and "Let's Make a Bomb" are a great one-two punch on the back half of the album. I do wonder though... if these guys thought Reagan was a fascist, did they even survive the last six years on this planet or did their heads explode? Hope they're okay. Four stars. If nothing else, this list has turned me into an Elvis Costello fan. I wouldn't complain if they press the chill button on having every single one of his records on this list, but I've enjoyed them all. I'd argue this one is maybe five songs too long, but there's some great stuff here. Lots of range, variety and his voice/lyrics are stellar. Loved "Almost Blue."

I'd forgotten how good this album is from front to back. Two songs from the cooking playlist, too. Such a great record.

Never heard this one before and ended up liking every song on it. I can't really put my finger on exactly why, so I'll chalk it up to 'good songwriting' and leave it at that. It's possible that I'm an Elvis Costello fan.

7.5/10

I enjoyed but didn't love anything about it. Just all around a very easy and good listen.

4

8/10 not the strongest Elvis Costello album, but it’s pretty good and for some reason I really like the way his voice sounds on this one.

Great sound!

Enjoyed it, no individual track stands out as amazing but the overall whole was great

Like a bit of Declan

I found this to be an altogether charming album experience, with a few boring moments.

I saw the entry for this on a different list that included it just for Beyond Belief, which is a pretty ridiculous reason to include an album on an essentials list - if you're including an album for a single, song, you're doing it wrong. Now Beyond Belief IS a damn near perfect pop song, and the standout of the album, but there is more here. I'm not a fan of the song Shabby Doll, but this album is a high point in Costello's career, and the Beatlesque pop polish Geoff Emerick brought is on point throughout. This might be Costello's third best after Blood & Chocolate and When I Was Cruel.

This was good.

i like the album, composed well and decent overall. Its lacking something that stands out however.

Pretty dope album. 'Man Out of Time' is the standout track for me. 4 stars.

I haven't listened to a ton of Elvis Costello. I enjoyed this album, very one note... it might just be the dynamics of a-side vs b-side, but i enjoyed the first 6 songs way more than the rest.

Elvis Costello is one of the best. And this is one of the best of Elvis Costello. This album doesn't have any hits, or numbers that really stick out, but it's quality throughout the album, with superb lyrics and musical arrangements. I personally prefer the more new wavy and straightforward Costello, but this is a class album

i like elvis i think. 4 stars. easy listening even if he is a tool of the patriarchy.

Genau genommen 3,8 Punkte für eine sehr angenehme und erste echte Entdeckung in diesem Reigen. Besserer Schmelz als Morissey, prächtige Arrangements, überhaupt keine Angst vor Seele auch über die Schmalzgrenze hinaus, zeitlose Produktion, schickes Cover, smarter Titel. Überhaupt: sehr smart das alles. Vorstellbar, dass sogar Bowie in schlechten Momenten neidisch, in guten aber sicher mit viel Wohlwollen auf einen offensichtlichen Schüler geschaut hat. Warum nicht direkt 4? Gute Frage, warum eigentlich nicht? Fragen Sie mich doch in einem halben Jahr nochmal, das geht mir jetzt zu schnell wir kennen uns doch noch gar nicht. Waas, ins Hotel?! Hmmm...oknagut

Love on first sight Spent the night in the Imperial Bedroom with this dorky melancholic who I thought I knew already for ages. Strange chemistry. I hope he calls.

Why do I want to not like Elvis Costello? Is it because he’s like a Hipster Bruce Springsteen? He’s a good songwriter, he’s got good hooks and good lyrics, interesting delivery, this album is multi-genre. I hear Spoon and King Khan. I’m not sure, I don’t think he’ll ever get a 5 from me, really solid stuff, but something, some pazazz is missing. Maybe it’s intentionally understated? B.

Enjoyable

Tolles Ding: Sound, Stimme, Erzählweise. Aber fürs »Slapping in the face« eines Mädchens gibts Abzüge.

This is clearly a great album… so it’s getting a 4, but something just ain’t clicking with me and Elvs!