Reviews (page 5 of 8)
4.5
I don't know what it is about Elvis Costello, but there is something that keeps me from really getting into him more than an "ok, I guess that's kinda cool" feeling. And what's weird is I feel like I should really like him. I just don't and can't put my finger on why. This one "just ok"er than the other two I've had so far. I can admire the craft of it, but man I just don't feel it. (6.8) ★★★
Never been the biggest Elvis Costello fan, but a quite good album. 3.5 stars
I think the first half of this album is pretty good. "Beyond Belief" is great, and "Man Out of Time", "Tears Before Bedtime", and "...And in Every Home" are all good songs. However, the second half is really a slog for me. I feel like in this era of Elvis, he's afraid of rocking out too much ("Show me where the electric guitar hurt you, Elvis!") and there's just no energy anywhere. 3 stars.
Does have a pretty sumptuous sonic palette throughout - Sgt Peppers, Spector Wall Of Sound and early 80s Sophistipop all swirl around and get stitched together splendiferously to make the most luxuriant technicolour dream-bed linen. Unfortunately it is quite baggy bed linen thanks to the bloated track list. For all the variety here there is possibly only a smattering of songs that shine out as semi Costello classics, namely Beyond Belief and Man Out Of Time. Vocal melodies and performances range from very good to kinda annoying.
I always thought Elvis Costello was overrated. This album proves it.
Great album, a bit dated but still holds up
Typical Elvis loads of words
No es mi estilo, pero me gustó el trabajo de orquestación, parecido al de los beatles. Los temás parecían honestos. Me gustó el tema "Almost Blue", aunque sentí que podría haber "explotado" un poco más.
1.93
I'm sure there are some very cheeky lyrics about the realities of middle age buried somewhere in here, but I can't listen long enough to find them. I never felt grown up enough for Elvis Costello, and now that I'm grown up, I still don't.
I love Elvis Costello. I did not love this record. There are some great tracks: Beyond Belief, Man Out of Time, The Loved Ones and Pidgin English. Didn't really dig the rest.
look man, I get it list author, you fucking love Elvis Costello, and I can see putting one of his albums up, but all of them? Nothing here comes close to Alison. That being said, its kinda neat to hear him incorporate some synth here and there and some 80's sounds to his repertoire if you were interested, and you know when his voice is good, its great, but it really depends on the song. Unfortunately its just not enough to make an enjoyable listen.
I just don’t really like Elvis Costello no matter how hard this list tries to convince me otherwise.
I like Elvis and I like some of his work a lot, but none of the great stuff is on this album.
Never been much of an Elvis Costello fan, it's pleasant enough but not really my thing, and this album is not terribly exciting (except the very end of 'Man Out of Time', more of that please), didn't mine 'Shabby Doll' either, or 'Pidgin English' ⭐⭐⭐ (probably a 3.5)
Chad
Beyond Belief is an all time great song. The rest of the album was fun
It ticks a lot of boxes. Doesn't mean I like it.
God I hate Elvis Costello
Some lovely arrangements, but rather monotonous and ultimately not particularly noteworthy.
Fine
New Wave rock pop, hints of Bowie and Rufus. Quirky. Think I like the idea of Elvis Costello more than the actual music.
It's good, but I don't really enjoy Costello's work all that much.
I didn’t like the Elvis Costello album I got two days ago and I don’t like this one either.
This is my second Elvis Costello album. The first exceeded my expectations, this one was more in line with what I think of when I hear Elvis Costello...
Elvis experiments with mixed results. Enough of the Costello now! Thanks
Trembling love songs from the pianonhat man.
1001 Elvis Costello albums to listen to before you die? I like Elvis Costello a lot but this is starting to take the piss and it's far from his best
Albums to listen to when you have run out of ideas. It's fine.
Our 6th Elvis Costello album on the list. Haven't we covered Elvis Costello enough already?! As for the album itself, it started off alright, then got progressively more boring.
surreal
not my jam
Quatrième album de EC proposé => 1/5 : celui ci est encore plus ennuyeux que les 3 précédents et m'a paru tellement interminable ... que je ne l'ai pas terminé. Il y a d'ailleurs certainement une erreur dans le titre : il faut lire Imperial Boredom. Plus que 2 albums à subir.
S’alright.
Costello siempre tiene algo que tus oidos quieren que oigas
I’d say I enjoyed this album more than most of Elvis Costello’s catalog. It leans into New Wave, with some baroque arrangements, and is very piano and organ driven. While I still think Costello is way overrated, especially how often his albums show up on top lists, I have to admit this one stood out. It’s an album I’d be open to revisiting again in the future.
It's just boring!
Why the hell is this guy on the list so much
01) Beyond Belief - 6,0 02) Tears Before Bedtime - 6,0 03) Shabby Doll - 6,0 04) The Long Honeymoon - 6,0 05) Man Out of Time - 6,0 06) Almost Blue - 6,0 07) ...And in Every Home - 5,5 08) The Loved Ones - 5,5 09) Human Hands - 5,5 10) Kid About It - 6,0 11) Little Savage - 5,5 12) Boy With a Problem - 5,5 13) Pidgin English - 5,5 14) You Little Fool - 6,0 15) Town Cryer - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,77 (58/100) Current ranking: 418/508
Every time I listen to an Elvis Costello album after armed forces I get my hopes up and then they come crashing down as the most boring songs ever play. Blegh
That’s it? that’s Elvis Costello? Huh no thanks
I WANTED to dislike this album but that proved difficult. It was weird and weirdly good with a level of unpredictability. What I like about it most was the cohesive contributions of all the musicians that surrounded Castillo voice rather than backing it. Long Honeymoon was a weird French cafe inspired love song, followed by the screaming roar of Man Out of Time, and later the horn-laden …And In Every Home. The Loved Ones could have been an Elton John song. Key song for me was Little Savage, which I think I liked because he kept in the pocket and the harmonies added some depth to his voice, which I am always thought was a little nasally and drunken. I am not committing this to vinyl, but (…and this is a big step for me…) I could and probably will listen to this one again. Wow! That kinda’ hurt to admit….
Random thoughts: * I expected a little more punk and less lounge/pop vibes. * I always felt like I should be the type of person who would like Elvis Costello and this album definitely doesn't make me feel like I'm missing out. * I bet some fans were disappointed with this album when it came out. * I could see how people could get into this. It would take me more listens than I'm willing to invest.
I have nonidea what the rest of the people here are talking about, this album is awesome. Maybe it's Costello burnout, and I've only had 2 so far in 500+ albums, but I'm not burned out. This is objectively great stuff. Costello does have a goofy voice, but so do Dylan and Coen and many others and that never got in their way of great songs. This album is very 80s without all of the slop from the era. I like almost of this album, with Human Hands, Tears Before Bedtime, ...And In Every Home, and many others here are just awesome.
I have zero thoughts or feelings regarding this album. It isn't bad. It's even almost good. But it doesn't hook me in any way.
The algorithm would suggest that I would very much like Elvis Costello. But i don't, not very much. I don't need multiple albums on this list to prove that to myself. Some of the tracks are ok, I even like some of this album, just not the whole album... not very much anyway
Really good album, very close to being top scores. It was just missing that almighty banger of a song to tip it over the edge.
Vandaag komt vriend van de show Elvis Costello weer eens aan de poort rammelen. Het goede nieuws is dat dit de vierde keer is dat hij zich komt melden en dat betekent dat ik Col du Costello bijna beklommen heb. Hierna nog twee keer. Verdomme nog twee keer. Maargoed, dit is waarvoor we hebben getekend. We hebben ons vrijwillig in de schoot geworpen van de sekte van Robert Dimery en dan hoort dit er bij. Slikken zullen we. Misschien begin ik wat onverschillig te worden, begin ik te wennen of ben ik simpelweg murw gebeukt, maar ik vind dit niet het vervelendste Elvis Costello album. Toch ben ik wel zo klaar met deze man dat ik me er eigenlijk niet toe kan zetten om een 3 uit te gaan delen hiervoor. En na 50 minuten weet ik dat zeker. Het kon erger, maar het blijft een 2. Wat een overgewaardeerde flapdrol.
Elvis gave up his cool guy roots to become a bit of a normie on this one, I think
Genial. Adoro a Elvis Costello y cada nuevo disco suyo que escucho me vuela la cabeza y quiero repetirlo mil veces.
I find Elvis Costello bang average. Would never go out of my way to listen to this guy.
Just good!
I usually enjoy listening to Elvis Costello, but not this one. There were no exceptional songs or standout moments. It's a pretty blah album and quite forgettable.
I have had Beyond Belief on the rotation for a while and legit love that song. The rest of the album Elvis has his head way too far up his ass. The same tonality that works so well when he's doing his punk/cool nerd thing comes across as incredibly self-important and smug when hes doing slow burns and weird vaudeville (?) sounding tunes. I particularly hated the Shabby Doll / The Long Honeymoon duo. There are a few other bright spots on here. Man Out of Time, but to my ear it sounds like this Dion song, Only You Know (great song). You Little Fool was good too.
The rare instance of artistic development actually being a negative for the final product. Elvis’s first few albums are all time classics (I suspect we’ll see them later)- witty, acerbic, mean and fun. My Aim is True is a top 5 album for me. But as he got older he lost his edge and started fucking around w this more mature jazzy sound, but I don’t think he has the voice or chops to pull it off. This album is fine but mediocre and undistinguished. I don’t know who it’s for. At his best, you can almost hear the snarl in his voice, but in this version he’s basically crooning. As a truly great artist, he probably just wanted to not repeat himself, but it would have been better for pop music if Elvis had just cranked out five more my aim is trues instead of evolving himself into a guy who sucks.
Hmm, I guess I dont really get Elvis Costello. Only real connection I had before this album was Whats So Funny Bout Peace Love and Understanding - total rocker I know Geoff Emerick engineered this and this work came out well within Costellos prime. This album ranks all over the place as “an all timer” I just never felt the album keep my attention. Like a flatter Elton John Man Out Of Time didnt cut it for me Almost Blue was a gorgeous track, but super slow. 2.5 stars and rounding down. Maybe ill try it out again this weekend.
I love Elvis Costello but really didn't enjoy this album. Sounds like it was some of his later, more pretentious stuff, and it sure feels like it
In 8th grade we had to read a biography and speak to the class dressed in character as that person. My mom took me to the local library and I checked out a big stack of books to potentially use for this project. But first, we had to pitch our idea in a 1:1 meeting to our teacher. I’m going to be Elvis Costello, I told Ms. Tebbe. Ms Tebbe: Oh, Elvis I love him. Me: No, no, Elvis Costello, the folk musician - maybe you know him from his brief cameo in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me? -- Because that’s sure as hell all I knew about him at this point in life, and the only explanation for why I thought I wanted to be him in front of what would be a classroom of 30 rightfully confused thirteen year olds. I think Ms. Tebbe gently steered me toward Elvis Presley instead, or my Elvis Costello monologue was so embarrassing I’ve blocked it from my memory. Just a Boy Out of Time. Beyond Belief is a tease of a start to this album - such a good song, like a better version of The National. This isn’t a bad album overall, especially the middle - Man Out of Time, Every Home, Loved Ones - but we never get fully back to the promise of that opening track. I never did get fully into Elvis Costello, other than wholly embodying him as a metal-mouthed pubescent grade schooler. I'm very excited to dig into more of the albums. Spoiler: buckle up, I believe there are SIX EC albums on this list, and only twelve more from the Beastie Boys.
Shabby Doll was the most fun but otherwise a bit eh
I...do not know why this Elvis album is on the list. There are a couple decent songs on the list, but we all know there are better efforts out there. Just odd.
Please no more of this guy
Not a big fan of the vocal performance by Costello. The musical arrangements are unique and at times interesting. But overall the project is very forgettable.
3.5 - actually alright for ol Elvis. He toned down the annoying voice somewhat
I have to be in the right mood for elvis Costello and clearly I wasn’t today. It was kind of boring
"Masterpiece?" That was the one-word tagline the album was marketed with — and I suppose the question it wants anybody who listens to it to consider. And, like, damn, if that ain't a presumptuous question if I've ever seen one. The marketing team was just **that sure** of you, eh? I mean, even if it **is** a masterpiece, you shouldn't hafta ask people before they've heard a single second of it. Besides, whether it is or not wasn't even the main question I had on my mind as I went into this. I was more wondering if I actually liked Elvis Costello's work beyond MY AIM IS TRUE. More specifically: do I even like his stuff with The Attractions? This isn't my first dance with 'em, after all; I've heard both THIS YEAR'S MODEL and ARMED FORCES before, and numerous times at that. I want so much, so badly to like them as much as I do MY AIM IS TRUE, but... Mmph— I mean, besides the big singles appended to the end as bonus tracks, I honestly haven't really meshed with either of them. Maybe THIS YEAR'S MODEL a little more 'coz it has "Pump It Up", though otherwise, it's been pretty fruitless. Like, this is a thought I've been having even as far back as when I listened to BRUTAL YOUTH, and I haven't exactly been able to figure it out. Even the answer I gave in my review of MY AIM IS TRUE doesn't sound 100% right. So, now that my group's finally gotten an album with The Attractions, I guess it's finally time I figure it out once and for all, huh? Well, if I've figured out anything, it's that I should be saving that question for when we actually get THIS YEAR'S MODEL or ARMED FORCES, since this maybe... A bit more baroque pop than I normally expect from him? Like, sure, there's songs that I don't think would sound too out of place on any other album, but then there's just as many with an accordion or a harpsichord or a full 40-piece orchestra. All of this studio experimentation does make it a bit hard to judge The Attractions on their own merits, y'know? Still, I did feel like I got something out of this, 'coz any of the songs without the unique instrumentation just didn't really do it for me? They're just fine at worst, to be clear, but... I'unno, I'm thinking about songs like "Tears Before Bedtime. There are parts I like, such as the keys, but on the whole I'm finding it hard to get excited by it. Or take "Shabby Doll": the bass does a cool thing, and the piano's nice, but beyond that... Or there's "Kid About It" or "Boy With A Problem", that felt like they could have been bigger than they were... Or, hell, there's "Little Savage", which I feel like could've probably been dropped entirely. Like, part of me has to wonder if I'm just spoiled by MY AIM IS TRUE; that I've heard it and love it too much to accept anything else he's done. Y'know, 'coz it's not "the sound I expect from him." "If it don't sound like 'Red Shoes'...!" I might just be that shallow. The same goes for Weird Al's pastiche "I'm So Sick Of You", which is probably more based on something like THIS YEAR'S MODEL than I'd realize. But then I get to the tracks with the more unique instrumentation, and, yeah, no, I really dig them. "...And In EVery Home" is the most obvious one, where I hafta give it respect for swinging **that hard** for a Beatlesque sound with the orchestration. Nothing on the album beforehand prepares you for that, especially not "Almost Blue" and how stripped-back it is, and that's kind of great. "Human Hands" is good when the sitar and the horns come in; "You Little Fool" is **amazing** in the parts with the harpsichord; and "Town Cryer" is pretty much what I wanted "Boy With A Problem" to be thanks to the orchestra. Then there's what ended up being my favorite song, "The Long Honeymoon". Seriously, with the accordion and the piano over that Latin-style groove? I could see myself listening to it a bunch more times, I swear. Heck, I even wanna shout "Man Out Of Time". It's not as instrumentally unique as the others, but it's got a good drive, I like the tone of it, there's a good chorus melody... And, oh me, oh my, the part near the end, right before it jumps to the outro? Nuts. It's so good, I kinda wish it was the actual outro. Really, I just wish this album was more tightly focused around these songs. This thing is 15 tracks and 50 minutes long. True, it's not a slog like some **other albums** I could name (y'know, if I wanted to), but I still think this thing safely could've had a few tracks cut. Once again, I'll offer up "Little Savage" for how much of an inconsequential nothing I found it. So if you couldn't guess how I feel about this album... Yeah. I mean, when this thing's good, it's really good, and it does confirm to me that I can like Costello's music outside of MY AIM IS TRUE — when he goes for it and experiments. 'Coz when he sticks with a more typical sound, it's too "simply fine" for me to care all too much. Ultimately, the album waffles back and forth between those two modes way too much for me to think much highly of it. So, no, I wouldn't exactly call it a masterpiece... And I'd be lying if I didn't mention that even despite the confirmation, I still had a seed of doubt sowed in my mind about me and Costello's wider discography. Although, that's a matter for how the remaining three Costello albums turn out, so let's make any hard calls right now. For the moment... Yeah, it was real close to a 4, but I gotta slap it with a 3. And, frankly, it does make me kinda wonder if BRUTAL YOUTH deserved one, too... But, hey, even if the rest don't turn out too well, at least I'll always have MY AIM IS TRUE to go back to. I don't think I'll be too upset about that... 'Coz that album, for the record, is a **true** masterpiece. I will not hear otherwise, I swear...
Certainly different from the other albums my group has gotten from Mr. Costello, but still pretty decent enough. 3.5 bumped up to 4.
I’m at a 4, but if it weren't for a handful of mediocre tracks, I'd be at a 5. Sorry to Elvis Costello – third time we’ve gotten him, and he just hasn’t cracked a 5 for me. This one was at a 5 for a while, though, so that’s a good positive, and I did enjoy a lot of this album. Hell, I think it solves a lot of the reasons I gave for not giving “My Aim Is True” a 5 – the album doesn’t really stagnate until about 10 tracks in, the song structures aren’t as concrete & inflexible as they were, & as far as the variety in the soundscape goes, this has a really nice showcase of styles that feels like they have more depth to them. So, if everything feels solved, and the tracks sound good, what gives? Well, the reason I’m at a 4 is because the bad tracks are actually just… kinda bad this time. "My Aim Is True" never had a truly bad track, but the ones that are "bad" here just... ugh, man. When this album hits that stagnant point on Tracks 10, 11 & 12, it really kills the vibe & the momentum the whole thing had going for it. 7 of the first 9 tracks clicked really well for me, but that is a 3-track stretch that is mediocrely drab at best. They did not click at all for me. The album really pulls it back in for “Pidgin English” & “You Little Fool”, but I’ll be damned if “Town Cryer” isn’t a flat ending. I did like 9 of the 15 tracks here, but if 40% of the album isn’t quite clicking like that, then you’ve bloated it a little too much. However, that 60% is really fucking good, and has some of the best tracks I’ve heard from Elvis Costello yet. The Attractions, as a band, seemingly add a lot of nice depth to his soundscape, evolving to a really nice point that feels even more pleasing than what I heard on “My Aim Is True” – if that 60% were all that’s here, I’d be at a 5 without a question. That other 40% is what drags this down to a 4, but it’s still a 4 I’d highly recommend – the tracks that didn’t click well for me could click well for someone else (although, given that this has an average of 3 on the site, they probably didn’t). I feel bad that I haven’t given Elvis a 5 yet, but I feel like it’s gonna click at some point. He’s gotten real close twice, so maybe the 4th time’s the charm. P.S.: If nothing else, “Man Out of Time” fucking rules. That’s a great, great track.
A good album, I liked Tears Before Bedtime and Human Hands the most.
There were songs I wouldn’t mind hearing again, but not songs I would actively seek out. It was okay.
Not my bag.
Ok, I listened to part of it. I couldn't get through it. I'll admit, I was 9 when this came out, but I can't listen to this. Maybe his later works will hit me better.
I'm not a Costello fan, I find it s quite meh.
Pretty annoying voice and sound.
About a third of this is great.
haven't heard of the attractions before, feels like stereotypical new wave
Ganz gut, aber nichts aussergewöhnliches find ich
I do like some of his other work, but this album left me flat - some good songwriting, but mostly fumbling to find his rhythm without the obvious vocal or musical talent to make up for anything but fantastic songwriting…
This was pretty good, actually? Reddit has me primed to hate all these Elvis Costello albums, but I actually mostly enjoyed this.
His voice got annoying after a few tracks. Not my thing
норм
Inoffensive but just not that engaging
This might be one of the most boring albums I've ever listened to. Had to tap out about 75% through it because my brain couldn't take it anymore.
I don't know man. My first ever Elvis Costello album, and I didn't hate it, but I also don't really look forward to the next 5.
#509. This is exactly what I've come to expect from Mr. Costello. Which is to say- it isn't very good, and I don't like it very much. 2/5: nah
My main feeling listening to this was annoyance and I’m trying to pinpoint why. I think it’s because there were promising glimmers here and there but then it would descend into something kind of tedious. I guess it’s the promise of something that never materialises. Plus, yes, we all know he is wildly over represented on here
Eh
Good stuff. Need my baby by my side and a warm fire.
We are being held hostage by an Elvis Costello stan. I’m only half joking, this is probably the best one that I’ve come across so far (I believe this is album 3). Maybe by the last one I’ll have stockholms and I’ll give one a 4. It’s not today though. Maybe had it ended ten minutes sooner.
Surprised how little I enjoyed this. I dig Costello’s vibe but the songs and the performances just did not strike me.
not my cup of tea
Good discovery
Är det femte plattan jag får av den lilla jävla smurfjäveln! Blir så jävla less. Han är inte särskilt bra. Denna får därmed bottenbetyg i ren jävla protest! Enough!!!
I like some Elvis Costello. This is not it. Boring. Seems to try too hard to be something.
Neither good or bad this is an album of a once great musician that ran out of ideas.
a decent Elvis album, not one of my favourites
4/5. I didn't feel like this was a classic but it was definitely high quality Costello. The ballads are hit or miss. The songs are either smooth and jazzy while others are just slow rock songs for no reason. The more chaotic tracks are where Costello and his band shine, as is usual. The production is more full and really enhances the album, which would be the main difference, but overall, a similar vibe to his previous works. Best Song: Beyond Belief, Shabby Doll, Kid About It
Not my favorite Costello, but still excellent. Great melodies abound. “Beyond Belief” is perfect. 4/5
This on was Beyond Belief and a Little Savage, but we can Kid About It now.
Always a good standard of song writing on his albums and no exception is made here. Not convinced this is his best work but a good collection of songs nevertheless
Good album
Nope, still do NOT like Elvis Costello.
madonna che lagna ancora una volta bella solo la copertina
This definitely gets off to a slow start, but ends up being an otherwise really enjoyable album. There's definitely better Elvis Costello songs out there, but as a cohesive record this definitely flows well. I think it maybe was a bit on the long side, but not going to knock that since I genuinely enjoyed a majority of songs on this record, so no harm no foul.
Of all the albums I am coming to review from by backlog, this is probably the one that will benefit from it the most given I have recently had an odd ‘reawakening’ of sorts to Costello (AKA I played too much Call of Duty with a friend while listening to some of his music until it grew from being somewhat grating to genuinely enjoyable). It’s a trait I have mentioned previously with Costello on here that really reinforces my feeling of giving something more than a single listen to give it a fairer assessment.
I have nothing to say about this except that it's not for me. Maybe Elvis Costello has albums I enjoy but this isn't one of them.
7/10 Fav tracks - Beyond Belief, The Long Honeymoon, Town Cryer
Not a terribly huge fan of the first few tracks of Side A, I found them to be pretty forgettable until The Long Honeymoon when the side slows down. Until listening to this album, I only knew three Elvis Costello songs and my favourite of the, I Want You, feels the most like the songs I enjoyed most on this side. The combination of Costello's lyricism and the production/instrumentation on this album makes it feel like a English/funhouse mirror of Leonard Cohen. Sarcastic, poetic and talented. Not everything lands, songs like ...And In Every Home feel like I would come to enjoy them after repeat listens and time has warmed me up to them. The lyrics on that song are great but the production felt a bit TOO baroque pop for my taste but whatever it's the last song on the side. My enjoyment of side B was the same as side A, the first few songs flew by me but the peak of this album was Pidgin English, the song opened and clicked with me and everything fell into place with the acoustic guitar instrumental bit. You Little Fool and Town Cryer stick the landing for the rest of this side. So how do you rate an album where you only really like half the songs but you feel the rest could grow on you later? I am in a good mood (mainly because I am happy to discover Elvis Costello is not shit), so I will give this an optimistically high score in anticipation of enjoying the rest of this more in the future. This bloke has a lot of albums in this book so I am hoping it's for the same reason as Bowie (cause he's actually good) and not for the same reason as Nick Cave (no comment). Highlights: The Long Honeymoon, Man Out Of Time, Almost Blue, Pidgin English, You Little Fool, Town Cryer
Imperial Boredom
Solid
This seems like a reach. It’s fine but not like I’ll ever want to listen to it again. There are other, better Elvis Costello albums. Unless he’s your favorite artist, you can skip this one. 2/5
5/10…etwas eintönige Pop/New Wave Musik
Listened to it 3 times waiting for it to kick in - but it never really engages. Very competent musicianship / production and some good hooks but it just does not combine to create anything meaningful for me.
Imperial Bedroom His 7th album in 5 years! I’m not really that familiar with the albums after Get Happy!!, I always assumed they start the slide into things like Brutal Youth, ie fine but with a lack of excitement and dynamism. That’s not entirely the case here, there are some great, energetic tracks and some great instrumentation and varying styles, but there’s also stuff like The Long Hands with its accordion, and the jazzy dullness of Almost Blue, both the kind of EC I struggle with. Beyond Belief is a great opener, I love the rhythm pattern, Tears Before Bed Time is very good, the organ and piano are excellent. Shabby Doll is good, it has that great bass/synth part. Man Out of Time is excellent, lovely instrumentation and that sped up section at the end is a great shot of excitement. …And in Every Home is really interesting, the debt to the Penny Lane horns and George Martin string arrangements is clear but it works well. I love the Sitar and Horns on Human Hands. Pidgin English is a great melody and I really like the harpsichord both forwards and backwards on You Little Fool, it’s a very catchy track. As on previous EC albums Steve Nieve really shines, his piano and keyboard playing is excellent throughout. The bass is perhaps not as interesting as This Year’s Model or Armed Forces but the drumming is great. And you can see why he wanted Geoff Emerick to produce it, as the Beatles influence and inspiration is very clear - the instrumentation and arrangements are very Sgt Pepper. Kind of stuck between 3 and 4. I enjoyed it, there are some great tracks, but it also starts to develop the feel of a lot of his music from the mid-80s onwards that I have a hard time enjoying, and it does feel pretty front loaded, with a definite dip on the 2nd side. It also, like Brutal Youth, has a feeling of being longer than it actually is. Ultimately I’m not sure how often I’ll revisit, it’s more likely I’ll just whack the highlights on a playlist, so I’ll go high 3 🛏️🛏️🛏️ Playlist submission: Man Out of Time
I don't like the overt Beatles/60s pastiches e.g. '...And in Every Home' with its use of smugly gleeful horns, straight out of the era of dated Sgt Pepper psychedelia. It reminds me a bit of Macca's string-laden reworking of Beatles classics, in his pompous vanity project, 'Give My Regards to Broad Street'. there's rarely a bad melody to be found here. The meandering 'Man Out of Time' is one of the standouts. 'Pidgin English' is immediately catchy, although almost sunk by more horns and Bee Gees impressions. 'You Little Fool' another decent pop number with the quick chord progressions heard in Pidgin English, Little Savage (and previously used so well in Oliver's Army). I particularly enjoyed the lounge-pop numbers - 'The Long Honeymoon', 'Boy With a Problem', 'Kid About It' and 'Almost Blue', despite the latter's similarity to the superior 'Shipbuilding'. There are others (Human Hands, The Loved Ones) which are ok but feel like a product of the Costello sausage machine. It's a 3/4 borderline case, because it's interesting I'll tip it.
Don't have a strong take on this one. I listened to this while working on something and tuned out most of the singing, but I thought the instrumentals were good. Agree that Shabby Doll was the best song on the album.
Elvis Costello just does nothing for me. Boring and forgettable.
Not as good as the album a week ago.
Third Elvis Costello album so far and this one didn't particularly do anything for me. Singing reminded me a bit of Randy Newman on this, has a similar sort of lack of enunciation. Like the previous album it sounds quite varied and interesting initially and at some point it hits you that it actually sounds samey. Almost blue was a good track, his voice suits the croony ones.
Two-and-a-half years since the last Elvis Costello album. I barely remember Blood And Chocolate. This is definitely an Elvis Costello album; he sings as if he is forcing the words out through a gurn. I really don't mind it though - The Loved Ones was a very decent track, but the rest don't leave much of an impression.
I gave the previous Elvis Costello album (blood and chocolate) we've had on the list a 3. Let the record show that I've listened to songs from that album regularly since we had it and I would give it at least a 4 now. Was quite looking forward to this. I do like his voice and style, but this didn't grab me like some of blood and chocolate did. Still solid though. Might give it another listen at some point. Think my favourite was "the loved ones".
Different feel to this years model, I actually prefer this one though
Not good at all
As someone who actually enjoys Elvis Costello, I feel like his work is **wayyyyy** overrepresented on this list. Like he's fine and he writes some solid goof-pop (unsure if that's a genre, but that's the bin he's in in my head), but I reject the notion that I need to hear 4 or his albums before I die. This album was fine to me, but far from any form of revolutionary. The kind of album I could put on in the background and not really get tired of it, but also never remember a single song name -- except for Shabby Doll. That song really worked for me. All said, perhaps I'm burnt out, but this falls into 3 territory for me.
ehhhh, kind of annoying album. 2.5 stars. Not a fan of Elvis Costello's voice.
Tons of piano and a solid voice. Possibly my favorite Costello album we have had. High 3.
Another EC album in a very short time. His voice is still horrendous. But this album was better than Armed Forces, so it will get 1 more star because of that. Please, creator, let this be the 4th and final album by Elvis Costello.
Not the worst Elvis Costello album that we've had but also not a great one. Something even outside of the voice I can't get into. Meh 3.
GaRlEbAuTm
This was just so boring. I don't get the love for this guy. 2/5
This is my forth or fifth Costello album so far. He's grown on me, but this album has a whole different sound to it. Less of that nerdy punky sound, more just song singing. Good though
I don’t know too much about Elvis Costello (plus band) - Only the biggest hits. I can hear who they were inspired by and who they inspired. It’s definitely easy to hear that a former Beatles producer worked on this album. I think it’s too clean sounding - I know that there are earlier records from them that are more to my taste from what I have listened to. It doesn’t really click with me. But The Loved Ones is a good song - and also Pidgin English
Listened Before? N All these alt and modern rock albums are starting to blend together here in the 700s of this list. This one didn't stand out, nor did it grate on me. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Beyond Belief
This is just OK to me. It’s not bad but it feels like music I’ve heard a million times and there’s nothing interesting or exciting. Meh.
Weak sauce
Not a great voice but he writes solid compositions with creative chord changes. Like! 3.8
Imperial listening and attraction.
Ist nice, nochmals hören
Beyond Belief Man Out of Time
Sommigen vinden het niks, ik kan Elvis Costello altijd wel waarderen. Direct herkenbaar stemgeluid, sympathieke deuntjes. Je kunt je afvragen of het nog wat toevoegt na de drie albums die eerder al langskwamen. Dat niet.
Costello houdt er van om op te vallen. de 1001 heeft ons al geleerd hoe dat verschillend uit kan pakken op de verschillende albums. Het is een geval 'hate it or love it'. Ik heb inmiddels twee maal een love-it en één maal een hate-it genoteerd. Benieuwd wat dit wordt, het zal in elk geval geen vergeetbare 3 worden. Na een tijdje luisteren komt die andere herinnering boven. Costello kan soms flink zeuren. Dat hoor je nu ook zeker weer, maar het kan een stuk gekker. Het album biedt kwaliteit, er is weinig op af te dingen. Maar er springt weinig boven het maaiveld uit. Ik ben het meeste al weer kwijt terwijl ik dit typ. Ik geloof, nee toch, jawel echt, ik geloof dat ik Costello toch een vergeetbare 3 moet toekennen. Goed, dat had ie nog niet eerder laten horen, dus we kunnen in elk geval blijven stellen dat hij elke keer wat anders levert.
Zes. Zes albums van de hand van Elvis Costello staan er in deze snoblijst als het overzichtslijstje klopt en er in latere edities niet alsnog extra platen zijn toegevoegd. Het voelt als 666 voor me, the number of the beast. Samen met Brian Eno en ons Joni behoort Costello tot de grote 3. Van ergerniswekkende muzikanten. Volgens mij hebben we er hiervoor 3 gehad, dus ik ben over de helft. Dit album is niet het meest ergerniswekkende gelukkig. Hij blijft uiteraard nasaal en zeurderig zingen, maar hij houdt het enigszins binnen de perken, binnen de maat en enigszins zuiver. Weinig krols katergejank. En als je dan minder last hebt van irritatie aan de stem, dan is het allemaal nog best aan te horen. Er zit de ene keer een punky edge aan, vervolgens is het weer iets meer jazzy. Het blijft natuurlijk artsy-fartsy, want hij moet wel interessant blijven doen. Door mijn Costello vooringenomenheid, vind ik het aanstellerig en komt het nog steeds niet op mij over. Maar vooruit, ik kan enigszins begrip opbrengen voor mensen die hier graag naar luisteren. Het zit zoals gewoonlijk ergens tussen de 2 en de 3 in en het gebrek aan een hitje doet geen wonderen.
Beyond Belief is great
Лучшая песня напоминает мне Артура Рассела, и это всё, что я помню про этот альбом. Это на самом деле не такая уже ужасная музыка, и фоном я в целом воспринимал происходящее неплохо. Но переслушивать желания совсем нет. Лучшая песня - Beyond Belief.
Not one I know as well as some.of his others. I think Spike and King of America are better, neither of which make the list. Maybe it's a slow burner and a couple of listens aren't enough.
I don't think this is their best album but I enjoyed listening to it (in a throwback way...)
I’m getting bored of all these Elvis Costello albums. They’re pretty ok but I didn’t hear anything on this one that stood out from the other two.
Mostly forgettable.
Best e Costello so far and there’s been a lot of it
I had high hopes for this one but was left feeling underwhelmed.
Art rock (a genre of this album that I saw on Wikipedia) sounds like an accurate characterization. It reminds me of a painting that is way too abstract than it needs to be.
I found this to be slow and a bit boring. Picked up with …And In Every Home but overall not my jam.
I love Elvis Costello and this was one of his better albums. Starts out strong with the first tack, probably the best on the album, but just keeps going.
5.5/10. Elvis Costello: *breathes* Robert Dimery: "Holy cranberry bagels!!! No greater masterpiece has ever been conceived in the history of music!!! Shiver me timbers!!! Take all my money!!!" Gosh, not every bloody toenail clipping that has ever come out of Elvis Costello's toes needs to make it on this list. My Aim Is True is enough Elvis Costello for a compilation of 1,001 albums. Also, the title of the album as displayed on the album cover of this album belongs on something like r/dontdeadopeninside. What the hell is an IbMePdErRoIoAmL???
Forgettable.
3.5/5. It's vanilla music, the author of this book has such a thing for Elvis Costello.
Costello is still my favorite of all Elvises. The only thing is that every time I listen to an album of his I hadn’t heard before, which is most of them before this project, it makes me a little sad I hadn’t listened to it sooner.
Costello is a challenge, with his non-traditional song formation - probably stemming from his love of jazz. The Attractions seem to keep him more grounded, though. This is definitely worthy of the list.
I guess I like Elvis Costello more than I thought.
After a first, casual listen, I enjoyed this just like all the Elvis C. I've listened to on this project.
I've never been much of an Elvis Costello fan. My only experience of him has been of live performances on shows like SNL and Late Night with David Letterman. He's an acquired taste, to be sure. I'm still not sure he's my cup of tea, but this album surprised me--interesting and creative. I'll give him a second look.
Nope. I'm mad now. Good ideas squandered on bad songs.
ugh
I can't believe the last thing I did this year was listen to Elvis fucking Costello
Et af mine yndlingsalbums fra Elvis Costello. Kreativ lyd, virkelig gode tekster, nogle af hans bedste melodier. Lidt for lang
Skal da gerne indrømme at det her projekt har gjort Costello plader end det behøver, men jeg har stadig skamnydt dem alle sammen. Hornene på den her gør noget rigtig godt. Stor 3er
Elvis Costello again.... And as always, I'm thankful that it eventually ended.
Nope, still not into it. Ask again in 100 days
Leagues better than any other Costello & The Attractions album so far (not a high bar)
I don’t understand the appeal. Terrible 1001 album worthy: No - 21/36
Imperial Bedroom is more of the same from Elvis Costello. Okay, catchy in places but ultimately a bit dull and one-speed and a guy who doesn't really deserve so many albums on this list. Another 2.
I do quite like Elvis Costello, but we've had a silly amount of his albums and they've all been decent rather than great. I think this is one of the better ones, he doesn't try any nonsense or changing with the times, so it gets a 3/5.
Good grief, this is my fourth Elvis Costello record. While there have been singles of his that I liked, the previous three albums were not enjoyable. This one is okay. I hope there are no more Elvis Costello records in this list. Four is enough.
I like it, especially the fully focused "Man out of Time". Ending isn't the best, but will listen again- 3.5
Pretty chill
Not the strongest work from Costello, definitely prefer his slightly higher energy, hookier content.
Love Costello. Didn’t know any of these though. Nice surprise.
L'album est correct, mais crisse que je suis tanné de me faire générer des albums du faux Elvis à chaque deux semaines.
Another smash from the king
Average. His first two albums is his peak but this album is aight
I didn't like it 1
Never listened to Elvis Costello so I had no idea what I was getting, but sort of expected big things. At first his voice was pretty, but then some just got sort of annoying and whiny (Man out of Time specifically), especially The Long Honeymoon. Human Hands made me think of Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It took me a while to get my thoughts on it, but then it hit me...they sort of all feel like TV show sitcom theme songs (Human Hands really solidified this). Part of me wants to give this a 2 because I have no desire to listen to it again, nothing was really that amazing or unique, and not really sure who he influenced because its so blah. But its not offense or does not hurt my ears so I guess I will bump it to a 3.
I know that I dislike this but I'm having a hard time gauging my level of dislike. It feels like the vocals have the spotlight for every song. I don't especially like or dislike his singing. He definitely has a style and I'm just sorta meh on that. His melodies aren't especially catchy. But he really loses me with the poetry of his lyrics. I just don't know what he's on about and seems kinda corny. Leaves me feeling like a can't really relate. I don't get it. And I don't really want it. I can't decide between a 2 or 3 so let's break it down: Beyond Belief - 2.75 Tears Before Bedtime - 2.5 Shabby Doll - 3 (I like the bass & piano on this one) The Long Honeymoon - 3 (nice guitaring) Man Out of Time - 2 (the last 40 seconds of this song is great. the rest sucks.) Almost Blue - 2 And In Every Home - 2.5 The Loved Ones - 3.5 (pretty great bass playing) Human Hands - 3 Kid About It - 1.75 Little Savage - 3 Boy With A Problem - 1.5 Pidgin English - 1.5 You Little Fool - 2 Town Cryer - 1 Average score per song = 2.333333
Almost a year in, and this is my first Costello album, I was wondering when the onslaught would start! This wasn't bad, but there was a blandness to it that's hard to define. There wasn't anything musically wrong with it really, it just didn't evoke anything in me. It feels too "professional" or something, like music you'd hear at a corporate event.
Don’t love
This was boring, if I'm totally honest. I've enjoyed some of the six million Costello albums spread across this project, but this wasn't one of them. There's a decent song or two, and nothing he does is particularly bad, but it didn't grip me at all.
Another Elvis Costello album, another set of quirky, sometimes (seemingly) nonsensical, hipster New Wave songs. Don't get me wrong - I actually really like Elvis Costello. I think he's a genius and that he has the ability to write really introspective and interesting lyrics, set to music that really feels like its own genre sometimes. Buuuuuut..... But his sound is so very much him that, without listening to his other albums on this list more than once to discern differences (not to mention the gaps between the albums), it's hard to say that this was much different than what I remember the other albums sounding like. I guess this one was a little more on the experimental side? I guess? I dunno. It was fine. Very Elvis. Much Costello. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Beyond Belief, Almost Blue, The Loved Ones
It's something bothering me about this album but I don't know what. Maybe the fact that it has nothing interesting and his voice is annoying. I've seen many albums by this dude included on this list and I just don't get it.
I just don’t like Costello that much. His singing throws me off for whatever reason.
It's better than the other Costello albums I've listened to so far. The production work is really stellar on this one. The songs start off quite dull and soulless but then they get better by the middle. I don't like his whiny singing that much, though. I understand he is very good at lyrics and he is very cynical, but I pay more attention to the music. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5 overall.
Not bad, feels very samey though
There's something indefinable that juts puts me off of Elvis Costello. Whether it is his voice, the trite guitars and songs, or just plain unoriginality... I don't know.
Mediocre. The clever lyrics are diminished by the arrogant smugness this guy exudes. The sound is loungy, nothing against that. But Costello needs to lay off the valium.
Och, ganz nett.
It certainly helps that I’ve had many listens of this album prior to receiving it. At first, I wasn’t that big of a fan, but at this point, the record is filled with absolute gems. The album is filled with creativity and interesting ideas.
6/10 Elvis Costello, doing his thing but not as well as usual 12-16-2024
Not a record I played many times afterwards.
Fourth album by Elvis Costello and his crew on this list, and easily the worst one so far. I don't have that much time, or more likely willingness to check what is so different on Imperial Bedroom as compared to other records, but I was struggling very much to finish this. I have seen this album being described as baroque pop, which apparently is something I just don't get at all. Convoluted melodies, unpredictable vocal lines, you can tell Wainwright was inspired by this music. Which makes sense, because I had zero pleasure listening to his albums as well. Bottom of the barrell it goes.
Third Elvis Costello album on the list, more than 400 albums in ... this one kind of felt like the first I connected to, driving around on a stressful day like "yep, that is music". If I started to pay too much attention to it, I liked it less. What is the aural equivalent of unfocusing your eyes to see the tiger in the magic eye poster? That's what I was doing with this album. Neither good nor bad, but definitely music.
There is a Neil Young amount of unnecessary Elvis Costello on this list, and this is yet another one that doesn't even have Alison on it. What a snoozefest.
Felt about this the same way I feel about all Elvis Costello, which is basically "why does this guy sing like this and then make the same song 20 times"
Never really been a fan of Elvia Costello and this did little to change my mind.
I still don’t get EC
Good singer, good music. Not his best album,
This was so bland. Elvis Costello’s voice is dull as hell and only captured my attention for like a piece of a song. I got about halfway through and bailed, so excited to move on from this album. Then a friend was there to inform me there are 6 other albums by him on this list and I wanted to cry… Someone please force the author of these books to enforce a 2 or 3 album minimum per artist…. JFC…
My Aim Is True pleasantly surprised me. This did not. Why does every critically acclaimed songwriter have to morph into these clown that make “rich tapestries of kaleidoscopic music?” It sounds like a boring circus no one wants to be at.
Okay. 1-2 gueti lieder. 2.6
Interesting overall and worth a listen. I'm not sure I'll be rushing back to it, but it was decent.
a 3 highkey, elvis costello they could never make me form an opinion on you (okay but seriously what is the appeal who is this man and why do so many people like him i have never heard or loved any of these songs)
Pre-listening thoughts: I feel like peoples ratings of these Elvis Costello albums depend on how many they’ve gotten up until this point. I’ve only had one before this. Maybe it will be tolerable. But after 7, I can see how you would be sick of it. Post/during listening thoughts: this album feels like the equivalent of being in the shower and not being able to find the right temperature water. It’s just not hitting the right marks for me and idk what’s off? I had the same problem with the last Elvis Costello album too. I just got bored. Idk. 6/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: Tears Before Bedtime, …And In Every Home, Human Hands Least fav tracks: Almost Blue
Not as upbeat as the last Costello record. I mean this was fine some cool stuff here. Nothing notable enough to go back to. I kinda liked it.
Good songwritingm, Boring music
try as i might, i've never been a fan. he gets a lifetime pass for his half of "shipbuilding" tho. reading contemporary reviews of this record is a real lesson in how poorly we can predict what will become a classic. oh well. "a man out of time" and "you little fool" are among his best, i figure.
Haha sini gsungene Melodie mit de viele grosse Sprünge sind super 😂, bizli wacky aber gfallt mer. Mix isch mer mengmal chli schwer verständlich. Harmonischi überraschige konstant, findi prächtig
Shabby Doll geht ab: Sobald das Schlagzeug reinkommt, kann man nicht anders als viben. Die zweiten Stimmen als Echo in diesem Lied gefallen mir auch sehr gut. Die absteigenden Harmonien und die Wechsel von Dur nach Moll (glaub) in The long Honeymoon sind sehr nice. Abgesehen davon bin ich nicht so ein grosser Fan vom Album. Die Stimme gefällt mir nicht so, sobald es etwas in die Höhe geht, drückt er, und tiefer klingt er unkontrolliert. Ansonsten ist das Album weder Hans noch Heiri, geht irgendwie nicht richtig ab, ist aber auch nicht sonderlich komplex oder interessant anzuhören.
Great album from a legend in the singer songwriter field.
far be it from me to question Geoff Emerick's production work—the dude engineered Revolver!—but this is a very strange mix. there's a lot more of a studio-as-an-instrument feel this time around in comparison to my previous Elvis Costello outing, This Year's Model. I get the sense that, with Emerick behind the boards, Costello really wanted to lean into the whole Beatles angle. the thing that jumped out immediately was the vocal production. the main thing that makes this mix so strange is how forward the vocals are pushed, and it's especially noticeable since many of these songs feature a ton of vocal overdubbing. I'm not 100% sure if this vocal treatment really suits Costello as well as it does the Fab Four, but I also kind of enjoy hearing his voice with such clarity. he doesn't snarl as much on this record, so you get to delight in his newfound sense of melody a little more. this album's also got a lot more reverb than I'd have expected, truly one of the hallmarks of the eighties! with the new sound also comes a different approach to songwriting. there's hints of the new wave sound here and there, but in a lot of ways, this is a Baroque pop album in disguise. again, the Beatles are a major reference point. the way "Shabby Doll" speeds up and slows down; the expansive, Abbey Road-esque sound of "Man Out of Time"; the kooky, massive orchestral arrangement on "...And in Every Home", as well as other hints of brass and winds on songs like "The Long Honeymoon" and "Pidgin English"; Phil Spector's vision of a Wagnerian approach to pop is alive and well in 1982! what really makes this worth listening to for me is that, even with the clear influences at play and all the bells and whistles, Costello's sonic and compositional identity remains very much intact from one song to the next. he's much more introspective here than he was on This Year's Model; even just from the sound of the music here, you can tell he's in a more melancholy place. I'm not sure if this needs to be 15 songs long, but there's enough excellent tracks here, especially on the A-side, that this is definitely worth at least a few listens. decent 8/10.
This album is an example of my weakness as a music listener. I am sure that if I could pick up on the lyrics, storytelling in each song the first time listening, Elvis Costello would mean much more to me. But, I can't so he doesn't. His strength is in his lyricism and my weakness is in hearing that.
Some quality songwriting going on here. Lacks the immediacy of his first albums and goes on for a bit. Disliked "Shabby Doll" immensely.
Not a bad album! Went in with absolutely no clue who these people were and it wasn’t bad. I enjoyed it. Definitely a high 3. Some of these songs actually got added to the playlist. Really fun.
Good stuff. Plenty entertaining.
I'm not by nature a Costello fan. He's got a great back catalogue of singles but I've never really managed his albums. This is good though - consistent, enjoyable, really nice production on it.
An interesting evolution, but much of this album was not for me.
I think there’s a great album in there somewhere, but some songs are a bit lackluster and it’s SO long. With the amount of Elvis Costello albums here, we could’ve saved some room here for another great album that’s been snubbed.
Not terrible, but hard to get too into Elvis Costello.
Standard Costello.
Not bad at all
Second straight day of Elvis (more like L-vis) Costello. I’m sick of this wanker
No thank you. Too much blandery.
Haven't listened to much of Elvis Costello before, but the little I had already heard I liked more than this. This wasn't bad, but just not as good as some of his other stuff I've heard.
Very interesting and enjoyable. There was a really strong stretch in the first half of the album; the second half wasn't as good but still solid. Favorite songs were Shabby Doll, The Long Honeymoon, and Almost Blue.
This was fine
Not my favourite Elvis Costello album by any stretch. There's a few songs he's recorded on other albums on here, so that was nice, because a lot of the rest of the album was pretty meh. 3.5
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."
Raga ma da dove arrivano tutti sti riconoscimenti? È blando, non trasmette niente di niente e non è nemmeno piacevole all’orecchio.
ragazzi miei che fatica. Elvis Costello e Brian Eno mi hanno veramente rotto tutto ciò che poteva rompersi.
So far on this list I've rated Elvis Costello 3, 3, 2, 2, and this one, hopefully the last, can go right into that sequence with a 1. Probably really a 2, it isn't egregiously bad, but I sure didn't need to hear it, total snoozefest, and we probably could have lost three of the other albums, too.
7.5/10 Liked this one, only know a little EC but this worked for me Poppy British 80s rock with a diverse range of influences and instruments. Definitely seemed to be inspired by the sound of the Beatles and even Springsteen Best: Pidgin English
another day, another elvis costello album. SMH…
3rd EC&TA album in two weeks. Ugh. This is just so…..so generic to me.
Well, after a whole year of waiting for the first Elvis Costello album, it's only fitting that I would get my second one less than two weeks after the first one. Of course. But this one's slightly different though! My Aim is True is just Elvis Costello, but Imperial Bedroom is Elvis Costello and the Attractions! They're completely different, I swear. They really aren't though. Making that difference a big deal is liking making a big deal over the difference between Neil Young albums and Neil Young and Crazy Horse albums. It doesn't matter. I don't want to say bad things about the Attractions though. They do a pretty good job with the instrumentals on this album. Of course, Mr. Costello himself also is still here singing in his unique style and writing lyrics pretty well. There's a strong variety in songs on this album. I have respect for this album for switching things up with each song. I can definitely sense a slight Beatles influence on this thing. Perhaps that comes from the fact that this album was produced by Geoff Emerick, who worked with the Beatles on albums like Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, and Abbey Road. Overall, would I call Imperial Bedroom a masterpiece like the promotional material of this album said it would be? No. Honestly, I think I liked My Aim is True more. However, I still like this album. It's not the most essential album for a list like this, but I still like it for what it is. I'm not going to be one of those people who just gives this album a low score because of how many albums Elvis Costello has. I'm going to be fair, damn it! I think this album's a light 4/5.
Favorite Track: Man Out Of Time
4/10 Didnt enjoy this. Vocals are painful to listen and drown out every other aspect Favourite Song=Almost Blue Least Favourite Song=Shabby Doll
Elvis Costello always sounds to me like a guy nursing his midlife crisis by making music that might have sounded cool in the 50s. His singing style is just a case in point. His shtick is seldom working. Mostly, I find it pretentious. 2/5
Nothing to write home about but it was nice to listen too. Didn’t hate, didn’t love it, but I enjoyed it!
Who cares
(vocals-fronted mixing aside) this is a gorgeous sounding, fantastically arranged delight front to back! 8/10
Number of Elvis Costello songs I've now heard: 65 (5 entire albums) Number of Elvis Costello songs I remember: 0 This guy's the king of creating the most generic music imaginable. What a whole bunch of nothing.
Nice storyteller... but repetitive and struggles in the vocals
Bit boring
nice
Wow he influenced a lot of emo era bands
Really well composed songs. His voice sounds just slightly off key to me. 2/5
Why? Why again? :( Best song: Shabby Doll Worst song: Town Cryer
Another Elvis Costello album just a couple of days after the first. I had to look it up and there's 6 Costello albums in total. The sooner I finish the better, this one was worse than This Year's Model. It's just so boring and it all sounds the same. It's nothing special about it, I can't imagine what has been left out to squeeze in 6 of Costello's albums.
Finally. Elvis. I read that I'll get my fill of Elvis, but not much so far. This is a standout album for me. Always a great lyricist in my estimation, it seems musical depth was added. This album veers away from the punk Elvis early vibe and into him as a musician. Ok, not just him, the Nieves (sp?) guy adds to the texture through composition and playing. Long Honeymoon is such a great example. Slower than the music I usually like, this song moves.
Cool 80s stuff, Elvis’ vocals might need some getting used to. There’s still good stuff to be found here though, pretty solid.
Liked the music a lot Maximalist
I actually thought this was good, didn’t recognise any “hits” from it but I thought there was some good track on here and I would listen again definitely.
A few good songs, but mostly mid or weak
I like Elvis Costello, but he is over represented on this list and there are better albums by him (My Aim is True, Armed Forces, This Year's Model). Those should be the only ones on this list
No. 261/1001 Beyond Belief 3/5 Tears Before Bedtime 3/5 Shabby Doll 3/5 The Long Honeymoon 3/5 Man Out Of Time 3/5 Almost Blue 3/5 ….And In Every Home 3/5 The Loved Ones 4/5 Human Hands 3/5 Kid About It 3/5 Little Savage 3/5 Boy With A Problem 3/5 Pidgin English 3/5 You Little Fool 3/5 Town Cryer 4/5 Average: 3,13 Pretty solid album. At times a bit repetitve, but has a few highlights.
Fine but not Costello's best. The horns and orchestration don't match Elvis's style. Pete Thomas drums sound muted and restrained which limits him which is a shame. There are good songs on here but the album as a whole lacks punch. Decent but it's no This Year's Model.
Cool arrangements and good writing.
Best!
Didn't enjoy
I had the same problem with this album as I did Bob Dylan. Great instrumentals ruined by subpar vocal work. 'Man Out of Time' was my favorite. I liked 'The Long Honeymoon' too. Just wish they were covers so I didn't have to be subjected to those vocals.
I don't really like the way he sings.
Aparte unieke zang stijl. niet perse mijn smaak.
blandly pleasant!
This is my third Costello album on this list. Somehow, this sounds much more genuine than the other two. More versatile, complex, and sophisticated than the others before. The production is much better, and so are the instrumentation and lyrics.
mehhhh not for me
I'll admit while I have heard of Elvis Costello as a singer/songwriter/producer, I've only heard one song each from his solo career ("Veronica") and with his backing band the Attractions ("Pump it Up"). This would be my first full album listen to his work. Imperial Bedroom is his sixth album with the Attractions, expanding on their new wave sound to incorporate more orchestral instrumentation and ornate production. It becomes apparent out of the gate with tracks like "Shabby Doll" and "Man Out of Time" that Elvis was striving for perfection with this album. That makes for an experience that can come off as overwhelming at times, particularly with the number of studio overdubs Elvis added such as the vocals layered on the chorus of songs like "Shabby Doll" and "The Loved Ones", the unusual piano passages spread throughout the album, and the odd instrument choices like the harpsichord and mellotron that Steve Nieve contributes. I think I only started getting into the album's groove by the end of side one with the horn-accompanied "...And in Every Home" and realized how rich of a baroque pop style Elvis went for. Imperial Bedroom is certainly an album that rewards the listener with revisiting to pick up on other added details in the mix. I'd say go into this one with an open mind.
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!
An excellent singer-songwriter album with a wide array of musical styles and influences. The songs are particularly wordy, even for Elvis Costello. They’re packed with clever phrases and character descriptions. The music is strong too. The rich arrangements feature lots of interesting details. It’s a dense album with a lot of dense songs and for this reason it’s not a Costello album I listen to often. But it’s hard to deny the craftsmanship of the album. 4.5
This was a nice listen but admittedly didn't do too much for me. I've written before about Elvis Costello on this list and how unfortunately many of his songs come across as good listens in the moment, but are then pretty quickly forgotten. They just seem to miss some level of hook that would keep a chorus on repeat in my head once the record is over. I don't know if it's maybe his voice that has a little bit too much of a soothing / round sound to it that makes him sound more "calming" than "rocking", which I find weird because he definitely wants to rock. I did like the howling at the end of "Man Out Of Time" and there were a few other moments in it that grabbed my attention, but for the most part this was just a passing listen.
This was ok, it seemed like it was front loaded with the best songs and then petered out at the end. Probably would never listed to it again. Favorite songs were: 2. Tears Before Bedtime 5. Man Out Of Time 4/10
Not a fan of his voice, feel like the singing is frequently off key. Emerick's stamp is evident in the recording/production quality though. Man Out of Time was a decent song, but wouldn't seek this one out again.
This was ok but then would be not sure if it was produced bad, or what. But I think I might just not like Elvis.
This was kinda snoozy. I like me some Elvis, but not really this one. Very middle of the road. Album cover: B. Points for effort, but not my style.
I enjoy what I've heard of Elvis Costello so far. This is my first time listening to "Elvis Costello and the Attractions". The album was dragging a little for me until "... And In Every Home". That song rocked, and it really picked up from there. The next half of the album was better than the first half, but still felt a little repetitive to me. I did really like the song "You Little Fool". This is a long album, and having so many songs makes it feel even longer. There's a lot of slow crooning songs, which aren't really my style. I liked the songs enough, but there weren't really any that I'd come back to. I'm surprised to be giving it a 6/10, but a 6/10 it must be. 6/10
first listen some good some bad
Hit and miss, there are outstanding songs and songs that are too involved. They are best when just stripped down and straightforward.
If there is one artist I wish I knew more about, it's Elvis Costello. A fascinating case in which a punk rocker is literate enough to appreciate poets, jazz and blues musicians, but refuses to sacrifice any abrasion or humour or serious songwriting chops. He takes himself seriously enough - meaning not too much that he is an inaccessible bore but not too little in that he's just goofy and inept. Like Warren Zevon or Randy Newman, Elvis Costello may be "your favourite artist's favourite artist." It comes as no surprise to me that this was released as the same time as Paul McCartney's 'Tug of War,' which was engineered by Geoff Emerick who produced 'Imperial Bedroom.' The record has the same despairing British adult contemporary feel as 'The Pound Is Sinking,' a little surprising given that Elvis Costello was only 28 at the time. His youthful energy comes through in brief flashes, like in the charging guitar fade-in of "Man Out of Time." This song is great, by the way. Elvis displays stunning vocal work, especially on lines like, "nothing but an afterthought" or "there's a reputation to be made." Still, while I think the wall-of-sound treatment with shimmering acoustic guitars and drone-y sitar serve the song well, I wish there was more on the album that sounded like the final 8 seconds or so. "Little Savage" doesn't quite cut it per se. Where you want to be is deep in the lyric sheet (or Genius app or whatever). I know that Elvis Costello is a strong tunesmith, but he could have made a great novellist or short story writer. Musicians would simply kill to write lyrics as good as the ones in "Pidgin English" or "Human Hands." Am I dumb for liking the album art? Or just plain duped by a promise of sophisticated taste? B+
I wish I was in a bedroom
It's ok; I sort of 'nothing' this.
Never heard the album before. I appreciate the variety of muscial styles and the performances of the musicians. The songs don't resonate with me. Part of the issue is Costello's voice. It's not just the nasally "I'm not going to try to sing" vocals. It's that he is regularly off key and looking for the note. I would probably rate this album 4 stars if the songs were instrumentals and 5 stars if sung by a proper vocalist.
Yeah, I enjoyed a few things on this, but not really the whole album - maybe I didn't get the entire package as I listened to it in a few sessions.
I'm one of those who actually like his voice. I also liked Beyond Belief. The rest was ok. Perhaps it deserves a deeper listen than I could afford today. And maybe only one song at a time. "Don't get smart or sarcastic he snaps back just like elastic Spare us the theatrics and the verbal gymnastics". Hmm (eyebrow raised)...?
He's generally talented, but I just don't really enjoy listening. Maybe it's his voice, but I was wanting it to be over.
Had never listened to this before. Enjoyed it...would listen to it again.
Great instrumental and production performances and a fantastic album cover painting, but at the end of the day it is all ruined, as it always is by the singing of Elvis Costello, with his narrow range and terrible intonation that keeps the songs from soaring. Another waste of space on the list. I've never understood how Elvis Costello managed to pull the wool over so many critics eyes. Way, way overrated. He tries on different genres, but is not often able to authentically live in them.
I wasn’t terribly familiar with a lot of Elvis Costello’s music before I started this project, but this will be my fourth album of his to review (I’ve already reviewed the three albums that came before this one chronologically). I enjoyed Armed Forces and My Aim is True, but I really didn’t care for This Year’s Model. Based on what I’ve read about this album though, I’m hoping that it will be my first five-star album from Elvis Costello. While this didn’t make the five-star grade, I still enjoyed this album, and I thought it was really well made. I found the first half of the album to be pretty underwhelming, but when I got to the second half, I started to enjoy it a lot more. The songwriting was pretty brilliant across the whole album, and I liked the themes of love and relationships (very fitting for an album called Imperial Bedroom). It was a nice change from Elvis Costello’s previous albums, and I thought the lyrics here were incredibly clever. Elvis Costello is one of the artists on this list who gets a lot of hate for his voice, but I really like his singing. Neil Young and Rod Stewart tend to get a lot of hate as well, but I love their singing too. Costello’s singing is probably never going to come up in conversations about the best vocalists, but I love a distinct voice, and he fits that bill perfectly. Musically, I loved the piano and organ arrangements on this album. Imperial Bedroom had much more of a pop feel to it than previous Elvis Costello works, and I have to imagine that this album had quite the impact on the sophistipop sound that was to emerge later in the decade. There were some great string and horn arrangements on this album too, and I enjoyed the varied styles and interesting song structures. “Beyond Belief,” “Man Out of Time,” “The Loved Ones,” “Human Hands,” “Pidgin English,” “You Little Fool,” and “Town Cryer” were my favorite songs on the album. I didn’t fall in love with this album, but I think it’s objectively really good, and I would be quick to revisit it.
Sure
Ive probably said this before, but I’m surprised that so much Elvis Costello is considered to be essential listens. Before this project, I thought I’d only heard Oliver’s Army. Today’s album is possibly one of my favourite from The Other Elvis. It remains rock music, but feels much poppier and more jangly than some of the other stuff’s I’ve heard. My only critique is global to all of his albums - his voice is a bit weird and I still am not sure whether I think he sounds good or not. Regardless, the final product is definitely enjoyable.
One of EC’s best
Elvis Costello is amazing in small doses. Larger doses get a little tedious at times.
I must say I don't really understand why Elvis Costello has multiple records on this list. I read online that he was praised for his lyrics and storytelling. If that's the case then it passes me by. I mostly find myself annoyed with his voice, and the music feels quite luck laster. Not anything that raises any eyebrows to me.
I just don't get it. There are loads of Elvis Costello on this list and while he has a good song here and there I find most of it kind of forgettable.
Costello is a mine full of inventions