Reviews (page 6 of 8)
I like several Elvis Costello records. This one has lots of cool instrumentation, and definitely influenced some things that came after it. But I just didn't really connect with this album. I don't hate it, but it just never grabbed me.
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
I hear a lot of Squeeze in this! I'm an Elvis Costello fan, but his voice is particularly annoying on this album. I would not recommend this album to folks who are not already in the trenches.
Other than 'Man out of time', this album just washed over me. I don't remember a single note, despite playing it in full, back to back three times.
I was afraid I was going to hate this but I didn’t. I don’t know if this is in any way accurate, since I don’t listen to much Billy Joel, but this reminded me of Billy Joel.
New wave. Ni fu ni fa.
Al final mejora un poco ... menos mal, porque menudo rollazo.
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
3.75
Not the worst album in the world. Not really much to right home about. I liked Man Out of Time and Almost Blue.
just meh
Not my favorite of his. In fact, once he turned 30, it was all down hill.
Charming, varied, tuneful, crisp, interesting. I've never liked Costello's voice more - he avoids the intentionally-obnoxious thing he sometimes does. With more listens it could easily be a 4-star.
That good old Elvis Costello sound. I'm not his biggest fan, but I have to acknowledge, he's pretty good. And very distinctive.
I really enjoyed the album . The first half up to kid about it was my best listen and even though the back half was a lot less accessible to me , it was still good . The vocals are my only concern and it's mainly that I dislike his voice sometimes , but I think that didn't deter me from enjoying the album . Favorite tracks were Tears before bedtime , The long honeymoon, Almost blue and ...And in every Home .
Not my thing. Ok but wouldn’t listen again
He sounds so far up his own ass that he can sing from his mouth again
Yet another Elvis Costello album. The best thing about been dealt another one is that I’m a bit closer to the end of his particular additions to the list (according to the book it’s 6 so 3 to go) It’s not that I don’t like him or his music but a truer reflection of his status on the list would have been to restrict it to just My Aim Is True and Armed Forces which you could argue were groundbreaking albums. This is an album I am not familiar with so I hoped I would be proved wrong and found something new in his music. It starts brightly enough but carries on in the same vein leaving me thinking these collection of songs could be on any of his albums. It’s an alright album but it prompted me to research if he has any connection to the compilers of this list. Nothing found so far so wonder if he stumped up the cash to produce it? 2/5 11/8/24
I typically like his music but I never love his music. I’d say he’s a solid songwriter
2.4/5 listened 2x
4th album of Elvis Costello from the list. Found one song that's more than average. Not on this album though.
Good album! Enjoyed Beyond Belief, Tears Before Bedtime, Shabby Doll, Man Out of Time, and Human Hands. 3/5!
The first half of the album I really enjoyed. But I hated human hands and pidgin English. So I guess neutral?
My last venture with Elvis Costello was Brutal Youth, which was... bad. So, in comparison, this is pretty nice, but it still suffers from the same issues I have with Costello in general. Too often does it sound like he has no clue where the song goes next, as if he is improvising his sung notes, which could be jazzy in a certain way, but just comes off as amateurish, and an orchestral backing can only take you so far. Lyrically it often comes off as just strange, and while it is refreshing to have Costello gently sing to me rather than yell at me for a whole album, it oddly gets old quick. I could see a lot more of these songs clicking with me on a repeat listen, but for now I only continue to see potential, both in Costello himself, but also my possibly enjoyment of one of his albums. One of them has to click with me to a higher degree, right?
Nothing remarkable.
I think this is better than his other work I've heard but I didn't love this one. It's too long and has some duds for sure. I think the instrumentals with a different singer may have a chance but this almost feels like the music in a musical. Like it's trying to accomplish something else so it ends up not being that great at being music. Maybe I'm missing something.
I rolled my eyes so hard seeing this pop up. Elvis Costello will need to work hard to impress me. I don't get it. It's fine. I don't know. It's plain white bread.
This is the secon time in a week that I get Costello, and it really makes him worse.
This album has a nostalgic early 80's charm. The music is subtle and layered, and sorta feels like a soft conversation. It’s reminiscent of early Nick Lowe.. Comforting, though it doesn’t push many boundaries.
It's clear where they got their influences & from and that's not necessarily a bad thing but Elvis' voice??? ehhhhh it gets a bit annoying on tracks like Shabby Doll. I did love some of the keys melodies but overall very mid for me.
This is not my version of Costello. I really liked Blod and Chocolate’s urgency, it’s completely missing from imperial Bedroom. I would say it borders on yacht rock. 5.5/10
Hab die ersten 6 Lieder angehört, Shabby Doll stich raus, sonst klingt alles ziemlich gleich. Nicht schlecht, aber würde ich mir nicht anhören
Not my favorite Elvis Costello album but okay.
Elvis Costello sucks and I would leave anywhere he’s playing in the background.
Not good
Some nice instrumentation, some great chord progressions, it's just not doing it for me. Think it's down to the vox again.
Boring, forgettable, dull. The only thing that stands out is Elvis Costello's voice, and I am not yet sure if that is in a good way.
Album war mir bisher nicht bekannt. Da habe ich aber auch nichts verpasst. Ist nicht der Rede wert.
So boring. Less awful than the other Elvis Costello albums this list subjected me to
The best
Can’t get excited about this.
Inge bra
This seemed more tolerable as background music than other offerings that have cropped up so far on this list…
Man I just do not like Elvis Costello.
This album didn't resonate well with me. I had been on sort of an Elvis Costello and the Attractions streak having received three albums prior to this one. They were all better than I expected. This one, however, was a bit of a disappointment. My guess is that if you are a fan of EC&TA you will enjoy this album. If you're still trying to determine your level of fandom or appreciation, this one will take more time for you. I can only give it three stars.
Nope
Nem fogott meg. Nem elég érdekes, hogy azért hallgassam és nem elég dallamos, hogy csak úgy random berakjam. Stílus se jött be igazán.
Kinda boring…
I try so hard to love Costello, but I never quite make it. I know its good, but to my ears the sound becomes annoying.
Elvis Costello is an incredibly prolific singer/songwriter, who creates music in a range of styles. Imperial Bedroom is his seventh album, and many say this is his best work. This is great collection of pop songs, that have orchestrations that prompts comparisons to the later work of the Beatles. Imperial Bedroom does not include any of Costello's bigger hits, and did not find remarkable commercial success. The critical reception was near-universally strong, and has grown over time.
Fun
New wave. Ni fu ni fa.
I do not care for Elvis Costello, but this is cool enough. Still way too long for the limited amount of distinct ideas that Elvis seems to have.
I keep telling myself that Elvis Costello just isn’t for me. That said he does a pretty good job of convincing me otherwise. I start to get why he is such a big deal for some people. The quieter and more jazzy songs I could have done without to make the record more tight - but it’s really quite good Costello, gotta give you that.
Really good but again, very forgettable. Not a bad 1 star, but not a strong one either.
I wonder if there’s a trend in people’s ratings of Elvis Costello albums depending on what order they were generated. I’ve gone on the journey from ‘oh cool, Elvis Costello, the guy from Austin Powers. He’s pretty good’ to ‘Elvis Costello again? Ok. He’s good but why’s he here so many times?’ And finally I’m approaching ‘Really? Again?’ And my ratings will probably reflect that. I like the album. It has some great moments, I just don’t get why we need quite so much of his really-fairly-similar body of work. We get it. He’s good. He’s not THAT good though, is he?
I'm not familiar with much of Elvis Costello's work. This wasn't bad. I enjoyed it for what it was worth, and I liked it more than some of his more well known singles, but I don't see myself going back to it anytime soon.
This ok. Boring, but ok.
The Loved Ones You Little Fool I tried to enjoy this album but it just felt boring af. There’s no spice it’s just bland
No me pareció la gran cosa. Su otro disco me había gustado muchísimo, pero este se me hace insulso.
Yep, still don't like Elvis Costello
Good album of which I was previously familiar. He's not the kind of guy I seek out but I usually don't skip him when he comes up in a random playlist.
I have to say I wasn’t very inspired by this one.
This was alright. I know Elvis Costello is very influential (and is going to pop up a lot in this list) but this album felt like it was all over the place and honestly just didn't do a lot for me.
Elvis Costello é um nome que me era familiar, contudo não sabia, e após ouvir este álbum não posso dizer que sei alguma coisa sobre ele. Este álbum é bastante, digamos, interessante, costuma flertar com alguns géneros musicais, mas sempre acompanhado por um instrumental robusto. A voz de Elvis é algo agradável, contudo, toda a peculiaridade inerente ao álbum quando estendida numa duração de 50 minutos começa a cansar. No geral é um álbum bem conseguido, contudo não consigo destaca-lo nem recomendar. Sei que o Elvis Costello tem mais álbuns nesta lista para ouvir, após esta experiência fico um tanto curioso pelos próximos álbuns. Destaco a cantiga Man out of Time. Nota: 6/10 Data: 13/06/2024
I struggled to get through this
Sometimes a little funny, sometimes a bit nerdy. Very idiosyncratic either way, and some very cool arrangements at times. Respect, solid 3.5 that was.
Too mellow for me, he has a great sound that has its place and time but nothing special to me.
There are some really good tunes on this
Al final mejora un poco ... menos mal, porque menudo rollazo.
Not bad, but pretty unremarkable. There’s likely a huge overlap with Elvis Costello fans and Bruce Springsteen fans.
More like Imperial Boredom. Yet again another Elvis Costello album that sounds pretty much the same as the others but slightly more 80s. Not a fan, droned on for me.
Another unremarkable entry from Elvis Costello.
Pretty boring
Production is a little too muddy for the songs to really shine
I’m tired of all the crap albums. I’m about done with this site. No way am I doing this for three years.
I like Costello a lot, but this isn't my favorite album of his. Would much rather listen to Armed Forces or Last Year's Model. That said, it's still pretty good.
This is quite a good effort by the unloved Elvis. No standout songs, but still quality all round.
I like Elvis Costello but Jesus enough with the Elvis Costello albums already.
I’d never listened to Elvis Costello before but I thought I knew what kind of music he sang. I was wrong. Meh.
Suprisingly easy listening
Okay
Similarly, to other prolific artists, Elvis Costello recorded several classic essential albums, lots of middle-range, non-essential albums and even some forgettable records, that were a miss-step in his otherwise consistent career. I would place Imperial Ballroom in the middle category. A few good songs on it, though nothing that stands out spectacularly, but overall solid and a decent record. Definitely not a "must-hear", but worth the listen.
I like earlier EC way more than later stuff. This was pretty.
I like Elvis Costello. I like this album. At the same time, I am not sure how to rate it. The lyrics are clever but still kind of opaque and challenging to put into context. At 50 minutrd the album feels about two songs too long. Still a very listenable recording. Town Crier and Beyond Belief are pretty good songs.
Ziemlich gut aber etwas lang
I never heard of them before, honestly as soon as the backing vocals got less annoying this got really really good
Album cover is neat, the actual music is listenable. It's aight. I'm never listening to it again, but I've survived the experience. There were some moments I thought it was gonna do something sick, then it just went back to doing something boring, bland or similar to what it's already been doing. Fav songs: - Man Out of Time
Not a real Elvis Costello fan, but this was alright
I will admit that I wasn't overwhelmed with excitement to see yet another Elvis Costello album pop up on the list. That's five so far, and I have a nagging feeling there's a sixth lurking out there somewhere. I've never been a big fan, and unfortunately, the record did not win me over. Most of the songs had a meandering sense, setting ol' Declan to spew his word salad all over the place and be generally pleased with his own wit.
I'm not listening to another Elvis Costello album.
Last time, I had given my second Costello album 3 stars, same as the first one. I said then, “Maybe he’s got a 4 in him yet.” Reversing course on that one. Enough, Elvis, enough.
Very bland, almost totally unmemorable even as soon as I finished.
The king of the annoying "good guy" nerd music makes an annoying "good guy" mod album that to one extent or another informs the worst of Costello's future (non-)efforts stylistically.
My favorite song from the album was Shabby Doll, I didn't like it enough to add it to any playlists, but there was something catchy enough about it to hit the right spots. I'm definitely in agreement with the people who found his voice unpleasant, I typically found myself interested in where a song might go and then he'd start and I'd be less excited for it.
He definitely has a sound but not for me
I used to think Elvis Costello was a pretentious twat, now I know he is a bit boring too
Best Elvis Costello album in my opinion, but my opinion of his others that I have heard is pretty bad. I just don't really like his voice and delivery, but on this album it doesn't bother me as much. Other than the vocals, the music is great, which saves the album for me.
almost doing things we used to do...
5 / 10 Muy buena instrumentación por momentos estilo Sgt. Peppers. Pero la voz de Costello lo hace aburrido y deprimente.
Pretty good classic
Elvis Costella is another artist that I've been meaning to check out for a while after hearing that he brings out the more artsy elements of New Wave. In a lot of ways, it sounds sort of like an Eno production, with these very colorful flourishes of organ, piano, and bass with a lot of baroque influence, especially on a song like "You Little Fool". The instrumentation paints something sort of abstract, similar to the vocals, it all feels very sporadic and linear in its progression. I love the string and horn combination on the closer track "Town Cryer". Lyrically speaking, Elvis delves into themes of love throughout this album in interesting ways, especially on a song like "Pidgin English". I found the song "Human Hands" to be an almost comedic spin on this album's themes. I can give Elvis a lot of credit on the songwriting front, but his dynamic vocal style doesn't work for me, especially in the middle part of this album. I'm not sure why though, he's not a bad singer, just very derivative to an almost parodical degree. I'm not a fan of the general direction a lot of the vocal melodies go in here either. There are some exceptions like "Human Hands", "Little Fool", "Man Out of Time" and "Shabby Doll", some of my favorite songs here and great new wave songs in general. In the end, while I found this to be a very pleasant listen, I felt like it was held back but relatively uninteresting song structures. All the pieces needed to make this a great album are there, it's just that they don't come together in a way that works for me specifically. For new-wave though, I admire its ambitious nature and cross-genre sensibilities.
Very nice.
One of his best.
From first glance down to the end of the final song, Imperial Bedroom earns its chaotic structural feel and Elvis Costello becomes bestowed with the sort of cape adorning adulation he was seeking since his debut. Whatever raw angst and unbridled anger he oozed with was smoothed out and given not only sheen but genuine ambition. While Elvis singing fifteen songs in the rather nasally vocal styling he possesses, in a little over fifty minutes, may seen grating to the listener, what must be respected and appreciated is the overall scope and craft the songs obtain; one comes away from it having expected one thing but remembers the other, more lingering thing. Whatever plaudits Imperial Bedroom has recieved in the forty plus years since its release is more than well deserved and all Elvis had to do is keep building on it. It appears that he had finally found his niche. Favorites: Beyond Belief, Tears Before Bedtime, Shabby Doll, Man Out of Time, ... And in Every Home, Kid About It, Little Savage, Pidgin English, Town Cryer.
Artwork on album fits the music
I got tired of this album very quickly, the vocals especially sound flat to me.
Not this guy again...
Being a major My Aim is True, Armed Forces, This Year's Model era fan of Elvis Costello when I picked up Imperial Bedroom for the first time I was disappointed in its overall mellowness. I felt it lacked the same obvious energy. I wasn't yet a fan of the more subtle, pop genius elements of Elvis Costello's songwriting, but as I matured I gained a new appreciation for his craft and the quality of this record. I certainly score it higher now than the punk me would then. And yet, I think there's still an undeniable comparative intuition at play in situating this record overall.
Not my favorite Costello
I've never really liked Elvis Costello. I think I could but listening to this album hasn't changed my opinion much. I am slightly suspicious that it has been chosen for the 1001 albums list and has not one of his famous songs on it, nor any of the ones that are less well known but that my other half likes. Is this another "deep cut" or non-obvious not-actually-the-best album by this artist, like a few others that we've had to listen to? Anyway, this features a number of songs that sit somewhere between crooning, punk and pop and don't really feel very satisfying in any of these directions. I just don't get Elvis Costello, really. It sort of reminds me of The Boomtown Rats, in that it's a bit... shit. Sorry, I can't quite find a word for the feeling it gives me. Annoying? Suspicious? Fake? Smug? Something.
Not a fan though appreciate the artistry….
Liked this one more than armed forces. Rating: 3.3
The slower jazz side of Elvis. Not my taste. I bet a different album of his will pop up that I will like more.
I have to say that I did not expect to like this album. I have not listened to it before and if I would have heard any of the songs off of it in the past, I didn't remember them. I have never been a fan of Elvis and didn't really like "Armed Forces", which is the only other album I have ever listened to. I was pleasantly surprised with this record, and think it definitely deserves another listen.
Beginning to think his music isn’t as good as I thought it would be when I first started
4/4/24. Good listen.
Blind album and artist. TIL I don't like Elvis Costello....
6 (SIX) Costello albums!! WTF?? consider this another protest vote.
I have always been an Elvis Costello Greatest Hits person, mostly because he has so many albums I have never taken the time to dive into all of them. Part of what I am looking forward to in this project is going through each of Elvis Costello's albums to see if I like them. Somehow, through 311 albums I have not gotten any of the 49 Costello albums in the book. I don't know if this is considered one of his best albums, but I did like it a lot and am starting to see why he is so highly regarded. His music has never totally hit for me but repeated listenings of this album (and it's not even considered among his best) gets me excited for more Costello in the future.
Rating: 2/10 Awful album. Vocally this album is absolutely horrendous, Elvis Costello sounds awful and sings like he's tone deaf. There are no memorable melodies and instrumentally it's very boring and forgettable. The vocals make this album almost unlistenable, it's shocking how bad the vocals are. Favorite song: Shabby Doll. Worst songs: everything else.
I don’t think I “get” Elvis Costello.
I don’t get Elvis Costello either and while the singing and playing are proficient nothing on this album did anything. It kind of annoy me.
Amazing singing, and the songwriting was pretty experimental for the time
Pretty good. Very modern sounding for 1982.
Just as good as ever
Can’t seem to ever get into Elvis Costello. Not a bad album though, just not my cup of tea.
Elvis Costello is one of those artists I like to grab out of a candy bowl and savor every now and then. I don't want to consume his material all at once because it's so vast and I don't want to get to a point where I have heard everything. I'm strange. I do this especially with artists who have passed and aren't still making music but Elvis is still alive and well and actually made a decent album back in 2020. And now I see he made an album in 2022 that I hadn't even heard of. Anyway, all that to say I have never heard this album but I'm looking forward to it like unwrapping a new piece of candy. So... This candy was not as good as I'd hoped. I could see it being a piece of candy I might try again, but the first try did not wow me. I liked Shabby Doll and The Loved Ones, but the rest just didn't do it for me in one listen. I also like when Elvis Costello sounds a bit more dark and brooding and this album has very little of that sound. Thematically this album can be heavy and somewhat dark, but I didn't feel like the music itself matched the lyrics. It felt a little like Elvis was trying to take some lyrics he wrote and slap them against some music and when I read about how this was recorded... I mean it sounds like there was a lot of experimentation in the studio. For me, it mostly didn't work that well, but maybe it's a grower album.
Very theatrical, very different, very emotional, very consistent.
So, unlike some other reviewers who evidently have Elvis Costello fatigue, this was the first of his to pop up for our group, and it came after 4 metal albums in a row. Consequently perhaps I really enjoyed the change. I'm not a huge fan of his, but this reminded me how creative he is and it was gorgeous to hear some piano after all that guitar. (I like guitar! But Slayer has traumatised me for a bit.) By the last two tracks I'd kind of had enough, but I thought some songs were definitely interesting enough to revisit in future.
Glad to finally hear this album. Clever lyrics, lovely voice and a couple of the earlier tracks I’ll definitely listen to again. By the end, however, it had started to lose its allure a bit so 3 rather than 4 star, but I know there’s more EC on the way and I look forward to those.
I remember this coming out so I was a bit surprised that I didn't know any of the tracks. It was OK. A welcome relief from the heavy, hair, thrash and other kinds of metal we've been exploring in recent days.
One interesting track but mostly boring
Oh no. Another Elvis Costello album. Nothing different or standout about this album from any of his other work.
I’ve been a fan of Elvis Costello since seeing him open for none other than Bob Dylan when I was in college. He did a solo acoustic set that was fantastic. I’ve since listened to most of his catalog, but surprisingly I'm certain I haven’t listened to this one. It starts out great and with a unique sound for Costello with Beyond Belief. Man Out of Time is also great. The Loved Ones is another favorite on the back half, as is You Little Fool. I gave this three listens front to back and liked it a lot more with each subsequent play. It’s a bit of an odyssey in terms of the sound and arrangement of the songs, all featuring Costello’s voice characteristically prominent in the mix, as well as the stellar bass work. It’s an album that could very easily turn into 5 stars with more listening.
nothing really stood out
Bringing the feels with the rock
Little sandwich? At first I was like, sigh, my bajillionth Elvis Costello album but actually was listenable pop
Not my favorite of his
I didn't know any of these songs well before, and don't like any of them much now. Feels loke a whole album of filler tracks, missing the killer song(s) that could have elevated it to "decent". I quite enjoyed some of their other stuff, but this one is not immediate, not interesting after a few listens, just outright not very good. It feels like it's on this list because to author likes it, not because it's actually good or important, and that is a waste of a space in my view.
Good, but never really locked into anything special at any point.
The vocals on this sound like something you'd find on a soundcloud track that has 14 listens and the person recorded on a cheap mic in their bedroom.
No wonder this is called Imperial Bedroom, Elvis sounds like he's about to fall asleep the entire album.
It's alright. If you've heard any other Costello album, and if you've been doing this list you almost certainly have, then you've basically heard this album. If you cut all the Costello and Dylan from this list it would be half as long.
Elvis Costello on helposti top3 kamaa uusien artistien puolesta joita tämä haaste on tuonut itselle. Tykkään ukon soundista ja tämä levy saattaisi olla parempikin ilman juutuupin mainoksia jokaisen biisin välissä.
Muniinpuhalteluks meni tämäkin
There was some intersting songs for me, but personally a bit unforgettable.
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
Through the years there are a number of tunes I've enjoyed by Elvis. This album does not include any of those. Some times his voice works great with some tunes, other times, it starts to annoy. This album leaned to the annoying side. Thought there was solid music, at times, but for the most part, some pretty bland, non interesting songs that I just wanted the album to end. Nothing offensive to the ears, just wasn't my interest. 2.5
2 I don’t disagree with Elvis Costello being on this list, and I think his debut (which we had some 300 albums ago) is a totally valid inclusion… but why the hell did this make it on? There’s nothing overly interesting going on at any point, and the production is just kind of bad… There's way too much going on and it all feels squished together, like nothing in the mix has room to breathe. I can tell he was going for some grandiose things here, but the end result is that it feels like a clumped ball of sound. How the hell did the producer of this work on Sgt. Pepper’s and Abbey Road? And why the hell was this critically acclaimed? I do feel this album benefitted a bit from re-listening, as I was able to start picking pieces out of the rubble and identifying individual songs, but really the only one that I would say I was able to develop a bit of an appreciation for after four listens is Man Out of Time. So I’ll give credit to Elvis C there, that’s a decent track, but the rest of this is just kind of forgettable. The only other positive thing I have to say about anything here is that I thought he was saying “Shabadoo” at first instead of “Shabby Doll” on said track, and that made me think of that bit from The Simpsons when Homer asks Moe about advice for his friend Joey Jojo Jr. Shabadoo. I’m going to link it here so that if you too disliked this album, hopefully this at least bring a smile to your face like it did me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dbi3--k4SM Man, The Simpsons was great back in the day. This album is not. On a side note, according to Wikipedia, the zipper creature things in the top right of the album cover spell out “Pablo Sí” (as a nod to Pablo Picasso), but I’ve stared at this thing for like ten minutes and still have no idea what it's talking about. Is it just me?
Another strong Elvis Costello album. Overrepresented? Yes. Overrated? No. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Man Out of Time Date listened: 28/02/24
Lossless it was fine
There is a LOT happening here. Not every track is a banger but none of it is bad. Much better than I was expecting based on my limited experience with Elvis Costello
Nothing special and something about the songs felt off to me.
Variety whatever
Some cool songs, I like the weirder more theatrical stuff that doesn't seem to be as popular from him. Overall a fun listen.
Not as catchy as his early stuff, but really good
I appreciated all the different sounds that were brought to this album. It was a fun departure from the usual Costello sound, and I thought I might really like it. But I didn't. Despite the cool sounds and harpsichords I really just didn't engage with the songs much. But points for doing something different from the others.
Within in the first couple minutes of our meeting last night, I was quite intrigued and I thought that despite all that I had heard before that maybe I could let all that go and fall in love. Then a few more tracks in and I lost interest. By the end, EC & The As had really over stayed their welcome.
I still don't know why there's so much Elvis Costello on this list but this is good. I liked it just fine.
One thing about listening to FIVE albums from Elvis Costello albums on this project (with and without the Attractions) is I have got to thoroughly consider why it is I don’t really get into Elvis Costello’s music. This album started off with the surprise that I instantly thought Beyond Belief, the opening track, might be a great song - but by the end left me feeling is was a good song. Elvis Costello’s song construction is sort of wandering with subtle wordplay. I might have thought this might appeal to me but instead leaves me anywhere from somewhat unsatisfied to annoyed. The songs I like tend to have great setups, but I never really feel they deliver entirely on the promise. This was sort of in between 3 and 4 to me, but in the end it didn’t quite get there.
Costello, like Dylan, must be famous more his writing and musicality than for his voice - super nasal and thin. I can definitely hear the Beatles’ producer’s influence. This album was really hit-or-miss for me; it was work to get through the first 3 tracks, but then it started picking up. Really enjoyed The Long Honeymoon and Almost Blue.
This album has no pace. This Year’s Model comes in and grabs you but by comparison this album is meandering and bloated. Imperial in the worst ways.
not his best but still a great Costello record. the first six songs in particular are stand outs for me, and Almost Blue is one of my favorite songs of his.
Not awful but not his best. That early stuff is amazing
I like some Elvis Costello songs, but not really any on this album.
Coming off as good a run of albums as anyone .. this is a good album with lots of good songs that shows the changing evolution of Elvis. Great songwriter and performer that is completely versatile. Worth a few listens
Another favorite from the past! Elvis & the boys go into a different gear with this one. Smooth and mature.
Solid album. I liked the guitar tones and effects. Groovy bass lines. Tight drums.
I wasn't all that familiar with this album but it didn't disappoint, perhaps I need to listen to more than just his late 70's stuff.
Elvis Costello is a great song writer and composer. Consistent and prolific. I’m not sure this is the record I would pick for this list but it’s a good one nonetheless.
Not the same energy as his first 3 albums. Maybe a more mature Elvis. Still enjoyed it. Would listen again.
I didn’t like this as much as other Costello Albums. But it was still good, and I’d listen to it again.
One of his best! The songwriting is at it’s a-game, and the arrangements are more varied and unique. It’s unfortunate that the 2 best songs are the ones not available on Spotify, but such is life.
Så tråkigt... ärlighet saknas
(Mai ascoltato prima) Non l'ho ascoltato con troppa attenzione ma mi è piaciuto, mi è sembrato abbastanza variegato ed interessante.
Some nice punky moments, great musicianship, and has aged well. I liked Shabby Doll. It's just his vocals that makes it a 3* rather than a 4* for me.
I always thought that I would like almost every Elvis Costello record. But this one was not aggressive enough for me. Not bad but also not that interesting.
Surprisingly listenable for a Costello album given the lack of his usual vocal hijinx. That being said, it's still a Costello LP musically and just fails to entertain as a result – the songwriting here is about as average as it gets, and there's not much exciting going on instrumentation-wise to jazz things up. Dare I say Elvis needs to do vocal acrobatics to make his music even somewhat interesting?
Enjoyed, can’t remember any of it already
No, thank you. This is not an album that I think anyone has to hear before they die, and I couldnt even make it all the way through (I do make an effort to listen to every complete album on this list). It just sucks. 1/5
I really enjoyed this. It seems to full to the brim with heart and soul. I like his voice, the music was great and I'll be digging into the back catalogue.
Sophisticated arrangements!
One of my favorite Elvis albums and easily one of the greatest 100 of all time.
Going by the reviews it looks like I have a lot of Elvis Costello albums to go, so I'm going to try to hang on to this one as a benchmark. I guess I haven't heard much of him outside of his hits, so I wasn't sure what the expect. I dug the good mix of ballad, jazzy, dense, lush, womp womp, all spaced so there weren't any points I felt it sagging. Happily I bought into his voice early on so didn't have the awful grating experience a lot of others seem to have had. If Wheatus ever pops up on this list there's going to be trouble.
Al final mejora un poco ... menos mal, porque menudo rollazo.3
Grating. Annoying. Insufferable. I keep turning it down and down and down in the hopes that it will stop grating on my nerves SO DAMN MUCH. I am flabbergasted at the praise this album receives. Some songs sucked less than others, but goddamn. I watched the seconds tick down in the final song so I could be sure to turn it off before spotify subjected me to even more of this drivel. Music was fine, but the vocals. My god, THE VOCALS. This is the first album that had me rethinking my desire to complete this project. 1/5
Not bad stuff, but a little repetitive and boring to be quite honest. This wouldn't be something I'd throw on. 5/10
I want to like this album and I do if it's limited to passive listening. The song structures are just not approachable for me. I enjoy the tone of his voice but the lyrics, at least as much as I can understand, are forgettable.
Great vocals and lyrics.
I enjoyed it, but not something I’d listen to often.
I understand why people complain about the number of Elvis Costello albums on this list. I agree as few could be dropped, but not this one. Nearly every of the 15 songs is a modern pop classic with great and witty lyrics. The Attractions are also performing on top level.
Good album, loved the incorporation of orchestra instruments, reminded me of pop music from the 1950s. Sometimes Costello's voice felt too "lazy" and didn't fit the vibe of the song but otherwise it was an enjoyable album. Standout tracks: Man Out of Time, ...And In Every Home.
an elvis costello album i enjoyed! he is a frequent artist in this project, and often i find myself questioning why. imperial bedroom, at least, has a unique sound from what i know about costello's music. most of that uniqueness comes from the instruments used, i think. for instance, the horns in "...and in every home" really made this album enjoyable.
This album was so boring, even with all of its quirkiness and diversity from track to track. There's too much damn Elvis Costello on this project. There just was nothing inspired about this. It just felt very blah.
Costello is very talented at telling a story, setting a scene. He has stronger albums but this one does well
Very good, quite enjoyable. Think Grill and I both liked it.
I like how Elvis Costello crafts melodies, and I think every song is so unique not just from each other but in comparison to other artists too. That being said, I think it made this album both overwhelming and underwhelming. Overwhelming because there was just too much to focus on, and the album didn’t feel like it had a focal point, but underwhelming for almost the same reason: there wasn’t anything it was really building up to. Taken individually I enjoyed these songs and Costello’s songwriting, but I just found the album kinda lagged on when they were following each other. All that being said, it’s not a chore to listen to Elvis Costello, but I didn’t think these songs blew me out of the park like some of his other work.
There’s too much Costello on this list
Fuck, not another Elvis Costello record.... This album is so boring... It's like salted cardboard.... Bland as fuck! It sounds like Costello collaborated with Randy Newman on this record or something... I love the quote (to paraphrase): "this album's singles barely charted" .... So why the fuck is it on this list. If it sold poorly, it's probably for a reason... There is too much of this horse shit on this generator. Favourite songs: Pidgin English, Human Hands, Man Out of Time, ... And In Every Home, Kid About It Least favourite songs: Shabby Doll, Town Cryer, The Long Honeymoon 3/5
not big on this guy
I liked it well enough, but nothing stood out.
Fantastic album! Elvis does exactly what I expect him to do, and that’s also exactly what I want him to do. I don’t think this album has his best or catchiest songs on it, but the whole set of tracks is so sonically pleasing and cohesive that you get wrapped up in it. End to end it’s a delightfully quirky journey I’ll always be glad to go on.
Pareceu como um punk pasteurizado, mas funcionou bem, melhor do que o anterior, não chegou a ser chato.
Chill, feels like music that would be on at Xmas
The opening song, "Beyond Belief" is great lyrics combined with music that builds and stretches the tension fabulously and I love the song. However, I have never become a strong fan of Elvis Costello. He is an excellent writer and musician but something about his general style does not attract me. Too much crooning? Perhaps. A lack of a convincing scream for Man out of Time? Yes, that too. And yet he does bring together a punk sensibility, some excellent ironic and stinging lyrics and isn't stuck in a simple musical genre where everything he creates sounds like everything else. Maybe it is the overly strong syncopation of the lyrics and music? I definitely check out his work as he creates some songs that are phenomenal. But I have yet to love an album as whole. And this one is no exception. Is this an excellent album. Yes. But I don't seem to be among those who it really reaches.
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.
Good album
Beyond Belief - 7.5/10 Tears Before Bedtime - 8/10 Shabby Doll - 8/10 The Long Honeymoon - 7/10 Man Out of Time - 7.5/10 Almost blue - 8/10 And in Every Home - 8/10 The Loved Ones - 7.5/10 Human Hands - 8/10 Kid About It - 7.5/10 Little Savage - 7/10 Boy With a Problem - 7/10 Pidgin English - 8/10 You Little Fool - 8/10 Town Cryer - 8/10 TOTAL - 115/150
Fine. Boring. Elvis Costello has great songs, but unfortunately none of them are on this album.
Oddly bland, merely competent songs from a usually way more interesting songwriter. The songs are fine, just not much interesting happening.
I’ve always liked Elvis Costello, but am far from a completist regarding his discography. I think it’s because some of his music bores me. I had never heard this album before. I liked it, and there’s some strong songs here, but a lot of the album sums up my feelings about most of Elvis’ work: I like it, but a little boring. There are exceptions regarding my engagement with his work, and I’m going to assume they’ll pop up on this list at some point.
Tyypillinen elvis costello -juuston levy. Vai onko se juusto castelloa?
siii 7/10
im gonna need to listen to this 2 or 3 more times i think. there were moments that rubbed me wrong and moments i really loved. My snap judgement would be a 3.5. I could see it growing with repeats though. I'd love to hear a Nick Lowe produced version.
I liked some of it at first but idk it got annoying and boring and I didn't want to listen to it anymore
3.5, I like it but not as driven to relisten
Another Elivs Costello album and this one does not need to be on the list, not a terrible album, but come on the man has enough already, give someone else a chance,
Me recuerda a Psycho Killer fafafafa. Me gustó la voz y los arreglos de piano, sí se siente medio 70s y 80s.
Nice
Genuinely don't know whether to review this as optimistically as "Tepid" or as realistically as "ass water", so I'll split the difference and review it as "tepid ass water".
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?
Baroque pop good lurrcs not my favorite of his tho
I found it quite boring. Not as exciting as his earlier stuff.
Interesting but not quite my style. Nothing is bad, it just doesent grab me thr way it should
World changing…
Do I really have to listen to all these Elvis Costello records before I die??? Nonetheless, this one was meh. Some good tracks ( Man Out of Time, Human Hands) but is outweighed by the stinkers. I’m also not a huge fan of his singing voice. Not sure why there are so many of his records on this list.
Little too long for me, if you cut two last songs it would be perfect. Nevertheless it was nice listen.
It’s Elvis Costello. Nothing groundbreaking and not sure why there’s more than 1 of his albums
Previously rated: Armed Forces (3/5) My Aim Is True (4/5) ************************ There is nothing really terrible here. It's all just so dull and boring, especially compared to the last Elvis Costello album I got. His vocals just don't do it for me. Now that I've gotten three from the lesser Elvis out of the way, are there any Elvis *Presley* albums here?
Again I say Elvis Costello would have been more influential if he didn't have to compete with Bruce Springsteen. He is constantly trying to one up the Boss and seems to come up short. I could not get through this album. Just uneventful and lacking genuine emotion.
I like!!
Pretty great selection of early hits
best EC album i've heard yet, but i'm still not sold
Sure, I like Elvis Costello.
I am a huge Elvis Costello fan but this album just doesn’t hit like his earlier work. It has some good songs but this album doesn’t reach the heights of his 1970’s albums. Still, mid-grade Elvis Costello is better than top shelf most other artists.
I was hoping for something better than what this album is. It's not Elvis Costello's best effort.
Like the other 500 Elvis Costello albums on this list, it's plenty enjoyable. Just not something you "must hear" at all to me. It's fairly standard, if well-made, pop rock.
2/5 not of my taste
I started this yesterday and got bored. I started again this morning to rate and am still not really clicking with it. It's not unpleasant but I don't think it's all that good. The album artwork is very interesting, to say the least. Shabby Doll and Pidgen English feel like they could have been good but are somehow boring. The Long Honeymoon has some good sound. It appears to be the second most popular song on the album so that make sense. Gives travel vibes. I don't know what it is about this album. It's not bad musically but I feel SO BORED.
This album is pretty funky and really out of the ordinary with the vocals in my mind. I wish the dude would stop talking all the time. He never shuts up and he's not really adding positive things to this album. I like the keyboard and other jazzy instruments but I really wish this dude would shut up. It's like a karaoke bar singer who is way too full of himself, and way too full of cheap margaritas. Pigeon English is probably my favorite on the album but I would probably not add it to my liked songs. Plus one star because the rest of the band is pretty with it.
Beyond Belief is almost good. Reminds me of Vampire Weekend maybe. Shabby Doll is similar where it's almost good but keeps doing weird stuff. Man Out Of Time picks up the energy for a bit especially with the hootin' and hollerin' at the end. Not necessarily good still... Almost Blue is jazzy and seems to make the vibe make sense. Showcases the singer's voice nicely too. Pidgin English and You Little Fool had something going on but then he gets weird again on Town Cryer. This guy's voice is a little annoying. Like he's always off key kinda? Maybe there's something interesting going on musically but I'm not catching it. The vibe on here is kinda sleepy too. The guy can sing when he feels like it and band is good but it seems like they should be doing a different style where their skills would better apply.
Fine
Sorry mr Costello I was busy at work this was kind of just background noise. To be relistened.
The instrumentation is fine, but to me this just sounds like a goofy version of the Beatles. I can’t take his voice seriously, and I don’t particularly like it.
Two songs in I knew this was a great example of a certified banger©
this was a very neato album urrm. nothing too special about it, but i enjoyed listening
Пойдет
Although I didn't love this album, I did have a fun time exploring some of Costello's hits afterwards. Some songs just struck a lovely chord - added a few to my rotation. Top song was "The Long Honeymoon"
I respect the heck out of Elvis Costello. I understand this is good, well-written music. I just haven’t found an album of his past This Year’s Model that I have connected with.
Nothing really stood out to me
Such a pretentious album. I felt like an idiot for not appreciating it more.
Truly no aspect of this album seems great to me. The vocals, the band, the lyrics were all adequate I guess, but how this is on a list of greats, even a list 1000 long is beyond me. It is saved from a 1 star score only because the music isn't actively bad, but at least 1 star albums are memorable, this one I will forget as soon as I finish. No favorite track. Ok I actually changed my mind, the music is bad, 1 star.
Conflicted on this album, starts out horrifically slow and dull. Picks up about halfway through and some decent tunes in the back half. Curious what his other albums on this list sound like now…
Doesn't feel very urgent?
A little bit of a front loaded album. Some good songs at the beginning, some pretty rock and roll, but overall kinda just okay
Eh
Vond zijn stem op sommige nummers prettiger dan andere.
I don’t get it. Feels like music for younger male boomers?
Actually the most annoying album on here because EC has produced brilliant stuff over the years. This is total wank.
Not bad, and an easy listen, but dull and lifeless and he's so much better than this album shows
Shit
Ok album. Nothing outstanding to me though.
why so much elvis costello?
Meh
Elvis Costello was the first band I ever saw in concert, around 2003. This is a weird album. I can't say I like it more than the other stuff I've heard from him that i'm familiar with, that's for sure. It's not poppy like the other stuff. he's like doing his typical nerdy-voiced stuff but it's got this beatles-esque slant to it (also likely attributed to the producer). There is no doubt that the musicianship is great and same with the production, but I'm not sure what the impact of it is in the long run looking at this from 2023.. I like mellotron. The back half is better than the front half. Review of Reviews: People are bored by Elvis Costello and so am I. Best Track: The Loved Ones
Didn't enjoy this, which was surprising because I was quite a fan of their earlier stuff.
Album for a rainy day.
Decent.
Reasonable
I don’t mind Costello but I don’t really see why this is on the list. I think it is his attempt at a Sgt Pepper style album. The ballads just make me feel nothing, that style doesn’t appeal to me at all. I think Sgt. pepper had survived the test of time (as has Costellos late 70s stuff) whereas this just sounds dated.
Didn’t like, couldn’t stand his voice
Costello is becoming an artist I'm conflicted about, as his debut album was brilliant, but each album of his I've heard since has struggled to reach the high of My Aim Is True. Shame.
3.5
2.5 - I mean, it's better than some of his other albums, but still nothing special to me at the moment. Maybe I could see myself liking this more upon relisten, but I say that very hesitantly.
rich, almost too rich
The wrong Elvis
Costellosta tulee mulle aina mieleen joku sellanen älykköversio Kari Peitsamosta! Tämä levy on musta tyylikäs kokonaisuus jota on ilo kuunnella. 4/5
Hyvää musaa, vaikken vieläkään kokenut suurta Costello-valaistumista.
Avausraita (joka ikävästi puuttuu yllättävän monesta paikasta) kiinnostava, muuten aika basic rock-levy. 3/5
Eh. Just doesn't do it for me. I don't like it, but I don't hate it.
Good
not bad
I usually don't understand Elvis Costello, but there a few songs of his I adore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIzTXbixEaQ) I would need to listen to this one more to get a vibe and I aint got time. 3 stars.
Alright
It was somewhat bland. Nothing really happened.
nah 2*
Mér þykir eitthvað svo vænt um þetta.
Ég verð að fara hlusta meira á Elvis Costello. Jú, röddin er ekki mitt uppáhald, en hún hentar þessum lögum ansi vel og þetta eru mjög áheyrileg og ágæt lög. Ég stóð sjálfan mig að því að renna þessari nokkrum sinnum.
much more enjoyable than the previous 85 Elvis Costello albums the generator served up
solid, didn't blow me away.
Some decent bits but didn't really do much for me
Beautiful voice. The sound and quality seem to be ahead of its time. Every song could go on a different playlist. Definitely worth further digging into their library. High 3
So many Elvis Costello albums on this list and so many opportunities to realise I cannot stand the way he sings
All new to me. Like most of his albums, I might obsess on it for a few hundred listens.
For me, no amount of production can help the fact that I really am not a fan of Elvis Costello. I think the singer songwriter thing really requires one to be locked into the way an artist writes, and I just can’t get there with EC. This is another one of those records where people love to write endlessly about the production, but in the broader landscape of music, the production really didn’t feel all that special. Maybe I just didn’t get it, idk.
Wow. I did not expect to hate this, but I seriously hate this. What’s the vibe here, Circus rock? Sgt. Pepper’s bloated farts club band? What a tedious pile of crud. Skipped halfway through almost every song, and there’s no way in hell I’m making it through the whole album. Terrible!
The saddest part of this is I LIKE Elvis Costello! But this was a rough one. There’s a few genuinely great tracks on here, but they’re sandwiched between such bloated and repetitive songwriting. I should’ve known from the start when this was advertised as his “masterpiece” that it would be overblown and pretentious. I struggled to even get through the whole thing.
I get it now, it’s surprisingly cool. At points it drags, but when Costello is on point he’s on point. That being said his more rock/punk tracks are cooler, but I think I understand why this album is here
Was not a fan of this album this should have stayed in the bedroom 1/5