Crowded & Costello

is the pope catholic?

is a pigs arse pork?

is the peoples republic of china pretty damn big?

do bears sha-la-la in the woods?

i have, of course, voted yes and if i were the leader of a small cult (i got voted out last weekend) then i'd encourage my humble followers to vote that way too (otherwise they'd be repercussions, being a cult and all....)

Yes, they are different but the pop craftmanship is the same. Great songs are great songs period.

I also was so lucky to see Elvis Costello and Neil Finn live twice in the last year! And the concerts were all fantastic, the best four concerts of my life!
edit: derrrr, how comatose am I? I saw Neil 3 times this past year, that would make it the best 5 concerts of my life...it's early in the morning...

Don't think I would bracket Elvis and Neil together.

Elvis hasn't impressed me for nearly 20 years, whilst Neil still provides ample evidence that his song writing has a lot more to offer. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Elvis, but nothing after Imperial Bedroom has had me thinking that he's made another classic album. Get Happy is one of my all time favourite albums, and Trust is pretty impressive too. I also saw Elvis play Liverpool in the mid 80's and this was one of the best nights entertainment I've ever had.

Elvis was a great songwriter, Neil continues to be a great songwriter.

I agree with most of what's been said here but can't put Elvis on a personal par with Neil...he's way up there but his recent work has not grabbed me like his 80's stuff did. Good question though and I suspect you'd find many other Costello fans lurking elsewhere on this board.

I had to vote "no", but only cause I don't enjoy his stuff quite as much. I do like Elvis a whole lot though.

Elvis is OK. Elvis is also prolific. Sometimes too much so. Like the Burt Bacharach sessions. Elvis may have put out as much great material as Neil, but his percentage is far lower, because he just cranks out so much. So, NO.

I would offer up Sam Phillips, Kate Bush, Difford & Tilbrook, um...

It's funny that you mentioned that Burt Bacharach album because I was just listening to it on the way to work this morning. I think that album is fantastic, it's one of my favorite Elvis Costello albums. I know that Elvis Costello has always been a huge fan of Burt Bacharach's music and he has been performing his songs in concert for years.
That is one of the things I love about Elvis Costello. He has this huge love of American Roots music and other music all around and he really wears his influences on his sleeve. Even before he had a record contract he performed honky-tonk songs on a radio show in England. He recorded an album in Nashville. He worked with some of Elvis Presley's sessions musicians on the album King of America, which by the way is at least one incredible album that was released after Imperial Bedroom. I also think that Brutal Youth and his lastest album When I Was Cruel are amoung some of the best he has ever done.
Because of his many influences and his enthusiasm for them I agree that he has been too prolific in some instances. But, it's what I really enjoy the most about him too.
I know that people on this forum are not all going to be crazy about him though, this is a forum for Neil, Crowded House, Split Enz etc....

King of America - no not one of my favourites, in fact I think this is when I finally gave up on buying Elvis's records... there were some good songs on there (The Big Light, Suit Of Lights, Jack of All Parades spring to mind) OK but not a classic album.

To keep it related to Neil/CH: I still want to hear new stuff from Neil, but I can let Elvis's new stuff pass me by

I voted yes, but I do agree about Elvis' consistency or how prolific he is though.

Still, great great songs!

thanks jenn for articulating what i feel about the man. like you i too think the bacharach collaboration is great. 'when i was cruel' also shows the talents of a man back at the top of his game and 'king of america' would be the elvis album i'd take with me to a desert island so enamoured am i with it (cue bob memery : 'i'll pay the fare' LOL). 'sleep of the just' blows me away every time i hear it.

i think the reason i'm in awe of neil�s talents are the same as i why i admire elvis so. they're both brilliant, challenging lyricists, intelligent storytellers, always open to different interpretations. some times i may raise an eyebrow at the music that accompanies those lyrics, there are definitely some songs from both cannons that i struggle to sit through because of their overall sound more than anything else.

elvis' back catalogue is of course phenomenal in size and his live shows, always 2 hours+ are terrific entertainment and value for money. even today i would argue he is still relevant in terms of popular music. whether he is still popular is irrelevant to me and, i'm sure, him.

we need people like elvis, neil, aimee mann et al to steer us clear of the mediocrity in music that dominates. long may they continue to strum and hum.

Uh-oh, don't get me wrong about Elvis. I mean, I saw Elvis at Poplar Creek, 3rd row, with Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack and someone else, I forget now... And they were fantastic. I also saw Elvis circa 1979 or 1980-ish playing fast and furious with his original band. I love him... Imperial Bedroom...one of the best records ever. Heck, I have all the reissues...

Dr Hfuhruhurr, do you have a thing for Dr Strangelove?

quote:

Originally posted by suenotsusan:
[qb]

Dr Hfuhruhurr, do you have a thing for Dr Strangelove?[/qb]

how did you know that? LOL. yes i've loved that film for a long, long time.

i think it's so relevant to the mood of the world right now and that quote sums up all the absurdities that fly around at times like this. anyhow, we're probably not allowed to talk about that here.

peter sellers is also a long time fave of mine.

I couldn't vote in the poll because there was no option for listening to Elvis Costello MORE than Neil! That's currently true for me thanks to my MP3 CDs.

True, True, True! All true, and wonderful.
I was honestly pondering the other day whether if I had to live with one artist's collections of music for the rest of my life if it would be Neil or E.C. So hard!
What's funny, is that while they both continue to refresh the music scene again and again, they are both pretty controlled and "normal" in chord progressions and flow. What makes them different is not that they are so "out there", but that they are able to arise out of the trash we are surrounded by, always representing beauty, and truth.
Elvis is more dramatic and complexical, Neil more lax and universally truthbearing. Perhaps that has something to do with their personal lives--Elvis having a divorice, and Neil having a pretty stable family life.
I would argue, and please let me know if you agree with this or not, that Elvis Costello's weakest skill in songwriting are his bridges(Shabby Doll). They are awkward and sometimes give me the impression that he has just thrown it together. His strongest point, contrary to Neil, are his verses (Shipbuilding).
Neil, however, is a master of bridges and is sometimes awkward at his verses (In My Command).
And just when I think that Neil is very diverse, Elvis puts out an album that mixes spy music, pop, country, rock, grunge, etc...
Not to put Neil down, but I think most European artists have more advantage over this sort of thing--since they are surrounded by so much cultural atmosphere.
Neil sometimes sounds European (Try Whistling This), but he is mostly limited to his island surroundings.
Despite all this, I love them both and use them as my inspiration and musical fulfillment.
Have I gone on too long?

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www.suprean.com

quote:

Originally posted by Dr Hfuhruhurr:
[qb]

quote:

Originally posted by suenotsusan:
[qb]

Dr Hfuhruhurr, do you have a thing for Dr Strangelove?[/qb]

how did you know that? LOL. yes i've loved that film for a long, long time.

i think it's so relevant to the mood of the world right now and that quote sums up all the absurdities that fly around at times like this. anyhow, we're probably not allowed to talk about that here.

peter sellers is also a long time fave of mine.[/qb]

Your sig line gives it all away

LOL! Down here in Australia they showed the episode of the Simpsons with Elvis Costello in it! They even played Pump It Up!

Ok maybe that was quite irrelevant to the thread but oh well...

Originally posted by Mlee Mains:

quote:

I was honestly pondering the other day whether if I had to live with one artist's collections of music for the rest of my life if it would be Neil or E.C. So hard!

Yep, that would be hard for me too.

There is at least one "connection" between Neil Finn and Elvis Costello: Mitchell Froom plays on King of America, and I think he worked on that right before he went on to produce the first album by Crowded House. Everytime I listen to the organ part in "I'll Wear It Proudly" I always think of the organ part in "Don't Dream It's Over" - anyone else?

Had to vote Yes. My top 3 artists of all time always start with Neil first, Elvis second (and though it's close sometimes, I don't own every note like I do Neil, or belong to a fan club or email lists), and it rotates after that between folks like XTC, REM ( I did go to school in Athens, after all), Beach Boys, etc.

After the Elvis/McCartney collaborations, I've always been interested in a Neil/Elvis effort. I'd love to see that, or hear Elvis cover 'Into Temptation,' as I've heard him say he'd 'give his right arm to have written' that song.

You know, I don't think I've ever heard anyone mention XTC on here, but almost everytime I play Finn covers at the coffee shop, people walk up to me and say "was that XTC?". Hmmm, interesting. I guess there is a link between Elvis, Neil, and XTC.

you know this is so strange (another twilight zone moment here) as i've been playing xtc's 'mayor of simpleton' on repeat play in my car this weekend. if anyone wants it sung at a wedding, christening, bar mitzvah, birthday bash, etc. this weekend, then i'm your man.

incidentally i notice that the elvis costello messageboard has been closed down because of 'uncontrolled offensive language and name calling'.

i'm glad we're all nice here .

quote:

Everytime I listen to the organ part in "I'll Wear It Proudly" I always think of the organ part in "Don't Dream It's Over" - anyone else?

jenn i know exactly what you mean. in 'i'll wear it proudly' the organ comes in right at the end and is faded out, IMHO, far too quickly. it always gives me a shiver that bit just like the DDIO playing.

Thanks Dr! I hope you guys get a chance to see the Grammy's some time over there. Elvis did a kickin' tribute to Joe Strummer of The Clash along with Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl. They all performed "London Calling" together. Awesome!
Then Elvis and Peter Gabriel presented an award with singer Michelle Branch. She was standing between them. Wish I could've been in that "sandwich"

Yes, and speaking of that tribute, you can see the performance! Just go to this link http://springsteennews.net then click on downloads, then London Calling.
I missed it last night, so I was very happy to see that I could watch it on my computer. It rocks!

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www.suprean.com

LOVED the cover of London calling on the Grammy's.

I was waiting the whole show just to see it. It's one of those moments where you sit through a show quite bored, but you know theres just that one spendid moment worth waiting for.