CC00060: Elvis Costello
Submitted by lbangs on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 10:29
Tags:
- My Aim Is True (10)
- This Year's Model (10)
- Armed Forces (10)
- Imperial Bedroom (10)
- King of America (9.5)
- Get Happy!! (8.5)
- Blood & Chocolate (8.5)
- Painted from Memory [US] (8.5)
- The Very Best of Elvis Costello & the Attractions (8)
- Trust (8)
- Girls Girls Girls (8)
- Extreme Honey: The Very Best of Warner brothers Years (7)
- All This Useless Beauty (6.5)
- The Juliet Letters (6)
- Punch the Clock (5.5)
- Out of Our Idiot (5.5)
- Brutal Youth (5.5)
- Almost Blue: Elvis Introduces His Favorite Country Songs (5)
- Spike (5)
- Mighty Like a Rose (4)
- Kojak Variety (4)
- Goodbye Cruel World (3)
Author Comments:
This is an entry in a continuing series I call Critical Consensus. I am averaging the opinions of several excellent music critics to produce a list of each artist's albums. The albums will each have a rating between 1 and 10. The albums will be listed in a recommended purchasing order, so new fans will have an idea of where the best place to start buying an artist's work is. These are not my opinions, although, since I have chosen the critics used (and I'm using many), my taste will perhaps seep through a bit.
Terribly nerdy, I know, but maybe this will help people only now beginning to dabble into certain artists' bodies of work.
I actually Love Kojak Variety and Almost Blue. Certainly different from his early work, but that is what makes Elvis so great. Plus I love country music that isnt created in Nashville. englishmen that play country are either really good or really bad. Nick Lowe, A3, Mark Knopfler off the top of my head.
I actually haven't heard all of Kojak Variety yet. While I can't say I love Almost Blue, I do believe it is an under-rated, interesting album in his body of work. Nick Lowe has done country rather well, hasn't he?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Have you heard A3 (Alabama 3). Interesting stuff, a little too jokey but it works well in some places. Nick Lowe did country so well he got to marry one of the Carter family (Carlene I think).
This might make a good list Country music by non-country Musicians. Ray Charles off the top of my head would be number one.
I've only heard about half of Exile on Coldharbour Lane. My reactions were mainly lukewarm.
Nick did indeed marry Carlene, so I guess he's country royalty (gentry?) or sorts. I was very impressed with his Impossible Bird - I honestly did suspect he had that in him. His early, new wave work is extremely impressive, but a leap from new wave to country is not exactly an expected progression.
Ray Charles would have to be on any non-Country Country music list. No doubt, many of the rock bands who dabbled in country in the 70s could find a place as well (Bob Dylan, The Byrds, etc.).
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Make that, "I honestly didN'T expect suspect he had that in him."
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Wow! I'm amazed at the speed you put up the Costello list.
Being a huge Costello fan, I already have his entries bookmarked or dogeared in the critical sources I consult. I also could probably rattle off the opinion of most of the critics concerning most of his albums from the top of my head. This makes creating a CC list very quick and easy. Thanks.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs