OT: Elvis Costello plays Countryish tunes

[BongoBoy]

So I never heard about this until 3pm today.

I usually have a good old Canadian coffee from Tim Hortons (has more alcohol) but today I was helping grab coffee for some others, off to Starbucks.

There they have a CD EC, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane.

I saw it was produced by TBone Burnett (one of my fav's) so I took a shot. I have been looking to get some Elvis but didn't know what to get.

Then I find out it's pretty well Country and Bluegrass Elvis style ?! YeHAAAAW !

Sorry, I know some of you hate Country but I have really come to appreciate the old school rootsy song writting.

This is a GREAT acoustic album.

Thanks Goodness Spectacle got me back to Elvis. I had forgotten just how awesome he is.

Did you guys know about this ?

Fuckin A !
BB.

[smudge]

I think it was released at the beginning of the month over here BB. I haven't listened yet - bar a short snip on the radio late at night, while half asleep. I'm with you on appreciating the rootsy - in whatever genre. Thanks for the nudge to purchase

ETA: From another thread - 'Bang along in time with guitars' ? I think your talents extend beyond that sir, but I have to ask - where did you find guitarists who can keep time and count?

(I'm sooooo going to get smacked down for that, aren't I?)

[BongoBoy]

heh,heh, the reason the guitarist can follow is cause it's me too. In music I try my best to be like Q from Star Trek TNG. Simply everything. Controlling yes, but no-one gets fired...YET, yea, I'm lookin at you (me).

About Elvis's's's new album.

I'm not sure how an Elvis fan would like it, y'know like how Led Zepp fans would enjoy Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's album. It seems like a full Countryish album, I haven't had a concentrated listen, tonight. When I hear that slide Dobro acoustic...ahhh... like Copelands Blue Bell ride, sweet.

But T-Bone can produce an album, Man he's good, great player too.

Cheers, Man.BB.

Roots, Roots ya gotta have Roots.

[smudge]

[quote="BongoBoy"]heh,heh, the reason the guitarist can follow is cause it's me too. In music I try my best to be like Q from Star Trek TNG. Simply everything. Controlling yes, but no-one gets fired...YET, yea, I'm lookin at you (me).[/quote]

No idea about the Star Trek reference, but your music-making setup sounds like my 'household'. If there are stinky socks on the bathroom floor there's nobody to yell at, but on the upside there aren't any arguments about what to cook for dinner.

"About Elvis's's's new album.
I'm not sure how an Elvis fan would like it, y'know like how Led Zepp fans would enjoy Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's album. It seems like a full Countryish album, I haven't had a concentrated listen, tonight. When I hear that slide Dobro acoustic...ahhh... like Copelands Blue Bell ride, sweet."

You lost me on the Dobro reference as well, but I can think of one mate of mine who is a huge fan, and will love Elvis in country mode. Likewise, I have friends who go into the musical equivalent of anaphylaxis at any hint of a country twang.I'm guessing they won't be so keen. Guess that's why there's chocolate and vanilla (and mango sorbet). Takes all sorts.

I'm looking forward to hearing it. Thanks mate!

[TheEqualizer]

I am a huge Costello fan, was eagerly awaiting the release of this CD, and purchased the CD the first day it was released.

My initial impression - not to my tastes. Well done, that is for certain. Just does not suit my tastes.

[Rusty James]

[quote="BongoBoy"]...But T-Bone can produce an album, Man he's good, great player too.
Cheers, Man.BB.
Roots, Roots ya gotta have Roots.[/quote]

Yep, our band used to cover T-Bone Burnett's "Monkey Dance" from The Talking Animals album.
I hope Costello has him as a guest on Spectacle.

[animal]

Found this on the UK Telegrpah website..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/musi ... rview.html

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Saw him play three hours last night at the Ryman with many of Nashville's finest. Yep, it's pretty heavy-duty CW material - and he played a couple of straight up standards: "Race is On," by George Jones, and "Friend of the Devil," by the Grateful Dead. Honestly, it was kinda fun to hear VU's "Femme Fatale" and Costello's own "Alison" get the bluegrass treatment. Plus, I had never thought of "Peace Love & Understanding" as potential roots music, but it was great.

Ya know, the man clearly can sing whatever he wants. This is one of his more esoteric experiments and I can see how it won't work for some people. But just getting to see him play three hours with some seriously accomplished musicians was a great time.

(Unfortunately the gig was the same night as the Country Music Awards, so the venue wasn't quite full....but the band played, seriously, five encores.)

Anyway, I'll write more as I think of it, but we're under one of the ubiquitous tornado warnings (not my immediate area but close enough I'm keeping an eye on things, so I better hop off). Hoping to get to go see the Meat Puppets a little later tonight as well, keeping fingers crossed...

[bella]

I love Elvis. Seen him twice in the past....[make that three times if you count a certain little shindig last August]. Once in a amphitheater. Great show. Another time in a club...simply. amazing.

I haven't felt compelled to get this album because of the genre. I'm not much on country music so hopefully I'm not missing anything.

[empty]

Thanks for the review Dive. I'm off to see him here when he gets here, and then to see himself AND the Impostors playing at a casino in the desert. Now THAT sounds like a good place for a country show....

[luddite lady]

BB, I bought Elvis' new CD when I was downtown after the panel discussion with Andy. I haven't given it a really good listen yet but found it pleasant enough as music to drive to.
EC and the Sugar Canes will be playing at Massey Hall in Toronto during the tour to promote this CD. I think the show is Aug. 28, same as Stewart's La Jolla gig. Since the genre of music isn't quite my thing, I still haven't decided if I'll take in the show or not. I'll make up my mind after a serious listen to the CD. EC has made forrays into this sort of music before. I've generally liked the results, but for me, nothing can trump the stuff he does/did with the Imposters/Attractions.

Am I going to start giving you Elvis Costello up-dates now too Bongo? This is starting to become a full time job! Being your personal customized wire service is still more fun than my real job. So it's all cool.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I mean, don't get me wrong: I have precisely zero objectivity about Elvis. He could literally stand there and sing scat all night and I'd be out of my mind with glee, so take it all with a grain of salt.

That said...um.....Some of the songs are a little hard to sit through. They're long and there's lots of lyricism which may not be all that accessible.

On the other hand, for realz, he's got some Nashville royalty behind him. Jim Lauderdale alone is worth the price of admission, in my book. It's just incredibly competent musicianship, which is always good to witness.

For my money, tho, I suspect he does these gigs because he's tired of playing the classics year after year. Think about it; he recorded three songs that were staples of his live sets opening for the Police ("Cain," "Angels", "Alison") thirty-some years ago. He's so multitalented it really doesn't surprise me that he gets bored with the rock genre from time to time, although I'll agree it's the style of music where he really excels.

Tho - ha - he played all those songs I just mentioned in bluegrass style. So maybe that's fun for him as well. They were great.

Perhaps we're encouraging him on the country bent here in Nashvegas, where the crowd always eats up his gigs with a spoon; last night was no exception. Every time the band would try to leave the stage, folks would go bananas, so they just kept performing more tunes. Although it was a real shame the joint wasn't full, due to the awards ceremony, the entire band seemed to get a gas out of how much the crowd loved the set.

Hopefully I did my part, wearing my Nicklowe.net "Peace Love Understanding" t-shirt and screaming my head off from the fourth row (thank u, Elvis fanclub, for fixing earlier presale debacle )

[luddite lady]

EC played "Cain" when he opened for The Police? He didn't any of the nights I saw him. That would have been sweet! It's one of my favourites. I see your point about playing the same thing the same way for thirty years. It's nice to see him change things up a bit.
I'm starting to get tempted to see his show. If I can't go to La Jolla, I might as well have some fun closer to home that day.

[TheEqualizer]

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-deta ... ?id=254139

Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville TN
June 16, 2009

Excellent audience recording . Amazing
show that was almost 3 hours long.

01 intro
02 mystery train
03 all time doll
04 tonight the bottle let me down
05 down among the wine and spirits
06 blame it on cain
07 our little angel
08 femme fatale
09 i felt the chill
10 the delivery man
11 the butcher's boy
12 indoor fireworks
13 hidden shame
14 condemned man
15 friend of the devil
16 five small words
17 she handed me a mirror
18 everyday I write the book
19 she was no good
20 little palaces
21 complicated shadows
22 brilliant mistake
23 red cotton
24 the crooked line
25 american without tears
26 angels want to wear my red shoes
27 i don't want to go home
28 the big light
29 allison / he'll have to go / he's got you
30 the race is on
31 sulphur to sugcane
31 the scarlet tide
32 peace love and understanding
33 changing partners

If you listen closely, you can hear Dive clapping

[Tamadude]

[quote="TheEqualizer"]If you listen closely, you can hear Dive clapping [/quote]