Gavin B.

I'd love to hear the full content of the Costello/Frisell set. To my knowledge the EP has never been released in the USA. Frisell is an awesome guitar player. In the late 80s and early 90s Frisell was associated with the avant garde downtown jazz movement in New York and recorded a couple of albums with John Zorn. Frisell's distinctive playing can also be heard as Costello's session guitarist on the Juliet Letters (1993) and The Sweetest Punch: The Songs of Costello and Bacharach (1999). Frisell's playing is unique because the timbre of his Fender guitar swells and breathes like saxaphone and often has the lush tonality of a pedal steel guitar.

This is a bit off topic but has a marginal relevance to an overview of Costello's music. I recently heard Elvis Costello mention on his syndicated show Spectacle that his father a jazz and big band vocalist of some noteriety. Elvis went so far as to say his father was (and still is) a better vocalist than he is.

Costello's claim got me curious and I found out his father's name was Ross McManus and I came across this amazing YouTube video of Ross McManus playing conga and singing Patsy Girl with the Joe Loss Band at the 1964 New Musical Express Big Beat Show. The song was a minor bluebeat/ska hit in England. The physical resembalance of Elvis Costello to his father is striking. McManus really does have a fantastic voice and Costello's vocal phrasing is very similar to his father's.

I'm guessing that many Brits are already familiar with Ross McManus' musical career and his paternal relationship to Elvis Costello but McManus is virtually unknown in America.

Bulldog

There definitely is quite a resemblance. I mean, blimey, they even wear the same kinda glasses! I've read about Ross McManus aka Elvis Costello's Dad's music career before, but hadn't heard anything of his work before now, so thanks for that post. He has, of course, got a much deeper voice than his son, but I can hear a resemblance between the pair of them there as well.

Speaking of Ross and Declan (aka Costello), I don't know how many of you have seen this old R White's ad before, but it was filmed in '73 and not only features Ross' singing, but that bloke with the glasses there is, you guessed it, a pre-fame Elvis Costello...



^ It is, of course, hideous, like just about every other TV ad out there, but an interesting little curio.

I'm a bit clueless about Frisell's career when he hasn't played with Costello, but as I said earlier, he really does have this very authentic, unique sound to his guitar which enhances that setlist so much. I'm not sure how you feel about downloading stuff, but if you want a link to the album, PM me and I wouldn't mind sending a link your way.

michelle_elle

used to listen to "I want you" in repeat mode whenever a big breakup occurred :-P

Elvis Costello is one of the best 'makes you wanna laugh/cry/any other emotion' artist of our time

Bulldog

Damn straight I Want You can actually be a reasonably unsettling song as well - very lo-fi and very bloody miserable. And speaking of good breakup tunes, this one gets pretty close to the bone for me;



^ Crap album, great song (that 80s production style actually enhances it for me.

Also, providing I can find the thing, I'll be going over one of the man's DVDs here fairly soon(ish)...

storymilo

I like you; please stay at the forum.

My dad was actually seeing Elvis Costello once, at an acoustic set, and he was in the middle of I Want You, at an almost heart-breakingly emotional moment, when some ******* in the audience just screamed out "BUDWEISER!"

Bulldog- Do it! I don't have any dvds by him

Bulldog

I've only got enough to count on one hand, so I'm not doing much better than yourself! There are only a couple of them that are really worth having anyway, at least with the official releases anyway. And, yeah, I was gonna have this review done and dusted by now, but I've been quite a sick guy lately (still not quite 100%), and when I haven't been I've been working, so haven't really had the time. I'll update this thread with something more worthwhile than yet another 'I'll update this thread soon' post, don't you worry

The Fascinating Turnip

Well, this thread made me want to check out Elvis Costello.
And i've got to say, I've been listening to Trust today, and I have no regrets.
I'll have to give it a lot more listens, but i liked the dancing beat in Clublands and the Lover's Walk. I also enjoyed You'll Never Be A Man, Shot With His Own Gun (sounds very "poet like" to me for some reason), Fish 'N' Chips Paper, Gloomy Sunday (great song, great lyrics) and Boy With A Problem.
I can't believe i missed this great artist/lyricist. Looking forward to check out more of his work, although i want to find more gems in this one...i mentioned few highlights. I can't believe the only thing i knew from him was a version of She...

loveissucide

This thread hath been a godsend to my ploughing through his vast discography.I've started giving his albums to anyone who I think'll listen to them at all, and I have Bulldog to thank/blame.

__________________
www.last.fm/user/p-mccusker
http://www.mixcloud.com/pmccusker
www.valjester.wordpress.com

Rickenbacker

Looks amazing Bulldog! I loved Flowers in the Dirt, so I'll be sure to download this.

__________________

last.fm
rym
Talk About the Passion - R.E.M.'s Discography Reviewed

Bulldog

Good lad Hope you like it - definitely some great songs on this one.

As for Flowers In the Dirt, I haven't listened to it in its entirety for years. I remember getting a very mixed bag kinda vibe from it when I did, as in I'd keep listening and coming back to songs like My Brave Face, You Want Her Too and Distractions rather than the whole album. As I say, it's been years since I last gave it a proper go, so it could yet show its face in the second chance saloon.