Club Date - Live In Memphis DVD - Comments
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ElvisKansasFan
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Wichita, Kansas
Club Date - Live In Memphis DVD - Comments
All! It has been a full week now since the Live in Memphis DVD was released. There has not been one comment posted yet on this site. Thus, since I was there at the shows at the HiTone Cafe on September 17 and since I have given the entire DVD the once over, I'll start the new post. Before reading any further, I made a number of comments to Eagle Rock Entertainment regarding the DVD. To my surprise, they responded to my comments within an hour of sending them an email. They told me "As for any short-comings with the sound/presentation, Costello himself passed off on how the program was presented, so I can't offer any more of an explanation than that." We all know just how particular Elvis is with sound, so now, as I wondered back on Sept 17, why were people allowed to gather around the bar and talk and why were the bartenders constantly throwing the beer bottles into the trash cans. Although the HiTone is incredibly small (and incredibly hot that evening), it was as if the bar area had a microphone set up for additional sounds. The sound of tossed beer bottles breaking in trash cans behind the bar area throughout the concert was incredibly annoying and the sound of people just milling around the bar, especially during "The Judgment" was equally distracting. My wife and I were up by the stage, so we were somewhat oblivious to the sounds from the bar. However, they all come through loud and clear on your dolby surround sound. The song exclusions were also puzzling. "The Scarlet Tide" is the most prominent song (closing) on his current tour, but the beautiful rendition by Elvis and Emmy Lou was let off the DVD as was the chilling "Needle Time". All excluded songs should have been added as additional bonus cuts except for the one song that had to be restarted during the second show. All of us who were there knew about the index cards and sheet music used by Elvis and Emmy Lou. However, seeing shots of EmmyLou holding the cards should have been edited. As "The Delivery Man" tracks were still quite fresh to Elvis, he had to resort to having cue cards and sheet music on a holder to refer to. It was painful watching the DVD seeing his eyes look down a number of times to refer to the song lyrics. The documentary of Elvis and Pete on the road was interesting but flawed: There were 3-4 shots of the boom mike; a shot where the car they were being driven in was seen parked in an edited shot when they were still driving in the car and someone didn't know how to spell cotton (cotten). The DVD will serve as a wonderful memento to an evening my wife and I will not soon forget, but it could have been much better!
Paul and Jacqueline Linnabary
Your Elvis Costello Fans in Wichita, Kansas
The Heartland of America
Your Elvis Costello Fans in Wichita, Kansas
The Heartland of America
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charliestumpy
- Posts: 710
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 7:33 am
UK - 'Memphis' DVD ...
I ordered one here in UK due out in a couple of weeks for 2 songs on it I've not heard him perform. I'm sure that I shall like it. I didn't, for a change, buy recent 33rd version Of KOA as I already had all of the songs.
My copy's in Amazon limbo along with the Complicated Shadows book. I'm mostly excited about finding a shot of me in the back of the room, where the beer bottles could be heard in stereo. Based on EKF's review above, I'm guessing they were trying to go for the 'authentic club experience', which means idiots talking through quiet songs and taking up valuable space that could have been given up for more deserving fans. As for the index cards and lyric sheets, it was what it was. Emmylou could have read recipes off those cards if she wanted and it still would have been heavenly.
As I mentioned in the "Recent DVD Purchases" thread in the Annex, I have my copy which arrived from the US just two days ago, but as yet I have only had the opportunity to watch the first three songs. We had guests, so I could not crank up the volume, but the sound and image quality were both just fine.
I suspect that the sound of chatting bodies and bottles at the bar may have been left in to add to the feel of a live concert in a small venue, but not having watched that far in yet, I will reserve my judgement
I will post more comments once I have given it a thorough viewing.
One thing I really did like was the thin digipak case... I wish more DVDs would be packaged in this way as it would sure free up a lot of space in my DVD storage area.
I suspect that the sound of chatting bodies and bottles at the bar may have been left in to add to the feel of a live concert in a small venue, but not having watched that far in yet, I will reserve my judgement
I will post more comments once I have given it a thorough viewing.
One thing I really did like was the thin digipak case... I wish more DVDs would be packaged in this way as it would sure free up a lot of space in my DVD storage area.
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MistakenForLilies
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:52 pm
- Location: Gallifrey
I've been watching it in bits and pieces but one thing I can say for sure about the "On the Road" documentary (at least the part I've seen so far): I'm just eating it up. I love seeing this more human side of the band, like Elvis and Pete laughing at road signs, etc. The little music history lessons are quite interesting too.
Till I speak double Dutch to a real double duchess.
I'd just like to make these few, quick comments but keep in mind that I did not watch the entire DVD all the way through yet and I was watching it on my laptop, which has terrible sound, but a great picture.
I did watch all of EC and Pete's travels and I thought it hilarious. I, too, enjoyed seeing the totally human side of these guys just schleppin around like any of us. I thought it was really interesting.
As for the show at the HI Tone....I did not watch it in it's entirety from begining to end. I did notice the cards Emmylou brought on stage with her, but that was it. You didn't see them again. (Ah, no big deal.) I did see the music stand in front of EC but it wasn't out of place or anything. I didn't think too much of it. I noticed him look down a few times but it was barely noticable. It was really no big deal. If I hadn't read ElvisKansasFans post first before I started to watch it, I don't know how many of those little things I would have caught or if they would have bothered me had I not known they were there.
The sound on my laptop is awful unless I puy my headphones on. I only really heard the crashing and clinking bottles more than half way through the show. They were both noticable and annoying, but I don't think it ruined the show.
After I give it a complete run through, I'll report back.
Over and Out
I did watch all of EC and Pete's travels and I thought it hilarious. I, too, enjoyed seeing the totally human side of these guys just schleppin around like any of us. I thought it was really interesting.
As for the show at the HI Tone....I did not watch it in it's entirety from begining to end. I did notice the cards Emmylou brought on stage with her, but that was it. You didn't see them again. (Ah, no big deal.) I did see the music stand in front of EC but it wasn't out of place or anything. I didn't think too much of it. I noticed him look down a few times but it was barely noticable. It was really no big deal. If I hadn't read ElvisKansasFans post first before I started to watch it, I don't know how many of those little things I would have caught or if they would have bothered me had I not known they were there.
The sound on my laptop is awful unless I puy my headphones on. I only really heard the crashing and clinking bottles more than half way through the show. They were both noticable and annoying, but I don't think it ruined the show.
After I give it a complete run through, I'll report back.
Over and Out
I'm not angry anymore....
Jean posts to listserv ( pasted her with her permission) -
Top 10 Things I Wanted to See on the Memphis DVD (long and long overdue)
10. No Dancing!!! Geez, a guy doesn't play a song in twenty years or
something-- you'd think they'd put that on the disc maybe. Unless it's
slated for "Club Date in Memphis, the Deluxe Edition" due out in July.
9. Emmylou's sparkly fishnets. And knee-high boots. Do you know *why*
Emmylou doesn't break a sweat during her set? It's because the woman
has no
pores. No lie. I've never seen such flawless skin. Last fall, Lang
wrote
about the moment when the BBC Towel Guy offered Emmylou a towel... this
moment is immortalized in the DVD but I can't remember where. She look
she
gives him is priceless: bemused and pitying.
8. Stevecam fun. The guy operating the Stevecam was relentless
(although I
see now it was really SteveandPetecam). It was, to paraphrase Max
Yasgur,
three hours of Steve and Pete and nothing *but* Steve and Pete. So at
one
point between songs, Steve was fiddling about with whatever he was
fiddling
about with on the keyboard and he looked up to see SteveandPetecam Guy
following his every move. Whereupon Steve laughs and does the classic
Vanna
White/Carol Merrill (Carol Smillie/Jenny Powell to you Brits) hand
gesture
over the keys. It was cute.
7. Car seat decor. The "lounge" area of the HiTone featured consisted
of a
some dodgy car seats bolted to the floor. (Not carseats for babies,
mind
you-- seats that were once installed in actual cars.) What a dive!
and I
mean that in the nicest way possible. The bathroom had no mirror!
(And no
toilet paper, for that matter.) During the between-shows break
everyone except a handful of special people with totally special
wristbands
had to go stand in line outside. Can you imagine my level of
thrill-dom
when it turned out that Lang and I were wristbanded people? Can you
also
imagine my level of irk-dom when it turned out the peons in the line
got
free tee-shirts?! But it's okay, really, because if I hadn't been
swanning
about inside I would have missed the...
6. Frasier Crane comment. Production guys were rushing around doing
all
sorts of things during the break. When I heard them talking about
"casting"
for the second show I pricked up my ears (remembering shameful casting
tales
from the Spring shows). One Production Guy started complaining to a
colleague about the lack of pulchritude in the front three rows: "It
looked
like a house full of Frasier Cranes!" Evocative.
5. Grubbiness. How is it that the HiTone looks so clean?!
4. Paddy flirting. After I heard the "casting" call I thought I'd
better
high-tail it to the stage area and plant myself discreetly to the side.
(Knowing full well I would never have made the casting cut... ten years
past
the age demographic, thirty pounds over the weight demographic thanks
to
baby. Most of the weight's gone now, but how am I going to get those
years
back eh?) (Where was I?) (Oh yeah) So I found myself standing next
to
two lovely women and we got to talking and as we were talking up sidles
Paddy and he asks them how they're doing now, I see you're all sorted
(or
something) and I assumed they must all be great pals because Paddy...
you
know... just doesn't *do* that. (Also these were wristbanded women.)
It
turns out these lovely women had never met Paddy before! (In fact, I
think
they were a little disturbed that *I* knew who he was. Ix-nay on the
alker-stay when speaking to the unaffiliated.)
3. False Starts. During the second show, EC starts playing something
and
there's a palpable sense of "wha???" from the band. You know that face
Pete
has when he's trying to figure out what the heck EC wants to do... the
exact
expression and body language of your dog when your dog is watching a
french
fry traveling from the plate to your mouth? That look and attitude of
complete and utter concentration? And then he (Pete, not your dog)
gets the
cue (that only Pete can hear, like a dog whistle!) and starts to play?
(It's been so long since I tortured a metaphor on the list.) So EC is
playing something that apparently no one can decipher, but they join in
gamely until EC stops. Pregnant pause. Then EC starts in once more
and
it's deja vu all over again. There's a priceless "huh?" expression on
every
protagonist. EC steps back to the drums and seems to be asking "how
does
that thing go again?" Pete steers him into "There's A Story In Your
Voice."
Then EC says "That will be in the outtakes." Liar!
2. Uncomplicated!!! As my beloved husband would say, that's just mean.
1. Best Paddy quote ever. So, having skedaddled over to the front row,
left
of center just before the "casting" was to take place, I stood fast and
tried to look younger and thinner. A (wristbanded) guy stood next to
me and
indicated that he was saving two spots for his (free tee-shirted)
friends
standing in line. "Fine" says I; I figured we were out of camera range
so I
didn't bother to tell him that his friends had better be cute girls.
He
goes to get a beer; I start to make friends with the aforementioned
lovely,
not-quite-as-obsessed-as-me women. Dude comes back and inserts himself
between us. We scoot out of his way, politely leaving room for the
tee-shirted friends. Paddy is on the other side of the rail-- like I
said,
flirting (!!!) with the l.,n.q.a.o.a.m. women. Apparently Dude is not
far
enough out of camera range for Paddy. He fixes Dude with his patented
steely glare.
"You'll have to move."
Dude is visibly shaken by gaze, thinks Paddy is affronted by the extra
space
around him. "But I have to save these spots for my friends outside!"
Paddy goes basilisk. "Gerroff!" (Or words to that effect.)
Dude is crestfallen. "B-b-but-- what's wrong with *me* being here?"
"YOU'VE GOT NO F*CKING TITS!"
With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye,
Jean
It's not so bad in the promised land
Top 10 Things I Wanted to See on the Memphis DVD (long and long overdue)
10. No Dancing!!! Geez, a guy doesn't play a song in twenty years or
something-- you'd think they'd put that on the disc maybe. Unless it's
slated for "Club Date in Memphis, the Deluxe Edition" due out in July.
9. Emmylou's sparkly fishnets. And knee-high boots. Do you know *why*
Emmylou doesn't break a sweat during her set? It's because the woman
has no
pores. No lie. I've never seen such flawless skin. Last fall, Lang
wrote
about the moment when the BBC Towel Guy offered Emmylou a towel... this
moment is immortalized in the DVD but I can't remember where. She look
she
gives him is priceless: bemused and pitying.
8. Stevecam fun. The guy operating the Stevecam was relentless
(although I
see now it was really SteveandPetecam). It was, to paraphrase Max
Yasgur,
three hours of Steve and Pete and nothing *but* Steve and Pete. So at
one
point between songs, Steve was fiddling about with whatever he was
fiddling
about with on the keyboard and he looked up to see SteveandPetecam Guy
following his every move. Whereupon Steve laughs and does the classic
Vanna
White/Carol Merrill (Carol Smillie/Jenny Powell to you Brits) hand
gesture
over the keys. It was cute.
7. Car seat decor. The "lounge" area of the HiTone featured consisted
of a
some dodgy car seats bolted to the floor. (Not carseats for babies,
mind
you-- seats that were once installed in actual cars.) What a dive!
and I
mean that in the nicest way possible. The bathroom had no mirror!
(And no
toilet paper, for that matter.) During the between-shows break
everyone except a handful of special people with totally special
wristbands
had to go stand in line outside. Can you imagine my level of
thrill-dom
when it turned out that Lang and I were wristbanded people? Can you
also
imagine my level of irk-dom when it turned out the peons in the line
got
free tee-shirts?! But it's okay, really, because if I hadn't been
swanning
about inside I would have missed the...
6. Frasier Crane comment. Production guys were rushing around doing
all
sorts of things during the break. When I heard them talking about
"casting"
for the second show I pricked up my ears (remembering shameful casting
tales
from the Spring shows). One Production Guy started complaining to a
colleague about the lack of pulchritude in the front three rows: "It
looked
like a house full of Frasier Cranes!" Evocative.
5. Grubbiness. How is it that the HiTone looks so clean?!
4. Paddy flirting. After I heard the "casting" call I thought I'd
better
high-tail it to the stage area and plant myself discreetly to the side.
(Knowing full well I would never have made the casting cut... ten years
past
the age demographic, thirty pounds over the weight demographic thanks
to
baby. Most of the weight's gone now, but how am I going to get those
years
back eh?) (Where was I?) (Oh yeah) So I found myself standing next
to
two lovely women and we got to talking and as we were talking up sidles
Paddy and he asks them how they're doing now, I see you're all sorted
(or
something) and I assumed they must all be great pals because Paddy...
you
know... just doesn't *do* that. (Also these were wristbanded women.)
It
turns out these lovely women had never met Paddy before! (In fact, I
think
they were a little disturbed that *I* knew who he was. Ix-nay on the
alker-stay when speaking to the unaffiliated.)
3. False Starts. During the second show, EC starts playing something
and
there's a palpable sense of "wha???" from the band. You know that face
Pete
has when he's trying to figure out what the heck EC wants to do... the
exact
expression and body language of your dog when your dog is watching a
french
fry traveling from the plate to your mouth? That look and attitude of
complete and utter concentration? And then he (Pete, not your dog)
gets the
cue (that only Pete can hear, like a dog whistle!) and starts to play?
(It's been so long since I tortured a metaphor on the list.) So EC is
playing something that apparently no one can decipher, but they join in
gamely until EC stops. Pregnant pause. Then EC starts in once more
and
it's deja vu all over again. There's a priceless "huh?" expression on
every
protagonist. EC steps back to the drums and seems to be asking "how
does
that thing go again?" Pete steers him into "There's A Story In Your
Voice."
Then EC says "That will be in the outtakes." Liar!
2. Uncomplicated!!! As my beloved husband would say, that's just mean.
1. Best Paddy quote ever. So, having skedaddled over to the front row,
left
of center just before the "casting" was to take place, I stood fast and
tried to look younger and thinner. A (wristbanded) guy stood next to
me and
indicated that he was saving two spots for his (free tee-shirted)
friends
standing in line. "Fine" says I; I figured we were out of camera range
so I
didn't bother to tell him that his friends had better be cute girls.
He
goes to get a beer; I start to make friends with the aforementioned
lovely,
not-quite-as-obsessed-as-me women. Dude comes back and inserts himself
between us. We scoot out of his way, politely leaving room for the
tee-shirted friends. Paddy is on the other side of the rail-- like I
said,
flirting (!!!) with the l.,n.q.a.o.a.m. women. Apparently Dude is not
far
enough out of camera range for Paddy. He fixes Dude with his patented
steely glare.
"You'll have to move."
Dude is visibly shaken by gaze, thinks Paddy is affronted by the extra
space
around him. "But I have to save these spots for my friends outside!"
Paddy goes basilisk. "Gerroff!" (Or words to that effect.)
Dude is crestfallen. "B-b-but-- what's wrong with *me* being here?"
"YOU'VE GOT NO F*CKING TITS!"
With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye,
Jean
It's not so bad in the promised land
Well, just watched most of this DVD today and paid particular attention to The Judgement. I honestly can say that I did not notice the chatting and general bar noise at all. I don't know what system elviskansasfan was using, but I have a full blown home theatre setup and was viewing with the DTS soundtrack, so perhaps a lot of these extraneous sounds get soaked up in the surround mix?
Anyway, I really cranked it up and was very impressed... although I did notice a certain amount of distortion in the audio which I am fairly certain was not caused by my system, but which also was not greatly distracting.
Anyway, I really cranked it up and was very impressed... although I did notice a certain amount of distortion in the audio which I am fairly certain was not caused by my system, but which also was not greatly distracting.
Bought and watched it yesterday, really enjoyed it. In fact my biggest criticism was in the pacing of the set. Although I loved the Emmylou segment, the energy level really dropped with three ballads in a row and it was rough getting it back up. As a result, the performance of WSFBPLU is pretty tame compared to the versions I've heard him play recently.
I really enjoyed the Pere and EC segment. Its great to hear Pete's take on things and it was fun to recognize all the places they were driving (I'm a former Memphibian and have been to Helena, Oxford and Clarksdale). Especially loved EC buying his blue suit at the Soul Store. Now I wish they'd issue 'A Case for Song' on DVD- the performance of It Came Upon a Midnight Blue or whatever its called would be worth the price alone.
I really enjoyed the Pere and EC segment. Its great to hear Pete's take on things and it was fun to recognize all the places they were driving (I'm a former Memphibian and have been to Helena, Oxford and Clarksdale). Especially loved EC buying his blue suit at the Soul Store. Now I wish they'd issue 'A Case for Song' on DVD- the performance of It Came Upon a Midnight Blue or whatever its called would be worth the price alone.
-
charliestumpy
- Posts: 710
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 7:33 am
Memphis DVD
My UK Play.com copy came 2 days ago, and my wife and I thought it was fine, particularly enjoying Emmylou duets/roadtrip etc.
I purchased it when it came out, took it home and viewed it in 1 sitting.
I was blown away. Now I can't wait to see him live myself.
Although at one point during the concert I indeed got annoyed with the bottles crashing, it was only during one song I noticed it, so I can forgive that.
The sound was perfect, though, mind you, I'm accustomed to punkconcerts which are basically a lot of noise trying to sound like songs.
Can anyone tell me if the sound is usually this good during his live sets? Or could it be that is was re-mastered and mixed?
I was blown away. Now I can't wait to see him live myself.
Although at one point during the concert I indeed got annoyed with the bottles crashing, it was only during one song I noticed it, so I can forgive that.
The sound was perfect, though, mind you, I'm accustomed to punkconcerts which are basically a lot of noise trying to sound like songs.
Can anyone tell me if the sound is usually this good during his live sets? Or could it be that is was re-mastered and mixed?
Zombies man, they freak me out.
Millen, I have had good luck with the sound at EC's shows. I have seen him with the Rude 5, the Attractions, Solo with Nieve, and with the Imposters. The venues have been muddy fields, sit down theatres, a small tavern, a good size club and a couple of amphitheatres. The sound is dependent on the venue, who he's playing with and what kind of mood everyone is in that day. I've been lucky though, especially at the last few times I've seen him.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/mus ... 44,00.html
Steve Roberts
Highlights of the 165-minute DVD include Elvis Costello's duets with Emmylou Harris.
Elvis in Viva Las Memphis
'Club Date: Live in Memphis' captures intimate Midtown magic
By Bill Ellis
Contact
April 29, 2005
Most times, the only concert keepsake you can take away is a T-shirt. Not Elvis Costello's pair of September shows at the Hi-Tone, where the memories now ring loud and clear on DVD.
Released on April 19, "Club Date: Live in Memphis" (Eagle Rock Entertainment, $19.98) is Costello's concert entree on DVD and the debut of Eagle Rock's "Club Date" series of intimately staged live performance video discs.
Recorded in digital surround sound and shot in high-definition by producer/director Michael Borofsky -- whose resume includes Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet" video -- the 165-minute document captures the up-close, Midtown magic of Costello's two performances with his band the Imposters (Attractions members Steve Nieve on keyboards and drummer Pete Thomas with former Cracker bassist Davey Faragher). Timed around the same-week release of recent studio album, The Delivery Man, which was made largely in Oxford, Miss., with producer Dennis Herring, the shows were a celebratory affair, one that drops the action right into your lap as filmed by Borofsky.
Once you get over the inevitable sport of trying to spot yourself in the crowd, you can revel in the music, from pub-rock perfect readings of signature tunes "Radio, Radio" and "Pump It Up" to the wealth of material from The Delivery Man, future classics such as "Country Darkness" and the epic title track that he premiered months prior in a handful of shows at the Hi-Tone and Proud Larry's in Oxford while making the album.
Among the many DVD highlights worth reliving: Costello's playful cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Hidden Charms"; a take on "Alison" that segued into a melancholic "Suspicious Minds" by that other Elvis (played by Costello on a custom-built, purple-flake "Flying Mojo" guitar given to him by former John Entwistle band mate, Memphian Robert A. Johnson); and the bounty of duets with Emmylou Harris -- and one can only speculate that Harris, who plays Oxford's Double Decker Arts Festival on Saturday, will stick around to join Costello for his Sunday slot at the Beale Street Music Festival.
Bonus material includes two documentary segments that locals won't want to miss. A four-minute teaser dubbed "Radio and the Fans" replays the announcement of the concerts on volunteer radio station WEVL plus quips by folks queuing up for tickets at the Hi-Tone. Even better, a near-hourlong road trip titled "Off the Beaten Path" finds Costello and Pete Thomas as tourists, riding through the Delta in a 1955 Cadillac courtesy of Tad Pierson (the best endorsement he'll ever get for his Bluff City tour enterprise American Dream Safari). From a stopover at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (with then-Soulsville president Deanie Parker as guide) to a visit with venerable "King Biscuit Time" deejay 'Sunshine' Sonny Payne in Helena, Ark., the two Brits take in the sites, commenting along the way with knowledge and wit on the regional influence in their music. No surprise then, that by the time they get to Oxford, Costello ends up giving the tour.
The DVD release comes on the heels of a deluxe edition of The Delivery Man with a bonus CD of tunes recorded at Jimbo Mathus's Delta Recording studio in Clarksdale, Miss. Dubbed Delta-Verite: The Clarksdale Sessions, the seven-track EP (also available on 10" vinyl) delivers something of a juke-joint mirror to the album proper and is a must-have for any serious Elvis fan. For starters, it's got his cover of Dave Bartholomew's R&B gem, "The Monkey," also featured on DVD and the inspiration for Costello's own "Monkey to Man." Add a faithful reading of James Carr's Memphis soul classic, "The Dark End of the Street," and "Needle Time" taken at a gut-bucket blues crawl, and you'll find yourself listening to this disc as much if not more than its commercially released counterpart.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus material on the DVD includes two documentary segments. A short teaser captures the announcement of the concerts on radio station WEVL. A longer road trip episode titled "Off the Beaten Path" finds Costello and Pete Thomas as tourists, riding through the Delta in Tad Pierson's 1955 Cadillac.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
see also
http://www.americandreamsafari.com/inde ... ix&mode=hm
Steve Roberts
Highlights of the 165-minute DVD include Elvis Costello's duets with Emmylou Harris.
Elvis in Viva Las Memphis
'Club Date: Live in Memphis' captures intimate Midtown magic
By Bill Ellis
Contact
April 29, 2005
Most times, the only concert keepsake you can take away is a T-shirt. Not Elvis Costello's pair of September shows at the Hi-Tone, where the memories now ring loud and clear on DVD.
Released on April 19, "Club Date: Live in Memphis" (Eagle Rock Entertainment, $19.98) is Costello's concert entree on DVD and the debut of Eagle Rock's "Club Date" series of intimately staged live performance video discs.
Recorded in digital surround sound and shot in high-definition by producer/director Michael Borofsky -- whose resume includes Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet" video -- the 165-minute document captures the up-close, Midtown magic of Costello's two performances with his band the Imposters (Attractions members Steve Nieve on keyboards and drummer Pete Thomas with former Cracker bassist Davey Faragher). Timed around the same-week release of recent studio album, The Delivery Man, which was made largely in Oxford, Miss., with producer Dennis Herring, the shows were a celebratory affair, one that drops the action right into your lap as filmed by Borofsky.
Once you get over the inevitable sport of trying to spot yourself in the crowd, you can revel in the music, from pub-rock perfect readings of signature tunes "Radio, Radio" and "Pump It Up" to the wealth of material from The Delivery Man, future classics such as "Country Darkness" and the epic title track that he premiered months prior in a handful of shows at the Hi-Tone and Proud Larry's in Oxford while making the album.
Among the many DVD highlights worth reliving: Costello's playful cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Hidden Charms"; a take on "Alison" that segued into a melancholic "Suspicious Minds" by that other Elvis (played by Costello on a custom-built, purple-flake "Flying Mojo" guitar given to him by former John Entwistle band mate, Memphian Robert A. Johnson); and the bounty of duets with Emmylou Harris -- and one can only speculate that Harris, who plays Oxford's Double Decker Arts Festival on Saturday, will stick around to join Costello for his Sunday slot at the Beale Street Music Festival.
Bonus material includes two documentary segments that locals won't want to miss. A four-minute teaser dubbed "Radio and the Fans" replays the announcement of the concerts on volunteer radio station WEVL plus quips by folks queuing up for tickets at the Hi-Tone. Even better, a near-hourlong road trip titled "Off the Beaten Path" finds Costello and Pete Thomas as tourists, riding through the Delta in a 1955 Cadillac courtesy of Tad Pierson (the best endorsement he'll ever get for his Bluff City tour enterprise American Dream Safari). From a stopover at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (with then-Soulsville president Deanie Parker as guide) to a visit with venerable "King Biscuit Time" deejay 'Sunshine' Sonny Payne in Helena, Ark., the two Brits take in the sites, commenting along the way with knowledge and wit on the regional influence in their music. No surprise then, that by the time they get to Oxford, Costello ends up giving the tour.
The DVD release comes on the heels of a deluxe edition of The Delivery Man with a bonus CD of tunes recorded at Jimbo Mathus's Delta Recording studio in Clarksdale, Miss. Dubbed Delta-Verite: The Clarksdale Sessions, the seven-track EP (also available on 10" vinyl) delivers something of a juke-joint mirror to the album proper and is a must-have for any serious Elvis fan. For starters, it's got his cover of Dave Bartholomew's R&B gem, "The Monkey," also featured on DVD and the inspiration for Costello's own "Monkey to Man." Add a faithful reading of James Carr's Memphis soul classic, "The Dark End of the Street," and "Needle Time" taken at a gut-bucket blues crawl, and you'll find yourself listening to this disc as much if not more than its commercially released counterpart.
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Bonus material on the DVD includes two documentary segments. A short teaser captures the announcement of the concerts on radio station WEVL. A longer road trip episode titled "Off the Beaten Path" finds Costello and Pete Thomas as tourists, riding through the Delta in Tad Pierson's 1955 Cadillac.
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see also
http://www.americandreamsafari.com/inde ... ix&mode=hm
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ReadyToHearTheWorst
- Posts: 956
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 5:44 am
- Location: uk
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daybreaker
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2003 2:32 am
- Location: Memphis
- Contact:
Narcissistic update: I found me. During several points in "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love & Understanding", I'm the guy in the back on Davey's side of the stage, standing by a poster, banging on the wall. (For the extra curious, check 1:14:20, 1:15:44, 1:16:05, 1:16:42. Also 1:21:27, near the end of Pump It Up.)
And earlier in the show, when he reveals the price of the cheap guitar he bought, you can hear me yell "Hooray!" Those Belgians sure know how to make beer.
And earlier in the show, when he reveals the price of the cheap guitar he bought, you can hear me yell "Hooray!" Those Belgians sure know how to make beer.
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bambooneedle
- Posts: 4533
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:02 pm
- Location: a few thousand miles south east of Zanzibar
They must have been all those women with the f*cking great TITS they were looking for.daybreaker wrote:The thing that stood out to me was how the fans in line didnt know the words to the songs they sang for the camera. Where did they find these people?
Of course, if I was there and they happened to pick me, they would have gotten the best of both worlds......
(How 'bout it, Spooky?)
I'm not angry anymore....
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ReadyToHearTheWorst
- Posts: 956
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 5:44 am
- Location: uk
Having seen only US versions being announced I ordered from amazon.com.
Woe is me, on delivery of said DVD I find that my swanky new player isn't multi-region (and it'd cost £20 to make it so!). Had to copy it on the PC, to a disc that I can play.
To rub it in, today I spotted a UK version in HMV!
Once again, I've ripped myself off!
Haste can be so expensive.
Woe is me, on delivery of said DVD I find that my swanky new player isn't multi-region (and it'd cost £20 to make it so!). Had to copy it on the PC, to a disc that I can play.
To rub it in, today I spotted a UK version in HMV!
Once again, I've ripped myself off!
Haste can be so expensive.
"I'm the Rock and Roll Scrabble champion"
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Monkey Girl
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:09 am
- Location: North Carolina
Thanks Jean!
Great recap Jean! What an unforgetable night!johnfoyle wrote:Jean posts to listserv ( pasted her with her permission) -
1. Best Paddy quote ever. So, having skedaddled over to the front row,
left
of center just before the "casting" was to take place, I stood fast and
tried to look younger and thinner. A (wristbanded) guy stood next to
me and
indicated that he was saving two spots for his (free tee-shirted)
friends
standing in line. "Fine" says I; I figured we were out of camera range
so I
didn't bother to tell him that his friends had better be cute girls.
He
goes to get a beer; I start to make friends with the aforementioned
lovely,
not-quite-as-obsessed-as-me women. Dude comes back and inserts himself
between us. We scoot out of his way, politely leaving room for the
tee-shirted friends. Paddy is on the other side of the rail-- like I
said,
flirting (!!!) with the l.,n.q.a.o.a.m. women. Apparently Dude is not
far
enough out of camera range for Paddy. He fixes Dude with his patented
steely glare.
"You'll have to move."
Dude is visibly shaken by gaze, thinks Paddy is affronted by the extra
space
around him. "But I have to save these spots for my friends outside!"
Paddy goes basilisk. "Gerroff!" (Or words to that effect.)
Dude is crestfallen. "B-b-but-- what's wrong with *me* being here?"
"YOU'VE GOT NO F*CKING TITS!"
But I really don't think Paddy was flirting with us...just being nice! It was hilarious how he was inspecting the front row... looking for tiitties. Making no attempt to conceal what he was doing. The production staff was clearly concerned because the front row of the early show was all man boobs.
And to be honest, the only reason I got to stay up front was because of you and Pidgin!
I might add that the guy who was saving space for his "buddies" could have been a little nicer to the lovely women, squeezed us in a little bit, and he probably would have been left alone. As it was, we never saw him again. I think they may have thrown him out into the alley!
Poor guy...and he didn't even get a t-shirt!
Thanks for the compliment Monkey! That was an incredible night! Only wish that we could have met the guys for dinner on Saturday. I agree with Jean that it was cruel not to include Uncomplicated on the DVD. Also, they could have shown some of our ‘ass-shaking’ Jean was really getting into it at one point. Pete couldn’t take his eyes off of her! It’s true.
Like my avatar? I’d like to use one of my own photo’s but I can’t seem to make it small enough.
Like my avatar? I’d like to use one of my own photo’s but I can’t seem to make it small enough.
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Monkey Girl
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:09 am
- Location: North Carolina
You're so right.
Absolutely. The "ass shaking" was marketable, for sure. Even after 5 hours of it. Hey...maybe it will make the bonus DVD.Pidgin wrote:Also, they could have shown some of our ‘ass-shaking’ Jean was really getting into it at one point. Pete couldn’t take his eyes off of her! It’s true.
Like my avatar? I’d like to use one of my own photo’s but I can’t seem to make it small enough.
How did you do the avatar? Looks great!
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King Hoarse
- Posts: 1450
- Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:32 pm
- Location: Malmö, Sweden
Got the DVD today and gave it all a LOUD spin. Loved it. That band is just unbelievable. I never thought I'd get excited over hearing Mystery Dance again, but I was obviously wrong. In fact, all the MAIT rockers sound so much better with Davey than they ever did with Bruce. Not to mention something like High Fidelity. I'm relieved and very happy. The quality was top notch too, I thought. I even liked the sound of breaking glass.
I agree about the pacing of the set though. Up until and including Emmylou's set I was glued to the screen, but then it got a bit loose. Leaving the stage after The Delivery Man and Hidden Charms and returning with Alison? Hardly climactic. Now, if they would've stuck Uncomplicated and There's A Story In Your Voice in there...
I just don't get why the aforementioned Story as well as Button My Lip and the wonderful Emmylou duets Sleepless Nights and especially My Baby's Gone are presented as "bonus tracks" rather than parts of the actual concert flow - The concert segment is shorter than usual by Elvis' standards, it's annoying to get up and press play between every bonus song rather than watch the whole thing without interruptions, the bonus songs were taken from the same gigs as the rest, and there's no version available without them, as far as I can tell. Why "bonus"?
Of course, those are but minor complaints. Can't wait to see them live in Denmark twice next month.
I agree about the pacing of the set though. Up until and including Emmylou's set I was glued to the screen, but then it got a bit loose. Leaving the stage after The Delivery Man and Hidden Charms and returning with Alison? Hardly climactic. Now, if they would've stuck Uncomplicated and There's A Story In Your Voice in there...
I just don't get why the aforementioned Story as well as Button My Lip and the wonderful Emmylou duets Sleepless Nights and especially My Baby's Gone are presented as "bonus tracks" rather than parts of the actual concert flow - The concert segment is shorter than usual by Elvis' standards, it's annoying to get up and press play between every bonus song rather than watch the whole thing without interruptions, the bonus songs were taken from the same gigs as the rest, and there's no version available without them, as far as I can tell. Why "bonus"?
Of course, those are but minor complaints. Can't wait to see them live in Denmark twice next month.
What this world needs is more silly men.
Word , June 2005
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS’
Live In Memphis (Eagle Vision) kicks off with WaitingFor The End Of The World, Radio Radio and Mystery Dance, the same songs with which he used to shake London’s Nashville Rooms during his Sunday night residency in 1977 . He was a hot name back then but nobody got out their lawn chairs and queued all day in the streets to get a ticket, as they do for a chance to see him up close at Memphis’s Hi Tone Café. In the age of the jumbo gig the 200-capacity club show is the rock and roll equivalent of having Alastair Ramsay bring you breakfast in bed.
The high definition camerawork captures every bead of sweat on Costello’s countenance and also the troubling hue of his box-like purple suit. The surround sound picks up the noise of breaking glass as the crowd feed off the considerable pulse that the Imposters are putting out. Elvis, who sings quite brilliantly throughout, finishes with another three from the early days — Alison, Peace Love and Understanding and Pump It Up. The meat in this new wave sandwich is provided by a series of duets with Emmylou Harris on old Gram Parsons and Johnny Cash tunes plus a handful of songs from The Delivery Man, an album they recorded down the road in Oxford, Mississippi.
The thirty years between those frenetic Nashville shows and today have provided many educational opportunities. Elvis, to his credit, hasn’t passed up any of them. The hidden treat here is a 50-minute film of a pleasure trip he and drummer Pete Thomas make down through the Delta a couple of days before the Memphis show to visit old acquaintances in Oxford, Clarksdale and Stovall. The format couldn’t be simpler. Their driver and guide indicates features of interest and the two musicians’ conversation ranges across Muddy Waters, flood prevention, David Porter, the King Biscuit Flour Hour, the mechanics of picking cotton, the FBI, the Bible and the likeli hood of a singer being inspired by an actual tile recovered from the rubble of the studio at Stax.
More performers ought to have the nerve to do this kind of freewheeling thing. DVD’s the ideal vehicle for opening up and telling people more about yourself Anyone who’s got as far as your extra features is prepared to cut you any amount of slack. Rock’s good talkers — Costello, Randy Newman, Andy Partridge, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen or Neil Tennant — usually perform better when they’re not trying to look for the catch in the question or dutifully recapitulate their careers.
David Hepworth
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS’
Live In Memphis (Eagle Vision) kicks off with WaitingFor The End Of The World, Radio Radio and Mystery Dance, the same songs with which he used to shake London’s Nashville Rooms during his Sunday night residency in 1977 . He was a hot name back then but nobody got out their lawn chairs and queued all day in the streets to get a ticket, as they do for a chance to see him up close at Memphis’s Hi Tone Café. In the age of the jumbo gig the 200-capacity club show is the rock and roll equivalent of having Alastair Ramsay bring you breakfast in bed.
The high definition camerawork captures every bead of sweat on Costello’s countenance and also the troubling hue of his box-like purple suit. The surround sound picks up the noise of breaking glass as the crowd feed off the considerable pulse that the Imposters are putting out. Elvis, who sings quite brilliantly throughout, finishes with another three from the early days — Alison, Peace Love and Understanding and Pump It Up. The meat in this new wave sandwich is provided by a series of duets with Emmylou Harris on old Gram Parsons and Johnny Cash tunes plus a handful of songs from The Delivery Man, an album they recorded down the road in Oxford, Mississippi.
The thirty years between those frenetic Nashville shows and today have provided many educational opportunities. Elvis, to his credit, hasn’t passed up any of them. The hidden treat here is a 50-minute film of a pleasure trip he and drummer Pete Thomas make down through the Delta a couple of days before the Memphis show to visit old acquaintances in Oxford, Clarksdale and Stovall. The format couldn’t be simpler. Their driver and guide indicates features of interest and the two musicians’ conversation ranges across Muddy Waters, flood prevention, David Porter, the King Biscuit Flour Hour, the mechanics of picking cotton, the FBI, the Bible and the likeli hood of a singer being inspired by an actual tile recovered from the rubble of the studio at Stax.
More performers ought to have the nerve to do this kind of freewheeling thing. DVD’s the ideal vehicle for opening up and telling people more about yourself Anyone who’s got as far as your extra features is prepared to cut you any amount of slack. Rock’s good talkers — Costello, Randy Newman, Andy Partridge, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen or Neil Tennant — usually perform better when they’re not trying to look for the catch in the question or dutifully recapitulate their careers.
David Hepworth
Last edited by johnfoyle on Thu May 12, 2005 2:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
