I'd love to see the lyrics to "American Gangster Time". Are they obtainable?And No Coffee Table wrote:"Deep Dark Truthful Mirror."
Actually, it was the new song "American Gangster Time," and he actually said "mercenary bastard."
Elvis plays House Of Blues,West Hollywood, CA May 2 '07
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IStandAccused
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*"Common sense is not so common."*Voltaire
For those who speak French, "Le sens common n'est pas si commun."
For those who speak French, "Le sens common n'est pas si commun."
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And No Coffee Table
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Sort of... They're incomplete and possibly not entirely correct.
http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... gster_Time
http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... gster_Time
The recording of this show relays a exciting, well structured outing by Elvis 'n co. Supposing Elvis did that charity show in NY , he must have arrived in LA on the day. Therefore , The Imposters must have rehearsed without him . Considering that , the VH1 show in May '06 aside, this is the first time it has been just them and Elvis since the Oct. 05 show in Buenos Aires this was a pretty astonishing example of the symbiotics of their relationship . They sound like they have been touring for months. Davey's backing vocals are especially apt . Perhaps he did the vocals in rehearsals in Elvis' absence.
Great as it is to hear the 1970's/80's obscurities they are scrupulously close to the studio originals. The exceptions are 'Chelsea and Alison. The 'new' arrangement on 'Chelsea turns out to be a close approximation of the August '77 Basing St. demo released on the Rhino edition of TYM. As Elvis noted there - ' "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" had originally used the same stop-start guitar figure as The Who's "I Can't explain" (or for that matter The Clash's "Clash City Rockers"). ' To these ears it's a nice change.
The complete re-working of Alison is a delight. Over the years he has tarted it up by tagging medleys on to it or by dishing out perfunctory , overly faithful renditions . This version totally refreshes the song , giving a slightly extra bit of barminess to the narrator . I was immediately reminded ( yes, I know I've been going on a bit about it elsewhere...) of Paddy McAloon's new version of Prefab Sprout's Steve McQueen , making me wonder(hoping) if Elvis is contemplating a similar job on MAIT.
Perhaps it's the juxtaposition with the older material , but I found myself especially enjoying the WIWC songs Alibi and Dissolve. Without listening back to recordings of the shows , I seem to remember that the '02 performances of these featured elements of the effects that were used in the studio recordings. The more organic takes here are much more satisfying.
From a fan perspective this is , therefore , a hugely satisfying show. Quite what the more casual fan will make of it, those very people that the latest re-issues are supposedly targeting, is another matter. A review of the subsequent Reno show noted - 'At 52, musical chameleon Elvis Costello is better known now for his opera compositions and piano ballads than for the ‘70s punk sound that got him barred from “Saturday Night Liveâ€
Great as it is to hear the 1970's/80's obscurities they are scrupulously close to the studio originals. The exceptions are 'Chelsea and Alison. The 'new' arrangement on 'Chelsea turns out to be a close approximation of the August '77 Basing St. demo released on the Rhino edition of TYM. As Elvis noted there - ' "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" had originally used the same stop-start guitar figure as The Who's "I Can't explain" (or for that matter The Clash's "Clash City Rockers"). ' To these ears it's a nice change.
The complete re-working of Alison is a delight. Over the years he has tarted it up by tagging medleys on to it or by dishing out perfunctory , overly faithful renditions . This version totally refreshes the song , giving a slightly extra bit of barminess to the narrator . I was immediately reminded ( yes, I know I've been going on a bit about it elsewhere...) of Paddy McAloon's new version of Prefab Sprout's Steve McQueen , making me wonder(hoping) if Elvis is contemplating a similar job on MAIT.
Perhaps it's the juxtaposition with the older material , but I found myself especially enjoying the WIWC songs Alibi and Dissolve. Without listening back to recordings of the shows , I seem to remember that the '02 performances of these featured elements of the effects that were used in the studio recordings. The more organic takes here are much more satisfying.
From a fan perspective this is , therefore , a hugely satisfying show. Quite what the more casual fan will make of it, those very people that the latest re-issues are supposedly targeting, is another matter. A review of the subsequent Reno show noted - 'At 52, musical chameleon Elvis Costello is better known now for his opera compositions and piano ballads than for the ‘70s punk sound that got him barred from “Saturday Night Liveâ€