The Boy Named If, new album by Elvis & The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Pretty self-explanatory
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Ymaginatif
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by Ymaginatif »

Neil. wrote:Totally agree with the above.

Especially in this time of pisstaking streaming services where artists get peanuts, Elvis can do whatever he wants to try to exploit his talent. No-one is forcing anyone to buy any of it!
As long as he makes sure that his talent is involved in the product we are offered. And when this is beginning to become dubious, I feel people have the right to complain. Or at least voice their disapproval.

But I agree completely it's a business, and the primary reason for pop music (in the old fashioned sense of the word) is making money.
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

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M
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by Mr. Hush »

Must say I'm a bit surprised by some of the comments in this thread. Call me Mr Naive but surely if you were comfortably off, had a talent for something and given how easy it is to put music out there nowadays surely it should be a pleasure to make your fans happy.
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Elvis’ primary objective won’t be to make the fans happy!
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by Poor Deportee »

On the “loyalty” question, I’ve followed EC’s work with passion for 30 years. True, I don’t pore over every last outtake or live bootleg, but I imagine that every artist would like to have listeners as enduringly interested as me. And I am probably on the “soft” end of fandom on this forum…

My problem is that I didn’t care for “Hey Clockface,” which seemed a big regression after the artistry of the preceding, masterful albums. Too many of those tracks gave us EC dozing as a writer, hitting his same old themes in the same old ways. And other cuts, particularly the title track, were ruined by atrocious vocals which I can only assume were caused by a cold or else by late nights (along with EC’s characteristically bullheaded refusal to simply re-do the vocals over the perfectly good instrumental tracks, which is what most normal artists would do).

Will an album with the Imposters be more of this EC-by-rote? Or will he return to the stellar form he was on prior to HC? That is the question, but when the prior outing is a “meh” it tends to dampen one’s enthusiasm a bit.
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by Hawksmoor »

Mr. Hush wrote:Must say I'm a bit surprised by some of the comments in this thread. Call me Mr Naive but surely if you were comfortably off, had a talent for something and given how easy it is to put music out there nowadays surely it should be a pleasure to make your fans happy.
It's nice to make your fans happy, but actually making all of your fans happy is a fool's errand, and if pleasing all your fans is your primary aim, you'll need counselling within months. That way lies madness.

I am sure that Elvis' primary motivation is to make music that he thinks is high-quality, that he can take pride in, and that he finds rewarding, interesting and satisfying to make. And secondly, to make as much money from it as he reasonably can.

I say I am sure because I believe those are the two primary drivers for any artist. The few who decide to pursue 'making the fans happy' as their primary driver usually end up in an artistic cul-de-sac.
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by Hawksmoor »

Poor Deportee wrote:My problem is that I didn’t care for “Hey Clockface,” which seemed a big regression after the artistry of the preceding, masterful albums. Too many of those tracks gave us EC dozing as a writer, hitting his same old themes in the same old ways. And other cuts, particularly the title track, were ruined by atrocious vocals which I can only assume were caused by a cold or else by late nights (along with EC’s characteristically bullheaded refusal to simply re-do the vocals over the perfectly good instrumental tracks, which is what most normal artists would do).
I guess I'm the opposite, which is fine - good job we're all different or we'd have nothing to discuss. :)

Personally I love Hey Clockface. I love the innovative/experimental stuff, and I love the ballads. I think it sounds like a record only Elvis Costello could make, but at the same time, bits of it sound like nothing he's ever done before. Which is a neat trick after45 years of making LPs.

Would I like a brand-new LP of full-on rockers with the Imposters on all four cylinders? Sure I would, but mainly because it'd be something different again from Clockface, just as Clockface is totally different from Look Now.

And if you want a version of 'Hey Clockface' with a better vocal, you can always swap in the Jon Batiste version. :D
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by Hawksmoor »

This, from the announcement of the tour, adds fuel to the fire that we may be getting a new EC and the Imposters LP before the end of the year?

'Hello Again' will also see the first stage performances of songs from the future, as the band time-travel in all directions'.
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

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Hawksmoor wrote:’Hello Again' will also see the first stage performances of songs from the future, as the band time-travel in all directions'.
This is the norm!
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

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verbal gymnastics wrote:
Hawksmoor wrote:’Hello Again' will also see the first stage performances of songs from the future, as the band time-travel in all directions'.
This is the norm!
Well, quite. EC has always been happy to include songs from upcoming projects as part of the set, which I always look forward to.

But if it's 'the norm' (which I agree it is), the decision to specifically flag it up as part of the news item for the tour still has a feeling - to me - of a new LP in the wings.
Last edited by Hawksmoor on Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by verbal gymnastics »

I hope so. Unless it’s a new old reinterpretation record…

Just being facetious! :lol:
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by sweetest punch »

New double A-side single “Magnificent Hurt / Farewell OK” coming in a few weeks: http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3 ... =2&t=11851
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Re: New album with the Imposters in 2021?

Post by sweetest punch »

The new album is called : The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales.
http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3 ... =2&t=11870
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Re: The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales, new album with the Imposters in 2022

Post by sweetest punch »

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... y_Named_If

Wiki has the release date: Januari 14, 2022.
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Re: The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales, new album with The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by And No Coffee Table »

"Elvis Costello & The Imposters release The Boy Named If, an album of urgent, immediate songs with bright melodies, stinging guitar solos, and a quick step to the rhythm. Costello says, "The full title of this record is `The Boy Named If (And Other Children's Stories).' `IF' is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own." Produced by Costello and Sebatian Krys."

https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Named-Elvis- ... 09JZLN437/
https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Named-If-LP/dp/B09JZNV931/
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Re: The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales, new album with The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by And No Coffee Table »

Track listing!

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-bo ... 1588740908

1. Farewell, OK 2:54
2. The Boy Named If 4:24
3. Penelope Halfpenny 2:57
4. The Difference 3:45
5. What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love? 4:03
6. Paint The Red Rose Blue 4:46
7. Mistook Me For A Friend 4:13
8. My Most Beautiful Mistake 4:47
9. Magnificent Hurt 3:13
10. The Man You Love To Hate 4:53
11. The Death Of Magic Thinking 3:31
12. Trick Out The Truth 4:53
13. Mr. Crescent 3:39
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Re: The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales, new album with The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by Neil. »

Great song titles!

This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO exciting!!!!!!!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
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Re: The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales, new album with The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by And No Coffee Table »

https://www.elviscostello.com/#!/news/299962

‘The Boy Named If’ New Album from Elvis Costello & The Imposters Released January 14th, 2022 on EMI Records
OCT 26, 2021
‘THE BOY NAMED IF’ NEW ALBUM FROM ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS RELEASED JANUARY 14TH, 2022 ON EMI RECORDS

“Magnificent Hurt” Song Out Now: Listen HERE

On The “Hello Again” Tour Now With The Imposters (including Charlie Sexton), ‘The Boy Named If’ Marks Costello’s Sixth Release Since October, 2020

CD, Vinyl, Cassette, Download, Streaming and Numbered and Signed 88-page Hardback Storybook Edition on EMI

Preorder ‘The Boy Named If’ HERE


On January 14th, 2022, Elvis Costello and The Imposters release, ‘The Boy Named If,’ a new album of urgent, immediate songs with bright melodies, guitar solos that sting and a quick step to the rhythm.

‘The Boy Named If’ is preceded today with the release of a new rock & roll song called, “Magnificent Hurt.”

Costello tells us, ”The full title of this record is 'The Boy Named If (And Other Children’s Stories). ‘IF,’ is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own. You can hear more about this ‘Boy’ in a song of the same name,”

Speaking of the lyrical content of the record, Costello added, “Once upon a time, when I didn’t know what a kiss could do and didn’t even dare to caress, the way ahead was a mystery; a departing from that magic state called innocence for the pain that leads to pleasure and all that jazz.”

“Don’t get me started about the guilt and shame and all those other useless possessions that you must throw overboard before you set sail with your dreamboat (and a runcible spoon),” remarked Elvis.

‘The Boy Named If,' - Produced by Sebastian Krys & Elvis Costello - is a collection of thirteen snapshots, “That take us from the last days of a bewildered boyhood to that mortifying moment when you are told to stop acting like a child - which for most men (and perhaps a few gals too) can be any time in the next fifty years," as Costello put it.

The record comes from EMI, with Capitol Records as the release partner in the US. It will be available on vinyl, compact disc and cassette formats or as a download and in the stream with all the other pilchards. The 8-Track and Flexi-disc releases will come later.

For those who like to hold something more substantial in their hands, the record can also be found tucked into an 88-page hardback storybook edition - each one numbered and signed by the artist.

This edition features thirteen illustrated short stories, which have the same titles as the songs on the record. Some of these fables set the scene for the songs, others are sequels, or a clue or hint to what might have been going on before the music began.

The lyrics can also be found in bold print alongside the colourful, dashing, sometimes macabre, daubs from the electric pencil of Eamon Singer.

Costello added, “Whatever you take out of these tales, I wrote them for you and to make the life of these songs a little less lonely, if you should care to dive in a little deeper.”

“I started ‘The Boy Named If’ with just an electric guitar, some sharps and flats, high heels and lowdowns, with five songs in bright major keys and carried on to write a whole new record for The Imposters to play,” Costello said.

Speaking of recording sessions, Costello said, “The initial rhythm section for this record was my guitar and Pete Thomas’ Gretsch drums, recorded down in Bonaparte Rooms West. Our Imposter pal of 20 years standing, Davey Faragher soon dialed in his Fender bass and vocals while we awaited dispatches from France.”

“If the record sounded swell as a trio, Steve Nieve’s organ was the icing on the cake, the cherry and the little silver balls,” Elvis added.

Since being forced to cut short a U.K. tour after a triumphant Hammersmith Apollo appearance in March 2020, Elvis Costello has released the album, ‘Hey Clockface’ and the subsequent French language E.P., ‘La Face de Pendule à Coucou’ - featuring the voices of Iggy Pop and Isabelle Adjani.

In the last twelve months, Costello has also completed “How To Play Guitar & Y," a comedic, “Words & Music” production for audible.com, and released the lavish vinyl box-set edition of the 1979 album, “Armed Forces” containing facsimiles of his original lyrical notebooks bound as pulp novels and comic books.

Speaking of re-fashioning a record, Costello said, “Pete, Steve and myself started out playing rocking pop music in another century. This year, ‘This Year’s Model’ came back to surprise us in another tongue. That edition is called,'Spanish Model.’”

Costello said, “Both that album and ‘The Boy Named If’ are records that are happening right now and if you want to draw a line between them, go right ahead.”

"Sometimes I sit and write things down, the rest of the time I play guitar in a rock and roll band. I love my family. I really love everybody, especially the people I can’t stand, even those who trespass against us and there are a lot of them.” "Yer pal. Elvis Costello”



‘The Boy Named If:’

1.Farewell, OK

2.The Boy Named If

3.Penelope Halfpenny

4.The Difference

5.What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love?

6.Paint The Red Rose Blue

7.Mistook Me For A Friend

8.My Most Beautiful Mistake (guest vocal by Nicole Atkins)

9. Magnificent Hurt

10.The Man You Love To Hate

11.The Death Of Magic Thinking

12.Trick Out The Truth

13.Mr. Crescent

Produced by Sebastian Krys & Elvis Costello
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Re: The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales, new album with The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by And No Coffee Table »

The name "Penelope Halfpenny" has been used before: She was the dancer at the first Revolver Tour show in 2011.

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 05-07_Reno
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Re: The Boy Named If And Other Children’s Tales, new album with The Imposters, January 14, 2022

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Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Re: The Boy Named If, new album by Elvis & The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by Hawksmoor »

Also up on iTunes for pre-order now. 'Magnificent Hurt' is available to download now for the princely sum of 99p (although 'Farewell OK', its supposed B-side, is not).
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Re: The Boy Named If, new album by Elvis & The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by Hawksmoor »

What's this now?

‘The Boy Named If’ Marks Costello’s Sixth Release Since October, 2020.

Really? I'm counting Clockface, Spanish Model, The Boy Named If and the Armed Forces box set, and I can still only get it up to four?
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Re: The Boy Named If, new album by Elvis & The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by anewman35 »

Hawksmoor wrote:What's this now?

‘The Boy Named If’ Marks Costello’s Sixth Release Since October, 2020.

Really? I'm counting Clockface, Spanish Model, The Boy Named If and the Armed Forces box set, and I can still only get it up to four?
'Since being forced to cut short a U.K. tour after a triumphant Hammersmith Apollo appearance in March 2020, Elvis Costello has released the album, Hey Clockface and the subsequent French language E.P., ‘La Face de Pendule à Coucou’ – featuring the voices of Iggy Pop and Isabelle Adjani.

In the last twelve months, Costello has also completed “How To Play Guitar & Y,” a comedic, “Words & Music” production for audible.com, and released the lavish vinyl box-set edition of the 1979 album, Armed Forces containing facsimiles of his original lyrical notebooks bound as pulp novels and comic books.'
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Re: The Boy Named If, new album by Elvis & The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by Hawksmoor »

anewman35 wrote:
Hawksmoor wrote:What's this now?

‘The Boy Named If’ Marks Costello’s Sixth Release Since October, 2020.

Really? I'm counting Clockface, Spanish Model, The Boy Named If and the Armed Forces box set, and I can still only get it up to four?
'Since being forced to cut short a U.K. tour after a triumphant Hammersmith Apollo appearance in March 2020, Elvis Costello has released the album, Hey Clockface and the subsequent French language E.P., ‘La Face de Pendule à Coucou’ – featuring the voices of Iggy Pop and Isabelle Adjani.

In the last twelve months, Costello has also completed “How To Play Guitar & Y,” a comedic, “Words & Music” production for audible.com, and released the lavish vinyl box-set edition of the 1979 album, Armed Forces containing facsimiles of his original lyrical notebooks bound as pulp novels and comic books.'
Aye, go on then. I'll begrudgingly allow him to count the French EP (technically six new versions of previously released tracks) and How to Play the Guitar and Y (not actually an LP at all) as 'releases'. I should add that I don't begrudge him doing those things at all. I still play Clockface, the French EP, Spanish Model and the half-dozen most interesting of the live tracks from the Armed Forces reissue pretty regularly, and I'm very glad to have them.

But i still think that claiming six 'releases' since October 2020 is a little bit cheeky!
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Re: The Boy Named If, new album by Elvis & The Imposters, January 14, 2022

Post by And No Coffee Table »

The UK store says "an album playback event, including a live Q&A with Elvis Costello" will be held in London on November 19.

https://shopuk.elviscostello.com/
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