Man out of Time v Beyond Belief (top 5's FINAL)

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:26 pm

Open until the end of March

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:48 pm

IB Rules!

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:02 pm

This is cruel - I can't decide between these two, which should always be on an Elvis best-of CD burn, in my book.

migdd · Post by **migdd** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:24 pm

Tough choice but MOOT get my vote by a hair!

Fishfinger king · Post by **Fishfinger king** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:30 pm

Neil. wrote:This is cruel - I can't decide between these two, which should always be on an Elvis best-of CD burn, in my book.

I agree, I abstain.

Having voted for 4 losers in the quarters, I backed both winners in the semis. So a draw has to be right here.

Is it too late to predict a Chelsea v Manure Cup Final? (don't look at the posting time, please)

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:43 am

Hang on, is this the final? These are the two whittled-down finalists?

Oh God, I suppose I'll go for Man Out of Time, then, for its melancholy grandeur - though of course I love Beyond Belief's paranoid sound, understated claustrophobic vocal, scary imagery in the lyric, crazy heart-palpitation drumming and swirling organ work, all sent spinning through a Doctor Who title-sequence time vortex. God, what a recording! Shit, maybe I should vote for it above Man Out Of Time!!!

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:25 am

Which of the two finalists captures the stronger poetic wit of Elvis, the stronger contribution of the Attractions, and presents the better 'package' to characterize what Elvis means to so many OVER THE SPAN OF HIS ENTIRE CAREER. Beyond Belief captures early and late Elvis, restrained and unrelenting, with moments of reckless abandon and controlled angst.

To me, no contest. Beyond Belief IS Elvis Costello and the Attractions at their very best. Man out of time is a fine melody, but blurs in with the entire catalogue. While I love the intrumental epilogue and prologue, it sandwiches a song that has trouble benefiting from the packaging.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:43 am

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 12:15 pm

Man out of Time. Not even a contest. Beyond Belief is a very unique song, but a little too, well, something - at least for me. I've loved Man out of Time since the very first listen. I must have played it over and over and over until I had memorized every word. Great song.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:21 pm

spooky girlfriend wrote:Man out of Time. Not even a contest. Beyond Belief is a very unique song, but a little too, well, something - at least for me. I've loved Man out of Time since the very first listen. I must have played it over and over and over until I had memorized every word. Great song.

ditto that

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:57 pm

spooky girlfriend wrote:Man out of Time. Not even a contest. Beyond Belief is a very unique song, but a little too, well, something - at least for me. I've loved Man out of Time since the very first listen. I must have played it over and over and over until I had memorized every word. Great song.

Since there is a mini concensus that Beyond Belief is "a little too something" I am really curious on what the something is? Jackson agree's. So what is this amorphous, undefined something. It is the amorphous, undefined somethings that make the best of EC stand out. I cannot determine what the remarkable something is in "Man Out of Time", other than a great EC melody with traditionally great lyrics. As I said previous, it blends with the catalog. Beyond Belief doesn't conveniently blend in. It stands out, in your face, and that is and will always be what makes Elvis Costello and the Attractions remarkable and a standout.

I think I just answered my own question.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:01 pm

If the same number of people vote that voted for the semi's, this could be a race. 34 total votes is paltry. Where is everyone? It isn't like these two songs come from two remarkably obscure albums. My goodness, they are on the same record! I suppose only 32 people who frequent this forum know or have an opinion about this album. Or care to differentiate between these two great songs.

That is more stunning to me than the relative paucity of the votes.

Masterpiece? · Post by **Masterpiece?** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:32 pm

I can see the attraction to voting for MOOT, but ultimately I voted for BB. MOOT lends itself more to the role of "sweeping epic for the time capsuleâ„¢", but for me BB is just as powerful, and leaves me just as breathless.

I wonder if people would get a different vibe from BB if it were the last track on IB instead of the first. I think the fact that it opens the album gives it a kind of "we're just warming up" aura, and I don't know if that really does the song justice...

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:50 pm

Mr. Average wrote:Where is everyone?

Abstaining, in my case!

thepopeofpop · Post by **thepopeofpop** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:09 pm

BB! It's as simple as that

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:44 am

Mr. Average wrote:
spooky girlfriend wrote:Man out of Time. Not even a contest. Beyond Belief is a very unique song, but a little too, well, something - at least for me. I've loved Man out of Time since the very first listen. I must have played it over and over and over until I had memorized every word. Great song.
Since there is a mini concensus that Beyond Belief is "a little too something" I am really curious on what the something is? Jackson agree's. So what is this amorphous, undefined something. It is the amorphous, undefined somethings that make the best of EC stand out. I cannot determine what the remarkable something is in "Man Out of Time", other than a great EC melody with traditionally great lyrics. As I said previous, it blends with the catalog. Beyond Belief doesn't conveniently blend in. It stands out, in your face, and that is and will always be what makes Elvis Costello and the Attractions remarkable and a standout.

I think I just answered my own question.

You may have, Mr. A. But that "something" for me is different. Ya'll gonna go get me all goin' on again about how IB is overproduced. I like IB, don't get me wrong, but there just seems to be too much going on in the background on some of those songs. Maybe it exists on MOOT and I'm blind to it, I don't know. I just know I love that song. From the moment he screams at the beginning. . . . .

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:25 am

Mr. Average wrote:If the same number of people vote that voted for the semi's, this could be a race. 34 total votes is paltry. Where is everyone? It isn't like these two songs come from two remarkably obscure albums. My goodness, they are on the same record! I suppose only 32 people who frequent this forum know or have an opinion about this album. Or care to differentiate between these two great songs.

That is more stunning to me than the relative paucity of the votes.

The problem with this poll is the unimaginativeness of the way it was designed, as if songs were teams in a bloody football comp! If completely different songs are going to be compared, it might have been better to narrow down the criteria along the way first, like "best epic", "best rocking", "best songwriting", "best ballad" etc, so songs could be recognized for their respective differences and merits, and then finally facing them off against each other in the end. Or whatever. People can't be expected to be enthusiastic about a poll if so little consideration is given towards making it interesting...

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:06 pm

well, I guess the answer to that one is simple Boo...you organise it and we'll vote. Nobody had to vote in SLL's poll. It was only a bit of fun after all.

Have to say though, MOOT always seems to be in the top five in these things.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:50 pm

Masterpiece? wrote:I wonder if people would get a different vibe from BB if it were the last track on IB instead of the first. I think the fact that it opens the album gives it a kind of "we're just warming up" aura, and I don't know if that really does the song justice...

Or maybe the converse. Maybe the chill down my spine that was induced by this song from the very first listen has carried IB to the status of my second favorite Costello recording (behind TYM, but damn close). Ordering is everything for those who came into EC from the first vinyl album, and owned the Jimmy Shands on shellac before CD's were available or common. You laid the needle down and listened to the songs in the order they were intended to be heard by the artist and the producer. Not so today.

For the record, Ms. Spooky and other's: consider my impassioned comments a sort of lame lobbying...all in fun. I enjoy the poll, and I enjoy the time and effort that So Lacklustre has put into it. It has made me look forward to checking the thread. Great fun, and paus efor reflection on what is celebrated most by the hardcore EC fans that frequent and post to this site.

Wait...who said that...

I picked a bad day to guit sniffin' glue.

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:11 pm

I'm hardly the musical expert here, so my comments are also just my personal heartfelt thoughts.

I often don't even participate in these threads, but MOOT holds a special place for me. And it isn't even on KOA!!

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:18 pm

Jackson Monk wrote:well, I guess the answer to that one is simple Boo...you organise it and we'll vote.

When EC does something and there's more activity on the board. Also, it's too soon right now after these last polls.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:31 am

bambooneedle wrote:
Jackson Monk wrote:well, I guess the answer to that one is simple Boo...you organise it and we'll vote.
When EC does something and there's more activity on the board. Also, it's too soon right now after these last polls.

Fair enough......we wait with anticipation

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Man out of Time v Beyond Belief (top 5's FINAL)

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Man out of Time v Beyond Belief (top 5's FINAL)