National Ransom - November 2010

[migdd]

Alexv, I agree with you. I believe you just vocalized what wordnat and I stated so off-handedly in our previous posts - that GP is akin to EC without the range and proper financing.

I admire Parker for the consistent high level of his songwriting and performing. In many ways, Parker lacks the ambition to delve into broader musical areas as EC so often does. I don't know that this is necessarily a bad thing though, just a different animal. And while I'll never shake the nostalgic gravitational pull of GP's first four or five albums, I think he has put out far stronger albums since then. Nowadays, GP can sing better, is a better guitar player and consistently writes better songs and stronger albums. As much as I love Howling Wind I think Deepcut to Nowhere is by far the better of the two albums. 12 Haunted Episodes, Struck By Lightning and Don't Tell Columbus are all as good or better than many of his early albums, if you take them at face-value, stripped of the "nostalgia factor".

Similarly, I have the same relationship with EC's catalogue.

[bronxapostle]

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING is a masterpiece!!!!!

[Jeremy Dylan]

I suspect that American Ransom will be even better than SP&S. I'm particularly looking forward to hearing a proper studio version of I've Lost You.

[alexv]

Continuing on the GP track, Human Soul is a flawless record, probably my favorite GP record altogether.

[migdd]

Interesting news about American Ransom where EC confirms the players on the new album:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents ... -1.1037819


extract:

So I can confirm that there will be another new album from the
prolific Mr Costello this autumn. It will be produced by T-Bone
Burnett, a long-time associate and the producer of the last disc –
Secret, Profane and Sugarcane – and best known for creating the album,
Raising Sand, featuring Robert Plant and Alison Krause. The new album
will feature the “acoustic rock’n’roll band”, the Sugarcanes, with
whom he is on the road at present as well as the longer established
trio, The Imposters, two of whom have been playing with him since
1977.

He also promises, intriguingly, “several other friends, but not
necessarily as you might imagine. The ensemble ranges from two players
to nine pieces and while some songs are very intimate and quiet,
others are not”.

[Jeremy Dylan]

I don't remember the last time I was this excited for a new album from someone - especially now knowing that I LOST YOU will be on the new record. I think SLOW DRAG WITH JOSEPHINE and JIMMIE STANDING IN THE RAIN are two of the best tunes he's written, or a least the hookiest (I've played bootlegs of both songs to death) and I can't wait to hear studio versions of the songs, especially with Mr Thomas, Mr Nieve and others contributing...

[wordnat]

how do yopu know that i've lost you will be on AR? (sorry, i've lost the thread here....) thx

[Jeremy Dylan]

EC said at the Liverpool show 'That's a song that'll be on my next album, which is on it's way' after they played it.

[johnfoyle]

From a recent Costello interview -

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/leisure/mus ... _Passions/

“A new recording will be released later this year,” he reveals. “The title was leaked, but oddly enough it was incorrect, so I think I’ll allow that to be a surprise,” he smiles.

[migdd]

Direct Current now lists the album as National Ransom. Hmmm. . .

http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/and-beyond/


and so does this site:

http://auspop.blogspot.com/2010/07/aust ... ly_22.html

[And No Coffee Table]

MTV and Billboard also call it National Ransom.

http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/costell ... Id=2586957
http://www.billboard.com/album/elvis-co ... om/1388206

[Neil.]

Agh! Not a great title - almost all his albums have had great titles, though, so we can't expect him to hit the spot every time, but at least we know the songs are good!

I guess it's a pun on 'National Anthem'. Because I want him to become a sudden, unexpected, worldwide smash in his later career, I want every move to be perfect.

That said, what do I know? Maybe this'll be the one!

[migdd]

Rational Handsome.

[wordnat]

I LOVE it! The obvious play on "National Anthem" is a master stroke. Sweet!

[Ypsilanti]

...also sounds like a comment on the current financial situation, here in the US and elsewhere (bank bailouts, etc). Is it a phrase in one of the new songs?

[Jeremy Dylan]

Personally, if we're going for titles from lyrics, I think 'Vile Vaudevillians' wouldn't be half bad.

[Ypsilanti]

Personally, if we're going for titles from lyrics, I think 'Vile Vaudevillians' wouldn't be half bad.

Nice!

[Jeremy Dylan]

[Ypsilanti]

Jeremy-
That's amazing looking, but how can you not use one of your own fantastic photos...

vile vaudevillians2.jpg (83.42 KiB) Viewed 38070 times

[Jeremy Dylan]

Very nice!

Alternate title -

[And No Coffee Table]

I wonder if "Five Small Words" will even be on the album. It hasn't been played live since last October.

[wordnat]

FSW sounds somehow forced to me, weak.

[Ypsilanti]

Actually, if I were naming the album, it would be...

DSCN2532 (2).jpg (106.38 KiB) Viewed 38026 times

[Jeremy Dylan]

How about this one?

[The Deliveryman]

Ha! The REAL cover's got you guys beat!

http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/dc-mu ... ealed.html



That's going to look amazing on the vinyl cover!