http://listserv.aol.com/archives/costello-l.html
-Chris,Early 2nd hand Memphis report
-Shows were great - much tighter than Oxford - maybe a new song, but pretty much the same as Oxford, plus a Peter Green number (!) which included some guitar wanking from EC, but good guitar wanking, it seems!!!
Memphis shows
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martinfoyle
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martinfoyle
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Re: Memphis shows
Jill on the eclistserv reportsplus a Peter Green number (!) which included some guitar wanking from EC, but good guitar wanking, it seems!!
-Just heard from the gang in Memphis, the song was "Love that Burns" by
Peter Green. They said it was great!
http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/F/Fleetw ... lyrics.htm
-Love That Burns
Written by Peter Green.
Would you love me tomorrow
Like you say you love me now
Would you love me, would you love me tomorrow
Like you say you love me now
When the flames of our flesh have stopped burning
And the fire of our love has cooled down
Too many times I've given too much
Baby, give me your love to me in return
Too many times I've given too much
Baby, give me your love in return
Give me your mind and your heart
But please don't leave me with a love that burns
And don't use me as your fool
'Cause my heart can't stand another lie
Please don't use me, don't use me as your fool
Baby, 'cause my heart can't stand another lie
And if you can't love me tomorrow
Please leave me now in my room to cry
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=music
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daybreaker
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- Location: Memphis
- Contact:
He did Love That Burns during at least two of the shows. He also played Country Darkness, Monkey to Man, She's Pulling Out the Pin, Bedlam, Button My Lip, Unwanted Number, Needle Time, and maybe a couple of others during more than one of the shows.
As for the old stuff, here's a breakdown of the three shows I attended (if memory serves):
Late Friday
I Hope You're Happy Now
Red Shoes
Radio Radio
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
I Wanna Be Loved
Watching the Detectives
Peace, Love and Understanding
Pump It Up
Early Saturday
Waiting for the End of the World
You Belong to Me
Radio Radio
Can't Stand Up
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (with You Really Got a Hold on Me interlude)
Uncomplicated
(this seems short, may be forgetting a couple)
Late Saturday
I Hope You're Happy Now
Tear Off Your Own Head
Red Shoes
Temptation
Watching the Detectives
Alison (which fused into Tracks of my Tears and Suspicious Minds)
Radio Radio
Peace, Love and Understanding
Pump It Up
As for the old stuff, here's a breakdown of the three shows I attended (if memory serves):
Late Friday
I Hope You're Happy Now
Red Shoes
Radio Radio
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
I Wanna Be Loved
Watching the Detectives
Peace, Love and Understanding
Pump It Up
Early Saturday
Waiting for the End of the World
You Belong to Me
Radio Radio
Can't Stand Up
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (with You Really Got a Hold on Me interlude)
Uncomplicated
(this seems short, may be forgetting a couple)
Late Saturday
I Hope You're Happy Now
Tear Off Your Own Head
Red Shoes
Temptation
Watching the Detectives
Alison (which fused into Tracks of my Tears and Suspicious Minds)
Radio Radio
Peace, Love and Understanding
Pump It Up
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martinfoyle
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daybreaker
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- Location: Memphis
- Contact:
From the Commercial Appeal:
Elvis (Costello) plays the blues
Garage rock, too, at packed Hi-Tone
By Bill Ellis
April 18, 2004
Memphis was abuzz this weekend with Elvis sightings.
Elvis Costello that is, who played four sold-out shows Friday and Saturday at the Hi-Tone in what will be remembered as one of the city's coolest club bookings ever.
Currently recording an album in Oxford, Miss., with producer Dennis Herring, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Costello has taken this opportunity to woodshed some of the new material in live settings. The Hi-Tone dates followed two similar concerts at Oxford club Proud Larry's the first weekend of April.
The regional performances made perfect sense given the strong, at times mythic, blues, soul and gospel touches in the new songs, a reason perhaps why Costello felt compelled to record in the deep South (he also sneaks into Ardent this week for additional studio time).
Judging by what was heard at the first of two shows on Friday before a packed, standing-room-only crowd of more than 300, the coming album - to be released on roots indie Lost Highway in the fall - may well be Costello's best in years.
It certainly finds him returning after several jazz, classical and high pop detours, to what he does best, writing some of the most probing, insightful songs that a four-piece rock band could ever hope to get its hands on.
Said accompaniment came from Costello's group of late, the Impostors, which pairs his old Attractions bandmates - keyboardist extraordinaire Steve Nieve and drumming great Pete Thomas - with bassist Davey Faragher, best known for his work in Cracker. The chemistry was undeniable as the quartet took songs to the edge and back, a balancing act at times of punk-imbued tension and high-art arranging.
The new tunes welcomed such extremes, where the New Wave-esque "Needle Time'' shifted suddenly into lower gear, a Chicago blues transformed, while the angular funk of "Bedlam'' saved room for a Steve Cropper appropriation or two from Costello's lead guitar. And the jaunty Allen Toussaint-like pop-blues of "Monkey To Man'' felt like the best bid for a radio hit the 49-year-old performer has had in some time.
Memphis fans found an apt mantra in the closing refrain to a song called "The Delivery Man.''
"In a certain light, you look like Elvis/In a certain way you seem like Jesus,'' went the repeated lines, sung like a strange lullaby, one that showed Costello still has the lyrical and melodic power to get under your skin. He did it as well on the night's most impressive new selection, "Country Darkness,'' a William Bell-meets-William Blake existential soul classic.
Playing his first Bluff City concert in a decade, Costello also gave the boisterously appreciative audience a fair number of familiar milestones, including "Radio, Radio,'' "You Belong to Me,'' "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea'' and "Uncomplicated,'' all packed with garage-rock punch.
- Bill Ellis: 529-2517
Elvis (Costello) plays the blues
Garage rock, too, at packed Hi-Tone
By Bill Ellis
April 18, 2004
Memphis was abuzz this weekend with Elvis sightings.
Elvis Costello that is, who played four sold-out shows Friday and Saturday at the Hi-Tone in what will be remembered as one of the city's coolest club bookings ever.
Currently recording an album in Oxford, Miss., with producer Dennis Herring, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Costello has taken this opportunity to woodshed some of the new material in live settings. The Hi-Tone dates followed two similar concerts at Oxford club Proud Larry's the first weekend of April.
The regional performances made perfect sense given the strong, at times mythic, blues, soul and gospel touches in the new songs, a reason perhaps why Costello felt compelled to record in the deep South (he also sneaks into Ardent this week for additional studio time).
Judging by what was heard at the first of two shows on Friday before a packed, standing-room-only crowd of more than 300, the coming album - to be released on roots indie Lost Highway in the fall - may well be Costello's best in years.
It certainly finds him returning after several jazz, classical and high pop detours, to what he does best, writing some of the most probing, insightful songs that a four-piece rock band could ever hope to get its hands on.
Said accompaniment came from Costello's group of late, the Impostors, which pairs his old Attractions bandmates - keyboardist extraordinaire Steve Nieve and drumming great Pete Thomas - with bassist Davey Faragher, best known for his work in Cracker. The chemistry was undeniable as the quartet took songs to the edge and back, a balancing act at times of punk-imbued tension and high-art arranging.
The new tunes welcomed such extremes, where the New Wave-esque "Needle Time'' shifted suddenly into lower gear, a Chicago blues transformed, while the angular funk of "Bedlam'' saved room for a Steve Cropper appropriation or two from Costello's lead guitar. And the jaunty Allen Toussaint-like pop-blues of "Monkey To Man'' felt like the best bid for a radio hit the 49-year-old performer has had in some time.
Memphis fans found an apt mantra in the closing refrain to a song called "The Delivery Man.''
"In a certain light, you look like Elvis/In a certain way you seem like Jesus,'' went the repeated lines, sung like a strange lullaby, one that showed Costello still has the lyrical and melodic power to get under your skin. He did it as well on the night's most impressive new selection, "Country Darkness,'' a William Bell-meets-William Blake existential soul classic.
Playing his first Bluff City concert in a decade, Costello also gave the boisterously appreciative audience a fair number of familiar milestones, including "Radio, Radio,'' "You Belong to Me,'' "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea'' and "Uncomplicated,'' all packed with garage-rock punch.
- Bill Ellis: 529-2517
-
Mr. Average
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- Location: Orange County, Californication
This review is the first one to generate genuine excitement in me about the new songs and the new record(s). The material appears to be all over the musical map...and that is exactly why this artist is one of the greats. He never settles into a cushy role of auto-output and formula success.
Can't wait.
Can't wait.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
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martinfoyle
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- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:24 pm
- Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Contact:
-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM>
-dave weil
1 new song only in Memphis (other than the ones already previously
noted and NOT counting Love That Burns). Wish I could remember the
name. It was more pop uptempo stuff. We thought we heard another new
song in warmup.
Elvis not in "rehearsal mode" in Memphis anymore. Each set was
basically something like two classic openers like Hope You're Happy
Now, then a few of the new songs, then some oldies again, then a
couple of new songs, then closing hits. I may be wrong, but it seemed
like the only songs he repeated each set were Deliveryman, Bedlam, and
Monkey To Man.
The band was much tighter, there was less experimentation from Steve,
and the PA was VERY clear, unlike Oxford, where the vocals were muddy.
sounds like the arrangements are geting locked in. For Slo, he's
dropped the Yardbirds riff at the beginning of Monkey To Man, but it's
still in the song.
Speaking of Steve - a first, perhaps? Steve playing a harmonica. Not a
harmonium, not a melodica, not Darryl Lamonica (this one for US
classic sports fan only), but a blues harp. He also played the
theramin, which I don't remember him playing in Oxford (was it even
set up)?
In the opening set of Saturday, he did an extremely slooooooow (almost
excruciatingly slooooooow) version of The Deliveryman. He was back to
the normal version for the final set.
He finally did Alison at the end of the last set Sat. night.
He finally picked up the J-65 (the old "Elvis" Gibson acoustic that
had remained untouched in both Oxford and Memphis) Saturday night
(early set). he did the DDTM/You've Really Got A Hold On Me.
There were some other notable things, but I don't have time, or memory
to note them. However, I *will* note that by the end of the
"mini-tour", Elvis was tired of seeing the same faces up front. Plus,
an unnamed person (not me) actually got a verbalized "Fuck-off" from
him in the third set. It was about the only time we got "grouchy
Elvis".
His voice actually got much stronger over time. By the end, it was
absolutely powerful. Eschewing the vibrato as he did most of the time
worked for this material. It was straight-ahead "rock singing" the
whole time.
-dave weil
1 new song only in Memphis (other than the ones already previously
noted and NOT counting Love That Burns). Wish I could remember the
name. It was more pop uptempo stuff. We thought we heard another new
song in warmup.
Elvis not in "rehearsal mode" in Memphis anymore. Each set was
basically something like two classic openers like Hope You're Happy
Now, then a few of the new songs, then some oldies again, then a
couple of new songs, then closing hits. I may be wrong, but it seemed
like the only songs he repeated each set were Deliveryman, Bedlam, and
Monkey To Man.
The band was much tighter, there was less experimentation from Steve,
and the PA was VERY clear, unlike Oxford, where the vocals were muddy.
sounds like the arrangements are geting locked in. For Slo, he's
dropped the Yardbirds riff at the beginning of Monkey To Man, but it's
still in the song.
Speaking of Steve - a first, perhaps? Steve playing a harmonica. Not a
harmonium, not a melodica, not Darryl Lamonica (this one for US
classic sports fan only), but a blues harp. He also played the
theramin, which I don't remember him playing in Oxford (was it even
set up)?
In the opening set of Saturday, he did an extremely slooooooow (almost
excruciatingly slooooooow) version of The Deliveryman. He was back to
the normal version for the final set.
He finally did Alison at the end of the last set Sat. night.
He finally picked up the J-65 (the old "Elvis" Gibson acoustic that
had remained untouched in both Oxford and Memphis) Saturday night
(early set). he did the DDTM/You've Really Got A Hold On Me.
There were some other notable things, but I don't have time, or memory
to note them. However, I *will* note that by the end of the
"mini-tour", Elvis was tired of seeing the same faces up front. Plus,
an unnamed person (not me) actually got a verbalized "Fuck-off" from
him in the third set. It was about the only time we got "grouchy
Elvis".
His voice actually got much stronger over time. By the end, it was
absolutely powerful. Eschewing the vibrato as he did most of the time
worked for this material. It was straight-ahead "rock singing" the
whole time.
-
spooky girlfriend
- Site Admin
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- Location: Huntsville, Alabama
- Contact:
Oh my dear people, I am back. And I have seen The Man again. This time, in all his glory - close enough to the stage to almost conceive a child with him. It was Elvis, and then me - with only a storage chest between us! And for a while before the show I sat on the chest to rest, so, I suppose you could actually say that I sat on Elvis' chest. 
This was such a fine, fine show. And before I spew on, let me say that we were fortunate to get into the second show as well, even though we didn't previously have tickets.
I have so many pictures! I will be posting them soon. We just got home and are still unloading the van. I promise it won't be long - and I promise you people that this new album is going to kick ass!
Let me also say a thanks to the good people from the listserv who met up with us, especially Dave - what a great guy!
Back soon! Oooooooooooooooooooooh, what a weekend!
This was such a fine, fine show. And before I spew on, let me say that we were fortunate to get into the second show as well, even though we didn't previously have tickets.
I have so many pictures! I will be posting them soon. We just got home and are still unloading the van. I promise it won't be long - and I promise you people that this new album is going to kick ass!
Let me also say a thanks to the good people from the listserv who met up with us, especially Dave - what a great guy!
Back soon! Oooooooooooooooooooooh, what a weekend!
-
spooky girlfriend
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verbal gymnastics
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bambooneedle
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spooky girlfriend
- Site Admin
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Nope, not a "fuck off" for me. 
I felt like he was singing just for me the whole time. He looked right at me and made all those silly eye gestures that he makes when he sings and those flirty "you know what these song lyrics really mean, don't you?" kind of looks. But no "fuck off" for me. Nuh uh.
I think I forgot to post the boots. People, you have to check out the boots. The purple suit was worth a couple of looks, but, the boots. . . . . .
I felt like he was singing just for me the whole time. He looked right at me and made all those silly eye gestures that he makes when he sings and those flirty "you know what these song lyrics really mean, don't you?" kind of looks. But no "fuck off" for me. Nuh uh.
I think I forgot to post the boots. People, you have to check out the boots. The purple suit was worth a couple of looks, but, the boots. . . . . .
Loads more photos here -
http://www.elviscostello.info/whatsnew.html
including this -
2004-04-16: Memphis, TN, Hi-Tone Cafe, early show - with the Imposters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos courtesy of Dave Weil© 2004.
http://www.elviscostello.info/whatsnew.html
including this -
2004-04-16: Memphis, TN, Hi-Tone Cafe, early show - with the Imposters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos courtesy of Dave Weil© 2004.
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spooky girlfriend
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Well, I wish I could say I had a setlist, but the best I did was to take a picture of a setlist that someone ripped off the stage after the show. I was absolutely in love with being that close to Elvis that I thought I would just screw trying to write a setlist. It seemed like it would have been "cheating on him" somehow. He was making great eye contact with those of us right around the stage, and I even felt guilty that I was taking pics of him at times. I chose not to use a flash so as not to make a pest of myself. It just didn't seem fair being in his face like that. There was a real relationship between him and the adoring fans.
The music was wonderful. The band was tight and loving what they were singing. The new stuff is amazing. I can't wait for the album. I didn't see the Oxford shows, so I can't make a comparison, but I do know that I can't get Delivery Man out of my head - what a sexy song! I also loved Unwanted Number and Country Darkness. Delivery Man is going to be my favorite I think. The blues stuff is awesome. I could have listened to them for hours. DrS and I knew we liked the new stuff on first listen, but by the second show we were sure of it.
Still humming Delivery Man.
It's all still coming back to me slowly. My ears are still ringing from the first show. I actually tore up a tissue from my purse and stuffed a piece in my ears because they were burning so bad from the loud music. But who the hell cared? I was so close to the stage!
More later - as it comes to me.
The music was wonderful. The band was tight and loving what they were singing. The new stuff is amazing. I can't wait for the album. I didn't see the Oxford shows, so I can't make a comparison, but I do know that I can't get Delivery Man out of my head - what a sexy song! I also loved Unwanted Number and Country Darkness. Delivery Man is going to be my favorite I think. The blues stuff is awesome. I could have listened to them for hours. DrS and I knew we liked the new stuff on first listen, but by the second show we were sure of it.
Still humming Delivery Man.
It's all still coming back to me slowly. My ears are still ringing from the first show. I actually tore up a tissue from my purse and stuffed a piece in my ears because they were burning so bad from the loud music. But who the hell cared? I was so close to the stage!
More later - as it comes to me.
-
DrSpooky
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At the first show, no zoom was needed. There was me, SG, EC's chest, and then EC on a two foot high stage. Steve's equipment was no more than six feet from us. At the late show, we squeezed in via the "hopeful line" and were probably 15-20 feet from the stage near some people who drank and chattered incessantly.
PIP.. the main room was about the size of a Wendy's dining room so that tells you how big it was. And Steve was amazing.
One cool thing was that we sat out in line so long before the show that we got to hear the practice session. The place was so small that we stood in front of the glass and wooden door that opened directly next to the stage.
I have to agree with SG. Both shows were awesome and the new stuff is fanstastic. From memory, he seemed to have played 1 more new song in the Sat early show than at the late show. I don't know the title but he referred to it as a strip song and that definitely sounded like the dirty kind . Spooky mentioned most of the new songs but missed the strip song (1st show) and Monkey To Man which he played at both shows. For some reason, MTM made me feel like I should be doing a 60s dance like the fish or swim. There was very little overlap in the other music played. I recall Radio, Radio at both shows but that is certainly OK by me.
At the second show, he played Alison, Watching the Detectives and Peace, Love and Understanding. It was also my first time to hear the Suspicous Minds worked into Alison which was really cool. I think he also played Shotgun.
I don't know if anyone else noticed but as he was wrapping up the late show, he did one line from Chuck Berry's Memphis.
SG has a picture of the set list from the early show and I assume she will post it. I am still in awe.
Overall, I think the new music is defintely indicative of the style of the Memphis/ Oxford/ Clarksdale area. If you like Stax records and Mississippi blues, the new music is going to make you very happy. Of course, nearly any new EC recording is enough to be happy about.
PIP.. the main room was about the size of a Wendy's dining room so that tells you how big it was. And Steve was amazing.
One cool thing was that we sat out in line so long before the show that we got to hear the practice session. The place was so small that we stood in front of the glass and wooden door that opened directly next to the stage.
I have to agree with SG. Both shows were awesome and the new stuff is fanstastic. From memory, he seemed to have played 1 more new song in the Sat early show than at the late show. I don't know the title but he referred to it as a strip song and that definitely sounded like the dirty kind . Spooky mentioned most of the new songs but missed the strip song (1st show) and Monkey To Man which he played at both shows. For some reason, MTM made me feel like I should be doing a 60s dance like the fish or swim. There was very little overlap in the other music played. I recall Radio, Radio at both shows but that is certainly OK by me.
At the second show, he played Alison, Watching the Detectives and Peace, Love and Understanding. It was also my first time to hear the Suspicous Minds worked into Alison which was really cool. I think he also played Shotgun.
I don't know if anyone else noticed but as he was wrapping up the late show, he did one line from Chuck Berry's Memphis.
SG has a picture of the set list from the early show and I assume she will post it. I am still in awe.
Overall, I think the new music is defintely indicative of the style of the Memphis/ Oxford/ Clarksdale area. If you like Stax records and Mississippi blues, the new music is going to make you very happy. Of course, nearly any new EC recording is enough to be happy about.
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Otis Westinghouse
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girl out of time
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i know this next album is goin´ to be awesome.....i just know....from what i´ve been able to listen......country darkness is my most recent fave! very soulful stuff! can´t wait to put my hands on this new record!
...the promise of indulgence in my confidential voice approached inmortal danger but you´ll never know how close....
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lapinsjolis
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selfmademug
Ah, so THAT's what the boots look like up close. He wore them in Feb in both NYC and Boston. Fucking blinding under the stage lights... the glare was impressive even from the balcony of the Beacon!
I like his hair, gettin longer... though I liked the close buzz too. I suppose I like it when people change their look.
Bravo, Spooky and Dr.!
I like his hair, gettin longer... though I liked the close buzz too. I suppose I like it when people change their look.
Bravo, Spooky and Dr.!
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bambooneedle
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