Elvis Costello

[Borneojimy]

I've got the first 4 LPs, some live stuff from that era & the two more recent releases with the Attractions. Anybody got recommendations for other stuff that I should check out? I'm not much into the more acoustic flavored or mellow stuff, but there have got to be some classics that I'm missing out on.

[bpdp3]

Not sure what you have, but if only the 1st four (My Aim is True, This Years Model, Armed Forces and Get Happy?) I'd go a little further and get Trust and Taking Liberties, a nice b-sides/oddball collection.
Imperial Bedroom's not too shabby either.
If I see an Elvis lp in the used bin that's low-priced and I don't have it, I grab it regardless of how the critics treated it.

[schwenko]

wHICH VERSION OF THE ALBUMS DO YOU HAVE?
tHe reason I ask is that Rhino has been re-releasing all the albums with tons of bonus tracks. I posted this awhile ago and if you search using my name and elvis costello you can find the details.

[Rubbeet921]

[quote][i]Originally posted by bpdp3[/i]

...If I see an Elvis lp in the used bin that's low-priced and I don't have it, I grab it regardless of how the critics treated it.
[/quote]

Yup, I do that too.

"Brutal Youth" is one of the best EC albums released! I love it!

[Surly]

There's a DVD coming out at the end of September that collects all of his music videos. Elvis provides commentary for each clip!

[skinnytie]

If the albums you stopped after was indeed "Get Happy!!", I highly recommend getting "Trust". I agree with bpdp3 about "Taking Liberties", but it will be hard to find (since it's out of print and all), but the Rhino re-issues recover all that stuff on various repackagings, so it's not really necessary anymore.
I was one of those who liked the "country" album, "Almost Blue", and others that I have a fondness for are "Punch the Clock", "Spike", and "Goodbye Cruel World" (Elvis may say it's his worst album, but not to me).
Also, I would get "Blood and Chocolate" as the Rhino re-issue 2-disc set only. I end up listening to the bonus disc more than I do the proper album.

[Borneojimy]

Thanks for the input! I did pretty much stop after "Get Happy", but I did get the Rykodisc reissues about 10 years or so back. They aren't quite as extensive as the Rhino double discs, but pretty good nonetheless. Brutal Youth & When I Was Cruel are the 2 more recent ones that I have, I'll be looking into some of the others.

[SomebodySomewhere]

[quote]I've got the first 4 LPs, some live stuff from that era & the two more recent releases with the Attractions. Anybody got recommendations for other stuff that I should check out? I'm not much into the more acoustic flavored or mellow stuff, but there have got to be some classics that I'm missing out on.[/quote]

Definitely "Punch the Clock," his last great album.

"Goodbye Cruel World" was a lesser "Punch the Clock," with one fine single ("The Only Flame in Town") and a ton of filler.

His '80s albums that followed were hit and miss -- mostly miss -- and after "Mighty Like a Rose" (which has an OK single in "The Other Side of Summer"), he decided to be the everyman of music, and overshot his wad.

[MARV]

I have a very good copy of Elvis Costello's live concert from BBC Radio 2's Sold On Song series broadcast in 2003 if anyone's interested. Just e-mail me your address.

[Borneojimy]

I went back & listened to "Brutal Youth" last night, definately some great stuff on there. A few too many ballads overall, but you can hear echos of the Elvis of the late 70s for sure.

[General Boy]

I'm a huge Elvis fan, so here's what I'd recommend:

"Trust" - As others have stated, this is simply one of his finest releases. The production is much more stripped down and minimal than his first four albums, and there's a heavier emphasis on piano (as opposed to keyboards or synths). It's also a varied affair, going from country to classical to hand jive.

"Blood & Chocolate" - Elvis called this a "34 year old divorcee's version of 'This Years Model.' It's a return to the raw sort of garage rock of that album, but the production is more low-fi and immediate and the songs are both more direct and depressing. There's also a big Dylan influence here in songs like the 6 minute opuses (opi?) "I Want You" (one of his most depressing, haunting songs ever) and "Tokyo Storm Warning." When forced to choose a favorite Elvis album, I tend to go back and forth between this and "Get Happy!!"

"When I Was Cruel" - A "rowdy rhythm record," as Elvis dubs it. It's partially a return to his more rocky roots, but also has some other strange stuff on it, like the Latin/Middle Eastern-flavored "15 Petals" and the jazzy brass-fest of "Episode Of Blonde."

I'd recommend the excellent "Juliet Letters," an album Elvis did with The Brodsky Quartet, but you said you don't like the mellow stuff.

Some folks swear by "Imperial Bedroom," but I find it well overproduced. I really think Elvis' best albums are the ones Nick Lowe produced. (My Aim Is True, This Years Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy!!, Trust and Blood & Chocolate).