For Elvis Costello fans - your favorite/least favorite EC albums?

[cognito20]

I've been listening to a lot of Elvis Costello recently while 9-tabling the $6.50 STT turbos and was curious as to how many Costello fans are on here, and what your most and least favorite albums and songs are by him. I don't know that I have one out-and-out favorite album by him, although if you held a gun to my head I would probably say When I Was Cruel, which I think is most of the criminally-underrated rock albums of the last decade. "45", "Spooky Girlfriend", "Alibi", "Daddy Can I Turn This" and the title track are all great songs, and "Soul For Hire" may be one of the most alluringly haunting songs I've ever heard. Outstanding album, for those who haven't heard it. Punch The Clock (highlights are "Everyday I Write The Book", which was one of only 2 Costello songs to ever crack the US Top 40 - for about 2 weeks in 1983 - although I never remember hearing it on the radio, and the incredible "Shipbuilding") was the first album I ever heard by him, growing up in the 80s, and it's still right up there. Although the critics kind of slagged it when it first came out, I think Spike is an outstanding album...."Let Him Dangle" is one of the best story-songs of the rock era, and it has his other US Top 40 hit in "Veronica". Armed Forces, This Year's Model and the new one he did with Allen Toussaint, The River in Reverse, also get a lot of play around my house and are all-around solid.

As for some of the stuff I'm meh on...the Bacharach songs I think are pleasant background music but not much else - in that way the songs are far more like Bacharach than Costello, The Juliet Letters (the one he did with the Brodsky Quartet) was an interesting experiment that didn't quite work, and I'm one of the few Costello fans who probably thinks that My Aim Is True, taken as a whole, is overrated, although some of the individual songs like "Watching The Detectives" and "The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes" are right up there with the best stuff he's ever put out. Mighty Like A Rose is incredibly inconsistent, but contains two of his greatest songs ever, "So Like Candy" (co-written with Paul McCartney) and "The Other Side of Summer", which salvage the album. The only album, though, that I truly dislike by Mr. MacManus is North, a collection of slow, boring piano songs that all sound the same, unfortunately influenced by his wife, Diana Krall. Other than that, though, I think that Elvis Costello is one of the greatest performers and composers in the rock era, a deserving first-ballot Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and quite good poker music. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

--Scott

[Claunchy]

tl;dr, but I really like Armed Forces and This Year's Model a lot.

There's not really anything I've heard of his that I just don't like.

[kidcolin]

He's my favorite by a pretty wide margin. Sadly I can't comment on the Bacharach stuff.. I've shied away from it, more because of Bacharach. I'll get into it eventually. As for the Juliet Letters w/ The Brodsky Quartet, I really, really like that, but I can understand why people wouldn't. I'm not going to include it with his normal stuff because it's so different.

Amazing: This Year's Model, Trust, Imperial Bedroom. Nothing really comes close to these, IMO (Attractions era or otherwise).

Really good: Get Happy!, Blood and Chocolate, Punch the Clock, Armed Forces, My Aim is True, The Delivery Man. Get Happy! is pretty close to my amazing list.

Bad/Not a Big Fan: North, Spike. A few gems, but overall not too good.
Awful: Goodbye Cruel World. It really is atrocious.

I own most of his stuff, so anything I didn't mention, I probably like (Mighty Like the Rose and Brutal Youth are sorta meh, I guess). I'd have to listen to King of America some more. I only own the vinyl for whatever reason, and all my records are back east at my folks house. It was never one of my favorites, but just looking at the track list it's got some great songs.

[correia]

My favorite album is probably My Aim Is True or This Year's Model although I haven't heard alot of his more recent stuff. As an aside has anyone seen him live? He's playing NYC this week and I'm thinking about going.

[wildzer0]

I just saw him baltimore on saturday and it was great. I'm actually not too big a fan of his records, but I never miss a chance to see him live. He's a great performer and his shows are always a lot of fun. Plus he has the most amazing organ/theremin (sp?) player.

[samsonite2100]

Just noticed this thread. Love EC--one of my faves. IMO, his first seven or so albums are pretty unimpeachable. My favorites are This Year's Model, Imperial Bedroom and Blood and Chocolate.