Elvis Costello Fan Forum

Kilburn Boy, Brodsky stuff is pretty heavy going, I always think, but I always see Elvis whenever he's in town - even with the Brodskys. It's cos the pace is often slow, the songs often mournful. Quite good fun to see whether he pulls it off as an evening's entertainment, however.

Best EC look - no hat, no facial hair at all, no scarves, no sunglasses indoors - but specs a necessity, of course. I think he might have been using the stubble to cover the double chin, but there's no need - he looks great for a man in his fifties! No worries if he's more portly - most people are b...

Me too! I paid for my ticket, this time.... I'll buy you that beer I owe you, Verbal!

Blimey, Elvis is looking like Rhett Butler in this publicity photo. Wonder if he's gonna stick with the look for the whole tour?! Glad he's got rid of the patchy stubble and hat - all we need now is for him to get rid of the 'tache!

Well, well. You know, I coulda sworn when I read the press blurb about 'Sacred, Profane, Sugarcane', that Tony Millionaire was another playful Elvis alias. But come to think of it, the album sleeve is a lot more accomplished than 'Eammon Singer's Pat and Mike, or the Blood and Choc album cover.

Gutted about Dirty Rotten Shame only being available on vinyl. I've always wanted to hear Elvis do this, but I've no means of playing vinyl. I'm sure it'll end up online, however, so all should be cool.

I even like 20% Amnesia! The middle eight is (as I believe young people put it) 'awesome' - The xylophone comical bit with 'the wine you drink has never seen a graaape' London's Brill Parade is one of Elvis's most gorgeous melodies - the whole album (as I believe young people put it) 'rocks'. Actual...

No to the moustache!!!! Either stay clean-shaven, or bring back the overall facial fuzz!

As far as I'm concerned, if it gets his music more widely recognised, then it's a good thing.

Far too many of his great songs are not known by the wider world, and many of them should be rock standards and ballad classics, widely covered by a range of artists. Bring it on!

Have to say I disagree about 'Still Too Soon To Know'. I like its directness, and I think part of the reason Elvis has had so few covers is that he is quite hard for a lot of singers to sing cos of the amount of words he crams in. The lines are simple, yes, but blatant, no. The picture it paints of ...

Was listening to Shoes Without Heels last night, and thinking how gorgeous it is. What's your most gorgeous Elvis song? Swooniest, lovliest, gentlest? (I think it's slightly different from what is Elvis's saddest song - but the two usually meet halfway. I nearly said Motel Matches, but I think that'...

Another one - on Brutal Youth, in the lyrics for 20% Amnesia, it says " Were you passed out on the sofa Justice is bartered by a drunken oaf " But surely the real lyric is " When you pass out on the sofa Just as you're spotted by a drunken oaf " It fits far better - I'm sure the ...

Which line are you talking about?

Yo! D'you reckon the 'official' lyrics of Elvis have been craply transcribed by some audio typist? I was trying to decipher the Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo lyric yesterday, so consulted said CD booklet. It says: "Baby's got a brand new hairdo, I wonder what's left inside She used to play me f...

Hee hee! Good point. Shame though! Gah.

Still reckon 'Perfect Secrets' is a far better title! I'll shut up about it now.

So does anyone know what he sang apart from Pump It Up?

I presume PLU was on the set-list!

Nx

Just to say I watched the Rufus Wainwright and Elton John editions again recently. When it comes down to it, these are really great shows. My initial concerns about Elvis's fairground barker introductions and his wearing of hats (still not a great idea, I think) - the placing of the commercial break...

Happy New Year, Blue Chair! As ever, my hope is that an Elvis song will be covered by a young, hot new act and become a massive hit, to put him in the minds of a new generation. Or that a major, popular film will take one of his songs and use it in a crucial, brilliantly-edited scene which highlight...

Actually, I think Perfect Secrets was a better title! More memorable and I can imagine it in ads etc. 'Elvis Costello. Perfect Secrets. May 2009'. It's more snappy!

Saw the first one last night - The Police. I thought it started badly - what the hell was that micro version of Every Breath You Take, mixed with Please Stay? He shoulda done a proper cover. The fairground barker announcing of the guests was embarrassing, but actually, when the chat got going, it wa...

You can hear this new song on the Elvis official website. Anyone find it a bit long for its pretty simple melody?

Hey, that's odd - in the Radio Times, the Channel Four listing in the UK has the first show being on at 12.05-1.35 on Monday night 15 Dec (actually Tuesday morning). The Elton one is on Weds night 17 Dec 12.25-1.55 (actually 18 Dec). So are these shows 1-and-a-half hours long, then? I thought they w...

I went to see Lou Dalgleish in London about 5 years ago and she was fantastic. Great to hear someone else doing Elvis's songs as it's a crime he's not more widely covered. Standout for me was a rip-roaring 'Still Too Soon To Know'.

Does anyone know why Elvis is appearing with the Brodskys at this particular time?

Is he plugging a new album with them? I thought the big deal for 2009 was the new T-Bone Burnett-produced country album!