One Shot

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 11:44 am

You have an impressive Elvis Costello music library, and if you are older than 24, you probably purchased most of the albums in a music store. Many of us have vinyl and CD, and multiple imports/limited editions/hard to finds/bootlegs.

So you have the opportunity to choose ONLY ONE [1] item from your collection and personally present it to Elvis to sign. You want him to see you as more than an autograph hound, or someone who still categorizes him as "angry". You have 'One Shot'. hoping that your selection might prolong the meeting and inspire a discussion with the real Mr. Dynamite.

My Choice is clover-, attractions- and imposters-free (or, "lite" as it were). I would choose the Costello/Nieve 5 CD live box set. Five major cities. Five different sounds (some of the recordings showcase his talent better than others), but the record where, in my opinion, Elvis stakes his claim as a great songwriter of the Cole Porter ilk, a very competent singer, a songsmith who understands the benefit of restraint, and a band leader that understands the importance of chemistry and cosmic connectivity with a revered band member. And with the audience.

What's you choice? This isn't another "What's my favorite Elvis album" thread...

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 11:48 am

My Elvis Costello Singles Vol .1 Box Set.
I brought it for him to sign in Boston, but he had an Oscars to catch.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:26 pm

Mr. A, I not only agree with your choice, but I DID it. After the Lonely World Tour stop in Philadelphia, I presented EC and SN with the box set and they each signed it. It is my most prized EC possession. I even got a smudge of Elvis' fingerprint on there in Sharpie!

ice nine · Post by **ice nine** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:06 pm

The Juliet Letters

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:13 pm

pophead2k wrote:Mr. A, I not only agree with your choice, but I DID it. After the Lonely World Tour stop in Philadelphia, I presented EC and SN with the box set and they each signed it. It is my most prized EC possession. I even got a smudge of Elvis' fingerprint on there in Sharpie!

How is the actual quality of the box set?
What I heard sounded like a shoddy bootlegg. Maybe I heard a bad version.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:36 pm

The quality is good to excellent...not shoddy boot quality. When the recording gear was optimized, it sounds like Elvis is in your living room singing to you.

"Poor Fractured Atlas" on Disk One, and "The Other End of the Telescope" on Disk Three are particularly good. "Starting to Come to Me" is brilliant.

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 2:02 pm

I got Elvis' autograph on "Little Atoms" single, which was one of the four July 1996 singles he released. That's not bad, huh ?

I suppose what I would now present Elvis to sign would be Singles Vol. 3 Box Set.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 5:22 am

WHAR - the box set is essential.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:27 am

I have it already, though I would have preferred to get it inperson. Legman open to offers got one of our Oliver's Army bumper stickers signed by the Man and presented it to us at one of our shows. It's his signature on something that lets him know how much regard I have for him. Legman explained what we do, and Elvis seemed pleased. Just wish I'd been there.

It's on the shelf next to my signed Smothers Brothers LPs and my autographs of Dawn "Mary Anne" Wells, Adam "Batman" West, and the hand-drawn and autographed Bill the Cat by Berkeley Breathed. (It says, "To Russell, Love and Kisses, Bill the Cat. Ack Ack." But the prize on that shelf is my 1983 autographed Cal Ripken Jr. baseball card. That was the year the Orioles won the series.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 7:08 pm

noiseradio wrote: But the prize on that shelf is my 1983 autographed Cal Ripken Jr. baseball card. That was the year the Orioles won the series.

Not to go off topic too much- but what're your thoughts on all of the football/sports analysts comparing Brett Favre's 200 game starting streak to Ripken's 500 billion games?

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 2:26 am

That there's no comparrison at all. Ripken's streak spanned two decades and thousands of games. That doesn't take anything away from Favre. But the only person who held a candle to Ripken in terms of longevity and stamina is the guy Ripken beat--Lou Gherig.

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 3:42 am

I would argue that Favre's streak is more impressive than Ripkin's. Favre plays the most demanding position in professional sports - and takes massive hits from huge guys on a regular basis. Ripkin didn't have to put up with that - in the last several years of Ripkin's streak he was a mediocre player who may have actually hurt his team in pursuit of the record. Favre is still one of the top qbs in the league. As far as sports longevity, I'm more impressed with Connie Mack's 50 consecutive years managing one ballclub.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 12:49 pm

Favre also didn't have to show up to play more than once a week, sometimes getting 2 weeks off between games to get rest between those massive hits. Ripken was there 5, 6 times a week for 20 years. The travel schedule alone would make most people wither and die.

And Rip was only mediocre for his last few years after having been the best shortstop in the game for well over a decade. Shortstop isn't exactly a picnic position. Still gotta go with Ripken.

But like I said, Favre's accomplishment is really impressive. I'm not taking anything away from what he's done. It's just not in the same ballpark, pun intended.