E.C fillers?

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 6:20 am

A friend and I were discussing fillers yesterday and I thought of which of E.C's songs people consider to be terrible fillers.

Personally, I think Punch the Clock is the worst album in that sense because I think it's just really one big filler album save for Everytime I Write the book, Shipbuilding and Pills & Soap, even Let Them All Talk feels like a filler even though I love that one

.

However I don't consider PtC to be the worst album because they are enjoyable fillers after all. Spike doesn't feel like a filler album but it has worse songs despite that. Same goes for GCW (which mostly suffers from bad production).

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:34 pm

I think the sole reason for Dissolve's existence is that EC needed another 'raunchy' number for WIWC.

But it's only rock'n'roll, and I like it. (Always a thrill when Elvis whips the organ out...the mouth organ that is.)

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:38 pm

"20% Amnesia" kind of sucks IMO. Sounds like filler.

millen · Post by **millen** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 5:50 pm

20% Amnesia has a story behind it. I love it!

I'd say, not Dissolve is a filler, but I always wondered why he put "... Dust" on it, as well as "Dust 2 ...."
I like both equally though.

MistakenForLilies · Post by **MistakenForLilies** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 6:35 pm

millen wrote:20% Amnesia has a story behind it. I love it!

Was that story about a woman really saying to him "What is your destiny?" And did it have something to do with him being in an airport, or did I imagine that?

Either way, I love the song too.

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:03 pm

I love it too. Sounds like he's put a lot of thoughts into those lyrics, whereas Dissolve sounds like 5 minutes of napkin scribbling. As for the music of 20%, the arrangement is really original too, really hard to do justice on acoustic guitar. I've tried and tried and failed and failed. It would be great to hear the Brodskys tackle it (maybe with Steve).

Eisenhower Blues is another one that's probably included because it sounds more spontaneous than the rest of the album rather than being a potential classic.

Pay It Back and Sneaky Feelings (which I like a lot) are sorta fillers. It sounds like he hadn't written enough new punky/angry songs to fill the whole record, so those two made the cut because of their subject matter, instead of softer stuff he probably liked better, such as Stranger In The House and Radio Sweetheart. But at least he played the latter two live more often.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 9:28 am

I am not sure I want to label these as "filler", but I always felt that "Night Rally", "Daddy, Can I Turn This?", "Hoover Factory", and "Tart" were unfinished. They sound incomplete. Like he got it to a point and then said, "Oh, hell with it, just go with it then." Where a greater investment in other songs would produce a more desireable result, I have always imagined that he didn't know where to take these songs, and so he stopped and they hit the press.

whar · Post by **whar** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:38 am

Despite popular belief, I do not see Moods For Moderns as a filler track. For one, it is the first song he wrote for Armed Forces (one of the first two anyway- according to that Complicated Shadows novel), and it simply rocks.

anjabro · Post by **anjabro** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:09 am

Mr. Average wrote:They sound incomplete. Like he got it to a point and then said, "Oh, hell with it, just go with it then."

Interesting point...it reminds me of an interview I read years ago when Spike was released, and he was talking about Satellite, saying something like if he'd followed the full implications of the idea behind the song..(i.e. watching somebody watching...)...it would have been a ten or twelve minute song...
The interviewer asked if he minded that people might not, in that case, get the whole message, and I think he said...'I'm not really bothered...'

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:18 am

I think Oh Well and Soul For Hire are filler songs on the UK version of When I Was Cruel.

My Science Fiction Twin in my mind is a definite filler song although listening to the Brutal Youth 2 CD set you can see that he's taken one song and made two completely different ones out of it. Typical Elvis!

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 7:49 am

I think My Science Fiction Twin is one of the best songs on Brutal Youth, but there you go.

After The Fall

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:40 am

Glitter Gulch

worst.
episode.
ever.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:46 am

bambooneedle wrote:I think My Science Fiction Twin is one of the best songs on Brutal Youth, but there you go.

That's interesting. I always think of it as one of those throwaway songs that Elvis writes now and then. In this category I would also put Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo although it was originally released as a B side.

lawngnome · Post by **lawngnome** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 9:48 am

What about Lip Service? Its the only mediocre pop tune on TYM, and I've always thought it sounded out of place.

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:39 am

I dont understand all the hate for Glitter Gulch, here and elsewhere. The percussion break on it is great and its a nice slice of light hearted rockabilly on an otherwise pretty serious record - doesnt make it filler!

Agree with Soul for Hire though. WIWC is far too long.

whar · Post by **whar** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:14 pm

verbal gymnastics wrote:
bambooneedle wrote:I think My Science Fiction Twin is one of the best songs on Brutal Youth, but there you go.
That's interesting. I always think of it as one of those throwaway songs that Elvis writes now and then. In this category I would also put Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo although it was originally released as a B side.

I agree with My Science Fiction Twin being a throwaway- but I love Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo.

SHES THE GIRL WHO USED TO HAVE IT AND THE GIRL WHO STILL HAS. <3

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:46 am

I don't want to sound like a dork, but most of these so-called "filler" songs are some of my favourite songs (After the fall, Tart, My science fiction twin, Glitter Gluch, etc. Perhaps it's because I adore his music soooo much

. But part of me disagrees with the whole concept of "fillers", I would say many songs he's done before King of America aren't very good at all (B Movie, Lipstick Vogue, Poison Moon), but it was part of the "Act" I guess...Some other so-called "Fillers" exist for a very good reason, don't forget an album is like a story and it's songs are the chapters; songs such as the Dusts, After the fall, 20% Amnesia and Dissolve are crucial parts of a record, each telling an important piece of the story, never should we doubt EC's placement of songs (I always thought EC makes records for himslef rather than the public, so every song tells you something that's important to him: Sneaky Feelings, Night Rally, Moods for Moderns). Well there's my story, and even if it's not a good one, it would be an important and unreplacable part of album, whether it's called a filler or not

SweetPear · Post by **SweetPear** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:26 am

I think you have something there, Thomasso.....although some of your favorite song choices are not my favorite Elvis song choices.

AAAHHHH! Baby's Got a Brand New Hairdo is an absolutely awful song!
(I had to say that.)
I understand that some people like this song or that song....but not that one! That is one bad song. I feel kind of the same way about Leave My Kitten Alone. And Broken, how awful is that song!? If awful is filler, then Broken is filler. I know every song can't be a winner so maybe some of the lesser tunes may sound like filler, but I agree that they're probably part of a concept and need to be there.....I think the obvious stinkers are the filler songs.

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:38 am

thomasso wrote :

...many songs he's done before King of America aren't very good at all (....., Lipstick Vogue, .....)

Blasphemy !!

I do like My Science Fiction Twin, though.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:17 am

Not just Lipstick Vogue - to say many songs before King of America aren't very good at all is an outrageous statement.

thomasso - (once again) explain yourself young man

whar · Post by **whar** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:08 am

SweetPear wrote: AAAHHHH! Baby's Got a Brand New Hairdo is an absolutely awful song!
(I had to say that.)
I understand that some people like this song or that song....but not that one! That is one bad song. I feel kind of the same way about Leave My Kitten Alone.

Oh my goodness. Two incredible songs (the B&C versions especially, I don't care for Kojak's version of LMKA).

Nothing on this planet beats Baby's God A Brand New Hairdo. It is utter perfection. One of Elvis's best vocals and rowdiest lyrics (as rowdy a lyric can be, anyway).

P.S: SWEET PEAR?! Well, I've never really listened to it.

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:07 am

verbal gymnastics wrote:Not just Lipstick Vogue - to say many songs before King of America aren't very good at all is an outrageous statement.

thomasso - (once again) explain yourself young man

"I WOULD SAY many songs he's done before King of America aren't very good at all (B Movie, Lipstick Vogue, Poison Moon), but it was part of the "Act" I guess..."

--Verbal Gymnastics, just proving that so-called "Filler" songs are actually unpreferred songs in these forum-goers's minds! Personally I'd much rather pick out a song or two from anything before GCW because they would be HITS and are acceptable, but besides from that his older material really, really dosn't hit me too hard

...but I do respect your opinion and I know that many EC fans adore his older stuff! Anyway, all in all, just proving that the concept of a "filler" song on any post-GCW album is false.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:08 am

whar wrote:Nothing on this planet beats Baby's God A Brand New Hairdo. It is utter perfection. One of Elvis's best vocals and rowdiest lyrics (as rowdy a lyric can be, anyway).

whar - are you being mischievous again

[/quote="thomasso"]just proving that the concept of a "filler" song on any post-GCW album is false.[/quote]

thomasso - I'm pleased that some of your favourite songs completely differ to mine. I'm not sure you've proved your point as you claim though.

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:23 pm

I'm not sure I ever do

, but there's enough evidence on my first post to make someone ponder whether the concept of a "filler" is an illusion or not (I hope...

)!

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:18 pm

Filler or not Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo just kicks too much butt for its own good. Glitter Gulch is great as well.