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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Welcome to the Working Week

Welcome to the Working Week

by $8 blue check mistermix|  November 29, 20119:19 am| 23 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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Here’s a little Declan MacManus for an open thread. The first song is the first track of the first Elvis Costello album, and it clocked in at 1:22. Good songs don’t need to be long.

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23Comments

  1. 1.

    geg6

    November 29, 2011 at 9:21 am

    Oh gawd, mm. I’m gonna be singing Elvis all day now. In my head, just to spare those around me. ;-)

    The only worse choice (for those who must listen to my singing) would be if you had two threads with the Clash going. I’d be in ecstasies.

  2. 2.

    Comrade Javamanphil

    November 29, 2011 at 9:31 am

    Good songs don’t need to be long.

    Tell that to the Flaming Lips.

  3. 3.

    Rosalita

    November 29, 2011 at 9:31 am

    @geg6: Rock the casbah!

  4. 4.

    J Frank Parnell

    November 29, 2011 at 9:34 am

    “My Aim is True” has a fantastic sing-along quotient.

  5. 5.

    geg6

    November 29, 2011 at 9:40 am

    And for your listening pleasure, the infamous SNL “Radio, Radio” performance (can’t embed, but can link only because NBC is a bunch of douches):

    http://videosift.com/video/Elvis-Costello-Radio-Radio-SNL

  6. 6.

    J Frank Parnell

    November 29, 2011 at 9:47 am

    @geg6: Fantastic – makes me hate Lorne Michaels all over again!

  7. 7.

    geg6

    November 29, 2011 at 9:50 am

    @J Frank Parnell:

    Heh.

    I remember watching this when it happened. Made me love Elvis all the more.

  8. 8.

    Lex

    November 29, 2011 at 9:51 am

    Best first lines of best first song of best debut album EVAR.

    (Pretenders’ “Precious” is second-best first song of debut album ever.)

    And I know I’m dating myself when I say this, but I, too, watched that “SNL” performance. Rocked my world harder than anything since CCR’s “Fortunate Son.”

    Let the arguing commence. ;-)

  9. 9.

    Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E)

    November 29, 2011 at 10:05 am

    I dunno, I have a lot of respect for Elvis Costello–bioth as a perfomer and a person, but calling this a “song” is sort of stretching it. It’s pretty much poetry with unconnected chords and no real rhythymic flow going on at the same time.

    I fully understand that I am in the minority, but I think I’d have preferred this as a spoken word thing.

  10. 10.

    Mnemosyne

    November 29, 2011 at 10:40 am

    This is the ringtone on my phone and has been for a year or so. (Unless G calls me, in which case it’s “Wonderboy.”) But, then, I love me some Costello. I noticed the “King of America” reference the other day but the thread was too long to point it out by the time I was online.

  11. 11.

    Mnemosyne

    November 29, 2011 at 11:04 am

    @Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E):

    It’s kind of funny that you say that, because when Dave Edmunds did a cover of Costello’s “Girls Talk,” he added in an extra repeat of the chorus. So clearly you’re not the only one thinking, “Dude, too short!” about Costello’s early songs.

    ETA: Sorry, listening again I think Edmunds added a repeat of the first verse, not a repeat of the chorus. But I have no musical talent whatsoever, so I get these things confused.

  12. 12.

    canuckistani

    November 29, 2011 at 11:05 am

    Declan MacManus? The notorious art thief?

  13. 13.

    burnspbesq

    November 29, 2011 at 11:06 am

    I’d say that Mr. McManus mostly passed his sell-by date around 1985. Except for a couple of interesting curiosities (the album with Anne-Sofie von Otter, and the album of Burt Bacharach songs), the fire’s been out.

    His principal function now is to keep his lovely and uber-talented bride happy. She’s still making good records.

  14. 14.

    Mnemosyne

    November 29, 2011 at 11:36 am

    @burnspbesq:

    Feeling trollish today, are we?

    You’re just cranky because Costello re-formed the Attractions without Bruce Thomas.

  15. 15.

    (another) Josh

    November 29, 2011 at 11:57 am

    Hey, let’s play “When did [Elvis Costello/Lou Reed/John Lennon/Samuel Delany] start going downhill!” Or not.

  16. 16.

    burnspbesq

    November 29, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Feeling trollish today, are we?

    Only on days that end in y, and only in response to abject stupidity or foolish deification. Look, the guy’s a perfectly adequate pop singer-songwriter, but let’s not treat him like he was Bach or Coltrane.

  17. 17.

    piratedan

    November 29, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    @Mnemosyne: and EC supposedly loathed Dave interpretation of his song as he sped it up, much like EC did to Lowe’s What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding?. I listen to all three artists and don’t worry about it while I enjoy the music.

    @burnspbesq: for that timeframe of 77 to 85 he was prolific and his sound and attitude helped define a generation and fronted a movement in popular music. For my generation, he was our Bach or our Coltrane.

  18. 18.

    Mnemosyne

    November 29, 2011 at 1:29 pm

    @piratedan:

    I can believe it — no one ever said Costello isn’t a prickly asshole, especially back when he was still drinking heavily. Though he can’t have hated it that much since he, Edmunds and Lowe kept working together throughout the 1980s.

    I have an old interview with him from the mid-90s where he jokes about the “curse of Costello” and claims that everyone who’s done a cover of one of his songs has had their career ruined.

  19. 19.

    Mnemosyne

    November 29, 2011 at 1:31 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    Yes, all us damn kids should get off your lawn for thinking that pop music doesn’t have to be mindless Katy Perry crap.

  20. 20.

    Monte Davis

    November 29, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    Costello had to outgrow Lowe, but damn if the first four albums didn’t show everything power pop ought to be, with memorable lyrics as sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet frosting

  21. 21.

    Nellcote

    November 29, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    Oh please let this be Elvis Costello theme week!

    And I love “Juliet Letters” w/Brodsky String Quartet.

  22. 22.

    NobodySpecial

    November 30, 2011 at 12:46 am

    @Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E): Funnily enough, the definition of ‘song’ stretches to cover even stuff that doesn’t rhyme. (examples: Chicago’s “Colour My World” and Crowded House’s “World Where You Live”). Plus, you know, stuff like Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock”, which clocked in at right around 1:48.

    Just sayin’.

  23. 23.

    Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E)

    November 30, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    @NobodySpecial:

    Okay, okay, I’ll come clean: I don’t really have a problem with calling this a “song” becasue of it’s structure, I just really, really hate it.

    I was just trying to thread a needle where I could throw a little water on the adulation without just pointlessly pissing people off. I knowm, I know, that’s not what the internet is for, but it is kind of my style.

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