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View Full Version : Album Club: Week 84: 12.03.2013 - Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom



Album Club
12-03-2013, 20:17
Big thanks to Paul (Audioman) for this week's selection:

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom (1982)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619N0iyP3NL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
spotify:track:0z5yBrEtBkCy7Dsl0G8V2H

Imperial Bedroom is a 1982 album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It was the second Costello album, after Almost Blue, not produced by Nick Lowe. Production duties were handled by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick.

It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Jazz & Pop critics poll. In 1998 readers of Q magazine named it the 96th greatest album ever. In 1989, it was ranked #38 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s. In 2003, the album was ranked number 166 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at #59 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s". The album reached number 6 in the UK charts and number 30 in the U.S., but the singles were less successful. "You Little Fool" and "Man Out of Time" each briefly appeared in the British top 60, but neither charted in America.

This is my favorite EC album and is a quite a turn in style to his early work. Probably why it was less commercially successful than his preceding releases. The song writing and production are a big step up from earlier work and due to the use of Geoff Emerick has something of a Beatles / McCartney flavour. Apart from the minor hits it contains some fantastic material such as 'Pidgin English', 'Town Crier' and 'Shabby Doll'. Even those who don't normally like EC may well enjoy this one.

Available on CD and Vinyl including the recent MFSL 180 gram reissue.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Imperial-Bedroom-Elvis-Costello-Attractions/dp/B000OHZJLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362476800&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Imperial-Bedroom-VINYL-Costello-Attractions/dp/B007DKN4GC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1362476904&sr=8-8

synsei
12-03-2013, 21:11
Costello has always been a bit of a Marmite performer as far as I am concerned and very little of his material excites me. In fact, I can only think of two tracks of his that I wouldn't skip in a play list, Oliver's Army and Shipbuilding. His voice has a whiny quality which really grates on me after a while. To add to the carnage I cannot find a single track on this album I can identify with, which didn't help. I also wasn't impressed with the quality of the recording either. When the vote goes up I will give it 2/10 because the bassist sounded awake :sorry:

Alex_UK
12-03-2013, 21:44
When the vote goes up

Oh shit - thanks for the reminder! :lol:

Album Club
12-03-2013, 21:49
Poll now added. :)

synsei
12-03-2013, 21:58
Oh shit - thanks for the reminder! :lol:

You're welcome Alex... ;)

The Grand Wazoo
12-03-2013, 23:15
I don't know this one - I have a few Costello albums but gave up on him quite some time ago but I bought 'Blood & Chocolate' a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it, so maybe I'll like this too.

Bazil
13-03-2013, 13:40
Looking forward to giving this a go, but I'll be very surprised if I like it :rolleyes:

daytona600
13-03-2013, 16:31
will give the MFSL vinyl a spin today, not heard this albums in years

Bazil
13-03-2013, 20:55
Looking forward to giving this a go, but I'll be very surprised if I like it :rolleyes:

Fair dues this is alright, I wouldn't buy it but it was a refreshing change :)
7/10

MartinT
13-03-2013, 21:18
I disliked Costello when he first found fame, there was definitely something grating about his voice and the songs. However, this album is quite listenable and some songs like The Long Honeymoon are really rather good. My respect for him took a leap when he had the good taste to marry Diana Krall :eyebrows:

I'm giving it 6/10 although the description doesn't match the score.

Pete The Cat
14-03-2013, 21:33
This was the album that got me over his voice and then opened up the previous albums. For me this is as sophisticated as pop gets (intended as a compliment), eg Man Out of Time is melodically and lyrically excellent. Top drawer choice.

Pete

The Grand Wazoo
19-03-2013, 00:27
Yes I quite liked this after a couple of plays - I'll look out for a copy. Good songwriting.
7/10 from me.

prestonchipfryer
20-03-2013, 15:55
Some good tracks, notably Shabby Doll. 6/10 from me.

Alex_UK
20-03-2013, 17:03
I haven't had the inclination to give this another go - but am doing so now... I kind of agree, that his voice is a bit grating, and it doesn't do a great deal for me musically either but I'll sit through it another time before voting. Nice to have something different though - thanks Paul. (PS - agree with Dave Synsei - not a brilliant version on Spotify (probably the 33 vinyl LP Record (:eyebrows:) is better?) Shipbuilding is by far his best performance IMHO and the one track of his I could say I love.)

keiths
20-03-2013, 17:17
Mr. MacManus has always fallen in to the 'take him or leave him' camp for me, but this album is one of his best. Though I prefer to listen to his missus these days, I enjoyed this and will be picking up a copy. 7/10.

MartinT
20-03-2013, 21:38
I half thought he might make an appearance at his missus' gig recently, but he didn't. She doesn't need any help anyway, she's simply marvellous (and he's a lucky man).

Audioman
21-03-2013, 08:13
I haven't had the inclination to give this another go - but am doing so now... I kind of agree, that his voice is a bit grating, and it doesn't do a great deal for me musically either but I'll sit through it another time before voting. Nice to have something different though - thanks Paul. (PS - agree with Dave Synsei - not a brilliant version on Spotify (probably the 33 vinyl LP Record (:eyebrows:) is better?) Shipbuilding is by far his best performance IMHO and the one track of his I could say I love.)

The Spotify is not exactly deadly played through computer speakers but it is likely grating through a proper hi-fi. I have the 1990s expanded Demon CD which sounds decent but it is much better on the original vinyl or the recent MFSL 180 gram LP. There is some great material on this and frankly EC's voice is more palatable than on many of his early recordings. Took me years to get attuned to his singing style and he is rather like Dylan in that respect. Once you can get past that you will really appreciate him musically.

pjdowns
09-09-2013, 22:17
Only a 2 from me... not my type of music!