First, join me in raising a glass to Elvis Costello in honor of today being his fiftieth birthday. No longer the angry youth, I guess.
Second, go here and listen to the new r.e.m. single "Leaving New York." I like it muchly. The layered Stipe vocals and the Pete Rickenbacker chime are back. None of that can be bad. A lot of people are comparing it to "Drive" which I don't hear at all. Maybe "Find The River?"
Addendum: The track listing for Elvis' new album, "The Delivery Man," was released today. It's pretty disappointing, actually, for hardcore fans.
The new album is set for release on Tuesday, September 21. The list of songs:
1. Button My Lip
2. Country Darkness
3. There's A Story In Your Voice (featuring Lucinda Williams)
4. Either Side Of The Same Town
5. Bedlam
6. The Delivery Man
7. Monkey To Man
8. Nothing Clings Like Ivy (featuring Emmylou Harris)
9. The Name Of This Thing Is Not Love
10. Heart Shaped Bruise (featuring Emmylou Harris)
11. Needle Time
12. The Judgement
13. The Scarlet Tide (featuring Emmylou Harris)
Tracks 3, 6, 7 and 10 are all songs that he's been playing on and off on tour for quite a few years. I'm thinking the first time I heard "Heart Shaped Bruise" was 1996. Track 4 was written for Howard Tate and has been a constant live show fixture for the past few tours. Track 12 was written for Solomon Burke and has also been featured at least the last six times I've seen him. Finally, track 13 was penned for the "Cold Mountain" soundtrack. Elvis has taken to playing it on ukelele ever since.
It's just frustrating to wait for a new album and have very little of it really be "new." Maybe I'm just jadedly deep in the Cult of Costello, though. One thing I am assured of, though, it'll be better than "North".
Posted by mikewolf at August 25, 2004 11:52 AMActually, I doubt you heard "Heart Shaped Bruise" any earlier than 1999, and I'm not sure what makes you think "There's a Story in Your Voice," "The Delivery Man," and "Monkey to Man" have been in his set for years, since none of them were heard until earlier this year, just before he started recording this album.
It is true that three of these songs have been previously recorded by other artists.
Posted by: Spike on August 28, 2004 02:21 AMMea culpa, mea culpa.
I'll dig through setlists later, but you're right on a couple of things. According to my ticket stub 1999 is the date I was searching for for HSB. "Delivery Man," unless I'm losing my mind, was also performed at that EC/SN show in Atlanta. I think I've confused "Monkey Man" with "Burnt Sugar."
Posted by: mrw on August 28, 2004 03:35 PMHe did "I Dreamed of My Old Lover Last Night" in Atlanta (and elsewhere), which he introduced as being part of the story "The Delivery Man."
The song "The Delivery Man" was unheard until early this year, and "I Dreamed of My Old Lover Last Night" seems to have been abandoned.
I'm pleased about "Either Side of the Same Town" and "The Judgement" being on the album because I thought they were really good in concert.
Posted by: Spike on August 29, 2004 12:58 AMSpike,
Do I know you by a different name? Clearly you know your Declan better than I. Thanks for clearing up my obviously failing memory.
"Delivery Man" is then the one that goes "in the right light he looked a little like Elvis/Jesus," right?
I was just in a cranked out mood on Friday when I bitched abuot this. Clearly knowing tracks from artists' upcoming albums is just the price you pay for being a fan. A bit like, say, having "Barbados Mega-Mixes" for a long time before "Kojak Variety" was released.
Posted by: mrw on August 29, 2004 09:27 AMYeah, that's the song.
As far as I know, we don't know each other. I found your site while searching for news about the album.
Posted by: Spike on August 29, 2004 03:13 PM