Elvis vs Declan Patrick Aloysius Macmanus

Apples and oranges. Elvis Costello is a great songwriter.

 

To me EC was best known for Olivers Army, Pump It Up, Watching the Detectives and a gazillion other songs than peace/love/understanding. It doesn't even make most 'best of's.

 

Just my opinion, but Costello might be the greatest songwriter of this generation. On the same plane as Dylan, McCartney, Lennon, Townsend, etc.

He has written over 500 songs, an astonishing quantity, and the quality has kept steady from 1977 till now.

He is great at the music, but might be one of the best lyricists of all time.

 

That cuts like a knife.

 

I think Costello has a much better grasp of double-entendre, tongue-in-cheek, and a larger vocabulary than Ray, but I do love the Kinks.

 

Elvis Costello is great--smart, wrote a lot of fantastic songs that span genres. He could be a dick on occasion back in the day, had a lot of attitude. As an Irish American I like that his real name is Declan McManus

Why is a guy who dislikes the Beatles demanding reverence towards Elvis Presley of all people?

And why are you dissin Costello because,--like Presley--he did a cover that sold better than the original?

 

And he'd likely think you ain't much of a blowtorch ..... Costello, by whatever name, is an amazing songwriter/lyricist, still putting out great stuff today. Working with Costello, Paul McCartney has said that's the closest he's ever felt in collaboration since John Lennon. I have no problem with his "stage name" ......but sometimes have wondered what his wife calls him... He's called himself several things over the decades. You would actually like or dislike someone based on whatever name they happen to call themselves?

 

Yeah good one. Ray got there first of course, but I think Costello has had a longer run quality wise.

BTW, 20 some years ago, I watched a Super Bowl game with him (Ray) at a party at the Dakota Apt building in NYC.

 

1. Even Lowe sez that Costello's version basically establishes ownership of the song (which started off as a parody of a hippy song).
2. Kinda like Billy Gibbons, Costello's an insider (& his managers made the name up for him, kinda like "Elton John")
3. This is THE version going forward (except for maybe the one on Letterman guest-hosted by Costello):

 

In 1989 I was at Sam Ash's music shop on 48th street in NYC trying out amps in their "amp room".

Every time I started to play (Mystery Train I believe), some guy behind me would start joining in, horribly out of tune, making it impossible for me to hear the amp I was thinking of buying.

After the third time, I finally turned around to tell the guy that with his playing along, I couldn't hear the amp. I turned, and there was Elvis Costello, playing some guitar he had just grabbed off the wall (hence it being out of tune).

He said something like "keep playing", but I completely froze. After a minute, I tried to play with him, but was so freaked out of my mind, I must have sounded like crap.

We played together for like 5 minutes, doing Mystery Train, That's Alright Mama. Then a friend grabbed him, he said "thanks" and left.

After he walked out of the store, the manager got on the intercom and said "Elvis has left the building". True Story

 

Why not call himself "Elvis"? Presley hasn't use the name since he hugged that toilet in 1977.

 

Almost ruined his career there (see the song Riot act), and probably put a stop to him in 79 of being even more popular.

They said they were just trying provoke Steven Sill's band, but he definitely crossed a line , which he always regretted. He did end up at one point sharing a stage with Ray Charles, who was gentleman enough to never mention it.

 

The opening of this alone must have given Bruce Springsteen nightmare's in 1978