best Elvis Costello album of the '80s

probably a bit harsh on king of america. but the opening line of that record presents the most horrible evidence that the album you are about to listen to has ambitions that exceed its grasp. i think the divide between ppl who like 'get happy' and ppl who like 'trust' is whether they value er conceptual thoroughness above thoroughness of craft maybe? like there'd be, probably, a similar thing if we did his worst record, between ppl whose least favorite is a lazy attractions retread and whose least favorite is a poor concept

think the divide between ppl who like 'get happy' and ppl who like 'trust' is whether they value er conceptual thoroughness above thoroughness of craft maybe?

Why are the two mutually exclusive? EC has always collapsed the two.

I like Get Happy!. My rankings:

Trust
Get Happy
King of America
Blood & Chocolate
the rest

From a 2002 RS interview:

Q: My favorite album is Trust. I never convince anyone to agree with me.

A: Oh, that's a good record. I think it has one of the greatest Attractions performances, "New Lace Sleeves." Neil LaBute, who's making a film at the moment, wants to use "Lovers Walk."

always liked this video - helped me appreciate his cover:
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2016579/v2140616

maybe it was just growing up reading the LA Times - E.C. was second only to Springsteen in Hilburn's canon - but it seemed to me like Imperial Bedroom, at the time, was being lauded as The Masterpiece

I'm a Taking Liberties fan myself

x-post
that's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by the way

probably a bit harsh on king of america...has ambitions that exceed its grasp

this is a minority view but one I concur w/. giving this alb a mixed-to-neg review when it came out nearly got me drummed out of the guild.

KOA's great songs have for a long time carried the weight of its dross, on which everyone seems to agree ("Glitter Gulch," "The Poisoned Rose," "Eisenhower Blues," the Animals cover).

"Stalin Malone" they didn't even bother to sing the words over the tune!

I listened to both KOA and IB last week and while they both have songs I love (mainly "I'll Wear It Proudly" and "Beyond Belief") they both have a lot problems for me and I'm glad to see them right in the middle of these poll results.

The duff cut on King of America is the cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

there's a live solo version of this on some promo that is pretty awesome

Is that the one where they all sing the riff? I remember hearing that on the radio a long, long time ago.

it took a little while for KoA to sink in for me, but i'm surprised it's not more highly regarded. not a duff cut on it. Falts. About half duff, to my ears. Lord Sotosyn nails it above, I think. As a huge wanking EC fanboy, I'm always amazed how very much people's mileage varies with him. I'm all, "wottayamean you don't like 'Battered Old Bird'?!" and am an Imperial Breadloom fan and have never fallen heels-up for Trust. YMMV, indeed.

Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Punch the Clock (1983) 2

a seriously underrated album -- his last great one, i think (in all seriousness, no challops).

i still would've voted for get happy!!, though.