Elvis Costello Spectacle debuts tonight

Man, I was hoping Cowbell was back...

I love Elvis Costello, but if I'm paying $225 to hear him sing, he better be live in my living room...

 

And the record bidness wonders why people go online to download the previously unreleased parts of these boxes rather than pay big bucks - once again - for music they probably already have in a couple of different formats.

Good for Elvis to come against this idiocy.

 

I love Elvis -- recorded.

I've seen him live three times (once as an opening act, once as the headliner, and once as a dual headliner) over the course of about 25 years and he absolutely blew each time.

Whenever I'm asked what is my worst concert, he's the guy I pick. And I was at the infamous Replacements show in Nashville where Westerberg and a bottle of Jack Daniels went haywire 2 songs in.

 

Who was he opening for?

I saw him once when I was in high school. I love his music, but I would say that he's not someone who is that great live.

 

I've seen Elvis 8 times, and he was terrific each time. (It's been about 10 years since the last one, and not coincidentally, it's been about 10 years since his last good album.) I saw one of the original "spinning songbook" acoustic shows and it was brilliant.

And Mizzou, I know he opened a few shows for the Police, so I'm guessing that was it.

And TV, I saw the Replacements when they came out so shitfaced they actually opened with "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

 

Wow, that's totally opposite my experience, and I've seen him half a dozen times at least.

I know at the beginning he was nursing an anti-star, ignore-the-audience thing, but he's become someone who knows how to entertain, in my view. It's not raucous rock that will tear the roof down, but I'm not 25 anymore either.

 

I'm not a big concert-goer, but I saw Elvis Costello (in 1994) with the Attractions. Fantastic show.

 

What the fuck. When I first heard about the box set, I thought it was some kind of fully career-spanning retrospective -- a dozen or so CDs. THAT might be worth $225.

One CD, one DVD, and a vinyl EP? Fuck that shit.



back on the main topic, I was disappointed "Spectacle" didn't get renewed. Maybe EC was getting bored with it or thought he was running out of guests, etc etc.

 

He was opening for The Stray Cats when I saw him as an opening act, and with the Pretenders when they both did full shows.

 

Saw him during the tour in support of "The Delivery Man" and he sounded great.