evenflowDDT

[Guest Incandenza]

in the "what are you listening to" forum. (I don't know when you would notice it there, so I figured I'd start a thread here.)

 

You mentioned E.C.'s "Tramp the Dirt Down," and I was wondering what you thought of the song. I feel the demo version of it on the Rhino reissue of Spike is far superior, as are most of that album's demo recordings. That song, as well as many songs from that album, are hampered by overproduction, but the stripped-down demos resonate a lot more effectively. Still, I must proclaim my love of the original disc's first five songs, particularly "Veronica" and "God's Comic."

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

I might not be evenflow, but I thought I'd toss in that I don't mind Spike, although it does seem a bit slicker than some of his other records. My favorite song off of it is Deep Dark Truthful Mirror.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

The original Spike version of "Tramp the Dirt Down" may be my favorite Elvis Costello song. Unlike a lot of Spike, I think it's a track where the production is just right.

 

I adore these double disc reissues. I think both Armed Forces and Get Happy are slated for the next batch, and I couldn't be happier.

[Guest Kinetic]

And I cannot stress this enough: Buy Get Happy!. It's the prime example of Costello's versitility as a musician, in addition to being my personal favorite EC album. I don't know what Rhino has in store as far as the second disc is concerned, but most of the unreleased stuff on the Rykodisc reissue is top notch. "Girls Talk," "Hoover Factory," the demo versions of "Riot Act" and "Clowntime is Over"...just really superb stuff.

[Guest Incandenza]

Though I've heard neither one, from all I've read, Mighty Like a Rose (which is part of the next set of Rhino reissues) and Brutal Youth (currently out on Rhino) suffer the same problem as Spike, except perhaps worse. The late 80s and early 90s saw Costello believing bigger was better, I guess. Thank goodness When I Was Cruel mostly gets it right.

[Guest Kinetic]

I've personally heard good things about Brutal Youth, though I've never felt any need to buy it. The only Costello album that's really universally despised is Goodbye, Cruel World. I don't know how Almost Blue hasn't suffered the same fate, since it completely and utterly sucks aside from "Good Year For The Roses."

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Hey Inc, the funny thing is I just responded in the "What Are You Listening To" thread, and was prepped to start a topic on this subject myself, good thing I saw yours.

 

Anyway, unlike the "proper release" of Spike, where it took many listens to "warm to the album" because of its production (my reaction the first time I heard the first few seconds of "...This Town...": "WTF? Did they press the wrong album?"), I enjoyed the majority of the demos immediately more than their album versions. However, since I'm an idiot and have misplaced the second disc, I've only heard the demos once, and memory can do strange things, especially when you remember a comparison, so I'd have to listen to them a few mores times to get a more fair appraisal. I liked how the demos sounded more organic, which makes the emotion more easily apparent, but I think part of the reason I now like Spike so much is that you kinda have to "look for" the emotion and personal nature behind the songs amidst the production (which is over-produced, but not unlistenable over-produced). But then, reading the liner notes, I still feel funny about finding "Satellite" (my favorite song on the album and now one of my favorites period) so real and so sad when Costello explicitly states that that song, unlike others on the album, is totally fictional.

 

If Rhino is reissuing Get Happy!, when I see it I'll pick it up, on Kinetic's recommendation if nothing else.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

OK, I found the second disc, and am listening to the demos right now, and for the most part, I still like them a lot better immediately, as opposed to the "acquired" liking of Spike for me. However, I do like the Spike version of "Satellite" much better than the demo because I think unlike most of the album, the added production actually works well with that song.

 

Anyone agree with me, or think any of the other songs sound better w/ the added production? Edwin thinks that "Tramp the Dirt Down" does, but I'm not there yet on the CD and I don't remember what the demo sounds like.