The Magnificent Octopus

[paysfortheprivilege]

Ever since JF's alert that 'it's out there' the silence has been deafening to the point that I can't take it anymore...

Obviously, and ironically, I've yet to pay for the privilege but I have to say that my first impression is that this could be by some distsnce the greatest of them all. I have so many fond and profound memories of experiencing releases since the early days and there has NEVER been an album that, on some level, failed to enthuse. Nevertheless, as the years have rolled by, I must admit that I never expected a release to approach the heights of GH!!, IB + KOA.

The scope, depth, lyricism and the soulfulness of this album beggars belief.

[Lester Burnham]

I'll say just two things:

1. I'm incredibly weak, and
2. This might be his best album since The Delivery Man.

I'm sure it'll take me a while to absorb all of the imagery and dense lyricism, but it's something I'm looking forward to when I purchase the CD and the vinyl. As of right now, there isn't a weak song I can hear, and the three obvious standouts are 'Slow Drag With Josephine', 'That's Not The Part Of Him You're Leaving', and 'A Voice In The Dark'.

[wordnat]

I'm sure it'll take me a while to absorb all of the imagery and dense lyricism, but it's something I'm looking forward to when I purchase the CD and the vinyl. As of right now, there isn't a weak song I can hear, and the three obvious standouts are 'Slow Drag With Josephine', 'That's Not The Part Of Him You're Leaving', and 'A Voice In The Dark'.[/quote]

I agree that NR is stunning, but 'That's Not The Part Of Him You're Leaving' is the lone misstep for me -- it's a bit of a lumbering Brontosaurus to my ears. There's a tune in there somewhere, but EC & Co. keep tripping over their own feet in the quest to find it....

But, then again, I probably need to lighten up and get a life -- what a record!

[Lester Burnham]

Hey, if that's the lone misstep, then 15 out of 16 ain't bad

[the_platypus]

I love love love the album. Of course, I'll be purchasing it as soon as it is available-- that goes without saying.
The copy I found skips quite badly during "Slow Drag..." and "All These Strangers" is cut off after a couple minutes.

[paysfortheprivilege]

you have got to be kidding me - someone has to have an opinion beyond the lyric sheet and the leaked album!

[Lester Burnham]

I have an opinion, I just don't want to ruin it yet for everyone who's stronger than I am.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this is miles and miles better than Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, and that as much as I worry about the Imposters becoming nothing more than a TV chat show band, I think the casting of this album works exceptionally well. Instead of shoehorning songs into a particular genre, these songs work more naturally and the accompaniment is perfect on nearly all songs. I love the gentle funk of 'Stations Of The Cross', and the orchestral arrangement on 'You Hung The Moon', and the acoustic/string bass of 'Bullets'... but I find the title track to be the weakest of the bunch, oddly enough. It seems like it's too much of a throwaway, and even though I like the lyrics, it just seems forced. I also wish 'Slow Drag' and 'My Lovely Jezebel' lasted much longer, but that hardly detracts at all from them.

As much as SP&SC was compared to King Of America, I honestly believe that National Ransom is his King Of America of the aughts. I'm sure that'll become akin to comparing every Rolling Stones album to Exile On Main Street, but the feel of this album and the casting of each song is similar to that album.

Really, this album is quite brilliant, and I have yet to really discover any of the lyrics, but I enjoy a lot of the stories that are being told. I really do hope that EC continues in this vein with his songs, because he's well beyond the angry young man stage of his career, and the beautiful lyricism of this album is stunning.

[paysfortheprivilege]

thanks Lester, for the most part I agree more..

[strangerinthehouse]

I'm going to wait until I have the proper release before posting a complete opinion; my copy also had skips in Slow Drag and All These Strangers.

I will say that, having listened to it several times, this album is not really doing it for me. I love some of the songs- Stations of the Cross is amazing- but as a whole album I think it needs some editing.

Like I said earlier, I'll explain more when the album comes out.

[cwr]

I love it. Totally different from SP&SC, although the vibe of the record (and, certainly, the brilliant Tony Millionaire cover art) makes it feel like the second of a T Bone-produced trilogy, we can only hope.

I've said before that the title/opening track feels like a Traveling Wilburys song, and I still think that comparison holds. Appropriate, really, since The Coward Brothers were there first, and I think I heard somewhere that Costello's name was mentioned as a possible Wilbury after Lefty passed on. (That might have only been a rumor, but when in doubt, print the legend...) I'm noticing that a few people seem underwhelmed by this one, but I think it's a really fun, scabrous opener. (And I like The Traveling Wilburys-- I realize that a fair number of people don't, so the comparison could sound like a compliment or an insult, depending on your POV. I mean it as a compliment!)

"Jimmie Standing In The Rain" and "A Slow Drag With Josephine" are both delightful, as is album closer "A Voice In The Dark." When I heard EC's performance of those first two on "A Prairie Home Companion", I thought, these almost sound as if they were written for that show. Other than that, I didn't have much of a reaction. Hearing them on record, I like them much more. They're delightful!

"You Hung The Moon" is outstanding. I love that chorus. Along with the previous three mentioned, they sound like Costello is making his 1930s album, although the rest of the record doesn't really have that same "period" feel. Is the harkening back a coincidence, or did the worst recession since The Great Depression lead him to write in these styles?

"Stations Of The Cross" is one of my favorites-- feels like a cousin of my all-time fave, "My Dark Life"-- and his falsetto vocal self-harmonies pinpoint exactly why I've so missed his self-harmonizing on so many of his records in the past 12 years or so-- he tends to make more unusual choices when he's singing with himself than when he has someone else singing close harmonies with him. I don't think he'd ask Davey or Jim Lauderdale to sing the kind of high-pitched vocals he does here. More, please!

This is going to sound like an odd comparison-- and certainly one that would displease Mr. Costello, but for all the wrong reasons-- but a few of the songs remind me of John Wesley Harding. Not the Dylan album of that name, but the singer/songwriter that so annoyed Costello by using both Pete and Bruce Thomas on two of his early 90s pop/folk albums. If you're not familiar with Harding's work, he got a lot of comparisons to Costello when he first started putting out records, partly because of a very slight vocal similarity, but I think mostly because he was using two Attractions in his backing band when Costello was recording without them.

Harding's stuff can be hit-and-miss, but a lot of it is really good. None of it, however, really sounds or feels like EC. I can't think of a single Harding song that made me think "this sounds like it could be off a Costello album." However... for some reason, three songs on NR sound like they could be on an album like, for instance, John Wesley Harding's New Deal: "I Lost You," "Bullets For The New-Born King", and "Dr. Watson, I Presume."

Now, it may be as simple as the fact that Harding's style veers toward traditional folk with a little bit of a clever/modern sensibility. I'm not AT ALL suggesting that Costello is influenced by Harding's work-- I doubt he's listened to much of it at all. (Costello was actually pretty rude publicly about Harding, who, to the best of my knowledge, never did anything to Costello except hire two Attractions. Costello tried to suggest that Harding was attempting to rip him off or steal his identity or something, which is fairly ludicrous. Harding remains a cult artist at a much lower level of fame/success than Costello, but he's a legit guy with a respectable career all his own, both as a musician and a novelist...)

Back to Costello and NR:

"That's Not The Part Of Him You're Leaving" is a fairly epic country/soul number. It sounds like he wrote it for the love child of George Jones and Aretha Franklin to sing.

"One Bell Ringing" does sound like EC doing his version of a Hissing Of Summer Lawns track, and it really works. How awesome would it be for him to make a whole album like that, where he picks 15 classic albums and writes/records a song in each of the styles of those records? What would Costello's Blood On The Tracks song sound like? His Astral Weeks? His Revolver? Could be just a silly fun thing to try, or it could be a fucking masterpiece, right?

"Five Small Words" and "Church Underground" are both really terrific, too. The remaining songs haven't quite clicked with me yet, but it's early.

On the whole, after a few listens, I think it's a really ambitious Costello album that succeeds from start to finish. I love all the little musical touches of strings and horns that are peppered throughout the album (without taking over the songs, he uses these elements just enough to have an effect.) I can't wait to listen to it again!

[Lester Burnham]

Brilliant and spot-on as usual, cwr. I enjoy the title track and it is fun, but it's the least essential for me. It would have been a nice throwaway B-side or something, sort of like 'Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo' or something of that ilk. Still, it's not downright unlistenable or offensive!

Of the four songs we were unfamiliar with, I'm really digging 'Church Underground'. (Is it just me, or does the organ outro sound a lot like Joe Cocker's version of 'With A Little Help From My Friends'?) But I still think 'A Voice In The Dark' is dementedly enjoyable, like his own version of 'Let's Misbehave' or something.

Really, I'm thrilled with this album. There's nothing bad about it, and he's really back to form on this one. I can't wait to hold it in my grubby hands and see all the artwork up close.

[Unexpected No.4]

After about a dozen listens...so early days, I would rate them as
1 National Ransom
2 Church Underground
3 Stations Of The Cross
4 One Bell Ringing
5 Five Small Words
6 My Lovely Jezabelle
7 The Spell That You Cast
8 You Hung The Moon
9 Dr. Watson I Presume
10 I Lost You
11 A Slow Drag With Josaphine
12 All These Strangers
13 Thats Not The Part Of Him Your Leaving
14 Jimmy Standing In The Rain
15 A Voice In The Dark
16 Bullets For The New-Born King

As I say early days, but in my mind much much better than Secret, P & S & not one song I dont like but will need to listen to tracks 10 - 16 more as they havent sunk in like the rest. A very strong release, cant wait to get the real thing.

[the_platypus]

This album is so good.

[alexv]

CWR, I am a big fan of JWH and I had the same impression you did. On first listening, JWH came to mind. Don't know exactly why. Maybe the hushed tone of a lot of the songs on the record bring up the similarity in the voice. Can you say "gangsta folk"?

I’ve been listening to Ransom for a few days, and of course the initial reactions are always preliminary, but I just love this record in a big way. Have not had a reaction like this since PFM, but even that comparison is not quite right, since the sound of that record was expected.

Ransom is another thing altogether. It's his best record since KOA, IMO. What's that, over twenty years? It's chock full of briliant melodies, EC's voice is perfect for most of the songs and the combination of spare unusual accompaniment on some songs, and flat out traditional arrangements on others just works.

I’m going to do a song by song stream of consciousness thing here, just for my own amusement, and because, to paraphrase EC "there's no fool like a middle-aged fool". This is not a record review, just the rantings of a long-time fan who is delirious with joy. I do not want to get into any fights with folks who like a song I dislike. In fact, to preempt any of that let me just say that if you like Ransom and I don’t it’s probably my fault.

I’ve been loving this record in a big way, and I am so excited, and so surprised at my Boy’s coming up big after so much mediocrity, that I absolutely must put my two cents in on every freaking song. But first, general comments:

Props to T-Bone. I give him a lot of credit for the brilliant production on this record. The accompaniment on these songs is damn near perfect. The way he uses EC’s voice is the same. The period feel of a lot of the songs is perfect; nothing pretentious about any of it. And I get the sense that he edited our Boy, and again it works to a T. He should produce every record. I'ts certainly not a coincidence that the record this most reminds me of, in terms of ambition and execution, is KOA.

The wordplay: It’s returned in a big way and I like it. Those who did not come up with him back in the day may say enough is enough, but to me part of what makes him a great songwriter is that over-the-top word play thing. His great strength is not necessarily the whole song (although here T-Bone gets that out of him with Moon and Voice in particular), but the lines and they benefit from the manic word play. Love it.

On the songs:

Ransom: Do not like this song. A non-melodic rant. Yuck (that’s just me).

Jimmie: A sign that this is not just another EC record. Like Slow Drag, and Moon this is one-of-a-kind EC. Great melody, lyrics and singing. Inimitable. Who knew he was referencing Jimmie Rodgers?

Stations of the Cross: A strained beginning, the voice getting in the way, the usual talk of slatterns and the like...but then the “Crowd done up dandy” section comes in and his singing redeems the song. Happens again when we get to “The gale of hale laughter”. Beautiful piano work. One of the good ones, but not a favorite.

Slow drag: Gorgeous. The kind of song where his voice fits perfectly. No straining, and lots of skiddle daddle doo. Great accompaniment. It’s like a period piece. Nice whistling. Who does this type of song better than our EC?

Five Small Words: Reminds me of lots of other old time EC songs, which is good. Like a lot of the songs, it’s rolling along pleasantly and then you get to a spot that hits you (I mean me). In this one, the first time is the “With eyes that offer everything” line. And then “inside someone’s calling out”. And “genteel poison sprinkled”. This is pure pop EC. Not a great song, but lovely. “five small words don’t you love me anymore”. Been singing that all weekend. Hey, John, the reference to Tucson 1978, is this more Bebe banter?

Church Underground: Don’t like this one. Plodding, and that strained singing (brooooken in two) (why do youuuuuu do me down mister, sissster). But love the “it’s enough to put a church underground” line. How about that Beatles fade?

You Hung the Moon: Instant EC classic. Favorite song in record. What is this? Jazz? Standard? “You hung the moon, from a gallows….” This reminded me of Mel Torme (whom I love). Every line in this song is unimpeachable. Did T Bone edit him here? Gorgeous. What melodies!! What a song!! THIS is the song that Sinatra would have covered.

Bullets for the New Born King: And then you would expect a fall off? But no, another EC classic. Who knows what this song is about, but it’s just a melodic treat. Just a little guitar and our boy’s voice again perfectly suited to the material. No yelping, no straining for emotion. This is classic singer/songwriter stuff, but only if you are a truly talented singer/songwriter.

I Lost You: Ok, here’s the let down. A little derivative. But now we are going to swing a little. Country Elvis. Can others do this better? Yes, but it’s fun anyway, and again the melodies redeem the song. Not a favorite, but not skippable.

Dr. Watson: No like. I know this is all personal stuff for EC, but doesn’t do a thing for me. Boring.

One Bell Ringing: Another spare accompaniment song. But this one is boring. Where’s the melody? Don’t like this one. This is bad singer/songwriter stuff. Two skippables one after the other.

That Spell That You Cast: Good, we are rocking again, having some fun (the spell that you cast). Reminds me (the spell that you cast, oh) of lots of fun EC song. Run of the mill, but fun (the spell that you cast) EC songs. Yeah, baby.

That’s Not the Part: Soul man Elvis. Like it. Great melody. Again, the voice works. No straining. Quite a feat: a soul song by our boy where the voice (except for a couple of “yous”) does not get in the way. T-Bone is a genius. It’s derivative, and you’ve heard this melody a million times before but it’s always good when done right, and he gets it right.

Jezebel: Right out of KOA. Fun, fun, fun, “oooo”. Like a lot of the not flat out great songs on this record, what makes this song stand out from the stuff on recent records, is that he’s found a melody, the perfect use of the imperfect voice, and the perfect accompaniment. Just on cue, here comes the piano….

Strangers: The spare accompaniment again, a little flat at the beginning, but then “I saw my baby…” kicks in and it’s gorgeous music time again. And “there’s a deal…” kicks in and you say who else can write that? The song drags a bit. T-Bone could have edited some here, but it’s another gorgeous song.

A Voice in the Dark: The closer, and as befits this great record it’s another perfect song. Ba ba ba ba ba ba… You Hung the Moon and A Voice in the Dark. Pure pop perfection. Just ask your nieces and your daughters… and there’s no fool like an old fooooool.

I lost count, how many great songs on this record, I mean songs that IMO are great songs?

You Hung the Moon, A Voice in the Dark, Josephine, Jimmie, Bullets, Five Small Words. These are perfect EC songs.

And Strangers, I Lost You, Spell, That’s not the Part, Jezebel, are all terrific in their own.

Misgivings? Watson, One Bell, Church

Don’t like: Ransom

A great EC record, the first truly groundbreaking one, for me, since KOA. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.

[migdd]

Wow, that's quite a bit of excitement and joy from someone whose opinion I respect. I haven't heard the album yet, just a few snippets and a few of the songs in concert. I knew Jimmie and Josephine were going to be top-notch EC when I heard them live last spring. Thanks for the joyous run-down, alexv. My blood is pumping.

[Neil.]

Crikey, I can't wait for Monday. I will wait for Monday, even though I can't wait for Monday. But I will. Wait for Monday.

Thanks for some fascinating previews, everyone - talk about whetting the appetite! Surely this is all too good to be true. It can't be that good, can it? I mean, I know he's a genius, but... really... can it? I know I'm going to be disappointed. Gah! A new Elvis album, mere days away! I feel like a mid-80s Pointer Sister!

[InvisibleMan]

first impression:
better than secret sugarcane, reverse river and momofuku - which all i didn't like. this one is listenable. the vocal delivery, as already observed by others, is more moderate and controlled, there is no obsessive, petulant overemoting - which is good and helps the record.
lots of country and folk even in this album, and some of it is musically boring. but overall is an ok album.
i like the title-track, a social song for everyone, understandable by everyone, at last. other songs that stand out: jimmy in the rain, hung the moon, stations of the cross and, of course, "ba ba ba ba".

[Neil.]

Brief feview from the Observer:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/oc ... som-review

"Each song on Elvis Costello's sprawling new album, his 11th in 10 years and featuring some 30 musicians, is situated in a particular time and place – from Utopia, Kansas, in 1915 to present-day Wall Street. The specificity has a richly theatrical effect: in "Jimmie Standing in the Rain", we vividly feel the exhaustion of a failed music-hall singer getting drenched at a Lancashire train station. To criticise an overabundance of scenes and musical styles feels like quibbling with generosity, but there are misfires here, particularly the unwieldy title track, which could have been trimmed out."

[alexv]

Another review.

http://www.craveonline.com/entertainmen ... som-114697

[Hawksmoor]

Another review.

http://www.craveonline.com/entertainmen ... som-114697

Can't argue with that one, can you? I think he likes it.

[Neil.]

I've listened twice - three to some tracks - and there's a lot I love! As always with Elvis, the first listen is disappointing, but the second starts to hook you.

Favourites for me (very early) - '

Church Underground - "It's enough to put a church underground" - that twisty, strange hook is pure Costello, for me. The melody leading up to this amazing, unusal hook line only makes itself apparent the more you listen, so give it a chance - a lumbering, apocalyptic vision (lyrically reminds me of Broken Promise Land - images of destruction) which lurches toward that despairing (and intriguingly bizarre) phrase. There's a bit too much going on, or it's not quite the right setting, but the song itself, with its slow burn and belligerent swagger toward that phrase, is marvellous.

Voice in the Dark - amazing. Incredibly cheeky, fearless, outrageous opening, with the fake Bing Crosby. Thrilling melody which feels like it's always been there, by the second listen. Christ, I'd love to have heard what in-his-prime Tony Bennett or Sinatra would have done with this classic. Can someone like Michael Buble (even though I don't like him) record this, to make it a worldwide smash? Costello's voice too strained for it, but he's still written a classic which needs an effortless crooner to make the definitive version. The way it builds is great - and there's a joke at the end where it just stops, and you're left with the echo of the voice in the dark... and I was in the dark when I was listening!

Slow Drag - pure joy - very moving in its joyful sound and playfulness. Great to hear Elvis having fun. Lovely touches in the arrangement, the song warming up with twinkly bits as it goes along. I like the joke about the 'Hesitation Waltz'. It's like the 'accidents' joke on Chemistry Class.

Jimmy Standing - just marvellous - how does he do it? These songs just throb with imagery and atmosphere.

All These Strangers - possibly the most jaw-dropping song - it's like some sort of David Lean film condensed into four mins. The repetitive, mournful tone may put people off, but like all the best Elvis, I think this is going to repay repeated listens. The imagery is astonishing, I know this much early on. Crackers imagery about sewing someone's fingeprints onto someone else in order to frame them for a crime, then calling in the 'flatfoots'.

Dr Watson - first listen, dull. Second listen, incredibly moving. I'm looking forward to hearing this again. A simplicity, an open-heartedness about the sound that appeals, and that you don't always get from Elvis.

The Spell You Cast - I think the over-raucous singing may slightly obscure what is a superb rocker. There's an amazing unexpected chord inserted somewhere in here which comes totally out of the blue, and is thrilling. Don't ask me to tell you what it is, or where, but it was amazing. I do think he should have got three girl singers to do the repeats in the backing vocal in this one, however, just to make it just that tiny bit better. But I can still tell this is great, v early on.

I Lost You - fab, fine - so straighforward, I worry it'll cloy after a while - but I haven't got tired of it yet, even though I've heard it quite a few times on the radio.

National Ransom - as above, but it did sound a lot better listening on headphones - amazing jumpy bassline - sounds like Farragher in Spooky Girlfriend, but I think it's in fact the other guy.

Stations of the Cross - interesting sounds and bizarre, quirky vocal stylings - feels like one to admire rather than to love.

You Hung The Moon - I haven't warmed to this so far - he's set the key too low, so the low bits sound strained, ruining the whole thing for me - I'm concentrating on his voice being too low for comfort, rather than listening to the actual song (which, like practically all the songs, has fab lyrics)

Jezebel - hasn't left any impression yet, apart from the Leon Payne piano (is it on this one? I can't remember)

Bullets for The Newborn King - love the sparse 'Withered and Died/End of Rainbow' production and vocal - and Elvis's guitar picking sounds effortless! But the song doesn't stick in my mind, melodically.

Five Small Words - Hasn't made an impression this early on - nice echoey guitar? That's all I remember.

One Bell Ringing - Good, but hasn't cut through yet.

The one that sounds like Sharpest Thorn (I can't remember what it's called). Another New Orleans funeral procession, but about what sounds like an unrequited love relationship. Also, for gossips, sounds like it may mirror his meeting with Diana - isn't there a line about 'I met her, gave her advice etc.' as he did at the Grammys (?) years ago.'Then she melted before my eyes', or something. Who knows?

All in all, am amazed he still puts out stuff of such good quality. Great playing, obviously, and the lyrics seem to get more and more dense. He's packing ever more into his stuff - has a very global perspective, very apocalyptic. Lots of sensual images of honey, syrup, sugar cane. Great jokes e.g "The longest drumroll for the shortest trick".

I do think his voice sounds a little strained in places - the desire to go for the raw grating vocal tone on the rockers can get tiresome over a whole album, as though it's a habit now, and the falsettos aren't pure enough to cut through - e.g. I'd like to have heard perhaps female backing vocals on the 'Hallel-ooo-ooo-ooo-jah sister' line on Church Underground, and on another falsetto in another song (can't remember which). We know he can still hack it live, so I think it's just his desire to go with take one and not tidy stuff up - there's an integrity in that.

So am really excited about getting more and more into this album, but the one thing I think it lacks is a heart-stopping love song.

I must get the EP - surely Condemned Man is a classic, if the live version is anything to go by?

[Jeremy Dylan]

National Ransom - as above, but it did sound a lot better listening on headphones - amazing jumpy bassline - sounds like Farragher in Spooky Girlfriend, but I think it's in fact the other guy.

It's Dennis Crouch, and the bass lick before the band kicks in is EC on an Ampeg electric.

[Jeremy Dylan]

The Spell You Cast - I think the over-raucous singing may slightly obscure what is a superb rocker. There's an amazing unexpected chord inserted somewhere in here which comes totally out of the blue, and is thrilling. Don't ask me to tell you what it is, or where, but it was amazing.

I think it's in the 'You know, darn well, that I'm not a jealous kinda fella' bit.

[strangerinthehouse]

The one that sounds like Sharpest Thorn (I can't remember what it's called). Another New Orleans funeral procession, but about what sounds like an unrequited love relationship. Also, for gossips, sounds like it may mirror his meeting with Diana - isn't there a line about 'I met her, gave her advice etc.' as he did at the Grammys (?) years ago.'Then she melted before my eyes', or something. Who knows?

It's That's Not The Part of Him You're Leaving and it does sound very much like The Sharpest Thorn in the album. I love the song and the story it tells, something very relatable, but I think the live version with the Sugarcanes was much better, slower and more compelling.

[Jeremy Dylan]

I must get the EP - surely Condemned Man is a classic, if the live version is anything to go by?

The EP is well worth the money. Actually, buying it off nationalransom.com is an absolute steal (CD + download + EP for less than retail price of the album). A 'Canes treatment of the MAIT-era 'I Don't Wanna Go Home' is totally unexpected and marvelous, the Big Boys Cry cover sounds like it could be off The Delivery Man, you get Poor Borrowed Dress as-live and a kick-ass version of A Condemned Man (he really sells the bridge), cut with the 'Canes augmented by Mr Thomas and either SN or JT on the Vox Continental.