Rank Blood & Chocolate

King Hoarse · Post by **King Hoarse** » Tue May 17, 2005 2:43 am

This was really difficult, I thought, especially since I can't really enjoy songs like I Want You and Tokyo Storm Warning any night of the week but sometimes one of those is the only song I feel like drowning in. Also, it's always hard to weigh great lyrics (Blue Chair, Tokyo...) against great melodies (I Hope..., Crimes Of Paris) against great riffs & rhythms (Uncomplicated, Honey...), and nowhere is that more obvious than on Blood & Chocolate. That said, here's my shot:

1. Blue Chair (even though I prefer the 7" version)
2. I Want You
3. I Hope You're Happy Now
4. Uncomplicated
5. Tokyo Storm Warning
6. Battered Old Bird
7. Crimes Of Paris
8. Home Is Where You Hang Your Head
9. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
10. Poor Napoleon (love Cait's loud voice and the Instant Karma & Deep Dead Blue live versions, but something's lacking on the record)
11. Next Time 'Round

Miss Macbeth · Post by **Miss Macbeth** » Tue May 17, 2005 5:37 am

Wow, I know what you mean. This one was probably the hardest to rank so far. I'm a sucker for a great melody, but the lyrics are usually what get me (hence the ranking of BOB). Although, I do rank Tokyo a little lower simply because the actual "song" is too monotonous. Now I could read the lyrics all day and really get into the words, but I just never got into the music. "I Want You" is great as a long song because it's just so obsessive you never want it to end. So here goes...

1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. I Want You
3. Blue Chair
4. Battered Old Bird
5. Uncomplicated
6. Crimes of Paris
7. Tokyo Storm Warning
8. Next Time Around
9. Poor Napoleon
10. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
11. Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind

Whew! That was tough.

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Tue May 17, 2005 8:08 am

Quite simply, in my opinion, his best record - not a below par song on the album - at least seven or eight stone cold Costello classics - several songs of a type that are unique to this record - lyrically sharp as a stanley knife. With TSW - what some call monotonous I find relentless - its like some claustrophobic rock n roll Blade Runner. Blue Chair is perfect pop - BOB is a lyrical peak and the "scattered in the attic" bit is Nick Lowes production piece de resitance - I Want You is malignant and insane - the way it starts off with a traditional ballad then veers off the road right into the ditch with a burst of guitar tremelo - the coda to HIAYHYH is one of my favourite bits of music ever and its only problem is its too short. Kind of a kissing cousin to Blonde on Blonde and is his masterpiece - if only it was double.

1. Tokyo Storm Warning
2. Battered Old Bird
3. Blue Chair
4. I Want You
5. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
6. Poor Napoleon
7. I Hope You're Happy Now
8. Uncomplicated
9. Crimes of Paris
10. Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind
11.Next Time Around

whar · Post by **whar** » Tue May 17, 2005 9:28 am

001. Crimes Of Paris
002. Battered Old Bird
003. Blue Chair
004. Uncomplicated
005. Tokyo Storm Warning
006. I Hope You're Happy Now
007. Next Time 'Round
008. I Want You
009. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
010. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
011. Poor Napoleon

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Tue May 17, 2005 9:42 am

1. Crimes of Paris
2. Poor Napoleon
3. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
4. Tokyo Storm Warning
5. Battered Old Bird
6. I Hope You're Happy Now
7. I Want You
8. Uncomplicated
9. Blue Chair
10. Next Time Round
11. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind

Yup. That was difficult. I changed the order three times. Note that even though I've listed songs as low as #9 or 10, that doesn't mean I don't like them. It just means I love the others more. They're all four- or five-star songs in my book.

just a lackey · Post by **just a lackey** » Tue May 17, 2005 11:58 am

1. Next Time Round
2. I Hope You're Happy Now
3. Uncomplicated
4. Tokyo...
5. Honey...
6. Home is...
7. I Want You
8. Battered Old Bird
9. Crimes of Paris
10. Blue Chair
11. Poor Napoleon

Post by **BlueChair** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:11 pm

This is a tough one for me as well, as I rank B&C among my three favourite Elvis records, but here goes nothing:

1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Blue Chair
3. Crimes Of Paris
4. Poor Napoleon
5. Next Time 'Round
6. Home Is Where You Hang Your Head
7. Tokyo Storm Warning
8. I Want You
9. Uncomplicated
10. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
11. Battered Old Bird

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:24 pm

1. I Want You
2. I Hope You're Happy Now
3. Blue Chair
4. Uncomplicated
5. Poor Napoleon
6. Tokyo Storm Warning
7. Next Time 'Round
8. Battered Old Bird
9. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
10. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
11. Crimes Of Paris

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:39 pm

1. Battered Old Bird
2. I Hope You’re Happy Now
3. Uncomplicated
4. Next Time ‘Round
5. Blue Chair
6. Tokyo Storm Warning
7. Crimes of Paris
8. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
9. Poor Napoleon
10. I Want You
11. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?

all great songs! I Want You is just a little too intense sometimes and I don't really care for Honey Are You Straight.

Goody2Shoes · Post by **Goody2Shoes** » Tue May 17, 2005 4:39 pm

1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
3. Blue Chair
4. I Want You
5. Battered Old Bird
6. Uncomplicated
7. Next Time Round
8. Crimes Of Paris
9. Poor Napoleon
10. Tokyo Storm Warning
11. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?

Numbers 5-9 are pretty much interchangeable, depending.

normabuel · Post by **normabuel** » Tue May 17, 2005 4:45 pm

I find B&C to have a low ranking on my Gx3 delta scale. That means, how many songs NOT on Girls Girls Girls, but on the album, make the album worth buying. Since Gx3 has I Hope You're Happy Now, Uncomplicated, Tokyo Storm Warning, and I Want You, my four favorites -- by far -- on the album (and some of my favorite EC songs overall), I've never been a big fan of this album, at least not for someone who owns Girls. . . .

Here are my rankings:

1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Uncomplicated
3. I Want You
4. Tokyo Storm Warning
5. Blue Chair (I like the other version better)
6. Next Time 'Round
7. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
8. Poor Napoleon
9. Crimes Of Paris
10. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
11. Battered Old Bird

7-9 are pretty much tied.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Tue May 17, 2005 5:07 pm

1. I Want You
2. Crimes of Paris
3. I Hope You're Happy Now
4. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
5. Blue Chair
6. Next Time 'Round
7. Battered Old Bird
8. Uncomplicated ( love it live)
9. Tokyo Storm Warning
10. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
11. Poor Napoleon (love the Deep Dead Blue version)

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Tue May 17, 2005 5:20 pm

1. Uncomplicated
2. Blue Chair
3. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind? (Can't believe it ranks so low)
4. I Hope You're Happy Now
5. Poor Napoleon
6. Next Time Round
7. I Want You
8. Tokyo Storm Warning
9. Crimes Of Paris
10. Battered Old Bird
11. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head

I agree with King Hoarse on I Want You & TSW, but it's more like I'd like dipping my feet in them rather than drowning

. Their biggest problem is their length (imo), because when I don't want to hear them, it seems like they never end.

I adore this album, however, it's not always that I feel like listening to it, but when I do, no other E.C album clicks this well. The reissue bonus disc is amazing. I love Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo, Forgive Her Anything, New Rhythm Method and all the fantastic covers.

MistakenForLilies · Post by **MistakenForLilies** » Tue May 17, 2005 7:43 pm

1. Blue Chair
2. I Hope You're Happy Now
3. I Want You
4. Battered Old Bird
5. Crimes Of Paris
6. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
7. Next Time 'Round
8. Uncomplicated
9. Tokyo Storm Warning
10. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
11. Poor Napoleon

I adore even the last songs on this list. B&C was my first EC album so that gives me a strange perspective... it doesn't seem to "fit" with his other albums. Not in chronological order at least.
I agree that TSW can seem long and dragged out, but not I Want You--I do have to be in the right mood to fully enjoy it, but not to fully appreciate it. (It does bother me that EC picked those two as singles...just because he had a personal preference for them didn't mean he had to defiantly throw away his chances for a hit...)

wardo68 · Post by **wardo68** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:46 pm

normabuel wrote:I find B&C to have a low ranking on my Gx3 delta scale. That means, how many songs NOT on Girls Girls Girls, but on the album, make the album worth buying.

That's an interesting perspective. I'm going to have to give that some thought!

oily slick · Post by **oily slick** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:47 pm

1. Battered Old Bird
2. Crimes of Paris
3. Blue Chair
4. Tokyo Storm Warning
5. Poor Napoleon
6. I Want You
7. Home is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
8. I Hope You're Happy Now
9. Next Time 'Round
10. Uncomplicated
11. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Wed May 18, 2005 12:04 am

B and C is a critical milestone in the transition of Elvis from the diverse sounds of TYM, IB, KOA to the even more diverse Elvis that we experience today. Arguably, if Elvis did not regain a certain segment of his dwindling fanbase with B and C, his credibility and acceptance today would have been restrained, I think. And it would have effected the wide diversity of works like North, Il Sogno, The Delivery Man, WIWC, etc. (Not a KOA attack, and I don't have the actual sales numbers, but I lived through this period with my peers who had religiously followed Elvis from MAIT to this point, and I can assure you we were grasping at an elusive icon that we couldn't get our arms around. Blood and Chocolate was a sort of EC "Life Preserver" that rejuvenated us and motivated us by again providing a captivating pop record with elements of the past, but without foresaking the necessary developments that give us the EC of today).

If you purchased the records in order, and digested each one of them systematically as they hit the stores, I think you will agree. If you acquired the records out of order, it is still easy to appreciate the overall power of B and C, but its significance in the 'ontogeny' of EC is lost.

1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Tokyo Storm Warning
3. Crimes of Paris
4. I Want You
5. Uncomplicated
6. Blue Chair
7. Poor Napoleon
8. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
9. Battered Old Bird
10. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind
11. Next Time Round

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Wed May 18, 2005 4:32 am

01. Blue Chair
02. Battered Old Bird
03. I Hope You're Happy Now
04. I Want You
05. Next Time Round
06. Crimes of Paris
07. Uncomplicated
08. Home is Anywhere you hang your head
09. Honey are you straight or are you blind
10. Poor Napoleon
11. Tokyo Storm Warning

strangerinthehouse · Post by **strangerinthehouse** » Wed May 18, 2005 8:50 am

1. Crimes of Paris
2. Battered Old Bird
3. Blue Chair
4. Next Time Around
5. I Want You
6. Tokyo Strom Warning
7. Uncomplicated
8. Home is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
9. I Hope You're Happy Now
10. Poor Napoleon
11. Honey Are You Straight or Are You Blind

normabuel · Post by **normabuel** » Wed May 18, 2005 10:14 am

Wardo, my first EC album was Girls x 3, which is a great place for those interested in EC to start. No one ever seems to mention it on this board for some reason, but it is terrific for any EC newbie.

I have since bought every album covered by Gx3, but I tend to view these albums based on how many really good songs are on the album and not on Gx3. I think Get Happy may have the highest Gx3 delta factor ranking.

And No Coffee Table · Wed May 18, 2005 10:48 am

I used to consider B&C one of EC's weakest albums, but somehow over the years it's become my absolute favorite. Go figure.

I love every song on the album. I just love the ones at the bottom of the list a little less than the others.

1. Next Time Round
2. Battered Old Bird
3. Poor Napoleon
4. Blue Chair
5. Tokyo Storm Warning
6. Crimes Of Paris
7. I Want You
8. I Hope You're Happy Now
9. Uncomplicated
10. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
11. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?

Fishfinger king · Post by **Fishfinger king** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:24 pm

1 I hope you're happy now
2 Uncomplicated
3 Next time round
4 Crimes of Paris
5 Blue Chair
6 Battered old bird
7 Tokyo storm warning
8 I want you
9 Honey are you straight or are you blind?
10 Home is anywhere you hang your head
11 Poor Napoleon
Top album!

guidedbyvoices · Post by **guidedbyvoices** » Wed May 18, 2005 9:23 pm

It's amazing to me how all over the place everyone's rankings are!

One of my favorites as well, first time I'm joining a ranking

1 I hope you're happy now (what a bass line)
2 I Want You
3 Crimes of Paris
4 Blue Chair
5 Next time round
6 Battered old bird
7 Home is anywhere you hang your head
8 Uncomplicated
9 Poor Napoleon
10 Honey are you straight or are you blind?
11 Tokyo storm warning

Masterpiece? · Post by **Masterpiece?** » Wed May 18, 2005 9:41 pm

B&C more often than not ranks as my #1 or #2 all-time EC album. This is a tough one to rank by song, I don't dislike any of them:

1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Uncomplicated
3. I Want You
4. Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind
5. Battered Old Bird
6. Blue Chair
7. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
8. Tokyo Storm Warning
9. Poor Napoleon
10. Next Time Around
11. Crimes of Paris

DeathWearsABigHat · Post by **DeathWearsABigHat** » Thu May 19, 2005 12:09 pm

Probably my favourite album at the mo, very difficult to rank. On another day any of the top 9 could be number 1.

1. I Want You
2. Next Time 'Round
3. Blue Chair
4. Battered Old Bird
5. Crimes Of Paris
6. Tokyo Storm Warning
7. Poor Napoleon
8. I Hope You're Happy Now
9. Home Is Where You Hang Your Head
10. Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
11. Uncomplicated