Happy Birthday, Elvis Costello!

 “Through a two-way looking glass, You see your Alice”

                    —Beyond Belief, by Elvis Costello, born 25 Aug 1954

The Gin Palace, Dublin

Happy birthday to the one and only Declan Patrick MacManus, aka Elvis Costello, 69 years young on this day.

Why a pic of The Gin Palace? If you know, you know! For anyone who is in search of a clue, read through the lyrics below.  

I took the photo on August 22nd, 2023, and could hardly wait to share it on the 25th. 

Beyond Belief

History repeats the old conceits

The glib replies the same defeats

Keep your finger on important issues

With crocodile tears and a pocketful of tissues

I'm just the oily slick

On the windup world of the nervous tick

In a very fashionable hovel

I hang around dying to be tortured

You'll never be alone in the bone orchard

This battle with the bottle is nothing so novel

So in this almost empty gin palace

Through a two-way looking glass

You see your Alice

You know she has no sense

For all your jealousy

In a sense she still smiles very sweetly

Charged with insults and flattery

Her body moves with malice

Do you have to be so cruel to be callous

And now you find you fit this identikit completely

You say you have no secrets

And then leave discreetly

I might make it California's fault

Be locked in Geneva's deepest vault

Just like the canals of Mars and the Great Barrier Reef

I come to you beyond belief

My hands were clammy and cunning

She's been suitably stunning

But I know there's not a hope in Hades

All the laddies cat call and wolf whistle

So called gentlemen and ladies

Dog fight like rose and thistle

I got a feeling

I'm going to get a lot of grief

Once this seemed so appealing

Now I am beyond belief

I got a feeling

I'm going to get a lot of grief

Once this seemed so appealing

Now I am beyond belief

I got a feeling

I'm going to get a lot of grief

Once this seemed so appealing

Now I am beyond belief

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Elvis Costello

From Elvis: 50 Songs for the 50 Days Prior to Election Day (Part 3)

 Here on PhilosFX, we will bring you an ongoing recapitulation of Elvis Costello's project, "50 Songs for 50 Days."

On Sept 15, 2020, Sir Declan Patrick MacManus, OBE announced he'd be launching a song daily for the next 50 days. These songs will comprise a curated playlist for this time of cultural, political, and environmental upheaval. The announcement was made on his official website and came to my attention via his Facebook page. 

"I hope these songs will amuse, console or even infuriate, because passive indifference is hardly the way forward."--Elvis Costello

It's probably no surprise that the next 50 days takes us up to early November and an important election in the United States of America. 

If you are a fan of Elvis Costello, you will likely already: 

• be connected to his website
• be able to see each new song as it gets added to the playlist 
• have a streaming service lined up to play these tunes (Playlist added to Spotify on 9/17) 
• have access to the lyrics via a comprehensive Wiki.

But what you will not have, and what we at PhilosFX, therefore, pledge to provide, is a recapitulation of all 50 songs, complete with links to lyrics enabling you to read (or sing?) along as each song plays. 

I want this resource for myself and I am more than happy to build it day by day and share it with others as it develops and afterward, for posterity.  Patronize the creator for the original content, and let me know whether this recap adds value by leaving a comment. 

Part 1 (Songs 1-14, Sep 15-28) is available HERE

Part 2 (Songs 15-28, Sep 29-Oct 12) is available HERE

Now we commence with Part 3 as the countdown to the election continues:

No. 29 - "In The Darkest Place" from Painted From Memory (1998).

In the darkest place

I`m lost

I have abandoned every hope

No. 30 - "Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy" from Kojak Variety (1995).

A bad enough situation

Is sure enough getting worse

Everybody's crying justice

Just as long as there's business first

No. 31 - "Hora Decubitus" (Bedtime) from My Flame Burns Blue (2006).

Life is a beautiful thing

No. 32 - "Newspaper Pane" released for download / streaming on this day (Oct 16) from the forthcoming album Hey Clockface (due Oct 30, 2020). You may also enjoy this video with lyrics. 

I don’t spend my time perfecting the past

I live for the future

Because I know it won’t last

A bent note on a horn I can’t play

Ghosts in the window

That I can’t wish away

No. 33 - "Clowntime Is Over" from Get Happy!! (1980).

Tears on your blackmail

Written to ransom

A point of the fingernail

Says that he`s handsome

No. 34 - "American Gangster Time" from Momofuku (2008).

Next week there'll be some fashionable new sin
For each harlot and each Puritan
Pull off their wings stick them on a pin
And just watch the money roll in

No. 35 - "Weird Nightmare" from Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus (1992).

Weird nightmare
Why must you torment me?
Weird nightmare
Pain and misery
In a heart that’s loved and lost
Take away the grief you’ve caused

No. 36 - "Poor Napoleon" from Blood & Chocolate (1986).

One day they'll probably make a movie out of all of this
There won't even have to be a murder just a slow dissolving kiss

No. 37 - "TRIPWIRE" from Wise Up Ghost (2013).

Torn from the pages of history

Repeated again and again and again

You're either for or against us

And that is how the hatred begins

Tripwire

 

No. 38 - "It's Time" from All This Useless Beauty (1996) 

The party's over
Time we broke up
It always seemed like a bad dream
One where I finally woke up
This magic moment concluding our mutual fate
But if you do have to leave me
Who will I have left to hate?
Who will I have left to hate?

 

 

No. 39 - "New Lace Sleeves" from Trust (1981)

Even presidents have newspaper lovers
Ministers go crawling under covers
She's no angel
He's no saint
They're all covered up with whitewash and grease paint
And you say…
The teacher never told you anything but white lies
But you never see the lies
And you believe

No. 40 - "Stick Out Your TONGUE" from Wise Up Ghost (2013)*

The sugar-coated pill is getting bitterer still

You think your country needs you but you know it never will

So pack up your troubles in a stolen handbag

Don't dilly dally boys rally 'round the flag

Give us our daily bread, give us our daily bread, in individual slices, in individual slices

And something in the daily rag to cancel any crisis

*Most (80%) of the lyrics are borrowed from “Pills & Soap” which was released on 1983's Punch the Clock. Most of the rest of the lyrics (10%) are borrowed from the title song from National Ransom (2010). For the graph, I discounted the small sample from "National Ransom" and split the Album and Year evenly between PTC (1983) and WUG (2013).


No. 41 - "We Are All Cowards Now" from Hey Clockface (2020)

They're draping stones with colours
And a roll of stolen names
Except those we never cared about
And those we need to blame
We'll extinguish that flame, just the same
We are all cowards now

No. 42 - "How Much I Lied" written by Gram Parsons from Almost Blue (1981)

A thief can only steal from you
He cannot break your heart
He can never touch the precious things inside
Someone like you should surely be
Miles and miles away from me
Then you'd never care how much I lied

No. 43 - "All The Rage" from Brutal Youth (1994)

The twitching impulses to speak your mind

I'll lend you my microscope and maybe you will find it

Is it in that ugly place that's just behind your face?

No. 44 - "National Ransom" from National Ransom (2010)

Did you find how to lie? 
Did you find out how to cheat?
The elite bleat, their obsolete
So what are your prospects?

No. 45 - "American Tune" written by Paul Simon and released as a single by The Imposter (2017)

We’ve lived so well, so long
Still, when I think of the road we’re traveling on
I wonder what went wrong
I can’t help it, I wonder what’s gone wrong

No. 46 - "This Sad Burlesque" from The Juliet Letters (1993)

P.S. Well by now you know the worst of it
And we’ve heard all the alibis that they’ve rehearsed
The smug predictions
If it’s not a contradiction
Please have faith in human nature
And have mercy on the creatures in this sad burlesque

No. 47 - "Crawling To The U.S.A." from Crawling to the U.S.A. (Spanish Edition) (2020)*

Me dijo “no te creas tan especial no vas a impresionarme”
Ponle precio a mi lealtad y puedes desnudarme
De sur al norte de rodillas
Sólo el este los esquiva

*Released in 1979, re-released as a bonus track on the 1993 Rykodisc version of This Year's Model, and covered by Gian Marco and Nicole Zignago on this Spanish version of the single. 

No. 48 - "I’ve Been Wrong Before" from Kojak Variety (1995)

The night we met

The night that I won't forget

You seemed what I'd been waiting for

But baby, I've been wrong before

No. 49 - "Man Out Of Time" from Imperial Bedroom (1982)

There's a tuppenny-ha’penny millionaire
Looking for a fourpenny one
With a tight grip on the short hairs
Of the public imagination

No. 50 - "(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?" from Armed Forces (1979)

As I walk through this wicked world

Searching for light in the darkness of insanity

I ask myself, "Is all hope lost?"

Is there only pain and hatred and misery?

Wait, what!?

Like the best gifts, this bonus song was truly "unexpected." I will include this 51st song and any subsequent songs in the forthcoming recap post with summary stats.

No. 51 - "Couldn’t Call It Unexpected" from Mighty Like A Rose (1991)

So toll the bell or rock the cradle
Please don't let me fear anything I cannot explain
I can't believe, I'll never believe in anything again

Thank you for stopping by PhilosFX. Comments are always welcome.

Mid-Point-ish Review of Elvis Costello's "50 Songs for 50 Days"

Four weeks have flown by since Elvis launched "50 Songs for 50 Days." Now, with just 22 days remaining in Costello's musical countdown to the U.S. election, some interesting insights have emerged from his curated collection. First, scan the tables to refresh yourself on the selected songs, and then have a look at the charts. See what you think.

Do you have comments? Questions? Predictions about which songs you expect to join this politically charged mix?  Drop a note in the comments section.

Table 1. Review of Part 1

*Note: "Withered and Died" was released in 1984, but it did not make the cut for Goodbye Cruel World issued in that same year. However, this song was included in the 1995 re-issue of the album, and so both years are included here. For the graph of unique years, I awarded half credit to 1984 and a half to 1995.

Table 2. Review of Part 2

The first point that jumps out to me is that the selected songs are drawn from across the breadth of Elvis Costello's 44-year career (1977 to 2020, and still going strong). There are no more than three songs from any given year. The 28 songs to date fall in one of 17 different years over the range. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Count of songs by year released.

A second and related observation is that these first 28 songs are drawn from 20 different albums with no more than three songs pulled from any one album. This tells me that songs with political tones are scattered across several albums as opposed to being clustered in a few political collections. (See Figure 2.) 

Figure 2: Count of songs by album

I'll update these tables and charts after the 50th day. Meanwhile, do you have any questions? Comments? Do you have any predictions?  

I'll venture a prediction. 

Odds are even that "Tramp the Dirt Down" will make an appearance on or before November 3rd. I guess the only real question is whether any other song in the huge, 600-song EC catalog has a better chance of winning the spot on Day 50, election day in the US of A. 

Leave a note in the comments section with your predictions, questions, or comments, and thanks! 

(Note: the original version of this post has been edited to fix a dataset error. Explanation in comments.)

Elvis Costello's "50 Songs for 50 Days," Part 2

Here on PhilosFX, we will bring you an ongoing recapitulation of Elvis Costello's project, "50 Songs for 50 Days."

On Sept 15, 2020, Sir Declan Patrick MacManus, OBE announced he'd be launching a song daily for the next 50 days. These songs will comprise a curated playlist for this time of cultural, political, and environmental upheaval. The announcement was made on his official website and came to my attention via his Facebook page. 

"I hope these songs will amuse, console or even infuriate, because passive indifference is hardly the way forward."--Elvis Costello

It's probably no surprise that the next 50 days takes us up to early November and an important election in the United States of America. 

If you are a fan of Elvis Costello, you will likely already: 

• be connected to his website
• be able to see each new song as it gets added to the playlist 
• have a streaming service lined up to play these tunes (Playlist added to Spotify on 9/17) 
• have access to the lyrics via a comprehensive Wiki.

But what you will not have, and what we at PhilosFX, therefore, pledge to provide, is a recapitulation of all 50 songs, complete with links to lyrics enabling you to read (or sing?) along as each song plays. 

I want this resource for myself and I am more than happy to build it day by day and share it with others as it develops and afterward, for posterity.  Patronize the creator for the original content, and let me know whether this recap adds value by leaving a comment. 

Part 1 (Songs 1-14) is available HERE

Now we commence with Part 2:

No. 15 - "20% Amnesia" from Brutal Youth (1994)

The wine you drink has never seen a grape
And now your sci-fi suit has lost its shape
But it's a dangerous game that comedy plays
Sometimes it tells you the truth, sometimes it delays it

No. 16 - "Beyond Belief" from Imperial Bedroom (1982)

History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies the same defeats
Keep your finger on important issues
With crocodile tears and a pocketful of tissues

No. 17 - "Walk Us UPTOWN" from Wise Up Ghost (2013)

Will you walk us uptown
Will you gather us near
As cowards flee
And traitors sneer
Keep a red flag flying
Keep a blue flag as well
And a white flag in case
It all goes to hell

No. 18 - "The River In Reverse" from The River In Reverse (2006)

So count your blessings when they ask permission
To govern with money and superstition
They tell you it's all for your own protection
'Til you fear your own reflection
But the times are passing from illumination
Like bodies falling from a constellation
An uncivil war divides the nation

No. 19 - "Welcome To The Working Week" from My Aim Is True (1977)

All of your family had to kill to survive
And they're still waiting for their big day to arrive
But if they knew how I felt, they'd bury me alive
Welcome to the working week

No. 20 - "Riot Act" from Get Happy (1980)

Why do you talk such stupid nonsense?
When my mind could rest much easier
Instead of all this dumb-dumb insolence
I would be happier with amnesia

 

No. 21 - "The Other Side Of Summer" from Mighty Like A Rose (1991)

The automatic gates close up between the shanties and the palace
The blowtorch amusements, the voodoo chalice
The pale pathetic promises that everybody swallows
A teenage girl is crying 'cause she don't look like a million dollars
So help her if you can
'Cause she don't seem to have the attention span

No. 22 - "Wise Up Ghost" from Wise Up Ghost (2013)

Go on your merry way now if you must
Fool's Gold turns rivets into rust
'Til you don't know who to trust
Wise Up Ghost

No. 23 - "Phonographic Memory" the B-side of “We Are All Cowards Now” released August 28, 2020

Ever since the U.S. Mint was sucked dry and spat out, bookworms paid for rare tomes with wheelbarrows full of banknotes, some of them worthless Confederate money, stashes of which had been secreted in the plinths of various toppled statues.
They bartered with it on a Mississippi square with the irony of victors.
None of it helped the healing.

No. 24 - "Bedlam" from The Delivery Man (2004)

I've got this imaginary radio, and I'm punching up the dial
I've got the A.C. trained on the T.V. so it won't blow up in my eye
And everything I thought fanciful and mocked as too extreme
Must be family entertainment here in the strange land of my dreams

No. 25 - "Red Cotton" from Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (2009)

The Lord will judge us, with fire and thunder

As man continues with all his blunders

It's only money

It's only numbers

Maybe it is time to put aside these fictitious wonders

Man is feeble

Man is puny

And if it should divide the Union

There is no man who should own another

When he can't even recognize his sister and his brother

No. 26 - "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" from The River in Reverse (2006).

Mama get up early, early in the morning
Papa's already gone
Going out a-working for half of what he's worth now
You know that it's wrong
What happen to the Liberty Bell I heard so much about?
Did it really ding-dong?
It must have dinged wrong
It didn't ding long

No. 27 - "Green Shirt" from Armed Forces (1979).

Better send a begging letter to the big investigation

Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?

No. 28 - "This Is Hell" from Brutal Youth (1994).

Endless balmy breezes and perfect sunsets framed
Vintage wine for breakfast
And naked starlets floating in Champagne
All the passions of your youth
Are tranquillized and tamed
You may think it looks familiar
Though you may know it by another name
This is Hell

Stay tuned, there's more to come! 

Recap of EC's 50 Songs for 50 Days (Part 1: Songs 1-14)

Here on PhilosFX we will bring you an ongoing recapitulation of Elvis Costello's newly announced project, 50 songs for 50 Days.

Sir Declan Patrick MacManus, OBE announced today (Sept 15, 2020) that he'd be launching a song daily for the next 50 days. These songs will comprise a curated playlist for this time of cultural, political, and environmental upheaval. The announcement was made on his official website and came to my attention via his Facebook page. 

"I hope these songs will amuse, console or even infuriate, because passive indifference is hardly the way forward."--Elvis Costello

It's probably no surprise that the next 50 days takes us up to early November and an important election in the United States of America. 

If you are a fan of Elvis Costello, you will likely already be connected to his website. You will be able to see each new song as it gets added to the playlist. You will also already have a streaming service lined up to play these tunes (Playlist added to Spotify on 9/17). And, if you are interested in the music or the lyrics, you will have access to repositories of those resources such as the comprehensive Wiki.

But what you will not have, and what I, therefore, seek to provide, is a list of all 50 songs in one place. I want this resource for myself and I am more than happy to build it day by day and share it with others as it develops and afterward, for posterity.  Patronize the creator for the original content, and let me know whether this recap adds value by leaving a comment. 

Here goes! 

No. 1 - “(You’re Nobody 'Til Everybody In) This Town (Thinks You’re A Bastard)” from Spike (1989).  

It was a song with a topical verse which I'm afraid he then proceeded to sing
Something about the moody doomed love of the Fish-Finger King

No. 2 - "Waiting For The End Of The World" from My Aim Is True (1977).

Hiding from a scandal in the national press
They had been trying to get married since they stole the wedding dress
You may see them drowning as you stroll along the beach
But don't throw out the lifeline till they're clean out of reach

No. 3 - "Why Can’t A Man Stand Alone?" from All This Useless Beauty (1996). 

Must he be burdened by all that he's taught to consider his own?

His skin and his station, his kin and his crown, his flag and his nation

They just weigh him down

No. 4 - "Jimmie Standing In The Rain" from National Ransom (2010).

Eyes going in and out of focus
Mild and bitter from tuberculosis
Forgotten man
Indifferent nation

No. 5 - "Night Rally" from This Year’s Model (1978).

They're putting all your names

In the forbidden book

I know what they're doing

But I don't want to look

No. 6 - "Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)" from Mighty Like A Rose (1991).

In time you can turn these obsessions into careers
While the parents of those kidnapped children
Start the bidding for their tears

No. 7 - "All This Useless Beauty" from All This Useless Beauty (1996). 

Nonsense prevails, modesty fails

Grace and virtue turn into stupidity

While the calendar fades almost all barricades to a pale compromise

While our leaders have feasts on the backsides of beasts

They still think they're the gods of antiquity

No. 8 - "Brilliant Mistake" from King Of America (1986).

 

He thought he was the King of America

Where they pour Coca Cola just like vintage wine

Now I try hard not to become hysterical

But I'm not sure if I am laughing or crying

No. 9 - "Less Than Zero" from My Aim Is True (1977).

He said he heard about a couple living in the USA

He said they traded in their baby for a Chevrolet

Let's talk about the future now we've put the past away

No. 10 - "Withered and Died" from Goodbye Cruel World (1995).*

This cruel country has driven me down

Teased me and lied, teased me and lied

I've only sad stories to tell to this town

My dreams have withered and died

*This song, written by the great Richard Thompson, was originally released in 1984. "Withered and Died" did not make the original cut-list for that year's album, Goodbye Cruel World. However, the song appears as a hidden track on the 1995 Rykodisc/Demon reissue of Goodbye Cruel World. For the graph, I split the "Year" credit evenly between 1984 and 1995. 

 

No. 11 - "Shut Him Down" (with Michael Leonhart Orchestra & Jswiss) from the new album, Hey Clockface coming out Oct. 30, 2020.

Say something once
Does it make a true?
To me
To you
And everyone you knew

No. 12 - "Tokyo Storm Warning" from “Blood & Chocolate (1986)

So you look around the tiny room and you wonder where the hell you are

While the K.K.K. convention are all stranded in the bar

They wear hoods and carry shotguns in the main streets of Montgomery

But they're helpless here as babies 'cause they're only here on holiday

No. 13 - "REFUSE To Be Saved" from Wise Up Ghost (2013)

They're hunting us down here with Liberty's light
A handshaking double-talking procession of the mighty
Pursued by a T.V. crew and coming after them
A limousine of singing stars and their brotherhood anthem
The former dictator was impeccably behaved
They're mopping up all the stubborn ones who just refuse to be saved

No. 14 - "No Flag" from the new album, Hey Clockface coming out Oct. 30, 2020.

No time for this kind of love
No flag waving high above
No sign for the dark place that I live
No God for the damn that I don't give

End of Part 1 with 14 down and 36 to go. More to come! Go to Part 2.

Trunkworthy's Finale: Elvis Costello's Best, Least Remembered Songs, 81-86

Trunkworthy's series on undiscovered gems in Elvis Costello's vast catalog pulled me like a sled dog. I grabbed ahold early and held on for the lo-o-o-o-o-o-ng haul: 229 weeks in all! 

Recently Jorge Farah, one of the authors of the re-boot series, found this blog and dropped a nice comment. The exchange caused me to realize that I still owe the Universe one final post. You see, I had published recaps of the songs in groups of twenty. After song #80, I was geared up, anticipating the Fifth Twenty... 

But after two years on the beat, Jorge and his co-author Kevin Davis announced that they had achieved what they set out to do. They closed out the column after Song #86, "Suspect My Tears" from EC's latest album at the time, 2018's Look Now. 

So here is the chart of the last 6 songs of the series to complete the set:

Here are links to the 

• First 40, 
• the Third 20. and 
• the Fourth 20.

The Song of the Week grand finale includes this Author's note (emphasis added):

"After two years of (sometimes very) intermittently writing the Elvis Costello Song of the Week column, we feel that we’ve reached a point where we’ve managed to cover a pretty thorough cross-section of Costello’s work, having now written (we think!) about at least one song from each album which, by extension, has given us the opportunity to talk about each of the albums themselves."

How well did Trunkworthy do at covering the oeuvre? I combined Shows 1 to 53 and 54 to 86 into one big group, and here are the stats:

At the time the Trunkworthy series ended, Elvis had produced 32 studio albums from MAIT through Look Now. The EP, Purse and Hey Clockface (due out in October 2020) were produced after Jorge and Kevin tossed in the towel. The authors of Parts 1 and 2 covered an impressive 28 of 32 albums, all but these four:

There were a total of 86 "weekly" episodes stretched out over a period of 229 weeks. 

• Part 1 by Gary and David covered 54 songs in 52 weeks
• Part 2 by Jorge and Kevin added 35 more songs over 115 weeks
• The gap between parts 1 & 2 was 62 weeks and we are so grateful to Jorge and Kevin for picking up the reigns and running the reboot!  

There were actually 89 songs in the series. Two versions of  "Blue Chair" were compared in Show 31. Three versions of "Favourite Hour" were presented in Show 56. Additionally, two songs in Part 1 were repeated in Part 2.

•  "How Much I’ve Lied" from Almost Blue (1981) was played in shows 22 & 58
• "Stella Hurt" from Momofuku (2008) was played in shows 39 & 83

So, 89 songs, less 2 repeats and 3 additional versions yields 84 unique titles. All of them are hidden gems among the 600-song (and growing) catalog. 

The authors set out to highlight some of Elvis' best, least-known songs from his 600-song discography. They did not announce an explicit goal to distribute the highlighted songs across the decades. I took a glance at that and invite you to have a look at the results below. Over the 44-year span, there were slightly more songs from 1986 (6) than from any other year. The real story is the wide distribution. You'll see some songs from five decades: 70s, 80s, 90s, aughts, and teens.

I am grateful to Trunkworthy co-founders Gary Stewart and David Gorman, who started this project. Beginning on Elvis' 60th birthday (Aug 25, 2014) and continuing weekly for a year, these two set out to shine a little light on some of the underplayed gems in Costello's repertoire. Sustained by passion and fan support, they took the project as far as they could. But the crowd wanted more! Thankfully, fellow Costellophiles Jorge Farah and Kevin Davis picked up the gauntlet and ran with it. 

Perhaps there will yet be more stories in this book. Elvis is still creating compelling music, so who knows? Maybe we'll soon need a third pair of writers to continue the Trunkworthy quest with a mix of songs including material from the 20s and beyond. One can only hope. And if they do, PhilosFX will be right there with them, providing a hub from which summaries of all of the separate posts can be easily viewed. 

I am also grateful that Jorge took the time to write a nice comment on PhilosFX. You can read that and my reply under this post. By way of thanks, I thought of linking to Jorge's blog, "Every -ist and Every -ism." The blog is on a temporary hiatus. Please check back later...

  

Instead of that link, I offer a link to Jorge's two and a half hour EC birthday show. This program is full of great music and interesting conversation from fantastic guests, such as Trunkworthy collaborator Kevin Davis, and Graeme Thomson, author of Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello. 

Enjoy! Support the creative!  

Unpacking the "Look Now" Deluxe 7-inch Box Set

Ahoy!

I am the proud holder of Box 816 of 1,000! Let's have a look at what's inside...

"Look Now" Deluxe 7-inch Box Set

BUNDLE INCLUDES:
- Ten 7” (twenty tracks), tri-color, deluxe numbered edition vinyl box set
- Numbered box (1000 units manufactured at Third Man Pressing in Detroit) houses TEN 7” vinyl.
- All 16 tracks from the Look Now double LP (on eight 7” records)
- FOUR new tracks (on TWO additional 7” records, also released as the EP "Purse")
- Tri-color vinyl edition: each 7” is opaque red, opaque violet, and opaque yellow
- Four postcards and a 16-page booklet of lyrics and artwork
- BONUS Look Now 7” adapter included with purchase



Not mentioned in the above advertising copy from elviscostello.com is the fact that the box includes the charming note from Elvis depicted in the photo below.

I was able to decipher all the handwriting with a little help from some friends. The text below is what we believe is a faithful transcript of Elvis Costello's message. (Corrections welcome.)

Dear Listener, 

     This box of tricks contains
daubs and songs to be heard
~ one at a time, in a different
order; perhaps a new story
at the flip of the disc
and the drop of the needle 

Yours thru' music    E.C.R.S.

Elvis Costello
      & Eamonn Singer

A couple of comments would be helpful in interpreting the underlined portions of the liner note:

The letters "E.C.R.S." refer to The Elvis Costello Record Shop

We presume Elvis signed his own name and the name of his alter ego, "Eamonn Singer." Though the second signature is scribbled in disguise, the first "E" is a giveaway.

The first word in the second line is "daubs." The context here is unusual, but there is a precedence for it. Here is a reference (tweet) confirming this use of the word, "daubs" in this context and also confirming the true identity of Eamonn Singer.

Another unheralded BONUS item is a set of six coasters made by Vinylux from recycled vinyl albums.

Enjoy! Cheers!

H/T to Connor R. and Andrew O.

What Leonard Cohen Taught Me About Being Human

Leonard Cohen: 1936-2016

Rest In Peace, Leonard Norman Cohen. Today, nearly two years after your death, you taught me all over again what it means to be fully, achingly human.

What's NOT to love? The Set-up

Among many other things, I love poets, philosophers, and musicians. I have a Pinterest board entitled Muses, Madmen, and Minstrels containing snippets about Van Morrison, Walt Whitman, Leonard Cohen, Elvis Costello, Mark Nepo, Robert Pirsig, and many whose keen observations of the human condition stir my soul. 

By nature, I am primarily a rational, pragmatic person. My artistic side is often well-hidden. Poets, actors, painters, philosophers, singers, and dancers interest and amaze me. That is why I love "muses, madmen, and minstrels" among many other things. 

Scan through the archives of PhilosFX and you will see that Leonard Cohen makes not infrequent appearances. So that explains how it came to pass that, flipping through the TV channels on a Notre Dame football bye weekend (Sat, Oct 20), I found something at the nexus of many things I love, something that made my jaw drop, my heart race, and my mind forget about everything else on my To Do list. Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to hit the Record button on my DVR.

Tower of Song

A Memorial Tribute Documentary

by Jack Bender

This moving documentary tribute to the life and loves of poet, artist, philosopher, monk, and performer Leonard Cohen was showing as a fundraiser on my local Public Broadcasting System (PBS) affiliate, Maryland Public TV (MPT). For those who may not recognize his name, Jack Bender, a producer and director, is known for Alias (2001), Lost (2004), and Game of Thrones (2011).

What's NOT to love? The Scene

I loved all of these aspects of this production:

• Leonard Cohen's autobiographical poems about pain, longing, hope, love, and loss were lovingly resurrected and re-interpreted by the likes of Elvis Costello, Bettye Lavette, and Sting
• I enjoy supporting Public TV and radio. 
• The timing and the location of this event were special. Leonard is Montreal's favorite son, and people from around the world came to see this show almost exactly one year after he passed. 
• The stage and set creatively evoked Cohen's overwatching presence

What's NOT to love? The Songs

These were just a few of the standout performances

• "Bird on the wire," the second of two powerful appearances by Elvis Costello 
• Leonard Cohen's son, Adam, singing "So Long, Marianne" better than his old man ever did, while backup singer Hattie Webb looks at him like she knows a secret. 
• The Lumineers (or, at least, some of them) did a great job on "Democracy." 
• "Suzanne" performed by Ron Sexsmith. Need I say more?
• Peter Gabriel's cameo at 47:43. Perfect!
• And so much more... For 90 minutes, one gut-wrenching moment was followed by another...

I want to circle back to Adam Cohen's twist on "So Long, Marianne," because that performance absolutely floored me. But first, I need to share what was, for me, clearly the most visceral moment of the show.

k. d. lang performing Hallelujah for Tower of Song

Maybe you have heard "Hallelujah" performed a few dozen times. It's a masterpiece. Many artists have covered it. I even wrote a post about the many different versions, concluding that none performed better than Cohen himself. But I must admit, I now must publish a retraction and an update. I had never heard this classic song performed to its soulful perfection until I heard k. d. lang's rendition for "Tower of Song."

I was mesmerized. Reduced to elements. When was the last time you cried? For me, it when k. d. lang reminded me why I love muses, madmen, and minstrels.  But the story does not end here. I mentioned the devastating twist Adam gave to his father's love song to Marianne. Let's look into that more deeply.

Cohen with Marianne Ihlen, his Norwegian muse

What is the story of Leonard and Marianne? 

As a young man in his mid-20s, Leonard Cohen moved to the Greek island of Hydra from Montreal to find his muse. There he met a beautiful woman named Marianne. The two stayed together through the 60s, raising her son and commuting between Hydra, her home in Oslo, his home in Montreal, and a home they made together in New York. Throughout their relationship, Cohen wrote about Marianne and dedicated many songs, poems, and drawings to her. The lyrics to "So Long, Marianne" offer many clues as to why the relationship did not last.

Time rolled along. Fifty-seven years after the two lovers first met, and when he himself was in failing health, Leonard received word that Marianne was on her deathbed. Cohen wrote to her in a letter read to her two days before her death, and again at her funeral, saying:

"Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine... Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road." 

Marianne died in hospital in Oslo on 28 July 2016, aged 81. Leonard died three months later, on November 7. Tower of Song, the memorial tribute, was recorded a day shy of a year later, in Montreal, on 6 November 2017.

Now you know the backstory about the namesake for Cohen's song, "So long, Marianne." One day short of a year after Leonard's passing, Adam Cohen performed his father's song. He looked just like his father, and accompanying vocalist Hattie Webb looked remarkably similar to Marianne Ihlen. These resemblances took my breath away, and I couldn't help but notice glances between the two. And then the kicker: the music softens, as do the lights, and Adam recites portions of his father's letter to Marianne. I lost it! You have got to see this! Total tear-jerker.

+++++++

There are too many other highlights to recount in this soulful summation of Cohen's life and loves. His was a complicated journey, one which has touched me deeply.

Hineni, Hineni

Here I am Lord

I'm with you, my Lord

"I don't consider myself a pessimist. I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel soaked to the skin." --LNC

Here is a link to a video of the program. You will want to watch the whole thing. Of course, I also encourage you to purchase the two-DVD set, either directly, or via a donation to Public Broadcasting. Watch this tribute and connect with what it means to inhabit this mortal coil if only briefly. 

Additional Information

If you would like to read more about Leonard Cohen, his life and loves, or the Tower of Song tribute, please have a look at these links.

The Leonard Cohen homepage

The Webb Sisters homepage

Billboard article about the Tower of Song Tribute Concert

Leonard Cohen Files: Marianne Ihlen

Marianne Ihlen

Ring the Bells that Still Can Ring