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Elvis Costello & the Imposters - Momofuku Audio CD

A fair review of the Elvis Costello & the Imposters "Momofuku" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Elvis Costello & the Imposters reviews here, or go back to the Elvis Costello & the Imposters tabs.

Elvis Costello & the Imposters Band: Elvis Costello & the Imposters
Title: Momofuku
Rating:
Release Date: 2008-05-06
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: No Hiding Place 2: American Gangster Time 3: Turpentine 4: Harry Worth 5: Drum And Bone 6: Flutter And Wow 7: Stella Hurt 8: Mr. Feathers 9: My Three Sons 10: Song With Rose 11: Pardon Me Madam, My Name Is Eve 12: Go Away

Jumped the shark - I will no longer be buying Elvis albums
There are many a five star review of this album here, and I can't imagine why. I am a life long Elvis fan who just about everything that he has ever produced, and this may be the last album I buy from him, he has gone from must-have to disappointing. If this gets 5 stars what do you give his great albums like Get Happy, My Aim is True or All this Useless Beauty? There isn't a compelling song in the lot. This looks and feels like the one off that it is, quickly recorded and sped into the market. I will always love the guy, but his wad is blown, and I don't know why he can't see it. This can't even come close to The Delivery Man, and that was just a so-so effort. The last great album from him came out in 1996, and this is the 9th since then. That's a lot of cash gone that would have been better spent. Sorry, Elvis has left the building. .


The mp3 download card is no longer valid
But when you see the enclosed card the download expired. Warning: If you purchase this album on vinyl it says on the cover mp3 download of the full album available. It is not noted on the outside of the album!!!.


Zzzzz...save your money
So what else is new. Elvis, by his own admission, did not spend a lot of time on this collection of recordings. Certainly explains this snooze-fest. As a life-long fan, I find that very insulting, by the way. Unless he's trying to groom new fans, those who prefer absinthe to caffeine. In fact, this is the kind of thing that he's taken others for task for over the years. Elvis, at this point, seems a bit like the Stephen Spielberg of alt rock music (with Mr. Spielberg getting the worst of this comparision - he's still turning out quality work): He was never recognized or appreciated by the "establishment" when he did his best work and, now that he's getting some kudos, he's just running from award dinner to tv appearance to recording session, cashing in on his newfound admittance to "What's Shakin' on the Hill". Yep, that's a nod to his good friend Nick Lowe's latest release. He needs to take a page out of Nick's playbook and only release something after it's been groomed and nurtured, not sprayed with liquid fertilizer and shrink-wrapped while the stench is still wafting out of the studio. Elvis peaked with Spike, slipped a notch with Mighty Like A Rose and then flipped us off with what coulda been with When I Was Cruel. Since then, it's been like listening to Shatner read Robert Frost. You can hear the talent in there but the delivery is just unlistenable.


Where's the spice packet?

Okay, I'm a lifelong fan who has spent thousands on Elvis albums, concert tickets, and associated travel. With Momofuku, Elvis serves up a bland, thin broth brimming with leftovers. Sorry Elvis. I'm wondering if you are just sick of it all, or if you are simply getting lazy. Like when you stumbled over some lyrics at a concert a couple years ago because your mind was clearly elsewhere . . . going through the motions.
One of the things I've always enjoyed about Elvis' music is the "integrity of the album" - broadly speaking each album had its own sound, its own comprehensive style, and sometimes an overarching theme. This album lacks the discipline that comes from this practice - it just sort of meanders through the sounds of albums past. Many of the tracks sound like leftovers from "Brutal Youth," although "Mr. Feathers" clearly bears the fingerprints of "Spike" and Paul McCartney's influence.
Perhaps "My Three Sons" ruptured the trust developed over the years. This is a syrupy, auto-pilot, rhyming dictionary track that serves no purpose. The twins are too young to be amused by its banality and Matt is probably embarrassed as he envisions his father singing this in 15 years in some backwater casino with his keyboard on "lounge" setting.
Listenable, certainly. But not a worthy effort for this artist. Two disappointed stars.


What a Cool Record
Once again, however, he's collaborated with the right people and come up with something that's as excellent as anything he's ever produced. I'm not an Elvis fan who loves everything he does. The songs and the performances are great. If you still have a turntable, or if you've just bought one (it happens), I highly recommend the vinyl version. You'll enjoy the high-quality fidelity and the ineffable feel of capturing this music in the right medium. If you're completely unfamiliar with Elvis Costello's music, I would recommend this record anyway. It's modern and classic at the same time; it's just a great record.


You can see a complete list of all Elvis Costello & the Imposters discography, or go back to the Elvis Costello & the Imposters tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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