Elvis Costello: New "American Ransom" Due October 5; New Song Preview
Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 5:04PM
Elvis Costello is set to return October 5 November 2 with the new album American Ransom, his second studio project for the Concord/Hear Music label and first since last summer's Americana-flavored, Nashville-recorded album Secret Profane and Sugarcane. Costello will also see the July 13 release of Pomp and Pout: The Universal Years -- a new retrospective covering the 1998-2008 albums he recorded with Univesal Music labels Island, Lost Highway and Verve Forecast. The title comes from a line in his song "Monkey Man" from the 2004 album The Delivery Man.
As noted in an earlier post, Costello has had a particularly busy year, touring behind his last album, overseeing the release of some rare live albums (most recently January street of the Live At Hollywood High recordings from 1978) and wrapping up his second (and it would appear final) season of his "Spectacle" music/interview series on The Sundance Channel. He also recently debuted a new song "Jimmie Standing In the Rain" during a four-song performance on The Prairie Home Companion. Listen below:
Elvis Costello - "Jimmie Standing In the Rain" (from The Prairie Home Companion
Reader Comments (4)
I don't like the title. It sounds anti-American to me, and I would say that I would wait to judge it, once I hear the album, but I won't be buying any more Elvis Costello albums because of his initial promise, and subsequent very wrong cancellation, to play in Israel.
I hope he realizes he is aiding and abetting terroriists and a Muslim world that practices apartied and often genital mutilation on half its population. He may have said he wasn't taking sides, but he could have said that while he honored his contract in Israel. He took sides all right. He tooks sides with a very intolerant world full of religious fanaticism, theocracies and dictatorships that don't hesitate to kill their people in the streets on in their sharia courts for something as unworthy of death as adultery. Isn't Elvis an admitted adulterer? He would have been hanging from one of those hanging cranes in Iran, for that crime alone!
The man played in Turkey and didn't think twice, apparently, about the violent suppresion of the Kurds in Turkey and thoughout the Islamic world, where they don't hesitate to gass Kurds to shut them up or blow them up or pump them full of bullets. WTF is his problem? Is he stupid? I think he must be?
So, I expect American Ransom will be just another Elvis excercise in hating America, the land where his two sons will have to sign up for selective service one day.
Elvis is a traitor to his own. Why the penchant to bite the hand that feeds you? You need psychological therapy, Elvis!
I was shocked to read the comments by blue rose, although it is an excellent example of why Elvis correctly (in my view) chose not to play Israel. The comments simply highlight the aggressive, uncompromising and inflamatory nature of many, although obviously not all, people with such views. I confess that I am not an expert in arab/israeli politics (although I have spent time in Lebanon and various other places with different political regimes) but what must be clear to blue rose is that, on any objective examination of the issues involved, the majority of the problems stem from initial and unilatural Israli (and also US) aggression; be it in Beruit, Gazza or elsewhere. Don't get me at all wrong, I love America and it's people but I do try to take a balanced view unhindered by prejudic. Similarly any objective examination of the 'ownership' of the land in question only leads one way.
Obviously Elvis's views and actions will not always be one per cent in line with what one would hope but that surely makes him human and worth listening to ( and I say that after 33 year). I for one will buy the new record and no doubt it will be as fascinating and interesting as the rest of them. Looking forward to the Birmingham show. Keep up the good work Elvis!!
Jesus Christ, Blue Rose, give it a rest.
I love Elvis, and I respect his decisions even if I do not agree with them. Invisible Man, why do you say that "the majority of the problems stem from initial and unilateral Israeli aggression"? This does seem to take into account the seven years of shelling by Hamas, after Israel had unilaterally left Gaza. It does not take into account the kidnapping of three soldiers by Hamas, two of whom were murdered, and one, Gilad Shalit, held for years against all humanitarian laws. I do not condone all of the actions of the Israeli government, and I deplore some of its decisions, but throughout its history Israel has been surrounded by foes who do not acknowledge its right to exist, and who have tried endlessly to wipe it off the face of the earth. Remember, Israel was granted a charter by the UN. At the same time, a plan was drawn up for a Palestinian state that was rejected by the Arab countries. Do you acknowledge that Israel even has a right to exist? And if so, how can you blame all problems on Israeli aggression? I highly recommend you read this article. It is very balanced, and it might make you think twice regarding your views:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08friedman.html?ref=thomaslfriedman