Me:
I think "Momofuku" is a fantastic record. It's one of his recent best.
Too Many People:
What is it? I don't even know that album.
I have had this conversation a number of times with friends and acquaintances who are fans of Elvis Costello. Some continue with the old standby, "I stopped listening to Elvis around 'Spike.'" But that's another story.
It's understandable how some fans of EC might have missed "Momofuku." It came and went without fanfare at a time when Costello was without a label, was fed up yet again with the industry, and had been using his time working on other projects, such as collaborations with Allen Toussaint, the Metropole Orkestra, a tribute to Billy Strayhorn, not to mention raising his kids. For fans of the angry young Declan, patience was being tried and many got off the bus.
But I have stayed with Costello through it all, having been rewarded enough times to give each experiment a fair shake. Occasionally, a record misses the mark I need it to hit, like his love letter to Diana Krall, "North" or the aforementioned Metropole record, "My Flame Burns Blue," both lugubrious and unpleasant to my ears. But ultimately, there is amazing music to be found on just about every Costello record.
The odd thing about the lack of love for "Momofuku" is that it's the record that sounds like the Elvis everyone misses. It was knocked out in a week, and for the most part, it rocks in a very organic way. There is no dabbling with samples, or string sections, or scary jazz chords. In many ways it reminds me of the sonics of "Blood & Chocolate."
I added a new gadget to the blog, "The Best Thing I Listened To Yesterday." It's simple, and was inspired by the Buzzcocks' "A Different Kind Of Tension," which I hadn't heard in ages. I was blown away by just how perfect it sounded after all these years. I listened to a lot of great music yesterday, but the Buzzcocks was the most satisfying...until I played "Momofuku," which is why I decided to feature it today.
Give this record a chance. "Momofuku" deserves a hell of a lot more than it has gotten since its release in 2008.
12 comments:
I agree that it is an underrated album. lots of good stuff on it. I disagree about North however. Really like that one, especially I'm in the mood again and fallen. But, like you say there is something good in every one of his albums if you listen.
File me under those who completely forgot about this EC record. Will try and revisit soon.
On a different note; yesterday I was blaring "Polka Dot Dress" by SCOTS. My wife walked by asking me about the song and I stole your Ike Turner bit to describe the vibe to her. She thought that was hilarious. Sorry; you received no credit or residuals.
CJ Bennett,
There are moments on "North" I like a lot, "When It Sings" is beautiful and I love "Impatience" from the Japanese CD. Though "Impatience" doesn't really sound like it's from the same session. Ths issue I had with the album isn't the material or the arrangements. Elvis sounds like he is forcing the vocals, a complaint others had about the Bacharach album. I didn't feel that on Painted From Memory but I felt it with "North." Maybe it's worth revisiting.
I loved Momofuku from the first listen and some of it stands up with the best of his music. I wonder if it's largely unnoticed here in the UK because he didn't tour here when it came out? Interesting comparison with B&C. At the time it followed Punch The Clock, Goodbye Cruel World and King Of America - and with this latter album it sounded like the band didn't suit the material - all albums when he was trying to not sound so much like EC and the Attractions, but when Blood And Chocolate came out it sounded to me like a very self conscious attempt to sound like an EC & TA record. Much the same for Momofuku, no? Which I guess was your point about North and the Metropole records. Maybe after a while Steve Nives just nags EC to let him dust off the Vox Continental
I also, after a rocky start, came to love North. I even liked it's appearances on Wise Up Ghost.
Thanks for the tip! These songs sound solid, but 1 listen isn't enough for me to say they are of Buzzcocks quality.
EC has been so prolific that I haven't bothered with his albums with the Imposters. The name made me think, "why bother with an imitation when I can listen to the real thing". Now I see they are 2/3 of the Attractions plus a host of others, so will do some further exploration.
- Paul in DK
I agree, this is a terrific and underrated record, made even better by harmony vocals by Jenny Lewis on a number of tracks. I should spin this one way more often than I do.
This album gets a lot of play in my house/car. The tunes are great, the playing's great, and it doesn't feel over-thought. I can see the surface similarities between Momofuku and Blood and Chocolate, but they're very different albums.
Like you, Sal, I've never been able to warm to North. Every couple of years I give it another try, but it's never grabbed a hold of me. The concept of it is appealing, but I've never found the tunes that memorable.
Bill
"King Of America" and "Blood & Chocolate" are my two favorite EC records. Period.
And yes Bill, "B&C" is much different than "Momofuku." I said sonics and I guess they feel similar because of the crunchy guitars and live feel. I think they are both very raw (but well produced)records.
We may have disagreed with yesterday's post (Im still team Taylor) but we totally agree here. I love Momofucku!
I really like "Delivery Man" too.
I really liked it when it was forst released, but somehow forgot about it. Time to fix that.
The bottom line is that while it wouldn't seemingly matter much, the substitution of Davey Faragher for the devilishly brilliant-but-broken Bruce Thomas reduced the quartet from its perch as the greatest rock 'n' roll band of its time to something far more...serviceable. As a result, the records just don't take flight in the way that they used to - despite the plenty of pleasures that they still occasionally impart.
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