Elvis (Costello) is Everywhere (Part 5)

OK, now we get to the good stuff imo... I have a BUNCH of Costello boots here, and most every one of them rocks the house HARD. Looking through them, they are all from the years 1977-79, or the period when I actually LOVED the music of Elvis Costello.....anyway, today I have a handful of them, one a grab bag of live tracks, the rest recorded in 1977. Next time I'll hit 1978, then 1979... this stack of boots is really as good as any stack of boots I have from nearly anyone, how I wish I could have seen him & The Attractions at their high point.

First  up is a grab-bag of live tracks, the undated "Elvis Costello: Amazing Live", which I am guessing as a 1977 release as well, as there are no post-"My Aim Is True" tracks here. His infamous Saturday Night Live performance of "Less Than Zero" and "Radio Radio" (well, there's ONE post-"My Aim Is True" number", also versions of "Allisone" and "Watching the Detectives", as well as less frequently performed numbers as "Couldn't Call it Unexpected" and "Basement Kiss".....sorry no dates or venues listed, the rest of these will give that complete data.

"Get Emotional" (Leicester England 10/22/77) is a fine one, leading off with Richard Hell's "Love Comes in Spurts", followed by a killer set with "Red Shoes", "The Beat", lots more including the always fab "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea".

Recorded just a week or so later is "Guilford England 10/31/77". To his/their credit, a fairly different set, opening with "No Action" and blasting through a good portion of "This Year's Model", including "lipstick Vogue", "Radio Radio", "Lip Service" and more, winding up with a frantic "Mystery Dance".

Two weeks later, we have a 2 Disc appearance at "The Old Waldorf San Francisco 11/15/77"....he did two
sets on this evening, each captured on a seperate disc. Again, very different sets,  "Living In Paradise" pops up, and a raved-up "Pump It Up" closes the second set.

Yet another week passes, and another show, this one from "Jed's, New Orleans, 11/23/77"....I doubt this is the complete show, only nine tracks, and I doubt he would have closed a show with "Less Than Zero", so MAYBE there is another disc out there somewhere, or maybe the tape broke in the middle, who knows, still worth a listen.

Delving into the month of December, EC played the famed Agora Theater in Cleveland Ohio, the set i8s getting a bit less varied, nothing really out of the ordinary here, but still a fine performance.

And finally for 1977, An FM-simulcast of his show at "The Riviera, Chicago, 12/77"....again, almost an identical set to the Cleveland show, I assume they were getting tired from all the touring, but again, don't be sold short....EVERY one of these albums is worthwhile, every one. Don't say I didn't warn ya, and don't show up in 2021 saying the links are down! Next time, 1978!

AMAZING LIVE-01 Less Than Zero-Radio Radio (SNL)/02 Miracle Man/03 Blame it on Cain/04 Mystery Dance/05 Neat Neat Neat/06 Watching the Detectives/07 I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself-Miracle Man/08 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood-The Psycho Song/09 The Imposter/10 Leave My Kitten Alone/11 Many Rivers to Cross/12 Allison/13 Couldn't Call it Unexpected/15 Hurry Down Doomsday/16 Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/17 Basement Kiss-All This Useless Beauty/18 God Give Me Strength

LEICESTER ENGLAND 10/22/77-01 Love Comes in Spurts/02 No Action/03 (The Angles Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes/04 Blame it On Cain/05 The Beat/06 Dr. Luther's Assistant/07 This Year's Girl/08 (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea/09 Less Than Zero/10 Whole Wide World/11 Roadette Song/12 Neat Neat Neat/13 Little Triggers/14 Radio Radio/15  You Belong to Me/16 Miracle Man

GUILFORD ENGLAND 10/31/77-01 No Action/02 (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes/03 No
Dancing/04 Lip Service/05 Sneaky Feelings/06 Less Than Zero/07 Big Tears/08 Sunday's Best/09 Stranger in the House/10 Little Triggers/11 Radio Radio/12 You Belong to Me/13 Miracle Man/14 Lipstick Vogue/15 Watching the Detectives/16 Mystery Dance

SAN FRANCISCO 11/15/77 DISC 1-01 (EARLY SHOW)-01 Pump It Up/02 Welcome to the Working Week/03 The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes/04 Blame it On Cain/05 End of the World/06 The Beat/07 Less Than Zero/08 Allison/09 Miracle Man/10 You Belong to Me/11 Lipstick Vogue/12 Watching the Detectives/13 Mystery Dance/14 Bonnie Simmons Outro (No Encore)

SAN FRANCISCO 11/15/77 DISC 2-01 (LATE SHOW)-01 Bonnie Simmons Intro/02 No Action/03 The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes/04 No Dancing/05 I'm Not Angry/06 Chelsea (I Don't Want To Go To)/07 Radio Radio/08 Less Than Zero/09 Living In Paradise/10 Allison/11 Miracle Man/12 You Belong To Me/13 Lipstick Vogue/14 Watching the Detectives/15 Pump It Up

NEW ORLEANS 11/23/77-01 No Dancing/02 Waiting For the End of the World/03 No Action/04 Stranger In the House/05 Roadette Song/06 Allison/07 Blame It On Cain/08 The Beat/09 Less Than Zero

CLEVELAND 12/05/77-01 Welcome to the Working Week/02 (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes/03 Hand in Hand/04 Waiting For the End of the World/05 No Action/06 Less Than Zero/07 The Beat/08 No Dancing/09 Big Tears/10 Blame It On Cain/11 Little Triggers/12 Radio Radio/13 You belong To Me/14 Pump it Up/15 Lipstick Vogue/16 Watching the Detectives/17 Miracle Man/18 Mystery Dance

CHICAGO 12/77-01 Introduction By Bob Skafish (WXRT-FM)/02 Welcome to the Working Week/03
(The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes)/04 Waiting For the End of the World/05 No Action/06 The Beat/07 Less Than Zero/08 Radio Radio/09 You Belong to me/10 Lipstick Vogue/11 Watching the Detectives/12 Pump It Up/13 Miracle Man/14 Encore Break


These are all worth your while, classic recordings, some I assume are fairly hard to locate, I've had them since forever........can't understate the brilliance of these.