Elvis Costello - 1981-01-23 New Orleans (JEMS)

<<   1981-01-23 New Orleans

Elvis Costello And The Attractions
The Warehouse
New Orleans, LA
23 January 19840


01. Just A Memory - EC & Steve Nieve
02. Accidents Will Happen
03. Strict Time
04. Little Sister
05. Hand In Hand
06. Clowntime Is Over
07. Green Shirt
08. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
09. Clubland
10. Big Sister's Clothes
11. This Year's Girl
12. Big Tears
13. Watch Your Step
14. The Beat
15. New Lace Sleeves
16. Radio, Radio
17. He's Got You
18. Girls Talk - Martin Belmont joins the band
19. I've Been Born Again - King Horse
20. Lovers Walk
21. Secondary Modern
22. Temptation
23. You Belong To Me
24. Slippin' And Slidin'
25. Watching The Detectives - including Master Blaster (Jammin')
26. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down


Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass guitar
Pete Thomas - drums
Martin Belmont - guitar


Original lineage:
Source: Master Audience Recording (Courtesy of R.H. Archive)
Record: Sony ECM-990F > Sony TC-D5 (by R.H.)
Editing: Sound Forge (Fades In/Out / Gaps Edit) > CD Wave Editor / Trader's Little Helper (by big22 aka DrBBalls)


Recorder: Unknown
Lineage: Unknown

Comments by area51GM:

40 years on ........................................

Probably the best audience recording of this tour so far with a most accomplished recording and although the keyboards may appear slightly subdued, the vocals and bass both sound great - I'm sure you all know how hard it is in some venues to get crisp, clear bass and unmuddied singing. As the show starts with "Just A Memory" as the piano and vocal opener, there's a loud noise in the distance a bit like an explosion! At the end of the first song Elvis says "Long time, no see" before a bustling band version of "Accidents Will Happen" and then "Strict Time" in a similar vein. The dedication to the "other" Elvis comes early in the set in the form of "Little Sister" and benefits from NOT having Martin Belmont play along leaving our Elvis to throw some great guitar lines. "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" starts with a very strange chord from Steve - I always wonder if this happens with the performer misreading the setlist but the Attractions soon get into the groove. Elvis dedicates "Clubland" to those who stood in 6 inches of water in Jed’s back in November 1977 and the seedy side of entertainment depicted in the song seems entirely appropriate for that memory! "Big Sister's Clothes" appears early in the set and doesn't have the heavy, pneumatic bass of early versions and this is followed by a song which hadn't been performed on the tour to this point in "This Year's Girl" with Pete's great drum intro. After this "Big Tears" starts with a keyboard introduction rather than the usual guitar themed start. Elvis offers to crank up "The Beat" for the people at the bar (!) and then insults the local radio stations by talking about hoping to hear Professor Longhair as they crossed alligator country before slaughtering "Radio, Radio". Martin Belmont does join the group from "Girls Talk" onwards and then blends perfectly with none of the histrionics too often associated with the keyboard-less Attractions from April and May 1980. "Slippin' And Slidin'", the Little Richard classic, allows the band to let their hair down though the start is somewhat disjointed and the concert ends with "I Can't Stand Up" unusually but may have been chosen to fit in with the r'n'b vibe of New Orleans.

This is a most lovely recording from this period and many thanks to the RH archive, big22 aka DrBBalls and JEMS for allowing me access to this great concert. Don't forget to check the samples!

Original lineage:
Source: Master Audience Recording (Courtesy of R.H. Archive)
Record: Sony ECM-990F > Sony TC-D5 (by R.H.)
Editing: Sound Forge (Fades In/Out / Gaps Edit) > CD Wave Editor / TLH
My lineage: JEMS 1st generation copy > FLAC files > TLH > Nero 9 for pitch checking > TLH > FLAC > you