You could make somebody a pretty little wife, but don't let anybody tell you how to live your life
I decided to start running a little farther, and have been able to get up to 3.15 miles, after months of running 3.1. Doesn’t sound like that much of a change, but it is quite challenging to get it all done in 30 minutes.
Eating. Yeah, I’ve been eating. A lot at times. As the temperatures are down, I seem to require more food to sit around doing nothing. It is annoying and frustrating to me, but that is the way it is going to be. Yesterday morning, I was 221 lbs. I think I a hoping to “stay the course” until I get back from Thailand, and then start with the strength training alongside the cardio I do.
Sadly, I feel like the running more will be for naught, just because I will only be doing it for 3 more weeks, and then I’ll be gone for 3 weeks in Thailand. Can you believe it? 3 weeks and 1 day I’ll be getting on the plane? Damn, it seems to be hurling towards me, and I don’t know if I’ll be ready. That is the best part of a plane trip – whether you are ready or not, on that specific day, you have to be at the airport for that flight.
This week I am listening to my entire Elvis Costello collection. This does not include every album he’s ever released, but it does include most of them, as well as some special releases (including the 5 EP collection “Costello and Nieve” from 1996) and I can’t believe how consistently good his work is.
I would even say that 1994’s “Brutal Youth,” with it’s angry songs “Just About Glad” and “Kinder Murder” is as excellent an album as “My Aim is True,” a true classic album with terrific songs such as “Alison,” "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” and “Watching the Detectives” (and don’t bother me with the fact that “Watching the Detectives” was no on the original UK version – it was written and performed at the same time as the rest of the album and was released as a single in the UK at the same time as “My Aim is True,” so I consider it part of that album.)
I think you could easily make a case for “When I Was Cruel,” his 2002 release, to be included in the same breath of excellence as his earlier albums. The first song, “45” combines the titular number as a year, an age and a vinyl record speed behind a slow beat and a melody that will have you singing it when you didn’t realize you are even doing it. Then he spits out a song like “Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" in the next breath, and just for good measure, he sings pure pop like “Alibi” that makes you sway your head to the tune. And those 3 albums would be an excellent entire career for most singer/songwriters, and I haven’t even noted most of his popular songs. And 25 years separates those three albums. To be able to maintain that level of songwriting and musicianship is amazing. I contend that if Elvis Costello has the smooth jazz voice of a Luther Vandross or the versatile vocal talents of an Elton John, he would have been more popular than all of them.
As it is, he has remained on parts of the fringe of the popular music arena, revered by other artists, and respected by a part of the music buying public. If you don’t know him, I recommend the 3 albums I noted above, but really, any of his stuff is of high quality if you like well crafted songs and smart lyrics.
If you don't, then buy the new Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson or whatever is popular. I guess as long as it helps you tap your toes, it's good. But Elvis Costello is so worth a listen or two.
Eating. Yeah, I’ve been eating. A lot at times. As the temperatures are down, I seem to require more food to sit around doing nothing. It is annoying and frustrating to me, but that is the way it is going to be. Yesterday morning, I was 221 lbs. I think I a hoping to “stay the course” until I get back from Thailand, and then start with the strength training alongside the cardio I do.
Sadly, I feel like the running more will be for naught, just because I will only be doing it for 3 more weeks, and then I’ll be gone for 3 weeks in Thailand. Can you believe it? 3 weeks and 1 day I’ll be getting on the plane? Damn, it seems to be hurling towards me, and I don’t know if I’ll be ready. That is the best part of a plane trip – whether you are ready or not, on that specific day, you have to be at the airport for that flight.
This week I am listening to my entire Elvis Costello collection. This does not include every album he’s ever released, but it does include most of them, as well as some special releases (including the 5 EP collection “Costello and Nieve” from 1996) and I can’t believe how consistently good his work is.
I would even say that 1994’s “Brutal Youth,” with it’s angry songs “Just About Glad” and “Kinder Murder” is as excellent an album as “My Aim is True,” a true classic album with terrific songs such as “Alison,” "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” and “Watching the Detectives” (and don’t bother me with the fact that “Watching the Detectives” was no on the original UK version – it was written and performed at the same time as the rest of the album and was released as a single in the UK at the same time as “My Aim is True,” so I consider it part of that album.)
I think you could easily make a case for “When I Was Cruel,” his 2002 release, to be included in the same breath of excellence as his earlier albums. The first song, “45” combines the titular number as a year, an age and a vinyl record speed behind a slow beat and a melody that will have you singing it when you didn’t realize you are even doing it. Then he spits out a song like “Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" in the next breath, and just for good measure, he sings pure pop like “Alibi” that makes you sway your head to the tune. And those 3 albums would be an excellent entire career for most singer/songwriters, and I haven’t even noted most of his popular songs. And 25 years separates those three albums. To be able to maintain that level of songwriting and musicianship is amazing. I contend that if Elvis Costello has the smooth jazz voice of a Luther Vandross or the versatile vocal talents of an Elton John, he would have been more popular than all of them.
As it is, he has remained on parts of the fringe of the popular music arena, revered by other artists, and respected by a part of the music buying public. If you don’t know him, I recommend the 3 albums I noted above, but really, any of his stuff is of high quality if you like well crafted songs and smart lyrics.
If you don't, then buy the new Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson or whatever is popular. I guess as long as it helps you tap your toes, it's good. But Elvis Costello is so worth a listen or two.
posted by Mike at 12:16 PM
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