| Day dop 12.08.2016 01:55 |
Apparently, Elvis Costello didn't have kind words about Queen once upon a time. At 13:35 on the below video, John says, "I mean obviously we are an influence but then there are a lot of people who do not like us. Elvis Costello for one... I read his outpourings..." link Does anybody know what Costello said about them? |
| Vocal harmony 12.08.2016 06:37 |
I remember an interview with him on Radio One in the UK in the early 80's. He was talking about a Queen single, can't remember which, but he said the song was rubbish and the band were basically an untalented waste of space. Of course you can clearly see and hear that he is a far more inventive guitar player than BM and his vocal abilities far out strip Freddie in style and range, add to this his totally unique song writing style and his comments make perfect sense ;) On the other hand we could just accept that he's full of BS |
| k-m 12.08.2016 08:24 |
Everyone has the right to their own opinion. Like it or not, but Costello is a legend and a highly regarded musician by many. He doesn't like Queen... So what? |
| Togg 12.08.2016 09:02 |
Queen were VERY unfashionable until 86... fact they were cool from 71-75, then super uncool from 77-86 if you were a fan then it was very different, then in 91, EVERYBODY said Queen were magnificent and they'd always loved them. Elvis is a hugly talented guy, intitled to his opinion, he;s written some amazing songs, but difficult to slag him off unless you have the exact quote IMO |
| Another Roger (re) 12.08.2016 09:06 |
I think Elvis Costello is amazingly boring. Who cares? |
| Vocal harmony 12.08.2016 09:06 |
k-m wrote: Everyone has the right to their own opinion. Like it or not, but Costello is a legend and a highly regarded musician by many. He doesn't like Queen... So what?Yes you are of course right. But as a serious musician he should be beyond publicly saying that the musicians in a world renowned band are talentless. There is a huge difference between not liking someone on an artistic level and making a childish out burst claiming someone who's music you don't like is talentless. That really leaves him open to what ever crap gets slung his way. |
| Costa86 12.08.2016 09:50 |
Everyone in entitled to an opinion on music, and everybody has different tastes. But some truths are objective. For instance, BMW make good handling cars. You can't say they make cars which handle like an old Trabant - that would be a lie. But you could say you prefer Audis because they have better quality interiors and superior four wheel drive 'Quattro' handling characteristcs (except on the base FWD models of course), while you think BMW interiors are shite and their six cylinder 3 litre diesels are just overly complicated cancer-makers. Another truth is that Patek Philippe watches have high quality movements. You might hate Patek Philippe and have a preference for Bregeut or Vacheron Constantin, and might even think the latter two are superior, but you can't say Patek Philippe watches have cheap movements which are worth only as much as the ones the Chinese make - that would be a lie. Likewise, you could say Queen are completely out of touch with the market, and their music is boring and repetitive. But you can't say they are rubbish and talentless. That's a lie. Hence, and this is of course with the proviso that since we do not have a direct quote, I might be mistaken in my assertions, I have, according to very complex calculations, come to the conclusion that Elvis Costello is a very talented wanker. |
| Day dop 12.08.2016 11:27 |
Costa86 wrote:Likewise, you could say Queen are completely out of touch with the market, and their music is boring and repetitive. But you can't say they are rubbish and talentless. That's a lie.Their sales tell a different story to them being out of touch with the market. |
| Day dop 12.08.2016 11:37 |
Costello's music has never appealed to me - it's dull. Claims of him being "legendary" seem to be somewhat overblown, which probably stems from Rolling Stone magazine and the like. Unlike the likes of Zeppelin, Hendrix, Queen, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Bowie, The Beatles - and others I could mention - Elvis Costello's music isn't getting picked up on by younger generations. His sales aren't particularly impressive, and his music doesn't strike me as innovative. Quite the opposite. But still, I was just curious about what he said. |
| Sebastian 12.08.2016 13:34 |
TBH, I didn't even know he was still alive. He hasn't done much lately, and he's still rather young... |
| Sebastian 12.08.2016 13:34 |
. |
| Costa86 12.08.2016 13:35 |
Day dop wrote:Yes, yes, I don't personally think they are out of touch - I think they were brilliant, always - but that is an argument someone could logically make. On the other hand, saying they are rubbish is a non-argument really.Costa86 wrote:Likewise, you could say Queen are completely out of touch with the market, and their music is boring and repetitive. But you can't say they are rubbish and talentless. That's a lie.Their sales tell a different story to them being out of touch with the market. |
| AlbaNo1 12.08.2016 13:37 |
Elvis Costello performed one of the best gigs I have ever been to in Dublin. Very tight band, surprisingly strong vocal power, good guitar. A lot of punchy songs with very intelligent lyrics in a literary sense . He also throws in segments of pop covers from the likes of Prince and Bon Jovi so he is not averse to a range of musical styles. He is probably among the politically correct brigade that hates Queen for playing Sun City. Weird that Elton John seems to have got away with that |
| Day dop 12.08.2016 14:11 |
Costa86 wrote:If they made that argument, it'd be a misguided / illogical one though. It's just as rubbish (as you put it) as the non argument examples you gave.Day dop wrote:Yes, yes, I don't personally think they are out of touch - I think they were brilliant, always - but that is an argument someone could logically make. On the other hand, saying they are rubbish is a non-argument really.Costa86 wrote:Likewise, you could say Queen are completely out of touch with the market, and their music is boring and repetitive. But you can't say they are rubbish and talentless. That's a lie.Their sales tell a different story to them being out of touch with the market. |
| AlbaNo1 12.08.2016 14:42 |
Day dop wrote:I'm struggling with the arguments and non arguments.Costa86 wrote:If they made that argument, it'd be a misguided / illogical one though. It's just as rubbish (as you put it) as the non argument examples you gave.Day dop wrote:Yes, yes, I don't personally think they are out of touch - I think they were brilliant, always - but that is an argument someone could logically make. On the other hand, saying they are rubbish is a non-argument really.Costa86 wrote:Likewise, you could say Queen are completely out of touch with the market, and their music is boring and repetitive. But you can't say they are rubbish and talentless. That's a lie.Their sales tell a different story to them being out of touch with the market. So is the conclusion Elvis Costello is a pompous pretentious oaf? |
| Toon_86 12.08.2016 18:04 |
He also said in an interview in the 80's that all Queen fan's should be buried in a big hole. Don't forget he was supposedly part of the punk movement, big on controversial statements, pretty crap on quality music. And he also absolutely destroyed an episode of Frasier. Not sure what about him I loathed the most. |
| master marathon runner 13.08.2016 04:37 |
......his Da's 'White's lemonade' jingle was probably better than owt HE did. |
| Costa86 13.08.2016 13:29 |
Day dop wrote:No, mate, "rubbish" is not as I put it. Costello supposedly used the term in reference to Queen.Costa86 wrote:If they made that argument, it'd be a misguided / illogical one though. It's just as rubbish (as you put it) as the non argument examples you gave.Day dop wrote:Yes, yes, I don't personally think they are out of touch - I think they were brilliant, always - but that is an argument someone could logically make. On the other hand, saying they are rubbish is a non-argument really.Costa86 wrote:Likewise, you could say Queen are completely out of touch with the market, and their music is boring and repetitive. But you can't say they are rubbish and talentless. That's a lie.Their sales tell a different story to them being out of touch with the market. |
| Toon_86 13.08.2016 18:39 |
Typical Costello 80's nonsense:- link Read stuff on the right from the Melody Maker. For those who can't be arsed with the utterance of someone so up his own arse at that point in time (hey, its 35 years later, perhaps he is a different person):- QUEEN & DAVID BOWIE: "Under Pressure" (EMI). Oh my God, it really is David Bowie this time, only with Queen. The very idea makes me feel sick, the record is worse. I can't see why he would want to team up with that prancing megalomaniac ("We Are The Champions Of The World"). Then maybe I can … there's always money. |
| Day dop 13.08.2016 21:50 |
Costa86 wrote:Ah yes. I see.Day dop wrote:No, mate, "rubbish" is not as I put it. Costello supposedly used the term in reference to Queen.Costa86 wrote:If they made that argument, it'd be a misguided / illogical one though. It's just as rubbish (as you put it) as the non argument examples you gave.Day dop wrote:Yes, yes, I don't personally think they are out of touch - I think they were brilliant, always - but that is an argument someone could logically make. On the other hand, saying they are rubbish is a non-argument really.Costa86 wrote:Likewise, you could say Queen are completely out of touch with the market, and their music is boring and repetitive. But you can't say they are rubbish and talentless. That's a lie.Their sales tell a different story to them being out of touch with the market. |
| Sheer Brass Neck 14.08.2016 08:58 |
Well, he called Ray Charles a "blind, ignorant n*****"" so he's got the controversial, vitriolic act down, in comparison, Queen got off easy. |
| cmsdrums 14.08.2016 13:58 |
Costello's vocal on his version of 'She' is so bad, leaves me yearning for Morrissey......as others have said, if you don't like something fair enough, but to say an act has no talent when they clearly have just completely devalues that opinion and makes it worthless. |
| Allan Campbell 11.05.2020 09:56 |
I know this is an old thread but I stumbled upon it today and thought I would update it with more detail. I actually listened to this show as a kid, and at the time I was a massive queen fan (I ended up later actually taking the photo for the back cover of Queen and Paul Rodgers Champions Live and later met up with Brian May in The Olympia Theater in Dublin in 2016). It was on the Janice Long show, and they reviewed new singles at the time. Elvis Costello was a guest and they were reviewing Queen's Who Wants to Live Forever. Janice Long basically said it was awful, but everytime she gave a queen song a bad review that Queen fans wrote in by the thousand and then Elvis Costello said, it was just Queen trying to sound like Dire Straits and that the fans could send in their letters to him. I remember at the time thinking he sounded rather angry and annoyed in general and didn't know much about him - although my mum liked some of his slower songs. I like Elvis Costello a little bit, some of his tracks are really good and he married one of the most talented singers in the world - Diana Krall. so its not all bad. I think in life, people can say things when they are younger and just have a little too much arrogance and self importance about them. That was just who Elvis Costello was at that time. |