Elvis Costello - Riot Act

[wpollock1]

Magnificent! Really, he is in great voice here. Elvis rules!

[dovecoteben]

It sounds as good as the studio version!

[julesian]

Very nice version - thanks! Love hearing and seeing Bruce play - shame they don't get on no more...

[navim49]

My favourite 'Get Happy' song. There's a lot of history supposedly linked to this. It seems to be all there in the words and his unmistakeable delivery. An epic performance. Thanks for posting.

[crkillz]

gnarly amp ( behind ) setup,

[PracticalArchivist]

One of the best (anti) love songs ever written. Oh, how I love a man who's not afraid to wear poka dots. ::swoon::

[selleronthehizzle2]

I LOVE this song like no one can imagine. The big drum! All the drums. And Steve! and the bass! And Elvis' vocals! And the lyrics! I always wanted to see this live, so thank you soo much for posting. I think this is my favorite EC song, and that's saying a lot. This version is excellent, esp. E's guitar-playing. He was crackin on all cylinders here. He's so exposed, but yet so collected. Amazing Declan, amazing. Diana, take good care of him please!

[August1977]

Not the right guy to ask to come play at a party, next time just try throwing a bucket of cold water at people.

[dylanpresley]

Great performance of a great song from his greatest LP - for my money.

[heru1966]

Great songs, great performances. That's what it is with artists like Elvis Costello. Doesn't need anything else.

[wobrien007]

Some of the best acidic remarks of all time here. Makes Dylan sound mellow by comparison. You have to wonder what woman did the poor guy wrong to bring on such bile.

"Why do you talk such stupid nonsense when my mind could rest much easier? Instead of all this dumb-dumb insolence, I would be better off with amnesia......"

[musoshi]

@wobrien007 This song is actually about whenever EC got in trouble for calling james brown and ray charles some dirty words. It got into the press and for a while a bunch of ppl hated him "Villian in a million, a slip of the tongue is gonna keep my civilian." "All this stupid nonsense" is about that fact that he said these things to two american musicians he was in an argument with.

Idk, just sayin.

[Marrakeshtheband]

@wobrien007 I'm guessing quite a few of them. Just this one had to take the blame. Or that's the feeling this songs gives me.

Great song!

[IamGonePostal]

@wobrien007 It's actually not about a woman, it's about the media heat he received when he got into a drunken bramble with a couple of men.

[candelise]

@wobrien007 Actually this is Elvis singing about himself and his regret about the Ray Charles incident!

[AshMonday]

@wobrien007 Actually the song is about the whole "Elvis calls James Brown and Ray Charles a racial slur incident. " back before Get Happy came out. Read the wiki.

[malcolmnash]

still sounds fresh

[hanktheking]

these lyrics allow his voice to take on the most eerie quality, like he was on a p.a. broadcasting over a scene of devastating carnage

[kevhead66]

wow. I think this surpasses the Get Happy version

[justawaiterminute]

The absolute KING of lyric word play.. Don't put your heart out on your sleeve,.. when your remarks are off the cuff... ages ago the vinyl of GET HAPPY wore out.. The cd purchased 15 or so years ago ain't faring too much better..

[toddness]

A good buddy of mine and I listened to this song a few months back. Last week I got a call from his phone, it was his sister saying that he had died, of heart attack, at age 36. Bad genetics.

This song will never sound the same.

Elvis Costello has always been my favorite.

[Moxxification]

Yeah I'm not getting the embarrassed thing. This version, and every other version I've seen live, blows Okkervil River out of the water.

[rwallacegoldaline]

This is a great song. Okkervil River does an incredible version, I'd go so far as saying that theirs is actually much better. Elvis Costello is a god but he's not very involved in this performance, he looks embarrassed.

[cpoticha]

I just listened to that Okkervil River version. Sounds like a case of either tone-deafness or equipment failure. I wouldn't call it a success, but at least they gave it a shot. As we all know, covering Costello ain't easy. You either sound like you're trying to channel him (which sounds idiotic), or you just sound like an idiot. It's like trying to cover Sinatra.

[candelise]

@cpoticha Billy Bremner had little trouble with 'Shatterproof' and Dave Edmonds had little trouble with 'Girlstalk'. There are many of his songs that are easy to sing. His pop melodies are actually very accessible. However, if you are talking about a lack of cover-versions, perhaps some artists are un-comfortable with the subject matter. I can't see too many covers for 'White Knuckels' for example.

[christoJihad2]

One of his best, and that's saying a lot. The best songwriter of his generation.

[FloydRobertson]

An amazing performance and couldn't agree more with you.

[JohnEpi1973]

usually when you spread your words like that in a song means you want to send a message to someone ... RIOT ACT

[hanktheking]

what dvd is this from?...he's just amazing!

[cherylannpayne]

perfect

[artgonewrong]

My favorite song off that whole tape/DVD. Thank you!

[sophie1026]

One of my favorite songs from EC and a brilliant performance to boot.  Thanks so much for posting!