Thursday, February 26, 2009

Will No One Rid Me of Yet Another Troublesome Early Clue to the New Direction?

From 1977, here's a killer live version of Elvis Costello's angsty blue collar manifesto "Welcome to the Working Week."



It is perhaps worth pondering that at a mere 1:22 minutes in length, "Welcome" may be the greatest shortest first track on a debut album in rock history.

It is perhaps also worth pondering that, as usual, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize will be awarded the first reader to glean its relevance to tomorrow's Weekend Listomania.
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19 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/26/2009 3:02 PM

    great songs under 2 minutes?

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  2. Kid Charlemagne2/26/2009 4:32 PM

    Songs about measurements of time?

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  3. geor3ge2/26/2009 4:55 PM

    Songs about occupations?

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  4. Dave2/26/2009 4:57 PM

    Songs with jobs in the title?

    Songs with days of the week in the title?

    To all who missed Smokey Robinson on Spectacle with Elvis Costello, I'd recommend it -- on Sundance tonight at 8:00 and midnight, and repeated Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

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  5. steve simels2/26/2009 5:42 PM

    Is this thing on?
    :-)

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  6. steve simels2/26/2009 5:42 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. ms. rosa2/26/2009 6:04 PM

    But Steve, they took all mine!! Err, ah, best short songs off a debut record post-Bea...umm, post-Elvis?

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  8. MJConroy2/26/2009 6:40 PM

    songs that reference hand skills? (something -ahem rhytmically, and juggling)

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  9. steve simels2/26/2009 6:42 PM

    Hand skills?

    Heheheh....
    :-)

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  10. TMink2/26/2009 6:57 PM

    Best first line of first song on first album!!!!!!!!

    It was 1977, Disco was king in the south, well that and Molly Hatchet (shudder.)

    Then this guy from my school brought over this record. That first line: "Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired and you can have anyone that you ever desired, all I wannt know is why."

    It changed my world. Not at all a silly love song, it showed me that mature thought and wicked clever lyrics could make pop music transcendent.

    Thanks Elvis. I owe you.

    Trey

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  11. MBowen2/26/2009 7:13 PM

    Songs whose first lines are sung a cappella? (EC did that on his first three albums.)

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  12. MJConroy2/26/2009 7:22 PM

    Songs that shook the established order?
    ---------
    "Then this guy from my school brought over this record."

    I was working at the college radio station and a fellow dj brought in the UK album and said, come in the other studio- you gotta hear this! My reaction was WOW- WHO THE HELL IS THIS GUY? The start of a big EC kick for me for years.

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  13. David Rasmussen2/26/2009 8:51 PM

    So much for best post-Elvis song. Best Elvis song.

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  14. TMink2/26/2009 8:54 PM

    MJ, I am still on my kick! I did a song eval of my iPod and Elvis leads with Neil Young in second and Beatles in third.

    Trey

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  15. steve simels2/26/2009 9:06 PM


    Dave said...

    Songs with days of the week in the title?


    Okay, I should have copped to it earlier.

    But yes!!!!

    Your coveted No-Prize is headed your way via Yak train as we speak!!!
    :-)

    Incidentally, you're not gonna believe the Blondie video in the list...
    :-)

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  16. ms. rosa2/26/2009 9:26 PM

    "Incidentally, you're not gonna believe the Blondie video in the list..."

    i bet it's my karaoke standard!!

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  17. TMink2/26/2009 10:19 PM

    Woohoo, Debbie does the week.

    Trey

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  18. MJConroy2/26/2009 11:31 PM

    Debbie does bagpipes?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBtofm9T03Q

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  19. Dave2/28/2009 2:37 AM

    You must have sent it by yak train express. I received the No-Prize today.

    ReplyDelete