8.14.2005

You gotta know when to hold 'em

I just got back from a rousing night of Texas Hold 'Em at my friend Leigh's house. I'm proud to say that even though I've only played poker once before, I came in third out of ten people. I went home with $10 which isn't bad considering everyone only put in $5 to begin with.

Everything I know about Texas Hold 'Em I learned from watching Celebrity Poker Showdown. I actually started watching it because I'm in love with Dave Foley. Sometimes I really miss News Radio.

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I haven't been posting much because I've been reading a new Elvis Costello biography all weekend. There are some musicians whom I want to know all about the second I hear their stuff and others that I would rather not know anything about. I think it has to do with how personal the music is to me.

For example, I immediately wanted to know more about The Beatles when I started listening to them. I loved their music but I also felt it was very indicative of a time I didn't know much about. Their stuff was as much about history to me as any personal relationships I might have with their songs.

On the other hand, I've never had much interest in learning more about R.E.M. Several of their albums captured my life perfectly at the time they were released. In my mind, the songs were all about me and knowing the reasons why they wrote them just would have ruined it.

So for a long time Elvis Costello has fallen into that latter category. I knew some of the broad strokes of his history but I wasn't interested in reading intricate descriptions of the inspirations for every tune. This new book came highly recommended, though, so I thought I'd check it out. It's been a fun read so far. I had no idea how huge a star he was in the late seventies and how close he came to being a giant star, up there with Springsteen or Bowie. I also knew he was sort of an asshole when he was younger, but I never knew what a crazy drug-addled super asshole he was. I've only made it to 1981 in the book so I don't think he's going to mellow out anytime soon. I still love him anyway.

7 comments:

Shawn said...

I love the punk Elvis...that's the Elvis Costello I remember from my yute.

I don't think he was ever that big though. Maybe he was close to breaking out, but he never really threw down any big hits. Don't get me wrong, I think he deserved to be big and had more talent and musical knowledge than the majority of the 80s musicians combined, but it seems like it just never really happened for him...

Eileen said...

His first three albums hit the top 40 in America and Armed Forces was a top 10 album. There was even talk of booking Shea Stadium for a concert when Elvis made some poorly considered comments about James Brown and Ray Charles during a drunken argument with Steven Still at a Holiday Inn bar outside Columbus. Radio stations across the country stopped playing his stuff and his career in the U.S. never really recovered. Note to self, don't get into arguments with Steven Stills.

Shawn said...

More importantly, don't call Ray Chaz a blind, ignorant ***insert N bomb here*** while having a drunken argument...and I thought the argument was with some chick and she punched him...but I wasn't there so what do I know?! He also dissed Saturday Night Live around the same time. Note to self, don't get etiquette tips from Elvis Costello.

Eileen said...

The chick was a backup singer for Stills (who knew he had backup singers) and while there was a lot of shoving, she newver said he punched her. Elvis did end up with a dislocated shoulder from it so it sounds like she got the better of him. Note to Elvis, don't pick on girls.

Shawn said...

Yeah...it's probably best to just write songs about them.

Chris said...

well..Mr. EC happens to be the numero uno dude in my book....and his more recent stuff is so very very very good that when you stand it up next to the oldies..well, it all PALES in comparison. I recommend When I Was Cruel so wholeheartedly that I am willing to bet you that if you go out and buy it and you don't like it, that you are probably just marking time until death takes you.



I found your link because of Melissa.

Eileen said...

Chris, you won't get any arguments from me. In fact I was listening to When I Was Cruel on my way into work today. I hadn't listened to it in awhile and it was nice to remember how great it is.