Customer Reviews

Live at Hollywood High: The Costello Show 2

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Elvis Costello could be tempermental during the early days. There was one concert where he did the entire set, the audience wanted more. Costello took his guitar, put it against the amp and turned it up all the way creating an ear piercing feedback to make the crowd leave. Ah the salad days of youth.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions also put on some brilliant performances in their early years and some of them were recorded well. This is one of them. Elvis and the Attractions were on fire at their Hollywood High shows. We finally get all of the songs from the set nicely mastered by Dan Hersch (who also mastered the nine songs from this set that appeared on the expanded two disc "Armed Forces" that Rhino released a couple of years back).

The sound is extremely good. My only complaint is the bare bones booklet which only has the credits (in incredibly small type) for this release on it. No notes from EC telling us about the show (although he HAS done that before)and, for a change, it would have been nice to hear from the Attractions about the show, their memories (if any) of the performances.

Hip-O needs to spruce these sets up a bit with liner notes for their future sets but, aside from that, this sounds fine and it's nice to finally get this released offically with good sound and the entire set list.

Most fans of Elvis Costello are very well aware that almost half of these songs were available on the now out of print 2 disc Armed Forces reissue. This concert has always been among my favorites, and to hear the complete set list in this quality is just too much to ask.

While live versions of the majority of these songs are already available from different performances, (released on the deluxe editions of My Aim is True and This Year's Model), there's just something about the energy of this concert that makes it more enjoyable to this listener.

The mix is great. All four band members sound fantastic, (and the drums sound so crystal clear). Any fan of Elvis will already own this, anyone on the fence should make the leap. This is early Elvis and the Attractions at their finest.

Ever since the live E.P. fell out of the gate-fold sleeve of the Armed Forces L.P., I've wanted this entire show. Now its here, and I can still hear[sorta], so.. This C.D. sounds great and I wish everyone who bought Armed Forces would go out and buy this disk. Looking forward to the rest of the live series very much.

A great snapshot of an incredible band early in their career. This live album was recorded during the time between "This Year's Model" and "Armed Forces". The performances are great.

It is a decent recording. The mix could be a little better - i.e. I wish the bass guitar was louder, but the original source tape might not have been a multi-track.

I really prefer this live album over "Live at the El Macombo" simply because there isn't some drunk guy yelling "Woo-hoo!!!" throughout the entire show.

I remember, when the original 'Armed Forces' vinyl LP was released, being amazed by not just the LP tracks that I heard on my local 'progressive' radio station, but just as much by the live cuts from the 'limited edition' 'Live at Hollywood High' EP included with the album. I rushed out and got the album, not wanting to miss the 'limited edition' EP, and for the next several years both LP and EP were regular features on my turntable. I never even imagined that the entire Hollywood High concert would ever be available; then, when a few more tracks from the show were put out on a re-release of the 'Armed Forces' CD a couple of years back, I began to hope. And now, here's the whole show, released at last! I can't say I'm happy to have waited 30+ years for it, but I can put any frustrations aside long enough to say that it is as great as I ever imagined it might be! In short, just amazing! Even among the several 'live' EC + Attractions recordings from that period that have come out in recent years, this one stands out - undoubtedly the best, most exciting, most 'on fire' live Elvis you could imagine. Timeless music, timeless excitement - if you're an Elvis Costello fan, I suggest that you shouldn't be without this...

What started as an EP insert in original pressings of "Armed Forces" LP's finally gets a full release, and it's a corker. The young Elvis Costello had finished up his third album in two and a half years, and he was coming into an early peak with The Attractions. At this 1978 concert in Los Angeles, he and the band rip through cuts from the first two albums plus a preview of the new one via "Accidents Will Happen" and "Goon Squad."

It's easy to forget just how vibrant the seventies version of Elvis Costello was. Only on "Alison" and "Party Girl" (and a pumped up version of "Stranger In The House") does he and the band slow down over the concert's 70 minutes. He was also still heavily into his 'revenge and guilt' phase, which means that driving numbers like "Lipstick Vogue" or "Pump It Up" dominate the setlist. Even so, signs were already showing that he wasn't going to get pigeon-holed into the angry young man thing for long, starting the show with a piano-only version of the brand new "Accidents Will Happen."

Elvis is already planning an array of re-releases and vault titles under the moniker of "The Costello Show," with this one and Live at the El Mocambo already out. I can already tell you that Hollywood High kicks the El Mocambo CD out of the pool without contest (more songs, better performance and better sound), and I can add that I am really curious what tapes he will be uncovering.

This takes you back when Costello and The Attractions were just starting to hit the big time. The band is raw and filled with energy, particularly Costello, who often snarls his way through songs but somehow sounds a bit uncomfortable when dealing with the audience. Listen to the attempts to get "This Year's Girls" involved and the painful attempts to get the balcony to jump up and down and "Crush everyone to death!" on "Pump it UP" and you definitely hear a performer who really hasn't developed a rapport with the audience. It's and interesting time capsule and if the first two albums are your favorites or you're a big fan, you won't be disappointed.

This is Elvis at his finest, angriest time. Good sound quality (considering it was 1978!). Great set list, all classics. Well worth buying!!

ONE WORD OF CAUTION....do not buy this disc thinking it is part 2 to Live At Hollywood High!! It says The Costello Show 2, but this is just the same disc under a different title!!

Wow, this cd is a blast. If you're metabolism needs a kickstart this is the classic live early Elvis cd to have. All the hits are hear (no pun intended), plus great remastering, clear as a bell sound, and the playing is spot on. An excellent buy for the money. And is that a Gretsch Elvis is wielding in the photogs?? Didn't know he played one. This recording is definitely one for the ages!! Just listening to it added 10 more years to my life!

I am a fan of Elvis Costello, and saw the band several times around
this period and several shows were memorable (joined on stage by Lowe &
Edmunds at Rhode Island College at the end of the Armed Forces tour).
Well...song selection is so-so, and the sound is much worse. Skip it.