Customer Reviews

Momofuku

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Even if he spat in a bucket, there are some EC fans out there who will always proclaim "he's done it again!"

Dedicated fan that I am, the past 20+ years have revealed an aim more haphazard than true. But its been quite a spell since EC rolled up his sleeves & got his fingers dirty with some good old fashioned Rock & Roll. Which is why Momofuku is so refreshing. Recorded in a couple of weeks last Feburary the intention was to release this first & foremost on vinyl. Sides I & II & all. "A big middle finger to shallow download culture". Kudos Elvis.

No Place To Hide is a strong kick off & its almost as if The Attractions have reunited after 10 years---sans Bruce Thomas ofcourse. The lyric, "whatever I said, it was never behind your back" pretty much sums up what must be Costello's most straightforward album in years. American Gangster Time keeps the ball up in the air propelled by Steve Neive's pulsing organ. Its great to hear him blow off some steam for a change---rather than being regulated to tickling the pretty ivories.

Turpentine, Stella Hurt & Go Away all have the same reckless abandon missing since Blood & Chocolate. Elsewhere Harry Worth touches on Tropicana territory while, the quirky charms of Mr. Feathers can't help but bring Sgt. Pepper's to mind.

To these ears, Drum & Bone comes off like a spliced up mix of Complicated Shadows & Monkey To A Man. Catchy as it is, My Three Sons has to be one of the most unapologetically sentimental ballads Costello has penned to date. And where lyrically Flutter & Wow may not quite live up to its title & melody, the likes of Song With Rose & My Name Is Eve are top notch.

So is this Costello's best since Blood & Chocolate? Brutal Youth? Useless Beauty? When I Was Cruel? For my money the answer is Cruel and I know I'll be coming back to this more than I have to the likes of Delivery Man.

In print,Costello has of late bemoaned the point of ever recording again. Lucky for fans, he's never been one to listen to his own press.

In a way, Elvis answers the fan question "why can't he make albums like he used to?" In typical Elvis fashion, he does (a nostalgic vinyl release with classic early-Attractions organ and rhythm tracks) and he doesn't (there's a lot of the dabbling Elvis interspersed among the tracks -- country, soul, even a bit of Tropicalia). Standouts are "Pardon Me Madam, My Name is Eve," a jilted spouse's plea to the other woman, as well as the opening/closing tracks "No Hiding Place" and "Go Away." As with any of the great Elvis albums, that list will likely change for me over time. Jenny Lewis adds vocals and harmonies that round out the tracks nicely. For the older fans referenced above, there are enough hummable bits and "classic" moments that stand up to much-repeated play. As with any of the "better" Costello albums, it took two or three plays before I could connect with the "vibe" of the record, but I suspect this will stay in heavy rotation with me for many weeks.

5 days later: True to my expectations I now cannot get "American Gangster Time" out of my head. Steve Nieve's almost percussive organ turns a great tune into an outstanding one.

After several years of starts and stops, slight flirtations with the old, punchy guitar songs, Mr. Costello and his Imposters have created something worthy of their legacy. Momofuku is a return to the guitar/bass/organ/drum sound of the early Attractions days, albeit a slightly more pedestrian version. They're not 27 year old punks anymore. They're members of AARP!!! But then again, I'm not as young as I used to be. "No Hiding Place" is a great start to this album, full of punchy guitars and great backing vocals throughout. Costello sounds like he's enjoying himself. "American Ganster Time" keeps things going nicely, and Steve Nieve's organ sounds like it was pulled right from "This Year's Model"...and that's a good thing...other highlights are "Turpentine", "Harry Worth", "Drum and Bone"(and yes, it does have the "Monkey to Man" sound going), "Song With Rose", and the beautiful "My Three Sons". I haven't been all that crazy about his work as of late. Not that it's bad, and what he did with Allen Toussaint was very well done, but I've been waiting for a rock album from Elvis Costello for a long time. "When I Was Cruel" had it's moments, but felt kind of cold to me..."Momofuku" has that warm analog sound..the sound of musicians in a room playing together, enjoying what they do...may not be perfect, but it's a welcome return to the angsty days of yesteryear!! If you're an Elvis Costello fan, I recommend Momofuku!!

Momofuku is undoubtedly the best effort by Mr Costello in years, and already one of my favorites of the year. Things start off with the knockout 1-2 punch of "No Hiding Place" and "American Gangster Time". Both show that age hasn't mellowed his angry and cynical side, but its a righteous anger against those who can "say anything you want to in your fetching cloak of anonymity" (see several below)or want to use and abuse their power. "Harry Worth", "Flutter and Wow", and "My Three Sons" are more sudbued but still powerful as he admonishes the troubled couple that "there are not many moments that capture your breath", or sings simple songs of love and fatherhood. Another standout is "Stella Hurt" based on a true story (Google Teddy Grace) of an obscure jazz musician--perhaps a commentary on the music industry's attitude towards artists. She is forgotten until an old record is found "abandoned in an attic, Stella is silent as the grave until a needle drags her through the static". "Pardon me Madam, My Name Is Eve" is a cautionary tale for the "other woman", as the jilted Eve remembers her time before being expelled from the garden. Throughout he is able to walk the difficult balance of maintaining his trademark sound, while expanding and varying things enough that it does not seem like just another record to make a buck or satisfy a contract. Indeed, everything is done with passion and commitment that comes through even in the digital age. My favorite by a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year (Sorry, Madonna).

Elvis Costello & The Imposters ****1/2

Easily his best since Blood & Chocolate. And for me personally, along with My Aim Is True, this has got to be my favorite Costello album. I have always applauded Costello's work, even his less than stellar work, because he was making the music he wanted to, and in my book that is commendable.

Momofuku is being held as his most accessible since "..." well that my be true but that is not what or what does not make this a good album. Songs like the killer 'Go Away' the lyrical fantastic of 'Pardon Me, Madam, My Name Is Eve' and the just under overly catchy 'Drum & Bone' which make this a fantastic record. But what took my by surprise was 'No Hiding Place.' I have debated and debated with myself for a while now, and I have at the moment decided that this is bar far and then some, that 'No Hiding Place' is the best thing Costello ever did. Yeah I said it, you didn't read that wrong. I don't even know how or want to describe it, it's so good.

Steve Neive, Pete Thomas, and Davey Faragher make up The Imposter's, Costello's current band, and let me tell you it is one of the best lineups the man has ever assembled. Kudos to the boys for making a great record, and then releasing it only on Vinyl first, truly a rock n' roll thing to do. Costello can sit a my lunch table any day.

I read other reviews and have to question all the 5 star ratings. A rating system is to give comparison between albums. If everyone rates MOMOFUKU a 5 star they are essentially saying this album is a classic and as good as it gets. This is where I disagree I felt this album was so-so with a couple of great songs mixed in with a few not so good. I see reviews that compare the album to Blood and Choclate which deserves a 5 star rating, MOMOFUKU is no Blood and Choclate. This is a good album and true fans will enjoy it but to say that it is a throw back to classic Elvis is not accurate. It is unlikely EC will ever make another album that compares to his earlier stuff, he is growing as an artist and deserves to try different avenues.

I've spent about a week with the new Elvis CD and have gone from the initial thought that I wasted my money to really liking it.

The negatives: The CD was written and recorded very quickly and is fairly unpolished. It sounds a little like Elvis B-sides or demo recordings. The CD also doesn't have that song or two that sound like obvious singles and make you want to play them on repeat.

The positives: The set has a kind of loose and fun feel to it. As good as some of Elvis' recent rock CDs have been (The Delivery Man, When I was Cruel), they seem self-consciously arty compared to this new release. He jumps all over the map stylistically on this new release and at times recalls songs from Blood and Chocolate, Imperial Bedroom, Brutal Youth.

I find this is a great CD for the car because of its ever-changing nature. It's tough to get bored with this one.

I've rated this so high because I miss this kind of Cd from Elvis. I wasn't a fan of the Burt Bacharach CD or the River in Reverse. However, I loved the one with the Metropol Orkestra. I'm not a country fan so I'd prefer he stay away from that sort of thing but when he does Jazz (North) or his signature Rock stylings he's nothing short of brilliant!
Momofuku finds Elvis in great form with song writing to musical construction. My one major drawback to the CD is the Tune "My three sons". For some reason I found it sappy and not very interesting. Favorites include "No hiding place", "American Gangster Time" which are the strongest on the release and features in the chorus my favorite line of the CD -
"..It's a drag
Saluting that starry rag
I'd rather go blind
For speaking my mind
Than use it just like a gag
So wave it in anger
Just let it hang..."
I totally love that lyric!!! Turpentine is terrific. I'm not crazy about "Flutter and Wow" though. Then there is the wonderful "Mr. Feathers". All in all a terrific recording from a great talent with only two filler songs. That's way better than most these days. Keep putting out the great songs MR. Costello!

...I found this to be rather a boring album, as though he phoned it in. Or, as the title suggests, he simply added water to his noodles. Before you dismiss this review, let me state that I am a HUGE Elvis Costello fan and have been, all through his ups and downs. I even enjoyed "Goodbye Cruel World". And I appreciated, if I didn't really care for, "The Juliet Letters" (which, I know, isn't purely a Costello album). But I expect more from Costello. As far as these songs go, they are rather disposable.

I will date myself with this statement but I grew up with Elvis Costello, from the 1977 brilliant and era-defining debut album "My Aim Is True" on, and eventually losing track of Costello somewhere in the mid-80s. After that I'd listen to his new stuff once in a while, and more often than not I just scratched my head and moved on. Then a funny thing happened: I heard "American Gangster Time" (on WOXY, the internet-only but best indie-rock station in the country) and it was like being thrown back in time 30 years. Was this really from the new Costello album?

"Momofuko" (12 tracks; 47 min.) indeed does start off with 2 of the best songs Costello has brought in many blue moons: the opener and hard-charging "No Hiding Place", followed by the afore-mentioned stunning "American Gangster Time". While those 2 songs alone are worth the price of admission, there are a number of other great tracks on here: "Turpentine", the biting "Stella Hurt", "Song With Rose" and last but certainly not least the closer ""Go Away", which summarizes the album perfectly.

The overwhelming feeling one gets from listening to "Momofuko" is that Costello seemingly was enjoying this, not trying to make "art" or "meaningful music", and as a result this sounds better and more energetic than anything Castello has done in the last 20 years. This was originally intended as a vinyl-only release (and was recorded in a matter of weeks), but thankfully Costello thought the better of it and also released it on CD. Welcome back Elvis, we've missd ya!