# I have strong negative emotions toward the music of Elvis Costello **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-strong-negative-emotions-toward-the-music-of-elvis-costello/677128 "2013-12-25T04:57:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-strong-negative-emotions-toward-the-music-of-elvis-costello/677128/101 "2014-01-11T15:40:53Z")
> [@spookyhopper](#): > > I’m glad i found some like minded people. I cant stand the fact he gets respect, I t makes me feel like the rest of the world is insane. He cant write music, I just cant hear it, it’s not there. > I had heard about this fukwit but i always thought it looked like he wasn’t trying like he didnt believe in it either. Last night found a record amongst inherited vinyl collection, called Imperial bedroom. Spun it once, hated it, tried it again but fely mysellf getting increasingly angry. I mean there are no tunews there but whoever produced it so fukked it up, his voice is dom inant in the mix and shouldnt be cos hes such a shit singer. Horrible. I snapped it in half, absolutely disgusting,. someone this bad should not be allowed to make music. > It gives me a physical reaction. He sucks so badly. Please avoid him at all costs. > > Thanks for the opportunity. Love your post title (“elvis cuntello”); such witty wordplay. He is indeed Teh Suxx :rolleyes:. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-strong-negative-emotions-toward-the-music-of-elvis-costello/677128/102 "2014-01-11T16:28:56Z")
Some artists feign distinctive styles deliberately, to attract attention. EC is one who is simply being himself, and happens to be distinctive. All the difference in the world. As noted above, saying “he can’t sing” is really a statement of one’s preferences in singing style. EC is the best in the world at his style of singing. A person who doesn’t like that style is perfectly entitled to that opinion, and isn’t “wrong”. Honesty about one’s feelings is a cornerstone to appreciating the arts. But it’s wise to understand the subjectivity, and fleeting nature, of such feelings. Remember in the mid-1960’s, when practically everyone over 30 agreed that the Beatles ‘couldn’t sing’? The fact that you don’t like someone doesn’t prove they have no talent. I remember seeing EC for the first time, on that SNL appearance - the first song was “Watching the Detective”. His presence and singing were strikingly different from anyone I’d seen before. And lyrics like, “It only took my little fingers to blow you away”, in a love song, really… well, blew me away. You didn’t hear that on TV in 1978. And the riotous, organic blowup over “Radio Radio” was even more memorable. I make a distinction between how much I like someone’s music (how much and how often I enjoy listening to it) and how much I respect a musician (a combination of the craft shown in the work, the authenticity of its emotions, and the opinions of others I respect). Someone can rate low on the like scale, but high on the respect scale. I’m a lifelong amateur musician, and I believe musicians are more aware of this distinction. Working with other musicians, with different tastes, forces us to confront it. A couple of examples: I like very little material by David Bowie or Prince, but have a great deal of respect for them. I rate them around 1/10 (on the like/respect scales, respectively). I like Bob Dylan a little more - he gets a 2/10 or 3/10. For comparison, I consider the Beatles the pinnacle of rock music - they get a 10/10. I would give Elvis Costello around 4/10 or 5/10. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-strong-negative-emotions-toward-the-music-of-elvis-costello/677128/103 "2014-01-11T17:35:51Z")
Well stated - haven’t seen you on the Dope much lately (maybe I was just not paying close enough attention) - either way, nice to see you back. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-strong-negative-emotions-toward-the-music-of-elvis-costello/677128/104 "2014-01-11T17:41:35Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > For some posters that’s SO appealing. But now I am beyond belief. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-strong-negative-emotions-toward-the-music-of-elvis-costello/677128.md?page=5)