Listening while coloring was Elvis Costello’s, “Get Happy!!”, (1980) at least one disc of the 2-disc set. The disc I listened to has 30 – yes, 30! – tracks on it. The other disc in the set has another 20 tracks. Mind-boggling! It was difficult choosing one, but I settled on “Riot Act” as it seemed a little different than the others, enough to get my attention. Reading a little more, it is suggested but not confirmed that this song is in regards to racial epithets Elvis made at some time after the completion of his previous album.
Wikipedia says: Get Happy!! is a studio album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. The fourth album by Elvis Costello, his third with the Attractions, it is notable for being a dramatic break in tone from Costello’s three previous albums, and for being heavily influenced by R&B, ska and soul music… Although Get Happy!! received generally positive reviews upon its release… [R]etrospective reviews have been much more positive, and Get Happy!! has since been considered to be one of Costello’s greatest albums, as well as one of the best of the 1980s.
Riot Act
Forever
It doesn’t mean forever anymore
I said forever
But it doesn’t look like I’m gonna be around much anymore
When the heat gets sub-tropical
And the talk gets so topical
Riot act, you can read me the riot act
You can make me a matter of fact
Or a villain in a million
A slip of the tongue is gonna keep me civilian
Why do you talk such stupid nonsense?
When my mind could rest much easier
Instead of all this dumb-dumb insolence
I would be happier with amnesia
They say forget her
Now it looks like you’re either gonna be before me or against me
I got your letter
Now they say I don’t care for the color that it paints me
Trying to be so bad is bad enough
Don’t make me laugh by talking tough
Don’t put your heart out on your sleeve
When your remarks are off the cuff
Riot act, you can read me the riot act
You can make me a matter of fact
Or a villain in a million
A slip of the tongue is gonna keep me civilian
Riot act, you can read me the riot act
You can make me
Riot act, you can read me the riot act
You can read me the riot act
You can read me the riot act
Ooh
Songwriters: Elvis Costello
Tao Talk 
I’m always happy to hear Elvis C. I like the picture…like very psychedelic
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I can’t believe there are 50 tracks on these 2 CDs. I borrowed this one and two others of his for the week from library.
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Kind of like the Ramones…short and great songs…to the point…the opposite of the Grateful Dead..
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About the Grateful Dead: I look at them the same way I look at tai qi, I’m not ready for that slow pace just yet. I’m sure there will come a time when I will be ready for both, just not yet.
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You know I didn’t get into them until I started to read about them…Why I don’t know. They do have some good songs like Casey Jones, Uncle Johns Band…
Thats the way I’m built…If I like the song I gotta read about the artist.
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I love that album- I miss the days when I’d get an album and play it to death- The Beatles albums and the EC albums- you must have got the Cd’s with the bonus tracks- the regular album had 20 tracks and then there was the b-sides- alternate takes- live material on the other cd… all great stuff. ELVISISKING!
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I got that one and 3 others yesterday from the library: Imperial Bedroom, Unfaithful Music, and Trust. I guess you could say it’s a Royal Weekend :)
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Those are all awesome- I thought the Unfaithful Music was interesting- a soundtrack to his book! Imperial Bedroom is a favorite-saw him for the first time on that tour– and he spit on me.– accidentally of course- he was singing–and I was that close!!
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Amazing, Hans. I took that list down while you covered his music. To have been that close is phenomenal.
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What was great about it–the tickets i had were way back- I had one of those vouchers that on the day of the show you turn in at the box office and they would give you the tickets. I turn it in and the guy behind the glass says- Oh I can do better for you than that”– it was front row-center.. I have often wish I could have thanked him- greatest concert ever.
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That, my friend, was an angel <3 How else can you explain it?????
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I agree. when he gave us the tickets I thought ok and upgrade but it was just numbers on a ticket- i hadn’t been to that venue-when we found out where our tickets were…..
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