Imperial Bedroom

rdf:langString Imperial Bedroom

rdf:langString Imperial Bedroom

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rdf:langString Various geometric shapes that resemble a person and zipper-like creatures. The words "ELVIS COSTELLO and the ATTRACTIONS" appear at the top while "IbMePdErRoIoAmL" appears at the bottom.

rdf:langString A black-and-white photograph of a middle-aged man

rdf:langString A close-up photograph of a man

rdf:langString Elvis Costello and the Attractions

rdf:langString Elvis Costello & the Attractions-Imperial Bedroom .jpg

rdf:langString The album earned Costello comparisons with songwriters Cole Porter and George Gershwin .

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rdf:langString George Gershwin 1937.jpg

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rdf:langString Geoff Emerick "from an original idea by Elvis Costello"

rdf:langString [Imperial Bedroom] got some of the greatest reviews imaginable, [but] it didn't sell more than any other record. The record company couldn't find any obvious hit singles on it, though I thought it had several.

rdf:langString To some extent Imperial Bedroom was the record on which the Attractions and I granted ourselves the sort of scope that we imagined the Beatles had enjoyed in the mid-'60s. We had engaged the engineering skills of the sonic, and somewhat unsung, genius behind many of those productions.

rdf:langString Imperial Bedroom wasn't exactly a happy-go-lucky LP, but it was one of Costello's most mature attempts at wrestling with one's existentialism.

rdf:langString Costello's eighth LP is brilliant in both concept and execution... As always, the illustrious singer/composer proves his mastery in the art of confabulation, stretching the facts of life into colorful fantasies full of biting wit and frightening imagery. With his rubbery vocals capable of crooning a la Sinatra or growling vis-a-vis Little Richard, Costello remains the most vital voice of the modern music movement, and his lyrics continue to explore the full range of human emotions. Intense, cerebral rock 'n' roll.

rdf:langString November 1981 – March 1982

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rdf:langString The Village Voice

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rdf:langString Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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rdf:langString —Allison Rapp, Ultimate Classic Rock, 2022

rdf:langString —Cash Box, 1982

rdf:langString —Elvis Costello

rdf:langString —Elvis Costello, 2002

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rdf:langString Retrospective reviews

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rdf:langString Imperial Bedroom is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his sixth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas (no relation). It was released on 2 July 1982 through F-Beat Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States. Recording took place at AIR Studios in London from late 1981 to early 1982 with production being mainly handled by Geoff Emerick; it was the artist's first album of original material not produced by Nick Lowe. Placing an emphasis on studio experimentation, the album saw the group use unusual instruments, including harpsichord, accordion and strings arranged by Nieve. Songs were rewritten constantly while Costello tinkered with the recordings, adding numerous overdubs. Employing a variety of pop styles that embody new wave, baroque pop and art rock, Imperial Bedroom contains an ornately lush production that several commentators compared to the Beatles and Phil Spector's wall of sound. The lyrics primarily concern love and relationships, with insight into the emotional problems of individuals. Some tracks represented a reflection of Costello's failure to ruminate over the preceding five years. Squeeze's Chris Difford co-wrote the lyrics for "Boy With a Problem". The cover artwork, a painting by Barney Bubbles, is a pastiche of Pablo Picasso's Three Musicians. Promoted under the tagline "Masterpiece?", Imperial Bedroom reached number 6 in the UK and number 30 in the US. Its singles, "You Little Fool" and "Man Out of Time", failed to break the top 50 in the UK Singles Chart. It was greeted with massive acclaim from music critics, earning Costello comparisons to Lennon and McCartney, Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Reviewers praised the songwriting, production and instrumentation, although some were mixed on its complexity. Nevertheless, it placed on several year-end lists. Its commercial performance led him to take a new direction with 1983's Punch the Clock. Widely considered a masterpiece and one of Costello's best works, retrospective reviews have praised the songwriting, production, wordplay and performances of the Attractions, although some found its density made for a tough listening experience. Appearing on several lists of the best albums of the 1980s, and of all time, Imperial Bedroom has been reissued multiple times with bonus tracks and extensive liner notes written by Costello himself.