Cast of thousands

COT is the first Elbow album I got too. Of the four I think it's the weakest, but only just. It's still a better album than many put out by other artists.

COT is the one I listen to least, when I'm listening to albums all the way through. Not sure why, because I do like many of the songs - as y'all have mentioned, Fugitive Motel is killer - but it doesn't hold up for me as an LP the way the other 3 do.

Hotblack... Nice avatar... our's is currently propping up our first aid kit in our living room!!!!

On the COT note... I'd kill for Elle and Bow figures. Saw them once. They were no longer available!

Sarah wrote:

Hotblack... Nice avatar... our's is currently propping up our first aid kit in our living room!!!!

Thanks Sarah. My brother-in-law blagged it from somewhere and gave it to me this weekend.

Anyway... carry on!

MagicalTrevor wrote:

heshofcheese wrote:

MagicalTrevor wrote:

I wonder if COT contains the ONE album song that the band is not proud of.

Is that a quote, Trev? Never heard that one...

Can' remember where I heard it...think it was on here somewhere. Garv said this, and said he wouldn't say which one it was. Buttons and Zips sounds about right though.

I think there was an interview with Guy shortly after the release of TSSK in which he said that they were proud of every song they had ever recorded - except one. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that he said it was a B side.

I suppose we'll never know.....

Quote from BBC Radio 6 interview:

Guy also revealed, exclusively to 6 Music, that the band are planning a b-sides album:

"Which in itself we are classing as a fifth album because we are so proud of the material on there. With the exception of one song that shall remain nameless of the 65 songs that we have released so far, we are very proud of them all. "

"The b-sides album Dead In the Boot will come out later."

So, not necessarily a B side then!

Where is Dead in the Boot anyway?

nice. i'd like a b-side album.



back to topic. i love COT.

I'm still struggling with this one I'm afraid. I find parts of it too unsettling to truly enjoy - that sudden shout on Snooks (Progress Report) just seems totally unecessary; I find it really hard to warm to Ribcage; Buttons And Zips, Just A Job and Crawling With Idiot I find hard to warm to...what can I say? Discovering the band through The Seldom Seen Kid, I can't find much here that elevates me like that album did.

But, Fugitive Motel and Fallen Angel I love as much as anything else I've heard. I just can't see me ever getting to the point where I'll love this album.

I've nothing against albums that capture a dark or sombre mood. Hats by The Blue Nile is great at capturing a downbeat atmosphere and Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely is like an invitation to a funeral. I guess though, especially with the latter album, the difference is that there's an identifiable melody to the tunes. I don't really find much that is melodic on Cast Of Thousands.

Sarah wrote:

Enjoy enojoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF8vE3a8OXo

its amazing how easily distracted I am, just had a little look at this video and ended up watching Elbow vids for an hour-bliss.

Love this record. Great vid - how cool can one look strutting round with a fag hanging out of his mouth - in slow motion too. Does it for me!

nellie wrote:

Sarah wrote:

Enjoy enojoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF8vE3a8OXo

its amazing how easily distracted I am, just had a little look at this video and ended up watching Elbow vids for an hour-bliss.

As Cast of Thousands is my first Elbow album, it's probably the one I will always be fondest of.

I remember buying it. I bought it at the same time as I bought Snow Patrol's Final Straw; both albums released in the US at roughly the same time, and I was in the Best Buy in Cary, North Carolina. I wanted the latter -- I'd heard "Spitting Games" on the soundtrack to EA's MVP Baseball and thought it sounded great -- and I'd heard some interesting things about the former, Elbow, in MOJO.

Cast of Thousands was the wildest thing I'd heard in forever. Yeah, Snow Patrol was okay (and I eventually came to despise Snow Patrol for their rampant self-pasticherie, but that was well in the future), but Elbow was something else. "Fugitive Motel" was magical. "Not a Job" was fantastic. I adored "Grace Under Pressure." I made all of my friends listen to this album. I made my boss listen to the album. (His reaction? "Allyn, you listen to really depressing music.")

I love it. I read in Q this spring that they consider it "the difficult second album." Sometimes the best art comes out of darkness and despair and difficulty. To this listener, Cast of Thousands is magic.

mrswoman wrote:

Sarah wrote:

Enjoy enojoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF8vE3a8OXo

6 minutes of pure, wonderful ahhhhh! 5:10 with the white coats is especially ace.

Yea, the white coats...this video made me like Ribcage a lot more than before.
I once noticed that I only found out how nice COT is when I listen to it. My fave record still is "Asleep..." but COT is still more my fave than Seldom seen kid.

I love the bit where Garvey is under the mixing desk and scares the bits and bobs off of Pete!

As I mentioned before, COT is my favorite album. I don't know why Buttons and Zips receive hate here, I just love Garvey's humming to the starting beat, which drives me to humming as well. The only track that doesn't do for me is probably crawling with idiot.

It's the only album from Elbow I got. I like it very very much.

You definatley need to get the other Albums too. They are all brilliant ... an opinion i'm sure is shared around here !

I will buy all albums

allyngibson wrote:

As Cast of Thousands is my first Elbow album, it's probably the one I will always be fondest of.

I remember buying it. I bought it at the same time as I bought Snow Patrol's Final Straw; both albums released in the US at roughly the same time, and I was in the Best Buy in Cary, North Carolina. I wanted the latter -- I'd heard "Spitting Games" on the soundtrack to EA's MVP Baseball and thought it sounded great -- and I'd heard some interesting things about the former, Elbow, in MOJO.

Cast of Thousands was the wildest thing I'd heard in forever. Yeah, Snow Patrol was okay (and I eventually came to despise Snow Patrol for their rampant self-pasticherie, but that was well in the future), but Elbow was something else. "Fugitive Motel" was magical. "Not a Job" was fantastic. I adored "Grace Under Pressure." I made all of my friends listen to this album. I made my boss listen to the album. (His reaction? "Allyn, you listen to really depressing music.")

I love it. I read in Q this spring that they consider it "the difficult second album." Sometimes the best art comes out of darkness and despair and difficulty. To this listener, Cast of Thousands is magic.

Great story

Hunta wrote:

As I mentioned before, COT is my favorite album. I don't know why Buttons and Zips receive hate here, I just love Garvey's humming to the starting beat, which drives me to humming as well. The only track that doesn't do for me is probably crawling with idiot.

Agreed.

I have enjoyed reading everyone's opinions on the album. There is a Cast of Thousands article on my website.

http://bit.ly/elbowthousands

Enjoy if you read it xx

Will always be a special album to me... i sang on it & my names in it!

the only songs i usually skip on here are buttons & zips and lay down your cross, i think its a great album and fugitive motel is my favorite elbow song, so...

This album has taken the longest to grow on me, but now it has at the same time as getting BARB, so my ipod has been going a little Elbow happy of late. Cast of thousands is an incredible album and should be shown to kids who want to be proper musicians.

Personally I've always really liked Cast Of Thousands. As does my sister who couldn't connect with any other of their albums until we saw them at the 02 on March 28th. Now Elbow is ALL she listens to.
LOTFW is undoubtedly my least fave even though it does contain some beautiful moments (Great Expectations, Station Approach, The Everthere.....), I'm really not keen on the sound of the drums on the harder tracks, sort of lumpy, flat, and eighties in places. Just the 'sound' ofcourse, not the performance - Jupp's work is as faultless as ever.

newborn wrote:

MagicalTrevor wrote:

heshofcheese wrote:

MagicalTrevor wrote:

I wonder if COT contains the ONE album song that the band is not proud of.

Is that a quote, Trev? Never heard that one...

Can' remember where I heard it...think it was on here somewhere. Garv said this, and said he wouldn't say which one it was. Buttons and Zips sounds about right though.

I think there was an interview with Guy shortly after the release of TSSK in which he said that they were proud of every song they had ever recorded - except one. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that he said it was a B side.

I suppose we'll never know.....

I reckon the B-side in question that the band "despair of" is Vum Garda.......It's the only one that I despair of, but hey.....every band can be forgiven one mistake....even Elbow.

Love Cast of Thousands, very strong for a second album, so many bands struggle with it, and Elbow did have a hard time with it but still managed to pull off a cohesive and brilliant album.