Bulldog

The avalanche of bootlegs continues! I think I'll only put one more up after this next one. I'm sure that's something I've said in this thread before though. Anyway, without further ado...


Another one from after the first breakup of the Attractions, this one stems from a time when, for once, Elvis Costello was neither touring nor recording. A lifelong Beatles fan, it can't have taken much thinking about it when Costello accepted Paul McCartney's invitation to write a few songs together. This bootleg (for the most part) consists of most of the results of those demo sessions. Each song that the pair co-wrote would appear in a variety of places, including Costello's coming albums Spike and Mighty Like a Rose, not to mention McCartney's albums-to-be Flowers In the Dirt and Off the Ground.

In the eyes of most Costello and McCartney fans, this is one of the most valued bootlegs out there and it's easy to see why, let alone wonder why on earth this thing's never seen an official release. The songs that'd make future albums by either songwriter are presented here in an intimate and very raw form, and one that improves on a lot of the officially-released studio renditions that'd pop up in future (particularly the ones that'd end up on McCartney's albums, seeing as the songs he re-recorded himself would end up being a tad overproduced).

Half of these songs are live (I have absolutely no idea where and when they were played - presumably just before and/or after the demo sessions), half are nice grainy, lo-fi demoes featuring both songwriters. The songs Tommy's Coming Home and 25 Fingers would never see an official release. Definitely worth having for curiosity's sake, and the versions of My Brave Face, So Like Candy, Veronica and Step Inside Love are absolutly glorious too.

Anyway, enough waffling - here's the link...