Elvis Costello Songs : Cover Songs & Music Videos Category

  • The Laptop Sessions: “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” (Elvis Costello Acoustic Rock Cover Song)

    Monday, July 21st, 2008

    By Chris Moore:

    Hello and welcome to another all-new Laptop Session, brought to you by the music blog devoted to great new rock music. My acoustic cover song tonight is not a new rock song, but it is a classic by an artist that did release an excellent album this year. That artist is Elvis Costello and the song is “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding.” I had actually planned on recording (and did, in fact) record a different song for my session tonight, but after I finished that one, I went on to this Elvis Costello tune and liked how it came out so much that I had to post it tonight. For whatever reason (the amount of time that I had been singing previously, the air conditioning taking all the moisture out of the air in the house, or my allergies), my voice was somewhat rough for this recording. Normally, that would be enough for me to put down the guitar and wait for another day. However, I think it worked for the emotion that is supposed to be conveyed by this track. Aside from the very end of this take when my voice is simply too shot to hit the notes I wanted to hit (please feel free to laugh at the ridiculous look on my face), I’m happy with how it came out.

    This is one my favorite Elvis Costello songs of all time, and it’s a perfect track to bring to this music blog, as it has been recorded as a cover song previously by such bands as the Wallflowers. It’s a fairly simple song with simple chords, simple but great lyrics, and a simple message that I know Ringo Starr would love, and it translates very well to acoustic guitar. That being said, Jim and I did some research tonight and were shocked to find that although he is listed as #80 on the list of best rock artists ever, he has had very few songs chart well, especially on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s amazing that his most popular songs really aren’t as successful as you might expect for an artist of his standing. That either says something about him or, more likely, the system. (Especially considering that this is a system that barely recognizes the existence of such talented and influential acts as the Moody Blues…)

    If you’re a regular viewer of the Laptop Sessions, you’ll get another dose of Elvis Costello very soon — his new rock music on this year’s Momofuku is some of my favorite from him and is easily in my personal top four or five albums of the year (and this is saying alot, as I’ve heard somewhere approaching fifteen new albums this year already!).

    Whatever you do, don’t go too far; Jeff will be back tomorrow with an all-new acoustic cover song music video for your listening and viewing pleasure…

    See you next session!

    Download a FREE mp3 of this song at the Fusco-Moore Store by
    Clicking HERE! It’s on “The Laptop Sessions, Vol. 8″:

    free mp3s



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Elvis Costello Acoustic Rock Cover Songs and Free mp3 Downloads

Maybe he figured his songwriting career would be harder to jumpstart with his birth name Declan MacManus. Whatever the reason, songwriter Elvis Costello took on his stage name and began writing new rock music, sometimes classified as punk or alternative music. He is one of those rare new music artists who has found a great deal of success, as evidenced by music reviews that have lauded him as one of the top 100 new rock music songwriters of all time. Still, he has had surprisingly little success on the charts, especially the Billboard Hot 100. Fan favorites like “Alison” and “Veronica” have had some success, and other songs such as “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding,” which is one of the cover songs bands like the Wallflowers have worked on in recording sessions. Costello clearly knows how to write a song, as he has not only recorded new rock music albums but also classical records and other genres. Watching his classic music videos is like taking a direct flight back to the eighties, just as his unplugged acoustic guitar music versions of songs are raw and revealing. The Elvis Costello home site boasts acoustic tabs and chords for all his songs, up to the new Momofuku album.