Imperial Bedroom (1982)
Critics and publicists were quick to call Imperial Bedroom a masterpiece in 1982 — a distinction that usually takes time to deserve. Certainly, it’s an album that could make a kid in 1982 instantly lose his mind staring at the Picasso-like cover art and dropping the needle on the the opening track, “Beyond Belief,” with its flurry of catchy phrases and heart-thumping energy.
It’s not that the rest of the album’s cuts don’t live up to the promise of “Beyond Belief” — it’s just they take time and repeated listens to come to know and love.
Imperial Bedroom finds Mr. MacManus moving away from the power pop, blue-eyed soul and country vibe of his earlier albums in search of something more crafted with flourishes of orchestral pop and psychedelia. The ambition and eclecticism among the tracks drew comparisons to Beatles’ albums such as Revolver, but he keeps the Beatles at arm’s length at this stage of his career. He’s turned all his influences into something uniquely his own on this record — painting himself as his best possible Elvis Costello.
When checking out the album, give a good listen to “Human Hands” with its wordplay that’s as tight as it is loose and “You Little Fool” with its exquisite, swirling harpsichord bridge. In all, the record encapsulates the best from Elvis Costello’s long and excellent career — it’s an album out of time.
