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Review of North
Cleveland Free Times, 2003-10-01
- Kurt Hernon

 

ELVIS COSTELLO
North
(Deutsche Grammophon)

* (one star)

The demise of the cassette tape ended the reign of what was perhaps the greatest form of populist record criticism ever to have existed: the car stereo with cassette player. With an unflinchingly swift push of a single button (commonly labeled "eject") an offending cassette could, in one dramatic and fluid motion, be removed in less than a second and, with a good flick of the wrist, be out of the car window and gone from your life. Just like that--instant rock criticism (no wonder so many Night Ranger cassettes could be found curbside throught the '80s). And if done right, the move could easily be personalized, adding a nice touch of flair, or a "voice" as we say in the writing biz, to your contempt.

Alas, the CD era has come along and ruined the entire process. Not only have CDs doomed us to a full 75 minutes or more of playing time, but CD stereo systems are just too damn slow with the "eject" feature (mine timed out at a full four seconds!) to effectively express your disgust with a particularly offending slab of music. And for that reason alone, Elvis Costello's North, another one of those nearly insufferable pop "experiments" by the form's reigning mad doctor, remains in my possession. Because had we still been living in those heady days when cassette tapes ruled, North, a collection of show tune-type songs adorned only by piano and Costello's patented wordiness, would certainly have found itself skipping happily along I-90, doing roughly 65 m.p.h. --Kurt Hernon

 
         
 

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