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1977 reaped a bumper crop or new and controversial artists with the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and Talking Heads. All of these hands were labeled as "punk rock."
But as these bands burst onto the music scene, another man was making an equal stir amongst the critics and public alike. His name: Elvis Costello.
Between his nationally broadcast appearance of Saturday Night Live and the release of his first album lor Columbia Records, My Aim Is True, people didn't know quite what to think of this thatch-hired rocker from Liverpool, England.
My Aim Is True was named album of the year by the critics of Rolling Stone magazine and brought some of the most incredible and refreshing music to come out of the late 1970s.
After this initial success Elvis, unlike most artists of the day, did not let up on the quality of his material. His three subsequent LP's are packed with diverse and emotional material.
Costello's latest vinyl effort continues his streak of great records. Its title is Taking Liberties and judging from the material the title is very fitting. It is made up of 20 unreleased tracks, flips of singles and English album cuts.
The diversity of material, one of Costello's strong points, is clearly evident on this fine album. From the rocking opener "Clean Money," to the country flavor of "Stranger in the House," to the beat of "Getting Mighty Crowded."
Credit must be given to Costello's backing band The Attractions for their clean and professional performances. Pete Thomas on drums, Bruce Thomas on bass and Steve Naive on keyboards combine to make up on of the best assemblages of back-up musicians in the business today.
Taking Liberties draws its material from all of Costello's career. The production credits are split between Costello and Nick Lowe. Costello's efforts in this area are admirable, but Lowe's work is quite simply impeccable.
"The Basher" as he is affectionately known, has been Costello's guiding hand, and has worked with him since his early days at Stiff Records in England.
Lowe's work is cleaner and more memorable that Costello's and shows through on such Costello classics as "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" and "Big Tears," both from 1978.
The quality and quantity of material Costello has released in the past three years is truly amazing. Between Taking Liberties and its predecessor Get Happy, he has provided his listening audience with 40 cuts-an amount that most artists would spread out over three or four LPs.
Taking Liberties is a must for ardent Costello fans, but it should also not be overlooked by those who have yet to discover his unique talent. Take the liberty to go out and pick up a copy.
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