Heavy Metal, June 1981

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Heavy Metal

US magazines
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Trust

Elvis Costello

Brad Balfour

I'm talking about heroes (category: rock), and I'm talking about now, so I'm talking about Elvis Costello, for one. Elvis in the 1980s; the angry man's Elvis; a sublimely gutsy Elvis. The vicious street stalker of his premiere-album days now turns toward worldweariness and romantic grumble on Trust (his latest disc) and in concert (at the NYC Palladium show). But there's no loss of life here; Costello simply sets aside blood-and-spittle posturing for lilting musicality and face-the-music, life-can-be-handled sentiment. That means a lot more solid pop — listenable, elevating, all that — and less life live. Though it's not the ideal exchange, this Elvis's proto-hip angry heroics still inform his style of attack. But so long Little Hitler, hello Meester Mordant Auteur. While he leaves it to critics to analyze the raison d'etre, both live show and these sixteen cuts, Elvis covers the iron fist with a grim lover's velvet glove.

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Heavy Metal, June 1981


Brad Balfour reviews Trust.

Images

1981-06-00 Heavy Metal page 90.jpg
Page scan.

1981-06-00 Heavy Metal cover.jpg
Cover.

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