HOLLYWOOD — Kathy, an assistant art director in nearby Santa Monica, has been a big Elvis Costello fan ever since he stormed offstage during his celebrated Santa Monica Civic concert in 1978.
She likes the fact that Costello, the most acclaimed rock songwriter of recent years, finally has his first U.S. hit single ever: the playful "Everyday I Write the Book." And, she'll probably be on hand for at least a couple of his upcoming local concerts.
But Kathy admits she is not quite as enthralled with Costello as she once was.
THE REASON: She thinks he made a mistake by breaking his long-standing press silence last year to explain that he is not really the angry young man the media - and his record company - first portrayed him as being. Kathy thought his testy personality and sarcastic barbs were actually endearing.
Well, Kathy can relax.
Costello, now 29 and with eight albums behind him, can still be angry. And oh-so sarcastic.
Just mention Rolling Stone magazine to him.
"Rolling Stone" he repeated contemptuously. "How often even do you see musicians on the cover of that magazine any more? They've just had three in a row?.....How nice of them! That's a rarity.
"All Rolling Stone is these days is Playboy magazine for the cocaine generation."
Costello was upset about a Rolling Stone review of his new album, "Punch The Clock." Though the reviewer called Costello the most "consistently interesting songwriter in rock," he also charged that Costello sometimes uses words pointlessly, just for the sake of a clever rhyme.
RETORTED COSTELLO, "I object to being told that I shouldn't use the English language just because the guy that reviewed the album isn't clever enough to think of using it himself. It's like they want you to make everything into a simplistic, idiot speak - the way most rock bands do."
Ouch!
When Kathy's comments about the "old, angry Elvis" were repeated, Elvis smiled knowingly.
"It's the same thing with some of the reviewers on this tour," he said. "Some of them have taken that same approach (about how they miss the angry Elvis on stage). It's like they're weeping over my passing or something.
"The truth is most of these people didn't like me when I was 'angry'. They probably weren't even at the shows. They were off listening to their (boring) Boston records."
DON'T GET the idea that Costello was angry or sarcastic. During a 90-minute interview, other aspects of his personality emerged as strongly; the same humor, compassion, combativeness that are also woven into his songs.
|