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Accidents will happen.
Take Elvis Costello, born Declan Patrick MacManus, and renamed after the late "King" of rock 'n' roll.
The name change occurred well before the original Elvis shuffled off. It required a certain amount of nerve to use the moniker, but as Jimmy Carter would say, "Why not the best?"
Costello crashed into the world of big time rock 'n' roll through a planned accident. His aggressive manager, Jake Riviera, sent Elvis over to the 1977 Columbia Records convention in London to play his songs. Elvis had a portable amplifier strapped to his body; he was wired for sound and managed both to make himself heard and get arrested. The publicity landed Costello a Columbia recording contract.
Two years and two monumental albums later, Costello and his horde, The Attractions (Bruce and Pete Thomas, Steve Young) are about to descend upon the world of John Travolta/Bee Gees mindless disco with that almost unheard of quantity these days — a message.
Like Paul McCartney a decade (or is it much much more?) ago, Costello can deliver a standard ballad like Bacharach/David's "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" with the best of them. And he can write his own: "Alison," "Little Triggers," in the past; "Party Girl" and "Chemistry Class" on the current LP, Armed Forces, which was originally titled Emotional Fascism.
Rest assured that Linda Ronstadt who has already recorded "Alison" and all but exhausted the Warren Zevon Songbook, is waiting in the wings to rush out "popular versions" of these. But popularity is not what Costello is about. His message, better served by the original title of the new L.P. is a Dante's Inferno of our times, delivered up in a sugar coating of superb musicianship. You might not notice when the pill goes down, but it's ultimate effect should be a stomach ache, if only, allegorically, one of the soul.
Using the code words of European fascism, Costello paints a not too pretty picture of the modern condition. The song titles tell part of the story — "Goon Squad," "Two Little Hitlers" — but only part of it. The words tell even more:
"Are you ready for the final solution?" — "Chemistry Class"
To perceive Costello's message on one level, one must be aware of present day fascism and the National Front in England.
On another level, his songs address the basic emptiness of our time — "busy bodies" getting nowhere, wanting to "join the party," but "not invited."
Still, Costello ends on a note of hope with his long-time producer Nick Lowe's composition "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding," an encouraging alternative to the infectious insanity he chronicles.
The man is dangerous. And, for the world of 1979, approaching 1984, here's a rebel with a cause. Thank God he's on the loose.
The King is dead, long live the King.
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