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Is Elvis Costello getting happy? The once angry young man who wrote and sang of such bitter subjects as rejection, frustration and a disloyal world is now giving interviews: He did two local radio shows Friday, when he and The Attractions arrived in town for their two-night engagement at the Sunrise Musical Theatre. He has also enclosed lyric sheets in his albums and is sounding positively pleasant in his newest, and so far most commercially appealing, album, Goodbye Cruel World.
Some long-time Costello fans may be disappointed in their subculture hero's apparent softening toward the '80s establishment. But to others who never appreciated the excellence of the British singer-guitarist-songwriter's music, the new Elvis Costello is a much easier figure to accept and identify with.
In a nonstop succession of his classic favorites from his first few albums and highlights from his more recent recordings, Elvis Costello and The Attractions seem to have little to protest against in this, the first leg of their current U.S. tour. But though the absence of anger and pent-up frustration may be missing, the quality of Costello's incredibly melodic and engrossing music is given more room to stand on its own merits.
Dressed in a high-buttoned pink jacket, black slacks and red shoes, Costello stood calmly behind the microphone, saying little between songs but acting almost charmingly polite when he did speak. His voice, which was in earlier years sometimes criticized as raspy and coarse, is now tuned to a smooth, even crooning quality. Behind him, the four Attractions, though a little looser and less intense than they were a few years back, are still an aggressive, hard-hitting unit.
Together, they carried the crowd through a tight-paced set of rock and soulful blues, plaintive ballads and funky polished pop, displaying once again the diversity and underestimated talent of this musical genius.
Costello's former producer, guitarist Nick Lowe, opened the show (on time, of all things) with a one-hour set of countrified '50s rock 'n' roll. Lowe and band were fine, if a bit subdued, in their performance of Lowe's biggest solo hit, "Cruel to Be Kind," and other foot-tapping tempo numbers.
And starting the evening off right was the presence of Paul Carrack (of the bands Ace and Squeeze), who led Lowe's band through his solo hit "I Need You" and the Ace classic "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
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