San Jose Mercury News, June 3, 1991

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Elvis Costello: His aim isn't so true now


Harry Sumrall

A dense fog enshrouded the Greek Theater at UC-Berkeley on Saturday. And Elvis Costello and the Rude 5 were all wet.

Hot on the heels of the release of his notable new album, Mighty Like a Rose, Costello and his mates delivered a show that was a true disappointment: his performance was a soggy, dismal effort that never really worked on any level.

He began with "Accidents Will Happen," a warhorse that should have come out kicking, Instead, it stumbled like an old nag with Costello mumbling the words and his group playing with a stultifying reserve.

Was it the cold night air that was laying heavy on their shoulders? Perhaps. But the sound mix didn't help either: it was a mystifying mush that obscured the instruments, reducing them to a bothersome noise that distracted from, instead of supported, his aloof vocals.

As the performance wore on — and on, and on — he and the group trotted out a few of the songs from the new album. But most of them, like "The Other Side of Summer" and the ballad "So Like Candy" had none of the bite or elegance of the recorded versions. Instead, their complexity and instrumental brilliance — on record — gave way to simplistic interpretations that were lackluster and boring.

Much of the problem had to do with the Rude 5. Rude? Those guys weren't even ill-mannered! Drummer Pete Thomas dispensed the most basic of beats, while bassist Jerry Scheff often seemed confused as to what Costello wanted him to do. And guitarist Marc Ribot — when he could be heard at all in the mix — picked out licks that were cliched and plain dumb. Only Larry Knechtel provided a modicum of energy on keyboards.

With this sort of background, Costello's vocals were left up to their estimable devices. But even they seemed noticeably subdued, as if Costello could never get on track, with either his songs or his musicians. He began "Veronica" with a spoken monologue of the first verse and the group slogged in as he made his way into the refrain. It could have been a nice touch, but it didn't work that way. Instead it seemed sloppy. And the song itself — one of his most forceful — was performed with a nonchalance that was startling, as if Costello and the group could care less.

The rest of the songs had a whining, droning presence, their R&B and C&W sound merely a pale allusion to Van Morrison. This was reinforced by Costello's appearance — his girth has expanded in direct proportion to the length of his now-flowing locks. He looked and sounded like Van, all right, but it was Morrison's paunch with none of his punch.

And the Costello wit was absent too. He rarely said anything to the capacity crowd and when he did, his jibes were as damp as his songs. In words or music, he just didn't seem to have his usual acerbic edge.

By the time he ended the performance with the blaring "Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)" it seemed obvious that Costello was in a hurry to get this show into the history books and be on his way.

It was just as well. Ninety minutes of Costello, was, at this show, too much of a bad thing.


Tags: Greek TheatreUniversity Of CaliforniaBerkeleyThe Rude 5Mighty Like A RoseAccidents Will HappenThe Other Side Of SummerSo Like CandyPete ThomasJerry ScheffMarc RibotLarry KnechtelVeronicaHurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)

Copyright (c) 1991 San Jose Mercury News

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The Mercury News, June 3, 1991


Harry Sumrall reviews Elvis Costello and The Rude 5, Saturday, June 1, 1991, Greek Theatre, University Of California, Berkeley.



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