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Elvis Costello is the nearest thing to a neo-enlightened philosopher available to today's music conscious public. Truer he is abrasive. True, his songs are laden with sarcasm aimed at anything he feels needs correcting. And true, his voice does not hold a candle to Barry Manilow, but for that matter, does Dylan's? Of course not. Whoever said to be a. popular singer you need a good voice? Costello's quasi-nasal moan/drone throws emphasis from Elvis' songs to Elvis' lyrics. Barry Manilow has an excellent voice, but because he sings about Bandaids and pimple medicine, no one gives his lyrics any social credence whatsoever. What I'm trying to say is that we tend to merely hear singers like Manilow; while we listen intently to troubadours like Dylan and Costello.
Elvis Costello started off in 1976-77 as an angry musician riding on the crest of a emaciated Punk New Wave, for which the Sex Pistols were the self-appointed leaders, Needless to say, the Pistols did more to hurt the Punk image than any other single factor, So Elvis started out in .a handicapped position, But the lyrics on his first album spoke for themselves and My Aim is True won Costello the Rolling Stone's award for best new artist of the year., as well as an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Clearly, some people ignored their initial prejudice against Costello (who on his first album cover looks like Buddy Holly having an epileptic seizure) and realized that Costello had something to say. On "Welcome to the Working Week," one of the songs on My Aim is True, Costello says, "Sometimes I wonder if we're living in the same land / why you want to be my friend? I feel like the children getting out of hand / welcome to the working week." Obviously, this man has something to say.
Though his first album was no commercial smash, Costello did forge ahead and came out with a second album. On "Radio, Radio," the best single on This Year's Model, Elvis attacked the medium that gave him what little popularity that he did enjoy — the radio. "I want to bite the hand that feeds me / I want to bite that hand so badly / I want to make them wish they'd never seen me... You either shut up or get cut out they don't want to hear about it. It's only inches on the reel to reel. And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools trying to anesthetize the way that you feel. Radio its a sound salvation. Radio is cleaning up the nation." The sarcasm is there, but you've got to listen to the songs, and not just hear them.
This Year's Model, following in its predecessor's footsteps, did not rake in the bucks at the record stores, but Costello's following did increase and intensify.
By the time Armed Forces came out, Costello was recognized as a musician in his own field. The superb production job done by Nick Lowe helped not only Elvis' sound, but also his image. "Oliver's Army," one of the more popular songs on Armed Forces, is an outright attack on the imperialistic policies of England — past and present. "Hong Kong is up for grabs, London is full of Arabs / we could be in Palestine / or over on the Chinese line... but there's no danger / its a professional career / well it could be arranged / with just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear / if you're out of luck you're out of work / we could send you to Johannesburg."
The reason Costello is so popular today, is that New Wave is in, but it took watered down Punk groups Like the Cars and Blondie to make it acceptable to today's record buying/ radio listening public. Yet Costello has a faithful following of people that buy his albums on trust. He is the Mike Wallace of the music world; a fearless champion of the truth and enemy of social injustices (of which today's radio and British Imperialism are card carrying members).
But Costello is no Ralph Nader. He doesn't just criticize without offering a solution. For instance, in the Nick Lowe song "What's so Funny About Peace,"Love and Understanding?" Elvis says, "Where are the strong / and who are the trusted / and where is that harmony / sweet harmony? 'Cause each time I feel it slipping away it just makes me want to say / what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?"
Get Happy, Costello's newest album is another musical document. But don't take my word for it, take Elvis'.
Let his three previous albums speak for themselves and more importantly, for his new album Get Happy. Put your trust in a man who believes in reason.
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