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Way back in 1977 when what is now called new wave music was getting its start, a young Englishman recorded an album called My Aim Is True which proclaimed on its cover that Elvis is King.
This successor to the rock 'n' roll throne was Elvis Costello, and he was different from anything we had ever seen in the 70s. He didn't wear polyester or yelp like the Bee Gees. He seemed to scorn organized dance steps. His complexion was not clear.
He cuffed his blue jeans, wore thin-lapeled blazers and glasses from about 1961. His hair was short. His songs were short and had an unpolished sound. He was not mellow.
And in 1977, everyone thought that was very strange. The public grew suspicious. Something was up.
In fact, the first time my mother saw Elvis Costello on television, she said he was a cross between Woody Allen and a housefly and that he couldn't sing.
But things can really change in four years. Suspicion turned into public curiosity and then fascination and Elvis became one of the leaders of a totally new sound.
Now he is as accepted and respected in fraternities as he is in new wave circles. He even gets a few of his songs on the radio now — especially when he lets Linda Ronstadt massacre them.
But Ronstadt singing Costello songs is a good sign. It proves that Elvis Costello has become very popular without becoming commercial — he doesn't feel forced to make his songs bland in order to sell records. He lets Linda do that for him.
He hasn't let himself become commercialized to the point of mediocrity like the once-new wave Blondie. Elvis Costello has maintained the qualities that made him unique to begin with and he hasn't been musically corrupted by success.
If ticket sales to his January 25 appearance in Carmichael Auditorium are any indication, he may be retaining his "King" status for quite a while.
The Carolina Union Box Office reported that 1,300 tickets were sold the first five hours the box office was open, even though tickets were made available only to UNC students. Members of the Carolina Union concert committee say that is the biggest first day sale for any concert at UNC. Carmichael has a capacity of about 7,500 and with over a week to go. the committee has faith that the concert will be a sellout after tickets go on sale to the general public next week.
Some students evidently think the whole idea of Elvis Costello appearing at UNC is just too good to be true. Jarred by the memory of The Cars cancellation a year ago, many are saying they'll believe Elvis is coming when they see him on-stage. Rumors started to circulate about the concert before tickets went on sale, prompting the posting of a "The Truth About Elvis Costello Tickets" announcement by the box office.
The Elvis Costello booking was sheer luck, according to Union officials. There was a vacant night in his tour schedule between Atlanta and Washington. The Union was approached about the open date and snapped it up before it could be offered to anyone else. That was wise since there have been few major concerts on campus this year. Officials said this has been a difficult year for concert scheduling because major artists are demanding huge concert halls or hiding out in recording studios.
But believe it or not, the old guard of the new wave is actually corning to Chapel Hill and it seems crowds will flock to hear him.
Perhaps the big strength and selling point of Elvis Costello and the Attractions has been that while new wave groups have sprung up in the past three years like weeds in spring, no one has been able to imitate Costello's unique musical style — or his looks for that matter. He's almost as novel now as he ever was.
He is a master of words and music, and has never been afraid to criticize the old, while creating a totally new sound. Many Americans were first exposed to hint when he sang "Radio Radio" on Saturday Night Live after the release of his second album. It was a controversial song he was not supposed to perform and one he had only rehearsed once. Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels was infuriated, but Elvis was soon a star.
Through his five American albums, Costello has changed, but he still maintains a special quality of looks and sound that cannot be duplicated. He can jam 20 songs on one single album, each with lines as clever as "Do I step on the brakes to get out of her clutches?" and still keep from getting stuck in a rut.
No one can sound like The King except Elvis himself.
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