UNC Greensboro Carolinian, March 20, 1980

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Elvis Costello gets happy


Tommy Dorsett

From out of the fog of uncertainty and turmoil that plagues the beginning of our new decade has come an urgent cry from a most unlikely source. Elvis Costello, the angry one himself, has launched into the '80's with a stunning new album oddly titled with the declaration Get Happy!!. Like each of his three previous albums, Get Happy!! is a bit of an enigma upon the first listening but quickly soaks through to your veins and into your heart.

The most unusual aspect of the album is that it contains 20 songs, ten on each side. Aside from the fact that makes the album, in the words of producer Nick Lowe, "a real 'long player,'" it also means the songs are shorter than usual. They range from one minute, forty seven seconds to three minutes, thirty six seconds with only two songs over three minutes. Actually this isn't as strange as it seems, not any songs on Costello's American LPs have reached four minutes, a fact that probably stems from his quest for habit-forming airplay.

Although it would appear time limitations would create a problem with content quality, that is, short songs would allow little time for concept exploration and expansion, the opposite is true. Costello's work is quick, precise and powerful; like a cubic inch of the sun's core in a shoebox. He has sharpened his ax into a razor.

The album's musical range can be divided into four fairly equal (quantitatively) sub-groups: slow, typified by "Secondary Modern;" moderately slow, exemplified by "Possession;" moderately fast, illustrated by "Love For Tender;" and (very) fast, with "Five Gears in Reverse." These sub-groups are shuffled around so the listener is constantly on his toes from one track to the next. This keeps things interesting from a rhythmic aspect and coupled with the songs' brevity it makes each number a musical commando raid.

Original, biting lyrics, Costello's trademark and talent, are still as fresh as ever, alive and well and kicking ass. Even so, Get Happy!! is not nearly the misanthropic/ misogynist madhouse of his earlier works. He's still the cleverest songwriter around (musical poet would be a more appropriate phrase) with an unmatched honesty, sincerity and awareness but now his hatred seems a little more toned down.

Perhaps that statement may mislead the die-hard fans of Costello's breath of fire but rest assured, fortunately, even though his spite has diminished he's still angry and doesn't hide it. "B Movie." a slow, rather funky little number sounds as if he is simply more calm towards his upset emotions — "B Movie that's all you're to me/ Just a sob soap story, don't want no woman to act on me... Everybody's on the make / It's not your heart I want to break."

Another of the album's best is "Opportunity" which, aside from being an absolutely beautiful song, demonstrates some of Costello's finest lyrical jabs — "The chairman of this bottom is a compliment collector / I'd like to be his funeral director." "The Imposter" is a fervent song that captures the rage and frustration of a lover (all of us, that is) disgusted with his girl's stupidity in falling blindly for some jerk who'll never love her as much — "He'll only bring you souvenirs / It's only gonna end in tears." His mastery of metaphor is demonstrated in such songs as "King Horse" ("Still she knows what kind of tip she is gonna get / A lot of loose exchanges, precious little respect.") and "High Fidelity" ("Even though you're nowhere near me / I know you're kissing so sincerely / I suppose you'll never know about high fidelity.").

Among the surprises on Get Happy!! are two songs Costello didn't write (the first time since Lowe's "Peace, Love and Understanding."). They are rather obviously non-Costello compositions due to their lack of delicate, enigmatic subtlety. The first is "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down," a love-gone-sour song ("The vow that we made, you broke it in two / But that don't stop me from loving you") that lacks the irritation reflected in similar Costello tunes but nevertheless is made into a fun time. The other, "I Stand Accused," an extended courtroom metaphor, is an energetic, jubilant song that actually revels in the joy of being in love ("Loving you is a big crime / I've been guilty a long time"). Although also a lot of fun, the lyrics are a strange philosophical change for Costello.

Other prime cuts on the album are "Clowntime is Over," containing some superb organ riffs; "New Amsterdam," simply sheer poetry; "Beaten to the Punch," a sarcastic, sly, ultrafast rocker that will knock your socks off; and "Motel Matches," a perfect country and western ballad that fuses lyrics Porter Wagoner would be proud to sing with a combined blues piano and streamlined New Wave organ.

Diversity and quality are the primary attributes of this new, outstanding album by New Wave's commander and chief. Elvis Costello once again proves not only his sensitivity but also his lyrical and musical intelligence to a rather heartless, ignorant world. So get Get Happy!! and get happy.

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The Carolinian, March 20, 1980


Tommy Dorsett reviews Get Happy!!.

Images

1980-03-20 UNC Greensboro Carolinian page 03 clipping 01.jpg
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1980-03-20 UNC Greensboro Carolinian page 03.jpg
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