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A big trend in British music is American soul: Graham Parker had done many Motown covers; the new Clash album shows quite a debt; Joe Jackson has drawn from soul on both of his albums.
Elvis Costello began leaning in this direction on Armed Forces. "Oliver's Army" and "Moods for Moderns" which were tentative steps towards funk. His new album Get Happy has Elvis jumping in with both feet. More than half of the 20 — count 'em, 20 — cuts are anchored in soul.
That new direction is immediately evident in the mix. Before, Elvis' voice or Steve Naive's organ were spotlighted; now, the solid rhythm section of Bruce Thomas' bass and Pete Thomas' drums are. Rhythm has always been the heart of soul.
"Five Gears in Reverse" and "Opportunity" are pure funk. Some may discard these two cuts as discoid, but they reveal emotion seldom heard in slick American disco.
Since "B Movie" is of the Stax-Volt tradition, it could easily be sung by Sam and Dave. "Beaten to the Punch" is an old-fashioned soul shouter, and "Secondary Modern" is a slow soul love ballad.
But soul is not the only style Elvis uses. "Motel Matches" is pure country, and his cover of "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" is also given a country treatment.
There is very little real rock on this album. There's "I Stand Accused." but that's a cover. "The Imposter" is an angry song aimed at his competition.
I here's a reason for this shift from rock. In the past, Elvis' songs have stemmed from anger at rejection. but with Get Happy he seems to have told the girl off and is getting over his bitterness. Now he can reflect on the good times. Country has always been associated with love lost and crying in beer. Soul is for lamenting a lack of love and the need to find it.
Elvis is ready to re-enter the game and look for a new romance. The first side and a half of this album are about making that decision; the end of the second side finishes with a handful of pure pop songs.
Costello is back in the meat market. He is trying his best to act normal and play the games, but he can't quite forget how it went wrong before. He is trying his best to Get Happy.
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