Western Washington University Front, October 10, 1986

From The Elvis Costello Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
... Bibliography ...
727677787980818283
848586878889909192
939495969798990001
020304050607080910
111213141516171819
202122232425 26 27 28


West. Washington Univ. Front

Washington publications

US publications by state
  • ALAKARAZCA
  • COCTDCDEFL
  • GAHI   IA      ID      IL
  • IN   KSKYLA   MA
  • MDME   MIMNMO
  • MSMTNC  ND  NE
  • NHNJNMNVNY
  • OHOKORPARI
  • SCSDTNTXUT
  • VAVTWAWIWY

-

'Chocolate' regains Costello flavor


Clay Martin

Elvis Costello's latest release, Blood and Chocolate, is the type to grow on the listener. Although it lacks anything outstanding, it proves to be a fairly solid effort after unreasonably high expectations of Costello are abandoned.

Costello's brilliant career has caused his listeners to expect every release to be a repeat of his masterpiece, Imperial Bedroom, which is still used as a standard for measuring other albums of the same genre.

Instead of being disappointed with Costello's inability to live up to his prior achievements, listeners should be impressed that after 12 albums (two in the past ten months) he is still putting out solid music that retains his personal integrity.

On Blood and Chocolate Costello is reunited with The Attractions and producer Nick Lowe, who produced his first six albums.

Nick Lowe's influence can be heard on the first three tracks: "Uncomplicated," "I Hope You're Happy Now," and "Tokyo Storm Warning," all of which are energetic ditties, reminiscent of Costello's earlier Taking Liberties days.

Unfortunately, the final two songs on side one, "Home is Anywhere You Hang Your Head" and "I Want You," do not live up to the promise of the first three.

"I Want You" turns out to be one of the biggest disappointments of the album. It begins with a dark captivating progression, but the song never develops its initial theme and eventually fizzles out into a redundant boorish dirge in which Costello drones out the chorus no less than 24 times.

One of the album's high points is "Tokyo Storm Warning," a psychedelic rocker played with a hard driving urgency which Costello hasn't shown in years.

This album follows the typical Costello tradition of having its fair share of numbers about failed relationships and sexual frustration.

In "Here Comes Mr. Misery" he sings: "Here Comes Mr. Misery / He'll never be any good with a mouth full of gold and blood / He's contemplating murder again / He must be in love."

The album has enough energy, emotion and surprising quirks to put it head and shoulders above either of the last two albums Costello did with The Attractions, Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World, which were justifiably disappointing to most of his fans.

Even though Blood and Chocolate lacks the raw energy of his first album or the visceral beauty of Imperial Bedroom, it is still an enjoyable album, if the listener doesn't expect too much from it.

-

Western Front, October 10, 1986


Clay Martin reviews Blood & Chocolate.

Images

1986-10-10 Western Washington University Front page B-3 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.

1986-10-10 Western Washington University Front page B-3.jpg
Page scan.

-



Back to top

External links