Sounds, March 1, 1986: Difference between revisions
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"I considered it, but you have to understand the folk-singer prejudice that exists. People expect it to sound like something else. It’s very hard to make a record with very few instruments on it these days. People associate it with another time, and they don’t really listen to the record at all. The minute certain people hear any kind of country inflection on the record, they won’t listen to the song at all. It’s as if it’s a mortal sin. | "I considered it, but you have to understand the folk-singer prejudice that exists. People expect it to sound like something else. It’s very hard to make a record with very few instruments on it these days. People associate it with another time, and they don’t really listen to the record at all. The minute certain people hear any kind of country inflection on the record, they won’t listen to the song at all. It’s as if it’s a mortal sin. | ||
"Like 'Our Little Angel' | "Like 'Our Little Angel' — the chorus sounds like it might have come out of a country song, but the verse doesn’t. They’re ''my songs''. I borrowed some mannerisms from some traditional styles of music, but they’re my songs. Nobody else could have written them.” | ||
Costello speaks a truth that might be harsh for himself. Out of the simple materials of verse and chorus and language, he’s carved this closed-off brilliance. For all its clarity and mastery of the form, ‘''King Of America''’ doesn’t seem like something you make friends with. Only when he has fun, in the record’s two covers, does the fist unclench. | Costello speaks a truth that might be harsh for himself. Out of the simple materials of verse and chorus and language, he’s carved this closed-off brilliance. For all its clarity and mastery of the form, ‘''King Of America''’ doesn’t seem like something you make friends with. Only when he has fun, in the record’s two covers, does the fist unclench. | ||
"I think 'Eisenhower Blues' is hilarious. My records often have little traps for critics to step into, and that’s one | "I think 'Eisenhower Blues' is hilarious. My records often have little traps for critics to step into, and that’s one — I was waiting for someone to go, Here we go, the English blues revival, or something. That’s one of the joys of this not entirely comfortable relationship I have with the music press. Interviewers and reviewers want their prejudices confirmed. They’ve framed questions in such a way that it’s impossible to answer without subscribing to their prejudice.” | ||
He grins his messy smile and perches his head on one side. | He grins his messy smile and perches his head on one side. | ||
"One writer got his knickers in a twist about ‘Misunderstood’ | "One writer got his knickers in a twist about ‘Misunderstood’ — did it stop the world? He was gullible enough to believe a lot of unfounded rumours about me. It’s not the best track, but it’s one that introduces people to the sound of the record, and when you compare it to the rest of what’s on the radio, it’s like a punk record. What better way to do that then use a familiar song that I have some sympathy with? I don’t want to be misunderstood. I mean, don’t you lie awake and worry about the little sinful things you’ve done? I do! But it’s not a life and death struggle for my soul. It’s only a record. | ||
"Eisenhower Blues” is just fun, especially this year. I could have written a very heavy song about the retrogressive moral and political aspects of America, but I’d rather get drunk and sing ‘Eisenhower Blues’ just for a laff. And it swings. I’d dance to it in my personal disco.” | "Eisenhower Blues” is just fun, especially this year. I could have written a very heavy song about the retrogressive moral and political aspects of America, but I’d rather get drunk and sing ‘Eisenhower Blues’ just for a laff. And it swings. I’d dance to it in my personal disco.” | ||
When songs are so literate | When songs are so literate — so full of words — we inevitably read a lot into and out of them. | ||
It’s an absorbing game, going through Costello’s records: with every character either naked or armed to the teeth with morals and worse, every phrase loaded, it’s sublime guesswork as to whether ‘he’ is in there. Except, every so often, it’s as though Costello pauses in his dismantling of civilisation and something personal comes out. | It’s an absorbing game, going through Costello’s records: with every character either naked or armed to the teeth with morals and worse, every phrase loaded, it’s sublime guesswork as to whether ‘he’ is in there. Except, every so often, it’s as though Costello pauses in his dismantling of civilisation and something personal comes out. | ||
On the phantasmic ''Imperial Bedroom'', it happened when you got to "Almost Blue." In ''King Of America'', it happens | On the phantasmic ''Imperial Bedroom'', it happened when you got to "Almost Blue." In ''King Of America'', it happens — perhaps — when you reach "I'll Wear It Proudly." | ||
"Well, to some extent. It’s not so much as I’m standing aside in the other songs and then it’s personal | "Well, to some extent. It’s not so much as I’m standing aside in the other songs and then it’s personal — that could just be the most personal moment. It’s up to you how you react to the way I write. ‘I’ll Wear It Proudly’ is the most open, unqualified love song I’ve ever written. What’s the big surprise about that being the most personal thing? You’re not seeing mirages. But to someone else, it might be a different moment. Otherwise it might as well be a 12-incher with one song on it.” | ||
Perhaps it’s rather easy for this Elvis to be angry, passionate, bursting with well-chosen venom. | Perhaps it’s rather easy for this Elvis to be angry, passionate, bursting with well-chosen venom. | ||
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"I turn it on and off, but I don’t want to waste my anger on things that are unworthy. I’d end up like those people who walk round with carrier bags on their heads yelling at traffic. What’s the point of that?” | "I turn it on and off, but I don’t want to waste my anger on things that are unworthy. I’d end up like those people who walk round with carrier bags on their heads yelling at traffic. What’s the point of that?” | ||
No point. But we’re impaled again on our image of Elvis Costello, fashioned as far back as "Miracle Man" and "Less Than Zero." So when a change | No point. But we’re impaled again on our image of Elvis Costello, fashioned as far back as "Miracle Man" and "Less Than Zero." So when a change — or at least a refocusing, a quick sharpening — is manifested in ''King Of America'', what do we do? | ||
"It’s just there. The songs are what they appear to be.” | "It’s just there. The songs are what they appear to be.” | ||
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And maybe we’re obliged to interpret them ''just so''. The slowness, the laziness of rock writing and plain rock interpretation is crystallised in Costello: he’s always "savage,” always "bitter,” always "railing” against something. Or so most of the ''KOA'' reviews would have it. No wonder we get hung up on the "death of Elvis.” But Declan can’t be bothered to care. | And maybe we’re obliged to interpret them ''just so''. The slowness, the laziness of rock writing and plain rock interpretation is crystallised in Costello: he’s always "savage,” always "bitter,” always "railing” against something. Or so most of the ''KOA'' reviews would have it. No wonder we get hung up on the "death of Elvis.” But Declan can’t be bothered to care. | ||
"This is the critical conceit. Most people make up their own minds | "This is the critical conceit. Most people make up their own minds — they don’t give a damn about what ''you'' like. Nobody cares that much about the critical perspective. It’s just information. Your feelings are important to ''you'', but — ''it’s just records, just music.''” | ||
Ah, I supposed this isn’t what we want to hear from a man who pushes words and music around with such angry care and attention. | Ah, I supposed this isn’t what we want to hear from a man who pushes words and music around with such angry care and attention. | ||
"You’re saying that that critical perception of what I do is limited to a few things. Well, that’s the critic’s fault. I consciously left the negative emotions off this record | "You’re saying that that critical perception of what I do is limited to a few things. Well, that’s the critic’s fault. I consciously left the negative emotions off this record — which isn’t to say I don’t have them. I have a reputation for writing those sort of songs, something really spiteful. I have written quite a lot like that, and in the context of this album it would have drawn attention away from ‘I’ll Wear It Proudly’, which is a kind of song I’ve never written before. | ||
"I might make two and a half more records this year,” he says calmly. "Two albums and one little album. I’ve got 75 per cent of the material. I’ve got an entire album’s worth of material I’m going to record next month, and another half an album I could do in the autumn, plus another small thing I’ll be contributing to. So I don’t know when I’ll play live again. I certainly won’t play for three-and-a-half-hours any more. I’ll probably play for 20 or 30 minutes and do like I did when I started, just play the eight songs that seemed like the most important matter of life and death that night. | "I might make two and a half more records this year,” he says calmly. "Two albums and one little album. I’ve got 75 per cent of the material. I’ve got an entire album’s worth of material I’m going to record next month, and another half an album I could do in the autumn, plus another small thing I’ll be contributing to. So I don’t know when I’ll play live again. I certainly won’t play for three-and-a-half-hours any more. I’ll probably play for 20 or 30 minutes and do like I did when I started, just play the eight songs that seemed like the most important matter of life and death that night. | ||
"I think live shows and records should be more of an event. This record is an event | "I think live shows and records should be more of an event. This record is an event — I don’t give a damn if it sells millions, but I’d like it to. I can’t afford to make at least one of the records I want to make until I sell millions of records. It would be too expensive. This one was expensive.” | ||
How much money does he make? | How much money does he make? | ||
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"I’m not rich. I’m not poor, either.” | "I’m not rich. I’m not poor, either.” | ||
I reflect on Costello’s voice | I reflect on Costello’s voice — on ''King Of America'' it moves through deep soul sweep, a pinched organ-grinder grimace, a countrified howl. How considered is his singing? | ||
"It’s death to ''think'' about it, about feeling. If you’re attempting to put over a song, there’s a certain amount of notes I can reach, and straining up to them will be effective for that song. If you start examining each line that way, you’d never be able to sing at all. It think the singing on this record’s pretty good. The songs are performed. I know how to sing them. I don’t hide behind mannerisms. " | "It’s death to ''think'' about it, about feeling. If you’re attempting to put over a song, there’s a certain amount of notes I can reach, and straining up to them will be effective for that song. If you start examining each line that way, you’d never be able to sing at all. It think the singing on this record’s pretty good. The songs are performed. I know how to sing them. I don’t hide behind mannerisms. " | ||
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"I don’t listen to the radio. I switch it on in the morning, but if they’re talking or playing a record I don’t like, I switch it off again. I don’t sit there waiting like Nipper for the next song I’ll enjoy. I own quite a lot of records and I can go and put one on. | "I don’t listen to the radio. I switch it on in the morning, but if they’re talking or playing a record I don’t like, I switch it off again. I don’t sit there waiting like Nipper for the next song I’ll enjoy. I own quite a lot of records and I can go and put one on. | ||
"I hardly buy a lot of records now because they’re mostly complete nonsense. How many would you have bought if you didn’t get them as review copies? There were only a couple last year, and I produced one of them. ''Rain Dogs'' is the other. ''Psycho Candy'' is a worthy thing, but I’d rather steal it than buy it. You can hear Madonna records on the radio all the time | "I hardly buy a lot of records now because they’re mostly complete nonsense. How many would you have bought if you didn’t get them as review copies? There were only a couple last year, and I produced one of them. ''Rain Dogs'' is the other. ''Psycho Candy'' is a worthy thing, but I’d rather steal it than buy it. You can hear Madonna records on the radio all the time — you don’t need to buy them. Saves you the money. | ||
"I fell out of love with the pop neurosis of adjusting your critical faculty to the next point down on the scale as the records got worse and worse. The danger is that you sound like an old fellow who doesn’t understand today’s music, but I have to say that most of today’s records which I have the misfortune to hear are totally lacking in any imagination, fervour, verve, any quality of playing or singing or composition … there are no gifted primitives, even.” | "I fell out of love with the pop neurosis of adjusting your critical faculty to the next point down on the scale as the records got worse and worse. The danger is that you sound like an old fellow who doesn’t understand today’s music, but I have to say that most of today’s records which I have the misfortune to hear are totally lacking in any imagination, fervour, verve, any quality of playing or singing or composition … there are no gifted primitives, even.” | ||
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Shop Assistants’ "Somewhere In China”? | Shop Assistants’ "Somewhere In China”? | ||
"Haven’t heard it. Too many records come out, that’s the thing. This mania they’ve got for banning records in America, all the satanic heavy metal records. The reason for not banning them isn’t that they don’t corrupt | "Haven’t heard it. Too many records come out, that’s the thing. This mania they’ve got for banning records in America, all the satanic heavy metal records. The reason for not banning them isn’t that they don’t corrupt — they’re so f****** terrible that you don’t need to buy them! That goes for a lot of what’s released. It’s consumerism gone mad.” | ||
Are young people cheated by today’s pop? | Are young people cheated by today’s pop? | ||
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"Actually, I think they’re funny. It’s like Tony James saying "(assumes thick-ear drawl), "we thought we’d get some designer violence, mix it up with some BMX bikes and computer games, models with big tits, fast cars… it’s funny. As long as you don’t have to listen to the record. | "Actually, I think they’re funny. It’s like Tony James saying "(assumes thick-ear drawl), "we thought we’d get some designer violence, mix it up with some BMX bikes and computer games, models with big tits, fast cars… it’s funny. As long as you don’t have to listen to the record. | ||
"It’s art school theory. The idea that the Sex Pistols should never have made a record, that the idea was better than the reality | "It’s art school theory. The idea that the Sex Pistols should never have made a record, that the idea was better than the reality — it’s the same thing here. The humorous thing isn’t the group involved, it’s this daft record company EMI — how can they fall for it twice in ten years? In Julien Temple’s version of the Sigue Sigue Sputnik story they’ll cut to a shot of a Partick Cargill figure in a bowler hat, the bastion of the EMI establishment, but in reality it’s just a bewildered A&R guy who’s afraid that if he doesn’t sign them someone else will. It’s just show business. It’s been going on a while.” | ||
I crease my face back into its usual question mark. So, do we have to get back to good songs and good playing? | I crease my face back into its usual question mark. So, do we have to get back to good songs and good playing? | ||
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"No idea. They might be there, but they’ve yet to reach my ears. | "No idea. They might be there, but they’ve yet to reach my ears. | ||
"U2 and Simple Minds make pieces of music, but they’re not ''songs''. I’m not looking down my nose at them | "U2 and Simple Minds make pieces of music, but they’re not ''songs''. I’m not looking down my nose at them — it’s just a trend. The modern trend is to make bits of music.” | ||
He upturns his palms. What can I do? | He upturns his palms. What can I do? | ||
Elvis Costello still writes songs | Elvis Costello still writes songs — he can’t stop it. What do I think? What do ''you'' think? ''It’s just words, just records.'' | ||
"Maybe I’m from a different age, or something.” | "Maybe I’m from a different age, or something.” |
Revision as of 08:04, 5 August 2016
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