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It's such a pleasure to hear Elvis Costello recorded in a manner which suits his artistry that the listener is distracted from the content of the record. Finally, an Elvis record without Nick Lowe's comic book drums and toy keyboards, and the true depth in sound and rich textures evident here are able, at last, to bring out the best in Costello's songs. Geoff Emerick is responsible for this sensible approach, and having worked with McCartney and The Beatles in an engineering capacity, he not only knows his way around the console board, he also knows when to leave well enough alone when it comes to arrangements.
There are so many references to drinking on this record that one can assume that Elvis' perspective is more than slightly tinged with alcoholic sensibilities. And now that New Wave's golden age has passed, the manic approach often possessed by the rhythm section seems to have vanished. What emerges is the mature Elvis Costello whose milieu is the smoke-filled room rather than the hip club. "The Long Honeymoon" is the kind of tune The Band, Neil Diamond, or Burt Bacharach could have come up with; "You Little Fool" could be covered by Crystal Gayle or Conway Twitty; "Man Out of Time" evokes chord structures straight out of 1965 Beach Boy/Byrds/ Phil Spector hits. Imperial Bedroom shares little with Costello's peers from the 1978 vintage, save for a knowledge and a respect for the greats who came before him, and a total disregard for 1982 middle-of-the-road album oriented rockers (Foreigner, Survivor REO, etc.). For all intents and purposes, Elvis is writing closer to straight pop or country rather than the Chuck Berry rock ("Pump It Up") or Motown-Stax derived rhythm & blues songs (Get Happy!) he has been associated with in the past.
But his trick is in defying the rules of format that pop has lived by. For, instead of going straight to the hook/chorus every chance, he avoids such pitfalls. There are more bridges and channels on Imperial Bedroom than repetitive segments — every time you think you know what part of the song to expect, Costello pulls out a wild card and throws you for a loop. He's deliberately throwing curves at every opportunity; that's part of the beauty of this record. Like classics such as Pet Sounds and Let It Bleed, the album not only stands up to repeated listenings but demands full attention.
For those who thought that an adult Costello would never emerge, Imperial Bedroom is a revelation of Declan MacManus' maturity. If, like many, you were quick to dismiss Elvis after his last two cast-off efforts, Imperial Bedroom is a reward for your impatience. And if you never were impressed with the lad or Punk, you might want to give this record a spin and find yourself liking it.
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