Bay Area Reporter, October 13, 1983: Difference between revisions
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It was with trepidation that I approached his concert in the Greek Theatre on September 23. In the studio he and his band (the Attractions) are capable of creating moving and muscular music, the strong production working as perfect counterpoint to his witty and complex words. But a live performance... well, I've heard he can be sullen and peevish, playing a mediocre 35-minute set taken from the old Lou Reed "fuck you" school of charm. Antagonism directed at one's audience does not engender a good time. | It was with trepidation that I approached his concert in the Greek Theatre on September 23. In the studio he and his band (the Attractions) are capable of creating moving and muscular music, the strong production working as perfect counterpoint to his witty and complex words. But a live performance... well, I've heard he can be sullen and peevish, playing a mediocre 35-minute set taken from the old Lou Reed "fuck you" school of charm. Antagonism directed at one's audience does not engender a good time. | ||
None of that was evident at his Berkeley performance. Quite the contrary, in fact. The man worked hard to insure that everyone was indeed having a good time. He ran the gamut of his material, which is quite wide, from the powerhouse punk of "Pump It Up" and "What's So Funny ('Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding)," through the mid-period electric bombast of "Big Sister's Clothes," on to the drunken country/western of ''Almost Blue'', coming to rest primarily at the lush ''Imperial Bedroom'' ballads and the '60s soul Stax/Volt brash brassiness of ''Punch the Clock''. Rather than pacing the show he took the rollercoaster approach, alternating ballad with rocker, that left many, including himself, breathless. While achieving | None of that was evident at his Berkeley performance. Quite the contrary, in fact. The man worked hard to insure that everyone was indeed having a good time. He ran the gamut of his material, which is quite wide, from the powerhouse punk of "Pump It Up" and "What's So Funny ('Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding)," through the mid-period electric bombast of "Big Sister's Clothes," on to the drunken country/western of ''Almost Blue'', coming to rest primarily at the lush ''Imperial Bedroom'' ballads and the '60s soul Stax/Volt brash brassiness of ''Punch the Clock''. Rather than pacing the show he took the rollercoaster approach, alternating ballad with rocker, that left many, including himself, breathless. While achieving a nice balance of energy, this tactic lessened the impact of the ballads because the crowd was always on their feet. | ||
Costello has a nice mid-range crooner's voice, one that can be quite effective on an impassioned ballad. He showcased it well on songs like the aforementioned "Shipbuilding," "Man Out of Time," "Almost Blue," and especially "Kid About It." They have beautiful lyrics that hold their own against the best pop tunes written in the past 30 years; Costello is nothing if not a historian, and his dj stint on radio station KQAK the following day proved it — his knowledge of the genre is thorough and exhaustive. | Costello has a nice mid-range crooner's voice, one that can be quite effective on an impassioned ballad. He showcased it well on songs like the aforementioned "Shipbuilding," "Man Out of Time," "Almost Blue," and especially "Kid About It." They have beautiful lyrics that hold their own against the best pop tunes written in the past 30 years; Costello is nothing if not a historian, and his dj stint on radio station KQAK the following day proved it — his knowledge of the genre is thorough and exhaustive. |
Revision as of 05:58, 31 August 2018
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