Billboard, September 11, 1982

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Billboard

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Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Forest Hills Stadium, Forest Hills, NY

Thomas Gabriel

In this comfortable outdoor setting a self-assured and amiable Elvis Costello led the versatile, invaluable Attractions through a near-two-hour, 35-song pastiche, consisting mainly of his own songs but sprinkled with a few covers (Smokey Robinson, Hank Williams, Ray Charles). He varied his song selection throughout, offering something from his each one of his eight albums for the large crowd, which clamored for its favorites. But he is so prolific that many were (slightly) disappointed that he hadn't played theirs.

On a two-month nationwide tour in support of his most sophisticated album to date, Imperial Bedroom, Costello sang nine tunes from the LP as sublime testimonials to the increased emotional depth and broadened stylistic base of his songwriting. Although he is learning to say more with fewer words, he still crams his songs with brilliant lyrics. Yet somehow onstage he seems to step back and create more space for vocal improvisation on his lyrics, dramatizing even more the ironic viewpoints contained in his internal rhymes and alliteration.

His singing and phrasing have never sounded better. The power and presence of his singing frequently juxtaposed the plaintive and tender within the structure of a single song, as on "Kid About It," "Secondary Modern" and "Town Cryer." It is no secret that Costello aspires to write the kind of pop songs that transcend genre and become standards. Undoubtedly he has lost, and will perhaps continue to lose, some of his more one dimensional fans who'd prefer that he never really change.

In one of his three encores, Costello sang three songs back to back that were perhaps intended indirectly as a comment in what has be come commonplace everyday violence in general, and in particular on the tragedy of the Falkland Islands war. "The world is in an uproar, the danger zone is everywhere," Costello sang in Ray Charles' "The Danger Zone." He followed that with "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love And Understanding"; and in "Shipbuilding," a beautiful song for which Costello wrote lyrics to Clive Langer's music, he sang "With all the will in the world diving for dear life, when we could be diving for pearls."

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Billboard, September 11, 1982


Thomas Gabriel reviews Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Friday, August 27, 1982, Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, New York.


Roman Kozak reports on booking details for the August 21 stadium concert in Philadelphia with Genesis, Elvis Costello, and Blondie.


The Texas music market supplement mentions EC's Austin concerts.

Images

1982-09-11 Billboard page 34 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.


Rock 'n' rolling


Roman Kozak

Extract:

1982-09-11 Billboard page 60 clipping 01.jpg

Recently Elvis Costello and Blondie opened for Genesis at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. With 58,000 fans attending out of a possible 90,000, the show was hardly SRO, but Genesis' Mike Rutherford doesn't blame this on his opening acts.

"It was our decision, really," he says. "Our manager asked who did we want on the bill, and gave us a list of who was around. Elvis Costello or Blondie are not that different from us. Costello writes good songs and has a good voice, and Blondie, who I understand has had a tough tour, was encouraged by the reception they got. They were playing mainly to Genesis fans, but both went down very well."



1982-09-11 Billboard cover.jpg 1982-09-11 Billboard page 34.jpg 1982-09-11 Billboard page T6.jpg 1982-09-11 Billboard page 60.jpg
Cover, page scans and clipping.



Austin


Jim Ramsey

Extract:

1982-09-11 Billboard page T6 clipping 01.jpg

Austin is a progressive town, different in the percentage of people under 35, which is twice what they are in Dallas or Houston.

We haven't been able to sell country here for three years. For the last six years heavy metal lives off of Texas revenues. Canadian groups are playing multiple small Texas markets and making good money. Elvis Costello has been a sell out for four years in Austin. If it will flourish in conservative Texas and the South, then it will flourish all over.


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