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Out of the banshee wails that pass as punk rock have emerged some musical threads of value.
Two to be exact — Elvis Costello and Graham Parker and the Rumour. Their only resemblance to the new wave is their timing — both are straightforward. working class English bands at a time when America is looking across the ocean for inspiration.
Costello, like Parker, reaches back to the expressive rock and roll of Buddy Holly, Fabian, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley. His lyrics and interpretation are tempered by the realism of the 1970s. Rock is no longer shrouded in puppy love.
Costello is a fine guitarist, using his instrument strictly for rounding out his songs.
Again like Parker, he has a harsh, expressive voice. At first it is distracting, pulling the listener away from the well-crafted songs.. Only when you accept its distinctiveness does it become a asset to the music.
The true value of the album lies in its undertones.
In "Watching the Detectives," Costello traces the roots of West Indian reggae back to British rhythm and blues. "Mystery Dance" is a short tribute to The King's "Jailhouse Rock." (Costello had the Elvis handle long before Presley died).
Costello is a parody of the "hoods" of the 1950s. He parades behind an image of a skinny kid with a runny nose, an Eddie Haskell of the 70s. Neither Costello nor Parker are recycling original rock and roll. They are extending a long submerged school of music. In doing so, they are proving how unnecessary production techniques and electronic technology are to honest rock and roll.
Costello wouldn't do half badly producing the dinosaur bands — the Led Zepplins and Rolling Stones of this world. He would slash away the clutter, bringing the stars back to the simplicity that once made their music great.
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