CD Review, March 1994: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> Elvis Costello: A Brutal Youth </h3></center> | <center><h3> Elvis Costello: A Brutal Youth </h3></center> | ||
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Other songs return to a favorite Costello theme, that of messed-up romances, but with some grown up twists. "Just About Glad" is one of the ultimate non-love songs, celebrating a fling that never happened and that never should have. "That's a song that had to be written," Costello says from his home in Ireland. "Everyone who's gotten to be my age has probably had that kind of experience. I quite liked the joke of saying something like that , and setting it to a loose, messy kind of sound, like the Faces. It's a humorous song, but so are some or the old ones. The one it most resembles is "Miracle Man" off ''My Aim Is True''. That was humorous too but I don't think many people realized it because I sang it with such fierce expression." | Other songs return to a favorite Costello theme, that of messed-up romances, but with some grown up twists. "Just About Glad" is one of the ultimate non-love songs, celebrating a fling that never happened and that never should have. "That's a song that had to be written," Costello says from his home in Ireland. "Everyone who's gotten to be my age has probably had that kind of experience. I quite liked the joke of saying something like that , and setting it to a loose, messy kind of sound, like the Faces. It's a humorous song, but so are some or the old ones. The one it most resembles is "Miracle Man" off ''My Aim Is True''. That was humorous too but I don't think many people realized it because I sang it with such fierce expression." | ||
"There always have been autobiographical elements in the songs, but not as many as people thought," he continues. "You don't slit your wrists and bleed all over the record. That idea has appealed to me on occasion and maybe it will again, but it doesn't at the moment. If anything, some of the most heartfelt songs that have ever been written were done with this craft that some people would interpret as distance; but the effect on the listener can be very profound. Take a song like 'What Is This Thing Called Love' | "There always have been autobiographical elements in the songs, but not as many as people thought," he continues. "You don't slit your wrists and bleed all over the record. That idea has appealed to me on occasion and maybe it will again, but it doesn't at the moment. If anything, some of the most heartfelt songs that have ever been written were done with this craft that some people would interpret as distance; but the effect on the listener can be very profound. Take a song like 'What Is This Thing Called Love,' by Cole Porter. It's obviously crafted, not just about a guy bawling about feelings at the moment he felt bereft of love. But it's all the more powerful for having it worked out." | ||
One can easily imagine Costello and the Attractions becoming like Neil Young and Crazy Horse, returning to base every few years between more experimental projects. "If the comparison only goes that far, I'm happy with it," he says. "As a Neil Young fan I'm always happy to see Crazy Horse's name on there because they seem to bring something out of him. But equally, I'm interested in whatever else he chooses to do. With the Attractions, it's no secret that there was some misunderstanding, some bad blood, some ill feeling. Everybody had to scream and shout for a couple of years, but then life goes on. And the possibility of not playing together seemed a lot less interesting than the possibility of playing together." | One can easily imagine Costello and the Attractions becoming like Neil Young and Crazy Horse, returning to base every few years between more experimental projects. "If the comparison only goes that far, I'm happy with it," he says. "As a Neil Young fan I'm always happy to see Crazy Horse's name on there because they seem to bring something out of him. But equally, I'm interested in whatever else he chooses to do. With the Attractions, it's no secret that there was some misunderstanding, some bad blood, some ill feeling. Everybody had to scream and shout for a couple of years, but then life goes on. And the possibility of not playing together seemed a lot less interesting than the possibility of playing together." | ||
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But seriously, folks, there's even a "lost" Costello album from this period. During the ''Rose'' sessions he cut an album's worth of cover tunes, many of which he's performed live in recent years — ranging from Little Richard's "Bama Lama Bama Loo," to Jesse Winchester's "Payday." Though the instrumental backup is a bit laid-back, Costello does some inspired singing on the album — especially on Mose Allison's "Everybody's Shouting Mercy," the on stage highlight of the ''Rose'' tour. The disc was set for release last year (under the title ''The Kojak Assortment'') then yanked indefinitely; meanwhile he's none too pleased that it's been bootlegged. | But seriously, folks, there's even a "lost" Costello album from this period. During the ''Rose'' sessions he cut an album's worth of cover tunes, many of which he's performed live in recent years — ranging from Little Richard's "Bama Lama Bama Loo," to Jesse Winchester's "Payday." Though the instrumental backup is a bit laid-back, Costello does some inspired singing on the album — especially on Mose Allison's "Everybody's Shouting Mercy," the on stage highlight of the ''Rose'' tour. The disc was set for release last year (under the title ''The Kojak Assortment'') then yanked indefinitely; meanwhile he's none too pleased that it's been bootlegged. | ||
"I don't want to have criminals telling me when to release my records. I'll put it out when the right time comes. If you've heard it, you know it's a very relaxed record — not me trying to knock the world down, just playing songs with some musicians I like. And they're songs that people may not know the original versions of. It's not like I did | "I don't want to have criminals telling me when to release my records. I'll put it out when the right time comes. If you've heard it, you know it's a very relaxed record — not me trying to knock the world down, just playing songs with some musicians I like. And they're songs that people may not know the original versions of. It's not like I did 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' or 'Great Balls Of Fire.' I waited 30 years to sing some of those songs, so I figure I can wait another five to put these versions out." Also shelved was an EP called ''Encores'', including the non-LP material — Kurt Weill's "Lost In The Stars," Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows," and an unrecorded Costello tune — performed on the ''Juliet Letters'' tour. "Let's face it: The CD revolution is complete now, and everything you've ever wanted is available — so people think that everything that exists ''should'' be available. Well, I don't agree; I think there's still a right time for things to come out. ''The Juliet Letters'' is still out there, and I think it's something that people are still discovering." | ||
"All music's real to me when I'm doing it. You do ''The Juliet Letters'' when you have those songs, and you do this when you have these songs. I prefer this at the moment, just because it's what I happen to be doing. You don't have to renounce rock 'n' roll, like it's a religion, to take up more serious art music. It's all serious, and it's all as much fun as you want to make it." | "All music's real to me when I'm doing it. You do ''The Juliet Letters'' when you have those songs, and you do this when you have these songs. I prefer this at the moment, just because it's what I happen to be doing. You don't have to renounce rock 'n' roll, like it's a religion, to take up more serious art music. It's all serious, and it's all as much fun as you want to make it." | ||
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''Brett Milano is a freelance writer living in Boston. He is a regular contributor to the Boston Phoenix. | '''Brett Milano is a freelance writer living in Boston. He is a regular contributor to the Boston Phoenix. | ||
{{Bibliography notes header}} | {{Bibliography notes header}} | ||
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[[image:1994-03-00 CD Review cover | [[image:1994-03-00 CD Review cover.jpg|360px|border]] | ||
<br><small> Cover photo by [[Terry O'Neill]].</small> | <br><small> Cover photo by [[Terry O'Neill]].</small> | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_Review Wikipedia: CD Review] | |||
*[http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/a-c/cdreview.940301a.txt elviscostello.info] | *[http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/a-c/cdreview.940301a.txt elviscostello.info] | ||
Revision as of 17:43, 15 May 2018
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