Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustang Daily, February 9, 1979: Difference between revisions
(fix index link) |
(+detail) |
||
(4 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
---- | ---- | ||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Elvis Costello is a missile among mortars. | |||
''Armed Forces'', his latest triumph, is confidence and chutzpah rising out of the plastic stare constipating the recording industry. The lanky curious-looking bespectacled Costello has clearly had enough of his former image. | |||
The days of cuteness and cuffed dungarees are gone. The Briton is fed up. | |||
Costello is not punk or new wave. He is a powerful rocker-songwriter with a Fender guitar, crisp three-piece band (the Attractions) and the production genius of Nick Lowe. | |||
The AM schtick factories that push the likes of Hot Chocolate and the Bee Gees can ill-afford to ignore Costello for long, even though the man in the corduroy jacket himself could care less. | |||
Moving to the front lines is the Sergeant Pepper of the 80s. | |||
Consider the cuts on the album: | |||
"Goon Squad," a rock anthem for proletarians. | |||
"Busy Bodies," an indictment of the synthetic love made to fit human needs. Costello makes a cynical observation: | |||
{{n}}''So you think that you have seen her<br> | |||
{{n}}''When you're lying in between her…<br> | |||
{{n}}''But you don't care<br> | |||
{{n}}''Busy bodies gettin' nowhere | |||
"Moods for Moderns," an expose of beautiful people. Listen to this number the next time you flip through Cosmopolitan magazine. | |||
"Chemistry Class," a tender tune about the physical properties of human emotion. | |||
"Two Little Hitlers," a political study of a menage-a-trois. | |||
{{n}}''You say you'll never know him<br> | |||
{{n}}''He's an unnatural man<br> | |||
{{n}}''He doesn't want your pleasure<br> | |||
{{n}}''He wants what no one can<br> | |||
{{n}}''He wants to know the names of<br> | |||
{{n}}''All those he's better than.<br> | |||
{{n}}''Two little Hitlers will fight it out until<br> | |||
{{n}}''One little Hitler does the other one's will | |||
"What's so Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding," a blitzkrieg of keyboards, guitars and drums herald Costello as he asks ''"Where is the harmony, sweet harmony."'' | |||
This riff puts Bruce Springsteen to shame. | |||
"Accidents Will Happen," a telling assessment of the frailty in human relations and the insensitivity that can result when a love goes awry. | |||
{{n}}''Accidents will happen<br> | |||
{{n}}''We're only hit and run<br> | |||
{{n}}''You used to be the victim<br> | |||
{{n}}''Now you're not the only one<br> | |||
{{n}}''Accidents will happen<br> | |||
{{n}}''We're only hit and run...<br> | |||
{{n}}''I don't want to hear it cos<br> | |||
{{n}}''I know what I've done | |||
"Senior Service," an angry piece blaming ''"the death that's worse than fate."'' | |||
"Oliver's Army" a satirical snipe at soldiers-for-hire. | |||
"Big Boys," a slicing narrative of misplaced masculinity. | |||
"Green Shirt," an eerie Vincent Price-like parable about a temptress and her blouse. | |||
"Party Girl," an electric yet satin-smooth love song, in the tradition of Costello's earlier "Alison," a poignant piece without being drippy. | |||
Also included in the record is an extended-play disc with live versions of "Alison" and "Accidents Will Happen." | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
Line 20: | Line 83: | ||
---- | ---- | ||
[[Joe Stein]] reviews ''[[Armed Forces]]''. | [[Joe Stein]] reviews ''[[Armed Forces]]''. | ||
---- | |||
Concert listings include Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Tue-Wed., [[Concert 1979-02-13 Long Beach|February 13]]-[[Concert 1979-02-14 Long Beach|14, 1979]], Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA. | |||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
Line 47: | Line 112: | ||
[[Category:Album reviews]] | [[Category:Album reviews]] | ||
[[Category:Armed Forces reviews]] | [[Category:Armed Forces reviews]] | ||
Latest revision as of 22:22, 3 September 2018
|