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When Elvis Costello conquer.-d the t ): and Amenta in 11/4" with his album ,tf 4ort It True. I was torn and crooning to Nana Mouskoun The &talcs and Neil DIA• mond.
In my late terns 1 stumbled upon the music of a man other proplie almids knew and revered.
In ms Tian ignoranve I enjosed a hat I thought was Costello's corer s'ersion Linda itonstades Itiwn until a link re. search her his September 7 appearance in Canberra resealed it was ►ngotalls hcs van composition.
The more I read and discovered about Elvis Costetto. the mote I ssiit impressed. almost dulled — my first real stem.
The last time Elvis Costello visited Australia aas in January NO to pro-mote his album Spike.
His inimical during the lag %au with sock journalists itOrK IWO ITicIti►• .politan dailies were discordant and at. though history had told us that (mien(► s soung man" stage passed in the 19"i/s he came across as accrtn:. duan•to•carth to a fault and &previa. ng towards rock journalists.
Hence when he tang (turn Japan re-cently to talk shout his (WYK Bat k In A Million Years Tour with the tour-piece band The Rude s I spoke to him with a little trepidation espe■ting to be caught o1.1
And to some Merit I was.
Asking t ostello hots he felt shot.: pla+ mg in (tont of non•triglish speaking audiences he replied, "Thin speak English in ( anherra don't thee'
•What is I );,:t aria! ," I.lsked later.
"I should think that's mit% nbsious..• he said.
In ma case he dims not tell people *hat the songs are about.
"I would be reluctant to shut out the listener's imagination because that's al. ter all what music should be stimulating and it shouldn't be just telling you some-thing so emphatically that sour own imagination doesn't hoe room to most around."
But Declan %tc Mannus Costello Is a stage name' was neser roll, patron-stun& instead using Notib to craft in impression of someone sou like .ou or I. part of the tell world mein with salt talent ands mission to Male music AS an an form.
Costello attributed his presidia quite cutting intemeas on Australia to the rep-utarron that Elk's Costello and the At-tntettons had gained during the punk era and also to his Iew %mos to Australia.
I think iron/ills they'd (the medial made up their minds about us tvfort ive came on our first trip in Itali.
"We were a ser) volatile bunch then and ipsen the rather idiotic espectatii►n they had of is we just decided we were going to live up w it . which got things off to a bang and coloured esenthing since.
"It was spontaneous and it was one section of the tabloid press that came out to See something sensational and tr. to
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