Cleveland Scene, December 1, 1977: Difference between revisions
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They say that “Los Angeles” means city of angels, but I think somebody blew it in translation. What it really means is city of angles, because everyone’s got on, or is working on one. Everything there costs more than it’s worth; the people act more important than they really are; even the call girls take Visa cards. And, to top it off, you have to get jet lag just to see it all. | They say that “Los Angeles” means city of angels, but I think somebody blew it in translation. What it ''really'' means is city of ''angles'', because everyone’s got on, or is working on one. Everything there costs more than it’s worth; the people act more important than they really are; even the call girls take Visa cards. And, to top it off, you have to get jet lag just to see it all. | ||
So, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that , while I was in the legendary city, there was at least one bargain in town: the debut (well, almost!) of one Elvis Costello, an exceedingly square-looking, English character whose music has such an edge that it could take the nubs off peaches. | So, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that , while I was in the legendary city, there was at least one bargain in town: the debut (well, almost!) of one Elvis Costello, an exceedingly square-looking, English character whose music has such an edge that it could take the nubs off peaches. | ||
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''MY AIM IS TRUE'' has been out for a while in England. Consequently, Elvis had to develop a new set of songs for his English audience, as well as for his next album. It is on the new tunes that he really shines, and as much as I liked ''MY AIM IS TRUE'', the new one is bound to be an absolute killer. | ''MY AIM IS TRUE'' has been out for a while in England. Consequently, Elvis had to develop a new set of songs for his English audience, as well as for his next album. It is on the new tunes that he really shines, and as much as I liked ''MY AIM IS TRUE'', the new one is bound to be an absolute killer. | ||
Elvis’ set is mixed close to 50:50 with new and old material. The most amusing is “Radio,” a formal complaint against that medium which should be filed with the FCC. “I was really expecting some great things in American radio,” he says, “but all I hear is the Eagles.” The strongest of his new numbers is one called “The Beat,” a neurotic sounding rocker that should overtake most of what’s on his first album. In the running for a single he should have a hit: his music’s a natural for the radio) is “Little Triggers,” closest in sound to the ballad “Allison” (his first American single), but more intense as are all his new songs. Another, “Just Another Mouth In Your Lipstick Vogue,” should be a candidate for the best title of the year. | |||
The poet-balladeer in rock is quite stylish these days, as evidenced by the meteoric rise of Springsteen and the success of others like Parker, Elliott Murphy and Phil Lynott (of Thin Lizzy) in the same field. If labels must be used, then Elvis too fits into this category. But, where the others are romanticists, Elvis is more of a realist. According to him, romance in pop music has taken a leave of absence. I would tend to agree. While riding through (“past” might be a better word) the L.A. barrio on the way to the airport, I seriously doubted that anyone there would care whether Bruce Springsteen is charmed by their lifestyle; they would probably just as soon roll him for change. When Eric Burdon and Scott MacKenzie sang about San Francisco, suburban kids split to be flower children; however, I don’t see too many people today shedding their middle class heritage to be winos in Harlem. At least, not by their own choice. | |||
The point is that Elvis is not giving us something that he has not experienced himself. Rather, he is taking a step back and telling us what he has seen. Elvis knows the endings to his songs; consequently, so do we. There are no outlaws in his world. According to Elvis we were not burn to run, but born to work. “Welcome to the working week,” he sings, “I know it don’t thrill you, I hope it don’t kill you – you gotta do it, so you better get to it.” It’s a far cry from Johnny Rotten’s singing “I’m just a lazy sot,” and, ultimately, it’s a more realistic stance. Nope, escape it not on the program. | |||
Elvis Costello will make his Cleveland debut very soon. Believe me, this modest-looking guy can make for a great time. Like the aforementioned west coast city, he’s got a few angles of his own and I guarantee he’ll throw in a couple of curves. And that is worth all the jet lag in the world. | |||
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[[Category:Cleveland Scene| Cleveland Scene 1977-12-01]] | [[Category:Cleveland Scene| Cleveland Scene 1977-12-01]] | ||
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Revision as of 23:32, 2 February 2017
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