Dallas Morning News, May 15, 1994: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> An endless Elvis summer was | <center><h3> An endless Elvis summer was a{{nb}}religious{{nb}}experience </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Michael Corcoran </center> | <center> Michael Corcoran </center> | ||
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'''Costello's quirky lyrics hook listeners for life | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
When the warm organ, bass and drums of "Watch Your Step" started to fade, I heard a sharp rapping at my door, which sprang me up from the couch like a firehouse Dalmatian who'd just heard the alarm. | When the warm organ, bass and drums of "Watch Your Step" started to fade, I heard a sharp rapping at my door, which sprang me up from the couch like a firehouse Dalmatian who'd just heard the alarm. | ||
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Rykodisc has recently been reissuing the earliest Elvis Costello albums, complete with sometimes astonishing bonus tracks and, even after all these years, the magic remains. Steve Nieve, Bruce Thomas, Mr. Costello and Pete Thomas could play music the way Willie Mays used to catch baseballs. Listen to the last two minutes of "Lipstick Vogue" if there's any doubt. | Rykodisc has recently been reissuing the earliest Elvis Costello albums, complete with sometimes astonishing bonus tracks and, even after all these years, the magic remains. Steve Nieve, Bruce Thomas, Mr. Costello and Pete Thomas could play music the way Willie Mays used to catch baseballs. Listen to the last two minutes of "Lipstick Vogue" if there's any doubt. | ||
So I was more than just a little nervous the other day while I waited for Elvis Himself to call for an interview. As I sat there, arranging five pages of questions to the left of the phone and all his CDs to the right, I thought of Mike and Patty Ann and that summer of '82, and suddenly anxiety overtook me as it seizes that wide-eyed and moronic character Chris Farley plays on ''Saturday Night Live''. I had to tell myself that our scheduled chat was, at least in Elvis' eyes, nothing more than an elegant plug for his concert at Starplex on Saturday, part of a reunion tour with the Attractions to promote the new album, ''Brutal Youth''. Just two professionals going about their business. I also reminded myself that Elvis hasn't made a great record since 1986, when he made two (''King of America'' and ''Blood | So I was more than just a little nervous the other day while I waited for Elvis Himself to call for an interview. As I sat there, arranging five pages of questions to the left of the phone and all his CDs to the right, I thought of Mike and Patty Ann and that summer of '82, and suddenly anxiety overtook me as it seizes that wide-eyed and moronic character Chris Farley plays on ''Saturday Night Live''. I had to tell myself that our scheduled chat was, at least in Elvis' eyes, nothing more than an elegant plug for his concert at Starplex on Saturday, part of a reunion tour with the Attractions to promote the new album, ''Brutal Youth''. Just two professionals going about their business. I also reminded myself that Elvis hasn't made a great record since 1986, when he made two (''King of America'' and ''Blood & Chocolate''). | ||
He seems to be afflicted by the same spent-genius condition that has beset the likes of Warren Zevon, John Fogerty, Tom Waits, Mick Jagger, John Sebastian, Paul McCartney and others who can no longer come close to matching the brilliance of their earlier work. | He seems to be afflicted by the same spent-genius condition that has beset the likes of Warren Zevon, John Fogerty, Tom Waits, Mick Jagger, John Sebastian, Paul McCartney and others who can no longer come close to matching the brilliance of their earlier work. | ||
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< | <!-- An acquired taste --> | ||
The music of Elvis Costello and the Attractions is not an easy listen, but usually the albums that endure — like ''Darkness On the Edge of Town'' by Bruce Springsteen or ''Astral Weeks'' by Van Morrison — are the ones that you didn't get at first. I actually hated Elvis, with his whiny voice and obnoxious sneer, until I heard a cover band do "Oliver's Army." I went back to the original version and was hooked in about 10 minutes. | The music of Elvis Costello and the Attractions is not an easy listen, but usually the albums that endure — like ''Darkness On the Edge of Town'' by Bruce Springsteen or ''Astral Weeks'' by Van Morrison — are the ones that you didn't get at first. I actually hated Elvis, with his whiny voice and obnoxious sneer, until I heard a cover band do "Oliver's Army." I went back to the original version and was hooked in about 10 minutes. | ||
Once I got past the annoying voice and started listening to the songs and how they were played, I couldn't get enough. I used to sit in the dark in the antique clothing store where I worked, hours after closing, listening to every Elvis Costello record I owned. Just me and the mannequins and the ghosts of a thousand muskrats, rockin' out. | Once I got past the annoying voice and started listening to the songs and how they were played, I couldn't get enough. I used to sit in the dark in the antique clothing store where I worked, hours after closing, listening to every Elvis Costello record I owned. Just me and the mannequins and the ghosts of a thousand muskrats, rockin' out. | ||
Thinking back to those blissed-out nights, when it seemed that the music of | Thinking back to those blissed-out nights, when it seemed that the music of Elvis Costello and the Attractions could cure all social pains, I asked Elvis if he thought that music is given too much importance in our society. | ||
"Music is everything and nothing," he says. "I've always had this contrary-sounding premise that it's best to care passionately about music without giving a damn. | "Music is everything and nothing," he says. "I've always had this contrary-sounding premise that it's best to care passionately about music without giving a damn. | ||
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"It's just like those boys to be right up on the times, isn't it?" Elvis says, with the semblance of a sneer. | "It's just like those boys to be right up on the times, isn't it?" Elvis says, with the semblance of a sneer. | ||
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'''Elvis Costello and the Attractions, with Crash Test Dummies, perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at Starplex. Tickets are $ 22.50 and $ 27.50 reserved and $12.50 lawn at Ticketmaster outlets. <!-- Call 373-8000. --> | |||
Copyright 1994 The Dallas Morning News | Copyright 1994 The Dallas Morning News | ||
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{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | |||
|prev = Dallas Morning News, November 9, 1986 | |||
|next = Dallas Morning News, May 7, 1995 | |||
}} | |||
'''Dallas Morning News, May 15, 1994 | '''Dallas Morning News, May 15, 1994 | ||
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[[Michael Corcoran]] interviews Elvis Costello ahead of his concert with [[The Attractions]], Saturday, [[Concert 1994-05-21 Dallas|May 21, 1994]], Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas. | [[Michael Corcoran]] interviews Elvis Costello ahead of his concert with [[The Attractions]], Saturday, [[Concert 1994-05-21 Dallas|May 21, 1994]], Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas, Texas. | ||
{{Michael Corcoran 1994 Dallas Morning News}} | |||
{{Bibliography no images}} | {{Bibliography no images}} |
Latest revision as of 21:02, 11 January 2023
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