Detroit Free Press, April 21, 1989: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> The acid voice of Elvis Costello </h3></center> | <center><h3> The acid voice of Elvis Costello </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Gary Graff </center> | <center> Gary Graff </center> | ||
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'''British songwriter puts message in harsh words | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
CHICAGO — "Try this," Elvis Costello says, handing a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice across the table to his wife. "It's great. It's really acidic." | CHICAGO — "Try this," Elvis Costello says, handing a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice across the table to his wife. "It's great. It's really acidic." | ||
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He is what he drinks; few words better describe Costello than acidic. During 12 years of recording, Britain's Declan MacManus has established himself as pop's Baron of Bile, possessor of a biting wit and deliverer of cutting commentaries about his life and the world in general. "I see myself sort of increasingly veering towards a kind of rock 'n' roll Three Stooges," Costello, 33, says. "Me, Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed." | He is what he drinks; few words better describe Costello than acidic. During 12 years of recording, Britain's Declan MacManus has established himself as pop's Baron of Bile, possessor of a biting wit and deliverer of cutting commentaries about his life and the world in general. "I see myself sort of increasingly veering towards a kind of rock 'n' roll Three Stooges," Costello, 33, says. "Me, Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed." | ||
You can add Bob Dylan, Randy Newman and any of the other few fearless pop songwriters capable of writing with passion and relevance — a rare breed to be sure. Costello certainly fits that description. "I want to bite the hand that feeds me," he sang in 1978's "Radio, Radio," taking a chunk out of the hand that most helps any artist's career. | You can add Bob Dylan, Randy Newman and any of the other few fearless pop songwriters capable of writing with passion and relevance — a rare breed to be sure. Costello certainly fits that description. ''"I want to bite the hand that feeds me,"'' he sang in 1978's "Radio, Radio," taking a chunk out of the hand that most helps any artist's career. | ||
Pandering just isn't his style. "I do believe that a song or an album is successful when you make it in the studio," says Costello, whose only hit single was 1983's "Everyday I Write the Book," though he has high hopes for his current release, "Veronica." "It's not a failure if it goes into the cut-out racks next week. That's just a coincidence of fashion and timing." | Pandering just isn't his style. "I do believe that a song or an album is successful when you make it in the studio," says Costello, whose only hit single was 1983's "Everyday I Write the Book," though he has high hopes for his current release, "Veronica." "It's not a failure if it goes into the cut-out racks next week. That's just a coincidence of fashion and timing." | ||
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One of the most striking differences on ''Spike'' is what's missing — his backing band, the Attractions, which had performed on every Costello album since 1978. Though Costello has used guest players before — and on most of 1986's ''King of America'' — he'd never done an album without the band intact. | One of the most striking differences on ''Spike'' is what's missing — his backing band, the Attractions, which had performed on every Costello album since 1978. Though Costello has used guest players before — and on most of 1986's ''King of America'' — he'd never done an album without the band intact. | ||
"There were some sounds intended from very early on that are just not found in the Attractions," he explains, "though the album also has some songs which I think are fairly easy to imagine them playing on. I took a poll on it, and Steve (Nieve) just refused unless he was the only keyboard player on the album. I said, | "There were some sounds intended from very early on that are just not found in the Attractions," he explains, "though the album also has some songs which I think are fairly easy to imagine them playing on. I took a poll on it, and Steve (Nieve) just refused unless he was the only keyboard player on the album. I said, 'Well, don't hold your breath.' | ||
Costello, currently touring as a solo act, said the turmoil caused by ''Spike'' will likely keep the Attractions out of commission when he stages a full-band tour this summer. "I think a couple of them think we're a bit more of a band than I think we are," he says. "The door is open to reconvening for a good idea, but we're not Siamese twins." | Costello, currently touring as a solo act, said the turmoil caused by ''Spike'' will likely keep the Attractions out of commission when he stages a full-band tour this summer. "I think a couple of them think we're a bit more of a band than I think we are," he says. "The door is open to reconvening for a good idea, but we're not Siamese twins." | ||
Besides his longtime mate T | Besides his longtime mate T{{nb}}Bone Burnett, Costello's new collaborators for ''Spike'' are a varied bunch that includes pop stalwarts Paul McCartney, Roger McGuinn and Chrissie Hynde; guitarist Marc Ribot and percussionist Michael Blair from Tom Waits' eclectic group, and revered New Orleans players Allen Toussaint and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. | ||
McCartney's presence — he co-wrote "Veronica," and "Pads, Paws and Claws" on ''Spike'' — has caused the loudest buzz among fans of the ex-Beatle and Costello alike. They got together last year, at McCartney's behest, and wrote 12 songs, some of which will appear on McCartney's next album. | McCartney's presence — he co-wrote "Veronica," and "Pads, Paws and Claws" on ''Spike'' — has caused the loudest buzz among fans of the ex-Beatle and Costello alike. They got together last year, at McCartney's behest, and wrote 12 songs, some of which will appear on McCartney's next album. | ||
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Though a confessed Beatles freak, Costello says he didn't allow himself to be cowed by the idea of working with a man who influenced his own writing. "It would be like saying his faith in me to do the job was misplaced if I allowed myself to be intimidated," he says. | Though a confessed Beatles freak, Costello says he didn't allow himself to be cowed by the idea of working with a man who influenced his own writing. "It would be like saying his faith in me to do the job was misplaced if I allowed myself to be intimidated," he says. | ||
"Inevitably, 'Veronica' and | "Inevitably, 'Veronica' and 'Pads, Paws and Claws' sound less like him than people might expect. because I'd already done a lot of work on them. The later songs were much more collaborative. There was a lot more stylistic collision involved." | ||
That kind of divergence was part of the strategy in making ''Spike'', according to Costello, and it's probably the most fully realized record of his career because of that. Rather than the angry young man, look-what-the-world's-done-to-me approach of his previous work, ''Spike'' is more outward looking, telling stories but still taking stabs at such issues as domestic turbulence, capital punishment, personal insecurities, TV and, in the particularly nasty "Tramp the Dirt Down," Britain's political ills. | That kind of divergence was part of the strategy in making ''Spike'', according to Costello, and it's probably the most fully realized record of his career because of that. Rather than the angry young man, look-what-the-world's-done-to-me approach of his previous work, ''Spike'' is more outward looking, telling stories but still taking stabs at such issues as domestic turbulence, capital punishment, personal insecurities, TV and, in the particularly nasty "Tramp the Dirt Down," Britain's political ills. | ||
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Then he smirks and takes another swig of orange juice. | Then he smirks and takes another swig of orange juice. | ||
{{cx}} | |||
{{tags}}[[Concert 1989-04-21 Ann Arbor|Hill Auditorium]] {{-}} [[University Of Michigan]] {{-}} [[Ann Arbor]] {{-}} [[MI|Michigan]] {{-}} [[Declan MacManus]] {{-}} [[Leonard Cohen]] {{-}} [[Lou Reed]] {{-}} [[Bob Dylan]] {{-}} [[Randy Newman]] {{-}} [[Radio, Radio]] {{-}} [[Everyday I Write The Book]] {{-}} [[Veronica]] {{-}} [[Spike]] {{-}} [[Cait O'Riordan]] {{-}} [[The Pogues]] {{-}} [[The Attractions]] {{-}} [[King Of America]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] {{-}} [[T{{nb}}Bone Burnett]] {{-}} [[Paul McCartney]] {{-}} [[Roger McGuinn]] {{-}} [[Chrissie Hynde]] {{-}} [[Marc Ribot]] {{-}} [[Michael Blair]] {{-}} [[Tom Waits]] {{-}} [[Allen Toussaint]] {{-}} [[The Dirty Dozen Brass Band]] {{-}} [[Pads, Paws And Claws]] {{-}} [[The Beatles]] {{-}} [[Tramp The Dirt Down]] {{-}} [[Margaret Thatcher]] {{-}} [[God's Comic]] | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
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{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | |||
|prev = Detroit Free Press, February 13, 1989 | |||
|next = Detroit Free Press, April 22, 1989 | |||
}} | |||
'''Detroit Free Press, April 21, 1989 | '''Detroit Free Press, April 21, 1989 | ||
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[[Gary Graff]] interviews Elvis Costello ahead of his solo concert, Friday, [[Concert 1989-04-21 Ann Arbor|April 21, 1989]], Hill Auditorium, University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, | [[Gary Graff]] interviews Elvis Costello ahead of his solo concert, Friday, [[Concert 1989-04-21 Ann Arbor|April 21, 1989]], Hill Auditorium, University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. | ||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
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<br><small>Page scan.</small> | <br><small>Page scan.</small> | ||
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{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} |
Latest revision as of 06:14, 15 October 2022
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