DownBeat, July 1980: Difference between revisions
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Many listeners heard "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding," the closing tune of Elvis Costello's ''Armed Forces'', as a cynical joke. The Rolling Stone Record Guide says of Costello that "His coldness is his only drawback." But ''Get Happy!!'', Costello's fourth LP, makes clear that his asserted themes of "hate, guilt and revenge" are just surface symptoms of the romantic passion at the broken heart of his music. It's a twice-shy kind of love of which Elvis sings; burned by love on "Human Touch," he tells his lover ''"You can't feel,"'' while on "High Fidelity" his oft-repeated question is ''"Can you hear me?"'' | Many listeners heard "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding," the closing tune of Elvis Costello's ''Armed Forces'', as a cynical joke. ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'' says of Costello that "His coldness is his only drawback." But ''Get Happy!!'', Costello's fourth LP, makes clear that his asserted themes of "hate, guilt and revenge" are just surface symptoms of the romantic passion at the broken heart of his music. It's a twice-shy kind of love of which Elvis sings; burned by love on "Human Touch," he tells his lover ''"You can't feel,"'' while on "High Fidelity" his oft-repeated question is ''"Can you hear me?"'' | ||
It's tempting to consider ''Get Happy!!'' as a whole work, much like one can read a series of Charles Bukowski short stories as a novel. This album, however, presents 20 different songs, 18 of them Costello originals, and each tune has its own memorable hook. Drums dominate; the guitar is used for rhythmic chording, never solos, and Naive's keyboards mostly offer bouncy fills to counterpoint Costello's vocals. Elvis knows how to use his limited voice, singing ahead of the beat and whipping a tune like Beaten To The Punch to a frenzy. | It's tempting to consider ''Get Happy!!'' as a whole work, much like one can read a series of Charles Bukowski short stories as a novel. This album, however, presents 20 different songs, 18 of them Costello originals, and each tune has its own memorable hook. Drums dominate; the guitar is used for rhythmic chording, never solos, and Naive's keyboards mostly offer bouncy fills to counterpoint Costello's vocals. Elvis knows how to use his limited voice, singing ahead of the beat and whipping a tune like Beaten To The Punch to a frenzy. | ||
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Latest revision as of 19:57, 1 February 2022
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