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Once upon a time D.P.A. MacManus was one of the world's most essential rock artists.
I saw him in action at the Stella, Rathmines, during the punk-rock summer of '77 and thought he was always going to be one step ahead of the pack.
How times change.
Now Elvis records and hangs out with rock and roll Dinosaurs such as Roger McGuinn and Paul McCartney, both of whom play on this album. Old Elvis sure has mellowed some. Even his anti-Thatcherite rant, "Tramp the Dirt Down" is somehow ineffectual and twee.
Dunno what the lad's problem is.
Maybe he's just having himself a whale of a time. Or could it be that he has now turned into one of those complacent rock and roll dinosaurs that everyone used to give out about way back when.
Anyway, whatever the reason, this is an uninspired collection. If I didn't know this was an Elvis Costello album, I'd swear it was someone taking the Michael.
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