Dublin Evening Herald, June 25, 1996: Difference between revisions

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Confronting a Costello album was seldom an easy option. However in exchange he offered encouragement and hope, if sometimes only through his enthusiasm for debate.  
Confronting a Costello album was seldom an easy option. However in exchange he offered encouragement and hope, if sometimes only through his enthusiasm for debate.  


There haven't been many hit singles of late but, surprise, surprise, the same old belligerence, the same brittle tenderness, is still there. Costello still refuses to make things easy for his listeners.


His latest album, ''All This Useless Beauty'', has him working again with his original band, The Attractions. Although it's been in the shops for a month, there doesn't seem to be any high-profile chart action yet.
"When you get 20 years in, you don't get overnight success," says Elvis defiantly.
"I've already had overnight success. What do I want it again for?"
Surely the idea is to get people to hear this collection of songs, many of which were originally written with the idea of having other artists record them?
"It's had some really great responses, but I just feel there's a sense of it being put in a glass case a bit because of its nature," he concedes. "It's very easy to write a review of this record that simply lists the artists for whom the songs were written (Roger McGuinn, Johnny Cash, Sam Moore) but there's no thought of what we've actually done with them or what the songs are actually about."
Without the daytime airplay a single can deliver, the best way for an artist to get their music to the public is by touring. Elvis has just returned from the States where, with keyboard-player Steve Nieve, he showcased the material in a series of unusual venues, including the Algonquin Hotel in New York. On the road with The Attractions until September, he plays the National Stadium tomorrow night.
Yet, white he enjoys performing in concert and relishes the opportunity to breathe new life into old songs, Elvis acknowledges the hit single dilemma.
"They're really essential things," he agrees. "But fashions change for what a single sounds like and what kind of music is in vogue and I can't wait around."
Displaying a similar enthusiasm to the days when the punk wars demanded a new sonic salvo every few weeks, Elvis reveals a recently-devised plan.
"I'm going to release four singles in four weeks and each record will be more like a magazine than a single," he declares.
"Each one will contain different items, some live versions which open up the songs in different ways, some other related material like things which were very nearly part of the album but are rawer versions. The most unusual aspect is to engage other bands to re-cut some of the songs.
"It's kind of like a forum on the album for four weeks," he states. "We've gone beyond just simply doing a cover version, which could be just like karaoke, right into more radical re-mixing. It's called ''All This Useless Beauty'', so let's take the risk."
But what about the marketing and sales teams at the record company? How are they going to respond to this hyper-active strategy? "It's good for them," chuckles Elvis, warming to his theme. "Because we don't know what's on the record until the week before. It's really like a magazine because you don't know what's going in it. Is someone going to deliver on time?"
Among those scheduled to appear as part of the package are Lush and trip-hop giant Tricky.
Elvis keeps busy. As artistic director of last year's Meltdown Festival at the South Bank Centre in London, he got to put together an astonishing collection of musical talent. Since then he's collaborated with many of those who appeared.
He's recorded with Deborah Harry and the Jazz Passengers, radical guitarist Bill Frisell and American gospel quartet The Fairfield Four.
He's also recorded with Brian Eno for ''The X-Files'' album and with Dónal Lunny for his Common Ground project. "And I've done a more substantial piece with John Harle the classical saxophonist, who's written three settings for the songs from Twelfth Night which are really lovely," he adds.
What about the artists who inspired you, Elvis? Did they not just concentrate on the job on hand of putting out a new single or a new album every few months. Could it be you're confusing people?
"But that's the past," protests Elvis. "It's not like that anymore. I think that's an old-fashioned attitude. It was good when it was happening but to repeat it is pointless. It's like asking me to make the same records I made 20 years ago. It's pointless.
"I'm quite happy about the way I work," he continues. "I've got several careers going on independently of one another. I've got a completely different career going in Sweden than I have in Spain.
And a completely different one in London than here. I keep very quiet here. I live here nearly all the time but I never go anywhere. It's kinda selfish but don't want to be hanging out all the time."


{{cx}}
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{{rttc}}


{{tags}}[[All This Useless Beauty]] {{-}} [[The Attractions]]
{{tags}}[[All This Useless Beauty]] {{-}} [[The Attractions]] {{-}} [[Roger McGuinn]] {{-}} [[Johnny Cash]] {{-}} [[Sam Moore]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] {{-}} [[Algonquin Hotel]] {{-}} [[National Stadium]] {{-}} [[Single: Little Atoms|Little Atoms (single)]] {{-}} [[Single: The Other End Of The Telescope|The Other End Of The Telescope (single)]] {{-}} [[Single: Distorted Angel|Distorted Angel (single)]] {{-}} [[Single: All This Useless Beauty|All This Useless Beauty (single)]] {{-}} [[Lush]] {{-}} [[Tricky]] {{-}} [[Meltdown Festival]] {{-}} [[London]] {{-}} [[Deborah Harry]] {{-}} [[The Jazz Passengers]] {{-}} [[Bill Frisell]] {{-}} [[The Fairfield Four]] {{-}} [[Brian Eno]] {{-}} [[Songs In The Key Of X]] {{-}} [[Dónal Lunny]] {{-}} [[Common Ground (Voices Of Modern Irish Music)]] {{-}} [[John Harle]] {{-}} [[John Harle: Terror And Magnificence|Terror And Magnificence]]
{{cx}}
{{cx}}



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Dublin Evening Herald

UK & Ireland newspapers

-

No easy singles for Elvis


Eamon Carr

You don't get an overnight hit after 20 years, explains Elvis Costello

There was a time when Elvis Costello traded in hit singles. A series of nervy epistles from the front not only thrilled and reassured, but also flagged albums crackling with energy and determination.

Those were albums full of songs which swept the emotional minefields of troubled relationships, queried the numbing minutiae of the daily grind.

Confronting a Costello album was seldom an easy option. However in exchange he offered encouragement and hope, if sometimes only through his enthusiasm for debate.

There haven't been many hit singles of late but, surprise, surprise, the same old belligerence, the same brittle tenderness, is still there. Costello still refuses to make things easy for his listeners.

His latest album, All This Useless Beauty, has him working again with his original band, The Attractions. Although it's been in the shops for a month, there doesn't seem to be any high-profile chart action yet.

"When you get 20 years in, you don't get overnight success," says Elvis defiantly.

"I've already had overnight success. What do I want it again for?"

Surely the idea is to get people to hear this collection of songs, many of which were originally written with the idea of having other artists record them?

"It's had some really great responses, but I just feel there's a sense of it being put in a glass case a bit because of its nature," he concedes. "It's very easy to write a review of this record that simply lists the artists for whom the songs were written (Roger McGuinn, Johnny Cash, Sam Moore) but there's no thought of what we've actually done with them or what the songs are actually about."

Without the daytime airplay a single can deliver, the best way for an artist to get their music to the public is by touring. Elvis has just returned from the States where, with keyboard-player Steve Nieve, he showcased the material in a series of unusual venues, including the Algonquin Hotel in New York. On the road with The Attractions until September, he plays the National Stadium tomorrow night.

Yet, white he enjoys performing in concert and relishes the opportunity to breathe new life into old songs, Elvis acknowledges the hit single dilemma.

"They're really essential things," he agrees. "But fashions change for what a single sounds like and what kind of music is in vogue and I can't wait around."

Displaying a similar enthusiasm to the days when the punk wars demanded a new sonic salvo every few weeks, Elvis reveals a recently-devised plan.

"I'm going to release four singles in four weeks and each record will be more like a magazine than a single," he declares.

"Each one will contain different items, some live versions which open up the songs in different ways, some other related material like things which were very nearly part of the album but are rawer versions. The most unusual aspect is to engage other bands to re-cut some of the songs.

"It's kind of like a forum on the album for four weeks," he states. "We've gone beyond just simply doing a cover version, which could be just like karaoke, right into more radical re-mixing. It's called All This Useless Beauty, so let's take the risk."

But what about the marketing and sales teams at the record company? How are they going to respond to this hyper-active strategy? "It's good for them," chuckles Elvis, warming to his theme. "Because we don't know what's on the record until the week before. It's really like a magazine because you don't know what's going in it. Is someone going to deliver on time?"

Among those scheduled to appear as part of the package are Lush and trip-hop giant Tricky.

Elvis keeps busy. As artistic director of last year's Meltdown Festival at the South Bank Centre in London, he got to put together an astonishing collection of musical talent. Since then he's collaborated with many of those who appeared.

He's recorded with Deborah Harry and the Jazz Passengers, radical guitarist Bill Frisell and American gospel quartet The Fairfield Four.

He's also recorded with Brian Eno for The X-Files album and with Dónal Lunny for his Common Ground project. "And I've done a more substantial piece with John Harle the classical saxophonist, who's written three settings for the songs from Twelfth Night which are really lovely," he adds.

What about the artists who inspired you, Elvis? Did they not just concentrate on the job on hand of putting out a new single or a new album every few months. Could it be you're confusing people?

"But that's the past," protests Elvis. "It's not like that anymore. I think that's an old-fashioned attitude. It was good when it was happening but to repeat it is pointless. It's like asking me to make the same records I made 20 years ago. It's pointless.

"I'm quite happy about the way I work," he continues. "I've got several careers going on independently of one another. I've got a completely different career going in Sweden than I have in Spain.

And a completely different one in London than here. I keep very quiet here. I live here nearly all the time but I never go anywhere. It's kinda selfish but don't want to be hanging out all the time."


Tags: All This Useless BeautyThe AttractionsRoger McGuinnJohnny CashSam MooreSteve NieveAlgonquin HotelNational StadiumLittle Atoms (single)The Other End Of The Telescope (single)Distorted Angel (single)All This Useless Beauty (single)LushTrickyMeltdown FestivalLondonDeborah HarryThe Jazz PassengersBill FrisellThe Fairfield FourBrian EnoSongs In The Key Of XDónal LunnyCommon Ground (Voices Of Modern Irish Music)John HarleTerror And Magnificence

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The Evening Herald, June 25, 1996


Eamon Carr interviews Elvis Costello ahead of his concert with The Attractions, Wednesday, June 26, 1996, National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland.

Images

1996-06-25 Dublin Evening Herald page 21.jpg
Page scans.

1996-06-25 Dublin Evening Herald page 17.jpg


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