Hit Parader, August 1979: Difference between revisions
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{{Bibliography header}} | {{Bibliography header}} | ||
{{Bibliography index}} | {{:Bibliography index}} | ||
{{Hit Parader index}} | {{:Hit Parader index}} | ||
{{ | {{:US rock magazines index}} | ||
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<center><h3> | <center><h3> Armed force accidents </h3></center> | ||
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Richard Robinson </center> | <center> Richard Robinson </center> | ||
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'''Notations Re: Peace, Love, and Understanding Elvis Costello | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Okay, the basic premise is that you've at least heard of Elvis Costello. That's a start. Listening to his albums isn't absolutely required to understand what follows, but it will help. | Okay, the basic premise is that you've at least heard of Elvis Costello. That's a start. Listening to his albums isn't absolutely required to understand what follows, but it will help. | ||
I'm amazed at the number of people I know (mainly | I'm amazed at the number of people I know (mainly Toto and Foreigner fans) who have heard of Elvis Costello but have never actually listened to any of his albums. There must be something wrong when a melodic, catchy songwriter with a penchant for clever teenage lyrics is practically ignored by the rock establishment. | ||
Of course there's something wrong with the rock establishment, but we won't pursue that, except as it reflects on the talent and commercial potential of Elvis Costello. | Of course there's something wrong with the rock establishment, but we won't pursue that, except as it reflects on the talent and commercial potential of Elvis Costello. | ||
Some critics have likened Elvis to | Some critics have likened Elvis to Bruce Springsteen, not an impossible comparison. Both artists present an energetic, sometimes angry, honesty in their lyrics; each has a gift for melody that is unusual among rock artists. And both, I'd say, have a little bit of poser about them, they have developed colorful stances about cars, girls, politics, white lower class life, and older people's values. But these comparisons only outline a general category of 70's rock 'n' roll singers; a list that also includes Patti Smith, David Johansen, Tom Verlaine, David Bowie, and a half dozen others. | ||
One thing that puts Elvis apart from other rock personalities of the new wave generation is that he is particularly inaccessible. He stands behind his guitar and glasses onstage, seeming to maintain a distance that becomes even greater when he's offstage. This includes a general rule of thumb that no photos of Elvis are to be taken when he's offstage. Like Orwell's political campaign for Big Brother, all we see is that one image, Elvis the poster staring out at us from behind his specs. | One thing that puts Elvis apart from other rock personalities of the new wave generation is that he is particularly inaccessible. He stands behind his guitar and glasses onstage, seeming to maintain a distance that becomes even greater when he's offstage. This includes a general rule of thumb that no photos of Elvis are to be taken when he's offstage. Like Orwell's political campaign for Big Brother, all we see is that one image, Elvis the poster staring out at us from behind his specs. | ||
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Nobody really cares, but it is interesting to observe. It also makes it tough to find a nice color snapshot of Elvis to put on the cover of a magazine. But then, maybe that's what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding. | Nobody really cares, but it is interesting to observe. It also makes it tough to find a nice color snapshot of Elvis to put on the cover of a magazine. But then, maybe that's what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding. | ||
As we move along, let me interject that Elvis' new album, ''Armed Forces'', is not as good as ''This Year's Model''. The later album has two hot sides, one of the few records sold in the last five years that you can actually listen to band for band, side one and side two. Armed Forces, disappointingly, has only one completely hot side (side one), and one that's barely so-so. I presume this doesn't mean that Elvis has peaked, but you never. His next album, whenever it's released, will be the key that tells us if Elvis has flashed his pan or if he's here for good with his catchy songs and snappy observations on the passing scene. For me, the verdict isn't in yet. | As we move along, let me interject that Elvis' new album, ''Armed Forces'', is not as good as ''This Year's Model''. The later album has two hot sides, one of the few records sold in the last five years that you can actually listen to band for band, side one and side two. ''Armed Forces'', disappointingly, has only one completely hot side (side one), and one that's barely so-so. I presume this doesn't mean that Elvis has peaked, but you never. His next album, whenever it's released, will be the key that tells us if Elvis has flashed his pan or if he's here for good with his catchy songs and snappy observations on the passing scene. For me, the verdict isn't in yet. | ||
A large number of reviewers who criticized the Armed Forces album make mention of the fact that the original title was to be | A large number of reviewers who criticized the ''Armed Forces'' album make mention of the fact that the original title was to be ''Emotional Fascism''. As witty a title as we've heard in these parts since "Footsteps On The Ceiling." | ||
Is Elvis angry with us. Is he one of the new wave of angry young men who have something to say about how we chose to waste our time. Come to think of it, is he the only angry young man in rock | Is Elvis angry with us. Is he one of the new wave of angry young men who have something to say about how we chose to waste our time. Come to think of it, is he the only angry young man in rock 'n' roll. Maybe, depends on who's emotional and who's the fascist. In my experience among the fields of rock stardom, I've encountered a few artistes who are both fascist and emotional when it comes to what they've got to say, though what they say may not spell out the fascism except by audience participation. | ||
My favourite description of Elvis comes from the April ''[[Trouser Press, April 1979|Trouser Press]]'' when Ira Robbins refers to him as "the Sultan of Spite" | My favourite description of Elvis comes from the April ''[[Trouser Press, April 1979|Trouser Press]]'' when Ira Robbins refers to him as "the Sultan of Spite." | ||
Maybe that's true. But the Private Elvis (you know, the one who won't do interviews) isn't saying. | Maybe that's true. But the Private Elvis (you know, the one who won't do interviews) isn't saying. | ||
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Elvis Costello Facts: And who knows if they're true: Elvis' real name is Declan Patrick MacManus. He was born in London and although his father was a jazz musician, it wasn't until he was in his late teens that he got involved in rock. He's 24 or 25 years old and has a wife and a child. He got discovered through an audition cassette that he dropped off at Stiff Records in London. | Elvis Costello Facts: And who knows if they're true: Elvis' real name is Declan Patrick MacManus. He was born in London and although his father was a jazz musician, it wasn't until he was in his late teens that he got involved in rock. He's 24 or 25 years old and has a wife and a child. He got discovered through an audition cassette that he dropped off at Stiff Records in London. | ||
"Actually I think I'm more devious than obsessive," says Elvis in the only in-depth interview with him we've seen. It appeared in London's ''New Music Express'' last spring. In it he talked about himself and his music. It's peppered with words like "disorientates" | "Actually I think I'm more devious than obsessive," says Elvis in the only in-depth [[New Musical Express, March 25, 1978|interview]] with him we've seen. It appeared in London's ''New Music Express'' last spring. In it he talked about himself and his music. It's peppered with words like "disorientates," "one-dimensional," "revengeful," "vicious," "emotions," "hate," "viewpoint," "impersonal"... and by the time you've finished reading it you know less about Elvis Costello than you did when you started, except that he doesn't know [[Nick Lowe]] (his producer) very well (they work together but don't socialize). Wonder what the socialists have to say about that. | ||
Are you beginning to get the impression it's impossible to write a feature about Elvis Costello that says anything worth reading? | Are you beginning to get the impression it's impossible to write a feature about Elvis Costello that says anything worth reading? | ||
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And that, is the secret service from this magazine for this issue. | And that, is the secret service from this magazine for this issue. | ||
{{cx}} | |||
{{tags}}[[Armed Forces]] {{-}} [[This Year's Model]] {{-}} [[Emotional Fascism]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[Declan MacManus]] {{-}} [[Ross MacManus]] {{-}} [[Stiff Records]] {{-}} [[Bruce Springsteen]] {{-}} [[Patti Smith]] {{-}} [[David Johansen]] {{-}} [[Tom Verlaine]] {{-}} [[David Bowie]] {{-}} [[Toto]] {{-}} [[New Musical Express, March 25, 1978|New Musical Express]] {{-}} [[Trouser Press, April 1979|Trouser Press]] {{-}} [[Ira Robbins]] | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
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{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | |||
|prev = Hit Parader, November 1978 | |||
|next = Hit Parader, September 1979 | |||
}} | |||
'''Hit Parader, No. 181, August 1979 | '''Hit Parader, No. 181, August 1979 | ||
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{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader | [[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader page 25.jpg|380px]] | ||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader | <br><small>Page scan.</small> | ||
<br><small> | |||
<small>Photo by [[Richard E. Aaron photos|Richard E. Aaron]].</small><br> | |||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo 02.jpg|380px|border]] | |||
<small>Photo by [[Bob Gruen]].</small><br> | |||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo 07 bg.jpg|380px|border]] | |||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo 01.jpg|x233px|border]] | |||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo 03.jpg|x233px|border]] | |||
<br><small>Photos.</small> | |||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo 04.jpg|380px|border]] | |||
<br><small>Photo.</small> | |||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo 05.jpg|x220px|border]] | |||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo | [[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo 06.jpg|x220px|border]] | ||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader photo | <br><small>Photos.</small> | ||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader | <small>Cover and contents page.</small><br> | ||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader | [[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader cover.jpg|x120px]] | ||
[[image:1979-08-00 Hit Parader contents page.jpg|x120px]] | |||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} | ||
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*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_Parader Wikipedia: Hit Parader] | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_Parader Wikipedia: Hit Parader] | ||
*[http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/h-l/hit_parader.790801.html elviscostello.info] | *[http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/h-l/hit_parader.790801.html elviscostello.info] | ||
*[http://www.bobgruen.com/elvis-costello/ BobGruen.com] | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hit Parader 1979-08-00}} | |||
[[Category:Bibliography 1979 | [[Category:Bibliography]] | ||
[[Category:Bibliography 1979]] | |||
[[Category:Hit Parader| Hit Parader 1979-08-00]] | [[Category:Hit Parader| Hit Parader 1979-08-00]] | ||
[[Category:Magazine articles | [[Category:Magazine articles]] |
Latest revision as of 15:17, 24 January 2024
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