Juke, February 25, 1989: Difference between revisions
(formatting) |
(formatting) |
||
(4 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
{{:Bibliography index}} | {{:Bibliography index}} | ||
{{:Juke index}} | {{:Juke index}} | ||
{{: | {{:Australia publications index}} | ||
{{Bibliography article header}} | {{Bibliography article header}} | ||
<center><h3> Costello's Spike </h3></center> | <center><h3> Costello's Spike </h3></center> | ||
Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
Costello puts everything in perspective right from the start with the opening ''"You're Nobody 'Till Everybody In This Town Thinks You're A Bastard,"'' it give it its full title. | Costello puts everything in perspective right from the start with the opening ''"You're Nobody 'Till Everybody In This Town Thinks You're A Bastard,"'' it give it its full title. | ||
A distant black sheep cousin to John Lennon's "Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out" | A distant black sheep cousin to John Lennon's "Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out," instead of Lennon's maudlin self-pity, Costello advocates the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" policy. You have to be a real git to get on. | ||
"...This Town..." is an indication of a change in musical policy. The Attractions are nowhere to be seen, Elvis opting for a dual Rickenbacker attack from Roger McGuinn and Paul McCartney. He's picked his playmates carefully, depending on the song, with Chrissie Hynde, Christy Moore, T | "...This Town..." is an indication of a change in musical policy. The Attractions are nowhere to be seen, Elvis opting for a dual Rickenbacker attack from Roger McGuinn and Paul McCartney. He's picked his playmates carefully, depending on the song, with Chrissie Hynde, Christy Moore, T{{nb}}Bone Burnett, Davy Spillane, and a fair whack of Tom Waits' band wearing the number 12 shirts. | ||
Costello once described ''Goodbye Cruel World'' as "the worst record of the best songs I've written" and he's learned from the experience, jettisoning the often inflexible Attractions. ''Goodbye Cruel World'' could have been a great record, were Elvis accompanied by his current cohorts or The Confederates from ''King Of America''. | Costello once described ''Goodbye Cruel World'' as "the worst record of the best songs I've written" and he's learned from the experience, jettisoning the often inflexible Attractions. ''Goodbye Cruel World'' could have been a great record, were Elvis accompanied by his current cohorts or The Confederates from ''King Of America''. | ||
Line 30: | Line 30: | ||
The only concession to the "traditional" Costello sound of old seems to be the single "Veronica" (an ear for the airwaves is a handy thing when you've been away for a while), where the lonely spinster stares out the window waiting for the man who left her 65 years previous to return. | The only concession to the "traditional" Costello sound of old seems to be the single "Veronica" (an ear for the airwaves is a handy thing when you've been away for a while), where the lonely spinster stares out the window waiting for the man who left her 65 years previous to return. | ||
But let's not forget the court jester; Costello has rarely been wittier than on the vaudevillian shuffle of "God's Comic" where | But let's not forget the court jester; Costello has rarely been wittier than on the vaudevillian shuffle of "God's Comic" where Elvis meets his maker lying on a water bed listening to Lloyd Webber's ''Requiem'': ''"He said before it had really begun / 'I prefer the one about my son / I've been wading through all this unbelievable junk / And wondering if I should have given the world to the monkeys'."'' | ||
Politically, the message is less obtuse than on, say, "Shipbuilding" or "Oliver's Army." The subtle lyrical imagery gives way to no-nonsense protest, best illustrated on "Tramp The Dirt Down," an indictment to the evil that is Thatcher, which paradoxically borrows its melody line from Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely." | Politically, the message is less obtuse than on, say, "Shipbuilding" or "Oliver's Army." The subtle lyrical imagery gives way to no-nonsense protest, best illustrated on "Tramp The Dirt Down," an indictment to the evil that is Thatcher, which paradoxically borrows its melody line from Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely." | ||
It's one of two songs where traditional Irish musicians are involved (Moore, Spillane, refugees from The Waterboys), the other being "Any King's Shilling." Originally written about his grandfather, Elvis makes appeals Please don't put your silly head in that British soldier's hat. | It's one of two songs where traditional Irish musicians are involved (Moore, Spillane, refugees from The Waterboys), the other being "Any King's Shilling." Originally written about his grandfather, Elvis makes appeals: ''"Please don't put your silly head in that British soldier's hat."'' | ||
"Let Him Dangle" addresses the hanging debate, using the factual case of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig, where Bentley failed to be given a last- minute reprieve. A chilling highlight among 14 very disturbing songs. | "Let Him Dangle" addresses the hanging debate, using the factual case of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig, where Bentley failed to be given a last-minute reprieve. A chilling highlight among 14 very disturbing songs. | ||
The voyeurist Costello of old is reprised for the beautiful "Satellite" (now they both know what it's like inside a pornographer's trousers) and the romantic fool holds back another tear on "Baby Plays Around." | The voyeurist Costello of old is reprised for the beautiful "Satellite" (now they both know what it's like inside a pornographer's trousers) and the romantic fool holds back another tear on "Baby Plays Around." | ||
Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
Following on, albeit it two years later, from Elvis' two best albums, ''Spike'' is a bold move where others would plump for the easy-way-out consolidatory collection. It's an exciting, inspiring, bewildering and bloody frightening record which could well be regarded as his most accomplished yet. | Following on, albeit it two years later, from Elvis' two best albums, ''Spike'' is a bold move where others would plump for the easy-way-out consolidatory collection. It's an exciting, inspiring, bewildering and bloody frightening record which could well be regarded as his most accomplished yet. | ||
Twelve albums in as many years is a tall order for anyone, and Elvis has | Twelve albums in as many years is a tall order for anyone, and Elvis has occasionally tripped — but he's never fallen over. He used to be disgusted, now he tries to be amused, but he's always entertaining. | ||
Subtitled The Beloved Entertainer, the new LP from Elvis Costello grapples with Lou Reed's ''New York'' as the most complete pop statement about our sick little earth. | Subtitled The Beloved Entertainer, the new LP from Elvis Costello grapples with Lou Reed's ''New York'' as the most complete pop statement about our sick little earth. | ||
Line 55: | Line 55: | ||
{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | |||
|prev = Juke, January 2, 1988 | |||
|next = Juke, March 18, 1989 | |||
}} | |||
'''Juke, No. 722, February 25, 1989 | '''Juke, No. 722, February 25, 1989 | ||
---- | ---- | ||
[[Terry Staunton]] reviews ''[[Spike]]''. <span style="font-size:92%"> ( | [[Terry Staunton]] reviews ''[[Spike]]''. | ||
<span style="font-size:92%"> (from [[New Musical Express, February 11, 1989|''New Musical Express'', February 11, 1989]].)</span> <!-- Page 18; --> | |||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
Line 72: | Line 78: | ||
*[http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/h-l/juke.890225a.html elviscostello.info] | *[http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/h-l/juke.890225a.html elviscostello.info] | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juke 1989-02-25}} | |||
[[Category:Bibliography 1989 | [[Category:Bibliography]] | ||
[[Category:Bibliography 1989]] | |||
[[Category:Juke| Juke 1989-02-25]] | [[Category:Juke| Juke 1989-02-25]] | ||
[[Category:Magazine articles | [[Category:Magazine articles]] | ||
[[Category:Album reviews | [[Category:Album reviews]] | ||
[[Category:Spike reviews | [[Category:Spike reviews]] |
Latest revision as of 22:54, 22 October 2021
|