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Live At Hollywood High
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Jon Dawson
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When Elvis Costello first busted into the mainstream in the late 1970s, he usually was written up as something of a literate punk rocker who had descended to demolish rock and roll. While Costello's music obviously exuded the energy of punk, the release of Live at Hollywood High proves that Costello was a rock and roller all along.
This show was recorded in 1978, and Costello and his band The Attractions are in blistering form. The studio versions of Costello classics "Pump It Up" and "Radio Radio" were already four-on-the-floor performances. The live versions on this collection add a considerable amount of "voodin-voodin" to the proceedings.
Most rock artists worth their salt have one or more seminal live albums in their catalog, and in some cases (The Who, Deep Purple, Allman Brothers), their live albums actually eclipse the impact of their well crafted studio albums. If Live at Hollywood High had been released during the first wave of Costello's popularity, he probably would have amassed an even larger following in the United States.
Costello always has been somewhat under-appreciated in America, even though he has released consistently strong albums for more than 30 years. Live at Hollywood High is a welcome addition to any well stocked Costello collection, and hopefully it will turn on some new fans to Costello's stellar brand of rock and roll.
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