LA CityBeat, September 11, 2003: Difference between revisions
(formatting / standardize quotes&apostrophes / .+California publications index) |
(+US publications by state index +tags +em-dashes +archive.org wayback link +sub-head) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
{{:LA CityBeat index}} | {{:LA CityBeat index}} | ||
{{:California publications index}} | {{:California publications index}} | ||
{{:US publications by state index}} | |||
{{Bibliography article header}} | {{Bibliography article header}} | ||
<center><h3> His aim is true love </h3></center> | <center><h3> His aim is true love </h3></center> | ||
| Line 8: | Line 9: | ||
<center> Chris Morris </center> | <center> Chris Morris </center> | ||
---- | ---- | ||
'''Elvis Costello's naked ''North'' poignantly limns the pain and possibilities of a relationship gone south | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Even longtime fans familiar with Elvis Costello's musical adventuring over the last decade — a restless, not always satisfying odyssey that has included collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet, Anne Sofie von Otter, Burt Bacharach, and the Mingus Big Band, among others — may be surprised by Costello's new album, ''North''. | |||
Even longtime fans familiar with Elvis Costello's musical adventuring over the last decade | |||
The record, due in stores September 23, is unusual on a number of accounts. It can be called a concept album: In 40 economical minutes, Costello whips his listeners through the terminus of one love affair and the blossoming of another. (One might surmise that the subject matter is inspired by the end of the musician's long marriage to Cait O'Riordan and his wooing of his bride-to-be, singer-pianist Diana Krall, but we'll leave that to the tabloids.) | The record, due in stores September 23, is unusual on a number of accounts. It can be called a concept album: In 40 economical minutes, Costello whips his listeners through the terminus of one love affair and the blossoming of another. (One might surmise that the subject matter is inspired by the end of the musician's long marriage to Cait O'Riordan and his wooing of his bride-to-be, singer-pianist Diana Krall, but we'll leave that to the tabloids.) | ||
In a sharp volte-face from last year's rock-based set ''When I Was Cruel'', Costello sets down his guitar on 10 of the album's 11 tracks; the songs are dominated by | In a sharp volte-face from last year's rock-based set ''When I Was Cruel'', Costello sets down his guitar on 10 of the album's 11 tracks; the songs are dominated by Steve Nieve's subdued piano, and embellished on some numbers by a 48-piece horn and string ensemble. There isn't a rocker to be heard: Ballads comprise the entire album. | ||
Clearly, the sound of ''North'' was inspired by Costello's longtime affection for classical American pop songwriting; the album resounds with echoes of such keystone works as Frank Sinatra's ''In the Wee Small Hours'' and Billie Holiday's ''Lady in Satin''. He attempted to demonstrate his affinity for and facility with that style on his 1998 duo recording with Bacharach, ''Painted from Memory'', but, with the exception of the potent "God Give Me Strength" (actually composed for Allison Anders's 1996 film ''Grace of My Heart''), the partnership produced music that was fussy, mannered, and meandering. | Clearly, the sound of ''North'' was inspired by Costello's longtime affection for classical American pop songwriting; the album resounds with echoes of such keystone works as Frank Sinatra's ''In the Wee Small Hours'' and Billie Holiday's ''Lady in Satin''. He attempted to demonstrate his affinity for and facility with that style on his 1998 duo recording with Bacharach, ''Painted from Memory'', but, with the exception of the potent "God Give Me Strength" (actually composed for Allison Anders's 1996 film ''Grace of My Heart''), the partnership produced music that was fussy, mannered, and meandering. | ||
| Line 24: | Line 25: | ||
Emotionally, it's the most grown-up album he's ever made. To that, some might say, "About fucking time." | Emotionally, it's the most grown-up album he's ever made. To that, some might say, "About fucking time." | ||
The record divides fairly neatly down the middle. The first five songs confront the effects of a relationship's end | The record divides fairly neatly down the middle. The first five songs confront the effects of a relationship's end — the staggering moment when one realizes it's all over, the speechlessness and sleeplessness that follow, and the breath-stopping understanding that a season has changed in the soul. The last six tracks examine the unfolding of a new love — its unexpected arrival, the giddiness and almost adolescent exhilaration of it, and the sweetness of surrender. | ||
understanding that a season has changed in the soul. The last six tracks examine the unfolding of a new love | |||
In an unprecedented gambit, Costello keeps a tight grip on his pen. Especially in recent years, he has seldom been able to resist a baroquely turned phrase, even if it obscured the meaning or dulled the impact of his song. But on ''North'', Costello opts for directness above all else. You may never have expected to hear him sing "I long to hear you whisper my name," but, by God, he does on " | In an unprecedented gambit, Costello keeps a tight grip on his pen. Especially in recent years, he has seldom been able to resist a baroquely turned phrase, even if it obscured the meaning or dulled the impact of his song. But on ''North'', Costello opts for directness above all else. You may never have expected to hear him sing "I long to hear you whisper my name," but, by God, he does on "Can You Be True?" | ||
Some arrangements are big, even enormous, but they never swamp the proceedings; the focus is always on Costello's ardent voice and Nieve's pitch-perfect keyboards. There are a couple of lovely instrumental contributions: Jazz veteran | Some arrangements are big, even enormous, but they never swamp the proceedings; the focus is always on Costello's ardent voice and Nieve's pitch-perfect keyboards. There are a couple of lovely instrumental contributions: Jazz veteran Lee Konitz offers a wonderful alto coda on "Someone Took the Words Away," and Lew Soloff contributes a Miles Davis-like muted flugelhorn to the exuberant "Let Me Tell You About Her." | ||
In all, it's an amazing, powerfully affecting record | In all, it's an amazing, powerfully affecting record — one of those rare midnight-to-dawn albums that pierces you right where you live. ''North'' is not an artless record — in fact, the complexity of its creation is on display in every cut — but it projects the feeling of artlessness, for we are hearing Elvis Costello alone with his bruised but healing heart. | ||
{{cx}} | |||
{{tags}}[[The Brodsky Quartet]] {{-}} [[Anne Sofie von Otter]] {{-}} [[Burt Bacharach]] {{-}} [[Mingus Big Band]] {{-}} [[Cait O'Riordan]] {{-}} [[North]] {{-}} [[Diana Krall]] {{-}} [[When I Was Cruel]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] {{-}} [[Frank Sinatra]] {{-}} [[:Image:Frank Sinatra In The Wee Small Hours album cover.jpg|In The Wee Small Hours]] {{-}} [[Billie Holiday]] {{-}} [[:image:Billie Holiday Lady In Satin album cover.jpg|Lady In Satin]] {{-}} [[Painted From Memory]] {{-}} [[God Give Me Strength]] {{-}} [[Grace Of My Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|Grace Of My Heart]] {{-}} [[Can You Be True?]] {{-}} [[Lee Konitz]] {{-}} [[Someone Took The Words Away]] {{-}} [[Lew Soloff]] {{-}} [[Miles Davis]] {{-}} [[Let Me Tell You About Her]] {{-}} [[His aim is true]] | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
| Line 49: | Line 52: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060305103846/http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=229&IssueNum=14 archive.org] | |||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LA_CityBeat Wikipedia: LA CityBeat] | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LA_CityBeat Wikipedia: LA CityBeat] | ||
*[http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=578 Elvis Costello | *[http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=578 Elvis Costello Fan Forum] | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:LA CityBeat 2003-09-11}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:LA CityBeat 2003-09-11}} | ||
Latest revision as of 04:34, 26 July 2019
|
