London Guardian, September 30, 1980: Difference between revisions
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{{:Bibliography index}} | {{:Bibliography index}} | ||
{{:London Guardian index}} | {{:London Guardian index}} | ||
{{:UK & | {{:UK & Ireland newspapers index}} | ||
{{Bibliography article header}} | {{Bibliography article header}} | ||
<center><h3> Elvis Costello </h3></center> | |||
<center><h3> | <center>''' Rainbow Theatre, London </center> | ||
<center>''' | |||
---- | ---- | ||
<center> Mick Brown </center> | <center> Mick Brown </center> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Having emerged as one of the most perceptive, intelligent and provocative performers in rock over | Having emerged as one of the most perceptive, intelligent and provocative performers in rock over the last four years, Elvis Costello's career appears to be suffering a momentary loss of momentum. His earlier persona as a perpetual victim of circumstances bent on revenge has been tempered somewhat in the wake of a host of bespectacled and irate singer/songwriters bearing the flag of suburban mediocrities. | ||
the last four years, Elvis | |||
His earlier persona as a perpetual victim of circumstances bent on revenge has been tempered | |||
somewhat in the wake of a host of bespectacled and irate singer/songwriters bearing the flag of | |||
suburban mediocrities. | |||
Costello's last album, ''Get Happy'', which flirted with soul music idioms, was a necessary and astutely crafted departure from his established style which confirmed his prodigious writing skills, but vanished from the charts almost as soon as it arrived. | |||
crafted departure from his established style which confirmed his prodigious writing skills, but | |||
vanished from the charts almost as soon as it arrived. | |||
Time has made Costello more sure of his own artistry – an assurance which has had the duel | Time has made Costello more sure of his own artistry – an assurance which has had the duel consequences of encouraging him to take chances with his songwriting, pulling out melodic phrases as embellishments which would have been unthinkable three years ago; but with that self assurance has come a loss of the manic, driven quality which made Costello such a compelling performer. Once an act of exorcism, his performance now displays well rounded if occasionally misplaced perfectionism. | ||
consequences of encouraging him to take chances with his songwriting, pulling out melodic phrases | |||
as embellishments which would have been unthinkable three years ago; but with that self assurance | |||
has come a loss of the manic, driven quality which made Costello such a compelling performer. | |||
Once an act of exorcism, his performance now displays well rounded if occasionally misplaced | |||
perfectionism. | |||
The simple but elegant duet for voice and piano which opened the show provided an arresting | The simple but elegant duet for voice and piano which opened the show provided an arresting glimpse of Costello's range and sophistication; but from then on he and his band tended to tackle everything at much the same brisk, edgy pace which may have been perfectly suited to new songs like "Lovers Walk" and "From a Whisper to a Scream," which take the listener by force and show that ruthless power of the attractions, but which tended to blunt the subtlety of songs like "Accidents Will Happen." | ||
glimpse of | |||
everything at much the same brisk, edgy pace which may have been perfectly suited to new songs | |||
like | |||
ruthless power of | |||
A curious mixture of the exciting and the frustrating, one senses that | A curious mixture of the exciting and the frustrating, one senses that Costello's powers as a writer have outgrown the limitations of his surroundings in performance and that he now needs greater musical depth to do his material justice. Nowadays, the studio rather than the stage is a better setting for his talent. | ||
have outgrown the limitations of his surroundings in performance and that he now needs greater | |||
musical depth to do his material justice. Nowadays, the studio rather than the stage is a better | |||
setting for his talent. | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
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{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:1980-09-30 Guardian 01.jpg| | [[image:1980-09-30 London Guardian page 09 clipping 01.jpg|380px]] | ||
<br><small>Clipping.</small> | <br><small>Clipping.</small> | ||
[[image:1980-09-30 Guardian page | <small>Page scan.</small><br> | ||
[[image:1980-09-30 London Guardian page 09.jpg|x120px|border]] | |||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} | ||
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*[http://www.theguardian.com/ Guardian.com] | *[http://www.theguardian.com/ Guardian.com] | ||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Guardian Wikipedia: London Guardian] | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Guardian Wikipedia: London Guardian] | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:London Guardian 1980-09-30}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:London Guardian 1980-09-30}} | ||
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[[Category:London Guardian| London Guardian 1980-09-30]] | [[Category:London Guardian| London Guardian 1980-09-30]] | ||
[[Category:Newspaper articles]] | [[Category:Newspaper articles]] | ||
[[Category:1980 concert reviews]] | [[Category:1980 concert reviews]] | ||
