London Telegraph, January 8, 2022: Difference between revisions
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While for Costello's older fans the new album will evoke the furious pop rock of the Attractions in their prime, he is bullishly insistent that this is no exercise in nostalgia. "It's not back to basics, 'cos there's nothing basic about this band. Steve Nieve wrote an opera, he can play any instrument that has keys on it and a few that don't. And now that Charlie Watts has gone, Pete's been promoted — he's the greatest living rock 'n' roll drummer." | While for Costello's older fans the new album will evoke the furious pop rock of the Attractions in their prime, he is bullishly insistent that this is no exercise in nostalgia. "It's not back to basics, 'cos there's nothing basic about this band. Steve Nieve wrote an opera, he can play any instrument that has keys on it and a few that don't. And now that Charlie Watts has gone, Pete's been promoted — he's the greatest living rock 'n' roll drummer." | ||
As for Costello himself, he is indisputably one of the world's pre-eminent singer-songwriters — up there with Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell — his densely intelligent lyricism matched by a dazzling musicality. The son of big band singer Ross MacManus (vocalist for the Joe Loss Band in the | As for Costello himself, he is indisputably one of the world's pre-eminent singer-songwriters — up there with Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell — his densely intelligent lyricism matched by a dazzling musicality. The son of big band singer Ross MacManus (vocalist for the Joe Loss Band in the 1950s and 60s), he initially struggled for years on the folk pub circuit, performing solo as Declan MacManus. "I was resident for a while in the Half Moon in Putney; they paid me in beer and sandwiches," he recalls. "The songs were intimate — torrents of words, a bit purple and audacious and romantic — but I couldn't really command a room." | ||
He signed to Stiff Records in 1976, "still doing a country, ragtime thing". And then punk exploded and Costello was repackaged as a new wave sensation. The brilliant Nick Lowe was brought in as producer and his manager Jake Riviera suggested he | He signed to Stiff Records in 1976, "still doing a country, ragtime thing". And then punk exploded and Costello was repackaged as a new wave sensation. The brilliant Nick Lowe was brought in as producer and his manager Jake Riviera suggested he change his name: "Elvis" chosen as a deliberate affront to rock traditionalists, plus "Costello", a family name once used as an alias by his father. By then, he points out, "I wasn't an angry young teenager. I was 22, married with a kid, working in a bank. Jake invented the image." | ||
During the next decade, Costello had one of the greatest hot streaks in British pop history, seven incredible albums in seven years, starting with ''My Aim Is True'' in 1977 and including his masterpiece, ''Imperial Bedroom'', in 1982. After the hits started to dry up, the Attractions disintegrated in 1986 (bowing out with a final superb record, ''Blood & Chocolate''). | During the next decade, Costello had one of the greatest hot streaks in British pop history, seven incredible albums in seven years, starting with ''My Aim Is True'' in 1977 and including his masterpiece, ''Imperial Bedroom'', in 1982. After the hits started to dry up, the Attractions disintegrated in 1986 (bowing out with a final superb record, ''Blood & Chocolate''). | ||
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We are talking in Ronnie Scott's, the storied Soho jazz club where Costello once performed with revered jazz outfit the Mingus Big Band. "I'm sure the jazzers were wondering, 'What's that old punk doing up there?'" He indicates a lamplit booth. "My mother was sitting over there, with Diana and Matt," he says referring to his wife and his elder son from his first marriage to school sweetheart Mary Burgoyne. | We are talking in Ronnie Scott's, the storied Soho jazz club where Costello once performed with revered jazz outfit the Mingus Big Band. "I'm sure the jazzers were wondering, 'What's that old punk doing up there?'" He indicates a lamplit booth. "My mother was sitting over there, with Diana and Matt," he says referring to his wife and his elder son from his first marriage to school sweetheart Mary Burgoyne. | ||
For Costello, family is a constant touchstone. One song on the new album, "The Death of Magic Thinking," grapples with "the borderline of childhood and adulthood [where] there's a fear and thrill about anything sexual. It's enticing, intriguing and intimidating, and maybe you don't really want to leave the magic of childhood behind, which I sense in one of my sons." From that starting point, Costello captures "snapshots of times in your life when you might be told to stop acting like a child — which for most men is the next 40 or 50 years". He laughs. "I'm 67 now, I've got a 47-year-old | For Costello, family is a constant touchstone. One song on the new album, "The Death of Magic Thinking," grapples with "the borderline of childhood and adulthood [where] there's a fear and thrill about anything sexual. It's enticing, intriguing and intimidating, and maybe you don't really want to leave the magic of childhood behind, which I sense in one of my sons." From that starting point, Costello captures "snapshots of times in your life when you might be told to stop acting like a child — which for most men is the next 40 or 50 years". He laughs. "I'm 67 now, I've got a 47-year-old son and two 14-year-old sons, so you see little moments, flashes that remind you of a different stage, and you begin to make connections. The stories start to tumble out." | ||
Last month, some viewers were surprised to see Costello appear at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. His father — who died in 2011, aged 84 — had appeared at the same event with Joe Loss in 1963, and his picture was projected on to a screen behind Costello as he sang. "I'm glad it was there, but I knew if I turned around, I would lose it," says Costello now, suddenly choking up with emotion. | Last month, some viewers were surprised to see Costello appear at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. His father — who died in 2011, aged 84 — had appeared at the same event with Joe Loss in 1963, and his picture was projected on to a screen behind Costello as he sang. "I'm glad it was there, but I knew if I turned around, I would lose it," says Costello now, suddenly choking up with emotion. | ||
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Latest revision as of 15:08, 27 January 2023
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