Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1994

From The Elvis Costello Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
... Bibliography ...
727677787980818283
848586878889909192
939495969798990001
020304050607080910
111213141516171819
202122232425 26 27 28


Los Angeles Times

California publications

Newspapers

University publications

Magazines and alt. weeklies


US publications by state
  • ALAKARAZCA
  • COCTDCDEFL
  • GAHI   IA      ID      IL
  • IN   KSKYLA   MA
  • MDME   MIMNMO
  • MSMTNC  ND  NE
  • NHNJNMNVNY
  • OHOKORPARI
  • SCSDTNTXUT
  • VAVTWAWIWY

-

Brutal Youth

Elvis Costello

Chris Willman

4-star (of 4) reviews4-star (of 4) reviews4-star (of 4) reviews4-star (of 4) reviews

Like Woody Allen, Costello has long been beset by fickle fans who prefer "the early, funny stuff" — and has sworn death before nostalgia. So what is he doing, breaking his pledge never to reunite the world's greatest backup band, the Attractions, readopting the old sound of literate fury, and giving the resulting album a title that begs the obvious? Still being true to his own aim, and reluctantly indulging our fondest wishes.

This isn't the brilliantly bitter, kid-stuff gynephobia of This Year's Model, although it may sound like it — thank goodness — with its crisp snares, fat bass riffs and gorgeously spat broadsides. He's still disappointed in women, but more disappointed in their users, as in "Sulky Girl," directed less at the title pouter than at the unworthy men who've backed her into blank-faced defensiveness. Scripting the vagaries of youth — and of sex, alcoholism, co-dependency and even middle-age nostalgia — brings out a real (if really arch) sympathy in Costello he didn't always evidence in his younger days.

That he and the Attractions — plus part-time bassist Nick Lowe — play this rich, bemusedly mature material with the angry abandon of kids makes the album title suddenly non-ironic again. You don't have to have underrated Costello's recent work to agree this is his finest album since his last with the Attractions, 1986's Blood & Chocolate.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).


Tags: Brutal YouthThe AttractionsThis Year's ModelBlood & ChocolateSulky GirlNick LoweChris Willman

Copyright 1994 Los Angeles Times

-
<< >>

Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1994


Chris Willman reviews Brutal Youth.

Images

1994-03-06 Los Angeles Times, Calendar page 62 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.


Page scan.
1994-03-06 Los Angeles Times, Calendar page 62.jpg

-



Back to top

External links