Melody Maker, April 30, 1994: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> Get this!! </h3></center> | <center><h3> Get this!! </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Jim Arundel </center> | <center> Jim Arundel </center> | ||
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'''Elvis Costello & the Attractions <br> | |||
Get Happy!! | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Just the other day, over "lunch," a bunch of us were chewing the quorn about the new Blur album and I chipped in that, while "Girls And Boys" was excellent, ''Parklife'' as a whole suffered from a surfeit of pastiche. "The lyrics go nowhere and it all sounds like an exercise in recreation rather than creation," I announced. | Just the other day, over "lunch," a bunch of us were chewing the quorn about the new Blur album and I chipped in that, while "Girls And Boys" was excellent, ''Parklife'' as a whole suffered from a surfeit of pastiche. "The lyrics go nowhere and it all sounds like an exercise in recreation rather than creation," I announced. | ||
Later that afternoon, I gleefully took delivery of this re-issue and it struck me that what I'd said could equally be levelled at ''Get Happy!!'', which I adored when it first appeared. It's the sources, I suppose. ''Get Happy!!'' plunders Stax and Motown influences, infinitely more appealing to your reporter than Blur's jerky, English, Kinks-and-cockernee grab-bag. Coming after the slick ''Armed Forces'' album, its cool, if nervy, set of two-minute nuggets was a neat two fingers at anyone who expected Costello to run out of ideas. | Later that afternoon, I gleefully took delivery of this re-issue and it struck me that what I'd said could equally be levelled at ''Get Happy!!'', which I adored when it first appeared. It's the sources, I suppose. ''Get Happy!!'' plunders Stax and Motown influences, infinitely more appealing to your reporter than Blur's jerky, English, Kinks-and-cockernee grab-bag. Coming after the slick ''Armed Forces'' album, its cool, if nervy, set of two-minute nuggets was a neat two fingers at anyone who expected Costello to run out of ideas. The ruse of making it a 20-tracker, apeing the popular 20 Golden Greats albums of the time, and concentrating on black American styles during the height of the power pop boom was a splendidly audacious way of pre-empting the expected backlash and answering American critics still fuming after the unfortunate "Ray Charles incident" (It's a long story. Ask yer dad). | ||
It flopped like a bastard. | |||
But it's fascinating that all the vices that spoil Costello's ''oeuvre'' — too little editing, spewing out puns and aphorisms, self-conscious fandom — are all present in bucketloads and yet, for me — unlike any other Costello album — it works perfectly. One factor in its favour is that The Attractions were outrageously good by this time — facilitative, tough and tight — and would never sound as supple again. The production is sparse and spontaneous but warm and full of a sense of place, just like the Stax tracks it aspired to. Highlights are the croonsome "Secondary Modern," the yearning "Clowntime Is Over," the look-at-us-we-can-do-the-MGs "Temptation" and the blazing "Can't Stand Up For Falling Down." Each track has something to recommend it. And, if you don't like one, there'll be another along in a minute. | |||
For your further listening pleasure, Demon have tacked on another 11 tracks (including an unlisted demo at the end), most of which have seen service in the past on B-sides and compilations. Of particular note are the slow version of "Clowntime," the similarly goose-pimply "Just A Memory," the caffeine-injected version of "Getting Mighty Crowded," and the marimba-spooked "Ghost Train." All very fine tunes, but this extra batch of songs weakens the taut power of the original album. | |||
Proof you can have too much of a good thing. | |||
{{cx}}<!-- Demon DPAMS 31 tks/17 mins/FP/CD only --> | {{cx}}<!-- Demon DPAMS 31 tks/17 mins/FP/CD only --> | ||
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{{Bibliography next | {{Bibliography next | ||
|prev = Melody Maker, April | |prev = Melody Maker, April 23, 1994 | ||
|next = Melody Maker, July | |next = Melody Maker, July 2, 1994 | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Melody Maker, April 30, 1994 | '''Melody Maker, April 30, 1994 | ||
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[[Jim Arundel]] reviews the | [[Jim Arundel]] reviews the Demon reissue of ''[[Get Happy!!]]''. | ||
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<small> | <small>[[Concert 1978-12-18 London|1978]] photo by [[Gus Stewart]].</small><br> | ||
[[image:1994-04-30 Melody Maker photo 01 gs.jpg| | [[image:1994-04-30 Melody Maker photo 01 gs.jpg|300px]] | ||
<small>Cover and page scan.</small><br> | <small>Cover and page scan.</small><br> | ||
[[image:1994-04-30 Melody Maker cover.jpg|x120px | [[image:1994-04-30 Melody Maker cover.jpg|x120px]] | ||
[[image:1994-04-30 Melody Maker page 36.jpg|x120px | [[image:1994-04-30 Melody Maker page 36.jpg|x120px]] | ||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} |
Latest revision as of 16:47, 4 February 2024
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