Melody Maker, February 5, 1994: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> Costello's Brutal Youth </h3></center> | <center><h3> Costello's Brutal Youth </h3></center> | ||
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<center> | <center> David Fricke </center> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Elvis Costello's new album, on which he is reunited with The Attractions, has been set for a March 7 release by WEA. It's called ''Brutal Youth'' and it's described by those who've heard it as a stunning return to the power and fury of his first three albums. | |||
The album is being billed as an Attractions LP — US promo copies bear the legend: "Elvis Costello Brutal Youth featuring Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, Bruce Thomas and Nick Lowe." | |||
The album was co-produced by Mitchell Froom and Elvis and engineered by Chad Blake. | |||
It features 15 tracks. | |||
Here, <i>The Maker</i>'s man in New York, David Fricke, gives us a brief description of each track on the album. | |||
"Pony Street" — kicks off the album in old hyper style with the circus-organ sound, abrupt martial drum rolls and the serrated twang of The Attractions circa ''This Year's Model''. | |||
"Kinder Murder" — a chilling song about violence and violation (''"She should have kept her knees together / Should have kept her mouth shut / It's a kinder murder"'') with faint echoes of "Less Than Zero" in tempo an structure but the dark, metallic foreboding of the ''Blood & Chocolate'' period. | |||
"13 Steps Lead Down" — a chorus that recalls the infectious vocal-riff cascade of "Oliver's Army" and a hard venomous mono-twang Costello guitar solo at the end. | |||
"This Is Hell" — a step in the ''Imperial Bedroom'' direction, a Lennon-esque view of the not-so-greener side of the fence with acoustic guitar calliope-style keyboard flourishes and some droll ideas of torture (''"'My Favourite Things' is playing again and again / But it's by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane"'') | |||
"Clown Strike" — this is a stripped-back swinger about not trying so hard to be admired and loved. | |||
"You Tripped At Every Step" — a sweet and sour ballad about a relationship drowning in alcoholism, a tender admonition rendered in the style of melancholy romanticism that made "Everyday I Write The Book" one of Costello's biggest US hits. | |||
"Still Too Soon To Know" — one of the shortest songs on the album, barely over two minutes with the nervous uncertainty in the lyrics starkly underlined by Steve Nieve's "Moonlight Sonata" piano garnish. | |||
"20% Amnesia" — a ''Blood & Chocolate''-flavoured state-of-the-nation address where the unemployed and the expendable are wiped out from the national consciousness and conscience. | |||
"Sulky Girl" — a classic Attractions rumble. ''This Year's Model'' is exuberantly recast for 1994. | |||
"London's Brilliant Parade" — false bravado, thoughts of suicide and images of a city going to seed (''"The lions and tigers in Regent's Park couldn't pay their way / And now they're not the only ones"'') rendered with a dusky pop elegance. | |||
"My Science Fiction Twin" — opens with a sassy fuzz-box not to "Pump It Up." | |||
"Rocking Horse Road" - nostalgia and yearning for what might have been, spiked with a skeletal musical menace and bursts of full-band angst. | |||
"Just About Glad" and "All The Rage" — a pair of kiss-off songs in vintage 1978-79 Costello-Attractions style, the latter in a snarly overhaul of Fifties waltz-time doo-wop. | |||
"Favourite Hour" — a funereal sign-off with just Costello, piano and a doleful hint of organ. | |||
The album is preceded by a single "Sulky Girl," at the end of the month. | |||
Costello is currently lining up a UK tour for late spring and dates will be announced shortly. | |||
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{{tags}}[[Brutal Youth]] {{-}} [[The Attractions]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] {{-}} [[Pete Thomas]] {{-}} [[Bruce Thomas]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[Mitchell Froom]] {{-}} [[Pony St.]] {{-}} [[This Year's Model]] {{-}} [[Kinder Murder]] {{-}} [[Less Than Zero]] {{-}} [[Blood & Chocolate]] {{-}} [[13 Steps Lead Down]] {{-}} [[Oliver's Army]] {{-}} [[This Is Hell]] {{-}} [[Imperial Bedroom]] {{-}} [[John Lennon]] {{-}} [[John Coltrane]] {{-}} [[Clown Strike]] {{-}} [[You Tripped At Every Step]] {{-}} [[Everyday I Write The Book]] {{-}} [[Still Too Soon To Know]] {{-}} [[20% Amnesia]] {{-}} [[Sulky Girl]] {{-}} [[London's Brilliant Parade]] {{-}} [[My Science Fiction Twin]] {{-}} [[Pump It Up]] {{-}} [[Rocking Horse Road]] {{-}} [[Just About Glad]] {{-}} [[All The Rage]] {{-}} [[Favourite Hour]] {{-}} [[:Category:1994 UK Tour|1994 UK Tour]] | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
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'''Melody Maker, February 5, 1994 | '''Melody Maker, February 5, 1994 | ||
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[[David Fricke]] previews ''[[Brutal Youth]]''. | |||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:1994-02-05 Melody Maker | [[image:1994-02-05 Melody Maker page 5 clipping.jpg|380px|Page 5 clipping.]] | ||
<br><small>Cover.</small> | <br><small>Clipping.</small> | ||
<small>Cover.</small><br> | |||
[[image:1994-02-05 Melody Maker cover.jpg|x120px|border|Cover.]] | |||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} | ||
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[[Category:Melody Maker| Melody Maker 1994-02-05]] | [[Category:Melody Maker| Melody Maker 1994-02-05]] | ||
[[Category:Magazine articles]] | [[Category:Magazine articles]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Album reviews]] | ||
[[Category:Brutal Youth reviews]] |
Latest revision as of 15:49, 6 March 2024
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