Melody Maker, May 13, 1989: Difference between revisions
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{{:Bibliography index}} | {{:Bibliography index}} | ||
{{:Melody Maker index}} | {{:Melody Maker index}} | ||
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<center><h3> Elvis Costello </h3></center> | <center><h3> Elvis Costello </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Allan Jones </center> | <center> Allan Jones </center> | ||
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''Elvis Costello is currently on a sellout British tour, celebrating the success of ''Spike'', the album that's given him his highest public profile since ''Armed Forces'' in 1979. Allan Jones met him recently in Dublin, and in the first of a two-part interview talks to the beloved entertainer about the strung-out years of the early eighties, the selling of the new LP, the failure of political pop and his vicious anti-Thatcher tirade, "Tramp The Dirt Down." | '''Elvis Costello is currently on a sellout British tour, celebrating the success of ''Spike'', the album that's given him his highest public profile since ''Armed Forces'' in 1979. Allan Jones met him recently in Dublin, and in the first of a two-part interview talks to the beloved entertainer about the strung-out years of the early eighties, the selling of the new LP, the failure of political pop and his vicious anti-Thatcher tirade, "Tramp The Dirt Down." | ||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
The beloved entertainer answers my call to his room with a croak. He's not up yet. I'm not surprised. We've been up most of the night, drinking our fool heads off at a party celebrating the Irish Music Awards. We'd driven back to Dublin in the haunted hours before dawn, drunk and rowdy, no doubt convinced we were having the time of our lives. This morning we feel like death, of course, bones growing out of our heads, tongues turning to chalk, hoarse-voiced and delirious. | The beloved entertainer answers my call to his room with a croak. He's not up yet. I'm not surprised. We've been up most of the night, drinking our fool heads off at a party celebrating the Irish Music Awards. We'd driven back to Dublin in the haunted hours before dawn, drunk and rowdy, no doubt convinced we were having the time of our lives. This morning we feel like death, of course, bones growing out of our heads, tongues turning to chalk, hoarse-voiced and delirious. | ||
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My own first reaction to ''Spike'' was loud and indignant the furious gnashing of a fan betrayed, small-minded and spiteful. My favourite Costello albums have invariably found him in harness with The Attractions, galloping at full tilt, often neurotic, eyes blazing, burning up the surrounding landscape. ''Spike'' is a notably different beast, and at first I wasn't much convinced by any of it. | My own first reaction to ''Spike'' was loud and indignant the furious gnashing of a fan betrayed, small-minded and spiteful. My favourite Costello albums have invariably found him in harness with The Attractions, galloping at full tilt, often neurotic, eyes blazing, burning up the surrounding landscape. ''Spike'' is a notably different beast, and at first I wasn't much convinced by any of it. | ||
As you'll know, the record was recorded in London, Hollywood, Ireland and New Orleans, and features an international supporting cast, including co-producer and "musical conscience" T-Bone Burnett, Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Roger McGuinn, Allen Toussaint, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, guitarist Marc Ribot and percussionist Michael Blair from Tom Waits' band, veteran jazzer Buell | As you'll know, the record was recorded in London, Hollywood, Ireland and New Orleans, and features an international supporting cast, including co-producer and "musical conscience" T-Bone Burnett, Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Roger McGuinn, Allen Toussaint, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, guitarist Marc Ribot and percussionist Michael Blair from Tom Waits' band, veteran jazzer Buell Neidlinger, an assortment of former Confederates and a line-up of some of Ireland's finest traditional musicians. | ||
The album largely reflects these global resources, romping through what ''Village Voice'' critic [[Special:WhatLinksHere/Richard_Gehr|Richard Gehr]] described as "the rock of all ages: Morrisonian Celtic soul, gospel, R&B, protest folk, cool jazz, C&W and ballads". Costello has been this diverse before, but never all at once. ''Spike'' sounded initially like a kind of musical tourism. | The album largely reflects these global resources, romping through what ''Village Voice'' critic [[Special:WhatLinksHere/Richard_Gehr|Richard Gehr]] described as "the rock of all ages: Morrisonian Celtic soul, gospel, R&B, protest folk, cool jazz, C&W and ballads". Costello has been this diverse before, but never all at once. ''Spike'' sounded initially like a kind of musical tourism. | ||
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"I also think you have to remember that it's not only ''her'' the song is aimed at. It's what she ''represents''. The way she's changed the way people value things. It's like some kind of mass hypnosis she's achieved. People are afraid to speak out. You know, one thing I thought I'd be asked when people heard it was whether I was saying it might've been a good thing if she'd died at Brighton. I don't think so. It would have made things 10 times worse, because then she would have been a martyr. We would have had a dead queen. So, really, in a profound sense, the song is hopeless. It's a hopeless argument. Because I think it's a hopeless situation. So, no, it's not in a large, historical sense, going to change anything. | "I also think you have to remember that it's not only ''her'' the song is aimed at. It's what she ''represents''. The way she's changed the way people value things. It's like some kind of mass hypnosis she's achieved. People are afraid to speak out. You know, one thing I thought I'd be asked when people heard it was whether I was saying it might've been a good thing if she'd died at Brighton. I don't think so. It would have made things 10 times worse, because then she would have been a martyr. We would have had a dead queen. So, really, in a profound sense, the song is hopeless. It's a hopeless argument. Because I think it's a hopeless situation. So, no, it's not in a large, historical sense, going to change anything. | ||
"But I think it does have maybe an individual effect. There's always a chance it'll sneak through somehow. Like, I sang it in Shetland, at the folk festival, and I sang it in one place that was very brightly lit and I could see the audience quite clearly. And all the way through, there was one guy nodding away, applauding every line, obviously getting into it. And on the other side, there was another guy being physically restrained from getting up on the stage and hitting me. He just fused, he really went. You could see it in his face. And I thought, Well, I've really got a winner now.' To the extent, you know, that it had succeeded in being at least provocative." | "But I think it does have maybe an individual effect. There's always a chance it'll sneak through somehow. Like, I sang it in [[Shetland Folk Festival|Shetland]], at the folk festival, and I sang it in one place that was very brightly lit and I could see the audience quite clearly. And all the way through, there was one guy nodding away, applauding every line, obviously getting into it. And on the other side, there was another guy being physically restrained from getting up on the stage and hitting me. He just fused, he really went. You could see it in his face. And I thought, Well, I've really got a winner now.' To the extent, you know, that it had succeeded in being at least provocative." | ||
Is that all you can ask of a song these days? | Is that all you can ask of a song these days? | ||
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"I don't know much about Morrissey," Costello admits, "apart from the fact that he sometimes brings out records with the greatest titles in the world, which somewhere along the line he neglects to write songs for. But I haven't heard that particular song, so I can't really comment on it. But generally, I think the best that can be achieved by songs like 'Tramp The Dirt Down' is something like 'Free Nelson Mandela' achieved. The record didn't get Mandela released, but it did increase the membership of the anti-apartheid movement, because Jerry very intelligently printed their address on the sleeve. And the record introduced Mandela to a lot of people who maybe otherwise would never have heard of him. And there's a point where political art only works at that level — the communication of basic information. | "I don't know much about Morrissey," Costello admits, "apart from the fact that he sometimes brings out records with the greatest titles in the world, which somewhere along the line he neglects to write songs for. But I haven't heard that particular song, so I can't really comment on it. But generally, I think the best that can be achieved by songs like 'Tramp The Dirt Down' is something like 'Free Nelson Mandela' achieved. The record didn't get Mandela released, but it did increase the membership of the anti-apartheid movement, because Jerry very intelligently printed their address on the sleeve. And the record introduced Mandela to a lot of people who maybe otherwise would never have heard of him. And there's a point where political art only works at that level — the communication of basic information. | ||
"On a more immediate level," Costello goes on, no stopping him now, "you ''can'', I suppose, hope to annoy people, like that guy in Shetland. I mean, The Sun ran a piece a couple of weeks ago saying I'd been banned by the BBC because I said 'I'm f***in' sick of this' on ''The Late Show''. I haven't seen the programme, but I remember swearing. I was asked something and I remember saying, 'I'm 35 years old, I'm not a boy any more. Don't ''patronise'' me.' It's like that Grateful Dead song, 'Ship Of Fools' — ''"It makes me wild / With 30 years upon my head / To have you call me child"''... You do sometimes feel particularly with the nanny aspect of this government, that they are treating everybody like they're little f***in children... | "On a more immediate level," Costello goes on, no stopping him now, "you ''can'', I suppose, hope to annoy people, like that guy in Shetland. I mean, ''The Sun'' ran a piece a couple of weeks ago saying I'd been banned by the BBC because I said 'I'm f***in' sick of this' on ''The Late Show''. I haven't seen the programme, but I remember swearing. I was asked something and I remember saying, 'I'm 35 years old, I'm not a boy any more. Don't ''patronise'' me.' It's like that Grateful Dead song, 'Ship Of Fools' — ''"It makes me wild / With 30 years upon my head / To have you call me child"''... You do sometimes feel particularly with the nanny aspect of this government, that they are treating everybody like they're little f***in children... | ||
"So ''The Sun'' runs this thing saying I swore on a ''live'' television show. And it was obviously pre-recorded because I was in America when it was shown. But a spokesman is supposed to have said, 'Well, it jolly well caused a stink around here at the BBC.' And they even quoted me. 'Costello said last night, "I stand by every word." Well, they must be f***in ''telepathic'' at the f***n ''Sun'', because no one spoke to me about it. | "So ''The Sun'' runs this thing saying I swore on a ''live'' television show. And it was obviously pre-recorded because I was in America when it was shown. But a spokesman is supposed to have said, 'Well, it jolly well caused a stink around here at the BBC.' And they even quoted me. 'Costello said last night, "I stand by every word." Well, they must be f***in ''telepathic'' at the f***n ''Sun'', because no one spoke to me about it. | ||
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{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | {{Bibliography next | ||
|prev = Melody Maker, | |prev = Melody Maker, May 6, 1989 | ||
|next = Melody Maker, May 20, 1989 | |next = Melody Maker, May 20, 1989 | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Melody Maker, May 13, 1989 | '''Melody Maker, May 13, 1989 | ||
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[[Allan Jones]] interviews Elvis Costello. <span style="font-size:92%"> (concluded [[Melody Maker, May 20, 1989| | [[Allan Jones]] interviews Elvis Costello. <span style="font-size:92%"> (concluded in [[Melody Maker, May 20, 1989|May 20]] issue.) </span> | ||
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[[Jon Wilde|Jonh Wilde]] reviews Elvis Costello, solo, Sunday, [[Concert 1989-05-07 London|May 7, 1989]], Palladium, London, England. | |||
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[[ | [[Ian Gittins]] reviews the [[Single: Baby Plays Around|single]] for "[[Baby Plays Around]]." An ad for the single runs on page [[:image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker page 31 advertisement.jpg|31]]. | ||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
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<br><small>Page scans.</small> | <br><small>Page scans.</small> | ||
[[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker cover.jpg| | [[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker cover.jpg|x160px|border]] | ||
[[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker page 34.jpg| | [[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker page 34.jpg|x160px|border]] | ||
[[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker | [[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker page 31.jpg|x160px|border]] | ||
<br><small>Cover | <br><small>Cover and page scans.</small> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
[[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker clipping 01.jpg|150px|border|right]] | |||
Allan Jones once remarked that Elvis Costello is always great theatre because you never know how far he's capable of pushing himself. I've seen Costello push himself some distances in my time, but rarely as far as he pushed tonight. This was tremendous theatre. | Allan Jones once remarked that Elvis Costello is always great theatre because you never know how far he's capable of pushing himself. I've seen Costello push himself some distances in my time, but rarely as far as he pushed tonight. This was tremendous theatre. | ||
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[[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker page 31 advertisement.jpg|370px|border]] | |||
<br><small>Advertisement.</small> | |||
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{{Bibliography box 360}} | |||
<center><h3> Baby Plays Around </h3></center> | |||
<center>''' Elvis Costello </center> | |||
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<center> Ian Gittins </center> | |||
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{{Bibliography text}} | |||
[[image:1989-05-13 Melody Maker page 36 clipping 01.jpg|130px|border|right]] | |||
I've got a blind spot here. No, I ''have''. I've just never seen the point in Costello, never cottoned on to him. Maybe my attention span's too short. This EP is a portrait of the artist as an aging man, four tracks reaching back from now to 1979's "My Funny Valentine." To be honest, I can hardly see the join. "Baby Plays Around" is a furrowed brow lament about his girl, who goes out at night playing the field. And frankly, if ''he's ''what she's got to come home to, I'm not surprised. ''Morose'' goes one tiny bit towards describing it. But so does ''grumpy''. Of the others, "Poisoned Rose" is sung, à la "Oliver's Army," like his tonsils are tied together, "Almost Blue" is simply comatose. "Vintage Costello" some bores will grind. I just hear whining. Laughing gas, Elv? Nope. I thought not. | |||
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<small>Photos by [[Tom Sheehan]].</small><br> | |||
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<br><small>Photos by [[Tom Sheehan]].</small> | <br><small>Photos by [[Tom Sheehan]].</small> | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melody_Maker Wikipedia: Melody Maker] | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melody_Maker Wikipedia: Melody Maker] | ||
*[http://www.flickr.com/ | *[http://www.flickr.com/search?safe_search=3&content_type=1&media=all&sort=date-posted-desc&adv=1&text=Costello%20%2013%3A05%3A1989 Flickr: littletriggers] | ||
*[http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3874 Elvis Costello Fan Forum] | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melody Maker 1989-05-13}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Melody Maker 1989-05-13}} |
Revision as of 15:06, 30 July 2019
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