Melody Maker, May 20, 1989: Difference between revisions
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"I honestly wasn't being ingenuous," he says. "I knew in America, especially, they took a huge gasp of breath when we did ''Almost Blue'', and although ''King Of America'' was one of those records that got me great reviews, Columbia just couldn't sell the f***in' thing... So I did have the notion when we came to do ''Blood And Chocolate'' that in the States at least, they'd throw their hats in the air and cheer. I really did think it was the album they'd been wanting me to deliver. Because there were elements of it that I thought were stereotypical. It was like an older, grumpier version of ''This Year's Model'', which I was pretty sure they'd go for. As it turned out, they did to it what they'd done to the two or three records before it. They buried the f***in' thing. | "I honestly wasn't being ingenuous," he says. "I knew in America, especially, they took a huge gasp of breath when we did ''Almost Blue'', and although ''King Of America'' was one of those records that got me great reviews, Columbia just couldn't sell the f***in' thing... So I did have the notion when we came to do ''Blood And Chocolate'' that in the States at least, they'd throw their hats in the air and cheer. I really did think it was the album they'd been wanting me to deliver. Because there were elements of it that I thought were stereotypical. It was like an older, grumpier version of ''This Year's Model'', which I was pretty sure they'd go for. As it turned out, they did to it what they'd done to the two or three records before it. They buried the f***in' thing. | ||
"In retrospect, I think we underestimated how f***in' harsh it sounded. But that was the mood we were in. We wanted it live and we wanted it loud, and we achieved that at the expense of everything else. I mean, we tried to do a ballad on that record, a really pretty song called 'Forgive Her Anything', but we physically couldn't play it. It sounded like we were playing with boxing gloves on. It needed too delicate an arrangement for the sound we'd contrived. And we got to really fighting about it. Like, 'It's your f***in' fault, you're playing too f***in' loud.' 'No, I'm not. You're playing too f***in' fast.' It was like the f***in' Troggs. But there was nothing we could do with it. That sound we had, there was just too much barbed wire in it. It was just too f***n' ferocious." | "In retrospect, I think we underestimated how f***in' ''harsh'' it sounded. But that was the mood we were in. We wanted it live and we wanted it loud, and we achieved that at the expense of everything else. I mean, we tried to do a ballad on that record, a really pretty song called 'Forgive Her Anything', but we physically couldn't play it. It sounded like we were playing with boxing gloves on. It needed too delicate an arrangement for the sound we'd contrived. And we got to really fighting about it. Like, 'It's your f***in' fault, you're playing too f***in' loud.' 'No, I'm not. You're playing too f***in' ''fast''.' It was like the f***in' Troggs. But there was nothing we could do with it. That sound we had, there was just too much barbed wire in it. It was just too f***n' ''ferocious.''" | ||
Given the subsequent split with The Attractions was ''Blood And Chocolate'' meant to be a land of last hurrah? | Given the subsequent split with The Attractions was ''Blood And Chocolate'' meant to be a land of last hurrah? | ||
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Doesn't "Veronica" fall into that category? | Doesn't "Veronica" fall into that category? | ||
"No," Costello says firmly, prepared to defend this one to the hilt, whatever the damage. "That's unashamedly pop music. You know, with that, I've come back to the way I was thinking when we did things like 'Oliver's Army'. I'm loathe to say the word, because the minute you say something's subversive, it's not subversive anymore... But there is a trick to it, you know, where you can slip something out that takes people a while to figure out what it is you're actually singing about. With 'Veronica', if people had realized straight off that it was about an old woman, they might have thought it was too maudlin and just shut it off. Whereas the whole point of the song is that there is some hope and defiance in the character. So I think it's really good that it sounds like it's about a young girl, instead of it being a ponderous thing about an old woman, or something self-consciously dramatic like 'Eleanor Rigby'. Which is a great record, but you immediately know it's about this strange person. Whereas the idea with 'Veronica' isn't to patronise the character. It's said with love. So I like the idea that the music is really kind of bright and pretty. It's the prettiest record I've made in ages." | "No," Costello says firmly, prepared to defend this one to the hilt, whatever the damage. "That's ''unashamedly pop music''. You know, with that, I've come back to the way I was thinking when we did things like 'Oliver's Army'. I'm loathe to say the word, because the minute you say something's subversive, it's not subversive anymore... But there is a trick to it, you know, where you can slip something out that takes people a while to figure out what it is you're actually singing about. With 'Veronica', if people had realized straight off that it was about an old woman, they might have thought it was too maudlin and just shut it off. Whereas the whole point of the song is that there is some hope and defiance in the character. So I think it's really good that it sounds like it's about a ''young'' girl, instead of it being a ponderous thing about an old woman, or something ''self-consciously'' dramatic like 'Eleanor Rigby'. Which is a great record, but you immediately know it's about this strange person. Whereas the idea with 'Veronica' isn't to patronise the character. It's said with love. So I like the idea that the music is really kind of bright and pretty. It's the prettiest record I've made in ages." | ||
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So what was your immediate response when the call came from the McCartney Empire? Did you think you were on to an easy earner? Were you flattered? Suspicious? | So what was your immediate response when the call came from the McCartney Empire? Did you think you were on to an easy earner? Were you flattered? Suspicious? | ||
"It might sound facile," Costello says, "but I didn't think about it in any of those terms. I just thought, 'Let's give it a go.' And it was all very unselfconscious, no big deal. We just got on with it. Occasionally, I'd look up and think, 'Oh, hell, it's him.' Because he really — don't laugh — he really does look frighteningly like him. The same was true of Orbison. He's one of those people who look exactly like you expect them to look. You know, I think of him like he's Buzz Aldrin or somebody. Somebody who's been to the moon and back. Nobody— none of us in whatever part of the business we're in — none of us can conceive what it must be like to have been through what he's experienced. It's a unique experience, probably, in the 20th century to be him. And that's not making too big a thing of it. | "It might sound facile," Costello says, "but I didn't think about it in any of those terms. I just thought, 'Let's give it a go.' And it was all very unselfconscious, no big deal. We just got on with it. Occasionally, I'd look up and think, 'Oh, hell, it's ''him''.' Because he really — don't laugh — he really does ''look frighteningly like him''. The same was true of Orbison. He's one of those people who look exactly like you expect them to look. You know, I think of him like he's Buzz Aldrin or somebody. Somebody who's been to the moon and back. Nobody— none of us in whatever part of the business we're in — none of us can conceive what it must be like to have been through what he's experienced. It's a unique experience, probably, in the 20th century to be him. And that's not making too big a thing of it. | ||
"And the fact that he's so easy going about it all just seems to rile people. I mean, he could be a mad person, he could have reacted to what he went through in any number of ways that would prevent him now from being as straightforward and normal as he apparently is. The very fact that this guy has sort of glided through life and been very well rewarded is the cause, I think, of a lot of the flak he gets. It's just f***in' envy, that's what it is, when you get right down to it..." | "And the fact that he's so easy going about it all just seems to rile people. I mean, he could be a mad person, he could have reacted to what he went through in any number of ways that would prevent him now from being as straightforward and normal as he apparently is. The very fact that this guy has sort of ''glided'' through life and been very well rewarded is the cause, I think, of a lot of the flak he gets. It's just f***in' envy, that's what it is, when you get right down to it..." | ||
And he hasn't been shot, so he's not a legend. "Absolutely," Costello says, heaving forward. "And he's uncomfortably undramatic about this thing he's been through. But, you know, he has been through it all, through more things than you could probably imagine. So why does he have to live up to somebody else's fantasy of who he is? I think that's a completely unreasonable demand to make of anyone. | And he hasn't been shot, so he's not a legend. "Absolutely," Costello says, heaving forward. "And he's uncomfortably undramatic about this thing he's been through. But, you know, he has been through it all, through more things than you could probably imagine. So why does he have to live up to somebody else's fantasy of who he is? I think that's a completely unreasonable demand to make of anyone. | ||
"It's like these people who criticise him for being too rich or too famous. What the f*** has it got to do with them? It's lust crap, you know. Why don't they just shut the f*** up and let him get on with his music. I also think that people who criticise him for being sentimental are talking a lot of shit as well. Because in any other line of work, if a man of 46 wasn't sentimental about his kids, they'd think he was a f***in' sociopath, you know. He's a married man, he has a nice life. What's the f***in' matter with that? F***in' hell, just because he's famous they want him to be at the barricades all the f***in' time. It's just stupid. He's just a really good musician, probably one of the best there has been in a long time... it's absolutely coming out of his fingers, you know... and if he doesn't want to use that musical talent to say world-changing things, that's his f***in' business." | "It's like these people who criticise him for being too rich or too famous. What the f*** has it got to do with them? It's lust crap, you know. Why don't they just shut the f*** up and let him get on with his music. I also think that people who criticise him for being sentimental are talking a lot of shit as well. Because in any other line of work, if a man of 46 wasn't sentimental about his kids, they'd think he was a f***in' ''sociopath'', you know. He's a married man, he has a nice life. What's the f***in' matter with that? F***in' hell, just because he's famous they want him to be at the barricades all the f***in' time. It's just stupid. He's just a really good musician, probably one of the best there has been in a long time... it's absolutely coming out of his fingers, you know... and if he doesn't want to use that musical talent to say world-changing things, that's ''his'' f***in' business." | ||
''Blood And Chocolate'' struck more than one commentator as a protracted musical identification with the troubled genius of John Lennon. When the invitation came to work with McCartney, was there maybe a feeling that you were being cast in the role that Lennon once played? | ''Blood And Chocolate'' struck more than one commentator as a protracted musical identification with the troubled genius of John Lennon. When the invitation came to work with McCartney, was there maybe a feeling that you were being cast in the role that Lennon once played? | ||
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So what was it like, Elvis, clocking in behind the Big O? | So what was it like, Elvis, clocking in behind the Big O? | ||
"Well, it was very hard to be in awe of him," Costello says. "He was just very gentle, a little removed, perhaps a bit bemused by all the attention, but quite moved by everyone's enthusiasm. Because basically it was a big pain in the arse doing the show. I mean, it looked a lot of fun when they cut it together, but I have to say the production people had very little consideration for the musicians, including Roy. | "Well, it was very hard to be in ''awe'' of him," Costello says. "He was just very gentle, a little removed, perhaps a bit bemused by all the attention, but quite moved by everyone's enthusiasm. Because basically it was a big pain in the arse doing the show. I mean, it looked a lot of fun when they cut it together, but I have to say the production people had very little consideration for the musicians, including Roy. | ||
"Basically, they didn't have a f***in' clue. In the end, T-Bone took a lot of the heat and he ended up telling them what to do, otherwise they would've had the musicians leaving in droves. Because there was one point where there was nearly a rebellion. Even with all deference to Roy, I think there was a point where some of the musicians were ready to walk, because there were a lot of ugly political things going down that could've been avoided if they'd been a bit more bit more sensible. And what you see is this really good-natured show, so it really goes to show how much people dug him, because they all put that behind them. And a lot of the credit for that has to go to the TCBs, particularly, even though they were the ones most taken advantage of. | "Basically, they didn't have a f***in' clue. In the end, T-Bone took a lot of the heat and he ended up telling them what to do, otherwise they would've had the musicians leaving in droves. Because there was one point where there was nearly a rebellion. Even with all deference to Roy, I think there was a point where some of the musicians were ready to walk, because there were a lot of ugly political things going down that could've been avoided if they'd been a bit more bit more sensible. And what you see is this really good-natured show, so it really goes to show how much people dug him, because they all put that behind them. And a lot of the credit for that has to go to the TCBs, particularly, even though they were the ones most taken advantage of. | ||
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The show brought you into immediate contact with some people like Springsteen, about whom you've often been less than flattering... | The show brought you into immediate contact with some people like Springsteen, about whom you've often been less than flattering... | ||
"Let's be frank," Costello laughs. "They were people I've often been downright f***in' rude about. In fact, I've usually slagged them off, which I think is fair enough. I have my opinions about them and they probably know what they think about me. They might get a little outraged sometimes, but I don't give a flying f***, you know." | "Let's be frank," Costello laughs. "They were people I've often been downright f***in' ''rude'' about. In fact, I've usually slagged them off, which I think is fair enough. I have my opinions about them and they probably know what they think about me. They might get a little outraged sometimes, but I don't give a flying f***, you know." | ||
So how did you hit it off with old Bruce? | So how did you hit it off with old Bruce? |
Revision as of 04:13, 6 May 2014
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