Melody Maker, September 18, 1982

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications Melody Maker   1974 April 20 1975 November 1 1976 August 14 1977 March 26 1977 June 4 1977 June 25 1977 July 23 1977 August 6 1977 August 13 1977 August 20 1977 September 3 1977 September 17 1977 October 1 1977 October 8 1977 October 15 1977 October 22 1977 November 5 1977 November 12 1977 December 17 1977 December 24 1977 December 31 1978 February 18 1978 February 25 1978 March 4 1978 March 11 1978 March 25 1978 April 15 1978 April 22 1978 April 29 1978 May 6 1978 May 13 1978 May 20 1978 September 30 1978 October 21 1978 October 28 1978 November 11 1978 November 25 1978 December 9 1978 December 23 1978 December 30 1979 January 6 1979 January 13 1979 January 20 1979 February 3 1979 February 10 1979 April 14 1979 May 12 1979 June 2 1979 September 29 1980 January 5 1980 January 19 1980 January 26 1980 February 2 1980 February 23 1980 March 8 1980 March 29 1980 April 5 1980 July 19 1980 August 23 1980 September 6 1980 October 4 1980 October 11 1980 November 22 1980 December 6 1981 January 3 1981 January 17 1981 January 24 1981 February 7 1981 February 14 1981 February 28 1981 March 7 1981 April 4 1981 May 30 1981 July 11 1981 September 5 1981 October 17 1981 October 24 1981 October 31 1981 December 19 1982 January 2 1982 January 9 1982 January 16 1982 March 13 1982 May 15 1982 May 29 1982 June 12 1982 June 26 1982 July 3 1982 July 31 1982 September 18 1983 January 8 1983 May 28 1983 June 4 1983 June 11 1983 July 2 1983 July 9 1983 July 30 1983 August 20 1983 September 10 1983 October 15 1983 October 29 1984 January 7 1984 April 14 1984 April 21 1984 April 28 1984 June 2 1984 June 9 1984 July 28 1984 August 11 1984 August 18 1984 September 1 1984 October 13 1984 October 20 1984 November 17 1984 December 15 1985 March 16 1985 April 13 1985 May 4 1985 June 1 1985 June 8 1985 July 13 1985 July 20 1985 July 27 1986 February 22 1986 March 1 1986 March 22 1986 May 24 1986 July 5 1986 July 12 1986 September 13 1986 November 15 1986 November 22 1986 December 6 1986 December 20 1987 January 31 1987 February 7 1987 May 2 1987 June 27 1987 November 28 1987 December 19 1988 February 20 1988 February 27 1988 May 14 1989 January 28 1989 February 4 1989 February 11 1989 February 18 1989 February 25 1989 May 6 1989 May 13 1989 May 20 1989 June 24 1989 July 15  1989 October 21 1991 April 13 1991 April 27 1991 May 18 1991 June 22 1991 July 13 1991 October 12 1991 October 26 1992 April 18 1992 May 30 1993 January 23 1993 February 6 1993 March 6 1993 August 21 1993 October 9 1994 February 5 1994 February 12 1994 February 19 1994 February 26 1994 April 9 1994 April 23 1994 April 30 1994 July 2 1994 July 9 1994 July 16 1994 November 12 1994 November 19 1995 April 1 1995 April 8 1995 May 27 1995 June 3 1995 June 10 1996 May 18 1996 July 20 — The once and future king Allan Jones Elvis Costello And The Attractions / The Bluebells Southampton Gaumont Almost too good to be true, Costello continues to defy every expectation, leap tall buildings in a single bound and set imperative new standards of excellence with virtually every further twist of his profoundly energetic imagination. While much of Imperial Bedroom still sounds to these ears rather more artful than heartfelt, it commanding sweep and urgent deployment of the often abused vocabulary of pop music is emphatic evidence of its author's determination to test the very limit of his talent. While most of the competition flounders and poses, Costello insists on pushing ahead, continues to provoke, alarm and move his audience with an articulate passion that's simply not matched by anyone else on any other front. And if any further proof of the sheerly formidable scale of the repertoire that Costello has amassed in five years since My Aim Is True first alerted the nation to the coruscating, often uncomfortable truths of his vision, this concert was definitely it. Believe me, the epic range of this performance was genuinely staggering. On stage for fully two hours, Elvis and the Attractions cartwheeled through 40 songs (17 of them encores) that spanned his entire career. It was almost as if Costello had become jacked-off with people being told how good he is and was here going all out to prove it with a set of such uniquely devastating proportions that afterwards there could be no argument about the legitimacy of his claim to being simply the best. The group started off at a furious clip with a heated exposition of "Accidents Will Happen" and had hurtled through sizzling versions of "Green Shirt" and "Pidgin English" before anyone had caught their breath. The pace remained relentless: songs were re-shaped, re-organised, re-defined and resurrected with an almost manic aplomb. A slow, sultry blues was inserted into the main thrust of a compelling "Watching The Detectives"; one of the best ever live versions of "King Horse" was prefaced by a violent rendition of the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers." "Beyond Belief" was transformed into a barnstorming, psychotic rock 'n' roll avalanche. "Clubland" was despatched with such infuriated rage that it might have been played as an overture to the end of civilisation as some of us knew it. As old Sweeting observed in his review of Costello's Rainbow show last December, the Attractions' versatility and concentrated empathy with the dazzling variety of moods and atmospheres embraced by Elvis' songs is by now legendary. One now expects them to accommodate the delicate sincerity of ballads like "Alison" and "Kid About It" in almost the same swift movement with which they thunder into the riotous clout of, say, "Pump It Up," "Radio, Radio," "Mystery Dance" or the more tricky negotiations of "New Lace Sleeves" or the new, precise, evocative "Shipbuilders." Yes, one expects it, but you're still stunned with the expertise and dash with which they pull it off. There was simply too much on offer at Southampton to catalogue all the highlights, all the cutting brilliance of this group's performance. Let it just be said that by the time Costello left the stage after an overpowering version of "Clowntime Is Over," both the band and the audience was joyfully exhausted. Inevitably, the promising, often impressive cool pop excursions of the Bluebells was rather overwhelmed by the storm of the Attractions, but they acquitted themselves with dependable honour despite a fractious sound system. The Bluebells, though, don't need me or anyone else to remind them how good they are. But they probably would like your support and applause. Go on: see them, buy their records ("Forever Young" will soon be on the racks as a 45), make them famous and rich. They deserve it more than most of today's feeble young contenders. And make sure you stay for the rest of the evening: rock 'n' roll experiences don't come any more crucial, enjoyable or exciting. Over and out. Tags: Gaumont Theatre  •  Southampton  •  The Attractions  •  Imperial Bedroom  •  Accidents Will Happen  •  Green Shirt  •  Pidgin English  •  Watching The Detectives  •  King Horse  •  The O'Jays  •  Back Stabbers  •  Beyond Belief  •  Clubland  •  Alison  •  Kid About It  •  Pump It Up  •  Radio, Radio  •  Mystery Dance  •  New Lace Sleeves  •  Shipbuilding  •  Clowntime Is Over  •  My Aim Is True  •  The Bluebells << >> Melody Maker, September 18, 1982 Allan Jones reviews Elvis Costello & The Attractions with opening act The Bluebells, Saturday, September 11, 1982, Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, England. Images Clipping. Photo by Tom Sheehan. Cover.

External links

• Wikipedia: Melody Maker
• Flickr: Stephen McCathie