New Musical Express, August 21, 1982: Difference between revisions

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Thus the current two month US tour of East and West Coasts, with detours into the Midwest and South, concentrating on ''Imperial Bedroom'' material, some new unreleased songs, a clutch of old chestnuts plus the odd ''Almost Blue'' selection. Two days after the Attractions' return, EC and company embark on the lengthy British tour terminating in London this Christmas.  
Thus the current two month US tour of East and West Coasts, with detours into the Midwest and South, concentrating on ''Imperial Bedroom'' material, some new unreleased songs, a clutch of old chestnuts plus the odd ''Almost Blue'' selection. Two days after the Attractions' return, EC and company embark on the lengthy British tour terminating in London this Christmas.  


Meanwhile, whilst heatedly promoting ''IB', through live gigs, Costello has apparently been considering the odd interview for the American market. ''Rolling Stone'', for example, have been negotiating with Riviera for a possible [[Rolling Stone, September 2, 1982|cover story]], although beyond simply backing up these rumours, F-Beat spokespersons became vague regarding concrete results.  
Meanwhile, whilst heatedly promoting ''IB'', through live gigs, Costello has apparently been considering the odd interview for the American market. ''Rolling Stone'', for example, have been negotiating with Riviera for a possible [[Rolling Stone, September 2, 1982|cover story]], although beyond simply backing up these rumours, F-Beat spokespersons became vague regarding concrete results.  


There is however ''A Conversation With Elvis Costello''; a two album set that diligently pairs IB's 14 tracks with lengthy explanations and details of everything from myriad techniques through to the exact meaning and inspiration of the song from the Master's Voice itself. With 300 copies pressed primarily for radio promotional purposes, Costello's good natured banter takes up a good hour of listening time, and affords anyone even vaguely intrigued by our pre-eminent pop composer's quirky genius a solid and agreeable insight into its workings.  
There is however ''A Conversation With Elvis Costello''; a two album set that diligently pairs IB's 14 tracks with lengthy explanations and details of everything from myriad techniques through to the exact meaning and inspiration of the song from the Master's Voice itself. With 300 copies pressed primarily for radio promotional purposes, Costello's good natured banter takes up a good hour of listening time, and affords anyone even vaguely intrigued by our pre-eminent pop composer's quirky genius a solid and agreeable insight into its workings.  
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"On 'Beyond Belief' the first track, I noticed that the backing track had this great ''conviction'' whilst my initial melody was weak and needed drastically rearranging. The original lyric was garbled because it was at more than twice the speed. So I halved the lyrics and halved the speed of my vocal delivery which make for a nicely ''disconcerting'' effect of calm vocals over this rattling back up, instead of yet another ''frantic'' track which we've done too often before.
"On 'Beyond Belief' the first track, I noticed that the backing track had this great ''conviction'' whilst my initial melody was weak and needed drastically rearranging. The original lyric was garbled because it was at more than twice the speed. So I halved the lyrics and halved the speed of my vocal delivery which make for a nicely ''disconcerting'' effect of calm vocals over this rattling back up, instead of yet another ''frantic'' track which we've done too often before.


"Similarly 'Tears Before Bedtime' — there were something like four versions of that. A county version was recorded during the ''Almost
"Similarly 'Tears Before Bedtime' — there were something like four versions of that. A county version was recorded during the ''Almost Blue'' sessions, plus a rock 'n' roll arrangement. Then we did a sort of Fats Domino arrangement which ended up sounding too dated .. in fact, it sounded like John Lennon's 'Starting Over' ''(laughs)''. Then there was a rhythm shift, like on 'Strict Time' off ''Trust'' which we nicked off The Meters. A much sleazier approach which I carried on by doing a fairly humorous vocal set-up which ended up sounding like The Coasters ''(laughs)''. It needed a more buoyant feel because the subject definitely isn't lightweight but tended to sound a bit too angst-ridden to begin with. People have had enough pain and misery anyway. Particularly on our records! ''(laughs)''."


The dialogue continues track-by-track the length and breadth of <i>IB</i>'s devious architecture. A number of Costello's remarks are particularly illuminating. 'Shabby Doll', a musical equivalent of David Lynch's brilliantly disorientating ''Eraserhead'', came about due to "seeing this ancient music hall poster in which one artiste was referred to as "she's just a shabby doll," while "Long Honeymoon" turns out to have originated as a piano instrument that Costello's publishers had sent to legendary New York lyricist Sammy Cahn ("All The Way," "The Tender Trap," "Three Coins In The Fountain"). Cahn sent the tape back after two months prompting Costello, his ego mildly grazed, to reshape the melody line and compose the lyrics himself.


'Almost Blue' "was an attempt to write in the classic mode. Its lyric style is more akin to the '40s era although "nostalgia's the last thing I wanted to suggest. That's why there's not more of an arrangement." Inspired by Chet Baker — Costello's favourite singer alongside Frank Sinatra — 'Almost Blue' itself is "my most sincerely sung ballad."
'And In Every Home' meanwhile started life as a rocker, believe it or not; "another 'Pump It Up' but too many chords and the story was too delicate to be sledgehammered to oblivion." The story "suggested a performance




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'''New Musical Express, August 21, 1982
'''New Musical Express, August 21, 1982
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[[Nick Kent]] writes about Elvis Costello and ''[[Imperial Bedroom]]'', quoting heavily from the ''[[A Conversation With Elvis Costello|A{{nb}}Conversation With Elvis Costello]]'' promo.
[[Nick Kent]] writes about Elvis Costello and ''[[Imperial Bedroom]]'', quoting heavily from the ''[[A Conversation With Elvis Costello|Conversation With Elvis Costello]]'' promo.
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Paul Tickell reviews ''Gram Parsons'', with [[Gram Parsons (1982) liner notes|liner notes]] by Elvis Costello.
Paul Tickell reviews the ''Gram Parsons'' compilation, featuring [[Gram Parsons (1982) liner notes|liner notes]] by Elvis Costello.
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Also includes an ad for the [[:Category:Bedrooms Of Britain Tour|Bedrooms Of Britain Tour]].
Also includes an ad for the [[:Category:Bedrooms Of Britain Tour|Bedrooms Of Britain Tour]].

Revision as of 18:00, 14 May 2014

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Talking In The Dark

Elvis opens the doors to his Imperial Bedroom

Nick Kent

As EC sets off to reconquer America, Nick Kent eavesdrops on "A Conversation with Elvis Costello," the promotional album of the album.

In a better world, of course, things would be different. There would be a sense of communal espirit de corps, a ban on empty gestures, psychochic and smug voyeurism, the stress factor would be nullified, and the Imperial Bedroom album would be number one throughout the charts of the Western World.

But reality in its habitually turgid manner dictates otherwise, and as morale flounders so do sales of Elvis Costello's latest masterpiece, highlighting once again this most perplexing of phenomena: the fact that however stunning each successive Costello creation has proven itself to be as an aesthetic coup (discounting Almost Blue), the general public simply doesn't want to know.

Recorded at Air Studios just before Christmas, Imperial Bedroom has thus far failed to ignite the fuse attached to the all-important commercial detente an artist of Costello's stature requires in order to blast him above the ho-hum sales notched up by predecessors Get Happy and Trust. Also, although Almost Blue captured a new market as well as buoying up sales on the home front, over in America this gracious homage to country music's stoic sincerity fell foul of "marketing" and "categorization" to the point where much damage has been caused to Costello's prestige. Even though the receding US sales of Get Happy and Trust denoted the singer song writer's inability to break into the populist echelon of a Springsteen, he nonetheless couldn't be dismissed casually, demanding major league consideration from all other quarters. Almost Blue almost destroyed Costello's aesthetic momentum and demanded a severe reconsideration of ways in which to return.

Thus the current two month US tour of East and West Coasts, with detours into the Midwest and South, concentrating on Imperial Bedroom material, some new unreleased songs, a clutch of old chestnuts plus the odd Almost Blue selection. Two days after the Attractions' return, EC and company embark on the lengthy British tour terminating in London this Christmas.

Meanwhile, whilst heatedly promoting IB, through live gigs, Costello has apparently been considering the odd interview for the American market. Rolling Stone, for example, have been negotiating with Riviera for a possible cover story, although beyond simply backing up these rumours, F-Beat spokespersons became vague regarding concrete results.

There is however A Conversation With Elvis Costello; a two album set that diligently pairs IB's 14 tracks with lengthy explanations and details of everything from myriad techniques through to the exact meaning and inspiration of the song from the Master's Voice itself. With 300 copies pressed primarily for radio promotional purposes, Costello's good natured banter takes up a good hour of listening time, and affords anyone even vaguely intrigued by our pre-eminent pop composer's quirky genius a solid and agreeable insight into its workings.

"The title — Imperial Bedroom — you really get the title when you announce it and everyone goes "ah yes." Titles are peculiar things in that they usually are phrases or words that come up in conversation and happen to evoke a particular mood. It was exactly the same with Get Happy and Trust which was originally going to be called Cats And Dogs. (laughs) And that was it! Then someone at the sessions 'I really think we should have some trust here.'

"The original title of IB ... it was going to be called This Is A Revolution Of The Mind ... which is a line from the fade out of James Brown's 'King Heroin.' (Quotes) "This is a revolution of the mind / Get your mind together and stay away from drugs." I thought it was a great thing to say, y'know. A great idea which was both a bit tongue-in-cheek but also denoting a "healthy change of attitude." Then some people said it sounded like a Moody Blues album title, considering it as deadly serious as though we'd gone to... Venus (laughs).

"Then it was gonna be PS I Love You (the phrase crops up twice at the conclusion of "The Loved Ones" and "Pidgin English") until we discovered some dodgy K-Tel type compilation of — y'know '20 beautiful, silky, romantic hits' so we dropped that.

"Then one day I thought up Imperial Bedroom and it was automatic, y'know: Ah perfect. Because the two words achieve just the right combination of 'faded splendour' and 'sleaze' to fit all the tracks on the album. It's 'Imperial Bedroom' music. That title evokes for me the perfect definition... I mean, I can just see the 'Imperial Bedroom' itself."

"Recorded just before Christmas. it turned out to be the longest album to make, mostly because, as co-producer I had to keep running from the control room to the studio in order to hear the take we'd just completed. Geoff Emerick took care of all the sound and mixing whilst my side of things really involved y'know, "Is it a good take"? As a result of my being more directly involved in production, there was a part in the band to treat each track individually as opposed to going for an overall production 'feel' which had always been the case before. Like on Get Happy there was the 'soul' idea so that every song conformed to that concept.

"Geoff Emerick (best known for being George Martin's lay engineer and thus having worked on most Beatles' cuts, not to mention a plethora of the most diverse recordings) was the perfect man for the job of producer. possessing as he does endles patience, great ideas, vast experience and — something we both share — a healthy suspicion with regard to some of the more dubious 'trends' in modern production. Like, I didn't want to make a '60s-sounding record but there are certain elements to the '60s production thing that have gradually been eroded. For example, the bass drum has got louder and louder to this ludicrous state where it drums out the whole rest of the kit, whilst voices have got quieter and quieter with more and more effects that are almost too subtle. I've always believed that an effect should be used solely to leap out and grab you, plus I wanted my voice mixed up loud so you can hear the words.

"Some of the songs that I had (slight pause) in my 'bag', so to speak, around the time of Almost Blue didn't make it onto the album. I think in fact only one or two that were around before Almost Blue made it onto the record. This was all due to something of a radical change of attitude generally as regards my songwriting. Having chosen the particular clutch of songs I wanted to record, we (Costello and the Attractions) rented a cottage in Devon — very old fashioned (chuckles) — in order to rehearse for about a week exclusively without interruption. We ended up in fact with a double album's worth of material, though no one seriously considered that particular option. And the songs were too long for another 20-track effort — having been through that pantomime already. (laughs)

"Once in the studio I had serious doubts, some fairly radical shifts of opinions, regarding the sound whilst certain songs changed dramatically — in structure — from their initial arrangements. In fact this album marked the first time I've ever rewritten material in the studio which probably had a lot to do with me being in control.

"On 'Beyond Belief' the first track, I noticed that the backing track had this great conviction whilst my initial melody was weak and needed drastically rearranging. The original lyric was garbled because it was at more than twice the speed. So I halved the lyrics and halved the speed of my vocal delivery which make for a nicely disconcerting effect of calm vocals over this rattling back up, instead of yet another frantic track which we've done too often before.

"Similarly 'Tears Before Bedtime' — there were something like four versions of that. A county version was recorded during the Almost Blue sessions, plus a rock 'n' roll arrangement. Then we did a sort of Fats Domino arrangement which ended up sounding too dated .. in fact, it sounded like John Lennon's 'Starting Over' (laughs). Then there was a rhythm shift, like on 'Strict Time' off Trust which we nicked off The Meters. A much sleazier approach which I carried on by doing a fairly humorous vocal set-up which ended up sounding like The Coasters (laughs). It needed a more buoyant feel because the subject definitely isn't lightweight but tended to sound a bit too angst-ridden to begin with. People have had enough pain and misery anyway. Particularly on our records! (laughs)."

The dialogue continues track-by-track the length and breadth of IB's devious architecture. A number of Costello's remarks are particularly illuminating. 'Shabby Doll', a musical equivalent of David Lynch's brilliantly disorientating Eraserhead, came about due to "seeing this ancient music hall poster in which one artiste was referred to as "she's just a shabby doll," while "Long Honeymoon" turns out to have originated as a piano instrument that Costello's publishers had sent to legendary New York lyricist Sammy Cahn ("All The Way," "The Tender Trap," "Three Coins In The Fountain"). Cahn sent the tape back after two months prompting Costello, his ego mildly grazed, to reshape the melody line and compose the lyrics himself.

'Almost Blue' "was an attempt to write in the classic mode. Its lyric style is more akin to the '40s era although "nostalgia's the last thing I wanted to suggest. That's why there's not more of an arrangement." Inspired by Chet Baker — Costello's favourite singer alongside Frank Sinatra — 'Almost Blue' itself is "my most sincerely sung ballad."

'And In Every Home' meanwhile started life as a rocker, believe it or not; "another 'Pump It Up' but too many chords and the story was too delicate to be sledgehammered to oblivion." The story "suggested a performance







Remaining text and scanner-error corrections to come...

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New Musical Express, August 21, 1982


Nick Kent writes about Elvis Costello and Imperial Bedroom, quoting heavily from the Conversation With Elvis Costello promo.


Paul Tickell reviews the Gram Parsons compilation, featuring liner notes by Elvis Costello.


Also includes an ad for the Bedrooms Of Britain Tour.

Images

1982-08-21 New Musical Express page 08.jpg
Page scan.

1982-08-21 New Musical Express page 10 clipping.jpg
Clipping.


Gram Parsons


Paul Tickell













1982-08-21 New Musical Express clipping 02.jpg
Clipping.


1982-08-21 New Musical Express advertisement.jpg
Advertisement.

File:1982-08-21 New Musical Express cover 1.jpg
Cover.

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