New Musical Express, August 27, 1977: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> D.P. Costello of Whitton, Middlesex, <br> it is your turn to be The Future of Rock & Roll </h3></center> | <center><h3> D. P. Costello of Whitton, Middlesex, <br> it is your turn to be The Future of Rock & Roll </h3></center> | ||
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<center> Nick Kent </center> | <center> Nick Kent </center> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
It's been a rough old week for Elvis Costello. Last weekend he was right up there in the play lists with his "Red Shoes" single — a tentative third-time-lucky — a cosey Top 20 cloister for the album and even the national press getting hot-to-trot with the Costello form for 1977. | |||
The <i>Daily Express</i>'s showbusiness correspondent, a fellow with the unlikely name of Garth Pierce, did an interview with E.C. for a full page "this-is-my tip-to-click" item dated for last Thursday as did an influential scribe from the ''Daily Mail'', again for last week. | |||
And what happens? Some other geezer sharing Costello's maiden name sloughs off the mortal coil and all the "tastemakers" consider it irreverent to even make mention of this young-blood's very existence. | |||
Result: the man who would be king's career is in a right two-and-eight for the whole week of August 13-20. A grevious impasse after such a mercurial lift-off... | |||
El's already had his share of controversy, y'know. Yessir, even the National Front have apparently been trying to dog his tracks ever since the release of the first-ever Costello vinyl artifact "Less Than Zero" (Stiff 45) which bears a heavy anti-N.F. bias, the song itself being a tacitly fanciful depiction of the landed gentry's fave black sheep boy of the Isherwood era, Oswald Mosley. | |||
El's already had his share of controversy, y'know. Yessir, even the National Front have apparently been trying to dog his tracks ever since the release of the first-ever Costello vinyl artifact " | |||
''"Calling Mr. Oswald with the swastika tatoo"''... croons our El before pointing out in a ream of impressive if often fairly obtuse couplets, the innate British hypocrisy afoot on the double-moral-standard twists that forbid your favourite new wave band, say, from polluting the main media outlets while some gnarled pathetic self-confessed anti-Semite like the senile Mosley can blithely saunter into the BBC studios and run off at the mouth for 45 rivetting minutes over his sordid reminiscences. | ''"Calling Mr. Oswald with the swastika tatoo"''... croons our El before pointing out in a ream of impressive if often fairly obtuse couplets, the innate British hypocrisy afoot on the double-moral-standard twists that forbid your favourite new wave band, say, from polluting the main media outlets while some gnarled pathetic self-confessed anti-Semite like the senile Mosley can blithely saunter into the BBC studios and run off at the mouth for 45 rivetting minutes over his sordid reminiscences. | ||
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''"Let's talk about the future now we've put the past away". | ''"Let's talk about the future now we've put the past away". | ||
We're in a pub just round the corner from Island Records' St Peters Square building, Elvis and me, talking about the subject matter of "Less Than Zero" when | We're in a pub just round the corner from Island Records' St Peters Square building, Elvis and me, talking about the subject matter of "Less Than Zero" when Jake Riviera suddenly pipes up with the information that all the Yanks who've heard it think it's about Lee Harvey Oswald. | ||
"Yeah right," Costello's terse gruff voice breaks in. | "Yeah right," Costello's terse gruff voice breaks in. | ||
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After all, his song-vignettes — a lot of them anyway — are pretty damn weird — starting from simple everyday occurences the composer finds himself observing on the tube, or maybe on his way down to the off-licence, and then blossoming into raging chunks of perfectly matched melody and savage eloquence. | After all, his song-vignettes — a lot of them anyway — are pretty damn weird — starting from simple everyday occurences the composer finds himself observing on the tube, or maybe on his way down to the off-licence, and then blossoming into raging chunks of perfectly matched melody and savage eloquence. | ||
Like even ''I'm'' in an Elvis Costello song. El reckons he saw me one night on a tube bound for Osterley and.... "you were obviously pretty 'out of it' 'cos you didn't even notice all the other people in the compartment staring at you. I was just amazed that one person could draw that much reaction from others. After I saw you there, I came up with ' | Like even ''I'm'' in an Elvis Costello song. El reckons he saw me one night on a tube bound for Osterley and.... "you were obviously pretty 'out of it' 'cos you didn't even notice all the other people in the compartment staring at you. I was just amazed that one person could draw that much reaction from others. After I saw you there, I came up with 'Waiting For The World to End.' You're the guy in the opening verse." | ||
I touch my forelock at the imparting of this factoid. After all, being in a Costello song is a deal more prestigious than being a name in this little black book he carries around, and which possibly might soon be making quite a name for itself. | I touch my forelock at the imparting of this factoid. After all, being in a Costello song is a deal more prestigious than being a name in this little black book he carries around, and which possibly might soon be making quite a name for itself. | ||
Elvis's black book? Oh, it's just full of these names of folk who have crossed our El, who have hindered the unravelling of his true destiny these past years. Maybe they were responsible for not signing him to their label (prior to the Stiff inking this is) or maybe they referred to him as another | Elvis's black book? Oh, it's just full of these names of folk who have crossed our El, who have hindered the unravelling of his true destiny these past years. Maybe they were responsible for not signing him to their label (prior to the Stiff inking this is) or maybe they referred to him as another Van Morrison sound-alike just like all those other squat, nervy types with short hair and glasses with whom such parallels appear obligatory in today's music press. | ||
Whatever the cause, they're all marked men, cows before the slaughter, names and livelihoods about to come under the thunder of Costello. | Whatever the cause, they're all marked men, cows before the slaughter, names and livelihoods about to come under the thunder of Costello. | ||
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Elvis is very into revenge, see. "The only two things that matter to me, the only motivation points for me writing all these songs," opines Costello with a perverse leer, "are ''revenge and guilt''. Those are the only emotions I know about, that I know I can feel. Love? I dunno what it means, really, and it doesn't exist in my songs. | Elvis is very into revenge, see. "The only two things that matter to me, the only motivation points for me writing all these songs," opines Costello with a perverse leer, "are ''revenge and guilt''. Those are the only emotions I know about, that I know I can feel. Love? I dunno what it means, really, and it doesn't exist in my songs. | ||
"Like" — he's into this discourse now — "when I played earlier in front of all those reps or whatever they're called — all those guys working for Island — did you hear me introducing | "Like" — he's into this discourse now — "when I played earlier in front of all those reps or whatever they're called — all those guys working for Island — did you hear me introducing Lipservice'? | ||
" 'This song is called 'Lipservice' and that's all you're gonna get from me'. That was straight from the heart, that, 'cos last year I actually went to Island with my demo tape and none of them wanted to know. Back then they wouldn't give me the time of day. But ''now''..." | "'This song is called 'Lipservice' and that's all you're gonna get from me'. That was straight from the heart, that, 'cos last year I actually went to Island with my demo tape and none of them wanted to know. Back then they wouldn't give me the time of day. But ''now''..." | ||
Now, Elvis is gloating because suddenly he's one of the new breed golden boys, already a name to be bandied about, with two excellent singles under his belt and a much-raved-over album finally in the shops after a couple of months of collecting dust in the warehouse while Stiff and Island re-jigged terms of distribution. | Now, Elvis is gloating because suddenly he's one of the new breed golden boys, already a name to be bandied about, with two excellent singles under his belt and a much-raved-over album finally in the shops after a couple of months of collecting dust in the warehouse while Stiff and Island re-jigged terms of distribution. | ||
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The words trail off into a deft silence, the eyes glare triumphantly and our El quietly digs his hand into one of his four jacket pockets to produce an enormous bent steel nail, the kind of oppressive-looking affair that would be ideal for pinning whole limbs to crosses at a human crucifixion. This, Costello is stating wordlessly, is his chosen weapon of defense: it glistens menacingly against the glasses strewn over our table, far more menacingly than any cold gleaming switchblade wedge. | The words trail off into a deft silence, the eyes glare triumphantly and our El quietly digs his hand into one of his four jacket pockets to produce an enormous bent steel nail, the kind of oppressive-looking affair that would be ideal for pinning whole limbs to crosses at a human crucifixion. This, Costello is stating wordlessly, is his chosen weapon of defense: it glistens menacingly against the glasses strewn over our table, far more menacingly than any cold gleaming switchblade wedge. | ||
Satisfied by this display of sinister deliberation — yes we get the picture, Elvis — he pockets the nail once more and the ''tete a-tete'' continues. | Satisfied by this display of sinister deliberation — yes we get the picture, Elvis — he pockets the nail once more and the ''tete a-tete'' continues. Somehow, mind you, this incident with Miss Vamp has granted us a neutral terrain, common ground on which to consummate an easier intimacy outside of the usual rigidly forced mode of communication common to all first-time-around circumstances. Costello's already well lubricated by now from his booze intake and I've adamantly followed suit so that all of a sudden it's almost like we're old mates, awkward familiarities receding to make way for a shades-off and all — cards — on — the — table confrontation. | ||
Somehow, mind you, this incident with Miss Vamp has granted us a neutral terrain, common ground on which to consummate an easier intimacy outside of the usual rigidly forced mode of communication common to all first-time-around circumstances. Costello's already well lubricated by now from his booze intake and I've adamantly followed suit so that all of a sudden it's almost like we're old mates, awkward familiarities receding to make way for a shades-off and all | |||
Costello's slightly nervy abruptness of manner has vanished completely to be replaced by the style of a man totally coldly calculatingly confident. The real Elvis Costello finally is now ready to open up. | Costello's slightly nervy abruptness of manner has vanished completely to be replaced by the style of a man totally coldly calculatingly confident. The real Elvis Costello finally is now ready to open up. | ||
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Immediately prior to his joining "the professionals," Costello's forays into music business-land were kept down to hyper-anonymous trips to Highbury's Pathway Studios where the ''Aim'' album was recorded with Nick Lowe, arguably El's greatest fan, producing (Lowe and Costello had actually first met some years prior to this creature, mating backstage at Eric's in Liverpool after a Brinsley Schwarz gig). Or there was the occasional trip to the Stiff offices where Costello would sit almost hiding behind a newspaper, just waiting, biding his time until his secret weapon was unveiled and all the biz would swoop down eagerly to chew on his toe-nail clippings. | Immediately prior to his joining "the professionals," Costello's forays into music business-land were kept down to hyper-anonymous trips to Highbury's Pathway Studios where the ''Aim'' album was recorded with Nick Lowe, arguably El's greatest fan, producing (Lowe and Costello had actually first met some years prior to this creature, mating backstage at Eric's in Liverpool after a Brinsley Schwarz gig). Or there was the occasional trip to the Stiff offices where Costello would sit almost hiding behind a newspaper, just waiting, biding his time until his secret weapon was unveiled and all the biz would swoop down eagerly to chew on his toe-nail clippings. | ||
Costello, see, claims he knew all along about the massive shake-up his show cases talents would cause the biz, that all the droll-soaked rave reviews and budding cult acceptance would surge in and wash off his ego Like water off a duck's arse. | |||
Cults, thinks El — who needs em? He'd far rather he zeroing out of 10 million TV screens on Thursday night with Jimmy Saville's basooka cigar and the usual posse of silly little girls milling around. The album itself — well, El read all the reviews of course. Including our Roy Carr who betwixt dropping adjectural "brilliants" like so much pidgeon shit, zeroed in on Costello's emotional masochism as a lynch-pin for his critique. | |||
"Well at least he picked up on something as opposed to all the others who obviously didn't bother to understand any of the songs but just churned out the superlatives. I mean, that ... uh "masochist" thing is only relevant for two or three tracks — on "I'm Not Angry" it's there plus "Miracle Man" — but it's an interesting point because as far as I can see, those are the only songs in the rock idiom where a guy is admitting absolute defeat — taking all this sexual abuse say — without either doing the old "James Taylor" self-pity bit or coming on all "macho" with the whole revenge bit. | |||
Hold on there a tic, El. I mean, what about ... well take Lennon's "Jealous Guy." | |||
"Ah, but with that one, Lennon's saying 'I'm sorry that I made you cry' ... That's the key line because he's already got her back. He's triumphed, so all that self-confessed 'I'm so weak' stuff is stated from a position of strength. No, I'm talking about being a ''complete'' loser. That's something totally new to the rock idiom which by its very nature is immature and totally 'macho'-orientated in its basic attitude. Only in country music can you find a guy singing about that kind of deprivation honestly." | |||
So we start to talk about other songwriters — First, the obvious ones like Springsteen who El reckons to be a lousy lyricist — "His stuff about being on the streets is trite and unbelievable — the only song I like of his is "E Street Shuffle". I heard it in the bath once and thought it had a good riff". | |||
And Van Morrison — El just sneers and claims he's never even heard ''Astral Weeks''. So much for influences. Lou Reed and Patti Smith El's hardly heard a note of — "though I never miss reading one of their interviews." | |||
Only the name of Pete Townshend produces anything like an interesting retort. | |||
"Yeah well his early stuff of course — I mean, 'Substitute' is a perfect song but he blew it by being too bright for his own good, too analytical. Actually, that's one thing — I'm wary of falling into the same trap that Townshend did. There's parallels there — they've already been noted. It's the same thing as being called 'the balladeer of the new wave' by one paper because of 'Alison'. | |||
"See, I'm 22 (''Yeah, and I'm Raquel Welch — Ed'') — that's only one year older that Johnny Rotten, isn't it. I just don't want to become the 'elder statesman of punk' or whatever, which is just what Townsend got locked into back in the 60's. It's a dangerous position." | |||
A few more things about Elvis. He hates trendies, King's Road and particularly Dingwalls. | |||
"I don't like playing while people are fuckin' feeding their faces," he opines. | |||
He won't allow any other guitar players onstage with him in this band. | |||
He really has no friends. | |||
He's just written another song about the National Front called "Night Rally." | |||
Contrary to the venomous attack on Stiff and Costello over the ill-fated Dingwalls' debacle in ''Gasbag'' two weeks back, Elvis to fact took the 8-page-long guest list for the night and mercilessly scythed off half the names including such as Richard Williams who, as A & R man for Island Records, personally turned down El's demo tape last year. | |||
''Also'', Elvis personally vets all guest lists making sure that anyone whose name was down but who didn't turn up the last time his name was included is struck off the list forevermore. | |||
Jake Riviera and Nick Lowe both think he's loopy but a genius to boot. | |||
Finally — if they ever do another ''Rock Dreams'' book, Elvis Costello will surely he in there along with the rest. He'll be the mousey figure, all insect anonymity, seated in a tube train carriage in his insurance clerk-suit and misty bifocals mostly hidden by a copy of the ''Evening Standard'' with Elvis Presley's death announced in grandstand type alongside the latest tales of National Front marches and King's Road Punks-Teds confrontations. | |||
Only his heads will be prominent — all shot through with cold-blue veins bulging as they form clenched fists, the knuckles of which scream forth with two blood red tattoos. On the left fist reads "Revenge." On the right reads "Guilt." | |||
The main headline will read "A Walking Time-Bomb — The Man Who Would Be King." | |||
"Watch Him Closely." | |||
{{cx}} | |||
{{Bibliography notes header}} | {{Bibliography notes header}} | ||
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'''New Musical Express, August 27, 1977 | '''New Musical Express, August 27, 1977 | ||
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[[Nick Kent]] profiles Elvis Costello. <span style="font-size:92%"> (reprinted in [[Creem, February 1978|''Creem'', February 1978]].)</span> | [[Nick Kent]] profiles Elvis Costello. <span style="font-size:92%"> (reprinted in [[Creem, February 1978|''Creem'']] and ''[[RAM, February 24, 1978|RAM]]''.)</span> | ||
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''[[My Aim Is True]]'' is No. 28 on the album chart ([[:image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 02 clipping 01.jpg|page 2]]). | |||
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Also includes an ad for [[Concert 1977-09-10 London|September 10]], Garden Party X, Crystal Palace Bowl, London. | |||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 07 .jpg| | [[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 07.jpg|380px]] | ||
<br><small>Page scans.</small> | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 08.jpg| | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 08.jpg|380px]] | |||
<br><small>Page scans.</small> | <br><small>Page scans.</small> | ||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express photo | <small>Photo by [[Pennie Smith]].</small><br> | ||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express photo 02 ps.jpg|380px]] | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express | |||
<br><small>Cover.</small> | <small>Photo by [[Pennie Smith]].</small><br> | ||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express photo 01 ps.jpg|380px]] | |||
<small>Advertisement.</small><br> | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 19 advertisement.jpg|300px]] | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express advertisement.jpg|300px]] | |||
<br><small>Advertisement.</small> | |||
<small>Cover, chart clipping and page scans.</small><br> | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express cover.jpg|x120px]] | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 02 clipping 01.jpg|x120px]] | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 19.jpg|x120px]] | |||
[[image:1977-08-27 New Musical Express page 38.jpg|x120px]] | |||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} | ||
{{Bibliography footer}} | {{Bibliography footer}} | ||
==Internal links== | |||
*[[The Dark Stuff|Nick Kent: The Dark Stuff]] | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[http://www.nme.com/ NME.com] | *[http://www.nme.com/ NME.com] | ||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NME Wikipedia: NME] | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NME Wikipedia: NME] | ||
*[http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=13068920@N00&q=27%3A08%3A1977 Flickr:] [[Stephen McCathie]] | |||
*[http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5921 Elvis Costello Fan Forum] | *[http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5921 Elvis Costello Fan Forum] | ||
*[https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1166419951911145473 Twitter: woodg31{{t}}][https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1166419877403537408 {{t}}][https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1299057215198855170 {{t}}][https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1431692944810070019 {{t}}] | |||
*[http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Stuff-Selected-Writings/dp/0306811820 Amazon: Nick Kent] | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Musical Express 1977-08-27}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:New Musical Express 1977-08-27}} | ||
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[[Category:Interviews]] | [[Category:Interviews]] | ||
[[Category:1977 interviews]] | [[Category:1977 interviews]] | ||
Latest revision as of 00:59, 22 June 2023
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Photo by Pennie Smith.
Cover, chart clipping and page scans.
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