New Musical Express, October 4, 1980: Difference between revisions
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What a genial figure Elvis Costello cuts. It takes a palpable effort to recall the grim creature of '77, the one with the stone face and the reptile glare and the tracks of toad-sweat down forehead and cheeks.. | |||
Who saw him then and could forget the spastic menace brought to "[[Watching The Detectives]]", the astonishing, elaborate melodrama of the way he performed "[[I'm Not Angry]]", when the original Stiff tour reached The Lyceum? Those were the days of Costello as Mr Revenge-And-Guilt, operating from the safe shelter of the persona of a worm turned Homicidal. | |||
These days, that persona seems to have been drawn with strokes so broad as to seem almost cartoonish, comical in its exaggeration. | |||
Where he and The Attractions once got their heads down and rushed defiantly through a set seemingly constructed to include as much unfamilar (and unintroduced) material as possible, your 1980 Costello presents a carefully sequenced programme of new and old material (one for one, most of the time), introduces the songs, smiles and even provides a few moments of mirth by appearing in baggy khaki pants and a pink leather jacket. | |||
The principal reason for dwelling on bygone days is the fact that - at the Rainbow Theatre's 50th Anniversary concert - Costello performed more of his early material than he actually did when the stuff was relatively fresh. After transcending his past work by launching a new phase with "''Get Happy!!''" , Costello re-adapts songs like "[[Alison]]", "[[Less Than Zero]]" and "[[You Belong To Me]]" into the canon of his performing repertoire by interpreting them with a renewed vigour and freshness, without even a hint of the mechanical or the slightest taint of "obligation" - you know, give 'em the old stuff 'cause they like it best. | |||
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