New York Daily News, March 2, 1980

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Costello drops the angry act


Martha Hume

Elvis cheers up

The 20-song Get Happy, Elvis Costello's just-released new album, finds our hero in a much better mood than he was on last year's Armed Forces (aka Emotional Fascism). Of course, the concept of cheerfulness is a relative one when applied to the often ill-tempered Costello, but the content of Get Happy indicates that he has decided to at least hang out with the human race, even if he doesn't join it.

Get Happy is my favorite Elvis C. album to date. While it is in some ways less ambitious as its predecessors, and lacks their thematic coherence, Get Happy is, nonetheless, the Costello record I'll play. It's not often I'm in the mood to hear a song like "Goon Squad," for example, but I can listen to the new "Beaten To The Punch," "New Amsterdam," or "Motel Matches" any time. Get Happy may not be Costello's most intellectual album, but it's certainly his most entertaining one.

The reason that I'm being so defensive here is because I don't think many music critics will agree with me. One group is sure to say that Costello has sold out because he's made a playable record. Another bunch is resistant to anything Elvis Costello does because of last year's much misunderstood dust-up with Bonnie Bramlett and Costello's generally surly attitude (which I think is faked). Still a third group may criticize the sound quality of Get Happy because Elvis and producer Nick Lowe have crowded 20 songs onto a space usually reserved for eight or 10.

The only beef I'll go along with is the last. Most authorities will tell you that sound deteriorates if more than 20 minutes of music is included on one side of a LP. Get Happy cuts it very close, with 22 minutes, 24 seconds on one side, and 21 minutes, 51 seconds on the other. The sound here is often a bit muddy and, as usual, Costello does not enunciate his words. The result is that the listener either has to use earphones or play the record 30 times in order to figure out everything that's going on. This seems to me to be asking too much.

All of that said, Get Happy has more good songs on it than any other three albums released so far this year. No sooner have I picked a favorite cut than I find another I like just as well. My out-of-the-box favorite was "New Amsterdam" — probably because the song is so melodic that it instantly catches your attention and holds it. Then I decided I liked "Motel Matches" best because, although it doesn't sound like a country song, it's written like one, and I like country songs. Next I picked "Beaten To The Punch" and "Human Touch" because of the farfisa organ and the Tex-Mex beat. (I think Costello sounds like Doug Sahm here.) At still another listening, I opted for "Riot Act" and "Possession" because of the melodies. "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down," "Secondary Modern," and "I Stand Accused" are also favorite cuts.

What can I say? Get Happy is a great album and there's no way you're going to hear all 20 cuts on the radio. This is an LP you have to judge for yourself.

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New York Daily News, March 2, 1980


Martha Hume reviews Get Happy!!.

Images

1980-03-02 New York Daily News page L-17 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.

Page scan.
1980-03-02 New York Daily News page L-17.jpg

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