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He was asking for trouble when he named himself Elvis. He asks for more every time he puts out a new album, or puts his foot in his mouth within earshot of a reporter.
Seething with cynicism and musical verbosity, Elvis Costello doesn't deny the charge that he's got a "chip on his shoulder." Frankly, he welcomes it. Everybody's gotta have a trademark.
It's strange that he's criticised for being "glib" because he's managed to crank out a new album every nine months or so since his debut in Britain in 1977. As if it's a crime to work hard.
Costello also is nailed for being a male chauvinist, although his bitter put-down style has been directed at both sexes.
And he is labeled pretentious, because this is a rare rock 'n' roller who dares to try his hand at pop standards, country music and even classical.
I say, more power to him. Elvis Costello might not always be right-on, but he's on-target more often than any other singer/songwriter covering the contemporary protest rock terrain.
Appearing tomorrow at the Spectrum with the Attractions (plus his old buddy/producer Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit as opening act) Costello surely will feature material from his latest and 10th album, Goodbye Cruel World, plus blasts from the past like "Alison," "Pump It Up" and "The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes."
Frankly, Goodbye Cruel World is not my favorite Costello effort. In particular, his 1950-ish (or, more accurately, Phil Ochs-sings-those-golden-oldies) crooning style seems to be getting the best of him. There's too much mannered, nasal vocal posturing, and not enough attention to melody to satisfy my ears. The supposed pick-to-click from the LP, "The Only Flame in Town," is the most obvious case in point — an unmemorable, unsalvageable tossaway even though it boasts Daryl Hall's vocal participation and a perky, Hall & Oates-ish arrangement.
Ah, but Costello does prove lyrically on-target on most occasions. A fan of Elvis Presley — who probably knocked Costello for co-opting the King's name — gets it back right between the eyes in "Worthless Thing," a savage put-down of empty-headed idol worship: "All the cars and pills and girls who tore his shirt to tatters / Do you know how tall he was? / 'Cause that is all that really matters / Do you know his mother's last name? / Do you think that he's divine? / You've seen the film, you've read the book, you're drinking vintage Elvis Presley wine."
"Joe Porterhouse" is a strangely disquieting ballad about a man who's either prison-bound, just died or about to get a divorce; "The Great Unknown" relishes the image of a bachelor party that's more like a wake.
The piece de resistance is the album closer, "Peace in Our Time," inspired by the U.S. invasion of Grenada, and a heavy duty put-down of our movie star President: "The heavyweight champion fights in the international propaganda Star Wars / There's already one spaceman in the White House / What do you want another one for?"
Thanks for asking, Elvis.
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