Portland Mercury, May 2, 2002: Difference between revisions
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And here's the truth about Elvis Costello: He's a great lyricist, but that and $1.25 will get him a ride on the bus if you can't understand a goddam word he says. [[When I Was Cruel]] is Costello's first solo effort in seven years, and those years of lying fallow have done nothing to help his diction. On the upside, he seems to be putting a lot more energy into his arrangements, which are exhibiting a welcome diversity. Rather than relying on the plodding ballad or reggae beats of the past, he's taking more of a Tom Waits' Rain Dogs approach--mixing post-punk alongside tremolo guitars, and tossing in the occasional Portishead-style James Bondian electronic epic. Interesting? You betcha. But it's all for naught when every vocal track is "Mwwa-aaaaaaai-buhhbeshi-fittinda-seeeeeee"--or the same style as in 1977. "Ding-ding!" Oops, that's a reminder for all of us that it's time to move on. | And here's the truth about Elvis Costello: He's a great lyricist, but that and $1.25 will get him a ride on the bus if you can't understand a goddam word he says. [[When I Was Cruel]] is Costello's first solo effort in seven years, and those years of lying fallow have done nothing to help his diction. On the upside, he seems to be putting a lot more energy into his arrangements, which are exhibiting a welcome diversity. Rather than relying on the plodding ballad or reggae beats of the past, he's taking more of a Tom Waits' Rain Dogs approach--mixing post-punk alongside tremolo guitars, and tossing in the occasional Portishead-style James Bondian electronic epic. Interesting? You betcha. But it's all for naught when every vocal track is "Mwwa-aaaaaaai-buhhbeshi-fittinda-seeeeeee"--or the same style as in 1977. "Ding-ding!" Oops, that's a reminder for all of us that it's time to move on. WM. | ||
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[[Category:Portland Mercury| Portland Mercury 2002-05-02]] | [[Category:Portland Mercury| Portland Mercury 2002-05-02]] | ||
[[Category:Newspaper articles]] | [[Category:Newspaper articles]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Album reviews]] | ||
[[Category:When I Was Cruel reviews]] | |||
Revision as of 22:29, 5 August 2014
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