Prairie Sun, March 24, 1979: Difference between revisions

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"...Elvis' audience, for instance, consists not only of people who are music enthusiasts, but also a lot of young girls who really get off on him like they do with Gary Glitter or did with Marc Bolan. I think that's healthy because rock 'n' roll or pop music is the property of young people. Certainly younger than me."
If Elvis Costello has any sense of humor at all — and he must to have survived three albums, several U.S. tours and hundreds of articles written without the benefit of interviews he never gives — he'd probably have a good hoot over that [[Bomp!, January 1979|quote]] from his producer, Nick Lowe. Somehow picturing the Duke of Disturbance fighting off teeming nubile masses while prancing to "Bang-A-Gong" seems an impossible task. Nevertheless, there are plenty of women — and men for that matter, pigs — who can't get enough of El's horn-rimmed, pigeon-toed cool.
Me neither.
''{{n}}"I am starting to function <br>
''{{n}}In the usual way <br>
''{{n}}Everything is so provocative <br>
''{{n}}Very, very, temporary...  <br>
{{mm}}("Big Boys" from ''Armed Forces'')
While Costello's music is certainly provocative, it's anything but temporary. Now, he wouldn't necessarily agree with that but would certainly hope it were true. Pressed in vinyl on two continents doesn't assure immortality, but if Elvis isn't listened to 50 or 100 years from now by some musicologist somewhere we haven't done our chronicling very well.
''"Oh I just don't know where to begin..."'' sings Costello as the opening line of "Accidents Will Happen" and his latest LP, ''Armed Forces'', but it's a lie. The then-married (currently estranged and pulling the arm of ex-Rundgren-fille Bebe Buell) British computer operator named Declan Patrick McManus had to know something to get the attention of England's bull goose loony record man—Jake Riviera.
Once that marriage had taken place (not without some difficulty, but hey, dues is dues), Riviera's Stiff Records ("If it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a fuck.") released Elvis' first disque, "Less Than Zero/Radio Sweetheart" BUY 11. This was quickly followed by BUY 14 and BUY 15, "Alison/Welcome to the Working Week"' and "Red Shoes/Mystery Dance." All except "Radio Sweetheart" were included on SEEZ 3 — ''My Aim Is True''.
By now (say, late '77, but who keeps track?) the most asked question in America was "Who is Elvis Costello?" ''My Aim Is True'' was getting a fair amount of airplay in markets where people aren't afraid of their own shadow, especially the most sentimental song Costello has recorded so far, "Alison." Though the public didn't much notice, when radio movers and shakers heard La Ronstadt sing an Elvis Costello song, they brightened up to the fact that he might be more than just another "punk" artist.






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Revision as of 01:14, 7 August 2018

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Costello's music is classic rock for the future


Bill Paige

"...Elvis' audience, for instance, consists not only of people who are music enthusiasts, but also a lot of young girls who really get off on him like they do with Gary Glitter or did with Marc Bolan. I think that's healthy because rock 'n' roll or pop music is the property of young people. Certainly younger than me."

If Elvis Costello has any sense of humor at all — and he must to have survived three albums, several U.S. tours and hundreds of articles written without the benefit of interviews he never gives — he'd probably have a good hoot over that quote from his producer, Nick Lowe. Somehow picturing the Duke of Disturbance fighting off teeming nubile masses while prancing to "Bang-A-Gong" seems an impossible task. Nevertheless, there are plenty of women — and men for that matter, pigs — who can't get enough of El's horn-rimmed, pigeon-toed cool.

Me neither.

 "I am starting to function
 In the usual way
 Everything is so provocative
 Very, very, temporary...
  ("Big Boys" from Armed Forces)

While Costello's music is certainly provocative, it's anything but temporary. Now, he wouldn't necessarily agree with that but would certainly hope it were true. Pressed in vinyl on two continents doesn't assure immortality, but if Elvis isn't listened to 50 or 100 years from now by some musicologist somewhere we haven't done our chronicling very well.

"Oh I just don't know where to begin..." sings Costello as the opening line of "Accidents Will Happen" and his latest LP, Armed Forces, but it's a lie. The then-married (currently estranged and pulling the arm of ex-Rundgren-fille Bebe Buell) British computer operator named Declan Patrick McManus had to know something to get the attention of England's bull goose loony record man—Jake Riviera.

Once that marriage had taken place (not without some difficulty, but hey, dues is dues), Riviera's Stiff Records ("If it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a fuck.") released Elvis' first disque, "Less Than Zero/Radio Sweetheart" BUY 11. This was quickly followed by BUY 14 and BUY 15, "Alison/Welcome to the Working Week"' and "Red Shoes/Mystery Dance." All except "Radio Sweetheart" were included on SEEZ 3 — My Aim Is True.

By now (say, late '77, but who keeps track?) the most asked question in America was "Who is Elvis Costello?" My Aim Is True was getting a fair amount of airplay in markets where people aren't afraid of their own shadow, especially the most sentimental song Costello has recorded so far, "Alison." Though the public didn't much notice, when radio movers and shakers heard La Ronstadt sing an Elvis Costello song, they brightened up to the fact that he might be more than just another "punk" artist.




Remaining text and scanner-error corrections to come...

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Prairie Sun, March 24, 1979


Bill Paige profiles Elvis Costello and reviews Armed Forces.


Dave Luhrssen reviews Elvis Costello & The Attractions and opening act The Rubinoos, Friday, March 9, 1979, Uptown Theater, Milwaukee.

Images

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Cover and clipping.


Elvis Costello live in Milwaukee


Dave Luhrssen

1979-03-24 Prairie Sun page 09 clipping 01.jpg

Elvis Costello's early Milwaukee appearances were marred by unenthusiastic audiences and Costello's own outrageous responses, but not the March 9th crowd at the Uptown Theater.

From the moment he launched into "Accidents Will Happen," it was easy to see that here was a new Costello. He was almost friendly. Hints of this change were present on Armed Forces — instead of dealing with himself and a few people around him, Costello turned his anger loose on society. Costello lashed out at perpetual college students ("Chemistry Class"), fascism ("Goon Squad," "Two Little Hitlers"), the welfare state ("Senior Service"), the military/industrial complex ("Oliver's Army") and TV ("Green Shirt").

Armed Forces material comprised the bulk of Costello's 75 minute set. Some notable early songs ("Alison" and "Less Than Zero") were absent, but he did smashing versions of "Watching The Detectives" (Costello actually jumped into the audience during that one), "Radio, Radio" ("radio's got worse since I've last been here," said Costello) and the biting "I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea." Costello even unveiled an unrecorded song, "Opportunity."

Costello's band, The Attractions, provided an ideal setting for his music. Keyboardman Steve Naive jumped around behind his organ/synthesizer console, dominating the melodies with his playing. The rhythm section of Pete Thomas (drums) and Bruce Thomas (bass) drove the songs along with a pulsating beat.

The Rubinoos, a mid-'60s oriented pop quartet, opened the show with a refreshing collection of lively originals and covers of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "I Think We're Alone." Their closing song, a parody of Ted Nugent, was the highlight.



Photographer unknown.
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Photographer unknown.


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Page scans and clippings.

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