Record Collector, September 2003: Difference between revisions
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''Trust'' is the great lost Costello album. It marked the sound of a man and his band in transition, wanting to break free from pop's straitjacket. Away from the trophy songs ("New Lace Sleeves," "Shot With His Own Gun"), the album contains some of the greatest EC throwaways ever: "Lovers Walk," and "From A Whisper To A Scream," a duet with Glenn Tilbrook, who sang the guide vocal for Costello when his voice packed up. There's a great swagger through Larry Williams "Slow Down," a try-out for "The Long Honeymoon" and a shouting-out-loud version of "Watch Your Step" among the bonuses here. | ''Trust'' is the great lost Costello album. It marked the sound of a man and his band in transition, wanting to break free from pop's straitjacket. Away from the trophy songs ("New Lace Sleeves," "Shot With His Own Gun"), the album contains some of the greatest EC throwaways ever: "Lovers Walk," and "From A Whisper To A Scream," a duet with Glenn Tilbrook, who sang the guide vocal for Costello when his voice packed up. There's a great swagger through Larry Williams "Slow Down," a try-out for "The Long Honeymoon" and a shouting-out-loud version of "Watch Your Step" among the bonuses here. | ||
After the dazzling brilliance but lack of commercial returns of ''Imperial Bedroom'', Costello clocked on at being a pop star again. He turned to smoulderingly hot producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who had recently overseen Dexys' ''Too Rye Aye''. Working with overdubs instead of a live feel, the resulting album, ''Punch The Clock'', from 1983, is now viewed with disdain by the hardcore, which is rum when you consider that it's almost identical to Imperial Bedroom. The Dexys brass | After the dazzling brilliance but lack of commercial returns of ''Imperial Bedroom'', Costello clocked on at being a pop star again. He turned to smoulderingly hot producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who had recently overseen Dexys' ''Too Rye Aye''. Working with overdubs instead of a live feel, the resulting album, ''Punch The Clock'', from 1983, is now viewed with disdain by the hardcore, which is rum when you consider that it's almost identical to ''Imperial Bedroom''. The Dexys brass section and Afrodiziak's backing vocals made it his biggest selling record since Armed Forces. Sonically, it's a beat album, with the horn refrain of "Let Them All Talk" blasting it off in style. However, there were razorblades in the bouquet. | ||
His paean to long term love, "The Greatest Thing," was a response to the hatred that he felt for Wham's "Young Guns Go For It"; yet his marriage was crumbling and lines like ''"Just one shameful act or maybe two, we make believe we're making do"'' ("Charm School") evaporate any optimism. He also presents his two best political lyrics, "Pills And Soap" and "Shipbuilding," which never fails to deliver the appropriate emotional punch. | His paean to long term love, "The Greatest Thing," was a response to the hatred that he felt for Wham's "Young Guns Go For It"; yet his marriage was crumbling and lines like ''"Just one shameful act or maybe two, we make believe we're making do"'' ("Charm School") evaporate any optimism. He also presents his two best political lyrics, "Pills And Soap" and "Shipbuilding," which never fails to deliver the appropriate emotional punch. |
Revision as of 15:52, 21 February 2018
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