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In the golden age of the movies the high street cinema queues bought their tickets for Astaire's spats, Gable's dimples, Rogers' feathers. Taylor's. Arneche's, Flynn's, Donat's pencil moustaches — the personality as opposed to the plot.
In the platinum age of the movies attractions switched. The intelligentsia and the increasingly aware became hip to fashionable directors. Now people got wet because of Fellini's flirtations. Russell's paranoia. Kubrik's fantasising.
Although not quite on the same scale — more of an abstract influence than an overwhelming belief — punters are beginning to check out record labels. And yes, it has been known for a fan to buy an album bearing a Stiff logo regardless of whatever artist happens to be etching his dreams on vinyl. No doubt their current offering will inveigle itself into a few collections precisely because of that fact — but Costello and Dury have since transcended the Stiff fascination.
Live Stiffs is a £2.99 Reader's Digest version of the recent tour with the aforementioned heroes plus Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis
Now epithets may be etiquette when talking of Stiff but this album ain't as hot as it could have been. Atmosphere is reduced because of clumsy editing — each track fades out with audience cheers, pause, then cheers intro. Annoying.
The first side is nicked by Wallis with a convincing rendition of 'Police Cars'. Lowe aided by Dave Edmunds, never really gets cooking on his two donations 'I Knew The Bride' and Let's Eat" while Wreckless Eric's incoherent set is saved from utter failure by his connecting extemporeaneous raps.
Side Two is an improvement — it has to be with Costello singing 'I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself' and 'Miracle Man' in such an indifferent way and Dury's defecating vocal style on 'Wake Up & Make Love With Me' followed by the Casanovian splendour of 'Billericay Dickie'.
But the side is ruined by is disastrous ensemble attempt at 'Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll'. Appropriately chaotic on the night it nowhere near makes it on record.
Still. I guess it's worth having. But maybe, you'll all be better off with John Wayne's walk. Or Errol Flynn's swashbuckle. And did he have swashbuckle.
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