Record Mirror, January 24, 1981: Difference between revisions

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[[image:1981-01-24 Record Mirror cover 1.jpg|x120px]]
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<br><small>Cover.</small>
<br><small>Cover.</small>

Revision as of 19:29, 27 November 2014

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Record Mirror

Magazines
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Trussed Trust for Tryst?

Elvis Costello / Trust

Mike Gardner

Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg

Trust? Or should that read trussed?

The law of averages states quite clearly that anybody who produces no less than six albums (including the Taking Liberties / 10 Bloody Mary's And 10 How's Your Fathers outtake collections) in four years must be due for the critical pillory and a good time will be had by all. But Costello has managed to produce albums that have each shown a marked improvement on the previous set while always delivering songs that are far more than reheated past offerings.

As usual the first impression is of disappointment as he fails to capitalise on the areas he opened up on the last set and then you realise that he's taken another worthwhile tangent and you discover even more than you had previously hoped.

The most stark improvement is the growing maturity of his personal barbs the attacks seem to be more considered, less frantic and consequently more potent. His grasp of his twisting melody trademark becomes firmer as the tunes snake their natural course until Costello rears up on himself and takes it loan always interesting conclusion.

The "Those without whom this wouldn't be possible" department, namely The Attractions and Nick Lowe, are performing flawlessly. The Thomas twins Bruce and Pete (no relation) have evolved into one of the finest rhythm sections in the country creating a tall and punchy base on which Steve Nieve can weave dexterous textures.

Elvis himself is still unwilling to keep his voice monochrome and insists on experimenting with tone in an almost three dimensional sense, developing his sandpaper rasp as much as the sweeter gears of his larynx.

The highlights on this 14 track set include the classic elegance of "Clubland," a single that should have been, if there ever was one. Then there's the big beat of "Lovers Walk" which has more than a tinge of Bo Diddley swagger. There's the effortlessness of the pretty melodies on "Never Be A Man," "New Lace Sleeves" and the This Year's Model styled "White Knuckles."

Then there's the tour de force of a Costello Motown bopper "From A Whisper To A Scream" that has Glen Tilbrook swapping phrases with the bespectacled one like an Anglocised Sam and Dave and the melody even manages to have overtones of Squeeze.

But the honours must be shared with the poignant "Shot With His Own Gun" that shows that the Costello cutting edge hasn't lost one gram of bite.

The Costello formula should be getting boring by now but while he still invests energy and care into his work and then sidesteps the pitfalls with agility and intelligence then he's going to put oft the execution a few times more.

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Record Mirror, January 24, 1981


Mike Gardner reviews Trust.


Mark Cooper reviews Elvis Costello & The Attractions and opening act Squeeze, Sunday, January 11, 1981, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA.

Images

1981-01-24 Record Mirror clipping 01.jpg File:1981-01-24 Record Mirror clipping 02.jpg
Clippings.


A Mug's Game

Elvis Costello / Squeeze
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Mark Cooper

One of the first dates of the "Mugs and their Old Chinas" tour as this venture has been named. Elvis' first visit to California in two years, following the big stink that his last tour created, specialising as he did in playing half hour sets. San Luis Obispo is right off rock America's beaten track, a small surf town with a college, 200 miles from LA. Elvis is confronted with a naive, enthusiastic audience who ask each other such questions as "Is this punk?"

Squeeze open up and get the kind of response that is usually reserved for well known acts. At this rate the lads will finally crack America. They concentrated on material from Argy Bargy and featured Paul Carrack, he of Ace, on keyboards and perfunctory reading of their old chestnut, "How Long." All in all, a bright breezy set that showed the quality of Squeeze's songs and a distinct attempt to direct their set in a manner appealing to an American rock audience.

As for Elvis, he remains as daring as ever but he's a lot more in control of himself, his audience and his material. His whole set exuded a sense of rock and roll tradition, featuring cover versions of songs from all over the place, soul to country. Elvis the King's "Little Sister," Patsy Cline the old country star's "I've Got Your Picture," blues with choppy, jazzy organ in the shape of "Help Me," — even a strutting version of "Walk (And Don't Look Back)." What emerges is a sense of Elvis as an interpreter and deliverer of songs second to none, drenching the torch ballads in as much melodrama as they can take, rejoicing in his gift of timing.

The devil seems to have left Elvis and perhaps a little's lost as a consequence — he's less abrupt, less on a knife-edge, less dangerous.

Now he's friendly and polite to his audience, seemingly finding no need to spurn the crowd to find himself as he used to do. Instead he concentrates on the wealth of songs at his disposal, his own and others and gets down to the serious business of singing the hell out of them. The Attractions are superb all evening, with Steve Naive particularly imaginative.

The old Elvis remains, spurned as ever in the lyrics and the ballads, the one who wanted to join the party but was not invited but now he's throwing the party and doing it with good grace. He's become enough of a showman to allow "Watching The Detectives" to segue into a quick section of "Masterblaster" and he's even prepared to perform the song that made him with the masses, "Alison." That ballad seems to sum it up, delivered with dignity, timing and a sense of history. Elvis has joined the tradition, but he's a million miles from selling out.


File:1981-01-24 Record Mirror cover 1.jpg
Cover.

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