Record Mirror, October 24, 1981: Difference between revisions

From The Elvis Costello Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
(update image links)
(formatting +image link +detail +twitter woodg31 links)
Line 8: Line 8:
<center> Mike Nicholls </center>
<center> Mike Nicholls </center>
----
----
[[image:Star full.svg|11x11px]][[image:Star full.svg|11x11px]][[image:Star full.svg|11x11px]][[image:Star full.svg|11x11px]][[image:Star full.svg|11x11px]]
{{5stars}}
{{Bibliography text}}
{{Bibliography text}}
It isn't only his expanding girth that suits Costello to the country idiom. Ever since '78's "Stranger In The House" — not to mention recording his debut album with Clover the year before — it has been obvious that behind those computer clerk glasses there's a redneck dying to get out and here he is in all his maudlin glory.
It isn't only his expanding girth that suits Costello to the country idiom. Ever since '78's "Stranger In The House" — not to mention recording his debut album with Clover the year before — it has been obvious that behind those computer clerk glasses there's a redneck dying to get out and here he is in all his maudlin glory.
Line 49: Line 49:
----
----
[[Mike Nicholls]] reviews ''[[Almost Blue]]''.
[[Mike Nicholls]] reviews ''[[Almost Blue]]''.
----
''Record Mirror'' reports on upcoming [[:Category:Almost Blue, Almost '82 Tour|tour dates]].
----
----
EC is featured in the centerfold poster; a full page ad for ''Almost Blue'' runs on page [[:image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 13 advertisement.jpg|13]].
EC is featured in the centerfold poster; a full page ad for ''Almost Blue'' runs on page [[:image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 13 advertisement.jpg|13]].
----
----
"[[Good Year For The Roses]]" is No. 9 on the singles chart (page [[:image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 35.jpg|35]]).
"[[Good Year For The Roses]]" is No. 9 on the singles chart (page [[:image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 35 clipping 01.jpg|35]]).


{{Bibliography images}}
{{Bibliography images}}
Line 58: Line 60:
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 16 clipping 01.jpg|380px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 16 clipping 01.jpg|380px|border]]
<br><small>Clipping.</small>
<br><small>Clipping.</small>
<br>
{{Bibliography box}}
<center><h3> Elvis plans an attraction </h3></center>
----
<center> ''Record Mirror </center>
----
{{Bibliography text}}
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 02 clipping 01.jpg|120px|border|right]]
Elvis Costello is putting his country-style show on the road at last... and a special concert at London's Royal Albert Hall will feature the 86-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
But first the singer — shooting up the charts with his "Good Year For The Roses" single — plays two dates at
{{cx}}
''Remaining text to come...
{{cx}}


<small>Centerfold poster.</small><br>
<small>Centerfold poster.</small><br>
Line 70: Line 93:
<small>Cover, page scans and clipping.</small><br>
<small>Cover, page scans and clipping.</small><br>
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror cover.jpg|x120px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror cover.jpg|x120px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 02.jpg|x120px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 16.jpg|x120px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 16.jpg|x120px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 35.jpg|x120px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 35.jpg|x120px|border]]
[[image:1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 35 clipping 01.jpg|x120px|border]]


{{Bibliography notes footer}}
{{Bibliography notes footer}}
Line 82: Line 105:
*[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Record_Mirror.htm americanradiohistory.com]
*[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Record_Mirror.htm americanradiohistory.com]
*[http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/1981/ scans.chartarchive.org{{t}}][http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/1981/UK%20Charts%201981.10.24.pdf {{t}}]
*[http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/1981/ scans.chartarchive.org{{t}}][http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/1981/UK%20Charts%201981.10.24.pdf {{t}}]
*[https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1187437283374456837 Twitter: woodg31{{t}}][https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1187436968742916096 {{t}}][https://twitter.com/woodg31/status/1187436553259364352 {{t}}]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Record Mirror 1981-10-24}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Record Mirror 1981-10-24}}
Line 90: Line 114:
[[Category:Album reviews]]
[[Category:Album reviews]]
[[Category:Almost Blue reviews]]
[[Category:Almost Blue reviews]]
[[Category:Transcription needed]]

Revision as of 21:57, 4 January 2020

... Bibliography ...
727677787980818283
848586878889909192
939495969798990001
020304050607080910
111213141516171819
202122232425 26 27 28


Record Mirror

-

Maudlin glory

Elvis Costello & The Attractions / Almost Blue

Mike Nicholls

5 star reviews5 star reviews5 star reviews5 star reviews5 star reviews

It isn't only his expanding girth that suits Costello to the country idiom. Ever since '78's "Stranger In The House" — not to mention recording his debut album with Clover the year before — it has been obvious that behind those computer clerk glasses there's a redneck dying to get out and here he is in all his maudlin glory.

Elvis as lover as loser has always been his favourite recurring obsession so enter Costello the country boy with a suitcase full of standards in which he can indulge his heartaches to the limit.

Inevitably, it doesn't end there. At a time when few alleged singers can actually sing, he stands as one of the few British singers of repute. And if there's one sound where you can't get away with a bad set of pipes it's ye olde country style music.

Then ensuring that every detail is just so, he's hightailed off to Nashville with The Attractions, recruited the services of good old producer Billy Sherrill and annexed the expertise of slide guitarist John McFee, usually a Doobie Brother but we won't hold that against him.

Which leaves us with the material. All but two of the dozen cuts fit the familiar country format — slow, romantic drawls chock full of pleasant harmonies and tinkling piano. Lyrically, the sentimental ironies of the genre have hardly escaped Costello and his choice of songs is shrewdly credible.

"Brown To Blue"'s tale of divorce boasts the kind of word-play Elvis himself excels in whilst "Success" is a masterpiece of role reversal. A la Costello it is the wife who has made the bright lights, much to the old man's chagrin:

"You've had no time to love me any more
Since fame and fortune came to knock on our door.
And I spend all my evenings all alone
Success has made a failure of our home."

Along with the unsurpassable "Good Year For The Roses" it's the highlight of the LP, though they ain't the only goodies. Sherrill's "Too Far Gone" enjoys a similar degree of wistful deliciousness as The Beatles' "Till There Was You" whilst Gram Parsons' "I'm Your Toy" is so Costello it's difficult to imagine the two of them didn't write it together.

None of the other tracks plumb a similar depth of complexity and I suppose if there's one fundamental criticism of the record it's just that: As far as Costello fans are concerned, this album nowhere near approaches the intricate assortment of painstaking miniatures that comprise his usual collections, simply because he hasn't written any of the songs.

But taken on its own terms, as a selection of country tunes with Elvis as mouthpiece, it's as flawless an LP as has been released all year. As authentic and sincere as Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive and one that's already booked itself a residency on my turntable for the forthcoming fireside evenings.


Tags: Almost BlueThe AttractionsStranger In The HouseCloverBilly SherrillJohn McFeeBrown To BlueSuccessGood Year For The RosesToo Far GoneThe BeatlesGram ParsonsI'm Your ToyThe Doobie BrothersJoe Jackson

-
<< >>

Record Mirror, October 24, 1981


Mike Nicholls reviews Almost Blue.


Record Mirror reports on upcoming tour dates.


EC is featured in the centerfold poster; a full page ad for Almost Blue runs on page 13.


"Good Year For The Roses" is No. 9 on the singles chart (page 35).

Images

1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 16 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.


Elvis plans an attraction


Record Mirror

1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 02 clipping 01.jpg

Elvis Costello is putting his country-style show on the road at last... and a special concert at London's Royal Albert Hall will feature the 86-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

But first the singer — shooting up the charts with his "Good Year For The Roses" single — plays two dates at



Remaining text to come...


Centerfold poster.
1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 20.jpg


Advertisement.
1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 13 advertisement.jpg


Cover, page scans and clipping.
1981-10-24 Record Mirror cover.jpg 1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 02.jpg 1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 16.jpg 1981-10-24 Record Mirror page 35.jpg

-



Back to top

External links