Sacramento Bee, April 17, 1987

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Costello puts his best points forward


David Barton

DAVIS — At least three things make Elvis Costello unique: his clever, intricate lyrics, his buoyant melodies and his expressive, explosive voice.

But those strengths are what are most often obscured in a concert by Costello and his backing trio, the Attractions. The Attractions are one of the best groups of the post-punk era, but Costello's complex arrangements can result in a pop barrage that obscures his voice and lyrics.

Wednesday night Costello gave a crowd of about 3,000 at the University of California, Davis, plenty of opportunity to hear his lyrics, melodies and voice when he performed without the Attractions, backing himself on acoustic guitar with a little electric guitar and grand piano for variety.

As much as I've enjoyed the half-dozen Attractions shows I've seen, this performance in the UCD Rec Hall was Costello's most revealing. Nearly every word was understandable, and the listener could easily catch typical Costello lines such as the punny "Do I step on the brakes to get out of her clutches?" ("New Amsterdam") or "She said that she was working for the ABC News / It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use" ("Brilliant Mistake").

The show was divided into two halves of just under an hour each. In the first, Costello worked through a series of songs that spanned his 10-year career, from "Red Shoes" to a funky, beatbox-accompanied version of "Uncomplicated," which demonstrated his feel for a groove. Other highlights were "Green Shirt," "Brilliant Mistake," "Almost Blue" and inspired segues from "Radio Sweetheart" to Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said" and from "New Amsterdam" to John Lennon's "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away."

In the second half, Costello donned a top hat and was transformed into "Napoleon Dynamite," the overbearing host of the Spinning Songbook, a game-showlike bit where audience members were asked to spin a large wheel displaying the titles of several dozen songs, songs which he then performed.

The "contestants" chosen from the audience were then asked to dance in a '60s-era disco cage. A couple of the dancers were enthusiastic, but their awkward presense tended to distract from Costello's performance. Despite his glasnost of recent years, Costello still seems uncomfortable getting too close to his audience.

The more scattered second set contained a number of versions of others' songs, including "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey," "Pretty in Pink," and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," interspersed with his own "The Big Light," "Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head," "Girls Talk," "Everyday I Write the Book," and his new "Put Your Big Toe in the Milk of Human Kindness."

Second-set highlights included a rap style "Pump It Up," which segued into Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues"; "Alison," which borrowed a chorus from "You Win Again"; a chilling version of "Party Girl"; and an electrifying "Watching the Detectives" with drum machine.

Through it all, Costello used the opportunity to showcase his considerable voice, which has a texture and emotional expressiveness that embellished the readings of his recordings. He also used the greater aural space to flesh out the melodies.

The show, one of a small number of dates he is doing solo, comes at a crucial time for Costello. He is without a record label, having just left his label of a decade, Columbia Records, which has been unable to get his music to the larger audience that critics and fans have expected him to reach for the length of his career. But even now, with songs — and shows like these, it is still just a matter of time.


Tags: University Of CaliforniaDavisThe AttractionsNew AmsterdamBrilliant Mistake(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red ShoesUncomplicatedGreen ShirtBrilliant MistakeAlmost BlueRadio SweetheartVan MorrisonJackie Wilson SaidNew AmsterdamJohn LennonYou've Got To Hide Your Love AwayNapoleon DynamiteSpectacular Spinning SongbookFerry 'Cross The MerseyPretty In PinkDon't Let Me Be MisunderstoodThe Big LightHome Is Anywhere You Hang Your HeadGirls TalkEveryday I Write The BookPut Your Big Toe In The Milk Of Human KindnessPump It UpBob DylanSubterranean Homesick BluesAlisonYou Win AgainParty GirlWatching The DetectivesColumbia

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Sacramento Bee, April 17, 1987


David Barton reviews Elvis Costello, solo, Wednesday, April 15, 1987, University Of California, Rec Hall, Davis, California.


In a subsequent issue, reader P. Arthur Pearson offers another view of the concert.

Images

1987-04-17 Sacramento Bee, Weekend Scene page 04 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.



Sacramento Bee, May 3, 1987:

Fans gave Costello cause for discomfort


P. Arthur Pearson

1987-05-03 Sacramento Bee, Encore page 05.jpg

In his generally excellent review of Elvis Costello's UC Davis concert (Weekend Scene, April 17), David Barton noted Costello's discomfort when close to his fans. This comment stems from the "Spinning Wheel Songbook" portion of Costello's show, where fans from the audience are invited on stage to spin a huge wheel with 90 song titles on it, with Elvis playing whatever the big pointer lands on.

Well, Barton's right, Costello was uncomfortable. That's because he was sharing the stage with a bunch of jerks.

I felt sympathy for Costello. Davis was the fifth time I'd seen him in four years, and the wheel's his best idea; it parodies the game show mentality predominant in much of the entertainment world. It's a mentality that I'm sure most of those Davis wheel-spinning fans possess. For example: The first guy who was invited on stage made a complete fool of himself in front of hundreds of people. He danced around on stage and tried to pick up on all three of the female "contestants." The most humiliating part was when he bowed down in front of Costello in worship.

OK, maybe Costello should have found the thing a little more humorous than he (or I) did. But, in his defense, I wouldn't want to share a bus ride with those mindless, hedonistic pinheads, much less a concert stage. The only good thing about them was that they helped Costello prove his point: They inadvertently became the object of his satire by acting like game-show fools.

Finally: Why no mention of Nick Lowe's set?

P. Arthur Pearson
Orangevale


Page scans.
1987-04-17 Sacramento Bee, Weekend Scene page 01.jpg 1987-04-17 Sacramento Bee, Weekend Scene page 04.jpg

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