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When it comes to the unexpected, few can top Declan McManus.
The son of an English cabaret singer and a singer in his own right who first gained public attention during that late '70s burst of creative energy that also unleashed the Sex Pistols and The Clash upon the world, McManus had since gone on to record a country album under the direction of Billy Sherrill, one of Nashville's top producers.
And he did it all with a name manufactured from a manager's inspiration and his mother's maiden name — none other than the Angry Young Man himself, Elvis Costello.
Often controversial and always daring in his musical styles and directions, Costello finally took that big step from "significant" or "influential" cult hero (read: "the critics like him, but few people actually buy his records") to full-fledged pop star with last year's Punch the Clock album.
Powered by the single "Everyday I Write The Book," the LP was his biggest-selling ever and firmly established him as a force to be reckoned with in the marketplace as well as creatively.
Naturally, in the wake of such a success, Costello and his band, The Attractions (Bruce Thomas on bass, Steve Nieve on keyboards and Peter Thomas on drums) have been recording a follow-up album to be released early this summer. Untitled at this point, most of the recording is finished and there's some time off before the serious touring in support of the new LP begins, probably in August or September.
Tuesday, Elvis will appear at the Universal Amphitheater for an entirely acoustic solo concert. The last stop on a limited tour exploring yet another sound and style, Costello's Amphitheater date will feature him only on the acoustic guitar or piano.
Sure, he'll be premiering some of the cuts from the upcoming album, but it'll be another risk nonetheless in a career studded with precarious chances.
But if Costello remains true to form, the creative strides he'll be making will certainly leave their mark.
Originally from the "pub rock" element of British rock music of the mid-to late '70s (also exemplified by Nick Lowe, among others), Costello persevered through the punk era in London and Liverpool and even began to make his presence felt.
Cynical and outspoken in his lyrics, Costello carved out his own Angry Young Man niche in that turbulent era — a tag that would eventually irritate him as his songwriting and performing grew more sophisticated.
And now, on the verge of the pop superstardom that a number of critics have been predicting for years, Costello seems to have lost none of the verve and musical daring.
His current limited tour shows clearly that Costello is far from abandoning the "one step ahead" pace that has so often enthralled his fans and outraged his detractors.
The road to pop stardom is never easy, but in a very few instances, it can somehow seem inevitable. Early fans and friends of the original Elvis (the one from Mississippi) or The Beatles must have known that the pot of gold was indeed awaiting at the end of the rainbow and that it was only a matter of time.
While it would certainly be presumptuous to compare Costello with Presley or The Beatles at this stage in his career, one thing is certain: Formerly rock's Angry Young Man, there was never any danger that he would ever become rock's Unknown Young Man.
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