Elvis Costello is not a parody of Presley, though the cover of My Aim Is True may suggest so. He is not a punk rocker, though he is dressed in a dinner jacket and blue jeans. Who, then, is Elvis Costello?
Little is known of his past simply because he doesn't want anyone to know, though it was revealed he used to be a computer technician. Costello merited CBS' attention during their annual convention in London by chaining himself to a fence and performing for passing executives. One arrest and recording contract later, Elvis Costello is reaching new heights of status.
My Aim Is True contains 14 originals, one of which is a tender love(?) ballad. Pictured as a cross between Monty Python's Michael Palin and a 99-pound weakling, it is hard to imagine Elvis is actually churning out crude, yet commercial straightforward rock. All the songs have a satirical bite to them, a sort of "I don't care if you drop dead" attitude.
The album is full of weird poetry, overdeveloped lines and aggressive rock. Definitely an experience.
The age of Elvis Costello is here. The beginning of a new stage in music.
|