Edinburgh Scotsman, September 28, 2003: Difference between revisions
(Create page for interview in The Scotsman ahead of Concert 2003-10-07 Glasgow) |
m (add name of author) |
||
Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
<center> THIS may come as something of a surprise to anyone who remembers Elvis Costello as the abrasive new-wave cynic of songs such as [[Watching The Detectives]] or [[Accidents Will Happen]]. But apparently even at the height of punk, he always thought of himself as a ballad singer. At least, so he says today.</center> | <center> THIS may come as something of a surprise to anyone who remembers Elvis Costello as the abrasive new-wave cynic of songs such as [[Watching The Detectives]] or [[Accidents Will Happen]]. But apparently even at the height of punk, he always thought of himself as a ballad singer. At least, so he says today.</center> | ||
---- | ---- | ||
<center>Nigel Williamson</center> | |||
---- | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Line 14: | Line 15: | ||
On the surface it seems a convenient rewriting of history, designed to suit his current purpose: the promotion of his latest album [[North]], a collection of jazzy piano ballads, delivered in a gentle croon over a set of tasteful orchestral arrangements. | On the surface it seems a convenient rewriting of history, designed to suit his current purpose: the promotion of his latest album [[North]], a collection of jazzy piano ballads, delivered in a gentle croon over a set of tasteful orchestral arrangements. | ||
"I love to make a noise and | "I love to make a noise and I've got a f***-off powerful kind of voice that scares people to hell. It’s a loud motherf***er," he says. "But I couldn't do that with the songs on this album. They’re very quiet and non-histrionic, and to use that other end of the dynamic range was great. But I don’t see why you have to give up one in order to do the other." | ||
He has a point. As early in his career as 1981, Costello took himself off to Nashville to record the country covers album Almost Blue. Since then, there have been albums with the [[Brodsky Quartet]] and a jazz project with the [[Mingus Big Band]]. Of his last four albums, only last year’s [[When I Was Cruel]] has been a rock record. Before it came [[Painted From Memory]] with the king of easy listening, Burt Bacharach, and [[For The Stars]] with the operatic soprano [[Anne Sofie von Otter|Sofie Von Otter]]. | He has a point. As early in his career as 1981, Costello took himself off to Nashville to record the country covers album Almost Blue. Since then, there have been albums with the [[Brodsky Quartet]] and a jazz project with the [[Mingus Big Band]]. Of his last four albums, only last year’s [[When I Was Cruel]] has been a rock record. Before it came [[Painted From Memory]] with the king of easy listening, Burt Bacharach, and [[For The Stars]] with the operatic soprano [[Anne Sofie von Otter|Sofie Von Otter]]. | ||
Line 38: | Line 39: | ||
Suitably warned off, I next wonder if Costello feels he has confused his core audience by his sheer, breathtaking diversity and willingness to jump in and out of different styles at will. "The whole question of whether people follow you or not is a question for them, not for me," he replies. "If I allowed myself to think about an audience, then what I do would be a science, not an art. You’d be working on a formula to hypnotise everybody. It would be ‘Let’s put a bit of this in to please the Scots’ or ‘Let’s add something here for the people in Newcastle’. I hate phrases such as ‘demographic’ or ‘fan base’. I try not to think about it in those terms because it gets in the way." | Suitably warned off, I next wonder if Costello feels he has confused his core audience by his sheer, breathtaking diversity and willingness to jump in and out of different styles at will. "The whole question of whether people follow you or not is a question for them, not for me," he replies. "If I allowed myself to think about an audience, then what I do would be a science, not an art. You’d be working on a formula to hypnotise everybody. It would be ‘Let’s put a bit of this in to please the Scots’ or ‘Let’s add something here for the people in Newcastle’. I hate phrases such as ‘demographic’ or ‘fan base’. I try not to think about it in those terms because it gets in the way." | ||
He feels that the deep suspicion that Britain harbours towards anyone who dares to step outside of what they’re supposed to do is profoundly unhealthy. "It’s the ‘who does he think he is?’ syndrome, and | He feels that the deep suspicion that Britain harbours towards anyone who dares to step outside of what they’re supposed to do is profoundly unhealthy. "It’s the ‘who does he think he is?’ syndrome, and I've definitely suffered from it," he rails. "It defines our attitude to culture and art. And it’s idiotic and self-defeating and offensive." | ||
At last, something has breached the barriers of the urbane politeness he seems to construct around himself these days. And once breached, there’s more to come. How does he respond to accusations that he’s self-indulgent? "Well of course I am. Because I’m a f***ing artist! That’s what I do and it makes you selfish and self-absorbed and I have absolutely no f***ing embarrassment about that at all." | At last, something has breached the barriers of the urbane politeness he seems to construct around himself these days. And once breached, there’s more to come. How does he respond to accusations that he’s self-indulgent? "Well of course I am. Because I’m a f***ing artist! That’s what I do and it makes you selfish and self-absorbed and I have absolutely no f***ing embarrassment about that at all." | ||
Line 60: | Line 61: | ||
'''The Scotsman, September 28, 2003 | '''The Scotsman, September 28, 2003 | ||
---- | ---- | ||
[[ | [[Nigel Williamson]] interviews Elvis Costello about his new album [[North]]. | ||
{{Bibliography no images}} | {{Bibliography no images}} |
Revision as of 22:52, 22 February 2015
|