UT Daily Texan, January 15, 1979

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Elvis still king with 'Armed Forces'


Chas Ray

Rave on, Elvis Costello!

The Elvis legacy continues. There's so much to be said, it's difficult to determine a starting point. Let's begin by saying outright that Elvis Costello thus far has proved himself to be no less than the most exciting, vibrant and significant performer since the Beatles.

The significance of his newly released third LP Armed Forces to the 1970s rivals that relationship the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has with the 1960s.

The creative verve of the artist refuses to die, or even submit to dilution. Each record abounds with pointed songs from a frustrated rock 'n' roll genius.

Elvis has a lot to say, and he seizes the chance with every new tune. He always writes on a frank and personal level. The songs come from deep within. There is a very sharp point to every song. Though sometimes dealing with familiar subject matter such as romantic encounters — especially failures — his songs are never cliché. They're never rehash. He refuses to draw obvious or overworked conclusions as he presents vivid scenarios and ruthlessly honest observations.

But there's also an air of ambiguity. There's a lot to take in, and it requires some thinking. A condensed framework is presented for the pop song format. There's only a limited amount of time in which to tell the story.

His tunesmith abilities are unlimited. On a sticker attached to the back of the first Elvis LP, CBS Records quoted John Milward of the Chicago Daily News, who sums it up quite well: "...The tunes on his album reveal him to be a particularly strong songwriter with an ear for musical hooks..." And he's very prolific — still claims to write at least a song a week.

Those hooks are reminiscent of the hits of the 1950s and 1960s.

So many times, he presents some rather barbed material under the pop song guise. What you get is the best of Bob Dylan lyrics and the Beatles in their mid-'60s heyday. Except it's 1979. The energy and honesty of rock is back.

All three LPS are constructed to be great collections of pop/rock numbers which can withstand repeated listenings. It works. If the state of the decadent 1970s music industry wasn't overproduction, slickness, ultrahype, money, money, money, drugs, etc., then Elvis Costello's records might be just as big, well-known and influential as the Beatles'.

He explains his position: "There's a lot of rock music that's become exclusive and of no use to anyone. Least of all me. Music has to get to people. In the heart, in the head. I don't care where..."

It's this honest commitment that shines through his works.

As his most complex and musically experimental work so far, Armed Forces is Elvis stretching out a bit. It's at least of as high a quality as My Aim Is True and This Year's Model, yet none of the three sound alike. Costello's changes retain the spontaneity which characterizes his music.

Armed Forces is different from the first two, but it's still Elvis. It is the epitome of what is needed in rock music today. And Elvis Costello and the Attractions keep getting tighter. Their musical intimacy expands with every change. And lyrically, Elvis shines likewise.

Armed Forces finds Elvis expanding even more. The original title Emotional Fascism was abandoned somewhere along the way — too close to home? The underlying current of the original title is still there. If you really listen to the tunes, they can get scary.

"Chemistry Class" makes the listener work on several levels. Lust in the classroom? "You've got a Chemistry class, I want a piece of your mind, / You don't know what you've started when you mixed it up with mine." Working materials and equipment become puns in the final solution, as he exhibits: "Sparks were flying from electrical pylons / Snakes and ladders running up and down her nylons / Ready to experiment, you're ready to be burned..."

"Senior Service" is an ambiguous piece juxtaposing getting caught smoking cigarettes in school (Senior Service ciggies) with heavy overtones of the miltary service. "Senior Service, murder satisfaction / It's the breath you took too late / It's the death that's worse than fate..."

"Two Little Hitlers" examines love as a political struggle: "Two little Hitlers will fight until / One little Hitler does the other one's will / I knew right from the start, we'd end up hating ... I will return / I will not burn..."

"Moods for Moderns" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," the latter penned by Nick Lowe, jump forth as excellent single releases. The first 10,000 or so of the albums include three outstanding selections from his Hollywood High concert of June 4, 1978 — "Alison," "Watching the Detectives" and "Accidents Will Happen," the last of which is the first tune of the album's studio cuts.

Elvis covers it all quite well. Social commentary, moving songs; you get the eerie feeling he's looking into a twisted future that's not that far ahead. But he still does it on the personal level.

Nick Lowe's production talents again mesh with Elvis' songs, guitar, vocal stylings, and Attractions — his three-man backup team with Bruce on bass guitar, Pete on drums, and Steve on keyboards (including some very dramatic organ and grand piano work).

Elvis Costello's previous LPs were among the top of their respective year's releases, and speculation shows this to be a leader in 1979 — quite a feat for the second week of the year.

Rave on, Elvis Costello! Elvis is king!


Tags: Armed ForcesThe BeatlesSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandJohn MilwardBob DylanMy Aim Is TrueThis Year's ModelEmotional FascismThe AttractionsChemistry ClassSenior ServiceTwo Little HitlersMoods For Moderns(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?Nick LoweHollywood High SchoolJune 4, 1978AlisonWatching The DetectivesAccidents Will HappenBruce ThomasPete ThomasSteve Nieve

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The Daily Texan, January 15, 1979


Chas Ray reviews Armed Forces.

Images

1979-01-15 UT Daily Texan page 20 clipping 01.jpg
Clipping.

Photo by Charles Ray (from January 25, 1978).
1979-01-15 UT Daily Texan photo 01 cr.jpg


Page scan.
1979-01-15 UT Daily Texan page 20.jpg

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