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Elvis Costello's lyrical imagery of anger and suppressed violence and his quirky musical style are two reasons he has been called a musical genius by many critics during his 12-year career.
With the release of Spike, his first album for Warner Brothers, reaction has been even better than usual. But Costello is giving critics mixed reviews.
"They don't always grasp everything," he said. "They're saturated with free music to the point where they can only listen to eight bars of it. The people actually putting their money down to buy the record have a different relationship with it. What bothers me about critics is their telling me I can make a better record. Well, if they think so, let them go out and make it." he said.
The record tackles such topics as God, Margaret Thatcher, coal-train robberies and capital punishment, as well as problems with personal relationships. As if that weren't • enough to make any self-respecting musician jealous, two songs were co-written with Paul McCartney.
"He called and asked if I'd be interested in writing a few songs," Costello said. "It was lyrical pingpong. You go back and forth with each other. We'll just have to wait and see if it works."
"Veronica," the first single and video, is one of the collaborations. McCartney also plays bass on "...This Town...."
One of the best songs on the record, "Baby Plays Around," was co-written by Costello and his wife, former Pogue Cait O'Riordan.
"Cait wrote it while I went out to buy a paper," Costello said. "It was all there on tape. All I did was some musical editing.
"This album took a bit more planning. I knew the players on the other records and they were familiar with the sound. In this case, we put the musicians together."
Besides McCartney, supporting players include ex-Byrd Roger McGuinn, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans.
"We had to get the right collection and make the right mistakes to produce this album," Costello said.
It's his first album of new material since Blood and Chocolate in 1986.
Costello has always been a critical success, but not a commercial superstar. He doesn't seem unhappy about the situation, but he did leave Columbia Records for Warner Brothers.
"I don't want to go around bashing my former label," he said. "The people at CBS who didn't help me know who they are and the people who did help know who they are. The Warner people know the business and want to sell the record," he said. "I'm successful and enjoy what I do. That and selling, records are two different things. really."
Selling records was the last thing on the mind of an unknown Costello when he walked unannounced into the offices of Stiff Records back in 1976. He struck up an instant rapport with then-director Jake Riviera, and was signed to a recording contract before he left that afternoon.
He recorded three singles for the label, "Less Than Zero," "Alison," and "Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes," followed by Elvis' debut album, My Aim Is True, produced by Nick Lowe.
A year later The Attractions were formed, a trio with enough talent to interpret Elvis' rich musical imagination.
Elvis is now touring the country minus the Attractions — and his shows are always energetic and worth the price of admission.
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