Rockland Journal-News, February 20, 1981: Difference between revisions
(formatting) |
(formatting) |
||
Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
"You'll Never Be A Man" picks up on the ambivalence of "You Belong To Me" and "The Beat." The latter's ''"I don't want to be your lover, I just want to be your victim"'' has become ''"I don't want to be first, I just want to last."'' | "You'll Never Be A Man" picks up on the ambivalence of "You Belong To Me" and "The Beat." The latter's ''"I don't want to be your lover, I just want to be your victim"'' has become ''"I don't want to be first, I just want to last."'' | ||
"From A Whisper to A Scream" and "Fish | "From A Whisper to A Scream" and "Fish 'N' Chip Paper" are lightweight rave-ups, the second proving Costello has more to say about the papers with humor than Joe Jackson does with feigned anger. | ||
Line 27: | Line 27: | ||
At the Capitol especially, Costello and the Attractions set out to prove they could do anything — country ("He's Got You"), blues ("I Need Your Love So Bad"); and reggae ("Walk and Don't Look Back") — as well as their own stuff They could. | At the Capitol especially, Costello and the Attractions set out to prove they could do anything — country ("He's Got You"), blues ("I Need Your Love So Bad"); and reggae ("Walk and Don't Look Back") — as well as their own stuff They could. | ||
On the face of it the 1978 ''Armed Forces'' Tour had more firepower. Costello himself was leaner and the music had more bite. With ''Get Happy'' and ''Trust'', Costello's anger has become less obvious, the music less terrifying. Elvis can still rock out savagely, as he did on "Radio, Radio," "Big Tears" and "What's So Funny | On the face of it the 1978 ''Armed Forces'' Tour had more firepower. Costello himself was leaner and the music had more bite. With ''Get Happy'' and ''Trust'', Costello's anger has become less obvious, the music less terrifying. Elvis can still rock out savagely, as he did on "Radio, Radio," "Big Tears" and "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding," but while built earlier shows to a definite frenzy, this time around he kept putting the audience back in their seats with new and unfamiliar tunes. Those who went solely to dance were disappointed. Costello wanted everyone to listen. | ||
The Attractions have never gotten enough press. Steve Nieve's unbeatable on keyboards. Reaching from classical through carnival, Nieve keeps the audience appropriately off-balance on everything but the simpler rockers. On bass and drums, Pete and Bruce Thomas maintain the control so central to Costello's music without forgetting it's rock 'n' roll after all. Like Nieve, each also has his bag of intriguing fills. Martin Belmont, a guitarist borrowed from the Rumour filled out several times admirably. Costello himself soloed once at the Palladium and stretched out thrice at the Capitol, but generally restricted himself to a rhythm function. His vocals remain the focus. Like his lyrics, Costello's singing has increased in range dynamics. He still puts out as much as ever. | The Attractions have never gotten enough press. Steve Nieve's unbeatable on keyboards. Reaching from classical through carnival, Nieve keeps the audience appropriately off-balance on everything but the simpler rockers. On bass and drums, Pete and Bruce Thomas maintain the control so central to Costello's music without forgetting it's rock 'n' roll after all. Like Nieve, each also has his bag of intriguing fills. Martin Belmont, a guitarist borrowed from the Rumour filled out several times admirably. Costello himself soloed once at the Palladium and stretched out thrice at the Capitol, but generally restricted himself to a rhythm function. His vocals remain the focus. Like his lyrics, Costello's singing has increased in range dynamics. He still puts out as much as ever. | ||
<span style="font-size: | <span style="font-size:90%">February 27: <br> ''Gremlins stole the concluding paragraph of last week's piece on Elvis Costello. I'd like to restore it for those who felt the column came to an over-abrupt halt: </span> | ||
[[image:1981-02-27 Rockland Journal-News page M-05 clipping 01.jpg|x120px|border|right]] | [[image:1981-02-27 Rockland Journal-News page M-05 clipping 01.jpg|x120px|border|right]] | ||
Many have criticised Elvis for straying from the immediacy of his first two albums, but Costello knew that had he tried to rewrite "Lipstick Vogue," "Chelsea" or "Mystery Dance," he would have fallen into the same trap that the Clash dove into with ''Sandinista'' — tired attempts at recapturing last year's model. ''Trust'' and the '81 tour finds Elvis Costello and the Attractions on a slightly different tilt. More comfortable? Sure. Less bitter?? Possibly. Still the best singer, writer and band in the business? No question. | Many have criticised Elvis for straying from the immediacy of his first two albums, but Costello knew that had he tried to rewrite "Lipstick Vogue," "Chelsea" or "Mystery Dance," he would have fallen into the same trap that the Clash dove into with ''Sandinista'' — tired attempts at recapturing last year's model. ''Trust'' and the '81 tour finds Elvis Costello and the Attractions on a slightly different tilt. More comfortable? Sure. Less bitter?? Possibly. Still the best singer, writer and band in the business? No{{nb}}question. | ||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
Line 48: | Line 49: | ||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-09 clipping 01.jpg| | [[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-09 clipping 01.jpg|380px]] | ||
<br><small>Clippings.</small> | <br><small>Clippings.</small> | ||
[[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-17 clipping 01.jpg| | [[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-17 clipping 01.jpg|380px]] | ||
<small>Page scans.</small><br> | |||
[[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-09.jpg|x120px|border]] | [[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-09.jpg|x120px|border]] | ||
[[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-17.jpg|x120px|border]] | [[image:1981-02-20 Rockland Journal-News page M-17.jpg|x120px|border]] | ||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} |
Revision as of 15:22, 4 February 2021
|