Creem, May 1981: Difference between revisions
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Which brings me to the informed conjecture I mentioned before. While hardly symptomatic of hardening of the arteries, E.C.'s newly broadened perspective bespeaks serious commitment to a lengthy professional career which, I must point out, is not the same thing as bending over, grabbing your ankles, and submitting to the corporate fist. During the week that Costello was in New York two different people told me how pleased they were that he was so obviously happy. (No small matter this — right up there with life and liberty.) A Long Term Artist is what Elvis Costello means to be. [[Lou Reed]] is a Long Term Artist and [[Marvin Gaye]] is an LTA, too. [[The Sex Pistols]] were diametrically opposed to LTAhood. [[The Clash]] seemed to be making accomodations. [[Bob Dylan]] is an LTA, but after 20 years, he needs a long term rest. [[The Beach Boys]] are not LTA's though the music they made from 1962-67 continues to be well received. [[The Rolling Stones]] and [[the Who]], both venerable LTA's, continue to punch in from time to time. Will Elvis Costello stand up as well? Will he be able to keep the largest part of his audience? (Could be difficult.) Will he be able to expand his audience? (Interesting possibility.) We'll all be watching. | Which brings me to the informed conjecture I mentioned before. While hardly symptomatic of hardening of the arteries, E.C.'s newly broadened perspective bespeaks serious commitment to a lengthy professional career which, I must point out, is not the same thing as bending over, grabbing your ankles, and submitting to the corporate fist. During the week that Costello was in New York two different people told me how pleased they were that he was so obviously happy. (No small matter this — right up there with life and liberty.) A Long Term Artist is what Elvis Costello means to be. [[Lou Reed]] is a Long Term Artist and [[Marvin Gaye]] is an LTA, too. [[The Sex Pistols]] were diametrically opposed to LTAhood. [[The Clash]] seemed to be making accomodations. [[Bob Dylan]] is an LTA, but after 20 years, he needs a long term rest. [[The Beach Boys]] are not LTA's though the music they made from 1962-67 continues to be well received. [[The Rolling Stones]] and [[the Who]], both venerable LTA's, continue to punch in from time to time. Will Elvis Costello stand up as well? Will he be able to keep the largest part of his audience? (Could be difficult.) Will he be able to expand his audience? (Interesting possibility.) We'll all be watching. | ||
''Trust'' has all the earmarks of an LTA release: 14 very good songs which will stand scrutiny. It is not the album to die for in 1981 — there's no "14 new songs from the only band that matters" sticker on the front. Those of you who get your grandest frissons from the shock of the novel should probably look elsewhere. (Actually, you already have.) One must remember that Elvis Costello did not invent modern song — he just writes and sings them very well and knows where to look for this year's models. "[[New Lace Sleeves]]" and the new country tune "[[Different Finger]]" are early standouts on my turntable. (How about a whole LP of country songs one day, speaking of expanding audiences — as an LTA he's entitled.) Before I make this sound too much like one of those Honda retirement communities Red Buttons is always touting, let me make clear that E.C. hasn't switched abruptly from the obsessive to the random comprehensive — it's a | ''Trust'' has all the earmarks of an LTA release: 14 very good songs which will stand scrutiny. It is not the album to die for in 1981 — there's no "14 new songs from the only band that matters" sticker on the front. Those of you who get your grandest frissons from the shock of the novel should probably look elsewhere. (Actually, you already have.) One must remember that Elvis Costello did not invent modern song — he just writes and sings them very well and knows where to look for this year's models. "[[New Lace Sleeves]]" and the new country tune "[[Different Finger]]" are early standouts on my turntable. (How about a whole LP of country songs one day, speaking of expanding audiences — as an LTA he's entitled.) Before I make this sound too much like one of those Honda retirement communities Red Buttons is always touting, let me make clear that E.C. hasn't switched abruptly from the obsessive to the random comprehensive — it's a "more complete picture" of the same person, after all. And the live show I saw at [[Concert 1981-02-02 New York|the Palladium]] was hot. | ||
E.C. and the superb Attractions (with [[The Rumour|Rumour]] guitarist [[Martin Belmont]] added for the second half) tore through the nearly 25 songs from the first LP through half of the new one plus four amazing covers with poise and power. Costello, whose voice carried the entire set, has developed a vocal aesthetic. It's his complex constricted bani tone that makes all the words (and there are a ''lot'' of them) matter and seem to fit. He works very hard at singing on stage: arms drawn into his chest, fist clenched, eyes closed, looking like a small B.B. King as he reaches for notes and phrasings. (Who's making lover's lane / Safe again for lovers?) | E.C. and the superb Attractions (with [[The Rumour|Rumour]] guitarist [[Martin Belmont]] added for the second half) tore through the nearly 25 songs from the first LP through half of the new one plus four amazing covers with poise and power. Costello, whose voice carried the entire set, has developed a vocal aesthetic. It's his complex constricted bani tone that makes all the words (and there are a ''lot'' of them) matter and seem to fit. He works very hard at singing on stage: arms drawn into his chest, fist clenched, eyes closed, looking like a small B.B. King as he reaches for notes and phrasings. (''"Who's making lover's lane / Safe again for lovers?"'') | ||
The cover lifted the show into the realm of the sublime for me. After an opening acoustic "[[New Amsterdam]]" largely punctuated by shouts of "down in front," E.C. waved off [[Bruce Thomas]] who was running out to plug in, and began a second guitar and piano number, "[[Gloomy Sunday]]," a bizarre European cabaret ballad about suicide that [[Billie Holiday]] recorded in 1941. A strange choice, it would have been too clever if it hadn't been quite spontaneous. As the set built to a palpable intensity he sang "[[Little Sister]]" (a real nod to [[Elvis Presley|EP]] that would have been unthinkable two years ago), a tough "[[Need Your Love So Bad]]" ([[Little Willie John]] updated by Belmont's bow to [[Peter Green]]) and an utterly perfect [[Patsy Cline]] song, "[[He's Got You]]" (Let's hear it for [[Hank Cochran]]). A couple of nights [[Concert 1981-02-07 Passaic|later]] he threw in the old [[The Temptations|Temptations]]' classic "[[Don't Look Back]]" ([[Smokey Robinson]] on pencil.) The night after that he told Tom Snyder, "I admire [[Cole Porter]] and [[Lorenz Hart]] as lyricists and I really like [[Hank Williams]]." Performers who have been around for a bit and plan to stay can afford a relaxed and honest relation to the past which is very different than searching out obscure Sam and the Sham (bless his goatee) B-sides. | The cover lifted the show into the realm of the sublime for me. After an opening acoustic "[[New Amsterdam]]" largely punctuated by shouts of "down in front," E.C. waved off [[Bruce Thomas]] who was running out to plug in, and began a second guitar and piano number, "[[Gloomy Sunday]]," a bizarre European cabaret ballad about suicide that [[Billie Holiday]] recorded in 1941. A strange choice, it would have been too clever if it hadn't been quite spontaneous. As the set built to a palpable intensity he sang "[[Little Sister]]" (a real nod to [[Elvis Presley|EP]] that would have been unthinkable two years ago), a tough "[[Need Your Love So Bad]]" ([[Little Willie John]] updated by Belmont's bow to [[Peter Green]]) and an utterly perfect [[Patsy Cline]] song, "[[He's Got You]]" (Let's hear it for [[Hank Cochran]]). A couple of nights [[Concert 1981-02-07 Passaic|later]] he threw in the old [[The Temptations|Temptations]]' classic "[[Don't Look Back]]" ([[Smokey Robinson]] on pencil.) The night after that he told Tom Snyder, "I admire [[Cole Porter]] and [[Lorenz Hart]] as lyricists and I really like [[Hank Williams]]." Performers who have been around for a bit and plan to stay can afford a relaxed and honest relation to the past which is very different than searching out obscure Sam and the Sham (bless his goatee) B-sides. |
Revision as of 22:35, 23 January 2014
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