Relix, October 1982

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications Relix   1979 June 1980 February 1980 June 1980 October 1981 April 1982 October 1984 June 1986 June 1989 June 2008 August 2014 January 2015 January 2016 January 2018 July 27  2020 December 31  US rock magazines  Circus Crawdaddy Creem East Coast Rocker Gig Good Times Grooves Hit Parader Hot Rock Musician New Orleans Wavelength New Sounds New Wave Rock New York Rocker Paste Phonograph Record Pop Rock Special Punk Rock Stars Pulse! Ray Gun The Record Relix Revolution Rock Around The World RockBill Rock Scene Rock World RockBill Rolling Stone Spin Star Hits Trouser Press Vibes — Imperial Bedroom Elvis Costello Michael Davis The word on this one is that it's Costello's MOR album, signalling a move away from rock 'n' roll and into the pop mainstream or maybe the pop mainstream a couple of generations back. While it's true that there's not much overt rocking on Imperial Bedroom, it's also true that many of the ballads from 1981's Trust, like "Watch Your Step," "Big Sister's Clothes" and "Shot With His Own Gun," would fit right in here. A change of emphasis then, rather than a drastic step in any new direction. That Costello feels confident enough to make such a move speaks well of his maturation; that he can make this music feel as gutsy as his rock means his artistry is in no danger — this change is dictated by the heart, not from a fashion whim. The Attractions keep up with the growing musical sophistication with ease; the handful of orchestrations are provided by keyboardist Steve Nieve. My only nitpicking complaint is that on tunes like "Pidgin English" and "You Little Fool," the melodic convolutions get in the way of the songs' forward motion. These are the exceptions though; most of the material works extremely well. The compassion that's been creeping into Costello's music over the past couple of years is out in the open here as he sadly notes the details of a deteriorating relationship in "...And In Every Home" and "The Long Honeymoon." He's also more open about his own role in the marriage give-and-take; on tunes like "Tears Before Bedtime," "Man Out of Time," and "Human Hands," he lays his own needs and foibles right on the line. There aren't many snarls on this record and Costello is throwing fewer accusations around but I'd hesitate to go so far as to say he's mellowed a whole lot. His familiar sarcasm surfaces on "The Loved Ones" and "Little Savage" and throughout the album, his eye for specifics isn't colored by sentimentality in any way. Imperial Bedroom may leave fewer teethmarks than its predecessors but it still finds its way under your skin. Tags: Imperial Bedroom  •  The Attractions  •  You Little Fool  •  Pidgin English  •  And In Every Home  •  The Long Honeymoon  •  Tears Before Bedtime  •  Man Out Of Time  •  Human Hands  •  The Loved Ones  •  Little Savage  •  Steve Nieve  •  Trust  •  Watch Your Step  •  Big Sister's Clothes  •  Shot With His Own Gun << >> Relix, October 1982 Michael Davis reviews Imperial Bedroom. Images Page scan. Cover and contents page.

External links

• relix.com
• Wikipedia: Relix