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Get Happy!!
Elvis Costello
Chuck Graham
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This music-packed album — 20 songs and record grooves that run almost to the edge of the label — keeps the mood shifting from an easy punk feel to the harsh-rocking, rip-your-face-off songs with which Costello and his colleagues are identified.
Elvis handles every track with the aplomb of a degenerate who may have rotten teeth like all the other punks around, but who also has a keenly superior intelligence and an intuitive sensitivity to basic human-emotions.
All the songs are short, tasty as popcorn and just as difficult to stop devouring. My personal favorites are "King Horse," "High Fidelity,'" "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down," "Black and White World," "Motel Matches," "Human Touch" and "I Stand Accused."
But if the only thing Costello had recorded was "Motel Matches," this album would be worthwhile.
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Clipping.
Mad Love
Linda Ronstadt
Chuck Graham
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Once you've congratulated Linda Ronstadt for having changed her sound to something new, there isn't much more to say. Mad Love is one of those fiendish corporate compromise projects whereby Ronstadt is made to sound punk rock enough to capture the younger music addicts, yet not so wild that she alienates her country-rock fans.
Don't be fooled by the punk-styled artwork on the front cover and the liner notes on the back cover clearly stating that Ronstadt does three songs written by Elvis Costello.
Ronstadt just doesn't have the punch to propel a Costello song through the air at high speed. Instead of being forceful, she just seems histrionic.
The hit single, "How Do I Make You," worts better than any of the other hard-rock attempts. The most satisfying tracks are the R&B tooled ballad, "Hurt So Bad" and the slightly tougher "Justine." After that, if you want to hear good hard female rock, play Pat Benatar's current release.
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