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Elvis Costello holds nothing back. He is desperately trying to get a message across through his music. When he says he is motivated by "revenge and guilt," he means it.
Costello is an ex-computer programmer from Liverpool. He is a misanthropic young man, intent on playing rock 'n' roll for a late '70s consciousness. If you don't listen to any other new rock 'n' roll artist in 1978, listen to Elvis Costello.
Elvis Costello and The Attractions hit Madison for the second time in less than five months Thursday night, playing at the Orpheum Theatre before a near sellout audience. He was virtually unknown last fall when he played for less than 200 persons at Bunky's. But this tour coincides with the release of his highly successful second album.
His style and his strong lyrics have an urgency which is present in each line he delivers. He puts all his emotional energy into every song as if each one may be his last. It's as if he senses there is a hit man waiting for him in the wings.
His songs are short and punchy and the vocals are delivered in a rapid-fire, staccato fashion. Costello also plays guitar, usually providing rhythmic accompaniment to his vocals and allowing the organist to supply the melody. But when he takes a turn at lead guitar, it is never anything less than brilliant.
The themes of Costello's music dwell heavily on vengeance and defiance. He is an angry artist who shows the scars of his fight to break into the top ranks of rock music. He may be the spokesman for the late '70s, though he is fiercely independent and seemingly difficult to befriend.
On stage, Costello is not as mean and paranoid as he sounds and looks on his albums. He is far from warm, but that is not a quality his fans expect or even desire from him.
He looks defiant on stage, ready to spit in the face of any detractors. In "Lip Service" his strong voice shouts, "Everybody is going through the motions... lip service is all you ever get from me."
The Attractions are a three-man band — organ, drums and bass — but the four men put out a very powerful rock 'n' roll beat. The organist usually carries the melody, but on songs like "I Don't Wanna Go to Chelsea" and "Watching the Detectives," Costello played one of the meanest guitar riffs this side of The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards.
There were two opening acts. The first group was Nick Lowe and Rockpile.
Lowe produced Costello's two albums. The band was frequently exciting, but most of the songs sounded repetitious and undirected. The Rockpile is made up of competent musicians strapped with unspectacular music and Lowe's weak vocals.
They were followed by a New York band, the six-man Mink DeVille. Their sound is heavy rhythm and blues. The lead vocalist's strong, deep voice can wail as good as any 1960s R & B singer from Memphis.
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