West Chester University Quad, March 14, 1989: Difference between revisions
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The record buying public, however, is a bit wary considering what Costello has released in recent years. For those who are looking for a collection of angry rockers like his ''My Aim is True'' or ''This Year's Model'' albums, or twenty dancable ditties like ''Get Happy'', they won't find it in ''Spike''. | The record buying public, however, is a bit wary considering what Costello has released in recent years. For those who are looking for a collection of angry rockers like his ''My Aim is True'' or ''This Year's Model'' albums, or twenty dancable ditties like ''Get Happy'', they won't find it in ''Spike''. | ||
First, let's look at what Costello has recorded in the past five years. Aside from last year's compilation album, ''Out of Our Idiot'', it has been two years since Elvis went into the studio. When he came out he brought with him ''Blood and Chocolate'', an album which reunited him with The Attractions and recreated the raw sound of his earlier records | First, let's look at what Costello has recorded in the past five years. Aside from last year's compilation album, ''Out of Our Idiot'', it has been two years since Elvis went into the studio. When he came out he brought with him ''Blood and Chocolate'', an album which reunited him with The Attractions and recreated the raw sound of his earlier records. Despite this, the album saw meager sales and received little or no airplay. | ||
In 1986, Costello paired up with T-Bone Burnett and various studio and country musicians to record ''King of America'', which, like most of his records, received overwhelming critical acclaim and sold about a dozen copies. Fans are already drawing parallels between this album and ''Spike'', in which The Attractions are noticeably absent. | In 1986, Costello paired up with T-Bone Burnett and various studio and country musicians to record ''King of America'', which, like most of his records, received overwhelming critical acclaim and sold about a dozen copies. Fans are already drawing parallels between this album and ''Spike'', in which The Attractions are noticeably absent. | ||
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Musically, this is Costello's most diverse album. Traditional Irish folk instruments mesh with New Orleans-style horns to create sounds never before heard on a pop album. It's an album chock full of international instruments: Spanish guitar, Indian harmonium, Chinese cymbal, lung maracas, glockenspiel, Sousaphone and even an Oldsmobile hubcap. | Musically, this is Costello's most diverse album. Traditional Irish folk instruments mesh with New Orleans-style horns to create sounds never before heard on a pop album. It's an album chock full of international instruments: Spanish guitar, Indian harmonium, Chinese cymbal, lung maracas, glockenspiel, Sousaphone and even an Oldsmobile hubcap. | ||
Costello has effectively used the Sousaphone in place of the electric bass guitar on several tracks. One such song, " | Costello has effectively used the Sousaphone in place of the electric bass guitar on several tracks. One such song, "Stalin Malone," an instrumental with lyrics (included on the album sleeve), is a jazzy vehicle for the antics of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band accompanied by drums alone. | ||
What does all this mean? It means that for hard-core Costello fans who believe, as his debut album cover states, the Elvis really is King, this is the album they've been waiting for. However, those who like "Allison," "Pump it Up," "Everyday I Write the Book" and little else, should save their money or open their minds. | What does all this mean? It means that for hard-core Costello fans who believe, as his debut album cover states, the Elvis really is King, this is the album they've been waiting for. However, those who like "Allison," "Pump it Up," "Everyday I Write the Book" and little else, should save their money or open their minds. |
Revision as of 04:31, 26 June 2015
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