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Elvis Costello can surely hold his own with the likes of Springsteen, Dylan, and any other modern rock star likely to be elected to the rock 'n' roll Hall of Fame by the time most of us are carting around portable cassette players in our electric wheelchairs.
With his new album, the former computer programmer proves once again that his leap from IBM cards to rock notoriety was no mere fluke success caused by combining Buddy Holly's glasses with Elvis Presley's first name. Where many artists burn out after one or two quick flashes, Elvis shows his stamina by moving on. Get Happy is the most diverse and impressive effort to date: twenty songs on a single disc and not a clinker in the bunch.
The new album marks a break with the angry young man who dominated the earlier albums. The songs, rather than relying on the rougher, punk-inspired cynical approach of those albums, are a sort of massive tribute to Costello's musical roots, most notably, early sixties black rhythm and blues.
Costello has listened to a lot of music, and it shows. But with his genius for lyrics, malleable voice, and ear for a catchy melody, his borrowings from others result in music uniquely his own.
Even on "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down," an old Sam and Dave song, and one of only two not written by Costello, his aim is true. While the rhythm section captures the early '60s black R&B sound, the nasal toned, slightly slurred vocals and pulsing organ are Costello's own stamp of originality.
"Five Gears in Reverse" brings to mind Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Dave Clark Five, but once E.C. adds his vocals and musical twists, the song again bears his mark.
The way "B Movie" starts, you expect Diana Ross and the Supremes, but once again, you get Elvis, and once again the little weasel pulls it off with style.
And so it goes throughout the album. As usual, the lyrics are killers. Also as usual, there is no lyric sheet, and Elvis purposely mumbles on occasion so that you can't figure out the whole thing at once. Which only means that on some drunken evening next summer you're going to find another gem in there with all the rest.
No doubt, you'll someday wheel that chair into a large building in, say, New York or Los Angeles, and in a case there you'll see a guitar and some glasses and a name next to them, and, chances are, you'll still have that man's tapes in your wheelchair tape collection.
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