London Independent, April 18, 1991: Difference between revisions
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Similarly while even the most literal-minded listener could grasp the fact that "Invasion Hit Parade" waxes sardonic about the US Army (''"The liberation forces make movies of their own / Playing their Doors records and pretending to be stoned"''), the obvious assumption that it concerns the Gulf War proves mistaken: it was written earlier last year, and "came from Panama, with Noriega holed up inside the Papal enclave. The images in the song come from the nightmarish nature of the television coverage, the way it's turned into gladiatorial combat." Television has always been a staple of Costello's songwriting — the inspiration for "Less Than Zero" was an over-polite documentary about Mosley and he even takes time out from discussing the new album to comment on the ''Late Show's'' self-conscious use of a bakelite set for their on-screen telephone calls. (Costello himself contrived the most memorable use of the word in rock history: ''"When I hold you like I hold that bakelite in my hand..."'') | Similarly while even the most literal-minded listener could grasp the fact that "Invasion Hit Parade" waxes sardonic about the US Army (''"The liberation forces make movies of their own / Playing their Doors records and pretending to be stoned"''), the obvious assumption that it concerns the Gulf War proves mistaken: it was written earlier last year, and "came from Panama, with Noriega holed up inside the Papal enclave. The images in the song come from the nightmarish nature of the television coverage, the way it's turned into gladiatorial combat." Television has always been a staple of Costello's songwriting — the inspiration for "Less Than Zero" was an over-polite documentary about Mosley and he even takes time out from discussing the new album to comment on the ''Late Show's'' self-conscious use of a bakelite set for their on-screen telephone calls. (Costello himself contrived the most memorable use of the word in rock history: ''"When I hold you like I hold that bakelite in my hand..."'') | ||
As he once wrote, ''"Some things you never get used to,"'' and just as the televising of global politics still has the capacity to enrage him, so the smaller distortions of rock journalism can still be an irritation. In interviews he has been giving to the American press about ''Mighty Like A Rose'', Costello has found himself replying to suggestions that the album is down-beat and gloomy by pointing to its varied instrumental texture — everything from a night-club hand on "Couldn't Call It Unexpected" through the sunny West Coast harmonising of "The Other Side Of Summer" to a sweet wind quintet break in " | As he once wrote, ''"Some things you never get used to,"'' and just as the televising of global politics still has the capacity to enrage him, so the smaller distortions of rock journalism can still be an irritation. In interviews he has been giving to the American press about ''Mighty Like A Rose'', Costello has found himself replying to suggestions that the album is down-beat and gloomy by pointing to its varied instrumental texture — everything from a night-club hand on "Couldn't Call It Unexpected" through the sunny West Coast harmonising of "The Other Side Of Summer" to a sweet wind quintet break in "Harpies Bizarre" that sounds like something George Martin might have cooked up for the Beatles circa 1966. | ||
He's right: there is more variety and humour on the record, and throughout all his albums than you would guess from reading his reviews across the years. All of which suggests that professional writers are not, perhaps, his ideal audience — though Costello is inclined to believe that the record-buying public has also been included to take him a little too solemnly. "I take what I do absolutely seriously and at the same time I don't give a damn about it. People think that's an arch thing to say, but it's the closest thing to a working philosophy I've ever had." | He's right: there is more variety and humour on the record, and throughout all his albums than you would guess from reading his reviews across the years. All of which suggests that professional writers are not, perhaps, his ideal audience — though Costello is inclined to believe that the record-buying public has also been included to take him a little too solemnly. "I take what I do absolutely seriously and at the same time I don't give a damn about it. People think that's an arch thing to say, but it's the closest thing to a working philosophy I've ever had." | ||
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{{Bibliography next | {{Bibliography next | ||
|prev = :Category:London Independent | |prev = :Category:London Independent | ||
|next = London Independent, July 1991 | |next = London Independent, July 18, 1991 | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''The Independent, April 18, 1991 | '''The Independent, April 18, 1991 | ||
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[[Kevin Jackson]] interviews Elvis Costello | [[Kevin Jackson]] interviews Elvis Costello and reviews ''[[Mighty Like A Rose]]''. | ||
<span style="font-size:92%">(Reprinted in ''[[Het Parool, April 27, 1991|Het Parool]]''.) </span> | |||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
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<br><small>Clipping.</small> | <br><small>Clipping.</small> | ||
[[image:1991-04-18 London Independent photo 01 mh.jpg| | <small>Photo by [[Martyn Hayhow]]</small><br> | ||
[[image:1991-04-18 London Independent photo 01 mh.jpg|380px]] | |||
<br><br> | <br><br><br><br> | ||
{{Bibliography box}} | {{Bibliography box}} | ||
<center><h3> Elvis Costello: A selective discography </h3></center> | <center><h3> Elvis Costello: A selective discography </h3></center> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
Elvis Costello — né Declan Patrick | Elvis Costello — né Declan Patrick MacManus a.k.a. Napoleon Dynamite, Spike, the Beloved Entertainer and other pseudonyms — is such an unusually prolific writer, guest artist and recorder of cover versions that it is impossible to offer more than a brief outline of his recordings. | ||
''My Aim Is True'' (1977), his debut, was [[Rolling Stone, December 29, 1977|named]] "Album of the Year" by ''Rolling Stone''. "Watching the Detectives," "Less Than Zero" and "Alison" are all featured. | ''My Aim Is True'' (1977), his debut, was [[Rolling Stone, December 29, 1977|named]] "Album of the Year" by ''Rolling Stone''. "Watching the Detectives," "Less Than Zero" and "Alison" are all featured. | ||
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[[Category:Interviews]] | [[Category:Interviews]] | ||
[[Category:1991 interviews]] | [[Category:1991 interviews]] | ||
[[Category:Album reviews]] | |||
[[Category:Mighty Like A Rose reviews]] |
Latest revision as of 10:17, 21 December 2021
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