Melody Maker, June 25, 1977: Difference between revisions
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Elvis Costello and I are bickering this | Elvis Costello and I are bickering this sun-drenched Tuesday afternoon in an office above Stiff Records' London HQ because I had, accidentally, seen and been enthralled by his performance a week earlier at the Nashville Rooms. | ||
Friday, [[Concert 1977-05-27 London|May 27]], it was: I'd tubed over to West Kensington to catch | Friday, [[Concert 1977-05-27 London|May 27]], it was: I'd tubed over to West Kensington to catch the Rumour that night. The presence, at the bar of the Nashville, of Stiff executive Jake Riviera, accompanied by an assorted crew of Stiff hirelings and lackeys, seemed, initially, to be of no profound consequence. | ||
There exist, after all, several connections between Stiff, Graham Parker and the Rumour; and, anyway, Jake ain't the kind of cat who'd miss out on a decent lig should one appear on the horizon as it had that evening. | There exist, after all, several connections between Stiff, Graham Parker and the Rumour; and, anyway, Jake ain't the kind of cat who'd miss out on a decent lig should one appear on the horizon as it had that evening. | ||
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Elvis Costello, let me tell you, bowled me out of my breeches that night. | Elvis Costello, let me tell you, bowled me out of my breeches that night. | ||
Why, I even swore that if a platter containing such Costello meisterwerks as "(The Angels Wanna Wear) | Why, I even [[Melody Maker, June 4, 1977|swore]] that if a platter containing such Costello meisterwerks as "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes," "Mystery Dance," "I'm Not Angry" and "Waiting For The End Of The World," was not in the vicinity of my Dansette turntable by the end of the month I'd be around to Stiff looking for the head of Jake Riviera. | ||
The fact that Jake's head remains unsevered would suggest that the platter for which I yearned has been delivered: and so it has, to my immense delight. Trouble is that Stiff, after falling out with Island, are without a distribution organisation. El's album has been temporarily suspended — it was originally due for release this very week, actually. Fear not, however. It will be with you soon: in the meantime, I thought I'd bring you a despatch from the Elvis Costello front... | The fact that Jake's head remains unsevered would suggest that the platter for which I yearned has been delivered: and so it has, to my immense delight. Trouble is that Stiff, after falling out with Island, are without a distribution organisation. El's album has been temporarily suspended — it was originally due for release this very week, actually. Fear not, however. It will be with you soon: in the meantime, I thought I'd bring you a despatch from the Elvis Costello front... | ||
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Costello may deal principally with themes familiar in rock — the majority in fact, are concerned with fiercely detailed accounts of romantic encounters and failures — but he introduces a ruthless honesty to these themes and invests his observations and scenarios with perceptive insights and astonishingly vivid images. | Costello may deal principally with themes familiar in rock — the majority in fact, are concerned with fiercely detailed accounts of romantic encounters and failures — but he introduces a ruthless honesty to these themes and invests his observations and scenarios with perceptive insights and astonishingly vivid images. | ||
The insecurities and infidelities of relationships, adolescent attempts to attain a personal identity and independence, are examined with sensitive compassion and wit often quite acerbic, but equally as often, as on the classic "Alison," with an exquisite tenderness. | The insecurities and infidelities of relationships, adolescent attempts to attain a personal identity and independence, are examined with sensitive compassion and wit (often quite acerbic, but equally as often, as on the classic "Alison," with an exquisite tenderness). | ||
Always, Costello retains his originality as a lyricist: he avoids conclusively the obvious and tiresome teendream preoccupations of comparative writers like Nils Lofgren (the midget Yank's recent work, at least), Elliott Murphy and Springsteen. | Always, Costello retains his originality as a lyricist: he avoids conclusively the obvious and tiresome teendream preoccupations of comparative writers like Nils Lofgren (the midget Yank's recent work, at least), Elliott Murphy and Springsteen. | ||
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"The people who were directly involved with the album know who they are," El explains, "and they're not the kind of people who'd be worried about credits and namechecks. Equally, the people who were instrumental in stopping me from recording before know who they were, and I wanted to remind them that I hadn't forgotten them. | "The people who were directly involved with the album know who they are," El explains, "and they're not the kind of people who'd be worried about credits and namechecks. Equally, the people who were instrumental in stopping me from recording before know who they were, and I wanted to remind them that I hadn't forgotten them. | ||
"Like, I went around for nearly a year with demo tapes before I came to Stiff, and it was always the same response. 'We can't hear the words.' 'It isn't commercial enough.' 'There aren't any singles.' Idiots. Those tapes were just voice and guitar demos. I didn't have enough money to do | "Like, I went around for nearly a year with demo tapes before I came to Stiff, and it was always the same response. 'We can't hear the words.' 'It isn't commercial enough.' 'There aren't any singles.' Idiots. Those tapes were just voice and guitar demos. I didn't have enough money to do anything with a band. It was just a lack of imagination on the part of those people at the record companies. I felt as if I was bashing my head against a brick wall, those people just weren't prepared to listen to the songs. | ||
"It's a terrible position to be in. You start thinking you're mad. You listen to the radio and you watch the TV and you hear a lot of fucking rubbish. You very rarely turn on the radio or TV and hear anything exciting, right? And, all the time, you know that you're capable of producing something infinitely better. | "It's a terrible position to be in. You start thinking you're mad. You listen to the radio and you watch the TV and you hear a lot of fucking rubbish. You very rarely turn on the radio or TV and hear anything exciting, right? And, all the time, you know that you're capable of producing something infinitely better. | ||
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"I just love the sound of the album," Elvis enthuses. "'Cos I love things that sound great on the radio. 'Less Than Zero,' I thought sounded great on the radio. The record isn't for people with fucking great hi-fis. I'm not interested in those people, or ''that'' kind of mentality. I don't want my records to be used to demonstrate fucking stereos in Lasky's. I just want people to ''listen'' to the fucking music. | "I just love the sound of the album," Elvis enthuses. "'Cos I love things that sound great on the radio. 'Less Than Zero,' I thought sounded great on the radio. The record isn't for people with fucking great hi-fis. I'm not interested in those people, or ''that'' kind of mentality. I don't want my records to be used to demonstrate fucking stereos in Lasky's. I just want people to ''listen'' to the fucking music. | ||
"I don't want to be successful so that I can get a lot of money and retire to a house in the fucking country. I don't want any of that rock | "I don't want to be successful so that I can get a lot of money and retire to a house in the fucking country. I don't want any of that rock 'n' roll rubbish. I don't want to go cruising in Hollywood or hang out at all the star parties. I'm not interested in any of that. It's the arse end of rock 'n' roll. I'm just interested in playing. | ||
"I want to put a band together as soon as possible and get out on the fucking road. We're auditioning people this week. We're looking for young people. People that want to get out and play. Putting a band together is the most important thing at the moment. | "I want to put a band together as soon as possible and get out on the fucking road. We're auditioning people this week. We're looking for young people. People that want to get out and play. Putting a band together is the most important thing at the moment. | ||
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You will have gathered by now that Elvis is committed to success: he's not, however, altogether sure when that success will be achieved. | You will have gathered by now that Elvis is committed to success: he's not, however, altogether sure when that success will be achieved. | ||
"There are lot of people," he says, "who ''should'' be successful. If ability had anything to do with success then there would be a whole lot of obscure people who'd be famous and there would be a whole lot of famous people who'd be lingering in obscurity." | "There <!-- are lot --> are a lot of people," he says, "who ''should'' be successful. If ability had anything to do with success then there would be a whole lot of obscure people who'd be famous and there would be a whole lot of famous people who'd be lingering in obscurity." | ||
Was there anyone, I wondered, that he would like to see becoming famous? "Yeah," he replied. "''Me''." | Was there anyone, I wondered, that he would like to see becoming famous? "Yeah," he replied. "''Me''." | ||
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{{tags}}[[Concert 1977-05-27 London|Nashville Rooms]] {{-}} [[The Rumour]] {{-}} [[Stiff Records]] {{-}} [[Jake Riviera]] {{-}} [[Graham Parker]] {{-}} [[Less Than Zero]] {{-}} [[Alison]] {{-}} [[Melody Maker, June 4, 1977|Melody Maker]] {{-}} [[(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes]] {{-}} [[Mystery Dance]] {{-}} [[I'm Not Angry]] {{-}} [[Waiting For The End Of The World]] {{-}} [[The Beatles]] {{-}} [[Georgie Fame]] {{-}} [[My Aim Is True]] {{-}} [[Nils Lofgren]] {{-}} [[Bruce Springsteen]] {{-}} [[Graham Parker]] {{-}} [[Van Morrison]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[Bobby Bland]] {{-}} [[Dave Robinson]] | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
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{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
[[image:1977-06-25 Melody Maker page 14.jpg| | [[image:1977-06-25 Melody Maker page 14.jpg|370px]] | ||
<br><small>Page scan.</small> | <br><small>Page scan.</small> | ||
<small>Photo by [[Daniel Driscol]].</small><br> | <small>Photo by [[Daniel Driscol]].</small><br> | ||
[[image:1977-06-25 Melody Maker photo 01 dd.jpg| | [[image:1977-06-25 Melody Maker photo 01 dd.jpg|320px]] | ||
[[image:1977-06-25 Melody Maker cover.jpg|x120px | <small>Cover.</small><br> | ||
[[image:1977-06-25 Melody Maker cover.jpg|x120px]] | |||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} |
Latest revision as of 21:41, 2 September 2023
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