New Musical Express, January 24, 1981: Difference between revisions
(formatting) |
(fix OCR error +tags) |
||
Line 31: | Line 31: | ||
And he is an increasingly, exceedingly "good" vocalist — sliding unexpectedly, prolonging, devouring, pushing, judging with syllables to humorous, dangerous, langourous effect. | And he is an increasingly, exceedingly "good" vocalist — sliding unexpectedly, prolonging, devouring, pushing, judging with syllables to humorous, dangerous, langourous effect. | ||
Costello opens | Costello opens up all the sore contradictions the most theoretically high-minded thinkers-singers-writers wouldn't dare let their public hear. But his isn't a whining self-confessional. Oh no. The details may well be drawn from Costello's private life drama, but this is neither clear nor important. What is important is not how "open" he is — but how open he can get words to be. | ||
The three main steps the words have to learn are: sex & romance, money, culture. His favourite being the first. Like few other songwriters (along with August Darnell he gives the impression of being able to write classic songs in his sleep — real songwriters in the businesslike Tin Pan Alley sense), Costello can convey the rapture of love and at the same time slice through the more negative codes of male and female sexuality. Whereas in the past this ability was often displaced onto one or other hapless victim from his little black book, since ''Get Happy!!'' it has been ratlonalised into a highly compassionáte, personally political voice. The subject which receives more hearing than any other on ''Trust'' is sexual deception and violence. Trust = Power, you see, and it can either be used or abused. Unlike a lot of pre-''Get Happy!!'' Costello, the villain of the pieces is predominantly a bloke — which is not to say that the author has gone on a mad hack guilty binge, atoning for past sins by way of laying all blame squarely upon the nastier aspects of the masculine psyche; everything is put in a context or two. | The three main steps the words have to learn are: sex & romance, money, culture. His favourite being the first. Like few other songwriters (along with August Darnell he gives the impression of being able to write classic songs in his sleep — real songwriters in the businesslike Tin Pan Alley sense), Costello can convey the rapture of love and at the same time slice through the more negative codes of male and female sexuality. Whereas in the past this ability was often displaced onto one or other hapless victim from his little black book, since ''Get Happy!!'' it has been ratlonalised into a highly compassionáte, personally political voice. The subject which receives more hearing than any other on ''Trust'' is sexual deception and violence. Trust = Power, you see, and it can either be used or abused. Unlike a lot of pre-''Get Happy!!'' Costello, the villain of the pieces is predominantly a bloke — which is not to say that the author has gone on a mad hack guilty binge, atoning for past sins by way of laying all blame squarely upon the nastier aspects of the masculine psyche; everything is put in a context or two. | ||
But lest we forget: these aren't smug academic mirrors — but pop songs, not afraid of their public. It would, however, be daft to attempt anything approaching a "definitive" perspective on ''Trust''. Although it's six songs less than ''Get Happy!!'' that still leaves a lot of syntax to sift through. It took ''me'' half the last year to realise what half the terms and turns of phrase on ''Get Happy!!'' added up to. So, a hasty empirical scan of ''Trust'' — featuring Elvis Costello as the private eye ("Looking Italian" the sleeve sez) Steve Nieve on keys, Bruce Thomas on bass notes, Pete Thomas on drumbeat and a Nick Lowe production "in association with" Roger Bechirian "assisted by" Neil King. Wheel it out.. | But lest we forget: these aren't smug academic mirrors — but pop songs, not afraid of their public. It would, however, be daft to attempt anything approaching a "definitive" perspective on ''Trust''. Although it's six songs less than ''Get Happy!!'' that still leaves a lot of syntax to sift through. It took ''me'' half the last year to realise what half the terms and turns of phrase on ''Get Happy!!'' added up to. So, a hasty empirical scan of ''Trust'' — featuring Elvis Costello as the private eye ("Looking Italian" the sleeve sez) Steve Nieve on keys, Bruce Thomas on bass notes, Pete Thomas on drumbeat and a Nick Lowe production "in association with" Roger Bechirian "assisted by" Neil King. Wheel it out... | ||
''"Bad lovers face to face in the morning / Shy apologies and polite regrets / Slow dances that left no one enough / Outraged glances and indiscreet yawning / Good manners and bad breath get you nowhere / ... She's no Angel / He's no Saint / They're all covered up with whitewash and greasepaint."'' | ''"Bad lovers face to face in the morning / Shy apologies and polite regrets / Slow dances that left no one enough / Outraged glances and indiscreet yawning / Good manners and bad breath get you nowhere / ... She's no Angel / He's no Saint / They're all covered up with whitewash and greasepaint."'' | ||
Line 61: | Line 61: | ||
Trust him to do that. Turn to the left! | Trust him to do that. Turn to the left! | ||
{{cx}} | |||
{{tags}}[[Trust]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[The Attractions]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] {{-}} [[Bruce Thomas]] {{-}} [[Pete Thomas]] {{-}} [[Get Happy!!]] {{-}} [[Clubland]] {{-}} [[Motown]] {{-}} [[Tamla]] {{-}} [[I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down]] {{-}} [[Roger Bechirian]] {{-}} [[New Lace Sleeves]] {{-}} [[Lovers Walk]] {{-}} [[Bo Diddley]] {{-}} [[You'll Never Be A Man]] {{-}} [[Pretty Words]] {{-}} [[Watch Your Step]] {{-}} [[White Knuckles]] {{-}} [[Shot With His Own Gun]] {{-}} [[Luxembourg]] {{-}} [[Strict Time]] {{-}} [[Squeeze]] {{-}} [[Glenn Tilbrook]] {{-}} [[From A Whisper To A Scream]] {{-}} [[Different Finger]] {{-}} [[Fish 'N' Chip Paper]] {{-}} [[Big Sister's Clothes]] {{-}} [[:Category:Readers polls|Readers Polls]] | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
Latest revision as of 14:15, 28 May 2023
|