|
Making the required rounds in support of his ninth album, Elvis Costello nearly succeeded in filling the Santa Barbara County Bowl under the stars on a warm Saturday night.
Costello, who neither rocks like Elvis Presley nor is as funny as Lou Costello, is more like Cecil B. DeMille. It wasn't exactly a cast of thousands, but in addition to his crack back-up band the Attractions, Costello brought along the four-man TKO Horns, plus a pair of back-up singers.
All, save the Attractions, stayed for a while at the beginning, left in the middle, then returned for the final quarter of the set.
Costello, acclaimed as one of the best songwriters in rock, showed that his pen is still mighty with several selections from his recent effort, Punch The Clock. From the tune "Charm School":
"In this perpetual night-club
I'll be yours eternal
Though the hours are long
And the noise infernal
Just one shameful act or sometimes two
We make believe we're making do."
This song, among many, provided plenty of dietary food for thought for those who stayed seated, rather than brave the food concession lines. But fine lines are one thing, fine melodies another.
While the basic Costello song literally bursts at its seams with witticism and social commentary galore, too many of the tunes turned out to be rather formless and thus, forgettable. All of this could be clearly gauged by the ever-present dancers who sat more than swayed during the show.
There is some up-tempo good stuff on the new record, and it is zooming up the charts, but several cuts off last year's Imperial Bedroom were universally sit-downers.
Oldies that rocked, such as "Watching The Detectives," "Red Shoes" and "What's So Funny about Peace, Love and Understanding?," did, however, keep anyone from nodding off. So did keyboardist Steve Nieve, who was outstanding.
Still, it was an inspired performance and also a bargain as Costello played 23 songs before he returned for any encores, the first of which featured three new, good songs including the hit "Everyday I Write the Book."
If Costello often dulled the dancers during his set, it was doubly true for the opening band, the barely electric Aztec Camera.
Even Costello admits to being in awe of the 19-year-old Roddy Frame, frontman, singer/songwriter for the quartet. Frame not only writes marvelous songs, but has a rich, pleasing voice. Though mundane melodic shortcomings soon had all the songs sounding alike, "Oblivious" and "The Bugle Sounds Again" were notable exceptions.
More folk-rock than rock, Aztec Camera churned out a series of slight melodies that were more suited to a soundtrack for a poetry seminar (Frame's lyrics). It tottered on the stainless steel brink of Muzak, and was music to talk over, which they did. This is music for headphones, not for headliners.
| 
