I asked listers on Costello -l listserv for a translation of a Danish review of North....... I don`t think this is it but it is hilarious!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From dave weil
Re: Danish review of North
To: COSTELLO-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
I sent this out but didn't see it hit the list. Apologies if there's a
double post...
On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 12:41:41 +0100, you wrote:
> Translation , please!
>------------------------------------------------------
>http://politiken.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=287923
>
>Formålsløs skønhed
>
>
>Elvis Costello har efter et par gode popplader begivet
>sig ud i et ingenmandsland mellem klassisk og
>jazz-instrumentering.
>
>Elvis Costello: North
>
>Elvis Costello: North. Producer: Elvis Costello &
>Kevin Killen. Deutsche Grammophon.
>
>Som en af den moderne pop- og rockmusiks store
>sangskrivere har Elvis Costello skrevet sin del af
>nutidens klassikere. Men det er ikke det eneste
>klassiske ved Costello. Siden han i 1992 indledte et
>samarbejde med Brodsky Kvartetten har Costello ved
>flere lejligheder skrevet sange i klassisk orienterede
>sammenhænge. Mest kendt siden Brodsky-projektet 'The
>Juliet Letters' er 'For The Stars' med sopranen Anne
>Sofie von Otter (2000).
Some of the most modern living room pop that you can buy from the rock
music store is from the hair band Elvis Costello, who has written
classical music in his underwear. In 1992 he worked with the smarmy
Brodsky Quartet, who played in *their* skivvies, and whose sexual
orientation is still questionable. Then, he met Anne Sofie von Otter
and started taking the same drugs as she did, at which point they made
the album "For the Stars".
>Efter rockpladen 'When I Was Cruel' indtager Costello
>med 'North' igen et musikalsk særstandpunkt og det på
>selveste Deutsche Grammophon. Men betyder det så, at
>'North' er klassisk musik? Både og og egentlig ikke.
>Snarere klassicistisk.
Those same drugs were used for his albums When I Was Cruel and North,
the latter album following the previous album, in point of fact,
recorded for Deutsche Grammophon. Man, is *that* some classical music
or what? I bid you to answer that rather icky question. I think it's
snarky classical, personally.
>Som sangskriver søger Costello på 'North' den rene
>form. En slags lieder, hvor kærlighedens regnebræt
>gøres op uden et eneste overflødigt ord.
Some singer/songwriters, like the sugary Costello, use compasses to
tell due North. But they are slagged off when they try to write
Lieder, as we know that only German junkies can do that, even in their
Hosen. I guess that he's only overflying this territory while looking
for warmer climes.
>Sangene er klassiske af format, men uden det lille ekstra
>overflødige ord, der røber personligheden bag det
>formelle mesterskab, lader Elvis Costello også sig
>selv i stikken som sanger.
Elvis can sing.
> Som vokalist er Elvis Costello karakteristisk og udtryksfuld. Og i
>besiddelse af et meget begrænset register. Rovdrift på
>Costellos melankolske vibrato gør den på 'North' til
>et enerverende monotont instrument. Sangene har ellers
>potentiale til noget stort.
Elvis sounds like an ambulance siren at times.
>Costello er blevet kæreste med jazzgudinden Diana
>Kraal. Han burde give hende en buket sange i
>morgengave og lade hende udfolde hele sin unikke jazz-
>og forførelseskunst. På egen hånd dyrker Costello en
>marmorkølig og firkantet hybrid mellem klassicistisk
>ballade og antydet jazz. Strategien er uholdbar.
>Costello fremlægger sirligt sine sange, snarere end
>han fortolker dem.
Elvis has been caught holding hands with jazz schmoopie Diana Krall,
who has rekindled his love for ballads, as she doesn't care for
bellowing in bed. Strategically, he has complied. Woudn't you? He's
singing as if he had just toked on a big fattie.
>Arrangementerne er skulpturelt smukke, men også
>ubegrundet kropsforladte. Peter Erskine trommeskind
>hviske-tisker om jazz, men det er strengt forbudt at
>swinge. Flere gange strejfer musikken over i retning
>af musical og Gershwin, men uden evne til at fremkalde
>indre billeder af dansende elskende, der falder for og
>fra hinanden.
Peter Erskine is a famous jazz drummer. Therefore this is jazz. Oh
wait, classical. Oh wait, Gershwin. Oh wait, it's music for men who
love women in the small hours.
>Pianisten Steve Nieve fra The Attractions er Costellos
>faste akkompagnatør på 'North', der imidlertid i
>blæsersektionen veksler mellem en klassisk og en
>jazzet tilgang, der næppe tilfredsstiller nogen af de
>to verdener, hvis man ser bort fra den ualmindeligt
>dejlige altsax-solo, som Lee Konitz lukker 'Someone
>Took The Words Away' med, eller det flygelhorn,
>hvormed Lew Soloff løfter 'Let Me Tell You About Her'
>ind i varmen.
Pianist Steve Nieve from the Atteactions and Costello's close
companion listened to the horn section and proclaimed, "This is
classical music *or* it is jazz music! I don't care! It's nappy Boo,
in any case!" He then paid off the old sax guy Lee Konitz and let a
fluegelhorn fart fly as well. Let Me Tell YOu About Her - a real
varmit of a song.
>Det er varme, man savner i det kolde 'North'. En
>konsekvent kontrolleret formel konstruktion, som
>Costello alligevel ikke kan dy sig for at torpedere
>med bonusnummeret 'Impatience'.
costello has torpedoed his own conservative formal construction by his
impatience.
> Pludselig på tolvte
>skæring og i tolvte time swinger det! Med Pete Thomas
>på trommer, Davey Farragher på bas og snurrige Marc
>Ribot på guitar.
This is an album for swingers! With Dr. Pete Thomas beating the drums
and Davey Farragher playing his father's bass, they make a nice
swinging threesome with Marc Ribot on guitar.
>Sublim salsabefængt pop fra en
>overset knaldperlefilm.
This threesome is better than any porno film and has the soundtrack to
match - salsabeat baby!
>Det er fuldstændig absurd.
Fully absurd I know
> Her
>er opskriften på et forrygende og anderledes
>Costello-album.
but her opera gender-bending version of Ferry Cross the Mersey is for
another Costello album.
(translator's note - I don't know who 'She" refers to, whether it's
Charles Azvenour or Diana Krall.)
>Som altså ikke blev lavet, men ofret
>på de højkulturelle ambitioners blodfattigfine alter.
Some like it hot, but men like an ambitious highbrowed blonde zaftig
older woman anyday.
>'All This Useless Beauty' hedder et af Costellos
>tidligere album. Formålsløs eller ej er skønheden sit
>eget formål. Som i dette tilfælde desværre næppe vil
>angå mange andre end den selvbestaltede
>skønhedsekspert selv.
All This Useless Beauty is at the head of Costello's tidy albums.
Formally all he did was sit formally at the sessions. Some think it's
nappy and villianous, but others mangle even masturbation themselves.
Hope this helps
Not entirely accurate translation - I presume!
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What the...
This is...amazing...amazingly hilarious...
*walks off, utterly confused*
In 1992 he worked with the smarmy
Brodsky Quartet, who played in *their* skivvies, and whose sexual
orientation is still questionable. Then, he met Anne Sofie von Otter
and started taking the same drugs as she did, at which point they made
the album "For the Stars".
This is...amazing...amazingly hilarious...
*walks off, utterly confused*
It nearly took a mircacle to get you to stay
It only took my little finger to blow you away.
It only took my little finger to blow you away.
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Here's the real deal...not very nice...maybe the other one was better..
AIMLESS BEAUTY
After a couple of good pop records, Elvis Costello has positioned himself into a no-man’s land between classical and jazz instrumentation.
As one of modern pop’s and rock’s great songwriters, Elvis has written his fair share of modern classics. But this is not the only thing that is “classic” about Costello. Since his 1992 colaboration with The Brodsky Quartet, Costello has on several occasions written songs in a classical orientated context. The most noteworthy since the Brodsky Project, (The Julliet Letters), is For the Stars with soprano Anne Sofie von Otter (2000).
After the rock album When I Was Cruel, Costello with North once again makes a unique musical statement, and this with Deutsche Grammophon, itself! But does this mean that North is Classical Music? Both yes and actually no. It’s actually closer to “classical-ish”.
As a songwriter, Costello is seeking stylistic purity on North, a type of “lieder” where the incubus (you know, that Chinese thing you calculate with) of love is tallied without one single superfluous word.
The songs are in the classical format, but without the little extra superfluous word which is the key to the personality behind the lyrical mastery, Costello manages to expose himself and show vulnerability as a singer.
As a vocalist, Elvis Costello has his own style and is expressive, possessing a very limited vocal range. The wavering of Costello’s melodic vibrato on North makes his voice into a grating monotone instrument. The songs have otherwise great potential.
Costello has entered a relationship with Jazz godess Diana Kraal. He should give her a bunch of songs as a wedding present and let her totally unfold her unique jazz and seductive artistry. On his own Costello cultivates a stone cold and elementary hybrid between classical ballads and implied jazz. This strategy doesn’t hold water, as Costello presents his songs in a sterile way, rather than interpret them.
The arrangements are beautifully sculptured but also unnecessarily barren. Peter Erskine’s snare drum whispers of jazz, but it is strictly forbidden to swing. On a few occasions, the music drifts over in the direction of musicals and Gershwin, but without the ability to conjure inner pictures of dancing lovers, who fall in and out of love.
Pianist Steve Nieve from the Attractions is Costello’s continuous accompaniment on North, who in combined with a woodwind section, shifts between a classical and jazzy approach, which does not do justice to either of these two musical worlds, with the exception of the exceptionally great alto sax solo that Lee Konitz closes “Someone Took the Words Away”, with and the flugelhorn playing of Lew Soloff, which lifts “Let Me Tell You About Her” into acceptability.
It is warmth that is missing in the cold North. A controlled and consequent formal construction, which even Costello himself can’t help but sabotage (corrupt) with the bonus track “Impatience”.
Suddenly efter 12 tracks and in the 11th hour it swings! With Pete Thomas on drums, Davey Farragher on bass and the tricky Marc Ribot on Guitar.
Sublime pop from a long and forgotten old movie.
by the way..I cut it short as it was a bitch to translate...but that is the essence....
AIMLESS BEAUTY
After a couple of good pop records, Elvis Costello has positioned himself into a no-man’s land between classical and jazz instrumentation.
As one of modern pop’s and rock’s great songwriters, Elvis has written his fair share of modern classics. But this is not the only thing that is “classic” about Costello. Since his 1992 colaboration with The Brodsky Quartet, Costello has on several occasions written songs in a classical orientated context. The most noteworthy since the Brodsky Project, (The Julliet Letters), is For the Stars with soprano Anne Sofie von Otter (2000).
After the rock album When I Was Cruel, Costello with North once again makes a unique musical statement, and this with Deutsche Grammophon, itself! But does this mean that North is Classical Music? Both yes and actually no. It’s actually closer to “classical-ish”.
As a songwriter, Costello is seeking stylistic purity on North, a type of “lieder” where the incubus (you know, that Chinese thing you calculate with) of love is tallied without one single superfluous word.
The songs are in the classical format, but without the little extra superfluous word which is the key to the personality behind the lyrical mastery, Costello manages to expose himself and show vulnerability as a singer.
As a vocalist, Elvis Costello has his own style and is expressive, possessing a very limited vocal range. The wavering of Costello’s melodic vibrato on North makes his voice into a grating monotone instrument. The songs have otherwise great potential.
Costello has entered a relationship with Jazz godess Diana Kraal. He should give her a bunch of songs as a wedding present and let her totally unfold her unique jazz and seductive artistry. On his own Costello cultivates a stone cold and elementary hybrid between classical ballads and implied jazz. This strategy doesn’t hold water, as Costello presents his songs in a sterile way, rather than interpret them.
The arrangements are beautifully sculptured but also unnecessarily barren. Peter Erskine’s snare drum whispers of jazz, but it is strictly forbidden to swing. On a few occasions, the music drifts over in the direction of musicals and Gershwin, but without the ability to conjure inner pictures of dancing lovers, who fall in and out of love.
Pianist Steve Nieve from the Attractions is Costello’s continuous accompaniment on North, who in combined with a woodwind section, shifts between a classical and jazzy approach, which does not do justice to either of these two musical worlds, with the exception of the exceptionally great alto sax solo that Lee Konitz closes “Someone Took the Words Away”, with and the flugelhorn playing of Lew Soloff, which lifts “Let Me Tell You About Her” into acceptability.
It is warmth that is missing in the cold North. A controlled and consequent formal construction, which even Costello himself can’t help but sabotage (corrupt) with the bonus track “Impatience”.
Suddenly efter 12 tracks and in the 11th hour it swings! With Pete Thomas on drums, Davey Farragher on bass and the tricky Marc Ribot on Guitar.
Sublime pop from a long and forgotten old movie.
by the way..I cut it short as it was a bitch to translate...but that is the essence....
Last edited by Copenhagen Fan on Wed Oct 01, 2003 7:00 am, edited 2 times in total.
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The original translation is hilarious--I was thinking about a translation thread when I was translating something I wrote in French through Babelfish, and for "Je descends l'escalier" (I go down the staircase), it gave me, "I kill l?escalier."
Cope-you of all people should know that an incubus is a demon that has sex with women in their sleep. Silly.
Cope-you of all people should know that an incubus is a demon that has sex with women in their sleep. Silly.
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