Athens Flagpole, November 30, 1994: Difference between revisions
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With ''Brutal Youth'', Costello returns to the lean, mean sound of this enfant terrible immediate post punk years. He appears with a pared-down ensemble of musicians, consisting of the reunited Attractions (with whom he made his greatest records) plus fellow-traveler Nick Lowe (who plays bass on about as many tracks as Bruce Thomas). I would have preferred Lowe as co-producer (with Elvis) over the ubiquitous Mitchell Froom, both because it would complete the sense of return to roots and because I favor producers like Lowe associated with one particular musical style. Like Don Was, Froom is all over the musical map when it comes to artists he produces. I suppose versatility is admirable, but I fail to see the point. | With ''Brutal Youth'', Costello returns to the lean, mean sound of this enfant terrible immediate post punk years. He appears with a pared-down ensemble of musicians, consisting of the reunited Attractions (with whom he made his greatest records) plus fellow-traveler Nick Lowe (who plays bass on about as many tracks as Bruce Thomas). I would have preferred Lowe as co-producer (with Elvis) over the ubiquitous Mitchell Froom, both because it would complete the sense of return to roots and because I favor producers like Lowe associated with one particular musical style. Like Don Was, Froom is all over the musical map when it comes to artists he produces. I suppose versatility is admirable, but I fail to see the point. | ||
Elvis Costello does not fail to see the point on ''Brutal Youth'', which is to cut the crap and play the kind of urgent great music that is his signature. He seems to have returned, hopefully permanently, to his musical senses. The first track “Pony St.” sounds at once like the best numbers from ''Armed Forces'' (1978) and ''Get Happy'' rolled into one, with Pete Thomas’ trademark drum roll and the half-growl half-squeal in Costello’s voice, particularly at the end of each line. To my ear, several of the tunes on ''Brutal Youth'' aim at specific songs on the matchless ''Get Happy!''. “Clown Strike” is this album’s “Clowntime is Over.” “20% Amnesia” is very close musically to “Five Gears in Reverse.” “My Science Fiction Twin,” with Steve Nieve’s spooky organ-playing and Nick Lowe’s nothin’ fancy bass throb, is a dead ringer in places for “Opportunity.” What I mean to suggest through these comparisons is the thrilling balance the musicians strike between tight, disciplined playing and that woozy, swervy, swaying (let’s hear it for Farfisa) feeling. It’s the kind of synthesis at which The Band excelled, as you can hear on “''Stage Fright''” or “''W.S. Walcott Medicine Show''.” | |||
To mention Elvis Costello in the same breath as The Band is to invite the scorn of the punkophile for whom Costello, who sported a long beard for a while and once professed admiration for The Grateful Dead, has always been something of an anachronism. Of course, this is the same Elvis who once got punched out by Bonnie Bramlett for uttering a racist slur on Ray Charles. The cover photo of ''Brutal Youth'', which reproduces a black and white childhood snapshot of young Declan MacManus a.k.a. Elvis Costello standing with a playmate of colour (as they spell it in the U.K.), may be an attempt at some kind of atonement for that offense. In any case, his mercurial personality has always confused his fans, whether through his social comportment or the musical restlessness that leads him to try his hand at so many different styles. | |||
Even 1981, which I upheld earlier as a time of greater stylistic consistency, saw Elvis indulging his love of country and western-style crooning with the album ''Almost Blue'' (it was not at all uncommon to see two Costello album releases per year in those days). This was close to the time when Costello had performed a duet with George Jones on his album ''My Very Special Guests''. Elvis recaptures that mournful heartbroken sound (borrowed from Patsy Cline, among others) of ''Almost Blue'' on “Still Too Soon To Know,” which provides a departure from the sound of most of ''Brutal Youth''. This album, like the singer’s best, continues to yield up surprises. | |||
Elvis the Younger can still deliver as impressively as he did on ''Get Happy!!'' or ''Trust''. The reissues are among Rykodisc’s finest achievements. Both feature informative booklets with notes by the man himself. Especially interesting are the tracks added for the CD reissue, as well as Costello’s comments about them. The ones included on ''Get Happy!!'' are a combination of alternate takes and tunes previously available on ''Taking Liberties'' a 1980 compilation of singles and B-sides. Listen to the slow version of “Clowntime is Over,” the acoustic-guitar based “Black & White World” and the more rocking version of “Riot Act.” There is even a fragment of an alternate version of “Love For Tender.” On Trust, the accent is on previously unreleased performances. Standouts include “Black Sails in the Sunset” and “Twenty-Five to Twelve.” | |||
These CDs provide extremely generous amounts of music. One curious practice is the prolonged silence between tracks in the “Extended Play” sections. Strange in a way, but it lets the suspense build. | |||
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{{tags}}[[This Year's Model]] {{-}} [[Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]] {{-}} [[Columbia Records]] {{-}} [[Spike]] {{-}} [[Mighty Like A Rose]] {{-}} [[The Brodsky Quartet]] {{-}} [[The Juliet Letters]] {{-}} [[Brutal Youth]] {{-}} [[Imperial Bedroom]] {{-}} [[Get Happy!!]] {{-}} [[Trust]] {{-}}[[Bob Dylan]] {{-}} [[The Attractions]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[Bruce Thomas]] {{-}} [[Mitchell Froom]] {{-}}[[Don Was]] {{-}} [[Pony St.]] {{-}} [[Armed Forces]] {{-}} [[Pete Thomas]] {{-}} [[Clown Strike]] {{-}} [[Clowntime Is Over]] {{-}} [[20% Amnesia]] {{-}} [[5ive Gears In Reverse]] {{-}} [[My Science Fiction Twin]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] {{-}} [[Opportunity]] {{-}} [[The Band]] {{-}} [[Grateful Dead]] {{-}} [[:Category:Columbus incident|Columbus incident]] {{-}} [[Bonnie Bramlett]] {{-}} [[Ray Charles]] {{-}} [[Almost Blue]] {{-}} [[George Jones]] {{-}} [[George Jones: My Very Special Guests]] {{-}} [[Patsy Cline]] {{-}} [[Still Too Soon To Know]] {{-}} [[Rykodisc]] {{-}} [[Taking Liberties]] {{-}} [[Black And White World]] {{-}} [[Riot Act]] {{-}} [[Love For Tender]] {{-}} [[Black Sails In The Sunset]] {{-}} [[Twenty-Five To Twelve]] | |||
{{tags}}[[This Year's Model]] {{-}} [[Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]] {{-}} [[Columbia Records]] {{-}} [[Spike]] {{-}} [[Mighty Like A Rose]] {{-}} [[The Brodsky Quartet]] {{-}} [[The Juliet Letters]] {{-}} [[Brutal Youth]] {{-}} [[Imperial Bedroom]] {{-}} [[Get Happy!!]] {{-}} [[Trust]] {{-}}[[Bob Dylan]] {{-}} [[The Attractions]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[Bruce Thomas]] {{-}} [[Mitchell Froom]] {{-}}[[Don Was]] | |||
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'''Flagpole Magazine, November 30, 1994 | '''Flagpole Magazine, November 30, 1994 | ||
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[[Jim Winders]] reviews ''[[Brutal Youth]]'' and | [[Jim Winders]] reviews ''[[Brutal Youth]]'' and the Rykodisc extended reissues of ''[[Get Happy!! (1994 Rykodisc/Demon Extended Play)|Get Happy!!]]'' and ''[[Trust (1994 Rykodisc/Demon Extended Play)|Trust]]''. | ||
{{Bibliography images}} | {{Bibliography images}} | ||
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[[Category:Album reviews]] | [[Category:Album reviews]] | ||
[[Category:Brutal Youth reviews]] | [[Category:Brutal Youth reviews]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Get Happy!! reviews]] | ||
[[Category:Trust reviews]] | |||
Latest revision as of 19:59, 31 January 2023
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