Mountain Stage Radio Show
The 1997 EC appearance with the Fairfield Four (show also features Steve Earle) will re-broadcast Aug 1 on some stations.
July 31, 2003
More on the Cole Porter Film
From The LA Times: "The scene is a masked ball in 1920s Venice and on stage, under a drizzle of streamers, Elvis Costello is leading a five-piece band through a boisterous version of Cole Porter's "Let's Misbehave." The music's swinging, everyone's dancing, and the bosoms — both men's and women's — are pleasurably heaving.
Costello's voice slides through the lyrics like a trombone. He bends his body backward — fingers snapping, shiny shoes tapping — and the band kicks the dancers into an orgy of exuberance, like King Louie and his apes boogieing with Baloo in "The Jungle Book."
(Submitted by John Foyle)
==========
Full Text
It's like night and day
'De-Lovely' bills itself as the antithesis of the Hollywood version of Cole Porter's complicated married life.
By William Wallace, Special to The Times
Party's on.
The scene is a masked ball in 1920s Venice and on stage, under a drizzle of streamers, Elvis Costello is leading a five-piece band through a boisterous version of Cole Porter's "Let's Misbehave." The music's swinging, everyone's dancing, and the bosoms — both men's and women's — are pleasurably heaving.
Costello's voice slides through the lyrics like a trombone. He bends his body backward — fingers snapping, shiny shoes tapping — and the band kicks the dancers into an orgy of exuberance, like King Louie and his apes boogieing with Baloo in "The Jungle Book."
Misbehaving. Just the way Cole Porter loved it.
The scene is from the set of director Irwin Winkler's "De-Lovely," a movie about the brilliant American songwriter that wrapped up shooting last week 4 and that the director emphatically declares will not be a biopic. "There's only been one Cole Porter movie, and it was a whitewash," the energetic 72-year-old Winkler says, referring to the thin plot and wholesome tone of the 1946 "Night and Day," starring Cary Grant.
Different times, of course, but that picture sailed over what Winkler and scriptwriter Jay Cocks ("Gangs of New York") see as the essence of the man: the unconventional but emotionally intimate relationship the gay Porter (Kevin Kline) shared with his socialite wife, Linda Lee (Ashley Judd).
"Linda was so important to him throughout their life together — she saw him find his voice," says Robert Kimball, who has been the artistic advisor to the Cole Porter Trust for 37 years and who visited the set in June to see what Winkler was up to. "She honored and respected him and introduced him to a wider cultural world. And when he had relationships with men, Cole looked to her for advice and approval.
"Friends who were there told me that at her funeral, he cried like a baby." It is a love worthy of cinematic exploration, though any movie about Cole Porter is always going to be about the music. Winkler will use about 30 songs to tell the Porters' love story, and they remain, of course, some of the best songs of the heart ever written ("Thirty songs — and I wish we could use more," Winkler says with a twinkle).
But there will be no Louis Armstrong on the "De-Lovely" soundtrack. No Ella. For the digital era, Winkler has asked modern recording artists to step up to the mike (hence Costello's bandleader). Instead of Sarah Vaughan singing "It's De-Lovely," we get British pop star Robbie Williams, and so on: from Diana Krall ("Just One of Those Things") to Natalie Cole ("Every Time We Say Goodbye") and — more of a stretch, this — Alanis Morissette ("Let's Do It [Let's Fall in Love]"). The producers wanted Norah Jones too but couldn't strike a deal. "She's got a wall of Grammys in front of her," one executive laments.
Like the angel toting up the good and bad moments in George Bailey's wonderful life, "De-Lovely" unfolds as a retrospective accounting from the viewpoint of a widowed, lonely and apparently broken man. Porter's lyrics provide the guide for the story. It takes him back to his fawned-upon childhood in Peru, Ind., and follows as he becomes America's songwriting king of musicals and movies. The journey will be stylish, Winkler promises, with plenty of big production numbers. The commercial backwash of "Moulin Rouge" and "Chicago" shows no sign of easing, though the idea of "De-Lovely" was pitched to the Porter estate trustees in pre-"Chicago" 2000. (It will be released by MGM/UA next year.)
Yet the film will not be all Art Deco drawing rooms and bellinis at sunset.
Porter's life was marked by several tragedies, from Linda's miscarriage and their later separation to the bitter aftermath of the 1937 horse-riding accident that crushed his legs and left him in pain until his death in 1964 (Porter eventually had one leg amputated).
It is his relationship with Linda upon which Winkler's movie rests.
Crucially, the film travels through Porter's wasted years in Europe in the post-World War I era, when he was content to be the life of any party. Linda rescued her husband from terminal self-indulgence, her intervention unleashing a singular talent on American popular music.
She was not about to watch Cole's talent atrophy on the shelf of hedonism.
"Linda was saying to him, 'Take yourself seriously,' " Kline says in London shortly before filming ended. "Stop being a party boy and get to work."
Kline is himself a singer — "It was the music that attracted me to the role," he says. "I wanted to be a singer before I wanted to be an actor" — and will carry about half the tunes in the movie. But much of the love story's authenticity will depend on Judd's ability to portray a believable muse. It is a terrific challenge: to show the complicated love between a gay man with an appetite for sexual adventure and the woman who saw into his soul and drew out the genius.
"I just genuinely assume it's an alchemy I understand," the 35-year-old Judd says as she watches Costello rip into "Let's Misbehave" one more time. "It's about believing in someone, something I know about from being with my sister [Grammy-winning Wynonna] and my husband [Scottish race car driver Dario Franchitti], who has a rare and extraordinary gift. It's a kind of compassion towards the character of their gift."
Yet Porter was a complicated, mysterious guy, Kline says, "and we don't know what happened behind closed doors. You can read all the biographies you want, as I've done, but in the end you sort of wheedle out a compromise vision of the character."
And clearly there was a part of Porter that was addicted to danger. "By every report, theirs was a deep and abiding affection for one another," Kline says of the marriage. But while Linda condoned his bisexuality, he adds, "she became increasingly worried when his search for sex became more and more indiscreet."
For Winkler, that means getting the sexual calibration right. Too much and "De-Lovely" descends into campiness. Too sanitized and it risks the wrath of those for whom Porter is a gay icon. Kline says the movie will be "fairly explicit in terms of Cole's appetites, though there is nothing sexually graphic on screen. You'll see the kinds of excess to which he indulged," the actor says. "He could get down and dirty."
Facts aren't the only thing
There is artistic risk, too, in Cocks' decision to write a script that ignores the conventional constraints of biography. Fresh from being pounded by critics for the historical looseness of parts of his "Gangs of New York" script, he fired off a preemptive strike against would-be detractors this time, issuing a one-page manifesto for the movie that warns his love story won't be handcuffed by history.
"The broad outlines of his life are here but placed within the framework of imagination, not scholarship," Cocks writes. He calls the script "an impressionistic musical biography" in which "we've used facts like notes in a melody, putting them together in a way that may never have happened but that may give a truer, deeper picture of the man, his work and — most important — his heart."
(One departure the film takes is in the ages of the couple: Lee was older than Porter; Kline, however, is 20 years older than Judd.)
Or, as "De-Lovely" producer Rob Cowan puts it, "Hey, it's a movie." But that kind of talk can make Porter purists jittery. There are different versions of how "De-Lovely" originated: Winkler says the estate approached him about making a film that might stimulate sales of Porter's catalog; the trustees say it was Winkler who approached them with the idea. But the sides are clearly trying to accommodate each other (for one thing, the estate's cooperation in dropping its usual royalty fees on Porter songs will save the filmmakers millions).
"I told them I had to tell the story as I saw fit and they said 'fine,' " Winkler says matter-of-factly. Winkler's credits as a producer range from "The Right Stuff" to "GoodFellas," and as a director he made, among other films, "Life as a House" with Kline in 2001. Porter historian Kimball says Winkler has the benefit of the estate's doubts. "He's the pro," Kimball says. "Everyone wants to see the picture done in what we called, in the old days, good taste. But Irwin and Jay Cocks should have the right to make their own movie. I may not like it. I don't want people to do violence to it or make up the facts. But there is no set way to do it, either." What Kimball doesn't want to see at any cost is a lot of messing around with Porter's lyrics. Respect the harmonies and rhythms as much as you can.
But the words are sacred.
Ah, the lyrics. It is worth remembering that in Porter's day, the music was not a special taste with a section of his own at the back of music stores.
Back then it was American popular music (at least, white American music). With his lyrical lists and rhyming schemes, Porter was a sort of WASPy rapper for the swing era: "Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it." The songs were part of the cultural ether.
How they will sound to the generation of what would be his great-grandchildren is Winkler's gamble. "What kind of word is 'beguine'?" a laughing Sheryl Crow said to music producer Peter Asher after cutting her vocal track for "Begin the Beguine" in a London recording studio. "I sound like Doris Day."
Hardly. Crow's version of the standard is sung in a minor key, with the rock chick delivering a bluesy, aching ode to lost love.
The tension in that love is evident in the Venetian ballroom scene — actually filmed in a genteel manor house outside London that was rouged up to look suitably decadent. At the time, Porter is in exile from his destiny, and Linda has summoned Irving Berlin and his wife to Venice to try to light the fire of ambition.
So Chance is coming, but for the moment Kline's Porter is making sure no piano goes unplayed. He is sitting in the corner of the ballroom picking out the notes to "You Do Something to Me" and casting lascivious glances at the hard bods going past. Kline has a good voice, and from the back of the room, Costello listens and laughs.
"I've heard a few old recordings of Porter singing, and he had a terrible voice," Costello says. "Awful. Like a cat screeching from the bottom of a well." (Kimball, more defensively, calls Porter's voice "reedy.")
"Oh, he was a famously bad pianist too," Kline agrees. "He had a pounding, oom-pah left hand. Oh baby, he did not have a light touch." Kline laughs. "You know his obituary in the New York Times read: 'Singer Cole Porter,' " he continues. "Well, he was never a singer.
"But it's perfect for me. I've got a wonderful built-in excuse for bad playing and singing."
July 30, 2003
Cool Elvis Photo Gallery
Just stumbled on the great Costello Pix Gallery over at www.elvis-costello.net. Check it out.
By The Original Artists...
This 'unreleased' CD went for about $75 on ebay.uk yesterday. It contain the Elvis version of 'They Didn't Believe Me' 1995 Polygram release. Seller said it was never released, but I'm nearly certain this is a lie. As usual ebay buyers bid it up to insane prices anyway. I have one of these, and know I paid less than $15 for it. Anyone with more info please comment below.
(Found by John Foyle)
July 29, 2003
Setlists for Landmine Show
I found this old setlist today from one of the shows Elvis did with Steve Earle, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and Nancy Griffith. It was at the John Prine setlist site. Hadn't seen it before so here it is:
January 15, 2002 Concerts For A Landmine Free World- SECC: Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, UK
Emmylou Harris/Red Dirt Girl, Steve Earle/South Nashville Blues, Elvis Costello/Indoor Fireworks, Nanci Griffith/Traveling Through This Part of You. John Prine/All The Best, Emmylou Harris/The Pearl ,Steve Earle/Devil's Right Hand, Elvis Costello/Shipbuilding, Nanci Griffith/Goodnight New York, John Prine/The Other Side of Town, Emmylou Harris/Hour of Gold. John Prine/Angel From Montgomery, Nanci Griffith/I Wish It Would Rain, Elvis Costello/American Without Tears. Steve Earle & Emmylou Harris/Goodbye, Elvis Costello & Emmylou Harris/Take These Sleepless Nights From Me, John Prine/Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone, Nanci Griffith/There's a Light Beyond These Woods (Mary Margaret), Elvis Costello/Alibi, Steve Earle/Dixieland, Nanci Griffith/It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go, John Prine/Paradise
July 28, 2003
Set List Scans
Setlist: Fuji Rock Fest
Nigata, Japan, Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba Ski Resort w/the Imposters
1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)
3. Radio Radio
4. Everyday I Write The Book
5. Less Than Zero
6. Beyond Belief
7. Clubland
8. Clown Strike
9. Everybody's Crying Mercy
10. Either Side of The Same Town
11. Uncomplicated
12. 45
13. Tart
14. I Can`t Stand Up for Falling Down
15. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
16. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
17. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/You Really Got A Hold On Me
Encore 1
18. Watching the Detectives
19. Pump It Up
20. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
New Show: Newcastle Oct 8th
The Newcastle Opera House announces "Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve" in concert performing songs from North and other favorites. Includes rather long EC bio.
(Submitted by John Foyle)
North Sleeve
(Discovered by John Foyle)
July 27, 2003
The Trademark King
I happened over to the other Elvis' site tonight, and was surprised to see that the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' is a registered trademark. Looks like dead-fat-elvis, or his current financial handlers, are taking on the trademarked 'king of pop' in an attempt to become the 'king of crass PR moves'. Maybe Lisa-Marie is behind all this, since she's the common link - except she doesn't seem to have a trademarked, must-refer-to-as title herself. Hm.
It should be noted, that both the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' and the 'King of Pop' do have pretty spiffy web sites. It's good to be king I guess.
EC in Chicago PIX
July 25, 2003
Canadians Love Attention
Welcome to the new Elvis Costello: Music that's lower, slower
EXCERPTS: "One of his albums may be King of America, but Elvis Costello is now making plans to marry the Canadian queen of jazz. The 47-year-old Liverpudlian even hints at moving north, and based on Wednesday's stellar performance at the Jubilee, his citizenship should be expedited. "
But back to the main attraction. Costello, armed mainly with an acoustic guitar and a rich voice mixed with tenderness, regret and punkish brattiness, delivered a phenomenal set worthy of his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-member status. Accompanied by Steve Nieve on piano, organ and melodica, Costello reinvented his entire catalogue -- from 1977's Alison to 2002's 45 -- into sparse guitar numbers with flourishes of classical piano stylings. Highlights included Watching The Detectives, a film-noirish romp with Nieve's cat-like piano tinklings; and God's Comic, which included a spoken-word interlude about the Almighty Being and her love of The Dixie Chicks and ended with Costello leading the crowd in a chorus of "I'm dead" and "I was scared."
"Come to think of it, Krall's presence was felt in every one of Costello's songs, old and new, particularly those on North, due Sept. 23. Not only has he adopted her lower register and slower tempos, songs such as You Left Me In The Dark and Fallen seemed to touch upon the end of his marriage to Caitlin O'Riordan and subsequent engagement. I may be reading too much into his lyrics ,but there's no denying the meaning behind the title track. North is a whimsical number about "the perfection of" Canada's treasures -- moose, ice, snow, blond jazz singers."
"I'm heading north," he sang during his second encore, to the delighted cheers of the crowd.
Elvis Calgary Video
Here it is
(Submitted by John Foyle)
More Journal Entries from Steve Nieve
Notes from the Opening Act
Sondre Lerche who opened for Elvis in Calgary has some related notes in her online diary.
Review: Calgary
Brief report from Calgary Today:
"Continuing that was Sondre Lerche, who headliner Elvis Costello tacked on to the lineup last minute. Lerche made the most of his 15-minute opportunity, winning the Island over with his clean, romantic pop.
It was a great call by Costello, who, in his almost 30-year career, has made many of them. With a wealth of tunes to chose from, the veteran tunesmith, who was joined by pianist Steve Nieve, hopped around his various incarnations and dipped into his deep, deep catalogue to pluck out gems such as Accidents Will Happen and turn them into quiet, pretty, classical works. It's been 25 years since he last was here, and Costello left the crowd completely enthralled and wanting more."
(Submitted by John Foyle)
EC @ RRHOF Portrait
Elvis Costello, shown waiting to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March, 2003.
This picture was taken by Gregory Bull of the Associated Press.
Found here in small and large sizes. (above is the large one)
July 24, 2003
Review: Edmonton July 23
Costello in top form at Jube
By MIKE ROSS / Edmonton Sun
EDMONTON -- Part of the fun of Elvis Costello is that you literally never know what he's going to do.
He has an astounding catalogue of original music it would take days to perform live. He could rock out. He could punk out. He once recorded an album of sinister parlour music with a string quartet. Maybe he'll do that. He worked with Burt Bacharach. Maybe show tunes are on the menu. Elvis can do country, too. He started his career in a country band, remember. Perhaps he'll pull out some sort of avant garde new wave David Byrneian pop noir music, whatever that is. Now he's going out with Diana Krall, so jazz is not outside the realm of possibility. Maybe she'll even show up. Elvis has got a new album called North due in the fall. God knows what it'll be.
In last night's case, people were willing to buy tickets when they didn't even know what kind of band Costello was going to have - the Attractions, the Impostors, solo, duo, it was a mystery - but only about 1,900 people. Elvis at the Jubilee Auditorium and it doesn't even sell out. What is the world coming to?
It turned out to be Elvis Costello and the Attraction - keyboardist Steve Nieve - and the performance was just as brilliant as fans hoped it would be. It was actually a little of all the styles mentioned above, delivered flawlessly, spontaneously, passionately, by the two musicians who could cover all styles and do whatever they wanted. Costello is an incomparable songwriter, a masterful performer and a darling of music critics everywhere for a reason.
Several reasons, actually:
ROCK CHOPS: The man has an angry side and expresses it well in angry rock 'n' roll. When he started in the late '70s, he fit right in with the British punk movement, or at least wasn't booted out. Last night, Elvis kicked on the distortion and started to growl in 45 - from the When I Was Cruel album. There was more energy being pumped off the stage than many bands I know, though it was only a duo.
INTELLIGENCE: Faced with covering one dumb rock band after another, music critics find Elvis's smart yet direct lyrics a breath of fresh air. They also all look like him.
THE VOICE: Intelligent songs aren't enough on their own. Costello has a fine ear and is only off pitch when he wants to be, but he has this raw, powerful, desperate quality to his voice that contrasts beautifully with his elegant music. Last night, he came on full force in the opening song, Rocking Horse Road. In Accidents Will Happen, he backed up from the microphone and wailed to great effect. In a strange, grand, Kurt Weill-like song called Shot With His Own Gun, with Nieve showing off his classical music chops, Costello's voice dropped to a cracked whisper. It was beauty and the beast.
ABOVE ALL, EMOTION: This guy is still singing heartbreak tunes written decades ago like it happened yesterday. Costello was especially convincing last night in songs like In the Darkest Place: "He won't love you like I do. In the darkest place I'm lost, I have abandoned every hope. Maybe you'll understand I must shut out the light." Geez, poor guy. Either Elvis is a great actor or has a really screwed up love life. We wish him the best with Diana Krall. Stay tuned for smoky jazz duets.
(Submitted by Kelly Hale)
Masked and Anonymous
This Dylan movie is coming out later this week. Elvis asked me to tell you about it. (Not really, he hardly mentioned it, I'm just jusifying this post for this site :-)
Before you read or hear from those who may choose to 'criticize what they don't understand' check out these reviews:
From Salon: "this summer's strange and brilliant must-see film, an aging troubadour is the last gleam of hope in a corrupt and dictatorial nation"
From Andew Motion, Poet Laureate: "At all these depths, and in all these respects, the film is deeply engaging. It is also revelatory - in the paradoxical sense that it allows Dylan to say some important things out loud, and to keep the silences, and retain the elements of mystery, which are essential to his genius. We should ask for nothing else."
From a highly-articulate Dylan fan, Peter Stone Brown: "Masked and Anonymous" is a wild ride of a movie and to appreciate it it's probably a good idea to try and put any preconceived notions about what a film is or should be aside.... This is no typical or standard movie. The storyline and the plot are incidental to the movie. They are pretty much a backdrop or a frame.... Consider it another chapter in the Bob Dylan canon. Perhaps the things he's wanted to say he couldn't put in a song, though at times the movie is constructed like a song.... And for those who wonder what Bob Dylan really thinks about this world we exist in, well you just might find it here."
More later...
(PS: The soundtrack with new live Dylan and unusual covers of Dylan songs is now available at Amazon)
July 23, 2003
The World And His Soon-To-Be Wife
Boy them Canadians are sure happy to have Elvis to write about. Another article focusing on the 'happy loving couple'. EC interview included.
(Submitted by John Foyle)
FULL TEXT
===========
from the Vancouver Sun:
Love match media blitz takes Elvis by surprise
... but Diana Krall's beau says he isn't fazed by all the attention
Kerry Gold / Vancouver Sun / Wednesday, July 23, 2003
For the first time in 25 years, Elvis Costello is playing Calgary, and he has a sneaking suspicion that jazz artist and fiancee Diana Krall might have something to do with it.
Since the announcement of their engagement, 47-year-old Costello says he has been getting more bookings in Canada. He says this while laughing, because so far the fuss surrounding their surprising relationship hasn't fazed him.
"I was a little bit startled about the amount of coverage we are getting, particularly in the Canadian papers you know," he said, in an interview from Las Vegas. "When I arrived in Toronto, there was a picture of us that was bigger than a story about the war -- that was a bit shocking. That takes you back a little bit. And you know, there seemed to be a couple of weeks when they were making up reasons to drop our name into things. I do know there is bound to be curiosity, but it's been pretty good natured, I have to say. Nobody's trying to say anything mean.
"There's nothing scandalous. I think people know that we are both pretty dedicated to the music that we perform," he says, a reference to their obvious status as a power duo in the world of serious music.
The relationship he describes as "a great thing," although he's not revealing the date of their wedding. And their collaboration doesn't yet extend to the musical variety, although Costello won't totally discount the idea.
"Maybe we will in the future, but you don't want to do everything together. You want to keep it special, you know. Just because we're together doesn't mean we have to be the next Steve and Eydie," he says, laughing. "Or the next Lucy and Desi."
Costello and Nanaimo-native Krall form an illustrious musical union, what with Krall's success as a contemporary jazz artist who has made the difficult crossover to the mainstream. And Costello, the son of a jazz bandleader born in Liverpool, is widely considered one of the best songwriters of his generation.
Costello already had strong ties to Vancouver, with family members in the Lower Mainland, including his "Auntie Mary," and an extended family of cousins here.
And judging from his minimalist show at the Orpheum Monday night, Costello has a penchant for Canadiana in ways that don't involve his fiancee. As one of four encores, he dedicated a song to the area north of the border with such gratitude, it made you wonder if he'd named his new album, North, in honour of Krall's homeland.
The Orpheum show was one of four that switched format on a tour that otherwise includes Costello's backing band, the Imposters. With long-time pianist Steve Nieve at the grand piano and on the melodica, Costello used only guitar, microphone, and the heritage room's famous acoustics to hold us spellbound, with slight re-workings of old songs and extended notes that would fade as he stepped away from the microphone stand.
While Nieve worked out dramatic flourishes and subtle underpinnings at the piano, Costello focused our attention on the emotional depth of his songwriting. He'd often stand at the edge of the stage, particularly on the new songs, and sing unamplified, keeping time with his hand.
"I like as much as possible to use little amplification, and sing as much using the hall as possible, because that way there is nothing between you and the audience, which is the most direct you can get," he explained in our interview.
As is increasingly the fashion these days, the always outspoken Costello peppered his two-and-a-half hour show with lots of anti-U.S. comments, such as jabs at President George Bush and corporate America. Following an unamplified version of a song, he received the loud applause with, "Thank you. That was the anti-Clear Channel portion of the show."
It's heartening to see that Costello hasn't lost the irreverence that caused him to once change his name from Declan (McManus) to Elvis, as a direct challenge to the music industry. But these days, he no longer has to fight to be heard. He is one of the few artists who can make records of his choosing, without radio play or chart-topping sales. The record labels call him a credibility act.
"I know I do pretty well with songwriting," he said. "I know that's the trick skill I have. I can't juggle. I can't ride a bicycle. I can't touch-type. But I can write songs. I started early and I've been doing it a long time. I started writing songs when I was 13, and as soon as I learned to play guitar, I wanted to write my own songs. From 17 or 18 I knew I wanted to get them out there. I didn't have any ambitions about being successful.
"When you see these programs on TV about being famous, you really notice that their aspiration is to be famous, not to be good at music or learn to write songs. They want to be famous ahead of all those things. That's why it is so difficult to hear music of consequence there."
Costello's songwriting repertoire is huge, which means he has the luxury of changing the setlist on any given night. Monday night, Costello played old standards from his prolific songbook, including Accidents Will Happen, Man Out of Time, Brilliant Mistake, Almost Blue, Watching the Detectives, Alison, Everyday I Write the Book, What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding, newer songs, such as All This Useless Beauty, 45, and his Burt Bacharach collaboration, I Still Have That Other Girl. It was all part of a wise master plan to blend the familiar with the spanking new.
And his effort was received with repeated standing ovations. It seems almost impossible for Costello to deliver a performance that is anything less than brilliant.
The charismatic voice is strong, stronger than the voice that emerged in 1977 with his break-out album My Aim Is True. Costello believes his voice is stronger, too, which could explain why he so enjoys rooms designed for unenhanced amplification.
"I have sung with other people, I sang with a string quartet, all of those things help you develop your voice," he explained earlier. "And that's coming to the service of the new songs that I write."
And as he promised in our interview, he gave the Vancouver audience the world premier of several of those new songs off his album North, to be released in September. He might have given us the entire album, as he'd previously considered, but a heckler in the balcony blew a hole in the delicate fabric of the mood by blurting out, "We're falling asleep up here."
Costello seemed thrown by the outburst, and responded, "Bob Dylan once got booed for turning electric. It's the first time I've ever been booed for playing music," to much applause.
It was a shame, because Costello had already been concerned about audience reaction to this premiering of the new material.
"If we get taken in the mood, and people respond to them, maybe we will perform all the new songs," he said. "But they are very new to us. We haven't actually had much experience in performing them in front of people. We have performed them in the studio. So it's hard to say. You have to think about how long you can sustain people's interest."
It took several songs to pick up the dynamic that was in the process of being established, but by the time he was into the encores, he'd returned to the gleeful, slightly silly mood that he'd been in during our interview.
The sampling of new material, written at the piano, indicated short, elegant songs with lots of spaces for dramatic instrument solos. A particular standout was a song called Still, one of several eloquent love songs that showcased Costello's painstaking attention to lyrics.
"They are very intimate," says Costello. "And a lot of them are the most tender songs I have ever written."
Clearly, he has met his northern Muse.
kgold@png.canwest.com
Detroit Review
Elvis Costello & the Imposters: Now I Try to be Amused
by Stephen Macaulay
EXCERPTS:
"Whereas the last time we saw Costello he was out in support of When I Was Cruel, it seems evident from the hard-charging opening that he is now out in support of his entire collection, or at least that part of it which is likely to be purchased by the kind of people who attend outdoor concerts and like to dance and sing along with the lyrics (i.e., Almost Blue would not be a concert favorite). Rhino has all of those great reissues out there, and it would certainly be to his benefit if (1) those of us who got things originally were to refresh our collection and (2) those who may be late to Clubland will get what they've missed. So he played, and played. The small talk and the chit-chat were irrelevant. This was a man who was playing like he was almost out of time."
"While there are more than a small number of performers and bands who are out there trying to eke out some extra dough a la a pension of sorts by playing their handful of hits, with Costello—and let's not forget that his first U.S. album came out in 1977, so do the math—it didn't seem so much like he was a retread trying to gain traction. There was a sonic relevance."
Also check out the author's review of EC's 2002 Detroit show "I Used To Be Disgusted" (he's clever with those titles...)
FULL TEXT
-------------
Elvis Costello & the Imposters: Now I Try to be Amused
Glorious Noise contributor Stephen Macaulay writes:
Elvis Costello & the Imposters
Freedom Hill Amphitheater, Sterling Heights, MI, July 15, 2003
"He may be older, but he surely isn't tired."—overheard observation
Or maybe it has something to do with Diana Krall. There was Costello, looking more fit and trim than he has for years. An outdoor venue in July with the sun still high enough in the sky so that he could see the crowd without spots interfering. With the Imposters backing him (Nieve, Thomas [Pete], and Faragher). And he ripped into "Radio, Radio" and continued non-stop for over 20 minutes, playing essentially the "greatest hits" from My Aim Is True and This Year's Model, supplemented with some other old tunes (e.g., "Every Day I Write the Book") to some recent vintage ("Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)"). He finished up that frenzied blast—one after the other after the other—with a twist, by doing the classic jazz standard "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy." Krall, again, perhaps, but still indicative of the Costello who'd throw in "My Funny Valentine" with "Watching the Detectives." He came and he came hard.
Whereas the last time we saw Costello he was out in support of When I Was Cruel, it seems evident from the hard-charging opening that he is now out in support of his entire collection, or at least that part of it which is likely to be purchased by the kind of people who attend outdoor concerts and like to dance and sing along with the lyrics (i.e., Almost Blue would not be a concert favorite). Rhino has all of those great reissues out there, and it would certainly be to his benefit if (1) those of us who got things originally were to refresh our collection and (2) those who may be late to Clubland will get what they've missed. So he played, and played. The small talk and the chit-chat were irrelevant. This was a man who was playing like he was almost out of time.
A funny thing about this. While there are more than a small number of performers and bands who are out there trying to eke out some extra dough a la a pension of sorts by playing their handful of hits, with Costello—and let's not forget that his first U.S. album came out in 1977, so do the math—it didn't seem so much like he was a retread trying to gain traction. There was a sonic relevance. Perhaps that's the difference between those musicians who continue and those who play the State Fair venues: relevance is earned only by a continued progression borne of work in new directions, only to stay true to the original point. An Almost Blue and a Painted From Memory and a Juliet Letters are required in order to get from '77 to '03 and beyond without becoming a self-parodying novelty act.
Even though the angels may be wearing his red shoes, he's still getting older.
Read Stephen Macaulay's review of Elvis' previous tour, Well, I Used to be Disgusted, from June 2002
Setlist: Vancouver July 21
Rocking Horse Road
Accidents Will Happen
Shot With His Own Gun
In The Darkest Place
Brilliant Mistake
45
All This Useless Beauty
Man Out Of Time
Still Too Soon To Know (unamplified vocals)
You Turn To Me
Fallen
Still
Can It Be True?
God's Comic
Either Side Of The Same Town
Watching The Detectives
Almost Blue
====
Everyday I Write The Book
When It Sings
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/You Really Got A Hold On Me
====
Alison
Everybody's Crying Mercy
Shipbuilding
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding
North
====
I Still Have That Other Girl
The Birds Will Still Be Singing
Couldn't Call It Unexpected #4 (all three songs here unamplified)
Show time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.
(Submitted by Micheal Hernandez)
July 22, 2003
Preview: Edmonton
Elvis Costello keeps us guessing
The article itself is a rehash of another interview that ran earlier in the tour. But there is this 'interesting' sidebar:
"THE MANY FACES OF ELVIS
- Cowboy Elvis -- In interviews for his first record, Costello listed Gram Parsons and George Jones as his major influences. He proved his sincerity in 1981, when he released the Nashville homage, Almost Blue. Last year, Costello collaborated with roots country artist Lucinda Williams.
- The belligerent drunk -- At a Holiday Inn in Columbus, Ohio, in 1979, Costello got into a drunken battle with musician Stephen Stills about the worth of the flower-power generation as opposed to the punk generation. When Costello made a racial slur against Ray Charles and called him "blind" and "ignorant," Stills decided it was all right to hit a man with glasses. The resulting publicity was a nightmare for Costello, who held a news conference apologizing for his remarks. Costello was almost certainly not a racist. He's participated in Rock Against Racism and Ray Charles later stuck up for Costello, saying: "Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper."
- The producer -- Costello produced The Pogues second album, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash in 1985. Costello's love affair with the Celtic punk band came to fruition a year later when he divorced his first wife, Mary Costello, and married Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan. "We're the Sonny and Cher of the '80s," Costello announced, "and I'm Cher."
- The unlikely stud -- While he was married to Mary, Costello began an affair with Playboy playmate and notorious rock groupie Bebe Buell, who would eventually give birth to Steven Tyler's love child, actress Liv Tyler. Recently, 48-year-old Costello made headlines when he split up with O'Riordan, his wife of 16 years, and took up with the smouldering Canadian jazz diva Diana Krall. Krall and Costello are now engaged to be married.
- The many aliases of Elvis -- For his 1986 album, Blood and Chocolate, Costello took on the role of Napoleon Dynamite, the tormented narrator of the record. For King of America, also released that year, he briefly reverted to his birth name. For 1989's Spike, he became the Beloved Entertainer. In 1985, he performed briefly as a duo with acclaimed producer- singer/songwriter T-Bone Burnett.
- The Pop-lite balladeer -- In 1998, Costello recorded the album, Painted
>From Memory, with easy-listening maestro Burt Bacharach. Costello also
appeared with Bacharach in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, performing the sentimental I'll Never Fall In Love Again.
- The classical artist -- In the early 1990s Costello got bored with rock and threw himself head-on into the world of classical music. In 1993, he recorded The Juliet Letters with the famed Brodsky Quartet. He's reportedly working with the quartet again on his latest album, North, which will be released Sept. 23.
(Submitted by Kelly Hale)
FULL TEXT
========
Elvis Costello keeps us guessing
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
The Associated Press, File / Elvis Costello, who's in Edmonton on Wednesday, finds him sandwiching arena gigs between appearances at folk, blues and jazz festivals. The Journal, File / Costello, circa 1995 Opening guest: Sondre Lerche
With: Steve Nieve
When: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Where: Jubilee Auditorium
Tickets: $49 and $55 (plus service charges) at TicketMaster
If there's one thing Elvis Costello's followers can predict, it's that their predictions will usually be wrong. From straight-ahead rock to challenging string-quartet arrangements to pop collaborations with Burt Bacharach, the singer has restlessly pursued new ground with almost every project.
Wednesday night, Costello plays a gig at Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium with keyboard player Steve Nieve, prior to an appearance Thursday at the Calgary Folk Festival. He has already played the Montreal Jazz and Ottawa Blues festivals on this same Canadian spin.
"That pretty much says everything about definitions and what I'm about," said Costello, 48.
What unites Costello's work is the quality of his songwriting. Over the course of a 26-year career, even his weakest material has shown clever craftsmanship. His best is the stuff of full-on inspiration. Costello would be the first to admit that not all his efforts have been stellar: this is, after all, the man who began the liner notes to the reissue of Goodbye Cruel World (1984) by congratulating the reader for buying his worst album.
Still, there's a minimum standard.
"I've never yet gone into the studio without songs," he said. "You'd be surprised how many people do that. They say 'We're going to make a record,' and the very last thing they thought to do is write any material. They sort of try and will it into existence -- particularly if they've got strong personalities. They might even have instrumental signature sounds. In a lot of minds, that's enough to make a record. But it doesn't do it for me."
Further evidence of consistency can be found in the reissues of Costello's back catalogue that started coming out two years ago, each supplemented by a full disc of bonus material related to the sessions. This Year's Model (1978), Brutal Youth (1994) and Spike (1989) are among the albums that have been rehauled so far.
"Part of the possibility of the process of reissuing them is that people may hear them afresh," Costello said. "Certain fashions of the time may prejudice people's ears to a record on its first release. A little down the road, the intentions become a little clearer on review -- maybe not to me, but to the listener. I always knew what I was doing."
Even the angry young man of the punk-rock era doesn't seem entirely foreign to his older self, Costello said.
"I still sing some of the songs from even my earliest records, but they're transformed somewhat by the passage of time --- hopefully not in a bad way," he said.
In a recent appearance as guest host of The Late Show With David Letterman, a witty and self-confident Costello bantered with Kim Cattrall and Eddie Izzard, revealing a flair for on-camera comedy that few expected. "I don't see myself as a talk-show host, but some sort of musical thing on television -- I could certainly handle that," he said. "I've always known I could do it. Nobody ever really thought to give me a chance."
For now, the immediate concern is live performance. "I kick myself when I think about people that I might have seen if I'd been a little less lazy and got out. The best place to hear music these days is in concert."
And, of course, expect the unexpected. "A lot of music is pretty much all the same: it kind of comes out of a big sausage machine. We try to keep things from being too predictable."
The Montreal Gazette
- - -
THE MANY FACES OF ELVIS
- Cowboy Elvis -- In interviews for his first record, Costello listed Gram Parsons and George Jones as his major influences. He proved his sincerity in 1981, when he released the Nashville homage, Almost Blue. Last year, Costello collaborated with roots country artist Lucinda Williams.
- The belligerent drunk -- At a Holiday Inn in Columbus, Ohio, in 1979, Costello got into a drunken battle with musician Stephen Stills about the worth of the flower-power generation as opposed to the punk generation. When Costello made a racial slur against Ray Charles and called him "blind" and "ignorant," Stills decided it was all right to hit a man with glasses. The resulting publicity was a nightmare for Costello, who held a news conference apologizing for his remarks. Costello was almost certainly not a racist. He's participated in Rock Against Racism and Ray Charles later stuck up for Costello, saying: "Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper."
- The producer -- Costello produced The Pogues second album, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash in 1985. Costello's love affair with the Celtic punk band came to fruition a year later when he divorced his first wife, Mary Costello, and married Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan. "We're the Sonny and Cher of the '80s," Costello announced, "and I'm Cher."
- The unlikely stud -- While he was married to Mary, Costello began an affair with Playboy playmate and notorious rock groupie Bebe Buell, who would eventually give birth to Steven Tyler's love child, actress Liv Tyler. Recently, 48-year-old Costello made headlines when he split up with O'Riordan, his wife of 16 years, and took up with the smouldering Canadian jazz diva Diana Krall. Krall and Costello are now engaged to be married.
- The many aliases of Elvis -- For his 1986 album, Blood and Chocolate, Costello took on the role of Napoleon Dynamite, the tormented narrator of the record. For King of America, also released that year, he briefly reverted to his birth name. For 1989's Spike, he became the Beloved Entertainer. In 1985, he performed briefly as a duo with acclaimed producer- singer/songwriter T-Bone Burnett.
- The Pop-lite balladeer -- In 1998, Costello recorded the album, Painted
>From Memory, with easy-listening maestro Burt Bacharach. Costello also
appeared with Bacharach in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, performing the sentimental I'll Never Fall In Love Again.
- The classical artist -- In the early 1990s Costello got bored with rock and threw himself head-on into the world of classical music. In 1993, he recorded The Juliet Letters with the famed Brodsky Quartet. He's reportedly working with the quartet again on his latest album, North, which will be released Sept. 23.
Calgary Herald
Ran with fact box "The Many Faces of Elvis", which has been appended to this story.
Vancouver Tease Report
Sounds like the tour had quite a finale:
"Quickie report:
* Six new songs!!!
* Dumbass heckler gets shot down by Elvis!
* THREE encores!
* Unamplified third encore (I Still Have That Other Girl, The Birds Will Still Be Singing, CCIU4)!!
* Unamplified Still Too Soon To Know in the middle of the set!!
* "If you read your history books, you remember that Bob Dylan got booed when he went electric. This is the first time I've been booed for just playing music."
* "His mother probably told him to come home early, so he didn't want to miss the rock 'n roll."
* (To the heckler) "You know where the door is."
* "In the words of another Irish poet, 'we really mean it, man.'"
* Meet 'n greet: some guy apologized for the heckler, but, to paraphrase Elvis, "it made for a better show."
* The Krall family was there! (which explains why this show was so great)
* Steve on fire!!!
* Homeless spoon guy got an autograph and played Tube Snake Boogie for us, and Elvis had us applaud.
(Submitted by Mike Hernandez)
July 21, 2003
Name Check: New Bacharach CD News Release
Burt's getting remastered on a greatest hits CD and Vivendi drops EC's name in the first paragaph.
Title of Costello's new album hints at new life with Krall
Canada.com article tries to read things into new Costello CD title.
EXCERPTS: "The 48-year-old musician, almost universally hailed by critics as one of the smartest, most honest and creative songwriters around, has made a career of mixing it up...His musical oeuvre is a Pandora's Box of genres based largely on the themes of women, guilt and revenge. With love as a metaphor for dissatisfaction and anger, soul, punk, ska, pop, reggae, classical and country have all found niches in his library. His current tour finds him sandwiching arena gigs between appearances at folk, blues and jazz festivals."
"But a closer examination of the lyrics for the song, which isn't on the track list,but listed as a special bonus song available on the Internet, more explicitly explain his intentions:
"Up where polar bears and moose and geese will play. And some of them address you en francais. Give me the ice and snow. Time to go . . . North."
FULL TEXT
========
In just over two months, Elvis Costello will release North, his 24th album in 26 years. That's right -- two dozen albums since he blazed onto the scene, hanging tightly onto the coattails of the British new wave and punk invasion with his brilliant debut album, 1977's My Aim Is True.
But fans who show up at tonight's show with the hopes of hearing him showcase his new songs may be disappointed. North, written at the end of last year and recorded late this past spring, is, by all accounts, a richly textured album that features classical chamber ensemble the Brodsky Quartet, as well as a 34-piece orchestra (Costello conducted) and a lot of ballads on solo piano. Costello plays guitar on only one of the album's songs and fewer than a dozen bars at that. Hardly the upbeat stuff of Pump It Up or Watching the Detectives.
More likely, Costello's headline show tonight will feature, along with his older hits, songs from last year's When I Was Cruel release, his first collection of new material in six years.
"(North) begins with a song called 'You Left Me in the Dark' and ends with a track called 'I'm In the Mood Again,'" Costello said recently of his yet-to-be-released album. "You have to listen to what goes on in between to find out why.
"(It) will be something quite different."
Well, that almost goes without saying when it comes to Costello. The 48-year-old musician, almost universally hailed by critics as one of the smartest, most honest and creative songwriters around, has made a career of mixing it up.
His musical oeuvre is a Pandora's Box of genres based largely on the themes of women, guilt and revenge. With love as a metaphor for dissatisfaction and anger, soul, punk, ska, pop, reggae, classical and country have all found niches in his library. His current tour finds him sandwiching arena gigs between appearances at folk, blues and jazz festivals.
One result of this cornucopia is that Costello has never quite fit in anywhere. Still, when you consider a body of work that includes such brilliant songs as Alison, (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding, Shipbuilding, Man Out Of Time, Veronica and Everyday I Write the Book, it's somewhat surprising to discover that, in terms of record sales, he never really made it that big.
Costello will try again with North, an apt title considering he is preparing to walk down the aisle with Nanaimo jazz singer Diana Krall (third time lucky for Elvis?).
Hinting of a possible relocation to his fiancee's homeland, Costello's only public comment on the album's title was, "That's where I'm headed."
But a closer examination of the lyrics for the song, which isn't on the track list,but listed as a special bonus song available on the Internet, more explicitly explain his intentions:
"Up where polar bears and moose and geese will play. And some of them address you en francais. Give me the ice and snow. Time to go . . . North."
Love isn't the only thing going well for Costello lately. Last March he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And seven weeks ago, he received a Founder's Award for songwriting from performance rights organization ASCAP, joining such previous recipients as Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and Quincy Jones.
"He seems very happy," said friend and collaborator Burt Bacharach, "and I wouldn't be surprised if that starts to come out in some of his lyrics."
Berkley Article w/Interview
His Aim Is High (Mercury News)
EXCERPTS: ``These last group of songs I wrote predominantly either backstage during the last tour. I just had the music coming into my head all the time and I'd have to turn it off long enough to do the show, and then maybe start working on it again the minute I came offstage. I bought a little electric keyboard that could be turned down to really quiet volume so I could play at night in the hotel rooms without disturbing other guests. And as a consequence the music developed a very intimate voice -- I tended to find the music in keys that suited that late night. . . .
It's also much more blandly titled than any of his previous efforts. But Costello gets a little touchy when quizzed about ``North,'' insisting that the album
takes its title from ``a point on a compass.''
``I had a period last year when I dressed more casually for a while, over the last couple of years, but I've sort of shifted back toward suits and ties some of the time and a more casual jacket some other times. But occasionally it gets uncomfortable to dress like that because it's so hot onstage. But I still feel right; I feel there's a certain rightness to just dressing that way. For me. It's a personal thing.
(Submitted by John Foyle)
COMPLETE TEXT
============
His aim is high / Jaan Uhelszki / Special to the Mercury News
Published: Friday, July 18, 2003
Over the past three decades, Elvis Costello has
skipped effortlessly from low-brow to high-brow
without fogging up his trademark black-rimmed
spectacles.
Ever since releasing ``My Aim Is True,'' his
critically acclaimed debut in 1977, the former New
Wave icon has shape-shifted from acerbic rocker to
fashionable collaborator, making music with an
unlikely group of people along the way, including Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, the Brodsky Quartet and mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter.
Most recently he has written the score for an Italian
dance company's adaptation of Shakespeare's ``A
Midsummer Night's Dream,'' which features Michael
Tilson Thomas conducting the London Symphony
Orchestra. He also recently completed work with John
Malkovich on a television script about a female rock
band.
When writing the script became too irksome, Costello
turned it into the tetchy song ``Tear off Your Own
Head (It's a Doll Revolution),'' the first single from
his latest album, ``When I Was Cruel.'' But he didn't
stop there.
``I even wrote `Spooky Girlfriend' with Destiny's
Child in mind. Don't you think they'd sound good
singing that?'' Costello asks, speaking on the phone
from a tour stop in Providence, R.I.
``I've never seen any of the things that I've done in
the last years as a side issue or a detour,'' he says.
``I've always been completely committed, and people
perceive the rock 'n' roll records as the only
authentic voice of the music that I write. I can't
subscribe to limiting yourself to one form of
expression exclusively. If you didn't really feel it,
it would be insulting to the audience to limit it to
just what you think they can understand. That's
patronizing, and I could never do that.''
Having said that, the author of such contemporary
classics as ``Pump It Up'' and the winsome ``Alison''
is not coming to Berkeley's Greek Theatre to expand
our minds. He's here to rock, despite the fact that
his next album, ``North,'' due out in September,
contains 11 intimate ballads and has less than 12 bars
of electric guitar on the entire record.
``These last group of songs I wrote predominantly
either backstage during the last tour. I just had the
music coming into my head all the time and I'd have to
turn it off long enough to do the show, and then maybe
start working on it again the minute I came offstage.
I bought a little electric keyboard that could be
turned down to really quiet volume so I could play at
night in the hotel rooms without disturbing other
guests. And as a consequence the music developed a
very intimate voice -- I tended to find the music in
keys that suited that late night. . . .
``I sing most of this record in the lowest register of
my voice -- I haven't exploited that much on a record.
So it's good after 25 years to actually make a record
where it's recognizably me but it's also recognizably
different than any other record that I've made.''
It's also much more blandly titled than any of his
previous efforts. But Costello gets a little touchy
when quizzed about ``North,'' insisting that the album
takes its title from ``a point on a compass.''
``I think that people like to put way too much store
in names. It's like you eat the corn flakes, you don't
eat the packet. I've never understood why people put
so much store by what's on the cover. You want it to
draw people's attention, you want the title to
intrigue people, and then it's the content. Well, it
is obviously a direction, literally, in which I've
spent a lot of my life moving. And in this case it
just meant what I said.''
The Diana Krall factor
But the cognoscenti insist that ``North'' is a
reference to Nanaimo, in British Columbia, the
hometown of Diana Krall, Costello's constant companion
for the past several months. The two began seeing each
after Costello filed for divorce from his wife of 16
years, former Pogues member Cait O'Riordan, in
September 2002. But no one knew how serious the
romance was until Krall's father, Jim, an accountant
in Nanaimo, inadvertently leaked their engagement to
the Victoria Times on May 2. Although he didn't
provide any details or when the nuptials will take
place, he did give the union his blessing.
Costello attended Krall's show at Yoshi's in Oakland
on May 31, sharing a table with longtime pal Tom
Waits. But Krall will be en route to a jazz festival
in Naples when Elvis steps onstage at Berkeley's Greek
Theatre.
``Just because I'm releasing `North' is not to say
that I've lost any love for rock 'n' roll,'' Costello continues. ``I mean, that's really what we're on: a rock 'n' roll tour. And the great thing about it is we don't have any inhibition about where we draw the songs from.
``I don't like to live exclusively in the distant
past, but this tour has us playing more songs from the
last 10 years than, say, last year. We tended to
initially start with a blueprint of `When I Was
Cruel,' `Blood and Chocolate' and `This Year's Model'
-- apparently being the three records that fitted
together the best -- and as the year went on we added
a lot into it and ended up with an 80-song record tour
by the end of it.''
The Imposters includes keyboardist Steve Nieve,
drummer Pete Thomas (of Costello's longtime band the
Attractions) and newcomer bassist Davey Faragher. The
last took over for Bruce Thomas, who wrote ``Big
Wheel,'' a tell-all book in 1990 about being on the
road with Costello, which many said caused Thomas'
dismissal. (``It really had nothing to do with the
book,'' Costello told Blender magazine in 2002. ``He's bad-tempered and miserable and doesn't concentrate.'')
Costello says he and the Imposters are performing
because they have fun doing it.
``There isn't any commercial agenda other than to see
as many people in the hall as we can. We don't have a
record that's currently out. We're not making a
special case for `When I Was Cruel,' although some of
those songs obviously feature in the show. This is a
huge luxury of having a large catalog. We're pulling
songs from all over the place, and we can change the
set radically from night to night. We'll just have to
see how the mood strikes us when we reach Berkeley.''
Dressing for work
But the mood seems upbeat today. ``I usually like to
wear a gorilla suit or the pink rabbit suit onstage.
But unfortunately they haven't come back from the dry
cleaners in time for the tour,'' says Costello, until
he's reminded that he is not a member of the Flaming
Lips. ``I've always tended to just wear a suit, or a
suit jacket. It's just a personal feeling that I feel
like I'm getting dressed to go to work now. I don't
feel the need to wear a rhinestone suit, and not sure
I would really look that good in it, so I've pretty
much always dressed like a variation of that, my whole career.''
``I had a period last year when I dressed more
casually for a while, over the last couple of years,
but I've sort of shifted back toward suits and ties
some of the time and a more casual jacket some other
times. But occasionally it gets uncomfortable to dress
like that because it's so hot onstage. But I still
feel right; I feel there's a certain rightness to just
dressing that way. For me. It's a personal thing.
Review: Las Vegas
Costello pulls out all stops, delivers a classic
EXCERPTS:
"Striding to the stage promptly at 9 p.m., Costello and his three-piece band, the Imposters, tore through their first seven numbers without pausing even for a single second. ... the 47-year-old scoured his vast songbook like an excited college DJ, plucking gems from nearly every album in his catalog."
"Costello looked every bit the part of rock royalty, clothed in a black suit and black shirt and sporting his trademark black-rimmed eyeglasses. His voice sounded crisp and biting as ever and his guitar sang, though he left much of the soloing to longtime collaborator Nieve."
"During the two-hour, 15-minute performance, Costello paid special attention to his overlooked mid-1990s period, presenting "Clown Strike" and "Just About Glad" from 1994's "Brutal Youth" and two cuts from his 1995 covers project, "Kojak Variety." The band's anguished rendition of James Carr's "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man" and a revved-up run through "Uncomplicated" provided a strong finish to the main set, with an hour's worth of music still to come."
Also: Missed earlier in the week - the Las Vegas Preview.
"He probably won't perform any weddings, but Elvis will be back in the building tonight in Las Vegas."
FULL TEXT
=========
Costello pulls out all stops, delivers a classic
By Spencer Patterson
Twenty-two minutes into his performance Friday night at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, Elvis Costello took a sip from his coffee mug.
The way his show had progressed to that point, you'd have thought he'd go looking for an oxygen tank instead.
Striding to the stage promptly at 9 p.m., Costello and his three-piece band, the Imposters, tore through their first seven numbers without pausing even for a single second.
The onslaught included such early Costello classics as "Everyday I Write the Book" and "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes," signaling that this would not be a concert dominated by new material.
The singer/guitarist would go on to play just one song from last year's "When I Was Cruel," and debuted nothing from his upcoming September release, "North."
Instead, the 47-year-old scoured his vast songbook like an excited college DJ, plucking gems from nearly every album in his catalog.
The crowd of 1,260, much of it middle-aged, couldn't keep pace with the unflagging Costello. Until three marathon encore sessions, fans sat for most of the night, rising to applaud enthusiastically between songs before returning to their seats.
Costello didn't seem to mind, though he coaxed his audience to its feet once before ending the initial hits blitz.
While keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher kept the beat going between songs, Costello stood three feet behind his microphone and simply waited for the crowd to rise before coming forward to sing "Radio, Radio."
Apparently, recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers don't have to say "jump" to get fans to do it.
Costello looked every bit the part of rock royalty, clothed in a black suit and black shirt and sporting his trademark black-rimmed eyeglasses.
His voice sounded crisp and biting as ever and his guitar sang, though he left much of the soloing to longtime collaborator Nieve.
Eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, the bearded keyboardist spiced up the quartet's rhythms all night. One minute Nieve was giving New Wave classic "Pump It Up" its roller-rink flair, the next he was transforming "Clubland" into something akin to Flamenco.
Faragher, a recent newcomer to the lineup, had no trouble keeping up with the far-ranging set list. Thomas, one of Costello's original Attractions, looked simply delirious, banging away and singing the lyrics to every song even though there was no microphone nearby.
During the two-hour, 15-minute performance, Costello paid special attention to his overlooked mid-1990s period, presenting "Clown Strike" and "Just About Glad" from 1994's "Brutal Youth" and two cuts from his 1995 covers project, "Kojak Variety."
The band's anguished rendition of James Carr's "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man" and a revved-up run through "Uncomplicated" provided a strong finish to the main set, with an hour's worth of music still to come.
The trio of encores featured more of Costello's best-known material, including "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," "Less Than Zero" and a swinging "Watching the Detectives" with improvised lyrics tacked onto the end.
Costello also had some fun with his finale, adding one version of The Who's "The Kids Are Alright" into Nick Lowe's classic, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," before finally calling it quits.
Former Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson entertained early arrivers with an excellent opening set of countrified, mainly acoustic roots rock.
The shaggy singer's gravelly voice sounded even grittier than usual, and his cohort, British guitarist Paul Stacey, made instant fans of those paying attention to his dynamic yet understated solos.
The duo also got a surprise boost from special guest Warren Haynes. The guitarist for the Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule sat in on two songs, including traditional number "I Know Your Rider," made popular by the Grateful Dead.
"When you can get Warren Haynes on a Friday night when there's no Allmans or Gov't Mule, it's a lucky Friday," Robinson announced.
Actually, just the start of a very lucky Friday night.
Setlist: Seattle July 20
Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve (No Imposters)
Rocking Horse Road
Accidents Will Happen
Shot With His Own Gun
Brilliant Mistake
In The Darkest Place
45
The Long Honeymoon
Toledo
Man Out of Time
Sally Sue Brown
Indoor Fireworks
God's Comic
Everyday I Write The Book
Either Side of The Same Town
Tart
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
----
Watching the Detectives
Almost Blue
----
Everybody's Crying Mercy
Shipbuilding
(What's so funny 'bout) Peace, Love and
Understanding
(Submitted by John Harrison)
EC's Contribution to Cole Porter Movie Confirmed
MGM Press release: Additional musicians have been added
to the high-wattage line-up of top pop talent in MGM Pictures' De-lovely, a
big-screen musical portrait of American songwriter Cole Porter. Natalie Cole,
Lara Fabian, Mario Frangoulis, and Mick Hucknall will join Elvis Costello,
Sheryl Crow, Vivian Green, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette and Robbie Williams
in singing and dancing their way through some of Porter's best-loved songs to
tell the story of his life. Starring Academy Award(R)-winner Kevin Kline,
Ashley Judd, and Jonathan Pryce, De-lovely is being directed by Oscar(R)-
winner Irwin Winkler from a script by two-time Oscar(R)-nominee Jay Cocks.
Costello performs "Let's Misbehave" while Vivian Green sings "Love for Sale" and Jazz stylist Krall performs "Just One of Those Things."
FULL TEXT
=========
More Music Stars Get De-lovely
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER LOGO
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. logo. (PRNewsFoto)[JL]
SANTA MONICA, CA USA 11/19/2001
Natalie Cole and Others Added to Stellar Cast of MGM Cole Porter Musical
LOS ANGELES, July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Additional musicians have been added
to the high-wattage line-up of top pop talent in MGM Pictures' De-lovely, a
big-screen musical portrait of American songwriter Cole Porter. Natalie Cole,
Lara Fabian, Mario Frangoulis, and Mick Hucknall will join Elvis Costello,
Sheryl Crow, Vivian Green, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette and Robbie Williams
in singing and dancing their way through some of Porter's best-loved songs to
tell the story of his life. Starring Academy Award(R)-winner Kevin Kline,
Ashley Judd, and Jonathan Pryce, De-lovely is being directed by Oscar(R)-
winner Irwin Winkler from a script by two-time Oscar(R)-nominee Jay Cocks.
The film is being produced by Winkler, Rob Cowan, and Charles Winkler, with
Simon Channing Williams and Gail Egan as executive producers.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20011119/MGMLOGO )
"We're thrilled to make these additions to our incredible cast," says
director Irwin Winkler. "It's amazing to have such an impressive collection
of musicians in one film and wonderful how they feel so passionate about the
project. Their love of Porter's music is bringing an unbelievable energy to
De-lovely."
"De-lovely is shaping up to be something wholly unique," says producer Rob
Cowan. "The performances are wonderful and the size and spectacle of the
production are something to see."
In De-lovely, Porter is looking back on his life as if it was one of his
spectacular stage shows, with the people and events of his life becoming the
actors and action on a stage. Through elaborate production numbers and
popular hits like "Anything Goes," "It's Delovely," and "Night and Day,"
Porter's elegant, excessive past comes to light -- including his deeply
complicated relationship with his wife and muse, Linda Lee Porter. De-lovely
is a sparkling celebration of Porter's music as well as a stirring exploration
of the artist's journey and the undying power of love.
In the film, Natalie Cole performs "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" while Mick
Hucknall of Simply Red fame does a rendition of "I Love You." French
chanteuse Lara Fabian and Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis perform a duet of
Porter's beloved "So in Love." Of the talent previously announced, Morissette
sings "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love," Crow croons "Begin the Beguine," and
Williams puts his stamp on "It's De-Lovely." Costello performs "Let's
Misbehave" while Vivian Green sings "Love for Sale" and Jazz stylist Krall
performs "Just One of Those Things." In addition to the musical artists,
actor Kevin Kline (starring as Cole Porter) will perform 14 numbers, including
a duet of "In the Still of the Night" with co-star Ashley Judd (as Porter's
wife, Linda). Judd sings other songs as well, including "True Love." The
soundtrack to the film will be released by Sony Music.
Production began on the film May 5, 2003, and will continue to the end of
July. The film is being shot in international locations.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (NYSE: MGM), through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Studios Inc. subsidiary, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and
distribution of entertainment product, including motion pictures, television
programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise.
The Company owns the largest modern film library in the world, consisting of
approximately 4,000 titles. Its operating units include MGM Pictures, United
Artists, MGM Television Entertainment, MGM Networks, MGM Distribution Co., MGM
Worldwide Television Distribution, MGM Home Entertainment, MGM On Stage, MGM
Consumer Products, MGM Music, MGM Interactive and MGM Online. In addition,
MGM has ownership interests in international television channels reaching
almost 100 countries around the globe. For more information on MGM, visit MGM
Online at http://www.mgm.com.
Media Contacts: Eric Kops, 310-449-3320
SOURCE MGM Pictures
Web Site: http://www.mgm.com
Photo Notes: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20011119/MGMLOGO AP Archive:
http://photoarchive.ap.org PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or
+1-212-782-2840
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Issuers of news releases and not PR Newswire are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
More news from PR Newswire...
Copyright © 1996-2002 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.
A United Business Media company.
Setlist: Berkley July 19
I Hope You're Happy Now
Lipstick Vogue
Beyond Belief
Radio Radio
Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)
Everyday I Write The Book
Everybody's Crying Mercy
Clubland
Clown Strike
My Dark Life
In The Darkest Place
Just About Glad
Pump It Up
Either Side Of The Same Town
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
Uncomplicated
All The Rage
Sweet Dreams
Indoor Fireworks
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/You Really Got A Hold On Me
Encore:
Watching The Detectives/Help Me
Honey Hush
Peace, Love And Understanding? (with a few lines from The Kids Are
Alright)
(Submitted by Nunki/Jean Filkins)
July 20, 2003
New Nieve Downloads
Steve Nieve has posted two songs in MP3 format from his upcoming solo project.
Hot Site: Costello Mystery Covers
Geez this is a nice site. Download cover versions of Elvis songs from every possible corner of the music world. So what if he doesn't tell you what songs they are. And you have to remember to visit nearly every day...
Name Check: Costello in NYC Country
NY Post article features Laura Cantrell and mentions that she opened for Elvis last year. (You can download Laura's cover of 'Indoor Fireworks' here.)
Preview: Seattle tonight
From Hearld.net: Elvis Costello: For more than 25 years, he's written songs that range from angry to beautiful to insightful and irreverent. 7 p.m. July 20, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville; $59.50, $89.50; 206-628-0888
Review: Denver II
Over the past decade, Elvis Costello devotees who prefer the pop songcraft, clever wordplay and bristling, crackling sound that first brought him to attention in 1977 have had reason for concern. He's delved into other genres working with decidedly adult artists - '60s pop professional Burt Bacharach, Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, the Mingus Orchestra.
But his latest CD, "When I Was Cruel," goes back to taut, bilous rock. Costello describes it as a "rowdy rhythm" record. Nearly 16 months after its release, he's still touring to support it. He visited Universal Lending Pavilion on Wednesday night with the Imposters, featuring two original members of his seminal band, the Attractions - keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas.
Elvis Costello’s been rocking out, but his next project is with his fiancée, jazz singer Diana Krall. The set included "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" (the reunited Bangles cover it on their new album), "Radio Radio" (in a Clear Channel-owned-and-operated venue!) and "Alison" (which morphed into "Suspicious Minds" - apparently Costello's into the other Elvis, or at least "Lilo & Stitch").
At the one-hour mark, Costello unplugged his guitar and walked off stage, the band scurried after him, the house lights came up and music was piped over the PA. Thankfully, the singer/songwriter/guitarist returned (he was reportedly mad about monitor problems), but it was cool to see some real vitriol. It wasn't all show biz.
Costello never said a word to the crowd until his several encores, which were generous. He veered from saloon singer (Merle Haggard's "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down") to soul man ("You Really Got a Hold on Me"). The finale of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" showcased Nieve's churning organ, Thomas' busy beats and Davey Faragher's sharp, muscular bass.
On the way out of the venue, fans were praying that Costello will make another album with the Imposters. The answer is no. At least not right away. And probably not until he makes the inevitable record with his fiancee, jazz singer Diana Krall. A new album is set for Sept. 23 release by Deutsche Grammophon. According to his publicist, "North" contains 11 ballads written at the piano and sung predominantly in his intimate speaking register. Instrumentation ranges from solo piano to a 48-piece ensemble. There are fewer than 12 bars of electric guitar on the entire record.
Describing the album, Costello said, "The record begins with a song called 'You Left Me in the Dark' and ends with a track called 'I'm in the Mood Again.' You have to listen to what goes on in between to find out why."
Trainspotting in Poughkeepsie
''What we discovered during our opening week, when we presented everything from large orchestral work and Ballet Hispanico to Elvis Costello, was that the local community came out in large droves..."
July 19, 2003
Setlist: Vegas July 18th
1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. (Tear Off Your Own Head) Doll Revolution
3. Every Day I Write the Book
4. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
5. Accidents Will Happen
6. Beyond Belief
7. Radio Radio
8. Everybody's Cryin' Mercy
9. Clubland
10. Clownstrike
11. Just About Glad
12. Pump It Up
13. Either Side of the Same Town
14. High Fidelity
15. I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)
16. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
17. Uncomplicated
Encore 1
18. Watching the Detectives (with Your Funeral and My Trial)
19. Dust 2
Encore 2
20. Brilliant Mistake
21. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
22. Honey Are You Straight? (Or are you blind?)
23. Less Than Zero (Fun to hear again)
24. Sweet Dreams
25. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
26. (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace Love and Understanding?
(Submitted by Jill Rydman)
July 17, 2003
Upcoming 'Piano Jazz' appearance
From Baldwin Pianos
"Marian McPartland: One of Baldwin’s most prestigious artists, Ms. McPartland was in NYC this week ( May `03) taping several segments for upcoming air dates for her NPR “Piano Jazz” series, including a guest appearance by Elvis Costello."
Upcoming BBC Appearance
Elvis Costello is to appear in a 'concert of words and music', on September 15th in London, it was announced this evening (well, more like mentioned in passing really).
BBC Radio 2 Dj, and one time rock journalist, Stuart MaConie was in converstaion with Chris Difford when he happened to mention the up coming event. Apparently the gig will be broadcast (didn't say when) as part of the BBC's 'sold on song' season, and in support of the new album 'North', which Mr Difford referred to as 'stunning'.
(Via John Foyle)
Denver Review
Costello, in a roundabout way, always leads back to rock roots
From the Rocky Mountain News:
EXCERPTS: "Wednesday night's show was another richly satisfying return to the songs that established Costello as one of the finest writers of the rock era.
"Particularly fine was a ramrod version of Complicated Shadows, a track from All This Useless Beauty that is as musically driving and lyrically sharp as anything in his songbook.
"He also dug out chestnuts such as Wondering from the country album Almost Blue and I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down from Get Happy."
FULL ARTICLE
Denver review - http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/music/article/0,1299,DRMN_54_2115673,00.html
Costello, in a roundabout way,
always leads back to rock roots
July 17, 2003
More than most artists, Elvis Costello has fans that
will willingly follow whatever side trip he's doing,
be it orchestras, string quartets, jazz standards or
a stint with Burt Bacharach.
Part of the reason is that there's always something
interesting in those projects.
But they also know he'll always get his fill then
come back to this - ripping through his repertoire
with a rock band.
Wednesday night's show was another richly satisfying
return to the songs that established Costello as one
of the finest writers of the rock era.
Kicking off with I Hope You're Happy Now from the
overlooked Blood and Chocolate album, Costello powered
through a set that combined his biggest hits (Pump It
Up, Radio Radio, Everyday I Write the Book) with songs
from his latter-day albums.
Particularly fine was a ramrod version of Complicated
Shadows, a track from All This Useless Beauty that is
as musically driving and lyrically sharp as anything
in his songbook.
For every deep album cut such as Clown Strike or Just
About Glad, he'd come back with a crowd favorite,
superbly performed.
Backing band The Imposters features drummer Pete Thomas
and keyboardist Steve Nieve, both virtuosos in their
own right. The addition of bassist Davey Faragher eased
old tensions in the band and also added some badly
needed backing vocals.
The only thing that marred the evening was an odd
incident where, barely an hour into the show, Costello
abruptly chopped off the set and left the stage,
surprising even his band. The musicians left, the house
lights came on and it seemed the show was over.
But a few minutes later Costello came back and wowed the confused crowd with a strong, if less animated, set of encores, heavily stocked with early classics (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea, Man Out of Time, Less Than Zero, Honey Are You Straight or Are You Blind and more.
He also dug out chestnuts such as Wondering from the
country album Almost Blue and I Can't Stand Up For
Falling Down from Get Happy.
Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes opened the show with
a combination of cover songs and originals that showed
he shouldn't quit his day job with the Black Crowes.
Huh? He what? Uh oh.
.
Setlist: Denver July 16
I Hope You're Happy Now
Tear Off Your Own Head
Everyday I Write The Book
Beyond Belief
Radio Radio
Everybody's Crying Mercy
Clubland
Clown Strike
Complicated Shadows
Alison-->Suspicious Minds
Just About Glad
Pump It Up (extended outro with band intros)
Either Side Of The Same Town
Encore 1:
Man Out Of Time (during which he broke his G string)
Less Than Zero
45
Honey Are You Straight Or Are You Blind
Chelsea
Wondering
Encore 2:
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
Uncomplicated
Watching The Detectives-->Your Funeral, My Trial-->Watching The Detectives
Encore 3
Sweet Dreams
Indoor Fireworks
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror-->You Really Got A Hold On Me-->Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
What's so funny 'bout PLU (more false endings, lots of singalong)
(Submitted by K. Lyn Baker)
July 16, 2003
Setlist: Detroit July 15
Waiting for the End of the World
Beyond Belief
Radio Radio
Accidents Will Happen
You Belong to Me
I Hope You're Happy Now
Doll Revolution
Everyday I Write the Book
Everybody's Crying Mercy
Clubland
Clown Strike
Alison/Tracks of My Tears/Tears of a Clown/No More Tearstained Makeup Dust 2...Dust Pump It Up
1st Encore:
Either Side of the Same Town
I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
Uncomplicated
2nd Encore:
Watching the Detectives
Honey Hush
3rd Encore:
All the Rage
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/You Really Got a Hold on Me
Man Out of Time
Sweet Dreams
4th Encore:
45
Honey Are You Straight or Are You Blind
Chelsea
No Action
PLU
(Submitted by Victor Gagnon)
Interview: ICE Magazine
ICE Magazine continues to treat EC like almost no other publication - every time he has a record they put him on the cover and do a huge article/interview. Fantastic publication for anyone who loves music.
"Costello Reissues Keep Rolling
Ice Magazine August 2003
FROM BRUCE SPRINGSTEEn to R.E.M. to Prince, it’s always been easy to recognize the great artists by the impressive quality of the songs that didn ’t make it onto their albums. But Elvis Costello continues to raise the bonus-track bar with the startling caliber of his demos, B-sides, alternate takes and—with Rhino Records’ next batch of catalog upgrades—even alternate takes of his B-sides.
On September 9, Rhino rolls out two-CD reissues of 1980’s Get Happy!!, 1981 ’s Trust and 1983’s Punch the Clock. Like Rhino’s other Costello packages, these sets present the newly remastered original LP on Disc One, while the expanded bonus material—which includes most of the extras that were appended to the previous Rykodisc editions—populate the second disc. The 28-page booklets include lyrics and insightful liner notes written by Costello.
This time, the depth of the previously unreleased material extends to alternate versions of songs that didn’t make it onto official albums but have long been considered by fans to be as good, if not better, than what did—namely, “Girls Talk,” “Heathen Town,” “the Flirting Kind,” “Black Sails in the Sunset,” “Hoover Factory” and “Big Sister,” all of which also appeared in their familiar B-side versions.
“These albums represents The Attractions at their most versatile,” reissue co-producer Gary Stewart tells ICE. “You hear them successfully playing ‘60s soul-R&B, ‘80s rock and ‘80s British pop, all within a three-year span – in between which, by the way, they also made Imperial Bedroom and Almost Blue.”
Get Happy!!, the hard-nosed Stax/Volt homage that already boasted 20 tracks in its LP incarnation, sports a remarkable 20 additional bonus tracks on top of the 10 that originally graced the Rykodisc set.
Among the unreleased gems are brisk, hard-rocking alternate takes of “Human Touch” (bearing a more-pronounced ska rhythm), “Temptation,” “Motel Matches,” “B Movie” and “Girls Talk” committed to tape before the Memphis soul influences kicked in. Equally engaging are Costello’s multi-track demos for “5ive Gears in Reverse” (delivered as a blistering blues), “Love for Tender” (the complete version of the hidden 31st track on Rykodisc’s edition that inexplicably cut off in mid-romp), “Men Called Uncle” and an acoustic “King Horse” taken from the same sessions that produced the Taking Liberties variation on “Black and White World.”
Most surprising to Costellophiles will be stripped-down stabs at three tunes that eventually became the backbone of Trust, recorded at producer Nick Lowe’s home studio shortly after the Get Happy!! Sessions; a British Invasion-style gallop through “Watch Your Step”; a bouncy, Motown-flavored arrangement of “From a Whisper to a Scream,” and a loping, reggae rendition of “New Lace Sleeves.”
Rounding out the new bonuses are alternates of “I Stand Accused” and “New Amsterdam;” live renditions of a menacing “High Fidelity” (Pinkpop Festival, Holland, 1979), “Opportunity” (Palomino Club, Hollywood, 1979) “The Imposter” (originally issued on Concerts for the People of Kampuchea) and his simmering cover of The Temptations’ “Don’t Look Back” (Canvey Island, England, 1980); a re-recording of “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down” from the Imperial Bedroom sessions that mirros the slower, gospel feel of Sam and Dave’s original; and an oddball demo of “Seven O’Clock,” a rowdy rocker intended for Dr. Feelgood.
“That song eventually evolved into two different songs,” Stewart says. “It has fragments from ‘Secondary Modern’ and ‘Luxembourg,’ which would end up on Trust. In terms of feel, it sounds like [Spike’s] ‘Pads, Paws and Claws.’ So it actually has three future Elvis songs in it.”
The demos and alternates provide a fascinating perspective on Get Happy!! But they are bolstered by Costello’s eloquent, brutally frank liner notes: He vividly chronicles the connection between the ‘60s soul vibe of the album and his infamous drunken brawl with singer Bonnie Bramlett and members of Stephen Stills’ band in a Columbus, OH bar in 1979, during which he taunted his aggressors by slurring racial epithets against Ray Charles and James Brown. Costello held a press conference to apologize and has spent his career collaborating with, and paying tribute to, many of music’s most influential African-American artists, But in his moving notes, he relates shying away from a recent opportunity to meet longtime idol Charles and admits that he has never forgiven himself (“Guilt is a burden without any statute of limitations”).
By the time Trust hit the streets in January 1981, Costello’s relentless touring and recording pace had caught up with him. At age 26 , with his marriage on the rocks and his hangovers lasting weeks, he was tired of playing the angry young man but he also was far from mellowing.
“This was the last pure rock ‘n’ roll album that he made for quite a while, until Blood and Chocolate,” Stewart notes. “In many ways, this record feels more like the follow-up to Armed Forces than Get Happy!! Does. It mixes the edge and rock aesthetic of Armed Forces with more complicated and
sophisticated song structures. It’s an increditbly scathing record, made
at a really intense personal time.”
The Rhino upgrade contains nine unreleased tracks, in addition to eight of the nine bonuses from the Rykodisc reissue (in the spirit of chronological correctness, Rhino has transferred the 1981 demo of “Seconds of Pleasure” to Imperial Bedroom, where it replaced the 1982 version that has been placed on
Punch the Clock). Among them are ragged first-session alternates of
“Clubland,” “You’ll Never Be a Man,” “from a Whisper to a Scream” (sans Glenn Tilbrook’s duet vocal) and an even more-frenetic “Watch Your Step,” plus a rousing cover of Larry Williams’ “Slow Down” and a piano instrumental that would become the foundation for Imperial Bedroom’s “The Long Honeymoon.”
The sneering “Big Sister,” which Costello rewrote into the more delicate “Big Sister,” which Costello rewrote into the more delicate “Big Sister’s Clothes,” is accompanied by a slower, darker alternate, while the gorgeous “Black Sails in the Sunset” is contrasted by a stark solo piano version similar to “Shot with His Own Gun.” Disc Two’s new bonuses are capped by a breezy 1981 revisitation of the Get Happy! –era “Hoover Factory,” recorded with Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve.
Punch the Clock remains an object of debate among critics and fans as it marked Costello’s foray into more accessible pop by teaming him with Madness producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. But Stewart points out that it also contained a Stax-style horn section, the bitter “Pills and Soap” and jazz trumpeter Chet Baker’s solo on “Shipbuilding” – so Costello certainly wasn’t following commercial radio protocol.
Coming on the heels of the elegant Imperial Bedroom and the Nashville-recorded Almost Blue, “you had already learned you could expect the unexpected from him,” Stewart says. “I know the record is not critically acclaimed, but for me, it’s a complete success at trying to make an ‘80s pop record.”
The Rykodisc reissue tracked on seven bonus tracks, but Rhino has uncovered 18 more, as well as two improvements on its predecessor: To replace the rough-sounding live versions, “we found really good studio versions of the Merseybeat [arrangement] of ‘Everyday I write the Book’ and the solo acoustic ‘The World and His Wife,” Stewart says. “I don’t know why they weren’t used before. We also found this great song called ‘Baby Pictures’ – it’s a completely unknown song in the vein of Madness.”
Like the revelatory solo demos on Spike, the four-track blueprints for “Let Them All Talk,” “King of Thieves,” “The Invisible Man,” “The Element Within Her,” “Love Went Mad,” “The Greatest Thing,” “Mouth Almighty” and “Charm School” – as well as for “Heathen Town” and “The Flirting Kind” – feature slightly revised lyrics and emphasize the songwriting intricacies that were overshadowed by the slicker production.
On the subsequent tour, Costello re-arranged several of his classics for the four-man TKO Horns. Rhino has plucked five numbers – “Possession,” “Secondary Modern,” “Watch Your Step,” “King Horse” (in a medley with The O’ Jays “Backstabbers”) and his delicious cover of The Originals’ “The Bells” – from a spirited September 1983 satellite radio broadcast from the University of Texas in Austin. “You get to hear how he used those horns really effectively on other parts of his catalog by taking some of Steve [Nieve]’s most notable keyboard riffs and turning them into horn patterns,” Stewart says.
Disc Two’s remaining unreleased treats are the first official appearances of Costello’s heavily bootlegged 1983 BBC Radio One Performances of Percy Mayfield’s “Danger Zone” and his inspired medley of “Big Sister” with The English Beat’s “Stand Down Margaret.” Breaking from format, Rhino is reprinting the same thorough liner notes that Costello wrote for Rykodisc’s edition of Punch the Clock, but the artist has added a humorous preface in which he details his failed first collaboration with Tony Bennett in the awe-inspiring presence of Count Basie, plus a postscript addressing the new bonus material. --David Okamoto
(Submitted by Dave Caplan)
Interview: Detroit
The Oakland Press
"Four months later, Elvis Costello still expresses ambivalence about his induction into Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ''It's a box with some old things in it - let's get it straight,'' says Costello, 48, whose induction with his first band, the Attractions, commemorated the 25th anniversary of the release of his debut album, ''My Aim is True.''
''It's a trip to the fun fair, that's all it is. It's a club. It was great to see the guys in my band and their families have a night out where we celebrated that we've lived long enough to have joined this crazy club. But really, in the long run, the people who put us in there I don't have any respect for, so ...''
He has no trouble courting respect for himself and his work, however. Of all the artists to emerge from Britain's punk/new wave scene of the late 1970s, only Joe Jackson has matched Costello's creative breadth and ambition.
Over the years, Costello has recorded everything from raging, righteous rock to rich pop suites, country, jazz and chamber orchestrations with such collaborators as ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and songwriting legend Burt Bacharach, the classical Brodsky Quartet and opera star Ann Sofia von Otter. Recently, he's written songs for R&B legends Solomon Burke and Howard Tate.
His current recording contract with the Interscope/ Universal consortium, in fact, allows him to place music on whichever of the company's labels are most appropriate for it.
So the singer-songwriter, whose biggest hit was 1983's ''Everyday I Write the Book,'' has, in fact, written his own rules for more than a quarter-century, crafting a career without the parameters that restrict most other artists. ''And at the same time,'' Costello adds, ''I also want to keep playing rock 'n' roll. I want it all. I'm sorry.''
Wide-open affairs
Having announced his engagement to Canadian jazz/pop singer Diana Krall earlier this year, Costello is spending part of his summer playing rock 'n' roll, at least. He's out again with the Imposters, a group that includes Attractions members Stevie Nieve on keyboards and Pete Thomas on drums (but not estranged bassist Bruce Thomas). However, rather than continuing to promote the 2002 release ''When I Was Cruel,'' Costello says the shows are more wide-open affairs.
''We're playing everything I feel like playing,'' explains Costello, born Declan Patrick McManus in Liverpool, England, and now a resident of Ireland, mostly. ''I'm a professional musician; that's what I do - I play songs. We're playing all sorts of different tunes from all over the place, in any order, depending on the mood and the venue and everything.
''It's a pretty broad scope of things. Some nights we play a lot of very well- known songs, some nights we don't play any because that's the mood that I'm in and I feel that's what we need to do.''
Costello says he's occasionally playing ''Either Side of the Same Town,'' which he co-wrote with Jerry Ragavoy for the new Howard Tate album. But what fans won't hear, for now at least, is anything from ''North,'' the album Costello recorded earlier this year that's set for a Sept. 23 release.
''I really want people to hear the record first,'' explains Costello, who in addition to singing and playing on it also arranged and conducted the album's orchestrations. ''I want people to hear a very clear impression of the songs. When you're hearing a song for the first time, you're trying to take in the words and hear the shape of the melody.
''The only sort of venue you can do that in is a very small theater, where you can hear everything very clearly. That's not the kind of place we're playing this summer.''
Another shift
Costello describes ''North'' as ''very different to the music that I'm playing now. It's quiet and very concentrated in emotion. We put a lot of work into getting it to sound the way it sounds.''
He acknowledges that it's another directional shift in a career that hasn't spent too much time in one particular area. But he long ago abandoned any pretense of playing to expectations, from the industry or even from his fans, and says ''North'' is simply the direction that his muse is taking him in at this particular moment.
''The most disquieting thing, in a way, is when music just starts to arrive in your head or at your fingertips,'' says Costello, who's also written an orchestral score for a new adaptation of Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream.''
''You don't have any choice, unless you're a real fool, but to take it on and try to work out what it is that's happening and follow it and see where it leads you.
''That's what I've been trying to do, at least.''
(Submitted by John Foyle)
EC/Neil Young Pre-Sale Today
According to the unofficial Neil website there is a presale for the show in LA today at 10:00 AM PDT. They will post the password on the website when it is available. Verizon Amphitheater, Irvine, CA (show date Sep 20) - Presale: 10am - 5pm PDT Ticketmaster link.
Interview: Rocky Mountain News
Self-effacing Elvis Costello keeps his music fresh
Long interview in the Rocky Mountain News with a lot about the next reissues sets, and a few words for the hardcore get-a-lifers:
"Of his own work, he says, "obviously songs are being taken very much to heart. The danger is there is a kind of neurosis often seen in sports fans that they imagine because of their cheering, they kicked the ball over the goal or into the hoop.
"There is a sort of neurosis where it tips over from enthusiasm into this kind of sense of ownership and this odd expression where there's a spurned-lover kind
of reaction when something departs from the mental picture they have of you."
(Submitted by John Foyle)
COMPLETE ARTICLE:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/music/article/0,1299,DRMN_54_2109266,00.html
This year's model
Self-effacing Elvis Costello keeps his music fresh
By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News
July 16, 2003
When Rhino Records undertook the definitive
remastering of Elvis Costello's vast catalog, they
hired writers to pen the liner notes evaluating his
career.
Costello, widely considered a songwriter rivaled only
by Bob Dylan for sheer output and quality, saw the
drafts and put a stop to it. The problem? The writing
was far too kind.
"It was mortifyingly embarrassing to read the results
- not because the writers were bad, but they wrote
about it all too glowingly," Costello says. The notes,
he decided, "needed to be more humorous and more
critical, so that's the tack I've taken. They
shouldn't be too precious. I enjoy writing them, but I
am writing them if not about a different person, then
a person in a different time of life."
So Costello is merciless on himself, using the liner
notes to skewer myths and set the record straight (six
have been released so far; the next set is due next
month with Trust, Get Happy and Punch the Clock).
"I'm not going to scandalize anybody if I talk about
the background of a record and say 'This was a record
that was recorded on the ends of my nerves' because
that's the truth. The Trust liner notes that are going
to come out are very truthful about the frame of mind
and the physical condition that I was in, emotional
and every other kind of condition," he says with a
rare laugh.
He's looking back while looking forward; last year's
When I Was Cruel was hailed as a great new album in
Costello's canon, and he's already finished the next
album, North, due out in September. Costello plays the Universal Lending Pavilion at the Pepsi Center tonight with The Imposters, the successors to his legendary band The Attractions.
He can be self-effacing, but pity the poor original
liner-note authors. Costello has released consistently
strong albums since day one. He has a number of
classics - My Aim is True, This Year's Model, Imperial
Bedroom - and his latter-day work is almost as strong, including the nearly flawless All This Useless Beauty. He's changed styles and players and genres seemingly effortlessly.
The sheer number of greats who have either cowritten
with him or had him share a stage is staggering:
Dylan, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Bruce
Springsteen, Chet Baker, Burt Bacharach and countless
others. He's received virtually every music honor is,
including a March induction into the Rock & Roll Hall
of Fame.
The sheer variety of his live performances in the past
decade has given him new insight into his own work.
Whether touring with Bacharach, the Brodsky Quartet, acoustically with pianist Steve Nieve or in the full band, he's re-examined his songs from all angles. So fans are seeing some of the strongest shows he's ever done.
"I think it's a combination of those things. I've got
a great band and we get along great. We've been
through enough and done enough things that the
tensions of years ago with the Attractions (are
gone)," Costello says, calling from his New York City
home last week hours before headlining at Central
Park.
Indeed, the Imposters are really just the Attractions
with Davey Faragher taking the place of bassist Bruce
Thomas, who simply could not get along with his famous
boss through the years.
"As good as that band was at its best, it stopped
being fun onstage with that combination of people,"
Costello says. "There were people pulling in different directions. It got more and more erratic as time went on and I just couldn't tolerate that. You can always be defeated by bad sound or any number of reasons why a show doesn't work out as you planned. It shouldn't have anything to do with the four people who walk up there."
As for the various side projects, "I was working my
voice quite a bit with the record with Burt Bacharach.
Those songs were right on the edge of my ability,
really," Costello says.
"I definitely developed my voice a lot by singing
those things. Your voice can get like a well-worn reed
that goes into a particular riff very easily but won't
do other things if you don't try to learn other music.
I think that's what happened - I was doing those other
kinds of music with Burt Bacharach, with the Brodsky
Quartet, where the voice was completely exposed."
Part of the change is merely stylistic. When Costello
burst out of England in 1976, he was singing short,
sharp, new-wave/rock songs. It wasn't till years later
when he started developing ballads such as Almost Blue
that fans realized what a singer he was.
"I always had a lot more vocal range than I displayed.
I just found a pocket where my voice worked on those
early songs and heaven knows they seem to do the right
thing," he says. "I'm not going to go on about why I
sang in that manner. But I didn't hold any notes.
"Nobody knew if I had any vocal tone, which I do have.
And as you get older and get physically bigger, you
build up more resonance. You learn from the
experiences of everything you do."
Costello has breathed renewed life into older songs,
whether it's an acoustic version of the early Little
Triggers or especially the 1986 betrayal ballad, I
Want You, which has become increasingly frightening
and paranoid in each performance.
"I'm able to still get inside songs I wrote 25 years
ago. I never play any song from a nostalgic point of
view," he says. "A song is written in a moment of
emotional response. Then you have the task of reliving
it, like an actor does. You have to be completely
believable in the song, otherwise it has no reason to
exist. If you're being a real purist, you'd sing them
once and never again."
Fans who saw his Fillmore show are in for a different
set list at ULP.
"I have to balance it. There are people who would be
very happy if we came out and played nothing but
B-sides from 1978, but there are other people who
don't know you that well that would be bewildered.
"You can't please everyone in the audience. When the
tunes are to the rafters and everybody's standing on
their seats, there's still somebody sitting in the
back saying 'Who let this idiot onstage?' That's human
nature."
When you create such an affecting catalog of work,
problems inevitably come. Costello has had his share
of borderline stalkers, though such fans have waned
over the years.
"I probably don't get it as badly as other people in
terms of the scrutiny of my life. I wouldn't want Bob
Dylan's mail. He's written these beautiful songs and
people project all sorts of crazy things into . . .
them."
Of his own work, he says, "obviously songs are being
taken very much to heart. The danger is there is a
kind of neurosis often seen in sports fans that they
imagine because of their cheering, they kicked the
ball over the goal or into the hoop.
"There is a sort of neurosis where it tips over from
enthusiasm into this kind of sense of ownership and
this odd expression where there's a spurned-lover kind
of reaction when something departs from the mental
picture they have of you."
Brownm@RockyMountainNews.com or (303) 892-2674
Copyright 2003, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
The Beloved Entertainer
Costello views Hall as 'Dirty Rotten Shame'
By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News / July 16, 2003
Elvis Costello continues to bite the hand that feeds him, slagging the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an event to amuse Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner and his socialite pals.
"The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (is) . . . really about the people who run it," says Costello, who was inducted in March. "It isn't about the people who are in it. That was obvious in the speeches they made. We were just the hired help.
"I tried to have an open mind. I had said the whole thing was a waste of time. My friends' enthusiasm for it tended to make me revise that opinion. 'Maybe I
shouldn't be so churlish; they want to have a party in our honor.'
"But it wasn't really a party in our honor. We were just the cabaret. It's about getting people through the turnstiles in Cleveland. Any pretense that it's anything noble is laughable."
(Submitted by John Foyle)
Concert: Neil Young & Crazy Horse / Elvis Costello
September 20, 2003 - 7:00PM / On Sale July 20, 2003 - 10:00AM
$ 130.00 - $35.00 Reserved
Two members of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will take the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater stage on Saturday, September 20th! A brilliant songwriter, passionate singer and a guitarist whose unique style has influenced a new generation of rock fans, Neil Young has spent his illustrious career exploring virtually every style and genre of music. His long-running collaboration with Crazy Horse has yielded classic records such as Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After The Gold Rush and Ragged Glory, and his work still matters to fans of all ages. Joining him for one exceptional night is Elvis Costello-- quite simply one of the most literate and adventurous songwriters in all of popular music. You won't want to miss this very special, one-time-only, bill!
CC.com pre-sale Thursday, 7/17 10am to 5pm.
(Submitted by John Harrison)
July 15, 2003
Old Rock Stars
Both Nick and Elvis rate inclusion on this list from Japan.
"Nick Lowe and Rick Nielsen come in next at 54. Both musicians are known as pop ironists who fool around with the idea of Top 40. Lowe fronted the seminal pub-rock band Brinsley Schwarz in the early '70s before becoming the producer du jour for the British new wave and half the creative impetus behind Rockpile, the greatest roots-rock guitar band of all time. Lately, he's been touring solo as a kind of country music gentleman, but he plays his hits, too. He'll be at Field of Heaven on the afternoon of July 27.
At 48, Elvis Costello is comparatively a spring chicken (just ask his fiancee Diana Krall), and one hopes that he and Lowe, who sort of mentored Costello in the '70s, will do something together at Fuji since they'll be there the same day. Maybe a duet of Lowe's "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding," a Costello concert staple? In any case, Costello will have a band (boasting two members from his original Attractions), unlike the last time he played Fuji. He's always a powerful performer, so expect greatness on the Green Stage, July 27."
Costello Song on PBS
"History Detectives" (8 p.m., WTTW-Channel 11) PBS' desperate search for the next "Antiques Roadshow" has a bunch of experts trying to ferret out local legends. "Roadshow," at its best, has the feel of a game show, with people finding out they have something valuable or something worthless. This *1/2 yawn has no such payoff for the home viewer, unless you care whether, say, President Grant once visited a firehouse in New Jersey. The use of music by Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen and U2 fails to quicken the pulse. And the tips for folks looking to corroborate their own historical mementos are simplistic at best and patronizing at worst.
Costello Song in New Altman Film
From Chicago Sun Times: "But a duet by Lar Lubavitch for Campbell and Rubio (set to Elvis Costello's rendering of "My Funny Valentine") grows tedious. And "Blue Snake," the film's climactic performance (the creation of Canadian choreographer Robert Desrosiers), is a travesty and a crashing bore."
Costello Parodies
The AmIright.com site is filled with re-written versions of Costello songs.
"Accidents Will Happen" --> "Bankruptcies Will Happen" Jim A
"Alison" --> "Andersen" William Tong
"Alison" --> "Mandelson" Jim A
"Olivers Army" --> "Tony Blairs Army" Jim A
"Radio, Radio" --> "Liberals, Liberals" Michael Florio
"Veronica" --> "Veronica (Diamond)" Jared
"Watching The Detectives" --> "Plugging My New Website" Jim A
"Peace Love And Understanding?" --> "'Two Towers'? " Jim A
"Beyond Belief" --> "(Don't) Eat English Beef" Jim A
"Good Year For The Roses" --> "Good Year For The Posers" Jim A
"I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" --> "I Can't Put Up With London Town"
"New Amsterdam" --> "Nuking Saddam" Jim A
"Shipbuilding" --> "Filesharing" Jim A
"Watchin The Detectives" --> "Blockin The Inspections" Malcolm Higins
(Submitted by Kathleen Connally)
July 14, 2003
Setlists: Lupos - July 13th
7PM Show
1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)
3. Everyday I Write the Book
4. Everybody's Cryin' Mercy
5. Clubland
6. My Dark Life
7. Clown Strike
8. Pump It Up
9. I Wanna Be Loved
10. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
11. 45
12. Either Side of the Same Town
13. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
14. Uncomplicated
----------------------------------------------------------
15. Oliver’s Army
16. Radio Radio
17. Shipbuilding
18. (What's So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
10PM Show
1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Waiting For The End Of The World
3. Beyond Belief
4. No Action
5. Everybody's Cryin' Mercy
6. Episode Of Blonde
7. Watching the Detectives/Help Me
8. My Mood Swings
9. Leave My Kitten Alone
10. Less Than Zero
11. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
12. Either Side of the Same Town
13. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
14. Little Triggers
15. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/You Really Got A Hold On Me
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. Complicated Shadows
17. Just About Glad
18. Pump It Up (complete with local 'dancing girls')
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. Lipstick Vogue
20. I Want You/??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
21. Alison
22. Tell Me Right Now
23. Radio Radio
24. (What's So Funny “Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding
(Submitted by Mathew Conroy)
Lupo's Report
"If you are an Elvis fan, Lupos was one of those nights you won't forget. The first set was a 90 minute version of what he's been playing on tour recently -- a good mix of the mellow and hard rocking stuff, with most of the latter being the better known and more widely played stuff (including Oliver's Army which he rarely plays any more)
The second show was unbelievable, two+ hours with most of the show being solid, straight ahead hard rocking/punk rock. Anyone thinking Costello has lost something or mellowed had to see this show -- much more hard rocking than any of his previous concerts with little repeat from the first set. Included Accidents, Watching the Detectives, Alison which weren't played the first set and a bunch of lesser known hard rocking songs, plus a great performance of I want you.
Oh yeah I forgot. Dancing girls onstage during the second set main set closer pump it up. Funniest thing when one tried to rub Elvis' head while he was playing, he was like a married man in a strip club running away from a lap dance.
3 1/2 hours of Elvis in a club that only holds several hundred people I believe that provided a combination of the most variety and most energy you will ever see from him in an evening."
- Mike Walker
Fall Tour - NYC Date
NYC - Town Hall
Date (Mon) Sept 22 at 8 PM & (Wed) Sept 24 at 8 PM
Event ELVIS COSTELLO IN CONCERT
Ticket Price to be announced
Where to Get Tickets: Ticketmaster and The Town Hall Box Office
CD Review
BONNIE BRETT The Elvis Costello Songbook (Indie)
(Submitted by John Foyle)
Review: Boston
Off beaten track, Costello classics come alive
By Tom Kielty, Globe Correspondent, 7/14/2003
When an artist reaches the stature of Elvis Costello, things often go one of two ways. Said artist can coast through a legendary catalog that has earned Hall of Fame status (an honor Costello was awarded this year), or he can continue striving toward the next great melody, reworking some of his previous triumphs. Costello and his banner backing band, the Imposters, have chosen the latter. Over the course of a two-hour set at the FleetBoston Pavilion Saturday night, they were unrelenting in the search for a new way to present a well-known track and recalled the prominence of some of Costello's deeper album cuts.
Crashing directly into ''Waiting for the End of the World,'' the once angry young man was now a dignified gentleman, resplendent in all black but no less urgent in his playing. He then dipped deep for the ''Imperial Bedroom'' opening track, ''Beyond Belief.'' The throbbing ''Radio, Radio'' that followed proved Costello was willing to mix it up, delighting longtime fans. A revitalized ''Everyday I Write the Book'' took an up-tempo swing while Costello chose to employ the original Sam & Dave introduction to ''I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down'' as opposed to his own, better-known version. In both cases the Imposters distinguished themselves by their familiarity with Costello classics as well as a willingness to explore new sonic possibilities within the songs.
''Clubland '' remained a moody mid-tempo killer, and following the jazzy ''Everybody's Crying Mercy,'' it illustrated Costello's musical dexterity. The keyboard textures of longtime associate Steve Nieve provided wonderful color all evening, shining particularly on ''Uncomplicated,'' which found Costello delivering a blazing guitar solo. Nieve's slowed-down keyboard introduction to ''Watching the Detectives'' set a swinging jazz tone as opposed to the reggae-tinged beat the song is best known for. Again, the deviation was a smashing success.
The earthy version of ''Pump it Up'' that closed the set sounded as if Costello was reexamining his own material through the eyes of the Faces, or perhaps early Rolling Stones. The final encore, a frantic ''(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?'' found Costello twice hesitating on the conclusion, escalating the tension superbly before finishing the song with a flourish. Striding off stage with a Red Sox jersey thrown over his shoulder, Costello surely knew he'd hit this one out of the park.
Review: Lupos
Costello shows his many musical faces
The Providence Journal / Andy Smith
(Login Required - name: Joke@elvis-DASH-costello.com / PW=costello
EXCERPTS: (We begin with this wonderful analogy)
" Like a zirconium under the lights on the Home Shopping Network, Elvis Costello has revealed many facets to his fans since he first burst onto the scene in 1977, radiating anger in all directions."
"It's rare to hear Costello in a club these days, but a fortunate set of circumstances brought him to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence for a pair of shows last night.
The first show felt a tad short at 85 minutes, but was still packed with goodies. He opened with a couple of scorching rockers "I Hope You're Happy Now" and a tune from last year's album When I Was Cruel called "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)."
He also offered a new ballad, a soulful piece called "Either Side of the Same Town," featuring harmonies between Costello and Faragher on the choruses.
Then he teased the crowd with a very slow opening before Thomas's drums kicked in and Costello roared into "I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)."
(Submitted by John Foyle)
Costello shows his many musical faces
07/14/2003
BY ANDY SMITH
Journal Arts Writer
Like a zirconium under the lights on the Home Shopping
Network, Elvis Costello has revealed many facets to
his fans since he first burst onto the scene in 1977,
radiating anger in all directions.
Since then, he's not mellowed so much as expanded his
range, and we've seen Elvis the soul fan, Elvis the
pop craftsman, Elvis the crooner, even Elvis the
classical musician.
It's rare to hear Costello in a club these days, but a fortunate set of circumstances brought him to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence for a pair of shows last night.
The first show felt a tad short at 85 minutes, but was
still packed with goodies.
Wearing all black, backed by longtime associates Pete
Thomas on drums, the indispensible Steve Nieve on
keyboards, and new bassist Davey Faragher, Costello
didn't spend time on a lot of chitchat.
He opened with a couple of scorching rockers "I Hope
You're Happy Now" and a tune from last year's album
When I Was Cruel called "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's
a Doll Revolution)."
Costello's expanded range is mostly a good thing, but
he's at his best when there's at least a little venom
in his fangs. Which there certainly was.
Mose Allison's "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy" slowed
things down some, but Costello made the most of the
trenchant lyrics ("Everybody's cryin' peace on earth,
Just as soon as we win this war.")
A guitar solo, drenched with reverb, and some
hard-hitting work by Thomas juiced up the song at the
end.
Costello might not have had much to say during his
set, but he was a showman nonetheless, getting the
crowd to clap along with the twangy riff that ran
through "Clown Strike" and having everyone sing along
to the old favorite "Pump It Up."
He also offered a new ballad, a soulful piece called
"Either Side of the Same Town," featuring harmonies
between Costello and Faragher on the choruses.
Then he teased the crowd with a very slow opening
before Thomas's drums kicked in and Costello roared
into "I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)."
For their encore, Costello & Co. charged through a
pair of old favorites, "Oliver's Army" and "Radio
Radio," barely pausing between them.
Next came an impassioned version of "Shipbuilding," an
antiwar song Costello wrote when Britain was fighting
over the Falklands.
Circumstances may have changed, but from the way
Costello was singing, his sentiments have not.
The show ended with Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny
'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding," underlined by
Thomas's triphammer drums and Nieve's surging
keyboards. At the end of the song, Costello stopped,
let the cheers build up, then cranked up another
chorus, this time with the crowd singing along.
True, a few old Costello favorites were missing in
action -- "Alison," "Watching the Detectives" -- but
with a repertoire as large as Costello's, you can't
have everything. And to see him at a club was a
genuine treat.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at: http://www.projo.com/music/content/projo_20030714_elvis.1f5d7.html
July 13, 2003
Elvis & Wanda Jacksom
The July Mojo w/ REM on the cover has a small item on page 16, about Wanda Jackson recording a new lp callled Heart Trouble with Elvis Costello, the Cramps & Rosie Flores. It says it will be out in September.
(Submitted by Bill Brown)
--
"The duet between Costello and Jackson, 'Crying Time', was recorded 'live' in the studio (Elvis insisted on this), using Costello's hand-picked musicians, including pedal steel guitarist John McFee and drummer Pete Thomas."
--
Also from a recent Wanda Jackson Interview
Dan: What’s the latest on your recordings? Do you have
any new music coming out?
Wanda: I just finished a project for CMH Records. They
told me they really wanted me to do a showcase, and do
gospel, some rockabilly and some country. I really
enjoyed the project. When word got out in that I was
going to be in California recording, I was really
honored that musicians and singers were calling and
wanted to be on the project. So we have a lot of guest
stars who are on the project. Elvis Costello for one.
Dave Alvin who was in the Blasters. Lee Rocker who was
with Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats. Rosie Flores.
Pam Tillis is going to do a duet with me too. There’s
going to be 16 songs on it. I also have a new release
out of my live show from New York City called “Live
and Still Kickin’”.
Setlist: Boston July 12
Waiting For The End Of The World
Beyond Belief
Radio Radio
Sulky Girl
Everyday I Write The Book
Everybody's Crying Mercy
Clubland
Clown Strike
Complicated Shadows
Miracle Man
Just About Glad
That Howard Tate song
I Can't Stand Up...
Uncomplicated
Watching The Detectives/Your Funeral, My Trial
Pump It Up
------------------------
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror /You Really Got A Hold On Me
Sweet Dreams
-------------------------
I Hope You're Happy Now
Tear Off Your Own Head
Man Out Of Time
Shipbuilding
PLU
Review: Boston
Elvis leaves the building feeling very `Happy Now'
From The Boston Herald / by Sarah Rodman / Sunday, July 13, 2003
Like many true artist musicians - and a few pop hucksters - Elvis Costello has explored all of his divergent musical interests over the years, from classical to country, with varying results.
With so much work amassed, the 47-year-old songwriter's setlists can be everything from hit driven to hitless, but interesting either way.
Last night at the FleetBoston Pavilion Costello and his marvelous band the Imposters managed an amazing feat: pleasing all the people most of the time. Costello hit upon an intriguing hybrid theory for success by mixing some familiar radio songs - often with new arrangements - for the casual fans with some excellent obscurities and covers for the diehard loyalists and, likely, Costello himself.
Longtime fans ecstatically bounced along to a breakneck version of the still snarly ``Radio, Radio,'' jerked to the slinky seesaw beats of ``Clubland,'' sang along lustily to ``Pump It Up,'' accepted the rearranged grooves of ``Everyday I Write The Book'' - its lilt replaced by a '50s rock shuffle - and gave a standing ovation to a snazzy, cocktail jazz version of ``Watching the Detectives.''
Delving deeper into his less commercially successful, more recent efforts yielded the slow swagger of ``Sulky Girl'' and the sly ``Clown Strike'' from 1994's ``Brutal Youth.'' The 1995 covers album ``Kojak Variety'' offered up a strikingly timely version of Mose Allison's swinging but bitter ``Everyone's Crying Mercy,'' and there was a pleasantly noisy, burning guitar quality to ``Complicated Shadows'' from 1996's ``All This Useless Beauty.''
Costello, looking fit, was in great voice, ably gliding from biting bark to adenoidenal but sweet croon. The latter shone as he indulged his love of classic r & b and country with a great loose version of Smokey and the Miracles' ``You Really Got a Hold On Me'' during the acoustic soul rave-up ``Deep, Dark Truthful Mirror'' and a lovely, gentle reading of Patsy Cline's ``Sweet Dreams.''
Costello also skipped through a delightful ``I Hope You're Happy Now'' and it's safe to say this audience could answer in the affirmative.
(Submitted by Chuck Gabriel)
July 12, 2003
Comments?
CostelloNews now supports your comments on each entry. You're encouraged to add information, argue, chime in, and discuss. - The Management
The Elvis Bush
Comment on EC's recent Wolftrap show at the end of a Washington Times article on artists and politicians.
"In his recent Wolf Trap concert here, Elvis Costello, for one, made a pointed gesture of solidarity with pop's unlikely new First Amendment martyrs and queens of political dissent, the Dixie Chicks.
Yet maybe, just maybe, there are some rock stars whose politics are motivated by genuine, disinterested altruism. "
Preview Blurb for Colorado
Rocky Mountain News
It's a busy time to be Elvis Costello - but then again, it always is. Touring Colorado for the second time on his When I Was Cruel release, he'll be at Universal Lending Pavilion at 8 p.m. Wednesday. And he's already recorded the next CD, North, due out in September. His backing band is The Imposters, but it's really two-thirds of The Attractions - the most important two-thirds, namely keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas. Bassist Davey Faragher takes the place of perpetual malcontent Bruce Thomas. Tickets are $31.50 to $39. Information: (303) 830-8497 or www.ticketmaster.com.
Guitar Army
Discussion of EC's guitars over at the Fender Forum.
Setlist: NYC July 11th
Waiting For The End Of The World
Beyond Belief
Radio Radio
Accidents Will Happen
Everyday I Write The Book
Everybodys Crying Mercy
Clubland
45
Chelsea
Honey Are You Straight?
Either Side Of The Same Town
I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
Uncomplicated
Tart
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/Really Got Ahold Of Me
E1-
Hope Your Happy Now
Doll Revolution
Man Out Of Time
E2-
Detectives/Help Me
Almost Blue
Pump It Up
Honey Hush
E3-
Shipbuildng
PLU
(Submitted by Charles David)
July 11, 2003
Ever Evolving Elvis
Providence Journal Interview with Elvis on Lupo's Shows.
An ever-evolving Elvis / 07/11/2003
BY ANDY SMITH / Journal Arts Writer
Elvis Costello can't remember the last time he played a club, at least in the United States. In a phone interview Wednesday, he said it might be as long as 15, even 20 years ago. But through a fortunate chain of circumstances, he'll be at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence for two shows Sunday night.
Jack Reich, who books the shows at Lupo's, said Costello had a concert fall through in Guilford, N.H., and was looking for a replacement gig. His agent thought of Lupo's. (Costello will also be at the Fleet Boston Pavilion tomorrow night)
"We had an opportunity to play in a club atmosphere, do two shows in one night . . . it sounded like an interesting idea," Costello said. He joked that knowing the people of Providence, the audience for the 7 p.m. show would be coming directly from evening prayers, while the 10 p.m. crowd would have spent their time getting properly lubricated. "The more lascivious dancing will be found at the later show," he predicted.
Costello is on tour with his rock band The Imposters -- drummer Pete Thomas and keyboard player Steve Nieve of Costello's longtime backup band The Attractions, plus bassist Davey Faragher.
Their recent travels have taken them to theaters, outdoor venues, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Ottawa Bluesfest, and what Costello called "a ghastly event in hicago apparently designed to sell beans." (The Taste of Chicago festival.) Reports from recent shows have Costello & Co. ranging widely through his vast repertoire, offering some re-interpretations of old favorites such as "Pump It Up" and "Watching the Detectives."
He's been doing a few tunes from his last album, When I Was Cruel, although Costello made it clear he's not concentrating on material from that record. "Most people tour to 'support' a record, as though it's an ailing thing that needs help," he said. "Why should I do the record company's job? They didn't do theirs." (Costello was referring to Island Records, which released When I Was Cruel.)
Next up for Costello is a dramatic change of pace, an album of piano-based ballads called North, to be released Sept. 23 on the classical Deutsche Grammaphon label. Instrumentation will range from solo piano to a 48-piece ensemble that will include 9 horns and 28 string players.
"There are strings, but used very sparingly. They might only play three notes on a song," Costello said. "There are only 12 bars of electric guitar in the whole thing -- this is by no stretch a rock 'n' roll record. People who only know me from "Pump It Up" probably won't like it."
But Costello has had an extraordinarily varied career since he first burst onto the scene in 1977 with My Aim Is True as one of the angry young men of British rock. (Costello once famously said that revenge and guilt were the driving forces behind his music.) But even then, Costello stood out for his songcraft and his sophisticated, if barbed, lyrics. Since then, he's delved into soul, country (Almost Blue), lushly crafted pop (Imperial Bedroom) and classical (The Juliet Letters). Collaborators have included Burt Bachrach, Paul McCartney, and the
Brodsky String Quartet.
Costello, born Declan Patrick McManus in London, pointed out that his grandfather was a classical trumpet player, his father played trumpet and sang for a big band, and his mother managed a record store. "I can't apologize for liking lots of music," he said.
Even early on, Costello said, he was incorporating some of his influences into his material even if it wasn't always apparent. The guitars in Watching the Detectives, for example, are meant to imitate horns, and the brief piano riff
in the song is Costello's tribute to film composer Bernard Herrmann.
Costello said the material for North materialized very quickly. "It happened in a very dramatic way. I just started writing -- three in one day. I was trying to be true to the very concentrated, still, musical form they took. Usually spontaneity is associated with a certain crudity, but not in this case. The songs just took me
over and demanded of me how they should sound."
Costello said he can't know how North will be received, but added that he's done enough different things over the years that the record shouldn't come as a shock to fans. The critics could be a different story. "It's the oddest thing how deeply conservative and frightened rock journalism has become since I started," Costello said. "Timid, shallow, bereft of imagination . . . almost anything outside of what they think of as what rock music should be, and they can't deal with it."
So heaven knows how his project after North will be received -- a classical, instrumental interpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream commissioned by an Italian dance company and performed by the London Symphony.
Unlike McCartney, who composed his classical pieces by dictating melodic ideas to a collaborator who then arranged the music for orchestra and chorus, Costello said he's "learned the code" so he can compose the music himself.
"For a while I was rehearsing with the Imposters in the evening and working with the London Symphony by day," Costello said.
In the meantime, Costello hasn't forgotten old favorites -- concerts on the current tour have included classics such as "Alison," "Radio Radio" and "Less Than Zero" -- but sometimes with a different interpretation than they once had. "You've got to be prepared to be playful, use some fantasy," Costello said. "Think of the number of classical numbers that actually use the word fantasy in the title. If people don't like it, they can go and play the record, can't they?
(Submitted by Eric Woodman)
New Elvis Song on BBC2
The song 'You Turned To Me' was played this morning on the Janice Long radio show on BBC2. The show is available (probably today only) at the BBC Web Site.
(Submitted by Micheal Deasy)
July 10, 2003
Setlist: Phili July 9th
Approximate Setlist
----------------------------------------
Waiting For The End Of The World>
Beyond Belief>
Radio Radio
Sulky Girl
Other Side Of Summer
Everybody's Crying Mercy
Clubland
Clown Strike
Toledo
Pump It Up
Either Side Of The Same Town
Hope Your Happy Now
Doll Revoltion
Man Out Of Time
Uncomplicated
E1-
Watching The Detectives
Almost Blue
Dust
E2-
Accidents Will Happen
Everyday I Write The Book
Honey Hush
E3-
Shipbuilding
PLU
(Submitted by Charles David)
Steve Nieve Journal
The great Steve Nieve keeps an online journal, and is writing during the current tour. Check it out here.
Investigative Reporting: The Wolftrap Review Files
{CostelloNews.com has uncovered the unpublished original review written by Kate Malay before her editors modified her work. We reprint it here in the interest of journalistic integrity.}
VIENNA - Geez, Chris Robinson is cute. When I was in high-school I always loved him. Me and my friends used to get some guy at the 7-11 to buy us beers and go down behind the mall and 'rock-out' to The Black Crowes.
Tonight Chris is playing solo - all true artists make the jump to solo - and I was lucky enough to see him. He's so cute. He is so talented. I love his hair. I know I shouldn't hate Kate Hudson, but I sort-of do.
Chris put on a spectactular, deep, soulful, and really meaningful show (I think he intentionally made eye contact with me - twice!). I met him and he is even more deamy up close. I met him - can you believe it - he was SO nice.
After Chris they let Elvis Costello play some songs. I saw him before in that Austin Powers movie but other than that I didn't know who he was. I was immediately bored. He isn't nearly as cute as Chris Robinson. His songs all sound the same. And I'm not sure they're really about anything. Surprisingly, the only one who shared my view was a three-year-old. Everyone else in the audience stared adoringly, yelled out 'We Love You,' and gave him enthusiastic applause after every song. I don't get it.
Review: Wolftrap
Elvis Costello bored audience
by Kate Malay / Fredricksburg.com / The Free Lance-Star
VIENNA--Everyone had something to say except Elvis Costello. His Monday night performance at Wolf Trap was, to say the least, understated. Four songs in, the tyke in the row behind me announced, "I'm ready to go to sleep, daddy!"
"Shhh!" the bootlegger with a tape recorder at my side continually spat. (At me.)
Costello performed an eclectic sampler of singles from 1977 to the present, including crowd favorites "Pump It Up," "Shipbuilding" and "Watching the Detectives." But I and many others left unsatisfied.
Costello has one of the most enduring legacies and diverse repertoires in the industry, and yet he did not once address the audience and rarely moved from his hunched stance at the microphone. His is among the most lucid voices ever recorded, but his enunciation and register were both unjustifiably wanting.
He sang, "I Wanna Be Loved," someone shouted, "We love you!" and he didn't even flinch. If I wanted a redundant, plastic performance, I'd play vinyl. There was one real performer that night, at least, in the form of the Black Crowes' lead singer Chris Robinson, who is stealing a few of the shows on Costello's nationwide summer tour. His opening performance was upbeat and soulful, he responded to the crowd, and he showcased his talent brilliantly.
I got to meet Robinson, and he is exceptionally gracious and charming. Worth noting? Yes. He stole the show before the audience even knew it, and it was inevitable that we would be left wanting more from the headliner.
Then came Elvis--and ambivalence. I came in thinking all his songs sounded like something others--from the Clash to Roy Orbison--had already done better. But he has collaborated on duets with everyone in the music industry, he has been around for 25 years, and he did almost sell out the venue.
Maybe I just don't get it.
July 09, 2003
Review: Washington Post
Elvis Costello, Showing This Year's Model - By Micheal Little
The great thing about going to an Elvis Costello show is that you never know which Elvis will show up. Of course the scary thing about going to an Elvis Costello show is that you never know which Elvis will show up. Will it be caustic Elvis, lounge crooner Elvis, art fop Elvis, or -- God help us -- country Elvis? Since his emergence as England's angry young dweeb with 1977's "My Aim Is True," Costello has gone through musical personalities the way Larry King goes through wives, accumulating some truly strange bedfellows -- including Burt Bacharach and Paul McCartney -- along the way. The resulting uneven body of work has failed to deter his rabid fans, many of whom found their way to Wolf Trap to see him play with the Imposters on Monday night. There Elvis gave the crowd a taste of his many personas, and played such lousy tricks as letting lounge Elvis turn punk Elvis's "Watching the Detectives" into an exercise in effete jazz. He also perversely insisted on performing two songs from "Painted From Memory," his 1998 collaboration with Bacharach.
Costello didn't completely neglect his early years. "Clubland," "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Pump It Up" -- which the Imposters pumped up to arena rock proportions -- all won enthusiastic receptions. But -- blame it on Cain, or his new love, Diana Krall -- Costello is a sophisticate now, and you get the sense that he no more wants to play his classics than Woody Allen wants to trot out his old nightclub bits.
(Submitted by John Foyle)
EC Chicago Photos at WireImage
This picture of Elvis in Chicago, and many other recent EC pictures can be viewed at WireImage. Small images viewable free, larger images require paid membership.
(submitted by John Harrison)
Review: Chicago Sun Times
Elvis Costello pours intensity on drowning fans
(Submitted by John Foyle)
July 08, 2003
Setlist: Wolftrap July 7th
1) Everybody's Crying Mercy
2) My Dark Life
3) In The Darkest Place
4) Clubland
5) So Like Candy
6) 45
7) I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea
8) I Want To Be Loved
9) Clown Strike
10) Toledo
11) Pump It Up
12) Dust 2
13) Either Side of The Same Town
14) I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
15) Uncomplicated
***************************
16) Watching The Detectives (new version)
17) Almost Blue
***************************
18) Deep Dark Truthful Mirror / You Really Got A Hold On Me
19) Shipbuilding
20) What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding
July 07, 2003
Review: Montreal Jazz Festival
Elvis in Montreal - Credit: TYREL FEATHERSTONE, THE GAZETTE
EXCERPTS: "There were celebrity sightings - Leonardo DiCaprio hiding under a cap in a loge seat at Biréli Lagrène's tribute to Django Reinhardt and showing up at the Wilco show with Ethan Hawke. Ray Liotta also turned up backstage at the Elvis Costello show, with Jack Kerouac's niece Christine looking on. Costello, in turn, was ushered into sax legend Lee Konitz's dressing room by Montreal's walking jazz encyclopedia, Len Dobbin, who announced the British singer's arrival with a casual "Hey, Lee - Elvis is here." Costello's upcoming album, North, features Konitz."
Excited music lovers, exhausted organizers and bleary-eyed writers were all over the map this weekend as they tried to single out his or her favourite moments of the 24th annual Montreal International Jazz Festival, which ended yesterday. The festival, which seems to get more eclectic and broader-reaching by the year, had them all scrambling for superlatives as they tried to make some sense of the marathon that began 11 days and a musical lifetime ago with a dixieland celebration and was set to end only hours ago with guitarist Jimmy Johnson's blues riffs.
There were celebrity sightings - Leonardo DiCaprio hiding under a cap in a loge seat at Biréli Lagrène's tribute to Django Reinhardt and showing up at the Wilco show with Ethan Hawke. Ray Liotta also turned up backstage at the Elvis Costello show, with Jack Kerouac's niece Christine looking on. Costello, in turn, was ushered into sax legend Lee Konitz's dressing room by Montreal's walking jazz encyclopedia, Len Dobbin, who announced the British singer's arrival with a casual "Hey, Lee - Elvis is here." Costello's upcoming album, North, features Konitz.
There was also a near-tragedy when drummer Jack DeJohnette's car was wrecked as he approached the Canadian border on the festival's opening day. While DeJohnette was not injured, festival driver Mike Darby said the musician seemed shaken, even days later. When a journalist wished the musician a safe trip home, DeJohnette was seen taking a deep breath and rolling his eyes.
As always, though, most people were talking music. And if their recaps had anything like a common foundation, it was probably only the fact that it was physically impossible for any of them to catch all 500 indoor and outdoor shows that were offered during the 11-day festival.
André Ménard, the festival's co-founder and artistic director, picked pianist Egberto Gismonti's solo performance as a high point, along with Konitz's shows, Lagrène's homage to Reinhardt and Bobby McFerrin's concert. "We expected something special, but (McFerrin) surpassed all expectations," Ménard said.
Programming co-ordinator Johanne Bougie said she was impressed with Costello's show. "He's a big part of my life. I grew up with him, so it was great to see him growing even farther at his age," Bougie said. She also singled out the Tord Gustavsen Trio, Joe Zawinul Syndicate, "Saint" Ben Harper, McFerrin, DeJohnette's first show with Herbie Hancock and Dave Holland, Louis Winsberg's Jaleo flamenco jazz concert and pianist Stefano Bollani. In fact, when Bollani asked for audience requests to construct an impromptu medley, it was Bougie who shouted out Love Me Tender.
CBC Radio's Katie Malloch, host of Jazz Beat, didn't hesitate to pick Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone - "really well-matched, masterful musicians," she said - as a favourite, along with Kenny Wheeler and the Dave Holland Big Band.
David Becket, jazz director for WWPV radio in Burlington, Vt., said he concentrated on acts he couldn't easily hear in the United States. "Where else could I hear the Italians and the French?" he asked, citing clarinettist Gabriele Mirabassi and pianists Baptiste Trotignon and Martial Solal. He also praised Wheeler, Lagrène's "Django-palooza" and the French rocksteady combo Jim Murple Memorial.
Writer Michelle Mercer, who is working on a biography of opening-night hero Wayne Shorter, covered what she called the "embarrassment of riches" for the Wall Street Journal.
"It's not often we get to see solo performances by the German avant-gardeist Joachim Kühn or a full piano concert by Egberto Gismonti, who's more well-known for guitar," Mercer said.
"The programming is almost too rich," Gilles Boudru, the Paris-based editor of Jazz Notes magazine agreed. "You're always trying to make impossible choices." Boudru, attending the festival for the first time, singled out shows by Wheeler, Gustavsen and the Avram Fefer Trio as picks that paid off. He also spoke enthusiastically of local musicians like pianist Jeff Johnston and drummer Greg Ritchie.
For Arnold J. Smith, jazz-history lecturer at New Jersey City University and treasurer of the Jazz Journalists Association, the festival has no comparable counterpart in North America.
"It's the most expansive and experimental festival - and you can hear Cuban music and ethnic sounds directly from the source, instead of the more derivative copycat acts you find in other festivals," he said.
Smith, a 10-year veteran, gave his strongest endorsement to Konitz's four Invitation series concerts. "It was like growing up with Lee all over again, yet he never repeated himself," he said.
Even genre-spanning expectations were met. Publicist Brian Coleman, who helps bring festival-bound journalists to Montreal for the Boston firm of Braithwaite & Katz, bestowed kudos on everything from David Murray's straight-ahead jazz to the Fefer Trio's mixmaster approach and Rubin Steiner's "Jazztronica."
And Brazilian songbird Bïa? "Kicks Cesaria Evora's ass," Coleman said.
And with the jazz-fest music goes the peerless jazz-fest ambience.
"It's a gigantic festival, but also très intime - a big machine that has a family atmosphere," Boudru said. "People on the street stop you to talk about music - people you will probably never see again."
The festival's good vibrations act as a great equalizer, according to Anaïs Detolle, who welcomed the musicians as soon as they got off the airport bus at the Wyndham Hotel.
"There are a lot of big stars at our festival, but they don't act like it," she said. "Maybe it's the atmosphere."
Or people like Detolle. Jazz Times reporter Bill Milkowski, who wrote Swing It! An Annotated History of Jive, said he has a sentimental attachment to the festival because his first child was conceived here in 1994. For him, it comes down to support at all levels.
"Compared with the staff at other festivals, the people here really reveal themselves as human beings and music fans. You develop friendships here that you don't elsewhere. The kindnesses seem to seep down to the audiences, who really co-operate with the musicians in creating an atmosphere. I've seem some of these artists elsewhere, but somehow they play out of their minds here - maybe because of the vibe of the audience," Milkowski said.
"You don't see negative displays of rowdiness. Everybody's mellow here, Human kindness - hey, what a concept!"
Review: Chicago Tribune
Costello harks back to when he was angry
EXCERPTS: "Yet even after returning to rock last year with his CD "When I Was Cruel," Costello remains defined by the music from his angry-young-man days of more than 20 years ago. Those songs made up most of his set. And on "Alison," he tacitly acknowledged that in their own way they now are as much a part of pop music's past as "Tracks of My Tears" and "Suspicious Minds."
"...But it was keyboard player Steve Nieve -- who, like Thomas, is a veteran of Costello's original backing band, the Attractions -- that kept the music on an emotional roller coaster with organ lines that seeped into the cracks of the songs, hovered over them, tumbled through them and chased them around the stage. Nieve may have been playing Costello's songs, but it was his show."
"...Costello still has a voice like a knife, and he used it to carve out his brittle melodies, but it's questionable how much he still feels the spiteful sentiments behind them. He was more animated mimicking soul man pleading during a
version of Sam and Dave's "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" and more persuasive singing his heart out on the poignant ballad "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror."
>From the Chicago Tribune
http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/reviews/critics/mmx-gud167pp9.24jul06,0,2366267.story?coll=mmx-critics_heds
Costello harks back to when he was angry
By Kevin McKeough
Special to the Tribune
July 7 2003, 1:30 AM CDT
Elvis Costello and his band had just finished
an epic, withering version of "... Dust"
Sunday afternoon when a woman in the center
of the near-capacity crowd at Petrillo band
shell softly called for "Alison."
The request couldn't have been heard from the
stage. But as if on cue, Costello obliged,
following one of his newest songs with one of
his first and most familiar, using it to
anchor a medley of hits by Smokey Robinson
and that other Elvis.
Costello has spent most of the last decade
consciously avoiding becoming an oldies act,
stretching himself artistically by
collaborating with the likes of classical
musicians the Brodsky Quartet, easy listening
icon Burt Bacharach, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell
and opera singer Anne Sophie von Otter.
Yet even after returning to rock last year
with his CD "When I Was Cruel," Costello
remains defined by the music from his
angry-young-man days of more than 20 years
ago. Those songs made up most of his set.
And on "Alison," he tacitly acknowledged that
in their own way they now are as much a part
of pop music's past as "Tracks of My Tears"
and "Suspicious Minds."
In a way, the mature Elvis Costello was covering
the songs of his younger self, so it made sense
that he loosened up the tightly knotted
arrangements of the original versions for
renditions that emphasized their garage rock
roots.
He abandoned the soul groove of "Everyday I
Write the Book" for churning guitar and
walloping drums, turned "Less Than Zero" into
a cheerleading session, and rolled breezily
over what were the hills and valleys of "Pump
It Up."
Former Cracker bassist Davey Faragher played
rubbery grooves, and Pete Thomas' relentless
drumming reached a peak on "Clubland."
But it was keyboard player Steve Nieve -- who,
like Thomas, is a veteran of Costello's original
backing band, the Attractions -- that kept the
music on an emotional roller coaster with organ
lines that seeped into the cracks of the songs,
hovered over them, tumbled through them and
chased them around the stage. Nieve may have
been playing Costello's songs, but it was his show.
Costello still has a voice like a knife, and he
used it to carve out his brittle melodies, but
it's questionable how much he still feels the
spiteful sentiments behind them. He was more
animated mimicking soul man pleading during a
version of Sam and Dave's "I Can't Stand Up For
Falling Down" and more persuasive singing his
heart out on the poignant ballad "Deep Dark
Truthful Mirror."
He saved his venom for a bluesy version of Mose
Allison's "Everybody's Crying Mercy," pointedly
singing, "Everybody's crying 'peace on earth'
just as soon as we win this war." Costello also
dedicated the last song of his show, "(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" to
much-maligned Bush-bashers the Dixie Chicks.
For all the vitriol in his back catalog, on this
afternoon it was as close to an act of defiance
as Costello or his music ever got.
>From the Chicago Tribune
http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/reviews/critics/mmx-gud167pp9.24jul06,0,2366267.story?coll=mmx-critics_heds
Costello harks back to when he was angry
By Kevin McKeough
Special to the Tribune
July 7 2003, 1:30 AM CDT
Elvis Costello and his band had just finished
an epic, withering version of "... Dust"
Sunday afternoon when a woman in the center
of the near-capacity crowd at Petrillo band
shell softly called for "Alison."
The request couldn't have been heard from the
stage. But as if on cue, Costello obliged,
following one of his newest songs with one of
his first and most familiar, using it to
anchor a medley of hits by Smokey Robinson
and that other Elvis.
Costello has spent most of the last decade
consciously avoiding becoming an oldies act,
stretching himself artistically by
collaborating with the likes of classical
musicians the Brodsky Quartet, easy listening
icon Burt Bacharach, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell
and opera singer Anne Sophie von Otter.
Yet even after returning to rock last year
with his CD "When I Was Cruel," Costello
remains defined by the music from his
angry-young-man days of more than 20 years
ago. Those songs made up most of his set.
And on "Alison," he tacitly acknowledged that
in their own way they now are as much a part
of pop music's past as "Tracks of My Tears"
and "Suspicious Minds."
In a way, the mature Elvis Costello was covering
the songs of his younger self, so it made sense
that he loosened up the tightly knotted
arrangements of the original versions for
renditions that emphasized their garage rock
roots.
He abandoned the soul groove of "Everyday I
Write the Book" for churning guitar and
walloping drums, turned "Less Than Zero" into
a cheerleading session, and rolled breezily
over what were the hills and valleys of "Pump
It Up."
Former Cracker bassist Davey Faragher played
rubbery grooves, and Pete Thomas' relentless
drumming reached a peak on "Clubland."
But it was keyboard player Steve Nieve -- who,
like Thomas, is a veteran of Costello's original
backing band, the Attractions -- that kept the
music on an emotional roller coaster with organ
lines that seeped into the cracks of the songs,
hovered over them, tumbled through them and
chased them around the stage. Nieve may have
been playing Costello's songs, but it was his show.
Costello still has a voice like a knife, and he
used it to carve out his brittle melodies, but
it's questionable how much he still feels the
spiteful sentiments behind them. He was more
animated mimicking soul man pleading during a
version of Sam and Dave's "I Can't Stand Up For
Falling Down" and more persuasive singing his
heart out on the poignant ballad "Deep Dark
Truthful Mirror."
He saved his venom for a bluesy version of Mose
Allison's "Everybody's Crying Mercy," pointedly
singing, "Everybody's crying 'peace on earth'
just as soon as we win this war." Costello also
dedicated the last song of his show, "(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" to
much-maligned Bush-bashers the Dixie Chicks.
For all the vitriol in his back catalog, on this
afternoon it was as close to an act of defiance
as Costello or his music ever got.
Copyright © 2003, The Chicago Tribune
.
Setlist: Chicago July 6th
1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Tear Off Your Own Head
3. Everyday I Write The Book
4. Less Than Zero
5. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
6. Everybody's Crying Mercy
7. Clubland
8. Clown Strike
9. Pump It Up
10. Dust 2...
11. Alison/Tracks Of My Tears/Suspicious Minds
12. Uncomplicated
13. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
14. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror/You Really Got A Hold On Me
15. Beyond Belief
16. Radio, Radio
17. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
July 06, 2003
Review: Toronto
LIVE: Elvis Costello Friday July 04, 2003 @ 05:00 PM
ChartAttack.com By: Elizabeth Chorney-Booth
Back in town only a year after he brought his When I Was Cruel Tour to the Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto was spoiled by yet another visit by the incomparable Elvis Costello. Without a new album to promote and the luxury of playing in a soft-seater theatre, Costello used his return performance as an opportunity to treat his audience to a rare set of his own (if not necessarily everyone in the audience’s) old favourites and a jazzy sensibility that may hint at the feel of his upcoming piano-based album, North, which is due in September.
Rather than slapping them with a greatest hits show, Costello’s seduction of his audience was slow and calculated. Put the man in a theatre and he’ll give you a theatre show — each time he changed his guitar the vibe shifted like a new act of a play — and he brought out all of his characters: the adult singer-songwriter, the angry young man and the tender softie. Coming out with a big hollow-body, Costello began his set on a mellow vibe, leading his Imposters in subtle, keyboard-heavy versions of songs like "My Dark Life" and "So Like Candy." While it was all tasteful enough, Costello’s lack of interaction with the crowd and detached mellowness was frustrating and by the time he got to a deflated version of "Pump It Up," a few confused fans were shifting in their seats and desperately yelling out requests for "Alison."
But it was all part of Costello’s genius plan. Changing to a solid-body guitar, he cranked out a revved-up rendition of "I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down." After playing rock ‘n’ roller for a spell, another change — to an acoustic guitar — was when Costello really turned on the charm, breaking down his wall of detachment and finally becoming truly intimate with the audience. Buttering up his victims with "Indoor Fireworks" and "Sweet Dreams," Costello sealed the deal by throwing in a cover of "You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me," eliciting tears and frantic singalongs from the crowd.
Throughout it all, while Costello’s song choices made the show special and his band was pristine, it was his voice that stole the show. With the crystal clear acoustics of the Hummingbird Centre, Elvis’ voice was front and centre. Often stepping back from the mic to let the air carry his anguished voice, it was the sincerity and quality of his tone that made this performance exceptional.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Costello came back for more, giving two staggering encores, building the crowd up with "Every Day I Write The Book" and "Watching The Detectives," before completely devastating every tender heart in the room with a performance of "Almost Blue" that rivaled the chilling rendition of "I Want You" that he played at the Amphitheatre last year. Finally, knowing that he had us all exactly where he wanted us, Costello pulled everyone back up with "(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love And Understanding," leaving his emotionally exhausted audience to dance in aisles. We couldn’t have asked for a kinder, or more dramatic, seduction.
Ottawa BluesFest Review
Watching the Master - From the Ottawa Sun
EXCERPTS: "...Clad entirely in black and with his trademark yellow-shaded horn-rims, Costello was all business for the set, wearing a frequent wry, half smile, tossing out a few Thank You Very Much-es and teasing the crowd by stepping up to the mike and then quickly moving away.
"I'm doing just fine," he shot back at one point to a fan who inquired. "Like to hear a new song?"
The new tune was a beautiful ballad called Either Side of the Same Town, and though it's not listed on his website, fans can only hope it will show up this September when Costello releases his 24th album, a piano-heavy ballad offering dubbed North...."
Watching the master
Costello one cool cat on a hot tin Bluesfest stage
By ANN MARIE McQUEEN -- Ottawa Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ELVIS COSTELLO
Ottawa Bluesfest
Saturday, July 5, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elvis Costello must have been getting tired of nervy concert-goers shouting out song titles from his 26-year catalogue.
When he played Toronto's Hummingbird Centre Wednesday night and had suffered enough of those antics, he politely told the crowd "we don't do requests."
But judging from the 48-year-old singer's masterful 90-minute performance at the Ottawa Bluesfest Main Stage last night in front of another packed Festival Plaza, he sort of does.
Because he had rejigged his set list enough to launch into I Hope You're Happy Now for an upbeat opener and further placate with hits Everyday I Write the Book and (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes third and fourth from the top.
HOT AND SUCCESSFUL
It was a classy, not-entirely-without-blues capper to a hot and successful Day 2 of the festival that saw 23,600 through the gates.
Clad entirely in black and with his trademark yellow-shaded horn-rims, Costello was all business for the set, wearing a frequent wry, half smile, tossing out a few Thank You Very Much-es and teasing the crowd by stepping up to the mike and then quickly moving away.
"I'm doing just fine," he shot back at one point to a fan who inquired. "Like to hear a new song?"
The new tune was a beautiful ballad called Either Side of the Same Town, and though it's not listed on his website, fans can only hope it will show up this September when Costello releases his 24th album, a piano-heavy ballad offering dubbed North.
Listening to Costello belt out lyrics of loneliness and heartbreak -- "It's hard to act like strangers when we used to be so strong" -- when his romance with Canadian jazz diva Diana Krall has been so well-publicized provided another interesting layer.
The crowd loved this masterful performer most when he was wailing on his guitar and bringing things down during a jazzy, snap-your-fingers version of Watching the Detectives, even when he briefly shushed them for being too noisy.
SING IT AGAIN
He inspired during another hit Pump It Up and when the audience failed to sing the chorus back to him during their first chance, this cool-as-a-cat performer didn't hesitate to give them a second chance.
Even when his voice is cracking, as happened more than once last night, Costello is one cool dude.
He held an appreciative crowd absolutely spellbound while weaving from painfully honest Deep Dark Truthful Mirror into Smokey Robinson's You Really Got a Hold On Me and then right back to Mirror before leaving the stage for the first time.
A five-song encore brought the show home, with Costello belting out a few more satisfying hits like Alison and (What's Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding.
July 05, 2003
NY Times Review: "The Shape Of Things"
(By: A.O. Scott, The New York Times)
"Notorious misanthrope Neil LaBute adapts his own play for the big screen, a kind of curdled parable of sexual cruelty, a gender-reversed variation of LaBute's most searing film "In The Company of Men."
Rachel Weisz stars as a college student and aspiring artist >who uses the timid and insecure Paul Rudd as an experiment in man-molding. There is very little here that's recognizably human.
Elvis Costello, whose songs provide relief from LaBute's dialogue, has managed more corrosive insight in a single verse than LaBute has in entire plays, and more compassion as well. Verdict: C-
(Submitted by Kelly Hale)
Review: Toronto by Toronto Star
Costello Gig On His Terms
By: VIT WAGNER
"After more than 25 years of writing tunes, Elvis Costello boasts a songbook that rivals all but the most prolific composers of the rock era....While Costello was welcomed on to the stage with a generous ovation, no whistles or hollers of appreciation greeted the opening bars of his first offering, "Everybody's Crying Mercy," a Mose Allison song that appears on 1995's Kojak Variety. And the audience wasn't exactly humming merrily along with his next serving, "My Dark Life," an extra track from the 2-CD reissue of 1996's All This Useless Beauty.
After "In The Darkest Place" from Painted From Memory, Costello's brilliant but largely neglected 1998 collaboration with Burt Bacharach, he tossed out a bone in the form of "Clubland," which the audience hungrily seized. Then he reverted to form with "So Like Candy" and "Clown Strike," two more tunes penned during the '90s..."
Costello's gig on his terms
VIT WAGNER
POP MUSIC CRITIC
After more than 25 years of writing tunes, Elvis Costello boasts a songbook that rivals all but the most prolific composers of the rock era.
The 48-year-old singer/guitarist probed the obscure recesses of that repertoire at the Hummingbird Centre Wednesday night in a way that tested the recognition factor of even his most obsessive devotees.
Costello, who made his debut back in 1977 with My Aim Is True, gave every impression of being on a mission to validate the largely ignored and even maligned portion of his career that followed the 1986 release of King Of America.
While Costello was welcomed on to the stage with a generous ovation, no whistles or hollers of appreciation greeted the opening bars of his first offering, "Everybody's Crying Mercy," a Mose Allison song that appears on 1995's Kojak Variety. And the audience wasn't exactly humming merrily along with his next serving, "My Dark Life," an extra track from the 2-CD reissue of 1996's All This Useless Beauty.
After "In The Darkest Place" from Painted From Memory, Costello's brilliant but largely neglected 1998 collaboration with Burt Bacharach, he tossed out a bone in the form of "Clubland," which the audience hungrily seized. Then he reverted to form with "So Like Candy" and "Clown Strike," two more tunes penned during the '90s.
By this point the chorus of requests was growing audible and potentially disruptive. Costello ignored the shouts for "Alison," "Watching The Detectives" and other chestnuts, stopping during one of his few conversational interludes to say, "I forgot to mention, we don't do requests."
It was a bold move. And, thanks to the sure-handed accompaniment of keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher, a brilliantly executed one as well. In almost every respect, this was a much better and more memorable concert than the one the same quartet delivered last summer at the Molson Amphitheatre, even if the set list on that occasion was probably more fan-friendly.
"Toledo," another track from the Bacharach album, is one of the finest songs Costello has written in the past decade. And each clever phrase resonated with crystalline clarity.
"Indoor Fireworks," which launched the acoustic guitar segment of the program, was another shining moment, as was a hushed version of the Patsy Cline-imprinted "Sweet Dreams."
Perhaps influenced by his fiancŽe, Canadian jazz diva Diana Krall, Costello maintained a low-key, restrained approach throughout, even taking a little bit of the compressed air out of "Pump It Up," a rare re-acquaintance with his early career.
At one point, a frustrated fan shouted, "Rock out!" to no avail.
This wasn't a night for pandering to the audience.
It was a night when the performer gradually succeeded in winning the audience over by showing off his less recognizable side.
Montreal Preview / Interview
Ever-Changing Elvis - By: BERNARD PERUSSE - The Gazette
EXCERPTS: "If there's one thing Elvis Costello's followers can predict, it's that their predictions will usually be wrong. From straight-ahead rock to challenging string-quartet arrangements to pop collaborations with Burt Bacharach, the singer has restlessly pursued new ground with almost every project.
Tonight Costello plays the Montreal International Jazz Festival with backup group The Imposters - drummer Pete Thomas, force-of-nature keyboard player Steve Nieve and bassist Davey Faragher. "Actually, this tour is fairly unique in that we're playing the Montreal Jazz, the Ottawa Blues and the Calgary Folk Festivals all in the same spin. That pretty much says everything about definitions and what I'm about," Costello said....
"What unites Costello's work is the quality of his songwriting. Over the course of a 26-year career, even his weakest material has shown clever craftsmanship. His best is the stuff of full-on inspiration. Costello would be the first to admit that not all his efforts have been stellar: this is, after all, the man who began the liner notes to the reissue of Goodbye Cruel World (1984) by congratulating the reader for buying his worst album.
Still, there's a minimum standard. "I've never yet gone into the studio without songs," he said. "You'd be surprised how many people do that. They say 'We're going to make a record,' and the very last thing they thought to do is write any material. They sort of try and will it into existence - particularly if they've got strong personalities. They might even have instrumental signature sounds. In a lot of minds, that's enough to make a record. But it doesn't do it for me."
...For now, the immediate concern is live performance. Given that tonight marks only the fifth Costello sighting in Montreal since 1978, fans would be ill-advised to gamble on sitting it out until next time. "I kick myself when I think about people that I might have seen if I'd been a little less lazy and got out," Costello said. "The best place to hear music these days is in concert."
If there's one thing Elvis Costello's followers can predict, it's that their predictions will usually be wrong. From straight-ahead rock to challenging string-quartet arrangements to pop collaborations with Burt Bacharach, the singer has restlessly pursued new ground with almost every project.
Tonight Costello plays the Montreal International Jazz Festival with backup group The Imposters - drummer Pete Thomas, force-of-nature keyboard player Steve Nieve and bassist Davey Faragher. "Actually, this tour is fairly unique in that we're playing the Montreal Jazz, the Ottawa Blues and the Calgary Folk Festivals all in the same spin. That pretty much says everything about definitions and what I'm about," Costello said.
What unites Costello's work is the quality of his songwriting. Over the course of a 26-year career, even his weakest material has shown clever craftsmanship. His best is the stuff of full-on inspiration. Costello would be the first to admit that not all his efforts have been stellar: this is, after all, the man who began the liner notes to the reissue of Goodbye Cruel World (1984) by congratulating the reader for buying his worst album.
Still, there's a minimum standard. "I've never yet gone into the studio without songs," he said. "You'd be surprised how many people do that. They say 'We're going to make a record,' and the very last thing they thought to do is write any material. They sort of try and will it into existence - particularly if they've got strong personalities. They might even have instrumental signature sounds. In a lot of minds, that's enough to make a record. But it doesn't do it for me."
Further evidence of consistency can be found in the reissues of Costello's back catalogue that started coming out two years ago, each supplemented by a full disc of bonus material related to the sessions. This Year's Model (1978), Brutal Youth (1994) and Spike (1989) are among the albums that have been rehauled so far. "Part of the possibility of the process of reissuing them is that people may hear them afresh," Costello said. "Certain fashions of the time may prejudice people's ears to a record on its first release. A little down the road, the intentions become a little clearer on review - maybe not to me, but to the listener. I always knew what I was doing."
Even the angry young man of the punk-rock era doesn't seem entirely foreign to his older self, Costello said. "I still sing some of the songs from even my earliest records, but they're transformed somewhat by the passage of time - hopefully not in a bad way," he said.
In a recent appearance as guest host of the David Letterman Show, a witty and self-confident Costello bantered with Kim Cattrall and Eddie Izzard, revealing a flair for on-camera comedy that few expected. "I don't see myself as a talk-show host, but some sort of musical thing on television - I could certainly handle that. I've always known I could do it. Nobody ever really thought to give me a chance," he said.
For now, the immediate concern is live performance. Given that tonight marks only the fifth Costello sighting in Montreal since 1978, fans would be ill-advised to gamble on sitting it out until next time. "I kick myself when I think about people that I might have seen if I'd been a little less lazy and got out," Costello said. "The best place to hear music these days is in concert."
And, of course, expect the unexpected. Talking from Toronto Tuesday night, Costello said he and the Imposters will have changed their minds five times about the set list by the time they get here. "A lot of music is pretty much all the same: it kind of comes out of a big sausage machine. We try to keep things from being too predictable," he said.
July 03, 2003
Review: Toronto
Elvis pumps it up - Superb artist presents old songs in brand new ways - By JANE STEVENSON
Elvis Costello may have a classic songbook that stretches back 26 years but he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear last night at the Hummingbird Centre: "We don't do requests." This clarification came after some audience members had clumsily spent the first part of his two-hour concert shouting out song titles during some of the show's more delicate pauses despite the fact that the British singer-songwriter was doing just fine without their guidance.
In fact, last night was probably the most vocally strong I've ever heard Costello -- or maybe it was just that I could hear him so well in the intimate and acoustically perfect surroundings -- as he expertly crooned his way through both more obscure songs and familiar hits, the latter for the most part dramatically rearranged.
Thus you had a strangely slowed down version of the normally blistering Pump It Up , a more playful and sped-up rendition of Everyday I Write The Book and a downright jazzy, finger-snapping run-through of Watching The Detectives.
In between, Costello and The Imposters -- Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas, along with new bassist Davey Faragher (Cracker) -- never failed to entertain.
COSTELLO SEDUCED THE CROWD
It was more like a complete and utter seduction really as Costello -- dressed in head-to-toe black save for red cowboy boots -- coerced the crowd into singalongs on tunes ranging from Tart -- from 2002's When I Was Cruel - - to the Beatles' You Really Got A Hold On Me.
Costello was equally at his intoxicating best on both pretty and caustic pop ballads like My Dark Life, In The Darkest Place, So Like Candy, Toledo and Indoor Fireworks, and the more uptempo Dust 2, I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down) and I Hope You're Happy Now.
Since Costello played here a little over a year ago at the Molson Amphitheatre, he's become engaged to Canadian jazz-pop pianist Diana Krall and he'll follow up When I Was Cruel with North, an album said to be influenced by her since it features 11 piano-based ballads.
All I care about is that he returns to perform again, and soon, because, frankly, there are few showmen like him as he so capably demonstrated during the show-ending (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.
July 2, 2003 Setlist - Toronto
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Hummingbird Centre
Toronto, Ontario
1. Everybody's Crying Mercy
2. My Dark Life
3. In The Darkest Place
4. Clubland
5. So Like Candy
6. Clown Strike
7. Toledo
8. Dust 2...
9. Pump It Up
10. Either Side Of The Same Town
11. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
12. Man Out Of Time
13. Indoor Fireworks
14. Sweet Dreams
15. Tart
16. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror / You Really Got A Hold On Me
Encore 1
17. Everyday I Write The Book
18. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
19. I Hope You're Happy Now
Encore 2
20. Watching The Detectives
21. Almost Blue
22. (What's So Funny, 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?
July 02, 2003
Why Why Why Why
Welcome to the Second Edition of CostelloNews.com. After six months or so at the old URL, it was time for some new software, a new design, and sort-of-a-new-name.
This blog now runs in Movable Type, which as some advantages over Radio which was used before. Most notably it is easier to add images and easier to create a nicer page layout. The site now has a new home along with www.elvis-costello.com, but you can always get here using the www.costellonews.com URL.
The old site and all its entries can be found by clicking the 'prior to july 03' link in the archives section along the right edge. Or you can go here anytime and browse or search.
Thanks for playing along...