Costello has sweetest punch -- still
The Boston Globe reports -
Excerpts: "When the Brodskey Quartet emerged for the first of several chamber music minisets, the ambience turned gloriously avant garde. The quartet kicked out the punches -- no joke -- on "Rocking Horse Road" with a wild and complicated arrangement. They careered through a supple Sgt. Pepper's-style accompaniment on "My Mood Swings," from the "Big Lebowski" soundtrack, and a cover of Randy Newman's "Real Emotional Girl." The sound of Costello's cracked warble surfing the perfectly burnished waves of cello and violin was more than gorgeous; it was downright moving.
The lengthy sections devoted to music from "North" felt, well, lengthy. The pieces are slow and intense, drenched in great intimacy and admirable style, but entirely without hooks. During those stretches it felt more like one was watching Costello relive his changes of heart than perform for an audience. A man of few spoken words, he saved them all up for an extended monologue in the middle of "God's Comic," a demented Tin Pan Alley rocker that imagines heaven, Costello explained, as a VIP lounge in a bad nightclub in 1985 where "Hungry Like the Wolf" plays over and over again. A round of stellar Bush-and-Cheney-bashing abounded, followed straightaway by an epic, two-man stand on "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?" It didn't get any better, or more poetic, or more musical, than that."
( Submitted by Herb Boers )
MUSIC REVIEW
Costello has sweetest punch -- still
By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff, 2/28/2004
The prognosis for Angry Young Men is never good. They die, or disappear
into
the maw of middle age, or, most horrible of all, keep at it. From a
less
artful punk, the vicious sentiments and paranoid delivery of Elvis
Costello's early albums might have suggested a prime candidate for a
bad
ending. His songs were mean and he looked like a brainy time bomb. It
turns
out that's exactly what he was: a literate and distinguished songwriter
who
exploded in every musical direction.
Costello's two-hour concert at the Wang last night spanned his 27-year
recording history, stretching back to the venomous ska-noir of
"Watching the
Detectives" and including many of the languid, lovely pieces from last
year's "North," his 20th album of new material. It's hard to think of
another artist who could command a stage while toggling with reckless
abandon between rock tunes and torch songs. Or one who would venture to
replace the raucous brawl of a rhythm section with the delicate pluck
and
velveteen whirl of a string quartet. Costello succeeds because he
hasn't
changed. The thing that fed the creative fires of his cranky youth -- a
brilliantly unlikely mash of advanced craft and raw passion -- is the
same
stuff that fuels his ambitious new music.
Costello threw the fans a few bones out of the gate, opening the show
with
"45," "Accidents Will Happen," "Home Truth," and "Suit of Lights."
Longtime
pianist Steve Nieve's ornate, baroque fills on the grand piano and
psychedelic melodica moved in odd and often delirious counterpoint to
Costello's nuts-and-bolts guitar thrashing. They rocked, elegantly.
When the Brodskey Quartet emerged for the first of several chamber
music
minisets, the ambience turned gloriously avant garde. The quartet
kicked out
the punches -- no joke -- on "Rocking Horse Road" with a wild and
complicated arrangement. They careered through a supple Sgt.
Pepper's-style
accompaniment on "My Mood Swings," from the "Big Lebowski" soundtrack,
and a
cover of Randy Newman's "Real Emotional Girl." The sound of Costello's
cracked warble surfing the perfectly burnished waves of cello and
violin was
more than gorgeous; it was downright moving.
The lengthy sections devoted to music from "North" felt, well, lengthy.
The
pieces are slow and intense, drenched in great intimacy and admirable
style,
but entirely without hooks. During those stretches it felt more like
one was
watching Costello relive his changes of heart than perform for an
audience.
A man of few spoken words, he saved them all up for an extended
monologue in
the middle of "God's Comic," a demented Tin Pan Alley rocker that
imagines
heaven, Costello explained, as a VIP lounge in a bad nightclub in 1985
where
"Hungry Like the Wolf" plays over and over again. A round of stellar
Bush-and-Cheney-bashing abounded, followed straightaway by an epic,
two-man
stand on "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?" It
didn't
get any better, or more poetic, or more musical, than that.
Joan Anderman can be reached at anderman@globe.com
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
Comments
A Twilight Zone evening to be sure. You've entered a zone where fans will listen quietly and appreciate all forms of Elvis. Classical Elvis, Country Elvis, Rock Elvis, Jazz Elvis. An Elvis for everyone. This is what happened at the Wang Center last night, just an amazing concert.
What a concert, not in a million years would I think I'd ever see a version of Pump it up receive a tepid response by an audience, while immediately after it "Sweet Dreams" got a standing ovation. This was an Elvis audience all the way (the only jerks in the crowd were the guy who was singing a bit too loud near the front, and someone at the very end asking for Alison-haven't we heard that enough?), a group of people who appreciated the talent on stage and the skillful lyrics and melodies wove by Elvis, Steve and the Brodsky's. Could you imagine Sting doing a concert where he played mostly ballads and the audience appreciated it or got it. Or even Bob Dylan? I know I sound like a Elvis snob, well I guess I am. But for the last 27 years he's brought everything musical to new level.
Some observations;
1) I don't know what happened in the first 4-5 songs, because I got separated from my wife and was looking for her. I know the song selection was going to be special when I heard him do "Suit of Lights", one I've never heard him do live. By the 4th song "Pills and Soap" with the BQ, my wife and I found each other, and knew something incredible was going on, because it was the earliest I ever remember seeing a standing ovation at a concert.
2)I wonder if Elvis is rethinking his opinion of "Goodbye Cruel World". He featured two songs from it (maybe three, I don't remember), "Home Truth" and "Inch by Inch"
3)The interplay between Elvis and Steve is wonderful, but so was his relation with the BQ. They kept pushing each other, especially on "Rocking Horse Road" and "My Mood Swings". Just a great musical pairing, that I hope continues for a long time.
4)Glad to see Steve get rid of the Theremin, fun for a while, but started to get old at the last concert at Lupo's.
5)Elvis, who previously seemed restrained on Bush and the war, came out swinging during "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror". I'm surprised that there hasn't been a backlash, similar to what happened to the Dixie Chicks. It almost seems like Elvis is welcoming it. Still very feisty, at the end of the concert he repeated a couple of times "make the change in November".
6)Elvis plays a mean ukulele! Great song, it would be wonderful if he won tomorrow night.
7)Almost Blue was an instant classic. Stirring introduction by the BQ, with Elvis and Steve singing and playing the song as if there lives depended on it. The extended ending was unbelievably beautiful, with Elvis taking over on piano and Steve playing the kepboard/harmonica while the Brodsky's vamped. Stunning!
8)It was odd to hear him sing "You'll never walk alone", a song I usually think of Jerry Lewis singing at the end of his telethon. It was well done, but not a song I'd ever think I'd hear him sing.
9)The concert ended with Elvis singing "Dark end of the street" as he's done throughout this tour. It was a particularly goosebump moment when he came off mike and sang back and forth with the audience "you and me".
Run to see this concert, if there are more dates. You won't be disappointed, in fact you might be inspired, in a way few artist can.
Posted by: Andy | February 28, 2004 2:56 PM