scrambling the signal emitted by the 'Elvis Costello' brand
Time Out (London), October 13-20, 2004 reviews -
'Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello'
Graeme Thomson
History may repeat the old conceits, but journalist Thomson avoids most of them in this sensitive, impeccably researched account of Declan MacManus's journey from pub-rock mediocrity in Flip City to New Wave megastardom with the Attractions and beyond, into the patience-testing hinterland of crossover and experimentation where he's currently mired. Thomson deals early on with the incident that derailed Costello's US career - the bar-room brawl with Stephen Stills and his band during which Costello described Ray Charles as 'nothing but a blind, ignorant nigger.' It was a wind-up, of course, and Charles graciously forgave Costello ('Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper'), but it set a precedent for the self-sabotage that has become Costello's stock in trade.
Costello's private demons have always informed his work, and Thomson deals diplomatically with his relationships with women (including groupie queen Bebe Buell and, latterly, Diana Krall), as well as the slip-sliding marriage to the Attractions. He's also an astute critic, especially of albums like 'Spike' (1989) and 'Mighty Like A Rose' (1991) - laboured twaddle, though inexplicably well reviewed on release. In the end, you can't help but conclude that Costello's 'problems' - he's far too bright, and too eclectic in his influences, to be a pop star, plus his zeal for collaborations (with, among others, the Brodsky Quartet and Burt Bacharach) has damaged his solo career by scrambling the signal emitted by the 'Elvis Costello' brand - are really problems with our culture. As I write this, his best album for years, 'The Delivery Man', is languishing in the bottom reaches of the Top 75. 'Complicated Shadows' fills you with righteous anger that this should be the case. It also sends you straight back to the records armed with fresh insights.
Time Out (London), October 13-20, 2004
'Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello'
Graeme Thomson
Canongate, £16.99
History may repeat the old conceits, but journalist Thomson avoids most of them in this sensitive, impeccably researched account of Declan MacManus's journey from pub-rock mediocrity in Flip City to New Wave megastardom with the Attractions and beyond, into the patience-testing hinterland of crossover and experimentation where he's currently mired. Thomson deals early on with the incident that derailed Costello's US career - the bar-room brawl with Stephen Stills and his band during which Costello described Ray Charles as 'nothing but a blind, ignorant nigger.' It was a wind-up, of course, and Charles graciously forgave Costello ('Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper'), but it set a precedent for the self-sabotage that has become Costello's stock in trade.
Costello's private demons have always informed his work, and Thomson deals diplomatically with his relationships with women (including groupie queen Bebe Buell and, latterly, Diana Krall), as well as the slip-sliding marriage to the Attractions. He's also an astute critic, especially of albums like 'Spike' (1989) and 'Mighty Like A Rose' (1991) - laboured twaddle, though inexplicably well reviewed on release. In the end, you can't help but conclude that Costello's 'problems' - he's far too bright, and too eclectic in his influences, to be a pop star, plus his zeal for collaborations (with, among others, the Brodsky Quartet and Burt Bacharach) has damaged his solo career by scrambling the signal emitted by the 'Elvis Costello' brand - are really problems with our culture. As I write this, his best album for years, 'The Delivery Man', is languishing in the bottom reaches of the Top 75. 'Complicated Shadows' fills you with righteous anger that this should be the case. It also sends you straight back to the records armed with fresh insights.
John O'Connell