From This Year's Model by Elvis Costello.
The whole album remains a huge touchstone for me, over thirty years down the road. I hate to say that he peaked so early, and there were other high points, but there, I've said it. He never did better than this. For me, the album is intractably linked to the repressed anger that was my internal life in my teen years. The powerlessness, the humiliations, the rejection by the fairer sex. It's all here, and much more articulate than I was at the time. Where I was left speechless, Elvis spoke for me.
"Lip Service" is built on a strummed 12-string riff, much brighter musically than the lyrics would warrant. The singer appears to have gone with the preemptive strike, rejecting before he can be rejected. Going through the motions, with sincerity the fallen victim.
"When did you become so choosy?
Don't act like you're above me,
Just look at your shoes."
"Lip service is all you'll ever get from me"
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While I never bought one of his albums, I always enjoyed hearing his music on the radio, or watching his videos on MTV (before it went to hell).
ReplyDeleteTwo tunes of his that seem to be forever stuck in my mind are, Alison, and The Angels Want To Wear My Red Shoes, from his My Aim Is True album.
I agree that he peaked early, but that's true for so many singer/song writers, and other artists as well. There seems to be a creative arch in an artists life, and they usually reach their apogee somewhere between their mid twenties to mid thirties. From there on, their bag of tricks is pretty well depleted. They can still be good for a long time afterward, but they are essentially coasting on their reputations.
Today I would far rather listen to his wife's music.
Melissa XX
Melissa, the two songs you mention are my favorite EC songs to play on guitar. His earliest stuff is his simplest, though "Alison" has a pretty sophisticated chord progression.
ReplyDeleteIt took him a long time to exhaust his bag of tricks, and he had enough that he only revisits them every ten years or so. Very Bowie-like in terms of changing direction for the sake of it.
And I would MUCH rather look at his stunning wife than his mug.
As big as Aim was, as strong a follow on as TYM was, as surprising as Armed Forces was (and on down through the ages) Imperial Bedroom is for me his truest masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteAnd here we are close to 35 years after first seeing him on SNL sneering at the cameras, abandoning "Less than Zero" a few bars into the tune, and I remain hopeful that he can do it again. Elvis is alive.
And it kills me too that his wife plays even better than she looks. Not bloody fair. This angel wants to wear her red shoes...
Love to see a favorite album poll here m'dear...
Petra, you make a fine argument.
ReplyDeleteAmong many excellent albums, I count three masterpieces: TYM, Imperial Bedroom, and King of America. I wore out Imperial Bedroom for years, but now it seems overly precious in places, too lush by half. I listen to it sporadically.
TYM, though, brings back much stronger feelings (teen hormones, ya know), and it just rocks a lot harder.
So, is Bowie the way to go for a poll, or do you envision something else?
Delighted that KOA made the podium. Being a bit of a lush myself, the rich production assault of Bedroom never put me off my feed.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that Bowie arouses greater passion than EC though, and is after all a bit of a gender pioneer too. May as well go with the Thin White Duke poll.
Keep on rocking in the free world...
Leslie Ann
ReplyDeleteYou've hit a chord with me here including Elvis Costello (awful pun). Olivers Army is the first vinyl 45 I ever bought. I have this album on CD but mainly as it includes Radio, Radio as a bonus track (only realeased as a 45 here but from same session). I love to play and sing that. Also enjoy playing Alison and Watching The Detectives and of course Girls Talk. Great Fun. Must admit though, not much interest in anything after the early 80's. We do have to thank him for Two Tone which he had a big part in. Love that.
Rachel XXX