Help a Fangirl's Dream Come True

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SoLikeCandy
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Help a Fangirl's Dream Come True

Post by SoLikeCandy »

So, I have a friend who works for an independent newsweekly here in Indy. He has given me a task. Because he doesn't really want to have to do it, he has charged me with writing a 700-word piece on Elvis Costello, to be delivered by Monday morning at 9am. My wage: two fourth row tickets to the October 15th show.

Oh my.

His only direction has been to tell me that he wants "some kind of appreciation of him as an artist, not too fangirly but not so indepth that neophytes don't get it. i'm looking for a readable appreciation of him as an artist. it's not a term paper."

So far, I've got about 200 words, and I'm stuck. This is my dream: not only do I get to write--and have published--an article on EC, but I also get kick ass tickets for said article.

Give me ideas. PLEASE.
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martinfoyle
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Post by martinfoyle »

Off the top of my head, I'd use as a framework an account of Elvis' work over the last year or so. Throw in some mentions of his past work, but stick with the present. This would make a refreshing change from the usual writeups that seem to bang on about his first 4 albums, with his work in the quarter century since summarised in the last paragraph. Good luck.
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Post by ice nine »

I would comment on how the music has evolved as he ages. Like a year, Mr. Costello has many seasons and each season is just as beautiful as the other.
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Post by Dr. Luther »

I'd point out that "his aim is still true".

I'd mention his "avenging nerd" status during the halcyon days of "punk" and "new wave", with passing reference to his glasses and knock-knees...

And by all means, mention the "Ray Charles incident" of '79, that provided the benchmark of his 30 year career.

(I trust that the above sarcasm will give you an idea of some items that have been done to death, and would want to be avoided...)
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libster
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Post by libster »

Dr. Luther wrote:I'd point out that "his aim is still true".

I'd mention his "avenging nerd" status during the halcyon days of "punk" and "new wave", with passing reference to his glasses and knock-knees...

And by all means, mention the "Ray Charles incident" of '79, that provided the benchmark of his 30 year career.

(I trust that the above sarcasm will give you an idea of some items that have been done to death, and would want to be avoided...)
Ooh! Don't forget Bebe Buell! (libster ducks thrown chairs and spitballs..)

very funny post.... LOL 8)

I'm so jealous of the opportunity to write about EC in such a way!
If it were me, I'd mention the wide array of musical styles he works within...very few rock musicians can write classical, jazz, and opera!

I wish I had more to offer in terms of aid...good luck...
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Post by johnfoyle »

Remember when the Mastermind quiz show featured Elvis? I've always thought this quote from it encapsulates Elvis very well - maybe that could form a basis for your article .

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... 7&start=25

JH: Yeah, and he went on to do rather well, but not stunningly...I mean he's not one of those, erm, people you'd say "Oh my God, what a star!"

ET: No and I think that's part of the appeal for me, that he's never been a big star. He's essentially a fan of music, like I am, and he's introduced me via his various albums and projects to a lot of different types of music. From country to opera to chamber music to jazz.
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SoLikeCandy
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Post by SoLikeCandy »

How's about this for a beginning:

Elvis Costello has spent the past quarter of a century playing dress-up with music. He introduced nerd-punk to the world with his 1977 debut My Aim is True, and since then he’s donned nearly every musical hat he could find: folk with the Chieftans, pop with Paul McCartney, jazz with Burt Bacharach and wife Diana Krall, even trip-hop with Tricky. Last year, he released two completely different albums on the same day: The Delivery Man, a southern-fried rock song cycle about life and love in a small town; and Il Sogno, his classical debut based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Whether paired with another artist or alone, he’s never been afraid to try something different, something new. An elegant tuxedo or shit-kicking cowboy boots—Costello is at home in both.
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Post by selfmademug »

Dr. Luther wrote:I'd point out that "his aim is still true".

I'd mention his "avenging nerd" status during the halcyon days of "punk" and "new wave", with passing reference to his glasses and knock-knees...

And by all means, mention the "Ray Charles incident" of '79, that provided the benchmark of his 30 year career.
This sounded all well and good before you went and forgot to mention the phrase "Angry Young Man".
selfmademug

Post by selfmademug »

PS, SLC that's a great starting take/structure-- you'll be fine!! I'd say if you worked with that and added 10-20% explaining which bits of his millinary progress YOU like the least, and why, and what that means, and you're very impressively there.

If you're going to do any more of that reviewing stuff, and frankly, why don't you?. I highly recommend Virginia W's essay on bookreviewing--can't recall the title, you could prolly find it Googling _Virigina Woolf daggers_ .

Here it is; God bless expired copyright:

http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/w/ ... hap25.html
Last edited by selfmademug on Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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libster
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Post by libster »

great beginning SLC...good mood to start with.
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Post by bambooneedle »

The Delivery Man, a southern-fried rock song cycle about life and love in a small town
Not sure I'd describe it as southern-fried rock because that conjures up quite different stuff.

Also (you DID ask for help!), I think "he has never been afraid to try something new, something different" would deny him credit if he ever has been but persisted anyway.
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idle hands
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Post by idle hands »

Hi,
I read this article yesterday on a local paper, and then read SoLikeCandy's post. This is what I think might be the wrong direction...
Sorry it's in Spanish but it's not really worth translating

First this guy has chosen to portrait Elvis as a rather ungry man and as a proof he has mentioned the Columbus incident, and a this new recent story in which Elvis has recently prefered to watch a Liverpool football game than to perform at one of his concerts, delaying the beginning of it for two hours (did this really happened??). Elvis would have said afterwards something like "To all of those who have asked their tickets back, I recommend they better stay at their houses, reading cooking books, drinking a beer and listen to their orchestrated old rock hits collection"
My father asked me today if it was true that Elvis was this terrible angry character.

Then he goes on about Liz Phair raving about Elvis on a Rolling Stone issue, as if people here are going to rush to buy tickets and Elvis CD's just because Liz Phair likes the man.. who cares.. Funny part is that this may actually be true.

Then goes into the misogynist/I love women thing

And then something about how much Diana liked Santiago last time she was here.

Of course, there's a mention to "She"

He has finally recommended this albums, none of them you can easily find here:
Armed Forces
Get Happy!
Trust
King of America
North
Painted from Memory...and...
a mention to For the Stars




El Mercurio, October 7th

El próximo 21 de octubre, por primera vez en su larga y aclamada carrera, el inglés Elvis Costello aterrizará en nuestro país con su envidiable cargamento de ironías, sutilezas y provocaciones. Una visita para volver a creer en el poder de la palabra.


Pablo Márquez

Ocurrió hace apenas unos meses, cuando todo el mundo estaba seguro de que el otro Elvis más famoso de la música popular ya había controlado por completo sus arranques de mal genio. Aunque, claro, esta vez tuvo sus buenas razones: a un incauto se le ocurrió programarle un concierto justo a la misma hora en que jugaba su equipo favorito, el Liverpool FC, y los espectadores debieron soportar más de dos horas de retraso antes de que comenzara el show. Lógico, el hombre no se pierde partido alguno de la liga inglesa y esa vez no fue la excepción.

"A todos los que aquella vez pidieron que se les devolviera el dinero de las entradas, les recomiendo que mejor se queden en casa leyendo sus libros de cocina, tomando una cerveza y escuchando su colección orquestada de viejos éxitos de rock", fue la respuesta de Elvis Costello días después del incidente, cuando todavía sonaban las pifias en su contra por la actitud trasnochada de roquero malcriado. Algo que, se supone, a los 51 años y con una esposa tan dulce como la suya, la jazzista Diana Krall, ya no le corresponde. O no tanto.

Pero, como escribió Liz Phair para la edición especial de Rolling Stone sobre los 100 músicos más influyentes de todos los tiempos (n° 971, abril de 2005), Elvis Costello es claramente un poeta con corazón de punky. Un tipo capaz de escribir novelas de tres minutos que se te meten en la cabeza y que no te sueltan por mucho rato. "Por eso uno lo quiere", seguía la cantante norteamericana, porque uno admira siempre lo que está pensando, la profundidad y la amplitud de su asombrosa mirada sobre las cosas.

Quizás por eso nadie lo toma muy en serio cada vez que se sobregira con alguna de sus pataletas, como aquella vez en que, con varios tragos en el cuerpo, trató de ciego ignorante a Ray Charles sólo porque estaba cansado del prejuicio de los norteamericanos contra los ingleses blancos que probaban suerte con el blues y el rock & roll. Algo que, por cierto, le significó en su momento (1982) más de cien amenazas de muerte y muchos dólares en seguridad personal.

Porque, claro, lo que importa de verdad en Elvis Costello (o Declan Patrick Mc Manus, su nombre real) es su punto de vista, el ángulo con el que aborda las cosas simples de la vida y también las más complejas. Como la mente de las mujeres, su especialidad.

"Hay pocos artistas que pueden describir tan bien como él nuestras vidas, nuestros deseos y nuestras frustraciones", siguió su panegírico Liz Phair. "La mayoría de las canciones acerca de mujeres se escriben desde el lado de afuera, pero Elvis Costello se sabe de memoria todos nuestros trucos".

Y repasando su discografía, uno se encuentra con que toda esa cruda asertividad respecto del mundo femenino viene envuelta en un envase impredecible. A ratos con guitarras muy intensas, otras veces con arreglos de cuerdas ideales para musicalizar matrimonios diurnos en la campiña inglesa un sábado por la mañana. Antes con las tenidas desaliñadas que solía usar en los agitados años ochenta, ahora con el traje de corte italiano con el que se pasea por la vida. Siempre de sombrero y anteojos.

"Siempre he querido mucho a las mujeres, a tal punto que eso me ha traído demasiados problemas de todo tipo", explica Elvis Costello cada vez que se le pregunta por su obsesión literaria a la hora de componer. "El problema es que he visto demasiadas veces la palabra misógino en las críticas de mis discos. Y yo me pregunto: ¿es que esa gente no ha escuchado nunca mis discos?".

Tal vez no. Al menos, no con la suficiente atención. Porque basta echar un vistazo a su último disco (ver recuadro), para entender que la historia no es siempre justa para los que juegan sin demasiadas trampas. Y si eso hay que gritarlo acompañado de una estruendosa banda de rock, susurrarlo solo al piano o arreglarlo para que lo interprete una orquesta sinfónica, a Elvis Costello le da lo mismo. El medio, para él, no es el mensaje.

"¿Suena arrogante, no? Pero yo no hago cosas que no soy capaz de hacer", cuenta con la claridad que nunca le ha faltado. "Y he sido muy afortunado, porque nunca he tenido la presión de que mis canciones tengan que ser un hit (...) Con el éxito de 'She' (su cover al clásico de Charles Aznavour, incluido en el soundtrack de 'Nothing Hill') pude pagar todas mis deudas y ahora me siento libre para escribir de lo que me dé la gana".

Bien por nosotros.

El repartidor

El año pasado Elvis Costello lanzó al mercado dos nuevos discos: su primera composición clásica para una gran orquesta, "Il sogno", grabado con la legendaria Sinfónica de Londres, y el imprescindible tributo rockero a las profundas raíces musicales americanas de "The delivery man", trabajo en el que se hace acompañar de su banda de amigos, The Imposters, para contar la historia de un hombre que sufre la vida en torno a tres mujeres que va a arrastrando en su camino.

En su mayoría, será el repertorio de este último álbum el que ofrecerá en su histórica visita a Chile, programada para el próximo 21 de octubre en la Ciudad Empresarial de Huechuraba. Y aunque en Argentina (se presenta el 29) su gira se enmarca dentro del cartel de artistas invitados al BUE (Buenos Aires Urbano Electrónico), se dice que el inglés decidió recalar unos días en el país por consejo de su flamante esposa, la cantante de jazz Diana Krall.

La leyenda dice que la artista canadiense quedó tan prendada de Santiago en su última visita, que le recomendó al gruñón de su marido venir a relajarse un poco por estos lados.

Discografía básica

Desde su debut con "My aim is true" (1977), Elvis Costello se ha encargado de que sus hitos musicales sean incluso más interesantes que su largo prontuario de arrebatos. A la trilogía clásica formada por "Armed forces" (1979), "Get happy!!" (1980) y "Trust" (1981), hay que incluir el imprescindible "King of America" (1986) y el sofisticado "North" (2003). Eso, claro, además de su notable colaboración con Burt Bucharach, en "Painted from memory" (1998). Un trabajo que se puede combinar perfecto con "For the Stars" (2001), donde el inglés trabajó a dúo con la cantante lírica Anne Sofie Von Otter.
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Post by johnfoyle »

a this new recent story in which Elvis has recently prefered to watch a Liverpool football game than to perform at one of his concerts, delaying the beginning of it for two hours (did this really happened??). Elvis would have said afterwards something like "To all of those who have asked their tickets back, I recommend they better stay at their houses, reading cooking books, drinking a beer and listen to their orchestrated old rock hits collection"
see
http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... php?t=3998
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

You should put in some references to

the Hans Christian Andersen opera
the tour with Emmylou Harris
the different musical styles he has covered over the years
the induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and
how he has inspired artists from Radiohead to Bruce Springsteen

If you need to pad it out, mention about Bruce Thomas and Pete Thomas being brothers, call him an aging rocker and make sure you put in Elvis Pumps It Up as a headline.

Good luck SLC.
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
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Post by SoLikeCandy »

Well, it's done. I've been fighting a nasty bout with the flu all weekend, and my head has been NyQuil cloudy...so the article isn't nearly as good as I'd like it to be, but I think it's serviceable. I talked about how his earlier albums were fairly consistant stylewise, and how with each decade, he's gotten bolder and more experimental. I went decade by decade, highlighting his best albums, for Costello newcomers. I didn't mention the Hans Christian Andersen thing (mostly because I'd forgotten about it), but I did mention how The Delivery Man and Il Sogno being released on the same day kind of represent how varied and deft his musical efforts are.

Meh. I hope it gets me those sweet ass tickets.
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

You should ask the Foyles to proof read it and check its accuracy.
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Post by martinfoyle »

Indeed. But could you afford us?
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Post by SoLikeCandy »

I don't know if I could. What's your wage? I got 35 cents and a half used can of Cheez Whiz.
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Post by martinfoyle »

Image
That'll do nicely, I've laundry to do.
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Post by SoLikeCandy »

Whee! Not only will my article be published, but I get kick ass tickets to the show this Saturday. AND, I get to write the review! YAY!!! Thanks, everyone, for your help.
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

Well done SLC.

So can we see the article? We won't criticise it. Honest!

Unfortunately I'm not available this Saturday so you'll need to find another date :lol:
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Post by SoLikeCandy »

You can find the article here: http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/10/12/ ... moods.html

And, for the record, those typos aren't mine.
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Post by libster »

Great article...well done.
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Post by Who Shot Sam? »

Very nicely done SLC! I would have thrown in Get Happy!! as must-have Costello, but that's just my personal bias speaking. Hope you enjoy the show!
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