GQ (U.K. edition) , October `03 , P.47
Elvis Costello ,
North
Deutsche Gramaphon
With a mere 12 bars of guitar on the whole
album , minor key piano and tearful strings carry the
latest lovelorn works of the old master. It`s bleakly
beautiful and Costello`s voice is at it`s most
intimate , but it might leave you craving the
kitchen-sink simplicity of " Watching The Detectives".
Mike Shallcross
GQ review of North
- verbal gymnastics
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- Jackson Doofster
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I remember reading that, after Cole Porter made a big splash with his great score for "Anything Goes", the reviews of every subsequent play tended to be along the lines of "good...but no 'Anything Goes.'"
In the meantime, of course, he was writing the vast majority of his greatest songs, but the critics could never forget that great early work and the current stuff always seemed lacking somehow. Of course now, "Anything Goes" looks more like what it was, a great kick off to a great career.
I guess EC will have to be dead before everything he writes isn't compared to "Detectives" and the rest of his early canon.
In the meantime, of course, he was writing the vast majority of his greatest songs, but the critics could never forget that great early work and the current stuff always seemed lacking somehow. Of course now, "Anything Goes" looks more like what it was, a great kick off to a great career.
I guess EC will have to be dead before everything he writes isn't compared to "Detectives" and the rest of his early canon.
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
- HungupStrungup
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Death is a bit of an extreme solution to the "It's good, but it's no 'Radio Radio'" problem.bobster wrote:I guess EC will have to be dead before everything he writes isn't compared to "Detectives" and the rest of his early canon.
Or is is nature's way of telling you something's wrong? I know it's one of those.
"But it's a dangerous game that comedy plays
Sometimes it tells you the truth
Sometimes it delays it"
Sometimes it tells you the truth
Sometimes it delays it"