New Elvis interview in The Word

[Otis Westinghouse]

Nice cover feature on Elv in the new Word. the full thing, expanded, in fact, is on the website:

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/elvis-costello

The letter from David Hepworth which accompanies subscribers' copies talks of Elvis giving away his 10,000 CD collection when he moved his base to NY. Do we know where they ended up?

[wardo68]

A key section:

I was travelling along on the Dylan tour I was on my own on a bus, just a couple of my crew and I’m listening to whatever I’m listening to. I was doing a lot of writing on that tour, I had a lot of time on my own. I spent all of last year on the road, from about April to November, with a couple of breaks, because Diana and I had our twin boys, Frank and Dexter were born the December before, so at six months they went on the road with their mum. And I went along too, because I was obviously anxious that family life on the road was going to be good for them. And we’ve got some people helping her, so that she can do her work and she gets to leave the boys with somebody very capable. But it was also peace of mind for me to go along for the first couple of trips, so I spent the time that I wasn’t on my own tours on her tours, just being Dad. If you’re waking up with, as they were, nine-month-old boys, you’re listening to different music than if you’re waking up in a hotel room on your own and you turn on the TV or put on the radio or whatever it is or your iPod.

Thanks Otis!

[Otis Westinghouse]

It's an interesting interview, e.g. lots of stuff about playing live, taking the approach with Dylan and probably The Police of opening and closing with a song people know and doing whatever takes his fancy in between! Good cover photo too.

[wardo68]

I also liked the part (right after saying he didn't know whether he'd record again) where he said he was thinking of doing five albums.

[martinfoyle]

But recently I was in the studio producing a band and they were, you know, just some kids, you know, and they know every sort of music that you could wish to - and that can only be because there's every sort of legal/illegal instant source and the reference points are so much richer, so you have to be careful that you don't trick yourself into thinking that the old ways were the best because, simply because it's an unfamiliar territory.

Is this a reference to the Jenny Lewis session?

[sweetest punch]

This interview give us some new hope:
1) Elvis is still writing songs.
2) He's going to play more than just the greatest hits when supporting The Police.
3) And he's not tired of the actual recording process of a new album, he's just tired of promoting it the same way for 30 years now. So, "when the blood has soaked into the ground", I expect some interesting releases (or interesting ways of promoting these releases).

[johnfoyle]

This extract -

I glanced at Bob's audience when I went out to duet with him and the whole front row had Venetian carnival masks on. I thought, no wonder he sets up away from the edge of the stage.

-intrigues me.

It has to be -

Concert 2007-10-22 St. Louis

Tears Of Rage - with Bob Dylan

As covered here -

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... s%2C+Dylan

No one from here posted ; I'd love to get a 'Bobhead' reaction !

[Otis Westinghouse]

Hah! This comment has been added at the end of the text:

EC anaroks
"The few remaining EC anaroks out there have been rather tardy and only now got wind of this interview and are dissecting it here

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... f=2&t=7043

This web version, (presumably longer than the print version which, unlike Elvis, should arrive in Dublin any day now) works so well since it lets Elvis powerful gift of the gab do its thing. Fascinating stuff though nothing new to us anaroks. Elvis does sound like he's in a happy place and hopefully he'll share 1 or 2 of those 5 albums asap. Thanks David, I may even buy a copy of the magazine."

Was that John or Martin?!? (No poster name appears by the comment - maybe cos I'm not logged in, thogh I can't log in because they tell me instructions will sent to my email address and this hasn't happened x 2 now). Anorak, by the way! What do you mean 'tardy'. It arrived Mon am, and I posted this Mon pm. Hot off the press, mate!

Agreed re gift of the gab - the web version is substantially longer, though the mag does retain some of the lengthy proclamations. He does make for one of the most interesting subjects, e.g. his comments about Universal and cost-cutting meaning the people who knew what they were doing have gone to be replaced by overworked, inexperienced ones.

Funnily enough, the section Wardo focussed on is edited in the mag and cuts the writing ref. Don't they realise they have EC anoraks among their readership?

[Who Shot Sam?]

"The few remaining EC anaroks out there have been rather tardy and only now got wind of this interview and are dissecting it here

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... f=2&t=7043

Few? There are legions of us!

[wardo68]

Funnily enough, the section Wardo focussed on is edited in the mag and cuts the writing ref. Don't they realise they have EC anoraks among their readership?

Well, it did come amidst an answer related to the music he plays for his kids. Is there a cute family photo in the print version?

[johnfoyle]

Was that John or Martin?!? (No poster name appears by the comment - maybe cos I'm not logged in, thogh I can't log in because they tell me instructions will sent to my email address and this hasn't happened x 2 now). Anorak, by the way! What do you mean 'tardy'. It arrived Mon am, and I posted this Mon pm. Hot off the press, mate!

The 'fmf' is , indeed , Martin. The 'tardy' comment is a reaction to the fact that it , seemingly, has been on the Word site since Feb.21. 'Anorak' is meant well , I presume. Martin may react more later.

[thepopeofpop]

Tardy, my arse! We're living in the future down here, so I'll brook none of this tardy nonsense. And as for anoraks, it's far too hot for that kind of outfit.

It was certainly one of the longest EC interviews I've ever read. Glad to see that he's worked through some issues and found himself to be in a good place now. He should, of course, market his future recordings directly to his fan base via the internet, or perhaps in pill form. If he does this I promise never to dress up like him circa 1978, 1986, or 1995 and stand in front of him at concerts. Nor will I wear a Venetian Mask.

[wardo68]

He should, of course, market his future recordings directly to his fan base via the internet

I've been saying that for years. EC doesn't like how the record companies promote him, but he's bent on having his work heard by the world at large. (Notice how he brought up "She"?) If he put that alleged golden-ticket CD up on the Internet for direct download at a small fee, we'd've paid it and he'd've gotten the money. However he's got such resentment (for lack of a better word) for us anoraks he wouldn't do that. Pete Townshend and Robert Fripp have been doing the direct model for years, with varying results, but at least they tried.

[MOJO]

yeah, he should do that.. - Offer an internet download release w/out going through any main distribution channels (apple, universal)... Just publish an ugly, raw web page with a payment gateway and downloadable tracks. I would be all over it. I wish he would keep it down about the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival... Gotta save some grass space for the locals, you know!

[johnfoyle]

The print edition of this is a tidy-up job, lots of compressing verbiage etc. The interview part goes from the 'massive business that live music has become' onwards. The only really new bit in the intro. is the line about Elvis future plans that goes ' some concerts with an orchestra in the U.K.' ; does that mean there will be more than just the Liverpool show?

The photos ( by Zac Cordner)

Graphic free cover from subscription page











http://www.zachcordner.com/site.html

[bambooneedle]

The interview is too long, I'm afraid I haven't got a lot of time for Elvis' ramblings these days... can someone just give me the lowdown?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Wait for the mag to appear on import and you've got the edited version!

[bambooneedle]

Ok, I had a bit of a look at it. Not really moved to comment, though.

[jmm]

While this interview was a bit rambling I liked the thoughts on musical connections ("if me singing Good Year for the Roses badly had anyone buy a George Jones record then my work here is done") and his view of recording and touring and the priorities driving his life were very interesting.

I guess the "lot of writing on the Dylan tour" is about to turn into new stuff for all of us!

[spooky girlfriend]

Could just be me, but in a couple of those pictures he's starting to look like Dylan.

[johnfoyle]

Long warranted exposition of the weaknesses of 'The Word ' -

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/observermus ... ers_2.html

[Otis Westinghouse]

As a Word fan and subscriber (making me an 'elusive and enigmatic entity'!), I should take offence, but actually this picks out a lot of things that I've found odd or unsatisfactory myself (the unnecessary 'magnificent' for the Elvis interview; Word of Mouth - always interesting to look at - as 'the point of the publication'; that curious 'international dance of the smug', which made me think there must have been someone annoying there who set him off, I can imagine the scenario; and the Travis over Dido think). At the same time these are all fairly petty points that a good editor would have questioned and ideally changed. I think the article misses out on some bigger points, ironically that the 'gravitas' it praises the generally hilarious David Quantick for is a characteristic of the magazine as a whole, although allied to a clever and mature sense of humour. It's also generally very well written and put together, nearly all articles are worth reading, and it's pleasingly selective and occasionally off the wall in its approach to reviews and features. Hepworth has always had an air of smug superiority himself, but I can forgive him that if the output is good.

I think this is missing the point about Word of Mouth. It isn't that 'expressing a preference' is an end in itself, it's more about sharing passion, and I think that's what was really meant by this being the point of the magazine as a whole.

And it doesn't mention the thing that I value above all else in the magazine: its sampler CDs. Mojo and Uncut almost invariably maintain the musical nostalgia theme that Elvis also criticised The Word for (tracks that influenced x, covers of y, compilations from a certain era, etc.), yet The Word only ever puts out samples from new records, and every single CD has had at least two or three really good things on it, very often by people you weren't aware of before.

For me this passion and enthusiasm and commitment to making it different and more worthwhile to read and hear are much more significant than all the things cited by Inky Fingers. Long live The Word.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Long warranted exposition of the weaknesses of 'The Word ' -

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/observermus ... ers_2.html

Seems like a very British thing to do. Those bastards at The Word are getting a bit too big for their britches. Time to write something nasty about them in the Guardian. Does the Guardian hire sarcastic twats by the dozen?

The Word is a fine magazine and usually an entertaining read. I almost always find out about something new I want to check out. As Otis says, the CDs are top-notch as well. It puts Uncut, for example, to shame.

[bambooneedle]

" I like your Lexus advert where you just talk about Beethoven. Did they give you a car?

Not yet (laughs) but I never thought anyone would pay me to sit in the back of car and talk bollocks. They said talk about music that you like and I made a couple of suggestions. The other one was Harry J's 'Liquidator' but the guy that owned it wanted, like a hundred million dollars to license it. I think you just go in and you just improvise - they don't even mention the name of the product, I don't understand how it's supposed to be an ad. I've never understood advertising, frankly, I think you're an idiot if you buy something if it's in an advert. So I'm quite happy to take, you know, to be paid to talk about music, not that there's anything particularly illuminating about what I say. Are they showing it in the UK? "

What a liar. I bet he has been practicing this little speech for a while. And he knows very well where it would be showed, he's just getting ready to be even more defensive about the UK.

[MOJO]

A liar? I don't follow you. It's a commercial and they hired a few artists/musicians to promote a high-end stereo system in luxury car. You're in/out and paid. If I were offered a gig like that - in/out, PAID - I would take it. Who wouldn't? At least, the theme was E.C.'s passion - music. I've seen the ad on PBS, about a month or two ago... Ads on PBS are usually tied to $$$ donated by the ad sponsor. The money goes back into the public broadcasting system - FREE AIRWAVES. So, to me, it seems like good vibes all around.