Elvis Costello by Liz Phair

[johnfoyle]

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/7235505

The Immortals

The 100 greatest artists of all time



The second edition of the Immortals features fifty of
the greatest rock & roll artists of all time,
celebrated by fifty of the most important rock & roll
artists of our time. These legends and the stars
paying homage to them here come from every walk of
rock & roll life -- singers, songwriters, musicians,
record makers -- and together they reflect the roots
and long branches of a music now entering its second
half-century. These vividly told histories and
recollections take you deep into blues, rockabilly,
soul, funk, punk, heavy metal, reggae, garage rock and
rap. You are there, at the birth of genius and in
moments of intense, personal revelation.

The Immortals is the essential story of rock & roll,
of the men, women and bands at the heart of the
revolution, as told by those whose lives they changed
and who now change ours. It is, of course, a tale too
big for one issue. The Immortals debuted in 2004 as
part of ROLLING STONE's yearlong activities marking
the fiftieth birthday of rock & roll (we chose Elvis
Presley's debut recording session at Sun Studio in
July 1954 as Day One). An expert panel of musicians,
industry figures and critics, selected by the editors
of ROLLING STONE, was asked to pick, in order of
preference, the twenty most significant artists of
rock's first fifty years. The votes were tabulated
according to a weighted point system overseen by the
accounting firm Ernst & Young. A list of the first
fifty innovators featured in RS 946 can be found here.
But the fifty who follow are as pivotal in their
achievements and enduring in their inspiration. Rock &
roll is now a music with a rich past. But at its best,
it is still the sound of forward motion. As you read
the Immortals, remember: This is what we have to live
up to.



80) Elvis Costello by Liz Phair

( only the texts' for 51 to 60 are online )

[johnfoyle]

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/ ... ayer=false


Illustration by Roberto Parada


Elvis Costello writes novels in three minutes. He gets inside your head, and he doesn't let go. I'd pay a great amount of money to audit a course taught by him. If you love Elvis Costello, it's because you love what he's thinking -- the depth and breadth of his notice is astounding. Sometimes I wonder if he watches people on the Strand in London and makes up entire histories for them. ("This person didn't pass the bar and has thyroid problems. They're jogging because they just went through a breakup.")

When I was a teenager, it was a career aim for many of my friends to have a song written about them by Elvis Costello. His songs about women and girls are devastating, like arrows to the heart. There are very few artists who can depict a woman's life, her desires and her failings, like he can. Most rock songs about women are from the outside looking in: they say, "Babe, you're so hot, come sleep with me." Elvis' songs say, "I see you, and I know what you're doing." He catches us at our tricks, and that's thrilling.

He's a poet with a punk's heart. There's a Jerry Lee Lewis flavor to the way he just gets in there and lets it rip: His rocking stuff has a lot of raw power, a real physicality. Even when it's just him and a piano onstage, it's powerful. When I first heard him, I was blown away that someone could just spit those words out without even hitting the right notes, with no holding back and no shame. Of course, the Attractions were really important to his music -- if you're going to cram a whole book into one song, it helps to have a steady groove.

Nobody sounds like him. People imitate Stevie Wonder or whomever, but how many people can do Elvis Costello? Not bloody many. His melodies weave in and out and all over the place, and you can tell they just spring out of him. Finally, Elvis is the definition of a career artist -- he's always coming up with a different sound, always challenging himself. All of his music tells you: You could come along for the ride -- but I'm not stopping.

(From RS 972, April 21, 2005)

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Roberto Parada has other great images at

http://www.robertoparada.com/

including this


Johnny Cash

[miss buenos aires]

Nobody sounds like him. People imitate Stevie Wonder or whomever, but how many people can do Elvis Costello? Not bloody many.

I know this isn't really her point, but I happen to do a very recognizable EC impression. Or maybe my friends just know what I sound like when I'm singing Elvis...

[pip_52]

Have I ever been witness to your EC impression? I do remember that you do a great Jarvis Cocker ...

[miss buenos aires]

I take requests...

[MistakenForLilies]

That was a surprisingly decent piece. I wasn't expecting much, but it was an OK outline of him if what she wanted was to briefly sum him up. (Although I've rarely experienced EC singing "without even hitting the right notes"....)

Of course this brief piece can't really compare to what EC wrote about the Beatles....