Guest Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 No stranger than this old Annie Nightingale favourite. Someone's watched Eraserhead a few too many times. More Wainwright. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Someone's watched Eraserhead a few too many times. . Time for a lesson. Wainwright free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Time for a lesson. Wainwright free. . .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 . .......... ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 ...... Elementary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Buddy, can you spare me a dime? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 (edited) Buddy, can you spare me a dime? Radio 4's studios must be chilly. Elv looks like he stopped off there on the way to collect his pension. He's either ill, the toddlers are keeping him up at night, or he's simply not ageing well; he looks a good ten years older than his mid 50s. Trying to put my finger on why I found the discussion of his back catalogue more interesting and entertaining than listening to his new album. I think it's because he sounds rather mannered and restrained, and has done for a while. In the interview I mentioned above, Paul McCartney described the force of being in close proximity to Costello when he lets rip with a verse or two. He had that, and the lyrical mastery, on such quiet classics as Alison and I'll Wear it Proudly way back when. He had it on Brutal Youth. It started to slip on All This Useless Beauty, and I don't think it's all (or even mostly) to do with getting on a bit. While the writing is as skilled as ever, his voice on his new quiet songs sounds more ponderous and affected, like he's corralling it and his energy into submissive good behaviour, shoving it into an ill-fitting corset of a style. Good job happy contentment is only a recent acquisition for . Battered, defiant, clever and beautiful. . Let's hope nappy-sodden domestic bliss isn't on the cards. ETA: Just listening to the R6 four-parter now. It's the 1992 R1 one recycled, so far. Edited October 30, 2010 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Erikson Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Who needs words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Trying to put my finger on why I found the discussion of his back catalogue more interesting and entertaining than listening to his new album. I think it's because he sounds rather mannered and restrained, and has done for a while. In the interview I mentioned above, Paul McCartney described the force of being in close proximity to Costello when he lets rip with a verse or two. He had that, and the lyrical mastery, on such quiet classics as Alison and I'll Wear it Proudly way back when. He had it on Brutal Youth. It started to slip on All This Useless Beauty, and I don't think it's all (or even mostly) to do with getting on a bit. Having been in close proximity several times this year, I can confirm that he is still perfectly capable of letting rip. He does take a while to get warmed up properly though. It is quite well documented that he takes immense care of his voice these days. He has specialist drinks, which might explain the lack of edge to his voice when compared to the wine and vodka years. He hasn't always blasted through songs though. National Ransom reminds me a lot of Trust. Lots of variety of songs, most of it pretty understated. The big difference to me is the style of his writing. If he'd written twenty years ago, there would have been more spite and less resignation in the lyrics. While the writing is as skilled as ever, his voice on his new quiet songs sounds more ponderous and affected, like he's corralling it and his energy into submissive good behaviour, shoving it into an ill-fitting corset of a style. The writing is quite sublime. There are probably ten of the sixteen songs that would stand up against his very best. That has always been his problem, in my opinion. He can't self edit, so the genius gets diluted by his more ordinary efforts. A ten song National Ransom would have made it a classic album. As it is, it is merely very good. Now, enough analysis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 It's not so much that he can no longer belt it out, it's more that he sounds artificially constrained. Stephen King writing Jane Austen. The passion of his youth tranquillised and tamed. The man who's still capable of belting out Pump It Up (well ok, perhaps it's a little Viagra-aided these days), now warbles Bacharach tunes. Anyhow... ...Now, enough analysis... . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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