stewarte@sco.COM (Stewart Evans) (06/07/91)
Elvis Costello - "Mighty Like A Rose" Costello's new album really roars out of the starting gate with "The Other Side of Summer", a bitter Beach Boys pastiche. I would have sworn I could hear the Attractions backing him on it, but no -- only Pete Thomas makes an appearance; the Steve Nieve-ish piano triplets come from Larry Knechtel, and T-Bone Wolk and Jerry Scheff provide the bass (takes two to replace Bruce Thomas). This is classic Elvis -- a catchy tune that can almost make you overlook the vitriolic bite of the lyrics (which would, of course be a mistake; no one slings more interesting bile than Costello). The second tune, "Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)", features Marc Ribot on "giant insect mutation and bug attack" as Costello raves, through heavy echo, over a two-chord guitar vamp and kerchunketing percussion. With the first two songs, the album has promised an awful lot. Fortunately, it's able to deliver. Much of the supporting crew from "Spike" and its corresponding tour returns on this album -- Ribot, Pete Thomas, the Dirty Dozen, Knechtel, Soles. Also, like "Spike", its slower songs are concentrated in the second half. Unlike its predecessor, though, that doesn't mean a let-down -- Costello's written a better crop of ballads here. "How To Be Dumb" is another song that bears an unmistakeable Attractions stamp, but with a "La Bamba" baritone sax riff. "Invasion Hit Parade" features a prominent trumpet part, reminiscent of an Ennio Morricone soundtrack, and a weird background chant, plus Ribot's weirdo guitar bits. Yet the two fit on the same album perfectly. "So Like Candy" is a great ballad, with Costello's voice at its aching best. "Playboy To A Man" was cowritten by Paul McCartney but sounds more like Nick Lowe, and shows a completely different side of Costello's voice as he screeches and yelps his way through it. The woodwind quintet of "Harpies Bizarre" calls to mind the sound of "Imperial Bedroom". In many ways, in fact, this album represents a perfect synthesis of the various styles of Elvis Costello, as though Declan McManus has come to terms with the alter ego that he seemed eager to distance himself from just a few years ago. All the musicians (even the real studio whores like Knechtel) are used to great advantage here. I could complain that the Dirty Dozen is tragically under-utilized, but that would be nit-picking. What really counts is that this is an excellent Costello album, that will probably rank among my favorites. -- Stewart -- Comebacks I hope never happen, #44: MC Dave Dee, DJ Dozy, Beaky-Ice, Mick LaRock and Tich /* uunet!sco!stewarte -or- stewarte@sco.COM -or- Stewart Evans */