Elvis on air
 

The new album "North" is out and it is beautiful. Elvis Costello has been getting some prime play, Letterman, CNN, A&E. I love this guy. I truely think he's a genius. I feel like we've grown up together. When we were both kids, his fuzzy, angry, catchy songs made perfect sense to me. All the twists along the way, this new music is right there too. That's rather amazing.

I think about the impact of Cash passing and I know this guy will leave an equally huge mark-at least for me. Here is a great interview Talking about the amazing sweep of his songwriting and how it has changed as he has:
"... I don't think there's been a single pun on any of my records for 10 years and yet I'm known for that because of the first few albums. And the same with irony - it's an overplayed hand and it's also a juvenile hand. The deliberate seeking of darkness and the sardonic, and the denial of feeling and the denial of trust and belief, it's something that you do when you're younger and it's something that is right - part of it's genuine and part of it is insecurity. I'm not saying that was all wrong. I love a lot of the songs I wrote then, I still sing them, but there's room in the world for lots of different points of view, lots of different types of expression, even inside the repertoire of one songwriter and singer."

And here's another great quote about lyrics:
"I don't see any reason why you should have to understand them. I would always defend the right to create a vague picture, or a blurred picture with words that adds up differently to different people because I've done it countless times. It's like the chance Polaroid that is better than the sharp-focus, well-taken photograph.

I hope Elvis keeps writing and singing for a long time to come.

I'm with you 100%! Costello is a rare gem in the rough. Highly articulate, never talking down to his audience, and original to the nth degree.

I recently watched the film "Grace of My Heart", a lovingly crafted tale about the heyday of the Brill Building, and all the enormously talented songwriters that emerged from its confines (King/Goffen, Bacharach/David, Carole Bayer Sager, lots of others). It was this film that first brought together the, at first glance, unlikely pairing of Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello, with delightful results. I recommend this film to anyone interested in the early days of rock and roll. Fictional, but actually a thinly disguised version of Carol King's career.

Hmm, I kinda remember when that movie came out a few back and thinking it looked interesting- One to try to remember in the video store.- I always seem to go blank and just graze...

Costello seems to know, love, and explore music of all sorts. Pop from all eras, rock, r& b, jazz, classical, country. He's creative and clever - always looking back and forward. I think he's not only a terrific songwriter, but is an incredibly soulful and powerful singer. His mark on music will continue to grow.

When I saw him perform one of his new tunes from North the other evening on the tube, He sang without a mic with just terrific Steve Nieve on piano, eventually drawing the audience into the chorus. I thought, damn, Its like he's tipping his cap to vintage English music hall songs. Direct to and with those present. Just so cool. So cool.