Elvis Costello

During the era of arena rock domination, arty American punks, and scabby British gobbers, Elvis Costello delivered this brilliant debut record, marking the arrival of a distinct and original talent. While he sounds like a part of the English back-to-basics pub rock movement, Costello brought a literate "revenge of the nerd" punk contempt to his songs. "Less Than Zero," "I'm Not Angry," and "Pay It Back" are all just as good as the album's cherished "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives." What really set this debut apart was that he showed that new wave/punk/whatever wasn't just about fashion and style -- at the center of it all was a major singer-songwriter. And yes, Huey Lewis' old backing band Clover sounds great.

Herewith, two rock & roll singers distinguished by their almost total disregard for the music
and marketing strategies of their contemporaries. One is as established as such a performer
can be and, it seems, is settling into an acceptance of the refusal of the great audience to
accept him; the other is new on the scene and, just possibly, a star for these times. God
knows what other times he might be a star for. Little Criminals offers all the mino... More >

I like the nerdy way this guy comes on, I'm fascinated by his lyrics, and I approve of his rock and roll orientation; in fact, I got quite obsessive about his two cuts on the Bunch of Stiff Records import. Yet odd as it may seem, I find that he suffers from Jackson Browne's syndrome--that is, he's a little boring. Often this malady results from overconcentration on lyrics and can be cured by a healthy relationship with a band. Since whenever I manage to attend to a Costello song all the way through I prefer it to "The Pretender." I hope he recovers soon. (Grade - B+)