Wednesday august 18, 1982
daily nebraskan
page 45
Albums continued ?!T'premise
Costello croons . . .
Continued from Page 37
"I don't want to be around to witness my artistic
decline." -Elvis Costello, circa 1977.
Back on records such as This Year's Model and Get
Happy, Costello was able to combine sharp lyrics with a
musical sound as majestic as the Beatles or old Motown
records. Costello had the best knack for turning a phrase
since Dylan in the mid-'60s. Now, where were Newsweek
and Rolling Stone when those records came out? Probably
waiting for the Linda Ronstadt cover versions - those
running dog lackeys of FM radio.
Rolling Stone is losing its credibility as it edges closer
to People magazine everyday. If they want to hear a
masterpiece, they should listen to any number of
Costello's earlier records, instead of Imperial Bedroom.
The album is very pleasant and tasteful, but Fleetwood
Mac already has fulfilled that function nicely. Costello is
something special - or at least he was.
Only one cut really jumps out. "Maa Out of Time" is
the sole rocker here, indicating Costello still can turn it
on when he wants to.
Every other song blends into the scenery with lots of
strings, horns and harmonies, though Elvis sings nicely.
Perhaps Costello is emulating his professed hero, country
giant George Jones, and wants to be known as a "great
voice." He also has been palling around with the guys in
Squeeze who appeared on Trust and Imperial Bedroom.
They seem to be leading Elvis into the role of a pop crafts
man, instead of his angry young man stance. Come back,
Elvis.
Creole lacks . . .
Continued from Page 38
The obvious question a longtime (two albums worth)
fan might ask is, why the change? The reason is this:
Fresh Fruit was the story of Kid Creole (Darnell) and his
search through a fictional South Pacific for Mimi, the
woman who left him during the band's first album. Wise
Guy picks up the story when the survivors of the expedit
ion are washed ashore on a land called B'Dilli Bay, where
they are forced to assimilate the law of the land.
According to an interview with Darnell in Rolling
Stone, B'Dilli Bay is actually Warner Brothers records, the
distributing company of Kid Creole's label, Sire. Warner
Brothers was not pleased with the record sales of the last
two albums, so this time around, Darnell and Hernandez
opted for blatant commercialism to accommodate the
parent company's wish.
That's why the writing on the inside label, though
appearing humorous, is a tip off toward the album's short
comings. Here is the true, untold story of the survivors,
the sacrifices ' they had to make, the music they were
forced to play and the mates they were allowed to choose.
The result of the sacrifices is a collection of modern
disco, with a Third World tinge, that just might be good
enough to earn the group the recognition it so richly
deserves and the money Warner Brothers feels it should
earn. The album's best song is its first release, "I'm a
Wonderful Thing, Baby," an example of the smart dance
beat the group has shifted toward. The big band in the
background is an example of the unexpected that make
Fresh Fruit move. "Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy," has a
calypso-like beat and the album's brightest lyrics ("See,
if I was in your blood, then you would not be so ugly").
"Loving You Make a Fool Out of Me" is better than a lot
of the dance songs on the charts.
But from that point on, there isn't much memorable
about Wise Guy. The rest merely is recycled dance
material, with the exception of the final track, "No Fish
Today," which explores the question of corporation
domination. But unless you know what they're talking
about, you easily get lost.
There is hope, however. The final line on the inner
sleeve is 'The escape they were bound to make." Hope
fully, when the next Kid Creole album comes around, the
escape will be complete, the irony ended and the Kid back
to his unpredictable self.
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Continued from Page 36
All of the songs are merely OK, because it seems like
I've heard them all somewhere before, and together, the
album is actually not that bad.
But it's not really anything you'd rush out to buy, and
certainly will disappoint those who bought the first album
for its sly racial commentaries (only the Beach Boys
parody "Soul Surfing U.S.A." nears that) and party
music. The commentaries here concern the lost Ameri
can dream and a few references to a president and actor
"who we pray will not blow this part," as O'Neal sines in
"Yellow Lights."
While the Busboys are content to do a sound-alike for
now, the album raises serious questions about the band's
future. Once white America has stopped laughing at all
this, can it ever accept a black rock V roll band? Blacks
already dismiss the group as a "black punk band."
Perhaps O'Neal is being philosophical in "Oppor
tunity," where he writes "There is something that
escapes me: What does the constitution mean by freedom
for every man? Everyone who is listening to this song feels
the sadness instead of gladness."
Or perhaps O'Neal is talking about himself.
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