Jeff Reiner/ Dally Nebraskan
By Mark Lage
Senior Reporter__
“Spike,” the latest album by
rock and roll’s true king, Elvis
Costello, finds “the beloved enter
tainer” looking out more than in
lyrically, and forward musically.
Known throughout his career
for clever, wordy, and witty lyrics
about such personal subjects that
sometimes no one but him knows
what "they’re about, with “Spike"
Costello tends to aim his witticisms
more towards the outside world, in
the form of little musical narra
tions.
iviuaiiany, mis aiuum icaiures
an incredibly large list of musi
cians, playing a very diverse list of
instruments. Often the combina
tions are interesting, too, and it all
adds up to become a varied, ambi
tious album.
The first song, “ ... This Town
... features three very big Macs —
Roger McGuinn, Paul McCartney
and Declan MacManus. McGuinn
plays 12-string electric guitar, Mc
Cartney plays bass (think it might
be a catchy song?), while
MacManus (a.k.a. Costello) sings
about entrepreneurial scum - Mr.
Getgood moved up to Self-Made
Man Row/Although he swears that
he’s the salt of tne earth/He’s so
proud of the ‘kick-me-hard’ sign
that they hung on his back at
birth.”
In verse three there is some tra
ditional Costello witty perversion—
“They made love while she was
changing her dress/She wiped him
off, she wiped him out and then
she made him confess.”
Two songs on “Spike” were ac
tually co-written by McCartney, al
though there’s probably a ten
dency to make too big of a deal out
of this. When you team up a song
writer who’s consistently put out
great stuff over the last decade
(Costello), with a songwriter who
has consistently put out sugary pap
over the last decade (the other
guy), and the results are two good
songs, who probably deserves
more of the credit?
McCartney does make his pres
ence felt, though, especially on
side one with "Veronica.” With its
incredibly catchy poppiness and its
faraway horns, it sounds a little bit
like Elvis Costello meets Sgt. Pep
per.
The other most notable “Spike”
songs are found on side one as
well
“Let Him Dangle” is a strange,
twisted capital punishment tale,
based on a actual crime. Only Elvis
could do a capital punishment
song like this without sounding
like a fool. “Dangle” also adds
musicians like Marc Ribot and
Michael Blair (Tom Waits), and
Benmont Tench.
Also on side one is the hilarious
“God’s Comic,” about a comedic,
drunken priest, “With a joke for the
flock and a hand up your fleece.”
Side two gets a little long, slow
and drawn out during certain
songs to hold the listener’s interest
the way side one does, but it isn’t
without some fine songs.
The other co-McCartney song is
here, “Pads, Paws and Claws,” fea
turing a backwards, turned-inside
out rockabilly beat.
Also on side two is “Baby Plays
Around,” written mostly by Cos
tello’s girlfriend, Cait O’Riordan.
Elvis performs it solo, with vocals,
bass pedals, and sparse acoustic
guitar.
Overall, “Spike” simply features
plenty of pure Costello. He lakes
on some big issues, he takes on
some personal issues, and he tells
some good stories, being by turns
obnoxious, offensive, thoughtful
and a little perverted.
In the end the only question to
ask about a new Elvis Costello
album: How many great songs
does it have? Well, Spike has
plenty, with fresh-sounding music
to boot.
Ted and Wally’s owner
says he likes new store
By Lisa Donovan
Senior Reporter
The neon sign in the window
that can be seen while walking
north on 14th Street is fun, subtle
and inviting.
The old-fashioned bench adds a
certain small-town hominess to the
block and the building it sits in
front of.
As the finely crafted wooden
doors are opened, the sweet smells
and the large philodendrons and
ficus plants throughout the room
frame the counter, which the
owners pride themselves on build
ing. Soft music creeps perfectly
into the ear.
The rich, bright colors on a sus
pended chalk board convey the
day’s ice cream flavors.
Most are curious about who Ted
and Wally are, and that’s why it’s
hard to believe that Ted Weber, co
owners, would be asking whether
a customer wants one scoop or
two.
“I’m working more than I did
two or three years ago,” Weber
said. “But I do it because I like it."
Weber recalls three years ago
when he and his partner Dean
Wally found out they would have
to move out of their 12th and Q
street location.
Ted and Wally’s ice-cream store
is one of the many businesses that
were forced to relocate due to
downtown redevelopment...
“I think it’s sad to see the down
town die. It was just a real disap
pointment," Weber said of tne
move.
According to Weber, he and
partner Dean Wally regretted hav
ing to move.
“I don’t think anything can com
pare with your first store,” he said.
“We had a skylight and a little park
on the side of the building be
tween the Temple Building and
ours; it was just a perfect spot.”
Occupying the old building
from 1984 to 1986, Weber said he
and his partner were told they
would be in that location for about
10 years.
Moving the tables, the ice cream
maker and other things, Ted and
Wally’s made its new home at 124
N. 14th St.
“We sunk a lot of money into
moving,” Weber said, “about
$60,000.”
Taking over Lincoln Office
Equipment’s former offices, Weber
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