A Short History of Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello moved to London from Liverpool in 1974. He had spent a year or so on the pub circuit with his band Flip City. At the time he was also holding down a day job as a computer operator and working hard at being a husband and a father. He was a busy man. When punk broke in 1976 he simply didn't have the time to play any shows, but he did but the debut albums by the Clash and the Damned. They seemed to spark something in him. During the summer of 1977 Costello wrote some of his most venemous and angry songs which went on to appear on his debut album 'My Aim Is True'. The track 'Less Than Zero' rails against the fascist Oswald Mosely. 'Watching The Detectives' talks about moral apathy brought on by media de-sensitization of issues. 'Alison' was a little happier though still dealt with an unconventional relationship. The songs were great and fully realized pop classics. Obviously the boy was talented.

'This Year's Model' continued the trend and appears more rounded than his debut, mainly due to his newly formed full-time backing band. Pete and Bruce Thomas of the Attraction had played the pub-rock circuit just like Costello had. Steve Nieve, keyboard player, was classically trained and somewhat less familiar with conventional rock and pop. 'Pump It Up', 'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea' and 'Hand In Hand' are all based around the drive and urgency of Nieve's organ, high in the mix, right up there with Costello's angry vocals. Bruce Thomas adds melodic bass patterns and Nick Lowe recorded the whole thing just about live in the studio to capture the snarling energy in the angry young Costello's songs. It's the band at their best.

'Armed Forces' retreats somewhat from the full-on rock and punk attack of previous albums. The songs have well placed pop embellishments. 'Oliver's Army' is just about the perfect angry pop song, even if it does take some of its cues from 'Dancing Queen' by Abba. Costello remained busy, recording album after album, and it was seven albums into his career before 'Imperial Bedroom' was released. It marks a turning point in his style. Although he had already experimented with different genres and styles, 'Imperial Bedroom' strips away the excess and hones in on the songs. It's maybe his most persoal album. 'Man Out Of Time' and Gram Parsons' 'I'm Your Toy' are sung in a lower register and highlight a new more controlled use of his voice.

'Punch The Clock' included a couple of Costello's most political songs. 'Pills And Soap' and the incredible 'Shipbuilding', a war time anti-war track which features a beautiful arrangement, lovely jazzy piano motifs, wonderful vocal melody and an emotional depth which has been rarely equaled. It's an all time classic and up there with the best of them. During this period Costello produced albums by Squeeze, the Specials and the Pogues. Then he recorded two of his best albums. 1986's 'King Of America' which explored country, blues and R&B to great effect, and then 'Blood And Chocolate' which is Costello and the Attractions playing raw and the instruments were allowed to bleed into each other during recording to gain a live feel.

In 1989 he released the commercially successful 'Spike' album. Songs included the angry 'Tramp The Dirt Down' on which he looks forward to burying Margaret Thatcher sooner rather than later. The bile and attitude were still intact after so many years writing and recording.

Costello has gone on to become one of the most respected and influential artists in contemporary pop music and has also had excursions into the worlds of classical, jazz, country, blues, and , you name it, music. Each time managing to sound truly at home in an alien environment. A busy man, that Elvis Costello.