Welcome to the Working Week - Click Title To PlayYou'd be hard pressed to argue against Elvis Costello being in the top 2 or 3 most prolific "pop" artists of the past 30 years. Sure I, (like I would assume post people) am partial to his earlier work (My Aim is True, Get Happy, This Year's Model, etc.), but you have to respect this guy's work ethic. Just a real quick check on the interweb will tell you that he has over 35 albums released since his debut in 1977. Sure, some are collaborations, but still . . .
My initial impression of him (when I was probably in 8th grade or so) was that his look was a gimmick and that there would be no substance behind the schtick. In fact, all these years later I feel comfortable in saying that quite the opposite is the case. It should me mentioned that all of the albums I listed above as my favorites had been released prior to my arrival in the 8th grade, so honestly how much of a flash in the pan was he going to be? I suppose like most kids that age, I knew what I knew to be true, regardless of any actual facts.
It's beyond a cliche to say that someone is an unparalleled songwriter, though with a base of songs like he's written it may not be far off the mark. But it's really more than that; Elvis Costello is someone who's sincerely submerged himself into so many different types of music: rock, soul, classical, American folk, country, etc etc. You really have to admire someone who has the talent to be taken seriously across the board, no matter the genre or audience.
Posts
