The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 108

Think FRESH, Think Seafood Shanty 12-1 Sunday, July 18, 1982 Philadelphia Inquirer -POPROCK- COUPON )N sf UJNCHEON SPECIAL Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom' can't match passion of early albums i Broiled BAY SCALLOPS Potato or Green Salad Hot, Crisp Bread and Butter OR 5.95 VALUE I Fin VALID: Monday July 19, 20, 21. VALID AT ALL SEAFOOD SHANTY LOCATIONS i Tj ran nrr nnoaiw 1 PI IJ F1 I -3 I'J I 4- it MMIMtftOAlGUfll BillySquier Costello has released seven albums in four years By Ken Tucker inquirer Popular Music Critic On the back cover of Elvis Costello's new album, "Imperial Bedroom" (Columbia), the British singer-songwriter wears an old-fashioned straw boater, as though he was hoping to pass for Hoagy Carmichael. Inside, there are 15 songs that suggest that Carmichael's warm corn isn't nearly ambitious enough for Costello: On "Imperial Bedroom," he aspires to being nothing less than a new-wave Cole Porter. He fails, of course. "Imperial Bedroom" doesn't offer a single idea that Costello hasn't had before.

There's an endless procession of "I love you, I hate you, I lovehate you" lyrics, and his pronouncements are unnecessarily convoluted. About a year ago, on Tom Snyder's "Tomorrow" show, Costello said he'd always been a big fan of pop songwriters of the '20s and '30s, but from the evidence of "Imperial Bedroom," he became too obsessed with the clever wordplay that characterized the best pop songs of those eras. Earlier Elvis Costello albums have contained some of the most intricate lyrics in rock-music history, nearly all of them shiveringly precise and wracked with emotion. Like the best puzzles, you could solve the meaning of a verse without destroying its allusive magic. When, on "Get (1979), Costello balefully crooned "Now my whole world goes from blue to blue," his voice cracking as he struggled past the second "blue," it didn't matter that the line didn't make much sense.

It carried a wealth of romance and sadness: It made emotional sense. But the new album lacks this sort of emotional truth. All is artifice, and the passion sounds forced for the sake of a clever twist of phrase or a clotted pun. For example, here are three lines from "Beyond "This battle with the bottle is nothing so novelSo in this almost empty gin palaceThrough a two-way looking glass you see your Alice." The literary references in this passage are painfully obvious, overused ones. The pun of "novel" is too immediately discovered by the listener to be of any surprise or amusement.

In song after song, Costello forces you to become nothing more than a picky English teacher, grading his self-conscious compositions. Until recently, Elvis Costello was the best songwriter in rock 'n' roll, and so recklessly prolific seven albums released within four years that he seemed a heroic artist as well. Certainly he was often petulant and mean-spirited, both in his lyrics and in his live performances, but his art was so subtle and witty that his crankiness merely added to his allure. But Costello's last album, his ponderous excursion into country music, "Almost Blue" (1981), was a mcl- w4 i- I iff itiLtriiittatr TICKETS AVAILABLE TiOlTHON ELECTRIC FACTORY BOX OFFICE (1231 VINE ST I AND ALL USUAL LOCATIONS iiicrmr 2 15)569 uniii'gs5r Pop topics ancholy drag, and now on "Imperial Bedroom" he seems to have spent so much time on the complex lyrics that he failed to write attractive melodies around his words. There are clever orchestrations courtesy of Costello and Steve Nieve, the keyboard player in Costello's back-up band, the Attractions.

These pretty string and horn arrangements frame the rock 'n' roll instrumentation provided by the Attractions in a fresh, novel way. But the tunes drag and disappear entirely whenever Costello wants to make some tiresome literary point. He's become too subtle for his own good. Elvis Costello is part of the most unusual outdoor show of the summer: the Aug. 21 JFK Stadium extravaganza in which the headliner is the British art-rock band Genesis.

Costello and the Attractions are second-billed, and Blondie is settling for third position! Apparently three more acts are going to be added to the show, making it yet another all-day endurance test for rock fans. Costello would seem to be particularly loony to agree to this show. The songs on "Imperial Bedroom" require above all else a certain intimacy of tone, a quiet mood; fat chance of COUPON SAVE 3.00 thru Saturday 22. 23 24. 1982 'BROTHERS FAREWELL TOUR SURVIVOR Fri.aAugl38pny: CHAK61 8895 Vm MC $5 in Quarters! $5 Food Coupon! $5 Special Winter $5 Evening Voucher! Funventures Tiavel 210 Street Rd Centennial Plan Warminster Pa II3'0'4-04II1 9 30 AM IWed A Thurs Onlyl 5 30 PM iFn Onlyl 12 45 ISat A Sun Onlyl Warnnglon Travel Agency Warrington Ptoa Rt 611 A Bristol Rd Warrington Pa 215343 9440 lv 9 10 AM IWed A Thurs Only) 5 tOPMlFri )t2 25PMlSat A Sun $9.75 ROUND TRIP Bonus mm mm wm mm wmw mm mmu mm mm mW Wml Hi mm mm Mmu YotaWiiniJ ii (EMecnve July 51 (EMecnve July 5) that was marked by uneven recordings.

It is the testament this terse craftsman deserves. "Young Blood" offers all of the Coasters' best-known novelty hits rollicking tunes like "Charlie Brown," "Yakety Yak" and "Along Came Jones." However, it also documents the gift for social commentary the group developed while working with songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, a view of race relations that would be witheringly bitter were it not so hilarious. "Shopping for Clothes" uses a trip to the store as the occasion a critique of consumer capitalism the narrator gets taken to the cleaners, as it were and "Framed" is a marvel of succinct storytelling about a black man who's set up for a crime he hasn't committed. He assumes he'll never receive justice from the white man's court system, so when he walks into the courtroom and sees a black judge, he's immensely relieved, only to discover that the judge is even harder on him because of his color. The man is summararily found guilty and tossed away for a long stretch in jail.

All this, in a small masterpiece of comic jauntiness. Most impressive, though, is Ray Charles "A Life in Music." I must admit that I never quite understood the reverence with which Charles has been treated. I knew his hits, like "I Got a Woman" and his recordings of country classics, but he seemed an intelligent re-interpreter of material, no more. "A Life in Music" shows me how little I knew: Here is Ray Charles virtually inventing modern soul music in the late 'SOs and early '60s, backed by strong bands featuring such great players as saxophonist King Curtis. Charles strode across all genres, from ribald jazz numbers like "Soul Meeting" to beautiful reinventions of pop standards like "Come Rain or Come Shine." Anyone interested in understanding the development of pop music and who'd like a set of excellent party records couldn't do better than "A Life in Music." Concert of the Weekend: Tonight, England's Gang of Four travels to the Brandywine Club to play songs from their new album "Songs of the Free" (Warner The last time I saw the Gang of Four, they were a gang of three their bass player was ill but they still made scarifying, abrupt political music that told quick, sarcastic stories in a dry tone.

Loud, grating and fast, they're not to everyone's taste, but lately the Gang's clipped music has been getting played in dance clubs, which has brought them their first bit of American popularity. Who says politics and fun don't mix? Opening for the Gang of Four, by the way, is the local band the Stick-men, makers of eerily good, abrasive music and dreamy, steamy lyrics. Paul McCartney 'Tug oj War' is ninth album Rick James Second-place soul album 10. WOULD YOU CATCH A FALLING STAR, John Anderson COUNTRY ALBUMS 1. ALWAYS ON MY MIND.

Willie Nelson 2. MOUNTAIN MUSIC, Alabama 3. WAITIN' FOR THE SUN TO SHINE. Ricky Skaggs 4. HIGH NOTES, Hank Williams Jr.

5. BIG CITY, Merle Haggard 6. LISTEN TO THE RADIO. Don Williams 7. QUIET LIES.

Juice Newton 8. BLACK ON BLACK, Waylon Jennings 9. IN BLACK WHITE, Barbara Mandrell 10. HEART BREAK EXPRESS, Dolly Parton Source: Billboard magazine State," the best pro-New York song that also happens to be the best anti-LA song ever written. GINO SOCCIO.

Face to Face (Atlantic): The title is ironic: cleverly elusive post-disco music from the Montreal minimalist, formally complex and melodically spare, guaranteed to get you out of your seat and dancing, if not rememberinglhe tunes. MARCY LEW. Marcella (Epic): Levy has heavy credentials: a stint with good hard-rocker Bob Seger, co-authorship of Eric Clapton's hit "Lay Down Sally." But the lameness of this pop junk suggests that her other credits, such as singing back-up vocals on Johnny Lee's awful hit "Looking for Love." made her a tad too cynical to produce heartfelt music just now. Ken Tucker Excellent. Very good.

Good. Fair. Poor. IK TT Rock List 25 recording firsts Good Sunday 3.30 PM to Friday 3 30 PM. On weekends $5 in quarters, $5 winter voucher and $5 evening voucher only.

(Redeemable Nov. 1, 1982-March 31. 1983 by palrons returning on a participating line bus. Monday-Friday only) '(Redeemable July 5-Oct. 31.

1982 lor $5 quarters Good on your next trip on arrivals Sunday-Thursday after 4 00 PM that when his voice ricochets off the concrete walls of JFK Stadium. I hear Genesis has some great lighting effects, though. Atlantic Records has begun an extraordinary series of reissues under the auspices of a new label, AtlanticDeluxe. The first four releases from AtlanticDeluxe are "Young Blood" by the Coasters, "The Last Mardi Gras" by New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair and "Mas-terworks" by blues guitarist Albert King (all of these are two-record sets), plus an astounding five-record retrospective of Ray Charles' career, entitled "A Life in Music." These records plumb Atlantic's storehouse of classic rhythm blues and early rock. They're handsomely packaged affairs, featuring beautifully witty, affectionate artwork by Milton Glaser; Robert Palmer's liner notes on the Coasters and King collections are especially illuminating.

The only release that's not an invaluable one is the Professor Longhair collection. Produced by Albert Goldman, author of last year's awful Elvis, its heart is in the right place, but a better in-concert recording of the rock piano innovator is the 1978 "Live on the Queen Mary" single album on Harvest Records. The rest of the AtlanticDeluxe records are wonders of pop art and scholarship, however. "Master-works" collects all of King's best, hardest blues songs from a career Top-selling records TOP SINGLES 1. DON'T YOU WANT ME, The Human League 2.

ROSANNA. Toto 3. HURTS SO GOOD, John Cougar 4. EYE OF THE TIGER, Survivor 5. LET IT WHIP, DazzBand 6.

HOLD ME. Fleetwood Mac 7. LOVE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME, Olivia Newton-John 8. TAINTED LOVE. Soft Call 9.

ONLY THE LONELY. The Motels 10. CAUGHT UP IN YOU. .38 Special TOP ALBUMS 1 ASIA Asia 2. ALWAYS ON MY MIND.

Willie Nelson 3. DARE, The Human League 4. TOTO IV, Toto 5. STILL LIFE, Rolling Stones 6. AMERICAN FOOL, John Cougar 7.

EYE OF THE TIGER, Survivor 8. GET LUCKY, Loverboy 9. TUG OF WAR, Paul McCartney 10. SPECIAL FORCES, .38 Special SOUL SINGLES 1. EARLY IN THE MORNING.

77te Gap Band 2. DO I DO. Stevie Wonder 3. DANCE WIT' ME. Rick James 4.

CUTIE PIE. One Way 5. AND I'M TELLING YOU I'M NOT GOING. Jennifer Holliday 6. I REALLY DON'T NEED NO LIGHT, Jeffrey Osbourne 7.

LET IT WHIP, Oazz Band 8. PLANET ROCK, Afrika Bambaataa 9. TOO LATE, Junior 10. STREET CORNER, AshfordS Simpson SOUL ALBUMS 1. GAP BAND IV.

The Gap Band 2. THROWIN' DOWN, Rick James 3. KEEP IT LIVE, Dazz Band 4. ORIGINAL MUSIQUARIUM, Stevie Wonder 6. STPEET OPERA.

Ashford Simpson 6. JEFFREY OSBORNE, Jeffrey Osborne 7. MY FAVORITE PERSON, The Jays 8. BRILLIANCE. Atlantic Starr 9.

DREAMGIHLS, Orrgrnd Cast 10. STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART. Patrice Rushen COUNTRY SINGLES 1. 'TIL YOU'RE GONE. Barbara Mandrell 2.

I DON'T THINK SHE'S IN LOVE ANYMORE. Charley Pride 3. TAKE ME DOWN. Alabama 4. ARE THE GOOD TIMES REALLY OVER.

Merle Hagqard 5. HONKY f6NKIN', Hank Williams Jr. 6. I DON'T CARE, Ricky Skaggs 7. BORN TO RUN, Emmylou Harris 8.

HEARTBREAK EXPRESS. Dolly Partem 9. DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME BABY, Janie Fricke THE REDS, Fatal Slide (Stony Plain Records): This Philadelphia band is caught in a quandary: They're not hardcore enough to appeal to local punks, and not slick enough to appeal to an AM radio enamored of cold "new wave" acts like Human League. Too bad. because the Reds are very good, makers of knotty music that yields a lot of pleasure.

Rick Shaffer has a harsh voice that rubs against the power-chorded guitars in an exciting, pleasurable way, and the band avoids pretension in its hard-headed lyrics. FLEETWOOD MAC, Mirage (Warner Bros My favorite platinum-selling act doesn't break any new ground here, unless you call Stevie Nicks discovering country music new ground. But "Mirage" recapitulates the band's later-period themes the difficulties of long-term relationships, the loneliness that occurs even in the midst of them in lovely, sometimes stirring ways. Best novelty song: Lindsey Buckingham's "Empire 1. First sound-recording on a machine: "Mary Had a Little Lamb," Thomas Edison, Dec.

6, 1877. 2. First gramophone: U.S. patent obtained by Emile Berliner, Sept. 26, 1887.

3. First LP: developed by Thomas Edison (12 inches in diameter, one-half-inch thick, weighing two pounds and played with a diamond stylus), 1926. 4. First record chart: John G. Peatman's "Weekly Survey" (an English chart that ranked records on the basis of airplay), 1932.

5. First recorded song called "Rock 'n' The Boswell Sisters, 1934. 6. First pop-record sales chart: Billboard, Jan. 4, 1936.

7. First number-one recording artist: Joe Venuti, Jan. 4, 1936. 8. First record: RCA, 1949.

9. First use of an echo chamber: "Foolish Heart," Junior Mance (used a boom mike in a bathroom), 1950. 10. First Sun label recording: "Blues in My Condition," "Selling My Whiskey," Jackie Boy Kelly and Little Walter Horton (never released), 1952. 11.

First eight-track recorder: built by Les Paul, 1954. 12. First rock 'n' roll song on Billboard chart: "Crazy, Man, Crazy," Bill Haley and His Comets, 1953. 13. First black artist to record: The Dinwiddie Quartet (six one-sided discs for Monarch label), October 1902.

14. First disc by a black artist: "Crazy Blues," Mamie Smith (Okeh label), 1920. 15. First record to make pop. and charts simultaneously: "Heartbreak Hotel," Elvis Presley, 1956.

16. First Jamaican record released in the United States: "Little Sheila," Laurel Aitken, 1953. 17. First major record with strings: "There Goes My Baby," The Drifters, 1959. 18.

First song to make Billboard chart without being issued as a single: "Love Me," Elvis Presley, 1956. 19. First album with no artist name on cover, front or back: "For LP Fans Only," Elvis Presley, 1959. 20. First British group to have number-one hit in United States: The Tornadoes, "Telstar," 1962.

21. First rock two-disc set: "Freak Out," The Mothers of Invention, 1966. 22. First gold record awarded to Chuck Berry: "My Ding-a-ling," 1972. 23.

First rock group to receive Russian record royalties: The Rolling Stones (as a result of Russian copyright law changes), June 4, 1975. 24. First platinum cassette: "Frampton Comes Alive!" Peter Frampton, 1977. 25. First picture-disc 45: "Hold the 1978.

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