Vh1 interview with Elvis

[johnfoyle]

http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/148440 ... lvis.jhtml

Elvis Costello: Threats & Hand Signals from a Hopeless
Romantic

He talks about North, his new batch of reflective love
songs, and working with his new wife, Diana Krall.

by Heather Stas & C. Bottomley

Elvis Costello leads a double life. On one hand we
know him as the acerbic songwriter and punk iconoclast
who led the Attractions and penned pop classics like
“Alison” and “Pump It Up.” Last year, the singer and
his latest band the Imposters released When I Was
Cruel, a slam-bang rock record that highlighted all of
his signature bite.

But Costello also has a different itch that’s taken
him away from the Top 40. He’s performed in a jazz
opera written by Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve
and made a record with soft pop patriarch Burt
Bacharach. He’s written soundtracks and collaborated
with string quartets. And lately, he’s dipped his toe
further into classical waters, recording with opera
singer Anne Sofie von Otter.

His latest project, in fact, was set to be a
full-blown orchestral piece. However, his label
suggested that he first record some symphonic songs to
ease his fans into the idea of Costello the composer.
Then something interesting happened. While grappling
with his suite, he left his wife and fell in love with
jazz star Diana Krall. In the process, he began
writing a different kind of song.

Although the recent North finds Costello's
indescribable croon being lifted by the soft moan of
strings and after-hours piano, the singer is keen to
point out it’s not classical music. It’s not jazz,
either. And no, it’s not really about Krall, who he
married in December. Call it, then, pure Costello.
He’s never shied away from tenderness, but as North
progresses, a third persona emerges: here's Elvis the
hopeless romantic. He spoke to VH1 about why
songwriters should come to grips with Schubert, the
importance of kitchen counters to his art, and why
sometimes with orchestras you have to do the
arm-waving thing.

VH1: Is North a concept album?

Elvis Costello: There was a certain story being told,
which rather risks people linking the album entirely
to changes in my life. Obviously the curiosity has
been great in certain areas of the media. But in the
long run, songs endure much longer than gossip.

VH1: It’s something of a departure for you. Have you
caught a lot of criticism for this album?

EC: Whenever you do something extreme, even if it’s of
a gentle kind, that extremity can trigger alarming
reactions in people. It’s as if you’d changed your
religion, but I haven’t. This is where I chose to
place the emphasis. I can imagine more than one kind
of song and I will, because it serves to keep music
flowing, to keep me from going stale, to not bore
myself and therefore bore the audience.

VH1: You made North while engaged to Diana Krall. Did
she have much of an influence on the album?

EC: The influence in making North is not in the
creative decisions, it’s more in the way in which
somebody affects your life. That’s much more valuable
to me than any advice. Some people have been quick to
assume that North was a vocal record [with] jazz
orchestration. They somehow have it mixed up with ‘50s
vocal records. But it doesn’t actually sound like
Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. If it had, it would be
because I listened to that music when I was growing
up, not because I’m [now married to Diana Krall]. We
happened to share an appreciation of a lot of the same
music. You might be surprised at some of the music
that she likes, despite what she plays. These opera
singers quite often like heavy metal!

VH1: You’re usually thought of as a guitar-slinger,
but North casts you as a piano man.

EC: Most of the ballads I’ve written over the last 20
years have been on the piano, but then I bring the
guitar into the arrangement, so I have something to
do. Sometimes you start a song and you don’t even have
an instrument at all. It’s just slapping a rhythmic
idea on the kitchen counter. But most songs come
fairly spontaneously. Words and music pretty much
arrive together, whether it’s written on piano or
guitar.

VH1: This time, though, you didn’t incorporate the
guitar. Why?

EC: There’s been no attempt to amplify the songs in
any way. I’ve kept them in those late night keys they
were written in. Often the songs are written in the
small hours, but you’re imagining a louder brush of
sound as you’re singing the song to yourself, trying
not to wake up the neighbors. With the North songs, I
didn’t want to do that, because all the strength of
the songs was in that confidentiality.

VH1: There’s definitely a very atmospheric late-night
mood to the album.

EC: The songs are slow and they don’t repeat many
things. Some people have been quick to say, “They
don’t have any melody.” What they actually mean is
they don’t have any hooks. They don’t have any easy
idiot-friendly structural devices for people with
limited musical imaginations. These are relatively
complicated tunes, but I think [they’re] very
accessible. Once they impress themselves on you,
they’re hard to shake.

VH1: Why did you take that approach?

EC: When you tell somebody something close to your
heart, you say a paragraph. You might emphasize a
phrase, in the same way that the title of the song is
the emphasized phrase in the song. But you don’t go on
to repeat it 17 times! That would be nonsensical.
That’s very different to singing a conventionally
structured pop song. But these [tunes] have more in
common with forms of art song.

VH1: Art songs?

EC: I don’t feel I’m saying anything grandiose by
that. I listen to and learnt from lots of different
strains of music, particularly composers from the 19th
century. If you call yourself a songwriter, and don’t
listen to Schubert, you’re not going to know what
you’re doing. Because there’s so much to learn! It’s
in another language, but the beauty and the economy of
the way some of these songs are written, is so
fantastic.

VH1: The liner notes say North is “composed, arranged
and conducted” by yourself. Is this your first time
conducting an orchestra?

EC: I conducted one track in the studio before. You
direct musicians all the time. I’ve done that since
the beginning, [with] hand signals and threats,
y’know? I don’t have any conducting technique, but a
larger group of instrumentalists need guidance as to
where the emphasis is. You have to basically make a
fool of yourself waving your arms about. You can do it
with more elegance, as many skilled conductors do, but
you’ve got to give people a clue as to where the music
should grow and where it should diminish.

VH1: How do the North songs fit in with the rest of
your work?

EC: As you play the songs in conjunction with other
songs, you get all sorts of crosstalk and resonances.
A song like “This House is Empty Now” from Painted
from Memory [his album with Burt Bacharach], works
very well as a preface to “You Left Me in the Dark.”
It’s almost like the back-story. A number of other
songs we’ve chosen seem to work very well, either
because they’re in sympathy with the North songs or
because they’re in very extreme contrast. You want
contrast in a concert because otherwise everybody’s
going to complain.

VH1: You’ve also written songs for Diana's new album.

EC: We did work on some of the songs for that record
together. I have to say - and I say this with no false
modesty - I think of the songs as entirely hers. My
role was in being kind of a lyrical editor. She told
me what was in the songs emotionally and laid them out
in long form. I have that kind of trick mind that
people have that do crosswords. I can look at a page
of free association writing or a newspaper and see
lyrics. So I was sort of the lyrical editor. These are
much more personal songs. It’s somewhat different than
the material she’s been associated with, so I won’t
say more about the record than that, because that
would be for her to tell you about, but it’s a very
beautiful record.

VH1: So is this a farewell to rock?

EC: Oh, I intend to make another rock record, because
the Imposters are a fantastic rock ‘n’ roll band.
People are sort of surprised by North and can’t see it
as being the same work by the person who made When I
Was Cruel. I can’t help them, really. I hear it. I
can’t explain it. I’m sort of tired of explaining
everything. I just want to play, and whether it be
songs with a gentle resolution, or more sonically
progressive like the songs from When I Was Cruel, the
next record will be different again.

[noiseradio]

EC: Oh, I intend to make another rock record, because
the Imposters are a fantastic rock ‘n’ roll band.
People are sort of surprised by North and can’t see it
as being the same work by the person who made When I
Was Cruel. I can’t help them, really. I hear it. I
can’t explain it. I’m sort of tired of explaining
everything. I just want to play, and whether it be
songs with a gentle resolution, or more sonically
progressive like the songs from When I Was Cruel, the
next record will be different again.

Yay!

[Watching_Detectives]

The Imposters do make a fantasic rock and roll band. And I really really really hope they make another rock album. That would be...rockin' (for lack of a better word)

[johnfoyle]

Diana Krall fans comment on `arrogant, egotistical ` Elvis Costello !


I posted comments from Elvis` Vh1 interview
on the Diana Krall Jazz Princess forum and got these
comments -


http://pub120.ezboard.com/fthejazzprinc ... =254.topic



----------------------------------------------------
jazzanddianafan

Reply
Re: Elvis talks about Diana`s new album.


Quote:
They don’t have any easy idiot-friendly structural
devices for people with limited musical imaginations.



You know, it is that kind of arrogant, egotistical
remark that has earned Mr. Costello his reputation....
hopefully, he did not actually mean it to come across
as 'either your smart enough to understand and
appreciate my music or your just too stupid for
words'...

There might well be one or two intelligent, musically
imaginative people who just don't care for 'North'...

it could happen....
----------------------------------------------------
jazzygal karla

Reply Re: Elvis talks about Diana`s new album.

I know little, if nothing about Elvis Costello. He's
that guy who's now Diana's husband - that's how I
think about him. Yet that 'idiot-friendly' comment
made me laugh. Sounded like something Joni Mitchell
would say...
~
----------------------------------------------------
Coda

Reply remarks by EC

I wonder if Elvis really thought through his
"idiot-friendly" remark before he said it. All I can
say is it's okay if everyone doesn't like or
understand every kind of music ("different strokes for
different folks") but there's no need to call people
names.

However, I was interested to read about his role in
collaborating with Diana's new songs. I am really
interested in hearing them...and also hearing Diana's
perspective about her new songs. As a writer, I
understand it's sometimes difficult to put something
very personal "out there" and you hope people respect
your feelings (because you've made yourself
vulnerable) even if they don't completely understand
your work. However, there will be some people who do
understand, and you just thank God for those people,
because those are the people you're writing for.
-----------------------------------------------------
fore15

Reply Re: remarks by EC

Man that's why Elvis Costello ROCKS!! because he says
what he means!!!
---------------------------------------------------
skipjack7l

Reply

Coda eloguently states:
"As a writer, I understand it's sometimes difficult to
put something very personal "out there" and you hope
people respect your feelings (because you've made
yourself vulnerable) even if they don't completely
understand your work. However, there will be some
people who do understand, and you just thank God for
those people, because those are the people you're
writing for. "

Those words may be easier to take than EC's
interpretation of his feelings about the acceptance of
his writing-but I think he felt just that same way
!..Add to it the special vulnerability of his open
heartfelt work. I do agree with him that the melodies
are complex..and the poetry.. "except to say that it's
sensational"......and the guy is a pistol with
words..and honest in his delivery ..whenever.. ..

------------------------------------------------------

[BurnishedGold]

John,

I don't really see why you posted the link to JP members comments. Is that necessary?

[noiseradio]

Only if you want to find the page and read it for yourself, which I did.

[johnfoyle]

BurnishedGold asks

John,

I don't really see why you posted the link to JP members comments. Is that necessary?



I like to source any quotes I use , if only to prove I haven`t made them up !

[laughingcrow]

A great teacher once told me 'if you reference something, it's called research...if you don't it's called plagiarism!''

[Goody2Shoes]

It's okay, Burnished Gold, I don't think anyone takes their comments personally. . We're all pretty much aware that not everyone loves him. We're grown-ups, we can take it!

The comment referenced does sound arrogant; I don't think EC is without arrogance and egoism, but the same could be said of many artists. You gotta have a lot of nerve to ask people to spend their money on what you have to say, or play, or sculpt, or paint.

I think that many of his remarks are interpreted out of context, particularly by those who aren't terribly familiar with his work.

Nicely crafted pop songs with infectious hooks have been, after all, EC's bread and butter. I really, honestly don't think he holds pop music and pop fans in the derision that remark would suggest. Perhaps it's an example of his self-deprecating humor. Perhaps it's hyperbole employed to make his point. Who knows?

[BurnishedGold]

I guess what I meant was... I don't think the JP members would appreciate you copy/pasting their views here. Post the link so others can read it, fine. The way it came across to me was that you (John) were posting the JP remarks to spark conversation here about what they thought. Does that make any sense?

I just don't want to see members being bashed over here for stating their opionions of Elvis. That is all.

-Skirt

[A rope leash]

I think the two boards should get married!

[johnfoyle]

If something is `out there` on the `net , then it is fair game for comment , pasting , whatever. And , yes , I was posting the JP remarks for discussion here - this is a discussion forum isn`t it?

[noiseradio]

I'm all verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. Here's a topic:

Diana Krall is neither a princess nor a Kruller.

Discuss.

[Watching_Detectives]

Haha, Noise...