February has come to a close and with it our unofficial theme is ending as well. While the rest of the month we have been highlighting power-pop artists, our legend this month, while not a power-pop artist definitively, I regard with having aided the genre by setting the bar of intellectual lyrics with the self-aware styling that makes power-pop so accessible. Ladies and gentlemen, this month Enter the Shell brings you the man that has helped innumerable people deal with growing pains and the frustrations of life and love. We welcome Elvis Costello as our Legendary Artist of the Week.
Last week we spoke about the ability of a power-pop musician to not only write great lyrics, but their talents in drawing from their emotions and personal experiences in order to convey to others the meaning and feeling that they have felt. In this blogger’s eyes there are few who match Elvis Costello’s honesty and strength as a song-writer and musician. Dealing particularly with Costello’s first few albums, the bitterness of rejection and the difficulties of wooing a partner are laid thick as listeners can relate to Costello’s own struggles, summoning forth the pain and frustration that the want of a significant other can cause. Through Costello’s talents as a writer and passion as a musician, it’s no surprise that friend and inspiration (and former AotW Legend) Nick Lowe would want to produce such an incredible wordsmith on the Stiff label, home to other great musicians like Graham Parker, and Huey Lewis and the News (before they were Huey Lewis and the News).
Costello’s work showcases extremely well the range of human emotion. Whether he is singing about divorce, politics, road life, substance abuse, or just playing good old fashioned rock and roll, Costello is able to captivate an audience and draw images that help listeners to sit back and say something in the likeness of “yeah, this guy knows exactly what I’m going through right now…and he can rock my socks off, too!”  While Costello has such a broad array of musical styles and sounds, he has a little something for everybody.
With 35 years and 30 albums under the moniker of Elvis Costello, the man has certainly made a name for himself in the world of music. Not only has he put out a phenomenal amount of his own music (his most recent being 2010’s National Ransom), he has also collaborated extensively with seemingly just about everyone in existence. A few years ago he and Elton John produced their own television show, Spectacle which ran for two seasons and had Costello interviewing various musicians (and one president) where in between questions they would play music together. Costello has produced bands such as the Specials and the Pogues and has collaborated with the likes of Paul McCartney and Sesame Street, and has even appeared in a few movies (by the way, Costello is the original Napoleon Dynamite).
While the life of Elvis Costello may be too much to track in a brief AotW segment, the man has certainly accomplished a great amount and, with his track record, does not appear to be slowing down. The 57 year old musician still tours regularly, tends to his side-projects, and writes captivating new music. While not all of his albums have been stellar, throughout the 30 albums released his gems do stand out and you’ll never be lacking a new avenue of Elvis to explore. Get your fix below and enjoy!
Useful Links
Spectacle episodes on Sundance