By Dwight Hunter
Perhaps, for people
who were born after 1996, Elvis Costello is only a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
and the husband to jazz musician Diana Krall. But Costello was a part
of the punk rock wave in the 70s and early 80s with quirky, intelligent
lyrics. As for me, it was the album, Armed Forces, I most identify
with as Costello music.
In his memoir, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink,
Costello writes about life as a musician, about some of his song lyrics, and
about his early childhood. The book is a new addition to KLIC.
As fate, would have
it, Costello’s dad worked as a dance hall crooner for an orchestra and was a jazz
enthusiast as was Costello’s mother. Costello recalled listening to his dad
practice at home. Jazz enthusiasm, it seems, played a heavy
influence on Costello’s music. Maybe that’s why he played a Fender Jazzmaster
guitar throughout his punk rock days?
Three things from this
book worth considering. One, the effect of being a rock musician on marriage.
Costello described his first marriage as filled with his unfaithful commitment,
while his second marriage, despite lasting for 16 years,
was barely even mentioned in the book. In his current marriage, he found his soul partner in Krall.
Secondly, the moving
part of the book was about his father battling Parkinson’s and dementia.
Then, third, there was the story about
the song Alison – the dark song with an upbeat tempo. My aim is true is
repeated at the end of the song. What was Costello writing about has long been open to
various interpretations. In the book, Costello explained the lyrics as
the beautiful face of a grocery store clerk, who he saw in a moment, her youth
draining away as she checked out a can of beans and that less-than-honorable
men would tell her lies to keep her trapped. Wow – that’s powerful,
but I wouldn’t expect anything less from an Elvis Costello lyric.
No comments:
Post a Comment