Elvis Costello (Declan MacManus) born August 25, 1954
I bought My Aim Is True on the first day of release after driving all over town to find a copy. I don't remember, now, what had tipped me off to it.
Five bars in ("Now that your picture's in the paper/ being rhythmically admired...") and I'd seen the future of rock and roll, and, without knowing it, the beginning of a run of the four greatest pop albums ever to be completely ignored by local radio, although I did hear Linda Ronstadt's cover of "Allison" once, which caused me to drive over a curb and tear out the oil pan plug. To be fair, "Freebird" and "Stairway to Heaven" do take up a lot of time, especially when that's all you play. I wish now I'd saved the two dismissive sentences the guy in the Star wrote about him.
I'm sure it makes me a philistine, but dammit, he's the only Elvis for me.
ReplyDeleteClambake, feh.
(Well, okay, there's that detective guy in the Robert Crais books, but that's sort of a different thing altogether.)
That makes you a Philistine? I've been telling people for 25 years "There's only one Elvis, and he's still alive."
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to live in the land of KROQ and Rodney on the ROQ in those days. We got lotsa Elvis Costello & other good stuff. Nothing like it since.
ReplyDeleteGrammy nominees, Best New Artist, 1978:
ReplyDeleteThe Cars
Elvis Costello
Chris Rea
Toto
and the winners - A Taste of Honey
That's the day my world changed.
indy radio -- love it or leave it!
ReplyDeleteIn honor of his birthday, I got too drunk last night at a karaoke bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and sang "Radio, Radio."
ReplyDeleteElvis lives.
I hope you had some background hissers.
ReplyDeleteLove him! One of the best songwriters alive.
ReplyDeleteI did consider singing the first line of "Less Than Zero" before cutting it abruptly off and apologizing, but that would've required a bit more cooperation than the dj was willing to provide.
ReplyDelete