The Arts The Clash ‘em Enough Rope Elvis Costello Armed Forces Depending on your point of view, new wave music is either a joy or a nuisance because it makes you sit up and listen. The music may be stark and primitive, but with the best of the new wave, the lyrics are of prime importance, and if you don’t take the time to figure ‘em out, you’ve missed the point. Unlike the music of artists (?) like Barry Manilow, Styx, Foreigner, the Bee Gees, etc., you have to put something into it to get something out. Which means that for the unthinking, apathetic, middle-of-theroad, easychair majority, punk and new wave music is something to be ignored. Who wants to have to think about something as trivial and unimportant as a stupid record? Give
Which brings us to the new albums. one bv The Clash and Elvis Costello. In case you’ve never heard of them, The Clash are the heirs of the title made vacant by the demise of the Sex Pistols (whatever title that may be). Give LEm Enough Rope is their second album. What is initially attractive about Give ‘Em Enough Rope is its relentless energy; like the Sex Pistols, The Clash’s music is driven by a good rhythm section and a raw, ragged guitar. Unlike Never Mind the Bollocks, this album has a little musical variety; there’s a wonderful sax solo in “Drug Stabbing Time,” a piano once or twice, and other non-punk things like solos, breaks, and vocal harmonies. With the possible exception of “Cheapskate,” the driving energy never lets up. The vocals, which suggest the Sex Pistols, Mott the Hoople, and occasionally, the Beatles, range from average to hilariously mediocre, but this isn’t really a criticism. I mean, for those of us who are bathtub rock stars with a two note range, its nice to be able to sing an entire album, and not even have to worry about being on key. While this album will certainly be useful as music to blow away winter blues, it’s the lyrics of Give ‘Em Enough Rope that make it
fascinating. I’ve been working at deciphering these lyrics for about a week (the mix is so rough that half the time you can’t hear the vocals, let alone understand them) and I think I’m about one tenth of the way there. The fruit of a week’s diligent labour: “Safe European Home”, a song about a trip to a place “Where every white face is an invitation to robbery” about which the singer decides it’s better to stay at home where his ass and his wallet are not in danger. This is ironically followed by “English Civil War,” a song based on the old American song about the civil war (“When Johriny comes marching home again. . . .“). If you’ve ever sang “The. ants go marching two by two, hurrah . . .” to this tune, you just have to hear this song. “Julie’s Been Working In the Drug Squad” is a delightful, humou!rous tune with an Ian Hunter-ish warble about those everpresent narcs lurking among us. The story line of “Stay Free” you’ve heard before (compare it with Tom Robinson’s “Martin,” for example), but its almost sentimental presentation of adolescent friendship and what happens to it is inspiring in a strange way. Though you wonder if the losers in the song can “stay free”, it’s a nice thought. As for the other six songs, I’m still working on them, but they do look promising. Not much else you can say about this one; it’s a great album, and the only reason you shouldn’t run right out and buy it is that it’s only available in Canada as an import at the moment, so unless you’re willing to fork out nine bucks, you may have to hang on for a while. In the mean time, you can listen to my copy. Give me a call and we’ll have a Clash party, and peel the paint off the neighbour’s doors again.
Records Forces has only been out for three weeks, copies with the EP are becoming hard to find. Which is too bad, because the EP is great. On one side is a version of “Watching the Detectives” from his first album, on which he discovers unintentional feedback, distortion, and how to play his guitar with his face, all in a
mere six minutes. On the other side is a compelling, dramatic version of “Alison,” also from My Aim Is True, and a different version of a song called “Accidents Will Happen” which appears on the album itself. Great stuff. Besides the elephants pictured on the back cover, the highlight of the album is the only non-Costello composition, Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” It has enormous potential for wimpdom and self-parody, but destroys any possibility of it with its thumping bass, scratchy guitar and drums unlike anything.you’ve ever heard before - they define the word thunder. Costello’s vocal is positively inspired. The other eleven sofngs
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were all written by Costello, and as a group they’re more commercial sounding than his past work, perhaps because of a fuller production. In particular, the keyboard seems to be used here more extensively. The tunes all bounce along at a fair pace, and they’re all pleasant enough, but unfortunately, not much more.
February
ability to-evoke many ideas and interpretations from very few words, and it’s too bad there isn’t much more of it. As previously mentioned, the twelve tracks are pleasant and listenable, but they’re not memorable. And while nobody ever claimed Elvis Costello wasn’t derivative, I’m a bit concerned that the guitar in “Two Little Hitlers” sounds like a direct cop from David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs,” and the guitar in “Party Girl” likewise sounds much like the Beatles “You Never Give Me Your Money” . Armed Forces will likely depolarize the Costello lovers and haters to some extent, and undoubtedly the critics will love it. Meanwhile, Mr. Costello will continue to climb to new
One doesn’t feel the same urgency to listen to what he has to say as one does with, for example, The Clash, The Jam, or either of his other albums. At worst, the lyrics are shallow, and at best, he just playing with words. Perhaps it’s my hangup, but I just can’t be bothered to really listen to this stuff. The album’s lyrical highlight -is “Chemistry Class,” in which he says, “You got a chemistry class/I want a piece of your” - and just when you ‘want him to rhyme it, he says, “mind.” Later, he asks his partner, “Are you ready for the final” (a nice small-talk line) but then he adds another two meanings by tacking on the word “solution.” It’s a great example of his
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heights (you know you’ve made it when Weekend Magazine does an article on you). Still, I can’t help but think that there’s something missing from this album. If you don’t happen to share my fanaticism for interesting lyrics, chances are you’ll like Armed Forces. It’s a little more mainstream than either of his past two albums (especially the first), and if you were put off by him at first, this might convert you. As for me, I’m going back to decipher the rest of Give ‘Em Enough Rope. Jason (Bruce Springsteen is STILL God1 Mitchell ti Since this article was written, the Clash album has been released in Canada and is available at regular prices. I
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Elvis Costello’s third album in a year and a half is called Armed Forces, and like his other two a’lbums, it’s a bit of a puzzle. The album is available in two versions; one with a live EP entitled “Live At Hollywood High” and one without. Although Armed
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