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CONCORDIENSIS Februa-ry 23, 1989 Page 17 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT : - .. . . ' ' .. ,. . . . The Beloved Entertainer .By JOHN S. MORGAN. It must he tough ta be a gen~J:lS. I cannot say that I know, but I call try to imagine. Being labeled a genius is certainly a weighty load to carry. All things considered, Elvis CosteHo's Spike, now available on Warner Brothers Records, proves Mr. D.P.A. MacManus (Elvis) a worthy standard bearer for the geniuses of this world. Spike is Costello's third record without The Attractions, his backing band for over a decade - si.nce My Aim Is True. However, the absence of The Attractions is not the big news here - the noteworthy contributions of Paul McCartney, Roger McGuin and T Bone Burnett (who produced the record along with Costello) make Spike sing. Costello has not produced a truly noteworthy album since Punch The Clock. Undoubtedly, loyal Elvis fans ·enjoyed Blood And Chocolate - a rocking rave- up with the Attractions - but as ·a whole the album suffers from a sense of confusion and a notable lack of direction. Spike stands in stark contrast _to all of his recent efforts.. The album is wonderfully melodic and rich with Costello's magical hooks- ! love.good hooks. The first single lobe released is \VeroniCa\; in a word it is beautiful. The song is credited to McCartny/ MacManus, but it is not a \prop.er collaboration\. McCartney invited Costello to write Some songs with him for the e~ Beatles~ forthcoming album, Costello brought along two half-written tunes to give the duo a jumping off point--what · is now \V:eronica\ was one of those songs. The precision of the ly:l'ics reveals McCartney's hand in the project, but \These days I'm afraid she's not even sure if her name is Veronica, n could well be a line in an Elvis CosteLlo autobiography. I am also quite partial to II Th\ T 'If M c tn ••. IS own... . c ar ey contributes wonderful bass lines, full of personality, employing a Rickenbacker, McGuinn plays a masterful Rickenbacker 12-string and ~urnett strums along acoustically. Wow! Costello lists himself as MacManus on the record jacket to round out the three Macs .. This is a wonderful song that may never be heard on the radio due to its brutal frankness. The chorus points out that \You're nobody 'til everybody in this town thinks you're a bastard.~~ Spike has· its dark and moody moments, particularly \Let Him Pangle\. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, of New Orleans, are featured on three tracks, including \Deep Dark Mark· Russell's Ambition Fulfilled By PATTI REILLY As Mark Russell stood before a full house at Proctor's Theater on Thursday night, he emphatically declared, \It has been my lifelong ambition to stand on the stage of Proctor's Theater in Schenectady, New York.\ This was received with a loud ring of laughter and applause. · The people of Schenectady, \the only city in the nation where they know how to spell Schenectady,\ like to laugh at themselves. As a matter of fact, most Americans enjoy laughing at themselves. Our surroundings, our .culture, and especially our government are all topics which we love to joke about, and Mark Russell is just the man to point out where that humor can be found. Mr. Russell tells us that there is a fine line between satire and the actual event. This comedian seems to remove that line . altogether, making any event, usually political, potentially funny, if not h ysterica1. It wiJuld be difficult; if not · impossible, to do justice_ to Mr. Russell's humor in print. The full enjoyment of his satiric wit comes not only from his sly humor, but alsq from his surprising antics and his· animated delivery. He pleased this audience with his famous combination of song and comedy, dedicating \Button Up Your Overcoat\ to George Bush. Mr. ~ussell was having fun with the nation's fear that something may happen to President Bush, and then Dan Quayle would have to rise to the occasion. Mr. Russell had quite a. good time with this topic much of the night, returning to Dan Quayle, \George Bush's handicap,\ more than once. No one escaped this biting tongue - Barbara Bush became \Silver Fox\ sung to the tune of \Silver Bells,\ and Ronald Reagan became the \Gipper'' of George Bush, the \Giplet.\ Between the songs came a non-stop barrage of comedy. This was not easy listening however. I am embarrassed to say that more than one name went by me unrecognized, and more than one joke right over my head. This was intellectual humor, and I had to stay on my toes. Mr. Russell did not entirely confine himself to .the political arena. He presented the audience with a piece poking fun at Jim and Tammy. i:Ie touched on the comedy of being a parent in the eighties, and h~ even joked about his own past, showing the audience that he could laugh at himself, as well as others. Mark Russell's style is genius. He stands on stage accompanied by nothing more than an American flag, a star- spangled piano, and a bow tie. His humor pushes the limits ·sometimes, but it never goes too far. Mark Russell does more than make people laugh; by joking about the most impottant men in America in one breath, and then Schenectady in his next breath, and then himself in his next, he proves that there is a funny side to every aspect of life. It we try to rem em l;>er this philosophy when things are looking down, maybe the world will seem a little brig_hter to us all. THE BOTTOM. LINE Topic To Be Announced Sunday 9:00-10:00 p.m. 89.7 WRUC Elvis Costello Truthful Mirror\. The arrangements are far from typical for a horn section playing on a pop/rock album, and they come off brilliantly. I can think of no album that I have recommended more heartily than I endorse Spike. On this score, even the haughty New York Times music critic agrees. Of course, I have yet to review The Rcplaccll)ents' record (which The Times will never do), but do not allow my enthusiasm for The 'Mats (same space, next week) to diminish the urgency with which Spike must be heard. r--------Clip. 'n' Save--------, f I I THE WRUC NEW 8.97 I 1 A Virtual Eargasm! I I I I I 1 No. Artist Album Label I 1 1. Elvis Costello Spike Warner I .I I 1 2. XTC (12\) * 11 Mayor of Simpleton\ Geffen 1 I 3. The Replacements Don't Tell A Soul Sire : I 4 Violent Femmes 3 Slash I I . I I 5. Guadalcanal Diary I I (12\) * \Always Saturday\ Elektra I I I J, 6. Throwing Muses Hunkpapa Sire I I I 1 7. Fine Young Cannibals 1 I (12\) \She Drives Me Crazy'' I.R.S. 1 I. 8. The Proclaimers Sunshine on Leith Chrysalis I ~ 8.97 Lou Reed New York Sire ~ I *First week 8.97 1 I Eyebrow Raising Song 0' The Week: I I' LOVE TRACTOR- \FANTASY\. I l..------------------~----...1 DO YOU WRITE FICTION? We PRIZE your work Find out about prizes for your talent in the English Dept~ Deadline March 29 ,.
