The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 1, 1979 Page: 9 of 20
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The Rice Thresher, February 1, 1979, Page 9
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello and The
Attractions
Steve Sailer
Costello's first two albums—
My Aim Is True and This
Year's Model—made it clear
that only Billy Joel could rival
him as a composer of catchy
pop/rock melodies, or as an
obnoxious little twerp.
Although astonishing
examples of angry shake,
rattle, and roll, the previous
albums displayed little of the
extraordinary virtuosity that
distinguishes Armed Forces.
Only the fact that a few of the
tunes aren't up to Costello's
usual standards keeps this
album from being a master-
work of cold perfection.
Having finally exorcized his
old high school nerd's
obsession with revenging
sexual rejections, the former
computer technician with the
wedge-shaped head has now
come to dread the totali-
tarianization of Britain. Song
titles like "Goon Squad" and
"Two Little Hitlers," and lines
like "You'll never make a
lampshade out of me" create an
ominous atmosphere evocative
of W. H. Auden's doom-laden
poetry of the late Twenties and
early Thirties. And like
Auden's early work, Costello's
lyrics are intricate, witty, and
often incomprehensible. (Let
me assure the more gullible
among you that I, of course, am
not comparing their literary
merits.)
Producer Nick Lowe has
synthesized a precise,
restrained sound—resembling
that of the more dehumanized
new wave bands like The Cars
and Devo-—that chillingly
reflects the numbing fear of the
future that suffuses the lyrics.
Costello has become a
subtle, fluent vocalist, capable
of singing "She's my soft-touch
typewriter/And I'm the Great
Dictater" as naturally as Linda
Ronstadt gurgles "Ooooh baby
baby." Proving themselves one
of the world's more technically
accomplished bands, The
Attractions are led by bassist
Bruce Thomas who sometimes
ranges well above middle C to
mellifluously carry the melody.
Unfortunately, the talents of
Pete Thomas, the Gatling
gunner of a drummer, are
seldom fully exercized because
the first eleven tracks don't
really rock. How could they?
Rebellion is at the heart of rock
and roll and Costello seems too
paralyzed with fear to put up
much of a fight. Only the last
song, Lowe's "(What's So
Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and
Understanding," is actively
defiant, and Pete Thomas
drums up a firestorm to propel
this simple but devastating
rocker.
STUDENT JOB OPPORTUNITY
$16-20 PER WEEK
Salary Is $3.00/hr. and 15<t/mlle.
If Interested, please call528-5366and ask for Klm.
Must have car.
33535 S. Main - Modern Furniture Rental - Klm Flanagan
a tRfra tbat styLes..
TIMES BARBER SHOP
2423 TIMES BLVD.
(IN THE VILLAGE)
528-9440
BOB AND JoeL
STUDENTS 3.50
PLACEMENT OFFICE INTERVIEWS
DATE COMPANIES
2/5 Bechtel, Inc.
2/5 United States Steel Corp.
2/5 Pratt 6 Whitney Aircraft Div.
2/5-6 GTE Sylvanla
2/6 Pennzoll Company
2/6 Schlumberaer Well Services
2/6-7 Atlantic Ricnfield Co.
2/7 Wordstream Products Co.
2/7 System Planning Corp.
2/8 Hughes Aircraft Co.
2/8-9 Texas Instruments, Inc.
2/8-9 TRW, Inc.
2/9 Lincoln Labs, M.l.T.
George Thorogood & The
Destroyers
Move It On Over
Thorn Glidden
George Thorogood and The
Destroyers produce freshly
traditional rock and roll in a
genre cluttered by music which
is consistently too overdone to
be enjoyable.
The sound Thorogood
presents is straight out of the
sixties—totally unpretentious,
thoroughly energizing, and
immensely satisfying. Move It
On Over, The Destroyers'
second album, is a collection of
rocking rhythm and blues from
the past.
The title cut, "Move It On
Over," is an old Hank Williams
tune screeched back to life by
the electric slide guitar of
Thorogood. George shows his
more energetic side on the
classic rocker, "Who Do You
Love?"
On Elmore James' "The Sky
is Crying," the multi-faceted
guitar of Thorogood adapts to
a pure blues flavor. An old
Johnny Cash hymn, "Cocaine
Blues," follows as an amusingly
poignant ballad with a country
twang. Closing side one. The
Destroyers return to a more
fundamental rock sound on
Chuck Berry's "It Wasn't Me."
An impressive taste of slide
guitar opens side two on Willie
Dixon's timeless "That Same
Thing." Another rocking blues
number, "So Much Trouble,"
follows, accented by the
singeing electric riffs of
Thorogood. A nostalgic ballad
sounding very fiftyish, "I'm
Just Your Good Thing,"comes
next.
The blues guitar of
Thorogood finds its fullest
expression on "Baby, Please
Set a Date," an ancient Elmore
James number. Stil! more bv
James is presented on "New
Hawaiian Boogie" with George
going absolutely bananas on
the electric slide.
George Thorogood and The
Destroyers' Move h On Over is
so unique that it is hard to
believe its sound is achieved by
a stylistic regression of several
years. In a world bloated on
disco, punk, and plastic
psychedelia, the sound ot
fundamental rock and roll is a
pleasure to hear.
George Thorogood is the
first to admit that his repertoire
consists of only remade
traditional rock and roll blues
songs. The pure essence of the
music is the only thing he
borrows from the original
version. Thorogood permeates
that essence with a spirit and
enthusiasm rarely found in
rock today. As George tells us,
"ll if isn't fun, it ain't worth
doing."
AN EERIE CHILLER TO TINGLE YOUR
SCALP AND TITILLATE YOUR MIND.
Judith Crist
A MOVIE TO SAVOR. It will
tantalize your senses."
Gene Shalit, NBC-TV
IMPRESSIVE. A movingly
moody shock film."
Vincent Canby,
New York Times
MOVIE OF THE MONTH
A riveting spellbinder
you won't forget
Seventeen Magazine
It will scare
the hell *
out of
you!"
Bernard Drew.
Gannett Newspapers
Richard Chamberlain in Peter Weir's
THE LAST WAVE
PG
with Olivia Hamnett. Gulpilii and Nanjiwarra Amagula Directed by Peter Weir
Starts FRIDAY!
El
El
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Heard, Michelle Leigh. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 1, 1979, newspaper, February 1, 1979; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245394/m1/9/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.