Wendy's Goes New Wave
I was in a Wendy's the other day. Like so many restaurants, they play music. This Wendy's lineup featured a collection of 50s and 60s hits. Some of my favorite music, but so familiar you don't even notice it.
Then they played "We Got The Beat." That was a bit different. Hadn't heard The Go-Go's in years. Next up, "Our House." Madness. Even rarer, even better.
Then I heard Elvis Costello's "Clubland." It almost knocked me off my chair. It's odd enough to hear Costello, much less "Clubland."
On my way out, they played "Boogie Oogie Oogie." I couldn't help but wonder if the song mixer did it as a joke. He's obviously an Elvis fan, and A Taste Of Honey, with this one single, beat out Costello for the Best New Artist Grammy in 1978.
I hadn't been to Wendy's in a while. Maybe I'll be back soon.
posted by LAGuy @ 2:35 AM
3 Comments:
Gee I start reading everyday and people stop writing. Anyway thanks for the link to the Elvis Costello lyrics- I've always loved him but never understood a lot of the lyrics from early (and best) albums where they weren't printed. However I just read through all of the Armed Forces lyrics on the web and I think I understood the songs without knowing the lyrics better than I do now. I hope I forget what I just learned- on the cold page it looks like unintelligible mush (but yet seems so profound with the right bass beat)
I could go on and on about Elvis's lyrics. I remember the (incredibly foolish) statement by "dean of rock critics" Robert Christgau, who called it wordplay as swordplay and puns for punters--Christgau was being negative, saying Elvis just throws too much stuff at you that doesn't mean anything. (Why am I even discussing Christgau on Costello--he called Elvis, the musician who made rock worth listening to again, a bit boring. I believe this is the stupidest statement ever written by any rock critic anywhere, and that takes some doing.)
Where was I? Oh yeah, sometimes it can be hard to get the words, but it's well worth it trying. And, as anyone who's read this blog in the past few months knows, I think Elvis was at his best on his first four albums or so, and almost every lyric from that period, when he was wilder and less "mature", but still obviously quite talented, deserves attention. The words are funny, nasty, clever and even spooky. And they fit the music perfectly. Maybe some day if I have the time I'll go into more detail.
Sorry I missed a few days, but it wasn't completely under my control. Keep reading and I'll try to keep up my part of the deal.
I agree with you and think Elvis's first four albums are some of the greatest albums ever and don't want to diminish that opinion by my comment on the printed lyrics. I guess I was thinking on the Norton Anthology putting Beatles songs in several years ago and my point is that songs to be appreciated should be heard rather than read. I would thoroughly enjoy your close interpreation of any Elvis song (How about "Green Shirt")
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