Elvis Costello Writes About Paul Simon

As we've been reporting over the past few months, a new Paul Simon album is in the offing. His tenth solo effort, So Beautiful or So What, will be released on Concord Music Group on 12 April. It reunites Simon with producer Phil Ramone, who manned the sound board for some of the singer-songwriter's more memorable efforts (There Goes Rhymin' Simon and Still Crazy After All These Years).

In today's Huffington Post, we get a sneak preview of the liner notes for the record, which were penned by none other than Elvis Costello:

How do the fingers of this thing entwine? Which foot falls first upon the trail?

Is it the word? Is it the music?

It generates few visible blisters, so may even be mistaken for an unearned reward.

As Fred Astaire once wisely sang, you have to "Let Yourself Go."

So how do you begin? When do you know when you've reached your destination? What do you cut and when do you run without painting over the picture?

A thing of beauty?

Who needs it?

But that's the very mystery and fascination of it.

The trick is, as I know it, is to care like hell and not give a damn at the same time or as more elegantly proposed here; So Beautiful Or So What.

***

I believe that this remarkable, thoughtful, often joyful record deserves to be recognized as among Paul Simon's very finest achievements.

It's a lot to add to what you've done when those songs are titles anyone could name but Paul's greatest songs will find worthy, easy company here.

This is a man in full possession of all his gifts looking at the comedy and beauty of life with clarity and the tenderness bought by time.

It seems no accident that three of the song titles contain the word, "love" and most of the others consider it in its many manifestations.

The record begins with a fragment of a sermon underpinning the promise of the song, "Getting Ready For Christmas Day."

Within it is the voice of the Rev. J.M. Gates, who waxed warnings of eternal punishment from his first hit homily, "Death's Black Train Is Coming" to his last caution in 1940, "Hitler and Hell."

These days it might court shallow mockery to sing so openly of our humanity, mortality and divinity but not with music to make these themes fly or words containing such wit, grace and humility.

The musical shapes and shades arrive from all over the world and back in time to illuminate the heartfelt intelligence of the writer.

Central to the picture is Paul's vivid singing and own beautiful guitar playing - which doesn't always get full measure in the shadow of his writing.

Throughout the record, I kept coming up against what I can only call, rock and roll surprises; not some orthodox formula but indelible, hypnotic guitar motifs and swinging, off-center rhythms tipping your expectations into a new kind of thrill.

Then there are the ballads...

In "Love and Hard Times," two-thirds of the Trinity arrive on earth only to disagree over who and what is worthy of salvation. This bold and, for any other songwriter, completely humbling piece of composition took my breath away on first hearing.

The opening statement is as lovely as anything Paul has written. I felt as if I was suddenly within the idyllic scene of natural beauty that it describes, only for it be leavened by the Lord's blue aside, "We'd better get going," as He departs the scene.

The song concludes with recognition that it is the reassuring touch of a lover that calms an uneasy but grateful heart near dawn. If love is discovery made in a moment, then it is still one for which we must give thanks.

Equally startling is the rushing, telescopic journey from creative to destructive explosion and the making and undoing of the world in "Love Is Eternal Sacred Light."

These wonderful songs refuse to despair, despite the evidence all around us. "So Beautiful Or So What" rejects the allure of fashionable darkness and the hypnosis of ignorance - better to contemplate and celebrate the endurance of the spirit and the persistence of love.

Here's the track listing for So Beautiful or So What:

"Getting Ready For Christmas Day" – 4:06 [SAMPLE HERE]
"The Afterlife" – 3:40 [SAMPLE HERE]
"Dazzling Blue" – 4:32
"Rewrite" – 3:49
"Love And Hard Times" – 4:09
"Love Is Eternal Sacred Light" – 4:02
"Amulet" – 1:36
"Questions For The Angels" – 3:49
"Love And Blessings" – 4:18
"So Beautiful Or So What" – 4:07

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . [Season 2, Episode 2]

The second episode of this season's Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . turned out to be a mixed bag. Talented songwriters were grouped on the same stage throughout, taking turns with some of their more famous compositions. The guests: Jesse Winchester, Ron Sexsmith, Neko Case and Sheryl Crow.

Jesse Winchester is one of the hidden gems in popular music. Born and raised in the southern United States, he attended college in Massachusetts and then defected to Canada in 1966 rather than serve in the military during the Vietnam War. From this self-imposed exile he recorded his first album, the eponymous Jesse Winchester, in 1970. Produced by Robbie Robertson, it was a highly influential work on par with the other solo major releases of that year by Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Neil Young. Although he would continue to release solid records over the coming years, because he could not tour the United States until the general amnesty declared by President Carter in 1977, Winchester probably missed the initial window of opportunity for pop stardom.

This episode appropriately begins with a blistering cover of Winchester's "Payday," with Costello and the song's originator trading verses. The opening cut on that first album by Winchester, it is a song Costello include on his Kojack Variety release back in 1995. Unfortunately, the interview with Winchester is edited severely, and the viewer - without a solid history of the singer's past - can never hone in on the effect the decision to move had on his career or his toiling in the musical trenches for nearly 40 years. On the other hand, we are treated to two other performances: the memorable "The New Old Tennessee Waltz" (from 1976's Let The Rough Side Drag) and the lovely "Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding" (from this past year's effort Love Filling Station).

The Canadian artist Ron Sexsmith was featured next. Another critical darling, Sexsmith has made no secret of his personal influences: Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello. His first effort on the show is a solo "Secret Heart," a Beatleesque ballad. He also shares a cover of Costello's "Everyday I Write The Book" and Dylan's "Ring Them Bells."

The young (for this stage) and talented Neko Case, another transplanted American who made her bones in Canada, delivers a grand spark to the show. Her charming performance of Harry Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me" proves to be a wonderful moment. She also contributes her own "Prison Girls," but Case's presence on the show was too minimal for this viewer's taste.

The inclusion of Sheryl Crow is somewhat of a mystery on the panel. She just did not fit the tenor of styles presented; perhaps the need for a "popular name" held some sway with the producers of the episode. Her selections are predictable: "If It Makes You Happy" and "Leaving Las Vegas." We never learn of her musical influences, contrary to the basic premise of the program.

While the interviews were minimal, this second episode of the season did provide a change-up with the inclusion of more musical performances than usual. It was great television just watching the body language of the singers while they were not performing: the subtle keeping of time with a head or foot or finger, or gentle swaying back and forth while engrossed in the lyric. The most touching moment may have been the tear rolling down Case's cheek while listening to Winchester's "Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding."

THE SET LIST (note video links)
1. "Payday" (Elvis Costello and Jesse Winchester, vocals)
2. "Secret Heart" (Ron Sexsmith, solo guitar)
3. "If It Makes You Happy" (Sheryl Crow, lead guitar; Costello and Sexsmith, acoustic guitars)
4. "Don't Forget Me" (Neko Case, vocal; Steve Nieve, piano)
5. "Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding" (Winchester, solo guitar)
6. "Everyday I Write The Book" (Sexsmith & Costello, lead vocals; Winchester on harmony)
7. "Leaving Las Vegas" (Crow, vocal and acoustic guitar; Costello, electric guitar)
8. "The Brand New Tennessee Waltz" (Winchester, vocal and guitar; Costello, harmony)
9. "Prison Girls" (Case, vocal; Nieve, keyboards; Costello, electric guitar)
10. "Ring Them Bells" (Sexsmith, lead vocal; All, harmony; Nieve, keyboards )

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . [Season 2, Episode 1]

With the opening episode of the second season of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . ., it has become clear that the series has become an important contribution to the study of the art of rock and roll. The format is unique in that Costello adeptly focuses on musical backgrounds and influences of his guests, not bothering with the celebrity fluff. And the opportunity arises for performances of songs in an intimate setting (in this case, the Masonic Temple in Toronto) .


Costello and his band, The Imposters, usually kick off the show with a cover of a tune made famous by his guest(s), which then leads to a carnival barker-type introduction, revving the crowd up for the episode. In this case, the denizens lucky enough to fill the small auditorium didn't need much coaxing: the stars of this show were the lead vocalist and guitarist of the biggest band in the world, U2.


Entering to a bombastic version of "Mysterious Ways," Bono and The Edge shimmied across the stage and then sat on bar stools to settle in for their talk with Costello. The host - in this case as with a number of guests so far in the series - has the unique advantage of sharing the same time line in a parallel musical career. He recalled U2 being on the undercard with Elvis Costello and The Attractions 30 years ago and - even though he concedes that "I Will Follows" sounded like nothing else on the scene - wonders aloud to the two whether they knew "what the hell you were doing" musically at the time. The Dubliners candidly admit that their popularity occurred in a "backwards" fashion, with their initial style coming from minimalist German groups like Can and Neu! And they cite their attendance at an early Costello show as one of the reasons for starting the band. It was only after U2 achieved a measure of popularity that the band began to truly form its musical influences and expand its skills from a technical standpoint. To that end, Bono and The Edge give credit to the "art schooling" they received from long-time producers Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.


This leads into a discussion of the always curious question of: What comes first, the words or the music? According to Bono, the band always starts with the melody. The Edge provides a helpful example of the process in this regard: the underrated gem from Zooropa, "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)." [Listen to this great version of the song from the 1993 ZooTv Tour, performed in Dublin.] He explains that the tune was built up to epic proportions with many overdubs. Then after much toiling and tinkering, it finally struck him that stripping the music to its core of drums, bass and guitar would give the lyrics more punch. The two bandmates then perform a poignant version of the song to confirm this choice in style.

The interview proceeded to touch on encounters with musical heroes, including Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, who urged the boys to look deeply into the roots of American music. But the most charming story related by The Edge and Bono concerned a dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Palm Springs, California with Frank Sinatra. It proved a jumping off point for the often mentioned, but seldom played, song that U2 wrote specifically for Ol' Blue Eyes, "Two Shots of Whisky, One Shot of Sad."

Dedication to craft rounded out the conversation, with Bono bowing to his partner for his continuing focus on improving his musicianship. While he acknowledges his involvement in many social causes, Bono wonders if it has come at the expense of better songs, better singing. But he believes that these experiences are a valuable jumping off point for many of the lyrics that he has contributed to the band: "When you think of it, we are the perfect band for weddings, bar mitzvahs and funerals. The happy and the sad." The Edge counters that while practice and editing are crucial, there has to be "chaos within the control" in order to make music that will continue to be relevant.

How rock and roll artists have always fed off each other in order to perpetuate the sound is evident in the closing number of the show. Costello rips into "Pump It Up" (1978), which easily segues into U2's recent "Get On Your Boots" (2009) from No Line On The Horizon. And, in keeping with the theme of musical influence that is the core of Spectacle, the boys double back to Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (1965) for good measure.



SET LIST
"Mysterious Ways" (Elvis Costello & The Imposters)
"Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Bono, The Edge and Costello on lead vocals, backed by The Imposters)
"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" (Bono on lead vocal, The Edge on acoustic guitar)
"Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" (Bono on lead vocal, Steve Nieve on piano)
"Pump It Up/Get On Your Boots/Subterranean Homesick Blues" (Costello and Bono on lead vocals, backed by The Edge and The Imposters)

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . airs Wednesday nights at 10.00pm EST on Sundance Channel, with some repeats through the week. Check cable or satellite listings.

"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with. . ." To Return

The unique music interview show hosted by Elvis Costello, "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with. . .," is to return for a second season on The Sundance Channel. Paste reports that the premiere is set for December 9. The program is devoted to delving into the influences of artists and the craft of instrument playing and song writing, making it a music geek's dream. Reportedly, guests set to appear this go-round include Bruce Springsteen, Neko Case, The Edge & Bono, Lyle Lovett and Ray LaMontagne. The official Spectacle web site still has a backlog of video shorts from the first season. [DVD box set of the first season is coming to Canada on November 10, but no announcement yet on release for US and UK.] Make sure you check out the Smokey Robinson clip on how he first met Barry Gordy.

And speaking of Smokey Bill, the man Bob Dylan once famously dubbed "America's greatest living poet" will be delivering the keynote address at next March's SXSW Festival in Austin.