Sunday, March 15, 2009

Elvis Costello: Radio Radio



With Youtube threatening to block UK access to its music videos, it is time to stop following tangents like Matt Monro and Carla Bruni. Back to serious music.

This grainy video of a live performance captures Elvis in his two-minute-single period, psychotic bank clerk period, when he was rumoured to be the only artist whose sales fell after he appeared on Top of the Pops. (For something more sophisticated try Man Out of Time or the recent When I was Cruel.)

Back in 1978 Elvis certainly was cruel. It his music and that of The Jam that reminds me most of my university years. Is it just me, or is the reputation of The Clash higher now than it was at the time?

Later. The original video disappeared, so here is a similar one.

2 comments:

Duncan Borrowman said...

I think the problem the Clash had was that they were more heavily assoicated with the hardcore of punk. It took a while for those outside of punk to notice them/accept them/admit they were actually good.

Paul Walter said...

Indeed, a brilliant record with a fantastic start.