[.ca] When I Was Cruel

From Amazon.com:
Following a string of tasteful but sometimes bloodless collaborations with Sophie Van Otter, Bill Frisell, and the London Symphony Orchestra, Costello delivers his most visceral and satisfying CD in years with When I Was Cruel. Reunited with half the Attractions, Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve, Costello sticks relatively close to the sharp new-wave melodies that sealed his reputation in the late '70s and '80s, but infuses them with powerful sonic touches: a hypnotic loop of Italian pop singer Mina that carries the title track, the melodica that casts an eerie glow over "Soul for Hire," and the frenetic, klezmer-inspired horns that drive "15 Petals." Costello's guitar is frequently drenched in tremolo, and his lyrical wit hasn't been this consistently spiky and unforced since Blood & Chocolate. Compared to some of his more uptown adventures, When I Was Cruel may seem at first a kind of semi-nostalgic slumming, but the opposite may be the case: like Woody Allen, Costello is at his most artful when he produces perfect pop trifles that will almost certainly outlast his more self-conscious "serious" work. --Keith Moerer

This Disc "Rocks" with a Capital "R"!!!:
When I was attending New York University way back in the mid 80's Elvis was the unquestioned King of the East Village chic literate punk rockers. "Get Happy" blasted out of every bar and record shop and clothing store you passed. "When I was Cruel" harkens back to his earlier works such as "Armed Forces" and "Trust" and then takes them to even greater heights. There is not one weak cut. Take some time and listen to this one. It will begin to dominate your mind with its sinister guitar and bass interplay and of course Elvis' incredible lyrics. I was lucky enough to see Elvis recently on his tour with Steve Nieve playing most of the songs from "North", let me tell you he has grown as a singer and his performance was haunting. So tender and so fierce! If you love music with guts and punch and commitment GO BUY THIS CD! It Rocks with a vengance!!!

If the Failure is Great, it Tends to Fascinate:
Elvis still writes with a pen honed to a Samurai Sword keen, but there are other elements that "When I Was Cruel" are sorely lacking. This is probably Costello's most overblown record since "Mighty Like A Rose." The great songs ("45," "Episode Of Blonde" and "When I Was Cruel 2") are forced to sit next to the distractingly distorted ("Daddy Can I Turn This"), obvious retreads ("Doll Revolution") and just confusing sounding songs that might have been better off worked on later ("Dissolve"). There is probably a great 12 song CD hidden in here somewhere. But even at his most fumbling, Elvis can still beat most of his peers from the old days. Problem is, just like his peers from back in the day, he was a sharper man then. The past glories well up from "Dust" and the dripping sarcasm as the "Dancing Queen" quote drops in the title track. But the title to this CD is "When I WAS Cruel," and not "I Am Still Cruel." Keep that in mind as you listen to this fascinating failure.

E.C. Returning to his old style:
As of the first listening of the album, I thought it was exceptionally fantastic. It just blew me away;a solid piece of music! Unlike one of the other reviewer's who said "it take's time to grow on you", I felt that the music had an immediate reaction on me.I also thought "Alibi" was a great song; I haven't heard the recording's"King of America" and "Blood and Chocolate" in their entirety. So, therefore I can't quote a comparison to "when I was Cruel". I think there were too many negative reviews of the album. My rating would be a four and a halfout of five stars for this particular performance.

Don't bury me 'cause I'm not dead yet:
If you've dismissed this CD after a couple of plays like I did, and you're a real EC fan, go back and listen to it again a few times. The more I listen to it, the better I like it - it ranks with My Aim is True, Armed Forces, etc., as my favorite EC. If you've seen him perform these tunes live, you'd know he ain't fakin' it. With classic EC vocals, lyrics, and great out-of-control horn section, this CD swings between quite and frantic. Although he's made many CD's that put fans off, me included, I will always think of him as one of the most relevant artist of our time. He will continue to frustrate fans who expect remakes of their favorite EC, but he is far from finished.

Don't believe the hype:
I bought this on faith that the real EC was back. The guy who could twist meanings and tunes to places you never expected. The guy who authored the lines "thinking about grand larceny, smoking the everlasting cigarette of chastity". Nope. While it's better than much of his post-Blood and Chocolate stuff, this album is still, frankly, pretty boring. Oh, there's a couple good songs that'd merit a mix tape inclusion, but I'm not going to listen to it many more times. Ah, Elvis, mighty are the fallen.

• 45
• Spooky Girlfriend
• Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)
• When I Was Cruel No. 2
• Soul For Hire
• Petals
• Tart
• Dust 2...
• Dissolve
• Alibi
• ...Dust
• Daddy Can I Turn This?
• My Blue Window
• Episode of Blonde
• Radio Silence