{"id":4218,"date":"2014-08-10T12:43:09","date_gmt":"2014-08-10T12:43:09","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-12-03T19:13:48","modified_gmt":"2015-12-04T03:13:48","slug":"three-elvis-costello-political-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/franklycurious.com\/wp\/2014\/08\/10\/three-elvis-costello-political-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Elvis Costello Political Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Spike<\/a>I think my wife, or soon-to-be wife, bought the Elvis Costello album Spike<\/a><\/i> for me for Christmas. It was a good present, because I was a big Costello fan. Since that time, I haven’t actively sought out his music. The albums before, King of America<\/a><\/i> and Blood & Chocolate<\/a><\/i>, are probably my favorites of his. Spike<\/i> was a disappointment following them. I find it an uneven album. In particular, the hit off the album, “Veronica” is quite weak, and is indicative of Costello’s worst habits of songwriting with its kaleidoscopic melody and impenetrable lyrics that require him explaining them to you<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’ve always been a big fan of Costello’s overtly political songs. The best, off Punch the Clock<\/a><\/i>, is probably “Shipbuilding.” I just learned that the music for the song was not written by Costello but rather Clive Langer. That’s interesting because I’ve always thought it one of his best melodies.<\/p>\n