When westerners listens to music they expect it to follow certain rules, even if they’re unaware of this habit. If the rules are not followed to some extent, the music might sound confusing or unappealing. Presumably, all cultures expect music to follow certain rules. However, these rules differ from culture to culture.

Western music is extremely goal-oriented. Tension and resolution occur repeatedly until finally a climax is reached, with perhaps a short denouement rounding off the piece.

 Most non-western music, by contrast, is not goal-oriented. If one listens to Indonesian gamelan music with a Beethoven symphony as a model for musical expectations, one will be sorely disappointed. Gamelan, the name of the orchestra as well as the name of the music, is circular in nature. Patterns of a certain length repeat, and with each repetition new bits are added and subtracted. There’s nothing that a westerner would recognize as a melody, and there is no melodic or harmonic tension and release. The music can be stunningly beautiful, but confusing to the uninitiated.

African drum-based music relies on intricate variations in rhythm as a method of development. While each drum might be tuned to a different pitch, there is nothing readily recognizable as a melody in the music.

Bulgarian vocal music utilizes tight, dissonant harmonies and an extremely nasal vocal technique.

Tuvan throat singing showcases a single person singing two pitches simultaneously: one a low frog-croak of a drone, the other a high wispy melody.

Many cultures rely heavily on improvisation in their music. In India, classical musicians train furiously in the use of ragas (melodic scales) and the rules that govern ornamentation and improvisation over those ragas.

It seems odd to refer to Native American music as non-Western since it occurs geographically in the west, but stylistically the music does not fit under the “western” umbrella. Typically, Native American flutes are tuned to pentatonic scales, which produce melodies that are not goal-oriented but rather are in a somewhat pensive mood.

Native American flute music is often meditative, improvisational, and inspired by nature. If you’d like to experience this music in person, come hear Peter Ali perform at the Main Library Auditorium, Monday, February 6, 6:30-7:30 pm as part of the Everett Reads! progam. In addition to presenting flute music, Ali will share stories relating to his heritage and the flutes that he plays. Take advantage of this unique experience to gain insight into a possibly unfamiliar musical tradition.

Ron

]]> http://areadinglife.com/2012/02/03/how-we-hear-music/feed/ 0 raverill gamelan drums Bulgarian tuvan India Native American flute http://areadinglife.com/2012/01/11/let-there-be-post-punk/ http://areadinglife.com/2012/01/11/let-there-be-post-punk/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:28 +0000 Ron http://areadinglife.com/?p=10454 Continue reading →]]> Recently, boys and girls, we learned all about the early punk rock movement and how it revolutionized rock music in the mid seventies. Another important genre from this time period is known as post-punk, post from the Latin for “after” and punk from the Indo-Iranian for “bad haircut.” However, in a stunning bit of originality, post-punk did not come about after punk but rather at the same time. This would be what I think of as Confusion #1. Confusion #2 could be stated roughly as: Post-punk is not a single particular style. Hence, it’s a difficult music to pin down or summarize. Yet here I go.

My vision of post-punk is as a weird and challenging music with angular lines and dark subject matter. The vocalists often sing with reedy, quavering voices exploring all known vocal registers (and some that have yet to be discovered). The music can be extremely repetitious and filled with odd time signatures. Artsy and experimental sum it up pretty well.

Post-punk poster children Joy Division featured a dark, brooding sound, lyrics filled with abject hopelessness, and driving synthesizers. One of their best known songs, Love Will Tear Us Apart, is a bit atypical in its musical cheerfulness (although lyrical depression still abounds) and infectious poppiness, but it stands out as one of the anthems of post-punk. Following the death of the lead singer, Joy Division morphed into New Order, a band which bridged the gap from post-punk to synth pop.

When Devo hit the scene in the late 70’s they were a weird bunch, dressed in radiation suits and creating surreal videos at a time when MTV had yet to be birthed. Their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, is filled with odd rhythms, occasionally frightening caterwauling, strange topics, and a reliance on synthesizers rather than the traditional instrumentation of a rock band. Over the decades the band moved towards the mainstream and today Mark Mothersbaugh, an original member of Devo, is one of the hardest working men in showbiz, writing soundtracks for movies, TV shows and children’s cartoons.


The first video I ever witnessed on MTV was Don’t You Want Me by The Human League. The band had already released some impressive albums in the UK, but it was the 1981 release of Dare that finally brought attention to this talented group in the US. While their first two releases are filled with oddities, Dare is simply a pop gem of synthesizer-based music. Some songs brood, others infectiously bring a need for quasi-legal dance moves. The Very Best of the Human League focuses on their accessible music, largely ignoring their first two albums of challenging yet rewarding songs.

Mission of Burma, a little-known Boston band, made some of the greatest music of the early 80’s. Pounding toms, complicated song structures, fury-fueled enthusiasm and generally riveting music caused MOB to outshine their contemporaries. There is a raw intensity to the band’s sound, a musical teetering-on-the-edge between amazingly excellent music and potentially vicious wipe outs. Vs. invites repeated listenings, and in three decades its magic has yet to abate.

It pains me not to gush on and on about Talking Heads Remain in Light, an album filled with booming funk riffs, R&B/soul covers and strange tales of alienation; or Pere Ubu’s Dub Housing which features perhaps the strangest vocals you’ll ever find, mixed with some beautifully sloppy instrumental playing; or Johnny Rotten’s foray into post-punk with PIL, a group as far-removed from The Sex Pistols as possible; or the incredible guitar work found in Television’s Marquee Moon. Not to mention the bass-ment singing of Nick Cave or infectious quirky grooves of The Feelies. But sadly, room does not permit to speak of every amazing group out there.

So do some research and listen to a variety of bands. You might hate some and love others, or at the very least learn something about rock history. As they say in the business world, it’s a win-win situation.

Ron

Westerns were once as popular as vampire books are today, but like the great cattle drives that long ago terrorized sheep and prairie dogs alike, that time has passed. However, the formula of good guys and bad guys vying for dominance continues to prosper in many genres.

In fact, Westerns have never entirely left us, and many sci-fi books over the years have provided the same elements as a good western:  untamed frontiers, men with no names looking for anonymous places in which to disappear, and lawmen or villains seeking these men. Michael D. Resnick is one of the masters of this style

My favorite new take on Westerns comes in the form of steampunk. This genre is not particularly new, but it does seem to be growing in the world of fashion and art. Perhaps steampunk is the new vampire.

Steampunk novels are frequently set in either Victorian England or in the Wild West, sometime after the Industrial Revolution has commenced but before the use of electricity has become widespread. The genre is actually a type of historical fiction where technology that did not really exist in a given time period, i.e. computers in the post-Civil War years, is built with materials/technology that really did exist in that time period, i.e. steam power. Happily, the stories are filled with unique gadgetry, adventure, and very often authentic historical individuals.

Wild West Steampunk
The Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale by Michael D. Resnick
A United States that ends at the Mississippi River, Indian nations led by men with powerful magic, and the convergence of Thomas Edison, the Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday and a zombie Bat Masterson (among others) in Tombstone, Arizona. How can such a premise not by entertaining? The U.S. government wants to expand its territories with the aid of Edison’s steampunk inventions. But Geronimo, the Clanton gang, and famous gunfighter The Thing That Was Once Johnny Ringo are not about to allow the expansion to proceed easily. Resnick recently followed up this tale with The Doctor and the Kid: A Weird West Tale.

Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
Loosely related to Priest’s Boneshaker, Dreadnought is the story of a Civil War nurse who needs to travel from Richmond, Virginia to Tacoma and find out why her estranged father wishes to see her. The trip is filled with harrowing dirigible rides (one of the genre’s favorite modes of travel), attacks from both Yanks and Rebs, steampunk military technology (including a terrifying steam engine called the Dreadnought), bandits, and, of course, zombies. The result is a no-holds-barred free-for-all certain to leave you mentally dodging the undead and panting for more. Clementine by Cherie Priest is another book that is loosely linked to Dreadnought.

Stay tuned to a reading life for a look at Victorian steampunk.

In the meantime, if you have a hankering for related  movies or graphic novels, you might want to try the following titles:

Movies
Brazil              Steamboy       Sherlock Holmes

Graphic Novels
Grandville by Bryan Talbot
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore
Fullmetal Alchemist

Ron

The beauty of punk was that anyone could do it. Music of the Sex Pistols and their contemporaries was simple, imprecise, distorted, a shouting match of political lyrics. This guileless mind-set was nearly inconceivable in the context of the highly technical progressive rock that ruled the airwaves in the 70’s. A do-it-yourself movement quickly swelled and punk’s muse birthed a litter of exciting bands.

It’s hard to remember how shocking punk was at the time of its inception. Back in the day, every new song hurtled listeners on a rickety roller coaster of adrenaline towards a certain grisly death. Listening to these bands nowadays seems somewhat like a gentle carriage ride through halcyon fields.

Here in America the Ramones, leather-clad Beach Boys on musical steroids, provided perhaps even more of an easy listen. Songs were simple as can be, three distortion-driven chords with lyrics that might consist entirely of “I don’t wanna be a pinhead no more, I just met a nurse that I could go for.” Yet the Ramones continue to be one of the most influential rock groups of the last 20 years.

If you want to check out some of their contemporaries, try Iggy and the Stooges, New York Dolls, X, The Runaways, Talking Heads and Blondie.

And now punk has run the full gamut, from a rebellious musical revolution to the soundtrack for 21^st century commercials. Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life, an ode to drug culture, appears in ads for the Royal Caribbean cruise line. The Ramones turn up in a surprisingly large number of commercials, including one for Pepsi. And, most surprising to me, abstract post-punk band Gang of Four features in Microsoft ads. Perhaps not one of the signs of the apocalypse, but still disturbing in its own right.

The point being, punk of the late 70’s is the music of my generation. And some demographic genius in upstate Vermont determined that I have significant purchasing power, passed this well-researched data to swarthy middle-managers on the rise who then implemented a “business plan,” and presto! the songs of my youth became a Pavlovian soundtrack designed to free up some space in my duct tape wallet. Which is an interesting irony, perhaps disturbing to some, but simply amusing to me.

I’m sure that Harold and Nigel are laughing all the way to the bank.

Stay tuned for future punk-related posts. In the meanwhile, meditate on these meaty lyrics from the Dead Kennedys:

My ambition in life is to look good on paper

All I want is a slot in some big corporation

Ron

]]> http://areadinglife.com/2011/11/18/let-there-be-punk/feed/ 3 raverill punk1 punk2 punk3 http://areadinglife.com/2011/11/09/ive-seen-london-ive-seen-france-or-travel-tales-that-arent/ http://areadinglife.com/2011/11/09/ive-seen-london-ive-seen-france-or-travel-tales-that-arent/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:00:25 +0000 Ron http://areadinglife.com/?p=8755 Continue reading →]]> An effective travel read transports me to exotic locales, compels me to tread the road untrodden, and inspires me to learn about unfamiliar purlieus. Travel writing can tell the tale of an author’s journeys, take place in a single spot, or contain imaginary adventures cast in real settings. Wonderful books such as Paul Theroux’s Riding the Iron Rooster lay out an itinerary that I long to follow. Others, such as Escape from Kathmandu by Kim Stanley Robinson weave a fascinating blend of history and contemporaneous living while telling of exotic, alluring and seemingly unreachable destinations.

Come now and travel with me.  And don’t forget your towel.

Paul Bibeau’s Sundays with Vlad : from Pennsylvania to Transylvania, one man’s quest to live in the world of the undead   (which, come on, is worth checking out just for the title) is really not a travel book per se, but is a look at vampire culture in the modern world (did you know that there’s a demand for fang dentures?).  As Bibeau examines what the well-dressed urban vampire is wearing, he also explores the history of Vlad the Impaler and looks at modern attempts to build a Romanian tourist industry. Now, if you’re anything like me, you might not give a great deal of thought to Romania. For example, my knowledge of the country culminates in this one fact: Romania has ugly postage stamps. Bibeau, however, will make you wonder why you’ve never been there. And on your trip you could visit DraculaLand (if it ever gets built) along with its proposed disco, fake Gothic castle, amusement park, laboratories, torture rooms, vampire den, and (of course) the Institute of Vampirology.

Gospel by Wilton Barnhardt is another travel book that isn’t. In this hard-to-summarize fictional tale, chapters from a newly-discovered gospel are interspersed with the story of a modern-day hunt for this same elusive gospel. Heading the search are an alcoholic Jesuit, a naïve graduate student, a rabbinical scholar, and a large cast of villains. The travel portion of the book comes as the characters move through 17 countries including England, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Israel, and a variety of African locations. The author’s extensive research and attention to detail bring these alluring destinations to life.

If you’d rather see exotic places than read about them, try one of Michael Palin’s fabulous adventures. Whether he’s trying to make it Around the World in 80 days or going from Pole to Pole, Palin’s charming narrative and gentle personality are certain to satisfy and entertain.

Where would you like to take your next journey?

Ron

You may not want to know that enormous hog farms throughout the U.S. can generate as much sewage as New York City, and that such farms do not include sewage treatment plants, but Bushwhacked will not allow you to remain ignorant. I find this fecal surfeit more spine-chilling than any dung-free haunted mansion. And waste management is just one of the many topics the authors tackle, ranging from the Enron scandal to joblessness, the educational system and American imperialism. It’s not “The killer’s in the house!” scary, but rather scary like “The idiot’s in the White House and his actions affect generations of Americans!” After reading this informative book, it’s impossible to see modern American life in the same light.

A far different kind of scary is found in the ghastly music of The Shaggs. Picture three sisters from a small town coerced by their zealot father (who believed that he was fulfilling a prophecy made by his long-dead mother) to form a band, perform weekly at the town hall, and record an album. All without having a modicum of talent! The sisters could barely play their instruments, could not hold a steady tempo, created odd song structures, and wrote lyrics that were, um, quaint. Yet they recorded an album in 1969, one that is hailed by some as the worst record of all time. In more recent years a loyal fan base has arisen made up of followers who find something charming about the innocence and lack of pretense in the sisters’ music. Sadly, their album is long out of print, so you’re on your own to experience a “Help, my ears are bleeding and I’m very confused!” scary listen. But you can read about The Shaggs in the book The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup: My Encounters with Extraordinary People by Susan Orlean.

A truly scary lifestyle is revealed in Chelsea Handler’s My Horizontal Life. In fact, reading this book may even scare you out of your britches (which would make you decidedly similar in an unhaberdashed sort of way to Ms. Handler). Unafraid to reveal embarrassing bits of her life, the author recounts amusing and cringe-worthy episodes involving one-night stands and drunkenness. The sheer volume of stories (and hence volume of partners) overwhelms the senses and, although the writing is hilarious, it becomes disturbing to absorb the existence that Handler reveled in. A genuinely “Save me from myself!” scary read.

If you’re looking for a more traditional scary book, try Allison Hewitt is Trapped: A Zombie Novel by Madeleine Roux. As with any good zombie story, a catastrophe turns most people into zombies who try to kill the few remaining survivors. The story is told as a series of blogs written by one of those survivors, Allison Hewitt. As she attempts to find her mother and a safe living place, we learn of her struggles as well as those of other survivors who comment on her blog. The format is interesting and the story is quite suspenseful in a “Wah, there’s a zombie behind you!” sort of way.

So hold onto your bonnet and read away!

Ron

As my lust for power grew I would enforce whimsical proscriptions, banning all music sung by pop stars named after Rocky Mountain states, and outlawing paintings depicting unicorns. Turning to the world of letters, I would summarily destroy all books containing the words “exegesis” or “shapeshifter.” And I would laugh cruelly.

During this year’s Banned Books Week, Sept. 24 – Oct. 1, take some time to examine books that have been banned (actually removed from a library or school system) or challenged (presented as a book that should be banned). Here are a few titles designated as frequently challenged books by the American Library Association, along with reasons behind their controversy:

 Adult fiction
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – use of profanity, portrayal of sexuality and teen angst

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – unflattering portrayal of area residents, use of obscenity

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – language, anti-family and anti-religious viewpoints

The Color Purple by Alice Walker – explicit content, violence

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – mistreatment of women, sexual content, anti-Christian sentiments

Juvenile
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume – religious indecisiveness, focus on puberty

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson – language, inappropriate religious beliefs, focus on death

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey – insensitivity, lack of suitability for intended age group, encouraging children to disobey authority

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling – promoting witchcraft among children

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl – frightening content, violence, language, encouraging disobedience towards adults

The Stupids series by Harry Allard and James Marshall – negative depiction of families, encouraging children to be disobedient, promoting low self-esteem

Obviously the motivations for challenging these books were extremely important to someone. However, having read many of these books, I find it difficult to understand the perceived threats. If the Stupids want to sleep with their feet on pillows at the head of the bed, so be it! Happily, people in the United States are free to express their opinions, no matter how wrong they may be. Banned Books Week reminds us that there are those who would try to take away that freedom.

For more information go to the American Library Association website and check out their lists of frequently challenged books. Maybe even read one and try to understand what the hullaballoo is all about. Myself, once I’ve trousered the pig I plan on checking in with Huck and Jim.

Ron

“Whilst taking my morning perambulatory stroll, I espied a corpse ‘neath the garden trellis. Initially terrified, I summoned up the fortitude to telegraph the local constabulary and some weeks later they caught and incarcerated the heinous murderer. The End.”

 Hmm.

Fortunately, the fictional world is a tad more exciting. And the police that I would be so quick to call upon are seldom helpful in the world of cozy mysteries. There, the real sleuths’ credentials are not so conventional. Pet sitters, antique dealers, hoteliers, archivists and knitters are the stuff of what fictional detectives are made. Add to that list actors, veterinarians, art historians and caterers. Name virtually any occupation or hobby and there’s certain to be a fictional practitioner of that activity fingering a perp.

Take for instance Meg Langslow. She lives in the small town of Caerphilly, Virginia, in an old farm house that’s in a constant state of renovation. Although a blacksmith by trade, Meg repeatedly finds herself trying to solve murders. She is surrounded by a quirky cast of friends, relatives and neighbors, and the stories from this mystery series written by Donna Andrews are consistently funny and enjoyable.

 
And speaking of the periodic table (he writes in an admirable attempt at segue) another fictional female sleuth can be found in Gloria Lamerino, a retired physicist who has recently returned to live above a friend’s funeral parlor in her home town of Revere, Massachusetts. Lamerino signs on as a police consultant and is immediately called upon to help solve a murder using her scientific knowledge.  In the Periodic Table mysteries, author Camille Minichino presents readers with a not-so-young sleuth, a cast of peculiar characters and classic plots comparable to those of Agatha Christie.

 
Even tattooed hipsters foray into the world of amateur sleuthing. Artist Brett Kavanaugh is the owner of The Painted Lady, a swanky tattoo shop located on the Venetian Grand Canal in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sporting a replica of Monet’s water lily garden on her left arm, Brett becomes involved in a murder investigation when her police detective brother asks for help with a tattoo-related case. The Tattoo Shop mysteries by Karen E. Olson are filled with surprises, memorable characters, and a manic edginess that is not typical of cozy mysteries.

 
And to round things off, what blog would be complete without a Rhode Island bookshop owner who solves mysteries with the help of a PI who died in 1949? Certainly not this one. Penelope Thornton-McClure owns a haunted bookshop that resides in the same building where PI Jack Shepard was killed 60 years previously. Shepard’s ghost helps Pen solve mysteries, and she is able to experience cases from his past in her dreams. The premise may sound far-fetched, but Alice Kimberly’s Haunted Bookshop mysteries are charming and sure to delight any fan of cozies.

 
What’s the moral here? Live in a small town, work in an odd profession, maintain a cadre of quirky friends, never trust the police and dead bodies will soon litter your landscape?

Precisely.

Ron

You see, usually I wax poetic, espousing pleasurable tomes I’ve enjoyed, hoping that others will savor them as did I. In a veritable love feast of title pushing I attempt to lead the unwashed masses to that promised land of good literature and superior taste.

Alas, today’s topic is one of dubious merit, perhaps even a cornucopia of ennui. For today I will speak not of tales that tickled my fancy, but of books I borrowed but did not read!

It’s not that I’m checking out undesirable books, rather I’m borrowing too many desirable ones. At any given time I have far more books than I can possibly read, so they sit untouched, out of the reach of others. This then is my shameful reading disorder.

On the bright side, I can recommend these neglected titles to you. So, here are some books that sound wonderful. I sincerely hope to read them some day. You might even want to borrow one yourself, assuming that I haven’t checked all the copies out. Again.

 Bar None by Tim Lebbon
Dystopia always makes for a pleasant read, and this tale starts six months after the end of the world (an intriguing statement in itself). A stranger arrives at a Welsh manor and convinces the few survivors living there to journey to Bar None, conceivably the last bar in existence. While many apocalyptic tales are filled with fervent attempts to save the earth, this journey to a pub provides a refreshing change of pace.

 Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
This story is told from the point of view of a collective “we” with employees of a Chicago advertising firm acting as a unified narrator. Layoffs run rampant in a cubicle-laden ad firm and the remaining employees fall into a frenzy of self-preservation. Office drones battle for abandoned equipment, criticize coworkers via email, and let emotions run amok while the company spirals ever downward. As a former denizen of the dot-com jungle, I find an eerily familiar miasma rising from the plot of this cautionary tale.

 Hell by Robert Olen Butler
What do Richard M. Nixon, Humphrey Bogart and J. Edgar Hoover have in common? They all reside in Hell, each one given a punishment specific to his shortcomings. It is here in the fiery pit that we find Hatcher McCord, a TV anchorman who discovers that Satan cannot read his mind. This provides him with free will of a sort. Amidst a panoply of shenanigans, McCord attempts to reach Heaven, and along the way examines the meaning of life/afterlife.

 Wigfield by Amy Sedaris
There is an idealized small-town America described in books and films, a nostalgic place that warms our hearts and pulls at our tear ducts, a city that never really existed. Wigfield would be the polar opposite of this ideal, a pathetic amalgamation of strip clubs and auto parts stores populated by sociopaths. When the government decides to demolish a dam in order to protect the salmon, Wigfield faces imminent destruction. The town hires a pompous, untalented journalist to paint an idyllic picture of Wigfield. The book he writes, however, does not lift up the town so much as expose its shortcomings. The result is biting satire and unflinching social criticism.

 Daniel O’Thunder by Ian Weir
Mid-19^th century London is not a happy place for many people, what with poverty, filth and evil pervading the landscape. Daniel O’Thunder, ex-soldier, ex-pugilist, alcoholic, and recently converted evangelist challenges the Devil to a boxing match in order to somehow remove the malaise surrounding England’s greatest city. A variety of narrators tell the tale of Daniel’s return to boxing and his growing sway over London’s suffering citizenry. Fans of page turners are certain to enjoy this Dickensian tale.

Ron

It was a fertile time in the music world what with the advent of punk, new wave, and second-wave ska. Bands such as The Police, Buzzcocks and Madness put on concerts in Seattle on a weekly basis. Alas, I was a tad young to venture into the big city for such an event, so the concerts rolled on and I wistfully waved goodbye to them, wishing that I could have witnessed this explosion of daring new music.

Finally in January 1981 my friends and I donned the uniform of the day: black and white checkered blazers, skinny ties, straight leg jeans and high top sneakers, and we eagerly waited in line with all the other young punks to see Elvis. Thirty years later I don’t remember too many details of the concert, but I was impressed enough to eagerly await each of his new albums for years to come.

Elvis remains prolific, having released 30 albums, produced and appeared on many others, written incidental ballet music, composed for movies, and toured extensively. His musical genres have run from new wave to country, soul, jazz, pop and classical. He is not buttonhole-able.

Following is a quick tour of the Elvis Costello albums you can find at Everett Public Library. Listen loud and listen often!

My Aim Is True (1977) 

I first experienced Elvis at a high school dance in 1979, back before DJs killed performing musicians, hearing both the pop/soul ballad Alison and the reggae-influenced Watching the Detectives. This album is clearly a landmark in pop music, introducing both a force to be reckoned with (Elvis, that is) and new directions for pop/rock to explore.

 This Year’s Model (1978)

Consistently listed as one of the greatest of its time period, song after song from this album assaults your senses, caresses your cortex, shakes your moneymaker.  For fans of music that makes you want to move, this is a good starting point in the Elvis discography.

 The Best of Elvis Costello  (1985)

A  nice mix of songs, clearly displaying Costello’s prowess in diverse musical genres. 

The Juliet Letters (1993)

Yes, Elvis made a classical album filled with music entirely outside of his core fans’ comfort zones. In other words, it’s business as usual. 

Brutal Youth  (1994) 

Many of Costello’s albums in the 1980s did not float my boat, so to speak. Brutal Youth is a return to the glory of This Year’s Model. After a single listen you’ll find yourself singing 13 Steps Lead Down in an uncontrollable fervor of joyousness.

 Momofuku (2008)

Elvis was tired of the hassles surrounding recording and had decided that he was done. However, a happy experience making music with friends and family changed his mind, and Momofuku came out of this adventure. Musicians involved with the album include Jenny Lewis, Rosanne Cash and Loretta Lynn to name but a few.

 National Ransom (2010)

National Ransom is well on its way to becoming one of my favorite Elvis albums. In a way, the album is a snapshot of his career with songs shifting genres faster than a New York waiter cashes his paycheck. If you’re new to Mr. Costello, perhaps his latest album is just the ticket for unveiling a world of sonic delights.

 P.S.  When you have a chance, look into the song ”Green Shirt” on the album Armed Forces for perhaps the only use of the word quisling in a pop song.

Ron