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Pete Thomas and Me, 7/22/05, Wallingford, CT - Photo by Sheva Golkow, Red-Eye Reduction by John Everingham of the fantastic archival site www.elviscostello.info - check it out!
7/21/05
The Delivery Man > The Butcher Boy
originally by Max Hunter with many variants
as written, arranged and performed by Elvis Costello
07/19/2005, Summerstage, NYC
and other dates during the tour with
Emmylou Harris and Larry Campbell
mp3
"Abel was able," so Vivian said
Her shoulders flung forward
Her lips in a purse
She talks like the beauty that she never was
Of the fabulous wild nights that she never has
In a certain light he looked like Elvis
In a certain way he feels like Jesus
Everyone dreams of him just as they can
But he's only the humble Delivery Man
Geraldine blushes and brushes away
The cigarette ashes that Vivian scatters
Stares out of the window at the things that she says
While gossip within her competes with the widow
Ever since he's gone, she feels like crying all the time
She knows for sure Vivian is lying
Now she has a daughter to raise as she can
She just wouldn't trust that Delivery Man
Ivy puts down the ghost story she's reading
Looks up at that face on the wall
Thinking about how her father lay bleeding
Shot in the back 'cos orders were misleading
And how a flag and a medal don't have any meaning
On the 5th of July as they tore down the fair
And he'd seen all the local girls who were worth kissing
With the smell of the gunpowder still in the air
They noticed that Abel and Ivy were missing
In a certain light he looked like Elvis
In a certain way he seemed like Jesus
He said "Why can't we be kind to me like you were meant to be?
When they let me out, I had a brand new identity.
Everyone dreams of him just as they can.
I want to be your Delivery Man."
In a certain light he looked like Elvis
In a certain way he seemed like Jesus
In a certain light he looked like Elvis
In a certain way he felt like Jesus
She went upstairs to make her bed
And not a word to her Mother she said
Her Mother, she went upstairs too
Says, Daughter, what troubles you?
Oh Mother, oh Mother, I cannot tell.
That Butcher Boy I loved so well,
He's courted me, my life away,
And now no more, he will not stay.
There is a place in London town,
Where that Butcher Boy goes and he sits down,
And he takes that strange girl on his knee,
And he says to her, what he won't tell me.
Her Father, he came in from work,
And he says where's Daughter? She looked so hurt.
And he went upstairs to give her hope,
Found her dangling from a rope.
He took his knife and he cut her down,
And in her bosom, these words he found:
Go dig my grave wide and deep,
Put a marble stone at my head and feet,
And over my bones put a snow white dove,
So this world will know...
So this world will know...
That I died for love.
07/21/2005 12:45:31 PM
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3/16 REVIEW
Bob Dylan and His Band
Chicago, IL
Friday, March 5, 2004
Aragon Ballroom
"Oh, the winds in Chicago have torn me to shreds
Reality has always had too many heads
Some things last longer than you think they will
There are some kind of things you can never kill..."
—Cold Irons Bound
I flew in to Chicago from New York on a windy Friday morning before the first show and was met by my friend Phil. After taking a few hours to nap and get ready, he drove me to the Chicago Lodge, a semi-dive conveniently located within stumbling-drunk distance of the venue and recommended by a fellow Dylan-pooler, to check in. Around dusk, I headed over to the Aragon to queue up.
At that point, there was a long line snaking around the building and into a convenience store parking lot behind, but once inside, it seemed that most everyone had a chance to get the spot they wanted. The inside of the Aragon reminded me of what the inside of one of those Medieval Times restaurants must be like—a big open floor with balcony seating around the outside and lots of fake swords and torches as decor. The stage was quite high off the ground but the BD Eye logo took up nearly the entire wall behind, giving a distinctly smaller feel than some of the hockey arena shows and the like of the last couple of years.
Having a good two hours or more before show time, I took a look around and spotted a woman wearing a Dylan Pooler shirt who identified herself as MisLucy, aka Michele from Canada. Another woman, Carla, had seen Bob several times over the years, but was there that night to treat her teenage son and a few of his friends to their first show. I'm not any kind of Dylan expert compared to most fans probably, but it was really funny hearing some of the comments that popped up in crowd chatter, like, "Which album is going he going to play most of the songs from?" or "What song is he least likely to play?" And then of course there were the inevitable questions about why Bob's not playing guitar right now and the inevitable post-Watchtower, "How come he's not coming out for another encore?" from the uninitiated. The funniest one was afterwards when someone said, "Damn, I was really hoping he'd play 'Hurricane'-it's the only song of his I know!"
About 8:45pm, Bob and Band took the stage to an enthusiastic welcome from the Chicago crowd, estimated at 4600. Bob appeared somewhat long-haired but clean-shaven and wearing a black cowboy suit, black shirt with sparkles open at the collar, and white cowboy hat-an ensemble that only varied slightly over the next four nights. All eyes and ears were on Bob-how does he sound, look, feel? How was it going to be this time? One thing I've always told people if they ask what to expect at a Dylan concert is not to expect anything—I've seen a decent number of shows but all within a recent period of time. You never know though—it could be a bad night, a bad tour, a bad year…or it could be, as the hippie Rolling Stone writer chick says to Woody Allen in Annie Hall, "simply transplendent."
Set List from Bill Pagel's site
- Drifter's Escape
(Bob on piano and harp, George and Richie on drums)
- It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
(Bob on piano and harp, Larry on pedal steell, George and Richie on drums)
- Cry A While
(Bob on piano, Larry on slide guitar, George and Richie on drums)
- The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
(Bob on piano, Larry on acoustic guitar, George on drums)
- It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
(Bob on piano, Larry on cittern, George on drums)
- Girl Of The North Country (acoustic)
(Bob on piano and harp, Larry on acoustic guitar, Freddy on electric guitar, Tony on standup bass, Richie on drums)
- Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
(Bob on piano and harp, George and Richie on drums)
- Million Miles
(Bob on piano, George and Richie on drums)
- Highway 61 Revisited
(Bob on piano, George and Richie on drums)
- Floater (Too Much To Ask)
(Bob on piano, Freddy on violin, Tony on standup bass, George on drums)
- You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
(Bob on piano and harp, Larry on pedal steel, George and Richie on drums)
- Honest With Me
(Bob on piano, Larry on slide guitar, George on drums)
- Every Grain Of Sand
(Bob on piano and harp, Richie on drums)
- Summer Days
(Bob on piano, Tony on standup bass, George on drums)
(encore)
- Cat's In The Well
(Bob on piano, George on drums)
- Like A Rolling Stone
(Bob on piano, George on drums)
- All Along The Watchtower
(Bob on piano, George on drums)
"Drifter's Escape" got things off to a rocking start—Bob was enthusiastic, confirmed by actual smiles on more than one occasion, his vocals were strong, and there seemed to be a good deal of e-nun-ci-a-tion in his vocals. It was then during the second song that Bob came out from behind the keyboard. I've seen him do that before, but mostly just to dance around in his jiggy way or to chat with Tony in between solos. But this time he actually turned around and sang and played harp from the center mic for a bit—Bob was happy, he was having fun, and it was fantastic. By the end of Baby Blue, it seemed that he was really setting a pace and energy that could be maintained for the evening.
The current arrangement of Hattie Carroll is lovely. I heard someone in the crowd describe it as "waltz-like," but I'm not sure that's the term I'd use. Larry is on acoustic and there are these nice, strummy guitar parts that remind me of the first time I heard Accidentally Like A Martyr in Berkeley 2002. Next was It's Alright Ma, which I neglected to choose in the Pool for some reason, even though it really is one of my all-time favorite songs. There are all sorts of versions from over the years, but this one was particularly pleasant—the vocals weren't as hurried as in past arrangements, and again the enunciation is great when you can get it, especially on such a long and wordy song. Sometimes there is a particular moment in a show when I start to really get hooked in--tonight it was hearing the line "Temptation's page flies out the door, you follow find yourself at war…"
That having been said, Girl of the North Country was somewhat uneventful—not bad, but there is something about the recent arrangements that don't quite do it for me. I liked it better around Fall 2002 when it sounds more like the It Ain't Me, Babe from that time period, which is a favorite as well. Next up was a rollicking Most Likely You Go Your Way—what can I say, I love old Bob doing this song. But the best part was when he ventured out to the middle of the stage again for a few bars of harp playing and singing. This time I couldn't help but think to myself, "This isn't Bob we're seeing, this is Jack-fucking-Fate!" Masked and Anonymous got a lot of mixed reviews, but I loved it, I got it, whatever...as far as characters go, this wasn't exactly the white face paint of Live 1975, and within the time I've been seeing Dylan live, it was certainly subtle compared to whatever was going on with the Hasidic cowboy getup of Newport 2002, but for all of 30 seconds or so, I was thrilled to see a glimpse of Bob as Jack as Bob...simply transplendent it was.
Highway 61 is another rockin' tune that I always enjoy hearing. I shared with MisLucy that I had seen Bob join Bruce Springsteen at Shea Stadium last fall for Highway 61—I'm not a Bruce fan so it was definitely one of my all-time greatest serendipitous moments. She shared with me that Highway 61 was her license plate—nice… Next was a nicely stringed up Floater—some of the past versions I've heard were a little non-existent. It's a nice song, for a cocktail lounge…but Freddy on violin made me admit that a) I'm starting to love Freddy and b) that I miss hearing a live violinist. Not that I've ever really seen one, but I always think of those intense violin parts on Live 1975's Isis and Hurricane. Hehe, maybe what I'm really saying is that I'd like to see the current line-up after a trip to the makeup aisle and wacked out on peyote (or whatever it is-have you seen that bonus DVD?!) Just kidding…
The last "variable" song before the homestretch was You Ain't Goin' Nowhere-this is one of those songs where I miss Charlie Sexton on background vocals, but otherwise I'm always pleased to hear anything from the Basement Tapes. Solid performances of Honest With Me, Every Grain of Sand and Summer Days took us to the break. MisLucy made a dedication to Todd Fink during Every Grain of Sand which made me a little weepy-I didn't know the guy myself, just read some of the nice things people were saying after his untimely death a few weeks ago. Bob's mood seemed to dip a bit during Summer Days-he was giving that "Where's my GD harp?" look ala Summer 2003 while fiddling with his mouth, so I suspect it could have been a denture in need of adjustment—who knows.
For the encore, Bob, aforementioned problem apparently resolved, and the boys made it back on stage for Cat's in the Well, which, IMO, is pretty much interchangeable with the M&A version of Crash on the Levee. Really, you can sing all the same words with the same phrasing and it totally works. Like a Rolling Stone live is usually either ho-hum or brilliant, and I am loving 2004. It's distinctly more…distinct. The intense, staccato vocals and drums along with Freddy going nuts on the guitar worked really well for these scaled-down venues and I was definitely looking forward to hearing it again the next few nights. Watchtower is another encore song that I generally like no matter what, but no Bob on harp this time. I'm starting to notice great Watchtower harp solos, like West Palm Beach 2002 and more recently the first Hammerstein Ballroom show in New York last August. Next time perhaps-based on tonight's experience, this tour is getting off to a great start in any case.
-lsol 03/16/2004 05:21:39 PM
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ARCHIVES
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
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3/4
ELVIS COSTELLO LIVE AT LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL
Photo downloaded from the Elvis Costello Home Page
It seems that the "surprises later in the year" Elvis alluded to last week at the Beacon have been unveiled. A much shorter version of this press release appears on the Lincoln Center web site, but I have chosen to paste it in its entireity here, since it's great news and an interesting read:
ELVIS COSTELLO
Three-concert series
Continuing its successful tradition of unique retrospectives honoring some of the most influential artists of our time, Lincoln Center Festival 2004 celebrates the vast and varied musical contributions of Elvis Costello. The 2004 Oscar Nominee for Best Song ("Scarlet Tide" from Cold Mountain written with T. Bone Burnett) marks his approaching 50th birthday and his recent move to New York with three distinct programs illustrating his incredible musical range.
In the spirit of Leonard Bernstein, Costello has proven himself as a collaborator in the truest, most creative sense in a career spanning more than 25 years. Though best known for his performances and recordings with The Attractions, The Imposters, and with pianist Steve Nieve, his musical curiosity has also led to acclaimed collaborations with Burt Bacharach, the Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney, Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, guitarist Bill Frisell, composer Roy Nathanson and the Mingus Big Band. As Artistic Director of London's South Bank Meltdown Festival in 1995, Costello worked with Gunther Schuller, the Irish choral group Anuna and Jeff Buckley. Costello's songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists including George Jones, Chet Baker, Johnny Cash, Howard Tate, the gospel vocal group The Fairfield Four, and the viol consort Fretwork with countertenor Michael Chance. In 2003 he began a songwriting partnership
with his wife, the jazz pianist and singer, Diana Krall, resulting in six new compositions for her forthcoming record release, The Girl in the Other Room.
The first program on July 13 highlights Costello's ventures into orchestral song. The legendary Netherlands Metropole Orkest makes its North American Debut in an exclusive collaboration that will only be presented at the Lincoln Center Festival and this summer's North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. The 52-piece jazz orchestra, renowned for its expansive musical range - from jazz and pop, to film scores and classical music - will perform with Costello and pianist Steve Nieve, in variety of works ranging from small ensembles to full orchestra. In addition to Costello's own orchestrations, arrangers represented in the program will include Vince Mendoza, Burt Bacharach, Steve Nieve, Bill Frisell and Sy Johnson. The program will include selections from Painted from Memory, Costello's 1998 Grammy Award-winning collaboration with Burt Bacharach and songs from the 2003 Deutsche Gramophone release North, heard for the first time in full orchestral arrangements. Works will range from surprising interpretations of Costello classics such as "Watching the Detectives," "Clubland" and "Almost Blue," to previously unperformed songs, including Costello's new lyrics for the Billy Strayhorn composition, "Blood Count." Costello joins a long list of music luminaries who have collaborated with the Metropole Orkest since it was founded in 1945, including, Tony Bennett, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Mel Torme, and Sarah Vaughan. The Metropole Orkest will be conducted by Jim McNeely, a New Yorker and founder of the Vanguard Band.
The second Costello program on July 15 will feature Costello and his band The Imposters. Growing out of their acclaimed performances of 2003 at the Royce Hall at UCLA (marking the conclusion of Costello's tenure as Visiting Artist-in-Residence) and at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Costello, pianist Steve Nieve, bassist Davey Faragher and drummer Pete Thomas, will again turn to the more unusual areas of their vast repertoire. Featured songs from those included "My Dark Life" (from Costello's collaboration with Brian Eno) and Mose Allison's "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy," as well as many "hidden" gems from Costello's catalogue of more than 300 songs. By July 2004, the band will have returned from new recording sessions and it is likely that a number of new songs may be heard for the first time at the Lincoln Center Festival.
The Costello Celebration concludes on July 17 with the North American Premiere of Il Sogno, Costello's first full-length, orchestral work. The music was originally commissioned in 2000 by the Italian dance company Aterballetto for their adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Following its premiere in Bologna with the Orchestra del Teatro Communale, the ballet was staged throughout Italy, Germany, France, and Russia. However, for the sole U.S. performance in 2001 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the ballet was danced to a taped score. Il Sogno was written in ten weeks across 200-pages in pencil, without computers or musical collaborators. The concluding 170 pages were written directly into full score without the creation of sketches. Fully revised and amended to flow as a purely orchestral work, Il Sogno was subsequently recorded at Abbey Road Studios by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson-Thomas. It will be released on Deutsche Grammophon in Fall 2004. Critics described Il Sogno as "fluid and tuneful" (Le Figaro) "with echoes of folk, swing, 'cultivated music' (Rossini and Prokofiev) and jazz, refined and infused with humor." (delteatro.it) For Lincoln Center Festival, Il Sogno will be performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic.
TICKETS for Festival 2004 go on sale April 26 for multiple-event buyers via CenterCharge, 212-721-6500, on line at www.lincolncenter.org and in person, at the Avery Fisher Hall Festival box office, 65th Street and Broadway. Single tickets go on sale June 2 at all of the above outlets.
-lsol 03/04/2004 00:01:41 AM
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