The picture on the cover of Elvis Costello's just released compiliation album In Motion Pictures is from the Trust photo session and the album is represented with "Lover's Walk" which appeared in the Canadian 1979 take on HG Wells sci fi "The Shape Of Things". Great song, never saw the movie.
And not a great album, amd often not evem a good album. Oobviously it doesn't hang together at all and doesn't repay a listen with anything approaching insight in the creative proces, developement. Maybe you can pinpoint "God Give Me Strength" as the moment Costello stopped being Costello and became a pompous asshole., but that's about it.
The problem is, if you need a comp to remind you how great "Accidents Will happen" and "Miracle man" are, why are you starting here. If you don't, Costello's terribly oversung version of the Kinks Klassic "Days" won't male a fan of you. "She"? Yes. Great movie as well. "Days", another movie I will never ever see and a mistake of huge proportions. Around about now it feels like if Elvis whispered a song he would still be oversinging it.
So much of this album is why Costello sucks 101: "Sparkling Day", and the first verse has such promise but then it all comes back to the samey crappy bridge. "Oh well", "Life Shrinks", "My Mood Swings" -none of it is any good. Indeed, a quick head count gives you 7 winners out of 15.
Movie wise, I don't think he is improving"E.T" or "The Big Lebowski" for that matter. He doesn't hurt them either.
Still, if you haven't seen "Americanthon" I recommend it.
Grade: C
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