willhines.net

[youtube PQMlEzz51y0 nolink]

That is the music video for the Elvis Costello song “The Only Flame In Town.” Among the many things disturbing and uncomfortable about this video:

• The saxophone
• The presence of Darryl Hall
• The idea that any women would be excited about winning a date with Elvis Costello or the Attractions. I mean, some women would. But not the women hired to be in this video.
• The terrible acting of each of The Attractions when presented with his date.
• The idea of doing a video for this song at all, because this song is a terrible, super-80s version of what otherwise might be a Good Song. The acoustic demo for it is on the bonus disc to All This Useless Beauty, and it’s a really pretty version.
• Elvis Costello and Darryl Hall holding microphones and singing the song to each other.

Better to just watch them sing Radio, Radio on SNL in 1977 (with the false start of ‘Less Than Zero’):

[youtube KOuknbvu21Q nolink]

For those of you who prefer me to write about my actual life, rather than just list things I have read or listened to:

• We shot and edited three videos at work this week
• I did a web site for my ex-boss
• My improv team did a Harold in which I straddled Gavin Speiller
• I taught a class
• I’m preparing to go rehearse for Seven Fights. I made a quick-and-dirty web site for Seven Fights.

For those who prefer a list of interesting but unrelated words:

• middling
• joyfully
• tundra
• versimillitude
• lakewater

| Tags: elvis costello, music, videos, words