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Is “physical jerks” a term? In 1984, the main character Winston Smith refers to his morning exercises as “physical jerks” and I love that term. Elvis Costello also says “I don’t like you walking around with physical jerks” in his song “Lip Service.” So is it some British phrase or something? At any rate, should I acquire the services of a genie I will re-write history so that I came up with that term and it does indeed refer to a morning exercise routine and everyone will think it is great, just great!

Separately, does anyone have access to anything that could pass as a chemistry lab which I could shoot in this weekend?

3 Comments | Tags: 1984, elvis costello, terms

[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 [...]

6 Comments | Tags: elvis costello, music, videos, words

• If I needed another socially alientating way to waste time, I’ve found it: I updated a wikipedia page. I added the list of characters and the list of landmark stories. I would ask you L&R readers to improve and correct my comments, but I don’t know any.
• This best of Elvis Costello collection is a really excellent sampling of his songs. I tried to make a mix just of EC songs that were not on this collection, and it was very tough.
• I re-read the first few chapters of Mick Napier’s Improvise last night. I think that’s a great book. Excerpt now!
  

  Rules of improvisation. There they are, and they’re in a list, and they look good, and they [...]

3 Comments | Tags: comics, elvis costello, improv

As part of my Holland-Dozier-Holland obsession, I bought a “Supremes Gold” CD. Love it. Also, I discovered that the Supremes song “You Keep Me Hanging On” has the line “Why don’t you be a man about it” which is a line from the Elvis Costello song “Hand in Hand.” Elvis even spits out that line in the same rhythm as Diana Ross — a clear homage/theft! Also, the awesome EC song “High Fidelity” starts off with the title of a Supremes song “Some things you never get used to.”

Elvis Costello, the angry, amphatemine-filled nerd rocker of late 70s Britain, loved the Supremes. Dig it.

1 Comment | Tags: elvis costello, music