HEATWAVE FESTIVAL 1980
by ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS
Compact Disc
GOSS059
Label: GOSSIP
DYNAMIC SUMMER 1980 FESTIVAL-SET FROM AN EVER-DEVELOPING ELVIS COSTELLO
The first major outdoor new wave musical event to be held anywhere, nearly 85,000 fans would purchase the $20 tickets to hear the
likes of Rockpile with Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, The B-52s, The Pretenders, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello and The Clash, along
with Canada's own Teenage Head and The Kings and with lesser-known groups like Holly and the Italians and The Rumour.
Following the sunset debut of Talking Heads' expanded line-up, Elvis Costello and The Attractions took the stage. Costello's only North
American appearance that year, his set not only encapsulates the early phase of his career but also captures an artist moving beyond
the expectations of his established audience.
• The set places a heavy emphasis on material from Costello's first four albums, which were fueled by angry, vengeful songs about
failed relationships and nonconformity. However, the newest material from the albums Get Happy, and the forthcoming Trust find
Costello widening the scope of his music and revealing his influences more clearly than ever before.
Costello’s set concludes with a pair of well-chosen covers, beginning with Nick Lowe's hard rocking ‘(What's So Funny) About Peace,
Love and Understanding’ and ending with an up-tempo arrangement of Sam & Dave's R & B classic ‘I Can't Stand Up For Falling
Down.’
• Throughout this remarkable recording, the elements that made Costello's early material so distinctive are obvious. All of these songs
contain clever, carefully constructed lyrics and convey an attention to arrangement and melodic detail. These elements clearly set him
apart from the punk scene with which he was initially identified. Above all else, Costello was a crafty songwriter of immense talent. His
subject matter was often allied with the Punk ethic of nonconformity, but as this performance clearly proves, Costello had far more to
offer.
1 Shot With His Own Gun 4:07
2 Accidents Happen 2:38
3 The Beat 3:43
4 Temptation/Green Shirt 5:29
5 You’ll Never Be A Man/(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea 6:15
6 Secondary Modern 2:33
7 Lover’s Walk 2:44
8 Less Than Zero 3:20
9 Big Tears 4:14
10 High Fidelity 2:56
11 Alison 2:27
12 Lipstick Vogue 4:00
13 Clubland 3:47
14 Oliver’s Army 2:58
15 Watching The Detectives/You Belong To Me 8:23
16 Radio, Radio 2:32
17 Pump It Up 4:50
18 (What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? 5:53
19 I Can’t Stand Up (For Falling Down) 2:37
