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If you were a fan of Elvis Costello's late-'70s albums, from "My Aim Is True" through "Armed Forces," the new "Blood and Chocolate" is the LP you've been waiting seven years for him to deliver.
In those early collections, the Englishman established himself as one of rock's most compelling songwriters: His clever, seductive wordplay would have caught the ear of Cole Porter, and his sharp-witted bite might even cause Bob Dylan to think twice about getting into a verbal showdown with him.
But Costello stumbled in slight, subtle ways after "Armed Forces." While continuing to do frequently excellent work, he tended to put out so many albums and move in so many different directions that even his most loyal fans were sometimes puzzled or exasperated.
That's why "Blood and Chocolate" is such cause for celebration. It steps forward with the same consistency, passion, intensity and unbridled arrogance as "Armed Forces."
In fact, the album revives Costello's artistic glow so commandingly that I checked with his record company to make sure these weren't leftover tracks from the "Armed Forces" days. With Costello, you never take anything for granted.
"You think it's over now / But this is only the beginning," Costello declares at the beginning of the album-and the line could well refer to the songwriter's career.
After bulldozing his way into the Top 10 with "Armed Forces," Costello began a series of odd career twists-all in the name of artistic independence. That's a phrase you have to be wary of in pop music. It can be a badge of honor or a cop-out.
Critics encourage artists to explore their own instincts rather than follow formulas. Yet Costello's sometimes peculiar path made him seem arbitrary, stubborn, selfish, even somewhat perverse.
You can imagine what his record company thought as sales fell back below the 500,000 mark-hitting a bottom of about 50,000 for "Almost Blue," his 1981 country album.
But Costello recognized after "Armed Forces" that an artist must control the pace. If you ignore the pressures too long, you may end up a victim. If you cave in to pressures, you may sacrifice your art. In his own...