Grapthar's Song of the Day: Elvis Costello - 'I'm Not Angry'

Elvis Costello - I'm Not Angry

Elvis Costello is the stage moniker

of English guitarist/singer-songwriter Declan Patrick MacManus. He began his career in the early '70s in the pub-rock scene in London, and was on the forefront of the punk and new-wave movement that would arise in the latter half of the decade, though he always managed to stay relevant, and never was pigeonholed by a single genre. His first full length album was a critical hit, and afterwards, he formed his legendary backing band The Attractions, who would appear on all of his releases for the next the decade, before interpersonal problems caused the group to split. Costello continued writing and recording music as a solo artist, though he has since reuinted with The Attractions on a number of occasions. (Source - Wikipedia - Elvis Costello)

Listen to I'm Not Angry by Elvis Costello here.

This song is from his 1977

debut full length My Aim is True, which has some of his most famous songs, including Less Than Zero, Alison, and (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes, amongst others. This song is interesting, in that it features a keyboard part heavily, which would become a staple of his later music, though it was pretty rare on this release. I particularly like the lead guitar on this song; it's a relatively simple riff, but it doubles the vocal melody and adds a bit of a '60s quality to the tune. This song (and album) are interesting in that they feel very modern and unique, despite the fact that his '50s and '60s rock influences are clearly on display, a testament to Costello's incredible writing abilities.