Elvis Costello: “Oasis isn’t for me”
In an interview given to the Liverpool Echo newspaper, talking about the differences between musicians from Merseyside, i.e. the Liverpool area, and those from Manchester, Elvis Costello revealed that he is not a fan of the Oasis stating, “It’s probably heresy to say this to Mancunians, but I think Oasis are a simplification of the La’s.”
He further continued to develop his thoughts by saying: “There was a purity in Lee’s songs and in his whole attitude. Oasis are much more ruthless and undoubtedly effective, so I won’t criticize them. They’re not for me, they never have been. Sometimes it happens. Someone has a good idea and someone else takes it and turns it into something that communicates with more people. If they’re happy with it, then it’s fine.”
The 71-year-old Costello admitted that he “can’t even understand the people of Manchester very well”: “They might say something nice, or they might insult me, I don’t speak that language. I just don’t understand anything they say. The people from Newcastle, strangely, I understand them. I understand them.”
He then added that there are “a lot of unrecognized people in the music business”. “I’ve been incredibly lucky, so I won’t say anything about it. If anyone has the opportunity, they should take it and, as far as I know, it won’t hurt anyone.”
Elvis Costello already several years ago, in 2009, he had criticized the Oasis in an interview with the Telegraph, in which he declared, among other things: “Well, Noel deludes himself about many things, the most obvious of which is that he is a singer-songwriter. For him to even put himself on the same level as Paul (McCartney, ed.) is ridiculous. You have to keep these guys at bay! None of us are Irving Berlin or Burt Bacharach. I was recently sitting at the side of the stage watching Burt sing ‘Alfie’ and it was magical.”
As Wikipedia reports, i La’s were formed in Liverpool in 1986, they have only one album to their credit – “The La’s” released in 1990 – and can be considered the pioneers of Britpop.
