Today’s slow drag is with “Flutter and Wow,” from “Momofuku,” released in 2008. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. It’s the song that plays right before the lights come up. It’s a sexy, nostalgic exploration of the perplexing distortion and wavering that intimacy might sound like. Last rays of sunlight die Full moon begins to rise Reflected in your eyes I can't believe that this is happening You make the motor in me Flutter and Wow Through eloquent imagery told with words that rhyme gently, die/rise/eye, what sweetheart wouldn’t long to hear such adulation? It’s a beautiful sentiment. However, no one to my knowledge has ever accused Mr. Costello of being overly sentimental in his lyrics, so of course there is much more to this story, something less intimate, perhaps, or maybe just as intimate, but in a different way. The crowd was gathering The clock struck five, then ten My happy tears were descending I can't believe that this is happening You make the motor in me Flutter and Wow Gathering/descending: coming together, then falling. The intimate scene of the first verse gives way to a different sort of intimacy. Now there is empathy in two instances that seem polarized. Flutter and Wow / Flutter and Wow You make the motor in me Flutter and Wow / Flutter and how As many of us know, Mr. Costello has interwoven the medium of which many of his songs have been recorded upon into a few of his songs: “The bamboo needle on a shellac of Chopin,” from “The Other End of the Telescope,” the “every scratch every click,” from “45,” the “records that she scratched,” from “So Like Candy,” and of course the obvious, “you either shut up or get cut up; it’s only inches on the reel to reel” from “Radio, Radio,” and possibly even more that aren’t coming to me presently. What they all have in common is that they are analogue, the place where the phenomena of flutter and wow are found. Flutter and wow, according to Britannica, are sound distortions, or a “waver in a reproduced tone or a group of tones that is caused by irregularities in turntable or tape drive speed during recording, duplication, or reproduction.” “Wow” is caused by low frequency recognized as “fluctuations in pitch” when a record makes its revolutions. “Flutter” refers to irregularities that occur at a higher frequency that “roughen the tone” of many instruments and vocals. A warped record or an off-center hole, as well as the nonuniform tension in tape production can lead to flutter and/or wow. I read an online article in “Sound on Sound” magazine that asserts flutter and wow are “a lot more important in the sound of tape and analogue recordings that they are usually given credit for.” The article concludes that “after 30 years of ‘digital stability’…our ears have become very good once again at spotting these grossly unnatural phenomena that we were once so happy to ignore.” “Grossly unnatural” might be an overstatement, especially when espousing how important they are to this writer’s own nostalgia. The incident tape across the bed Threading it from the reel to the head I'm planting this thought in a magnetic field And pushing the button And all of a sudden Erase everything rotten Fascinated and uptight Make me shout out loud Make me cry all day and night Mr. Costello’s genius is on full display with the many uses of magnetic and field. First, planting something in a field, then a magnetic field, two strong opposite ends that interact, like a compass; the physical embodiment of attraction and repulsion. Then, the wonderful self-sabotage of erasing the past with one simple act of pushing a button. What started as an intimate coo grew into the singular appreciation of a sea of adoring fans. Now, perhaps, the magnetic field, to quote “Less Than Zero,” has “put the past away,” leaving only the future to talk about. The future is a frightening and exhilarating place. “Fascinated and uptight.” My voice got stuck in my throat... Pulled my hand up into the sleeve of my coat So you'd never know how it was shaking I can't believe that this is happening You make the motor in me Flutter and Wow This beautiful verse deftly speaks to both the first intimate verse and the second crowded verse. The “you,” who never knows how the hand was shaking, is directed toward both the second person singular and the second person plural, speaking once again to both verses. Flutter and Wow / Flutter and Wow You make the motor in me Start up and stop again When I am spluttering You make the motor in me Flutter and wow / Flutter and how Flutter and wow / Flutter and how It has become indistinguishable who these sentiments are intended for. Or, has there ever really been a distinction between the two to start with? To the bridge The incident tape across the bed Threading it from the reel to the head I'm planting this thought in a magnetic field And pressing the button And all of a sudden Erase everything rotten Fascinated and uptight Make me shout out loud Make me cry all day and night — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Flutter and Wow” from 2008’s “Momofuku.” It’s a nostalgic song that touts the future. It’s intimate and universal at the same time. There’s something charming about refusing to “dumb” something down for the masses, of which I firmly include myself. I had no idea there were names for these frequency distortions. And while it’s great to have the knowledge, the context proves to only be additive, not subtractive. It’s just another example of how stellar Mr. Costello’s work is. And that’s it for today’s slow drag, my friend. Thank you for listening. Let me know, did you know what “Flutter and wow” was, and if so, how did it effect your overall interpretation of this amazing song when you first hear it? I encourage you to re-listen to Episode 7 of “Slow Drag with Remedy,” “Let’s See How Brave You Are,” a slow drag with “No Hiding Place,” as well as Episode 35, “With a Song in My Heart,” a slow drag with “Turpentine.” Both episodes are slow drags with more gems from “Momofuku.” Momofuku is a collection of sheer entertainment and joy. So, until next time, adieu, my little ballyhoo. Comments are closed.
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AboutSlow Drag with Remedy is an Elvis Costello podcast appreciation. It's an exploration of linguistics, language, poetry, and clever wordplay as framed by the peerless poetry of the modern-day master, Elvis Costello. Slow Drag by Song
Poor Napoleon Alibi Church Underground The Big Light Georgie and Her Rival Joe Porterhouse No Hiding Place 20% Amnesia All This Useless Beauty Let Him Dangle King of Thieves Damnation's Cellar Stripping Paper Pidgin English Riot Act Bedlam The Quickening Art Luxembourg Chemistry Class Living in Paradise My Mood Swings Waiting for the End of the World Little Atoms Two Little Hitlers Crimes of Paris You Tripped at Every Step Needle Time Men Called Uncle Peace in Our Time The Loved Ones I Almost Had a Weakness Our Little Angel Invasion Hit Parade Turpentine Miracle Man A Voice in the Dark The Greatest Thing Satellite Hand in Hand Clubland Tart Glitter Gulch Stations of the Cross Science Fiction Twin Possession This Sad Burlesque Flutter and Wow Soul for Hire After the Fall Blue Chair Monkey to Man Mouth Almighty Watch Your Step ...This Town... Distorted Angel Worthless Thing No Dancing Miss Macbeth Charm School Poor Fractured Atlas Brilliant Mistake My Little Blue Window Suspect My Tears Coal Train Robberies Fish 'n' Chip Papers I Hope You're Happy Now Man Out of Time 13 Steps Lead Down Go Away Sweet Pear The Name of This Thing is Not Love Jimmie Standing in the Rain The Deportees Club The Birds Will Still Be Singing Starting to Come to Me Pay It Back Five Small Words Pretty Words Radio Silence Human Hands Night Rally I'll Wear It Proudly Motel Matches Drum and Bone Harpies Bizarre Nothing Clings Like Ivy Why Won't Heaven Help Me Next Time 'Round The River in Reverse A Room with No Number Clown Strike The Invisible Man My Most Beautiful Mistake All the Rage The Town Where Time Stood Still Episode of Blonde e of Blonde No Flag A Slow Drag with Josephine That Bridge I Burned Sour Milk Cow Blues You Little Fool Spooky Girlfriend Suit of Lights There's a Story in Your Voice Dishonor The Stars The Other Side of Summer Mischievous Ghost They're Not Laughing at Me Now White Knuckles Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind? Black and White World The World and His Wife
God's Comic The First to Leave Green Shirt The Man You Love to Hate Lip Service American Gangster Time Blame It on Cain The Spell That You Cast Lipstick Vogue The Difference Stella Hurt Tears before Bedtime |