That said, Costello's comment contains a truth that resonates with a lot of people, so much so that it is part of the language of musicians outside the pop sphere who have never heard of Costello. It reminds us of how bad (and hubristic) most writing about music is.
Ironically one of the best single piece of music journalism I've read in recent years was by Costello himself, a short piece about Sinatra shortly after his death. Given his inability to make decent records these days maybe he should stick to dancing about architecture.
― ArfArf, Monday, 28 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I suspect that it has to pre-date Costello. I am going to check some sources later on.
― DeRayMi, Monday, 28 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
do we know this yet
― lol (roxymuzak), Sunday, 15 February 2009 03:38 (fifteen years ago) link
Dunno! But I'd like to add Brian Eno to the long list of (mis)attributions.
― Blimey G. Blamegarten (unregistered), Sunday, 15 February 2009 03:49 (fifteen years ago) link
Honestly, the first person I heard it attributed to was Martin Mull.
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 15 February 2009 06:04 (fifteen years ago) link
bump?
― NI, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 19:19 (fourteen years ago) link
When I went to the Cold War Modern exhibition at the V&A last year they had a film of Russian propaganda that involved lots of people waltzing inside a brand new towerblock while singing a song about how everyone could own their own kitchen. So that was dancing about architecture. It was awesome.
― Sickamous Mouthall (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 21 April 2009 21:11 (fourteen years ago) link
The answer is definitively Martin Mull. See OT: We Hear from Martin Mull.
― mattdm, Sunday, 18 July 2010 12:08 (thirteen years ago) link
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 15 February 2009 06:04 (1 year ago)
*Head swells, explodes*
― Hideous Lump, Sunday, 18 July 2010 21:58 (thirteen years ago) link
Damn, could have sworn it was Dr Johnson
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 19 July 2010 15:42 (thirteen years ago) link
dancing to architecture & morality
― 不合作的方式 (r1o natsume), Monday, 19 July 2010 16:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Crazy! And good to definitively know this :)
― Nate Carson, Monday, 19 July 2010 23:29 (thirteen years ago) link
don't know if it's been mentioned but lots of 60s "postmodern" dance was site-specific, thus often very much about architecture...sorry declan!
― iago g., Monday, 19 July 2010 23:34 (thirteen years ago) link
hahaha
― could be a bad day for (Abbott), Monday, 19 July 2010 23:37 (thirteen years ago) link