London's Brilliant Parade

Elvis Costello wrote "London's Brilliant Parade" as a tribute to his birth city of London, despite feeling more connected to his Merseyside heritage. He explained, "That song is probably as close as I'll ever get to writing a sentimental song about the town I was born in, even though I've never really regarded it as my hometown. But some places have a special personal significance for me." He wrote the song while living in Dublin; he reflected, "Maybe it's the old thing of leaving the town to see it. When I was there constantly, perhaps it was all too on top of me to see the difference. When I sat at the piano to write it, it all became clear, like a story I'd seen go past myself without really recognising it." Costello specified that the song was a reflection on the London of his childhood, as opposed to London of the present: "It isn't the then of when I started. It's the then of the Sixties, that illusionary London." ==Music and recording==

Stylistically, Costello sought to make "London's Brilliant Parade" both a tribute to and parody of the Kinks, even using a Dobro guitar on the track as a nod to Ray Davies using one on "Lola". Further, Costello noted the song as one of those on the album that continued the musical sophistication and atypical song structure he had learned from the Brodsky Quartet when they collaborated on 1993's The Juliet Letters. "London's Brilliant Parade" was one of the five songs on Brutal Youth that featured the full Attractions lineup. While former Costello producer Nick Lowe performed bass on much of the album, he decided not to play on some of the more complex compositions. Costello explained, "There were other songs like 'London's Brilliant Parade', 'This Is Hell' and 'You Tripped At Every Step' that have a bit more architecture and Nick said 'these aren't my speed'." ==Release==

In addition to appearing on the album, "London's Brilliant Parade" was released as the fourth and final single from Brutal Youth in November 1994. Though the previous singles from Brutal Youth had largely underperformed, Costello fought for the song to be released as a single, even if he did not believe it would be a commercial success. He explained, The single was a moderate chart hit, reaching number 48 in the UK. It has since also appeared on compilation albums such as 1997's Extreme Honey and 2015's Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, the latter of which served as a companion disc to Costello's autobiography of the same name. ==Critical reception==

"London's Brilliant Parade" saw positive reception from music writers upon its release. The Orange County Register called the song "beautiful", praising its "delicate instrumentation and warm, gentle vocals." Pulse! was similarly effusive, writing, "Who else could have written the melody that effortlessly bounds into the title phrase of 'London's Brilliant Parade'? Costello's voice is astonishing as he threads extended phrases of difficult intervals." The New York Times wrote, London's Brilliant Parade' crosses a whimsical Kinks song like 'Waterloo Sunset' with some Beatle-y psychedelia, as Mr. Costello offers a rambling, impressionistic walking tour of London." More ambivalently, the New Musical Express wrote, "Can't say I like it, but you can't fail to admire the way it's put together — a bit like Tony Adams' thighs." Retrospective writers have been similarly positive. Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly wrote, London's Brilliant Parade' is a nostalgic, dream-fueled stroll through Costello’s hometown, one that was far from my own of New Kensington. But in his bridges and struggling streets, there was a reflection I recognized." David Gorman of Trunkworthy, meanwhile, wrote, "It's Costello’s own 'Penny Lane,' complete with nostalgic sound effects and a breezy music-hall melody worthy of McCartney himself." ==Charts==