*The Bootleg Corner*
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item 4, 5 & 6
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*Odds and Sods*
Elvis Costello & Bill Frisell - Deep Dead Blue (CD)
The Right Spectacle: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello (DVD)
Everything About Spike (TV Special)
Complicated Shadows (biography)
Taking Liberties (CD compilation)

Originally Posted by ToeAndno (Post 538282) Looking forward to this one, so you better make it good, lol. Only have three Costello albums and I'm not overly familiar with them. He's always been an artist I've been meaning to listen to more of. Bring it on!

My Aim Is True
1977, Stiff Records, Pathway Studios

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/di...?imageid=15192

So, let's get this done chronologically then!

Elvis Costello's debut came after a few years of knocking about the country in his pub-rock band Flip City and failing auditions for a solo recording contract under the pseudonym D.P. Costello. On the basis of a demo tape he was signed to the fledgling Stiff label in 1976, after which he entered the studio with label-mate Nick Lowe in the producer's chair and Clover (Huey Lewis' pre-the News outfit) as his backing band.

The result of the Pathway Studios sessions which followed is basically what one would expect of anyone's debut album, i.e one which makes no effort to disguise the influences behind it (good ol' Buddy Holly and the Beatles being the most obvious on show here, certainly to these ears) and is basically the inauguration of a just-turned-professional musician finding his feet in the industry. What results is a very decent, non-too-challenging rock 'n' roll album which is delivered with the energy of the punk scene and the general sway of the times. Also, given the tightly limited budget for the album sessions, we're presented with a very garage rock-sounding album.

Anyway, let's have a look at the tracklisting;

1. Welcome To the Working Week
And it all starts with proper bang and all. Following the vocally harmonized opening lines the song's kicked into life by a wonderfully simplistic chord sequence and is complimented by a fittingly tight performance from Clover. A mere 80 seconds of song, it's over almost quickly as it began. The perfect choice for a curtain-raiser then. 8/10

2. Miracle Man
And from the furious opening the tempo of the album is taken down a few notches here. A very Heartbreakers-esque (the Johnny Thunders ones) band performance underpins a fittingly disenchanted and angsty lyric. The chorus alone...

Why do you have to say that there's always someone
who can do it better than I can?
But don't you think that I know that walking on the water
won't make me a miracle man?

...makes this easily one of my favourite woman trouble songs :D Sheer class. 9/10

3. No Dancing
To follow up is probably the weakest moment on the album for me. That's not to say it's bad at all, it's just probably the least intriguing part of the record. It's a well-worked piece of up-tempo, Beatles-influenced rock (the chorus owes a lot to the Lennon/McCartney original 'I'll Get You') with some great lyrics (I've always been very fond of the 'he's such a drag, he's not insane, it's just that everybody has to feel his pain' line), but for me the finished product doesn't work as well as the slower version Costello played live back in the day, which can be heard here. 6/10

4. Blame It On Cain
With it's somewhat skewiff guitar motif and the rackety performance of the rhythm section we're presented with something of a companion piece to 'Miracle Man' and another bloody fine song at that! The sentiment of the lyrics ('once upon a time I had little money, government burglars took it long before I could mail it to you') are certainly ones I can relate to! 8/10

5. Alison
And here we get Elvis Costello's first true classic of a song. An absolutely gorgeous, guitar-led slow-burner about lost love helped in no small way by some sublime lyrical wordplay, it's definitely a high point of the album. 10/10

6. Sneaky Feelings
Which leads us onto an almost jovial, toe-tapping piece of rock 'n' roll (at least musically anyhow). The word-penning behind it is a triumph as well (the 'I get you in my dreams, you should hear the things you say' line makes me smile everytime :D). 8/10

7. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
And the mood and style of 'Sneaky Feelings' is carried over to the following track, and a great choice for a single at that. Another terrific and stylistically simple song which is itself another disillusioned musing on male desire ('I said "I'm so happy I could die", she said "drop dead" and left with another guy' is one of the many delights therein) and another personal highlight. 9/10

8. Less Than Zero
'Less Than Zero' (which some years later gave its title to Brett Easton Ellis' novel) is another song driven both by an infectious guitar riff and some very well-written lyrics (which, as may have by my constantly mentioning them, are both strong-points of this album), with Costello interestingly using that Oswald Mosley fella as a metaphor for his own message. It's another catchy and non-too-demanding number, and another truly fine song. 10/10

9. Mystery Dance
A song which is the most clearly swayed by late 50s/early 60s rock 'n' roll, at around 90 seconds of length it simply speeds in and out with such aplomb. Not exactly one of the greatest tunes I've ever heard, definitely works well for what it is though. 7/10

10. Pay It Back
A very similar piece to 'Sneaky Feelings' this, and therefore a similarly punchy and easy-on-the-ear number. 8/10

11. I'm Not Angry
Despite the misleading title, this is easily the most angry tune on show here, populated as it is with the only guitar solos on the record, boasting one of the faster tempos on show and sounding as it does like a lyric about catching your girlfriend two-timing (I could hear you whispering as I crept by your door, so you found some other joker who could please you more). Put simply, you've gotta love it! 9/10

12. Waiting For the End Of the World
And as the album nears its end the song-structures all of a sudden get a lot more complex and ambitious. Certainly the pedal steel guitar lines from John McFee is the result of an unusual amount of studio overdubbing for a record which was recorded if not live then certainly in two or three takes per song. It takes the pace and the mood down from 'I'm Not Angry' nicely in time for the album-closer... 8/10

13. Watching the Detectives
...which is itself definitely the most musically ambitious composition that 'My Aim Is True' yields. Apparently written after Costello stayed up all night drinking coffee and listening to the Clash's debut album, it's a wonderful piece of white reggae and without doubt one of the man's all-time best. 10/10

Now, let's drag this on a bit more shall we :D

Outtakes

Living In Paradise: An early version of the song which would turn up on Costello's follow-up to this album, 'This Year's Model', needless to say it's not really a patch on its final rendition.

Stranger In the House: One of a couple of country-influenced songs recorded during the Pathway sessions, this slow-burning, sorrowful ballad, while actually a very good song, just doesn't fit on the album it was to be on.

Radio Sweetheart: Originally highlighted as a potential single during the early stages of making 'My Aim Is True', it is indeed a great, upbeat piece of country rock but, for that reason, wouldn't have sat comfortably alongside its would-be bedfellows on the album.

So, summing up then...

A great album although not quite a classic to me (and definitely not an indication of what was to come over the next decades). For anyone new to Costello though it's easily your best bet as a starting point.

8/10

This Year's Model
1978, Radar Records, Eden Studios

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...CL._SL600_.jpg

Almost as soon as My Aim Is True was released to rave reviews, Costello was back in the studio to record the songs he'd written and performed on that album's promotional tour. He did this with the aid of the band he'd formed for the tour; the Attractions (consisting of drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Bruce Thomas and classically-trained pianist/keyboardist Steve Nieve). The adoption of the Attractions as a backing band would ultimately (in my opinion at least) result in some of the most undervalued and breathtaking records of the next 10-odd years. This Year's Model isn't necessarily one of those records for me - there was much better to come from a truly talented singer-songwriter and a white-hot backing band.

That's not to play down this album though; it still is one of the highlights of a very large discography and the sound of Costello developing as a lyricist and performer. On top of that, as I've already mentioned, we hear the merits of the Attractions committed to tape for the very first time on a much more punk-influenced record than the work which preceded it...

1. No Action.
...and that sound is no more obvious than in the breakneck pace of the opening track. In essence it's a short, razor-sharp, punk-ish song propelled by Costello's typically simplistic guitar style and Pete Thomas' typically not-so-laid-back drumming. 9/10


2. This Year's Girl.
For the near-title track we're given our first true taste of the new-wave Costello was about to be renowned for, revolving as it does around the very prominent organ-playing of Steve Nieve. It's another very fine song indeed which just kind of rolls along to its conclusion. It's also one of my personal favourite lyrics from the man starting with;

See her picture in a thousand places
'cause she's this year's girl.
You think you all own little pieces
of this year's girl.
Forget your fancy manners,
forget your English grammar,
'cause you don't really give a damn
about this year's girl

Basically, it's another real winner of a song. 8/10

3. The Beat.
Following on from that we get our first example of the sublime, finger-picking talents of Attractions bassist Bruce Thomas. His bassline (one of many which puts him among my favourite ever bassists) underpins another finely crafted and fairly memorable new-wave song. 9/10


4. Pump It Up.
Easily one of the album highlights and indeed a career highlight for Costello. A powerful song driven by another wonderful Bruce Thomas bassline as well as another pretty cheeky (for want of a better phrase) lyric from its writer ('pump it up when you don't really need it, pump it up until you can feel it' makes for a pretty damn infectious chorus). 10/10

5. Little Triggers.
One of a few more musically gentle and down-tempo numbers on the album, it fits surprisingly snugly with the rest of the tracklisting (the dissatisfaction and angst in the lyrics certainly aren't exactly out of touch with its bedfellows). 7/10


6. You Belong To Me.
Another song heavy on the influence of punk and new-wave scenes of the time, it's a neat, musically upbeat tune, focusing again Nieve's organ and Costello's guitar but it's not really anything truly extraordinary and maybe the weakest part of the album. 5/10

7. Hand In Hand.
Not exactly one of my favourite songs this, and for me it rounds off that slightly weak middle section of This Year's Model. There's nothing wrong with the somewhat heavy-handed drumming style, the reined-in bassline, the flourishes of the organ or the singing, it just doesn't really do much for me. 4/10

8. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea.
But it doesn't exactly detract from the rest of the record's overall quality as right afterwards we're handed another sublime tune, this one in the form of the bass-driven punk stylings of '...Chelsea'. Another fairly ambitious and reasonably fast-paced recording, it's definitely one of the pivotal moments here... 9/10

9. Lip Service.
...and sits nicely before the furious 'Lip Service'. Over some wonderful performances from the Attractions Costello sings one of his most gloriously angry lyrics yet (eg the refrain in the chorus of 'lip service is all you'll ever get from me'). 10/10

10. Living In Paradise.
And then there's this little nugget just 'round the corner from it. More bitterly cynical wordplay in the lyrics, another great performance by the backing band, just another really good (though not quite spectacular), well-written and performed mid-tempo song. 9/10

11. Lipstick Vogue.
One of few punk-ish tunes of the day that I've heard which doesn't place emphasis on the guitar but instead Pete Thomas' virtuoso drumbeat. Short, sharp-as-nails, another one of my personal favourites on the album. 9/10

12. Night Rally.
The penultimate selection on the tracklisting features one more of the tighter performances from the Attractions underpinning a harrowing lyric considering the Neo-Fascism which the history books tell me was doing the rounds in Ol' Blighty in those days. It works well enough for me and builds up nicely to the closing track... 8/10

13. Radio Radio.
...which kicks into life with an explosion of noise. A brilliant performance from all concerned and another terrific lyric. Can't be bothered to go into it in much detail, I'll just let you hear for yourselves. 10/10


Outtakes

Big Tears: The only real outtake from the Eden sessions. It's a pretty decent mid-tempo number, featuring none other Mick Jones on guitar.

So, summing up then...

It's a genuinely fine album and, in my opinion, an improvement and a logical step onward from My Aim Is True. Whereas the previous year's effort dropped the odd hints of a punkier sound here and there, This Year's Model fully incorporates them where necessary. If you've only got My Aim Is True and you're scratching your head wondering where to go next, this is a pretty safe option. As I said earlier though, better was to come from Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

8.5/10

Originally Posted by ToeAndno (Post 539684) Good good good! Keep it up. I've got those two albums and was impressed with them, though I still wanna spend more time with them.

Originally Posted by Demonoid (Post 539704) Now You've Done It! A perfect opportunity for me to get more costello. I'm still rotting with my compilation...Liking some of the tracks you've put here. I'll get back to you after giving any of his first two releases a complete listen. Nice review, keep em comin!

It is a great hobby, but a pretty damn mentally exhausting one :D As for No Dancing, I've always preferred the slower, live version I've heard, but it's probably just because I heard it before the album version.

Armed Forces
1979, Radar Records, Eden Studios
http://mentaldefective.files.wordpre...med-forces.jpg

Due to the increasingly warm reactions Elvis Costello and the Attraction were getting both in the studio and on tour (having taken to the road again after recording This Year's Model) they'd been building up quite the reputation and following in the UK. It goes without saying that the next logical step was the old 'crack the US market' one. In order to do this and consolidate his following in his home country, upon hitting the studio for the third time in barely as many years, Costello chose to take new-wave a step or two further with Armed Forces.

The result of this approach is a very bright and polished, studio-enhanced sound. Consequently I actually think it makes for one of the man's weaker efforts, what with the sound of the record being very much marked by the time and place it was recorded and all. There are still some very good (in some cases brilliant) songs on show but, in contrast to My Aim Is True and This Year's Model, those moments are easily outweighed by the more mediocre ones.

Anyway, on with the review;

1. Accidents Will Happen.
As with (almost) every good choice of album-opener, Accidents Will Happen here is a fair indication of what lies ahead. A very glossy and all-round decent new-wave tune, also home to a very interesting tempo-change in the bridge, which is basically a staple of Costello's better songs. 8/10


2. Senior Service.
After which comes a song in a very similar vein only this time, upon hearing Steve Nieve's synth/organ flourishes the word 'dated' flashes across one's mind for the first time. That's not to call it at all mediocre though (it's actually a personal highlight for me), it's just that from here the production values begin to threaten to become intrusive on the sound of the album... 9/10 [Sorry about the rather ****ty video, it's the only one I could find]


3. Oliver's Army.
...that said though, that prospect just isn't really there when it comes to Oliver's Army. With it's glorious, Dancing Queen-esque piano motif, a wonderful protest lyric and killer chorus, it soon became Costello's biggest hit single (peaking at number 2 in the UK) and was somewhat responsible for this becoming his highest-selling album. Brilliant song, and the first one I ever heard from this guy. Pretty good album so far then... 10/10


4. Big Boys.
...which starts to get itself into trouble with this. A slightly above-average rocker, it's not all that bad but not all that great either. Certainly one of a selection of less memorable tunes here. 6/10

5. Green Shirt.
More or less the same story here, in this case that of what maybe should have been left as an acoustic ballad instead of juiced-up to breaking point with overdubs and keyboard effects. Demo versions of both this and Big Boys are indeed presented this way are, to these ears, much more effective than their final renditions. 5/10

6. Party Girl.
But here to the rescue is another pinnacle moment. A much more raw, piano-led ballad, with a lyric I'm sure we can all relate to in one way or t'other, it's one of those nicely spread-out areas which saves Armed Forces from mediocrity. 9/10

7. Goon Squad.
This here is as close as the album gets to harder-rocking tendencies of This Year's Model. Unfortunately it doesn't near the heights of that album and is another one of the less spectacular cuts here. 6/10

8. Busy Bodies.
And to follow it up it possibly the lowest point of Armed Forces. It's a bit of an edgeless, tiresome and meandering piece of new-wave pop - a bit of a throwaway if truth be told. 4/10

9. Sunday's Best.
Boasting a sound which isn't too far removed from what Stiff label-mates and rivals Ian Dury and the Blockheads were dealing in at the time, Sunday's Best is one of the brighter, though not truly noteworthy spots on the record. 7/10

10. Moods For Moderns.
Another one of the much more mediocre points on the album, it again falls under the 'overproduced' umbrella and into the trap of pushing the keyboard too high in the mix. It could possibly have been served better with a different approach in the studio, but it's another fairly weak song. 5/10

11. Chemistry Class.
But again, behind it lies a much better tune which again benefits from a lack of the heavy-handed studio method which dominates a lot of the songs on show. A neat little mid-tempo piece of music - much more like it then, but again nothing spectacular. 7/10

12. Two Little Hitlers.
As with the albums which preceded it though, Armed Forces builds towards a great climax with its final two selections on the tracklist. One more piece of songwriting very much in keeping with the riff-rock sound which dominated This Year's Model (even making use of David Bowie's Rebel Rebel riff in the chorus), it's a very nice cut and is host to a fine vocal performance from Costello. 8/10

13. (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
And in keeping with each of his albums so far, this one concludes with one of Costello's most well-known songs - this time a fast-paced rendition of label-mate Nick Lowe's anthemic original. 9/10

The Outtakes.

Tiny Steps: One of the better, less cluttered recordings here, this mid-tempo rocker probably should have made the album.

Clean Money: And the same can be said for this furiously-paced cut. It was later re-worked into the shape of Love For Tender, the kick-off point for the rapid follow-up release to this record.

Talking In the Dark: This song, on the other hand, is more in touch with the weaker and more dated moments of the album, and therefore no big loss.

Wednesday Week: A similar song to Goon Squad, with its quick-fire delivery, great band performance and fascinating tempo-change which sees the song to its end, this is one of the best recordings from the album sessions and really should have survived the chop.

My Funny Valentine: A sorrowful, lamenting rendition of the old standard (don't ask me who wrote it originally), it's a decent enough solo-cut but nonetheless rightly left off the album.

So, summing up then...

With its intent to be as contemporary as possible, the very 'of-the-times' production and songwriting methods employed here do date the end product somewhat and keep it from that level of quality and timelessness which My Aim Is True and This Year's Model reached. Far from a classic though nowhere near as average as some albums I could care to mention. As I've said before though, much much better was to come.

6/10

Tune in next time for a few words on Get Happy!!. Here's a teaser for ya :D

Originally Posted by Demonoid (Post 544024) So, I just listened to This Year's Model. Highlights for me were (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelse, The Beat and Lipstick Vogue. The lyrics of Chelse were brilliant and not to forget, the pounding bass and the vocal performance!:) The keyboards added an excellent touch to it as well. Definitely my favorite. The Beat, well, that bass says it all! Love that drum outburst in Lipstick Vogue, and the lyrics again, brilliant to say the least. 'Pump It Up' was a bit, say, cliched for me. But again, the pounding bass and chorus gets stuck in your head...Grrr. The middle section was a bit weak, but 'You Belong To Me' wasn't all that bad! I didn't like 'Hand in Hand' though. Yeah, It's catchy, but there's nothing much happening here. Pretty average track. Overall though, I'm definitely impressed! It is a bit more poppy than I thought, but that wasn't a big turn-off. The vocals/bass definitely were the standout's for me, although the keyboards/Drumming were quite good as well. The lyrics were entertaining. Angry as well as funny and sarcastic at times. Cleverly done ;)

Get Happy!! (Side A)
1980, F-Beat Records, Wisseloord Studios
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2216/...751ed8.jpg?v=0

What happens the majority of the time after an artist releases and finishes touring a commercial hit of a record, he/she/they follow it up in one of two ways. 1 - give the fans the same sound as a proven success formula or 2 - use the money and backing of the label from that hit record to take a step in a new artistic direction. Fortunately, the follow-up to Armed Forces, Get Happy!! falls into the latter category.

Following his rapidly getting bored of the new-wave tag the press had applied to him and the music associated with it, Costello chose to look for inspiration to reinvigorate him as an artist. This inspiration came from nothing but cheap, second-hand Stax and Motown singles and compilations. The result of this was an intriguing genre-experiment producing a hybrid of new-wave and classic soul/r'n'b, and even an album pressed in the style of any Motown hits compilation of the day (the long tracklisting of 2-3 minute songs and the tacky sleeve-art being fair indicators of this).

On top of all that, the resulting album is a brilliant piece of work, and the first in a trio of such records too.

1. Love For Tender
With this as the opening track another Elvis Costello album is kicked into action with another furiously up-tempo opener. In this case it's with punchy, infectious and organ-driven tune, and one which bears the closest resemblance to the new-wave antics of Armed Forces. 9/10


2. Opportunity
This here is one of the more obvious blue-eyed soul experiments on the album - a slow number driven by the talents of Bruce Thomas on bass (which anyone familiar with this album will agree is a notion which unifies this particular one). 8/10

3. The Imposter
And the pace is picked right up again by another hyperactive organ-driven cut, with Bruce Thomas again shining bright with the bassline. On top of that it's home to another sharp and witty Costello lyric ('you've never been this far, always been too smart, and you know all our boys are, really girls at heart'). 8/10

4. Secondary Modern
And again, it's an upbeat song sat just in front of another slow, mournful soul ballad, coming in the shape of band performance not so far removed from one you'd expect from an Al Green cut, with a very fine vocal performance from Costello to top it up. 9/10

5. King Horse
Another frenetic, upbeat number here. Bruce Thomas and Steve Nieve shine in particular here, leading the song onwards and upwards with tight yet memorable performances. It's also a resting place for yet one more of my favourite Costello lyrics - 'he'd seen the bottom of a lot of glasses, but he'd never seen love so near, he'd seen love get so expensive, but he'd never seen love so dear'. 7/10

6. Posession
Another typically snide and witty lyric ('if there's anything that you want, if there's anything that you need, there's no need to be evasive, money talks and it's persuasive' really cuts to the bone for me) is supported by another one of the brightest spots in Costello's back-catalogue. Another almost uplifting piece of bass and piano-led blue-eyed soul, and one of the album highlights without a doubt. 10/10

7. Men Called Uncle
And that particular vein of songwriting is nicely carried over to the subsequent track, Men Called Uncle. A similar song to Possession although slightly faster and with a mix which places more emphasis on Nieve's piano. 8/10

8. Clowntime Is Over
And this trio of soul-tinged tracks is brought to a close by the gorgeous, bass-driven ballad Clowntime Is Over. Slow-burning, deep-cutting, emotional, thought-provoking and another wonderfully-crafted song (the vocal mixing for the line 'who's making lover's lane safe again for lovers?' is just such a great moment). 10/10

9. New Amsterdam
Something of a red herring on this album, the acoustic strumming of New Amsterdam is something you won't hear anywhere else on this record. That and the fact that the Attractions are barely noticeable (except for the flourishes of Nieve's organ) kind of catch you by surprise. To these ears it's another great song but even if it doesn't really suit any listener's taste, given the shortness of the running time it just drifts by and doesn't exactly hang around too long (which is both a strength and weakness of this album). 8/10

10. High Fidelity
Side A is drawn to a close by a glorious piece of piano-led r'n'b and a superb choice for a single. Yet another highpoint of this wonderful album. 10/10

Originally Posted by JayJamJah (Post 544798) If you want any guest reviews for the thread, let me know, Love the Costello Discography. What's your favorite era?

Originally Posted by JayJamJah (Post 544881) I'll just leave it to you then, I was suggesting sending you a brief review of one of them via PM to add to your own post. I can cover any of them if you like. A bit off topic feel free to respond via PM or through a thread search, but are you a fan of Joe Jackson?

Get Happy!! (Side B)
1980, F-Beat Records, Wisseloord Studios

http://www.ouvidopenico.blogger.com....a-promo-pb.jpg

11. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
Side B opens with a frenzied rendition of one of the more obscure Sam and Dave songs. This 'ere song is the prime example of how covers should be - ie the artist in question just completely makes it his own and, certainly in this case, actually improves on the original by turning what was once a mournful soul ballad into a hyped-up and really very uplifting song. 10/10


12. Black & White World
This here is probably the only song on show here which sounds like it wasn't recorded last Thursday - a little dated with the organ flourishes basically. The band performance makes it sound a bit skewiff as they meander through the number. It's not a bad song any stretch of the imagination, but the weakest part of the album for sure. 5/10

13. 5ive Gears in Reverse
Driven by Costello's catchy rhythm guitar, the rest of the song doesn't really live up to the promise of its opening and is therefore another one of the more unremarkable and less adventurous cuts. 6/10

14. B Movie
A sentiment which is more than made up for the track which follows it. In a very similar ball park to Watching the Detectives before it, it's another reggae-styled piece of songwriting punctuated by a frankly brilliant bassline as well as some tight performances from the rest of the Attractions. 10/10

15. Motel Matches
And the stylistic tour de force of the second side continues here with a down-tempo and emotional piano-led ballad. Again, wonderfully written and performed all-round. 9/10


16. Human Touch
Clearly inspired heavily by Costello's work with the Specials of yesteryear (having occupied the producer's chair during the sessions for their debut), we're handed an infectious, bouncy and totally convincing slice of ska... 10/10

17. Beaten To the Punch
...which precedes the angriest and therefore heaviest cut around these parts, and the one which bears the strongest resemblance to the punkier sounds of This Year's Model. I just love the the anger in the lyrics here as well ('you're looking for somebody new that you can knock about, you are almost beaten to the punch' and 'your body speaks so much louder than your voice, you let it do the talking so I don't have any choice' are a couple of personal highlights of mine). 10/10

18. Temptation
Smooth, r'n'b-flavoured, superbly catchy guitar and bass motifs, it's a song which finds its way onto about nine out of ten of the compilations I make for people. Another well-earned ten - I implore you to go and listen to it yourselves! 10/10

19. I Stand Accused
Could easily have been a hit single this. Obviously though, this furious new-wave update of the Merseybeats' I Stand Accused missed out on that particular honour. It is though an example of Costello and his band recording a cover which improves on the original, and is a highpoint on the album for it (as if there weren't enough of those lying around). 10/10

20. Riot Act
And to put the lid on an album such as this as a sequence of four 10s in a row takes a very special song indeed. This isn't quite what's accomplished here, but it does bring the pace down a few notches into torch-song mode (with added contemporary twists!). A good enough song, but not a touch on a few of the ones which came before in my opinion. 7/10

The Outtakes. [there are quite a few of these, so I'll try and keep this brief]

So Young: A cover recorded very early on in the making of this album, it's a cute little slice of pop-rock, but really nothing remarkable.

Clowntime Is Over 2: Same lyrics as the album cut but just whole lot slower. Decent enough as B-side material.

Girls Talk: Of the two recorded versions available, the thrashier (I know, it's not really a word) rendition is my personal preference. The pumping, repetitive bassline puts this song well above mediocrity.

Getting Mighty Crowded: Easily the pick of the litter. A wonderfully jovial recording of Betty Everett's tune which should probably have made the album.

From a Whisper To a Scream, Watch Your Step and New Lace Sleeves: All three of these would be given the full studio treatment during the sessions for this record's follow-up and, naturally, heavily improved on.

Dr. Luther's Assistant, Ghost Train and Hoover Factory: These particular items sound a lot more like outtakes from Armed Forces than ones worthy of consideration for this album, and are therefore justified choices as B-sides.

Just a Memory: A beautiful soul ballad which, upon rejection here, was later given to Dusty Springfield. Steve Nieve's gorgeous piano line make this one of Costello's more obscure gems in his back catalogue.

I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down (alt. version): Much more faithful to Sam and Dave's original than the album cut, this particular re-reading is just as well-performed as the aforementioned one. Very hard to pick a favourite between the two.

So, summing then...
A truly fascinatingly experimental genre-hybrid of an album, delivering a mix of new-wave, soul and r'n'b. One of the peaks of Costello's career which shows him really starting to come into his own as a writer and musician. Any doubters of the quality of the man's post-My Aim Is True output need pointing in the direction of this magnificent album. It's a bit much to swallow at first, being 20 tracks long and all, and even if you don't appreciate it all the shortness of each song allows the more mediocre moments to just fly by, all unimposing-like! Unfortunately, the same can be said of the best moments here too, which is I feel the following rating is pretty fair...

9.5/10

Trust
1981, F-Beat Records, DJM Studios/Eden Studios
http://www.sashafrerejones.com/o581.jpg

After the frenzied genre experiment of Get Happy!! Elvis Costello, the Attractions and producer Nick Lowe made a speedy return to the studio to follow it up. These sessions saw the result of Costello's increasingly ambitious songwriting hit the first of a fair few peaks to come, culminating in his most stylistically diverse record yet and arguably his most impressive with the Attractions as his backing band. We see the Attractions show their mettle yet again as one of the finest backing bands in the business and Nick Lowe's production values which do so much to show this. Anyway, here goes...

1. Clubland
With its jazzy flourishes and almost virtuoso drumbeat, the opening title here sounds like nothing Costello had recorded before and is early evidence that we're going to be treated to an artistic step forward of an album. Not only that, but the line 'the long arm of the law slides up the outskirts of town' is just genius :D 9/10


2. Lover's Walk
Led again by an almost jazzy piano line and furious drumbeat, Lover's Walk instead goes for an old-styled rock 'n' roll sound which lands it quite some distance from Clubland. One of the less intriguing songs around, but not bad at all. 6/10

3. You'll Never Be a Man
Written in the same vein as the two tracks before it, we're presented with a slightly slower tune which kind of rolls along on the back of Steve Nieve's inspired keyboard-bashing, building up to a fabulously memorable refrain before it fades out. The lyrics (as any keen ears will find with most of the rest of this album) are as disenchanted, brutal and suggestive as Costello's had been as well ('though the fist is mightier than the lip, it adds the adoration'). Brilliant song, simple as that. 10/10

4. Pretty Words
Edging along via a very prominent Bruce Thomas bassline, Nieve's well-chosen piano chords and a killer chorus, this song (inspired by Costello's brush with the world press - because of how he, in a moment of drunken stupidity, called James Brown and Ray Charles a name that rhymes with digger) is another example of wonderful songcraft and performance at play. 9/10

5. Strict Time
One thing I love about this album is how Costello's guitar is either not used at all or pushed so low down in the mix that you can hardly notice it, giving the Attractions and producer Nick Lowe their opportunities to shine. This song is no exception to that rule. An almost reggae-inspired riff is only played by Costello for the opening 10-odd seconds, from where drummer Pete Thomas' wild, repetitive beat almost pushes the song up to an upper echelon of quality. 9/10

6. Luxembourg
A-rockin' and a-rollin' to a Bo Diddley beat, the furious tempo of this particular item practically jumps out of the speakers at you. A decent enough tune, but another one of the weaker moments here. 6/10

7. Watch Your Step
And there's a massive juxtaposition between that and the laid back serenity of the bass-led Watch Your Step. This full studio workout for a song first recorded during the Get Happy!! sessions is a real winner, Nieve's calm and beautifully composed solo being one of my favourite moments in any song. 10/10

8. New Lace Sleeves
What follows is the song which convinced that Costello is more than just some washed-up songwriter with a few hits to his name. Boasting possibly the best drumbeat (in rock music before you say anything) that I've ever heard, as well as a superb ensemble display from the other Attractions and a beautiful, soulful vocal performance from Costello, this gorgeous slow burner is almost as good as music gets. 10/10


9. From a Whisper To a Scream
Again we're taken back a few years through Costello's discography by a tune that rocks as hard as anything from This Year's Model. This punchy, razor-backed and hyped-up song also features guest vocalist Glen Tilbrook of Squeeze as part of the duet. 9/10


10. Different Finger
Another unusual and ambitious moment in this guy's early repertoire, Different Finger is the first country ballad Costello wrote since Stranger In the House was recorded for (and dropped from) My Aim Is True some four years earlier. Don't let the country tag put you off though - this is an unusually emotional and tender moment on the album, which juxtaposes what comes next quite nicely... 8/10

11. White Knuckles
..which, as the title may suggest, is a fast and furious slice of rock which features another brutal and unnerving lyric ('white knuckles on black and blue skin, you didn't mean to hit her but she kept laughing'). Scary lyrics aside though, it's another truly brilliant song which builds to an ingenious and memorable tempo-change as the fade-out approaches. 10/10

12. Shot With His Own Gun
Yet another first for Costello's songwriting, this entirely piano-led and brooding song features a mesmerising display from Nieve and another fine vocal track from Costello (the video shows a live rendition, which is slightly inferior to the studio version in my opinion). Yet another high-point for the album. 10/10


13. Fish 'n' Chip Paper
The penultimate track is much more of an up-tempo, almost jolly and bubbly affair which doesn't sound all that removed from the new-wave-isms of Armed Forces. Good lyrics, good performances all-round (a particularly nice organ solo), but nothing too remarkable. 7/10

14. Big Sister's Clothes
The backwards-recorded accordion sets the tone for more moody, bleak and acoustic guitar-led ending to a bafflingly diverse and eclectic album (so, in fact, does the first lyrical couplet of 'sheep to the slaughter, oh I thought this must be love'). A calm and laid back song puts the lid on this record very nicely indeed. 8/10

The Outtakes.

Black Sails In the Sunset: The tell-tale sign of an album's quality can often be how good the outtakes from the respective studio sessions are and this slow, piano-led tune is indeed a very fine song.

Big Sister: Big Sister's Clothes is a slowed-down re-working of this furiously-paced rock 'n' roll song, and a very good one at that.

Twenty-Five To Twelve: An above-average rocker here, it's not a bad song by any means. Probably a right move to leave it off the album though.

Sad About Girls: One of the best 'songs that never made it' from Costello's repertoire, this Steve Nieve-penned tune is a sublime piece of piano-led balladry.

Slow Down: Better (certainly a lot faster) than the Beatles' and the Jam's re-readings of Larry Williams' rock 'n' roll classic.

Hoover Factory, Love For Sale, Boy With a Problem, Weeper's Dream, Gloomy Sunday and the Long Honeymoon: All these were (I'd imagine) never really considered as album material, being solo-recorded vocal warm-ups for Costello, rough workings of songs in the making or instrumentals. A lot of them are nice enough on their own though (Gloomy Sunday and Love For Sale are quite something).

So, summing up then...
When I kept yammering on earlier in this thread about how better was to come from Costello, this (in part) is what I meant. A truly brilliant, mind-bogglingly diverse and unique record, it could very well be my favourite Elvis Costello album (tends to change between three or four of them by day though). I don't care how neutral your opinion on this guy is, get this album :D An absolute essential

10/10

Originally Posted by jackhammer (Post 546112) I can see myself getting into Costello. It's a little criminal that I have overlooked one of our countries finest songwriters. Love the 'Possession' track. Great thread.

Originally Posted by shiseido_red (Post 548394) I've never really gotten into Elvis Costello but your journal has inspired me to start :)

Almost Blue
1981, F-Beat Records, Nashville Tennessee
http://www.amiright.com/album-covers...lmost-Blue.jpg

It always happens at some point doesn't it? Well, maybe not really, but I can think of a fair few examples of a prolific singer/songwriter taking to the studio to record a covers album and naturally Elvis Costello fits nicely into this category. The idea behind Almost Blue, though, represents another artistic departure from his old sound. Basically, having written songs like Stranger In the House, Radio Sweetheart and Different Finger, it doesn't really take much brains to figure out that he was and still is a real lover of country and western music. Taking the Attractions to Nashville Tennessee in order to tape a bunch of C & W standards in a frenzy of recording (a grand total of thirty songs were cut) was as good an indicator of this as any.

The result is an album that's very hard for any non-country fans to truly love, as we're presented with a sincere and faithful covers album.

1. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?
The opening item though is the one exception to this rule, Costello and the Attractions tearing through a sped-up, punkish rendition of the old Hank Williams standard. Yet another Elvis Costello album starts with a real bang. 8/10

2. Sweet Dreams
And there's a sharp contrast between that and the more faithful re-reading of this Don Gibson ballad. There's nothing wrong with the playing, but it's just all a little too schmaltzy for me (complete with a backing choir and some syrupy string arrangements et al). On top of that, it's one of a few examples on this album of the Attractions' performances being far too subdued for the song's good, and it's not exactly one of my favourite Costello cuts for it. 4/10


3. Success
This, on the other hand, is. A soothing, gently played song about lost love which is guided along by some sublime piano-playing from Steve Nieve (with a wonderful solo t'boot!). A much more uncluttered affair than Sweet Dreams. 9/10

4. I'm Your Toy
One of a couple of Gram Parsons tunes to show up on this album, it's another slow country ballad this time emphasising John McFee's pedal steel guitar. Another not-so-overcooked affair, it's a decent enough tune all-round, though not a patch on the original. 7/10

5. Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down
And what follows is a much faster, footstomping cover of Merle Haggard's song. Nieve again really shines with his performance behind the piano, as does McFee's pedal steel. It's good enough but nothing extraordinary. 7/10

6. Brown To Blue
And here's another one of the more tame tracks on the album. It's a meandering, slightly dull wonder through a George Jones original. 5/10

7. Good Year For the Roses
As Costello's last top 10 hit in the UK, Good Year For the Roses has since become one of his most well-known and best-loved releases and it's entirely justified for me. It ticks all the right boxes where Sweet Dreams before it got them all wrong, and is probably the best song on the album for it. 10/10


8. Sittin' and Thinkin'
Another one of the much better cuts here, this Charlie Rich cover gets by again on some more sublime work from Nieve and McFee, propelling one of the catchier songs around here onward and upward. 9/10

9. The Colour Of the Blues
As the pace of the record slows down again, we're handed some more subdued and un-noteworthy from the Attractions and John McFee as well as Costello himself, and therefore another one of the more mediocre tracks. 5/10

10. Too Far Gone
Again, one of the slower country ballads on the record (boasting Emmylou Harris among its many performers down the years), but in this case we hear a bit of an improvement on others before it. A catchy little pedal steel riff and a memorable chorus make for another decent (yet unspectacular) cut. 6/10

11. Honey Hush
This Lou Willie Taylor song was also covered by some bloke called Paul McCartney. Costello's rendition takes the speed up a few notches before the album reaches its climax, but at the same time features more sludgy and meandering playing from the Attractions. 6/10

12. How Much I Lied
But it all ends on another real highlight in Costello's back-catalogue. With the lack of any steel guitar, strings or backing vocals, Elvis Costello and the Attractions are given their space to really shine bright in this gorgeous, piano-led rendition of Gram Parsons' original. A truly great song which ascends the country tag of this album nicely... 10/10

...that's not to say that I personally dismiss this album as sub-country mediocrity. That's not the case at all - I do think each cut has its own merits and can actually sit through them and enjoy even the weakest moments every now and then. It's also true to say that, while this is far, far away from my favourite Costello album, it was without a doubt one of the most influential on my musical tastes. After all, if it weren't for my picking up a copy of this and being pretty shocked to hear some country music blaring out from my stereo, I'd never have thought albums like the Gilded Palace Of Sin, Grievous Angel, White Light, Sweetheart Of the Rodeo and Pieces Of Sky had any merit to them (all of which now rank among my absolute favourite albums). So, basically, while it's nowhere near among my favourite albums of all-time, Almost Blue here was a real eye-opener for me, shedding light on an area of music that so many (particularly here in England) overlook. When all's said and done though...

6/10

PS - In case you're wondering where the outtakes section is, there's a grand total of twelve of them and, honest being honest, I never really listen to them enough to want to write something about them in particular. I might come back and go through them later if I can be bothered.

Imperial Bedroom
1982, F-Beat Records, Air Studios
http://www.kevinwolf.com/images/Imp_Bed.jpg

Following an exhausting schedule of recording and touring, Elvis Costello and the Attractions took to the studio for the seventh time The initial sessions which took place in Air Studios were far from harmonious though; resulting with a tired, dull and hungover imitation of Trust as the band tried to beat the songs into submission somewhat.

Midway through this chaotic round of recording sessions (presumably as a result of some good old-fashioned sober reflection), a radically different direction for the album was opted for. This basically saw a much more careful, pensive and compositional approach to writing and recording. This way of thinking and the hiring of one Geoff Emerick as producer saw an album's worth of songs be completely re-written and, along with a few more songs being thrown into the mix, results in not only one of Costello's finest albums but (arguably) one of the very best albums of all time.

1. Beyond Belief
A sombre, brooding, slightly cold and somewhat down-tempo piece of rock here which sets the mood nicely for most of the rest of the album, all the while revolving around a terrific performance by drummer Pete Thomas. 8/10


2. Tears Before Bedtime
And here we see keyboardist Steve Nieve becoming noticeable all of a sudden. His organ-line underpins another marvellous band performance and very well-written song. It's the closest this album comes to the new-wave Costello was previously renowned for. 10/10

3. Shabby Doll
Another pretty cold song with another bitter, sneering lyric ('being what you might call a whore - always worked for me before' being just one of its many delights). It certainly sounds a lot more like a spontaneous jam than its finely-toned bedfellows on this album, and is for me probably the weakest part of it. 6/10

4. The Long Honeymoon
Here we have the first truly adventurous artistic endeavour on the album. Beneath a wonderful lyric, about the narrator thinking her lover's with her best friend but can't bring herself to pick up the phone and find out, this slow-burning song is led on by a beautifully haunting accordion wailing away, as well as quick bursts of guitar from Costello himself. The french horns bring a majestic end to a majestic song. 10/10

5. Man Out Of Time
With its furious, berserk intro, this number just leaps out of the ol' stereo speakers and really grabs the listener's attention, before slowing down into a gorgeous, mid-tempo, piano-led tune, and then speeding right up again during the fadeout (the live version in the below video skips the said tempo-changes btw). Another album highlight, if not one of the man's career highlights. 10/10


6. Almost Blue
Bizarrely named after his country & western covers album of the year before, to this point in his career this was as deeply emotional, gentle and at points depressing as Costello had ever been. A truly remarkable, old-fashioned torch-song led by another brilliant piano performance from Steve Nieve (which is mostly the common denominator with this album). 10/10

7. ...And In Every Home
And if the previous 3 were major artistic departures for Elvis Costello and the Attractions, then this song gets on the plane to Timbuktu and never comes back. It's basically Costello singing over a madly ambitious string arrangement composed by Nieve and some bloke called George Martin. 10/10

8. The Loved Ones
Back we go to good old piano-led rock 'n' roll. Certainly one of the more accessible numbers on the album, it's still another highlight, worth a 10 for the inhuman piano solo in the bridge alone. 10/10

9. Human Hands
This one's easily the catchiest, most hummable track on show here. Led by what sounds like a heavily-treated guitar motif before each verse, as well as an all-round white-hot backing band, it's another terrific song. Features one of Costello's most ambitious vocal performances as well. 9/10

10. Kid About It
From the raucous, up-tempo nature of the three songs before it, here we're taken right to the other side of the speedometer with a somewhat jazzy slow-burner. Not one of the best on the album upon the first listen, but it's certainly a grower. 6/10


11. Little Savage
And from there on in the general mood of the album in a musical sense gets a lot darker, this organ-led, maybe even slightly doomy-sounding song being a prime example of that. The lyrics, such as 'you do something very special to - Mr. Average - now the lamb lies with the lion - he's just a little savage' are nicely reflected musically, particularly by the moody organ solo after the second verse. 8/10

12. Boy With a Problem
A companion-piece to the similarly slow-burning piano ballad Almost Blue, it's not quite as emotional and touching as that song, but it's yet another beautifully well-structured song with some great lyrics too. It's something about hearing Costello sing 'came home drunk - talking in circles - the spirit is willing but I don't believe in miracles' which gets to me every time I hear it. 9/10

13. Pidgin English
Another very ambitious composition. The labyrinthine vocal overdubs, bass, horn arrangement, the Spanish guitar solo, the lyrics, occasional flourishes of creepy organ-lines, the majestic fadeout, it all just falls into place perfectly. 10/10

14. You Little Fool
This 'ere merry ditty, with a harpsichord underpinning another mazy studio production, is as close to psychedelic as Costello would ever get. It's return the mid-tempo antics and gorgeously cynical lyrics of earlier parts of the album, and a very fine song indeed on top of all that. 9/10

15. Town Cryer
And it's all rounded off by one of the most soaringly beautiful curtain-closers on any album. Steve Nieve's contribution is the simply perfect piano introduction to an absolutely sublime slow-burner is definitely one of the high points of the album. And also, if the string arrangement during the fadeout doesn't get to you at all, frankly you're not human! 10/10

The Outtakes.

The Land Of Give and Take: An early version of Beyond Belief, it's much more studio-enhanced and is slightly angrier than its final cut (which incidentally scraps a massive part of its original rendition's structure), and is therefore possibly slightly better than its later incarnation.

Little Goody Two Shoes: An absolute gem this. A slow, bass-heavy and jazzy number, it could easily have been slipped into the tracklisting in the place of Kid About It or Shabby Doll.

The Town Where Time Stood Still: Another great tune and one that could easily have made the album this. Upon rejection here this song would be re-recorded, considered and subsequently rejected from several albums to follow this one.

I Turn Around: Again, a very strong cut, but nevertheless below the par set by the album.

Imperial Bedroom: The elusive title-track here is another great tune and could easily have been stuck on at the end of the tracklisting.

World Of Broken Hearts, Really Mystified, Night Time and the Stamping Ground: A selection of covers which were presumably just recorded as studio workouts for Costello and the Attractions, as none of them are really very remarkable.

Town Cryer (disco version): A bit of a novelty here. It's very well-played, catchy and fun, but wouldn't really have fitted on the album.

So, summing up then...
This is one of my favourite albums of all time, no doubt about it. Like Trust before it, it's such a complex, diverse and well-written album, and you can find something new to love about each song on it upon repeated listening. The labyrinthine, overdub-heavy studio approach makes it sound kind of more fully realised as a work of art than Trust does. As a result its a piece of work that's definitely one of the most criminally overlooked albums ever. I therefore do not hesitate to give it the following rating...

10/10

Punch the Clock
1983, F-Beat Records, Air Studios
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uB-0D-gV8m...chtheclock.jpg

You know when a prolific artist decides it's best to drop the kind of songwriting values they once held dear and pander to the masses with a fluffy, silky and accessible album? This is one of those moments.

For fear of being known for the gloomy cynicism of his previous songs, Elvis Costello not only wrote some bright pop songs to take into the studio, but he also enlisted the help of the Clive Langer/Alan Winstanley production partnership to help in shaping the sounding of a more chart-friendly album. Having produced hits by Dexy's Midnight Runners and Madness, this was a task the pair were more than up for, which involved the employment of the TKO Horns and the backing singers of Afrodiziak on their part. Another thing worth mentioning is that 'Clanger and Winstanley' were big advocates of the 'building block' production technique, whereby the finished song concerned would maintain as little resemblance as possible to the original demo version. It's a particular ethic which really does show here.

Consequently we have a very dated, hit-and-miss album, but let's get into all that as I start to yammer on about the tracks...

1. Let Them All Talk
One of the more obvious cases of Costello's new approach both lyrically and musically, this bright, cheery pop song revolves around a prominent horn figure, providing an interesting backdrop to an unusually optimistic and naive lyric. Hardly a bad song, but nothing really worth writing home about. 7/10

2. Everyday I Write the Book
Smooth and clean, like gasoline, this slick pop song is quite unlike anything Costello had recorded before (or perhaps even since). Any rough edges on this soulful number have clearly been sanded down nicely by the production techniques used and polished 'til you can see your face in it. Again, in spite of having dated quite a bit, it's not what I'd call a genuinely bad song. Judge for yourself I guess. 7/10

3. The Greatest Thing
And here's where the album starts to get itself into trouble. Another cheery pop song, the quickfire vocal delivery and gunshot percussion therein really don't do it any favours. 2/10

4. The Element Within Her
Another attempt at a catchy, jovial sort of sound, this piece of fluff is well below-par for the pretty much the same reasons as the Greatest Thing. 2/10

5. Love Went Mad
Driven by decent flourishes of piano and a well-worked chorus this, another catchy and upbeat tune, rises above the mire of the two which preceded considerably. It's a bit more like it in other words. 6/10

6. Shipbuilding
Written by Clive Langer and Costello for Robert Wyatt (which is why his version predates this one), the original rendition of a truly brilliant song easily stands up with its other working in terms of quality. A great slice of anti-Thatcherist angst preceded by probably my favourite ever piano intro. Worth getting the album for this alone. 10/10

7. TKO (Boxing Day)
As the title may suggest, this here's another song which revolves around a TKO horn figure. Despite its chart-friendly demeanour, it's one of the more sinister and somewhat darker moments of the record ('it's a fight to the finish let there be no doubt, as the seconds turn to minutes I can count you out' certainly makes it seem that way to me). 6/10

8. Charm School
With this song it's almost as if there's a conflict between Costello's songwriting and the production style. From listening to just the opening 30 seconds, it's clear to see that this song was intended to be a slow, acoustic ballad, which is in turn almost drowned out by the heavy-handed production style. That and the fact that it's a pretty weak piece of songwriting make it a whole lot less interesting. 3/10

9. The Invisible Man
One more song which was clearly written with a horn section in mind, like TKO it again sounds slightly more sinister than a lot of its bedfellows (well, as sinister as a brass-driven pop song can get anyway). Not so bad but, as with a lot of this album, not so good either. 5/10


10. Mouth Almighty
Date-stamped with the early 80s and slightly over-produced as it may be, this punchy and catchy number is another one of the better moments here, extracting as it does some good performances from the Attractions as a backing band which help it to rise above the less memorable cuts somewhat. 6/10


11. King Of Thieves
The same can be said here. This interesting tale of a blacklisted writer is backed up again by a good band performance (underpinned by a decently repetitive piano chord from Steve Nieve) and makes for a nice little pop song, as the album rises towards its climax. 7/10

12. Pills and Soap
Along with Shipbuilding, Pills and Soap is another stylistic stand-out from the rest of Punch the Clock. Propelled by a doomy piano chord from Nieve and Costello's deadpan vocal delivery this really is a very good song indeed (owing no small favour to Grandmaster Flash's the Message). 8/10

13. The World and His Wife
And it's all capped off by a dizzy, jovial knees-up of a song. Possibly the most uplifting item in Costello's back-catalogue, it boasts a brass arrangement which doesn't actually intrude on the song for a change, as well as a wonderfully memorable chorus. Great way to end the album. 9/10

The Outtakes.

Heathen Town: A brilliant song this. Christ knows why it never made the album.

The Flirting Kind: The same can't be said for this fairly unspectacular cut though.

Baby Pictures: Written at the same time as Shot With His Own Gun from Trust, it's interesting to hear Costello try and imitate the vocal stylings of some bloke called David Bowie.

So, summing up then...
It's fair to say that the Clanger and Winstanley 'building block' technique did a lot more harm than good to this album (this kind of over-cooking dating the end product somewhat), but even if it was presented as a rootsy, acoustic album as it probably should have been, there was clear indication that Costello's songwriting was finally starting to get weaker as he neared 'that 80s phase' as a lot of his contemporaries did. I can stand it and, depending on my mood, get through most of the tracks, but when all's said and done it's not really a very good album.

4/10

Originally Posted by ToeAndno (Post 564955) When's the next update? I'm enjoying this.

Goodbye Cruel World
1984, F-Beat Records, Air Studios
http://albumnotes.files.wordpress.co...01lzzzzzzz.jpg

For the followup to Punch the Clock, Elvis Costello took to more or less the same songwriting and production strategies which defined that album but would try and shape a darker record to suit his mood (at the time he was in the midst of lengthy divorce proceedings with his then-wife). This saw the Clanger and Winstanley team called on again in order give Goodbye Cruel World the same mass appeal as the album which preceded it, only this time 'round there were a few changes. Basically, neither the TKO Horns nor Afrodiziak were called on again for these sessions, which instead led the hiring of guest musicians for the first time on any Costello album.

The results are a very very far from spectacular, such to the extent that I'd happily call this Costello's worst album. Now, let's find out why...

1. The Only Flame In Town
The album is kicked into life by a Gary Barnacle (a hired hand for David Bowie, the Clash, Public Image Limited and Bjork down the years) sax solo, who continues to punctuate a chirpy little slice of soulful pop (which features guest vocals from a certain Daryll Hall). Hardly the most offensive song here, but it's a sign of things to come. The video's just as daft as they all were back in the day as well. 6/10


2. Home Truth
Definitely one of the better songs on show here, this slow and moody song is certainly one of a precious few which doesn't suffer from the overproduction that a lot of the rest of the album does. Lyrically the man's on form, telling a morbid and grim tale of a couple falling out of love (the couplet 'is it the lies I tell you, or the lies that I might?' is probably my favourite little segment), with a decent enough performance from the Attractions (and no session musicians) to back it up. 6/10

3. Room With No Number
The gunshot-style percussion and the flourishes of Steve Nieve's keyboard may as well date-stamp this lively cut to a certain week in 1984. That'd be reason enough to dismiss this song entirely but, on the other hand, the songwriting behind this tune is very strong to the point that you can virtually hear it crying out for a more laid back and stripped-down arrangement. 7/10

4. Inch By Inch
A slower and slightly jazzy cut, it was reworked from a much better song called Little Goody Two-Shoes (an outtake from Imperial Bedroom). Listen to those two songs back to back and you'll see exactly how this highly-polished, glossy song should have been presented in its final version. 5/10

5. Worthless Thing
A combination of two seperate home demos, as a result we have some more great lyrics ('you can live forever in a split-second of fame' and 'how many times can you jump out of the cupboard, before someone gets suspicious or someone gets discovered?' being a couple of highlights) swamped by the clash of Costello's clear desire to write a slow, mournful song and the producers' intent to keep things upbeat. A pretty weak song then. 3/10

6. Love Field
The opening synth-loop dates this song horrifically, and the fact that it's not a very good piece of songwriting (as the rather lame title might suggest) makes for another very weak item. 4/10

7. I Wanna Be Loved
A cover of a Teacher's Edition B-side this, as the second single from the album, made use of the talents of Green Gartside on backing vocals (not that you'd really notice of course). Although it's certainly the most flat-out emotional and up-front moment on the album, it really hasn't dated very well at all and, as with a lot of the album, the Attractions can only offer rather flat and dull performances as a band. The video, though, is brilliant - one of those very rare ones which actually improves on the song it intended to promote. 2/10


8. The Comedians
Another tune which was intended as a slow and sorrowful ballad but the final result of which is a bizarre attempt to give the song too much pace. Costello subsequently gave Roy Orbison the song for his Mystery Girl album, who would make much better use of it. 4/10

9. Joe Porterhouse
Not such a bad song this, but unfortunately there's really not all that much to deem it as anything more though. Again, it just lacks the fire and punch which was once what the Attractions were renowned for. It does contain the wonderful line 'now what is left for me, among the broken branches of the family tree?' though. 5/10

10. Sour Milk-Cow Blues
Easily the pick of the litter here. Like Room With No Number, it's dated as well as a month-old carton of milk, but again the songwriting behind this furiously disenchanted song is very strong indeed. It's a fine example of how, despite any reservations we may or may not have of them, the studio techniques used in a lot of mainstream 80s rock can actually enhance a song sometimes. That and the fact that we're treated to a fiery and passionate vocal performance from Costello and fittingly good contributions from the Attractions really allow this song to rise above the mire. The lyrics, about simply not being able to recognise someone you've adored for so long, are absolute gold too;

You wear a different size and style of shoe
I think that someone must be poisoning you
To replace you with a living double
Get out of my life right now and save them all of the trouble
They changed your complexion and your personality
Somebody's putting ideas in your head
They took the girl of my dreams and left you here instead
Sour milk-cow blues

So, yeah, erm... 8/10


11. The Great Unknown
But here, we once again see the flipside of the coin. Initially demoed as a beautiful and emotional acoustic ballad, here's another song which has had the life squeezed out of it by its studio treatment. 3/10

12. The Deportee's Club
The same can be said for the song which follows it. Re-recorded two years later as an acoustic ballad, it's clear from the outset that the attempt to twist this into a hard-rocking number was very misguided. 4/10

13. Peace In Our Time
Overproduced, dated, misguided - again, this song just cries out for a stripped-down and rootsy reading. 4/10

The Outtakes

I Hope You're Happy Now: A much more promising song than a lot of the ones which made the album, this would thankfully make it to a much better album than this one.

Get Yourself Another Fool: What you'd expect from any album outtake - not all that spectacular really.

Withered and Died: An acoustic and therefore somewhat effective and emotional ballad, this cover version (I forget who wrote it originally) should really have made the album.

She Loves the Jerk: An acoustic demo which which was (presumably) never given the studio treatment, it works well enough on its own.

Mystery Voice and Blue Murder On Union Avenue: Both of these home demoes were reworked into Worthless Thing. That said, they do stand up on their own; especially Mystery Voice, which boasts an interesting ska guitar-motif and some great lyrics.

So, summing up then...

Perhaps with a bit more thought and a different studio approach, this album could have ended up a lot better than it actually is. That said though, in a fair few places the songwriting is fairly below-par and weak. All in all, this was definitely the nadir of Costello's career, being very poorly received upon release. The events that followed it though would lead to some of the best moments of Costello's recording career. That and the inevitable breakup of the Attractions.

2/10

Originally Posted by Bulldog (Post 540358) Armed Forces

Originally Posted by jackhammer (Post 566675) What I have noticed with Costello is that he is not a dynmaic performer or songwriter but this is a plus point. What at first seems unoriginal, even banal then turns into something exceptional. It's criminal that he is so overlooked. Especially here in Blighty.

King Of America [part 1]
1986, Demon Records, Ocean Way, Sunset Sound & Sound Factory Studio LA
http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/1626-king-of-america.jpg

Following several solo tours to pay his legal bills, for which it goes without saying that he dispensed with the Attractions as his backing band for the first time in his career, in 1985 Elvis Costello (armed with a new record deal and a host of new material) decided it was high time to take to the studio again. Considering the bad blood between him and the Attractions since he embarked on his solo tours, a completely new band was required. This came in the form of the Confederates; consisting of Jerry Scheff (bassist for Elvis Presley's TCB band), drummer Mickey Curry (who at the time was working for Tom Waits), keyboardist Mitchell Froom (who'd go on to make his name as a relatively big-time record producer) and producer Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk (once of Hall and Oates). A host of session musicians (including Travelling Wilbury Jim Keltner, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and legendary double-bassist Ray Brown, among others) were called upon, as well as the Attractions themselves. However, the Attractions sessions disintegrated in a red mist of ill-temper, which yielded interesting results nonetheless.

Such an overhaul of personnel was the result of Costello's attempt to distance himself from his last two albums, in particular the critical and commercial flop that was Goodbye Cruel World. Seeing as that album at the very least hinted that Costello had burnt himself out artistically, the next logical move was to take a few steps back and make a more rootsy and uncluttered record. King Of America, with its overall laid back and friendly blues/folk and bluegrass vibes is exactly that. Basically, this album is the sound of Costello just casting off the shackles of recording for the benefit an expecting audience and simply writing and playing the music he loves. The result is a wonderfully passionate and stripped-down record.

1. Brilliant Mistake
The opening chords of the album alone are enough to prove that as well. This terrific opener is basically everything Goodbye Cruel World should have been - an earnest and stripped-down song where every element of the instrumentation just functions perfectly well in combination. On top of that it's a very well-structured and written song indeed, for which the lyrics provide the perfect opening statement about the album.

'He thought he was the king of America
Where they pour coca cola just like vintage wine
Now I try hard not to become hysterical
But I'm not sure if I am laughing or crying' 9/10

2. Lovable
Moving on we have a similarly simplistic and lively folk-flavoured cut which revolves around a rolling double-bass motif. Co-written with his new wife Cait O-Riordan (formerly the bassist of the Pogues), it's an intriguing and almost uplifting, romantic lyric set to a thigh-slappingly catchy musical backdrop, and certainly is a superb piece of work. 10/10

3. Our Little Angel
Much more country-flavoured than the songs before it, the pedal steel guitar opted for here gives what could have worked just as well as an acoustic strumfest a whole new and interesting dimension. Another fairly up-front and emotional lyric (I'll leave you to guess what lines like 'you're not gonna do a thing to our little angel' refer to) and, while maybe a bit in the acquired taste court, not a bad song at all. 7/10

4. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
One of two covers on show here, this re-reading of an Animals classic was thrown into the tracklisting at the minute at the behest of the record label, who wanted the safety of a cover to promote the album as its sole single. That certainly explains the presence of the marimba in the mix then. Certainly to some it may seem like the definition of a musical dud, but I personally think the unusual hoarseness of Costello's vocal gives it that much more of a gritty edge. 8/10

5. Glitter Gulch
The hyperactive pedal steel guitar which punctuates this song gives it a nice fast country tag for all to see. Another real footstomper here, though not exactly one of the best moments on show. The lyrics, concerning the events of a (fictional?) gameshow are another sign of Costello getting his groove back.

'Every step might be your last
Money signs are in your eyes sucker
You've been taken in this time
You might just get out alive if you're lucky
All the vultures tuning in to Glitter Gulch
Are looking in on you
And they're hungry' 7/10

6. Indoor Fireworks
A fairly provocative and melancholy folk song is led musically by Costello's acoustic strumming and Mitchell Froom's distant-sounding organ. It seems something of a weak moment at first, but nevertheless it's something of a grower, especially with its superb lyrical accompaniment.

'We play these parlour games
We play at make believe
When we get to the part where I say that I'm going to leave
Everybody loves a happy ending but we don't even try
We go straight past pretending
To the part where everybody loves to cry' 6/10


7. Little Palaces
And here we're launched right into bluegrass territory, as Costello proves to us that he's actual a terrific mandolin player (coming from someone who's learning, he is pretty good at the thing). Such a wonderfully gentle and upbeat bluegrass/folk song this, which edges along via some great acoustic guitar chords and a top vocal performance before Costello's mandolin bursts into the mix after each chorus. Sublime stuff. 10/10

8. I'll Wear It Proudly
Another gentle and earnest acoustic folk-rocker here, it basically serves as another statement of Costello's love for his new wife. Not all that much wrong with it musically, but it doesn't really stand out with much of an identity of its own, and is therefore one of the less memorable cuts. It is host to another great lyric though, particularly the chorus of 'if they had a king of fools then I would wear that crown, and you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly' though. 6/10

9. American Without Tears
The electric guitar chords which open this song up set the tone for a blissful, yarn-spinning folk song (apparently inspired by the adventures of Costello's grandfather), and the bursts of accordion after the choral refrains really do take it to another level. 9/10


10. Eisenhower Blues
Nothing much to this song really. It's basically just a workout for Elvis Costello and the Confederates in covering J.B. Lenoir's blues standard. Stands up well enough on its own though. 6/10

11. Poisoned Rose
Quite a remarkable cut this. Being a 30s-styled torch song, its only near relative in Costello's repertoire to that moment was the magnificent Almost Blue from Imperial Bedroom. Features one of the man's best vocal performances ever put to tape, a set of his most heart-breaking lyrics and is definitely a highlight. 9/10


12. The Big Light
This on the other hand is something of a sister-song to Glitter Gulch, being the up-tempo slice of country-flavoured rock that it is. A terrific, finger-snappin' tune compliments a superbly sleazy hangover lyric.
One of the best moments of the album, as it builds to a tremendous climax.
9/10

13. Jack Of All Parades
This song kind of rolls into view by use of a prominent double-bass line before Costello's opening line of 'when we first met I didn't know what to do, my old love lines were all worn out on you', after which the drumbeat just lights the whole thing up. Those opening 30-odd seconds alone make for a grand piece of songwriting, as the rest of the song just rolls along mid-tempo to its conclusion. One of few songs here which bears a lot in common with Costello's previous work. 9/10

14. Suit Of Lights
As does this one, being the only tune recorded with the Attractions which survived the chop. This fabulous number basically shows the Attractions on top form again, with Steve Nieve's piano leading the song to greatness with some well-thought performances by Bruce Thomas on bass and Pete Thomas behind the drumkit. A fantastic song, and one which instantly grabbed my attention as one when I first heard it. 10/10

15. Sleep Of the Just
Rolling in on the back of a ghostly-sounding organ, the gentle acoustic strumming, the brushes on the drums and a mesmerising lyric see this fantastic song and a great album to its conclusion. 10/10

[part 2]

The Outtakes.

Having It All: Another wonderful song this. It was originally considered for Julien Temple's Absolute Beginners but evidently never made it. I don't usually do this in this section, but here's a nice video of it.


End Of the Rainbow, Suffering Face and Deportee: All solo, acoustic demoes which never made the album sessions (the latter of which is a vastly superior revision of the Deportee's Club from Goodbye Cruel World.

King Of Confidence: Dropped from the tracklisting at the last minute to make way for Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, this song really should have stayed where it was.

Shoes Without Heels: Another slower, country-tinged song, it's another marvellous track which, again, really should have made the album.

Betrayal, Next Time Round, Baby's Got a Brand New Hairdo and I Hope You're Happy Now: The other four songs which Costello attempted to record with the Attractions, they certainly sound far too new wave-afflicted and fast to warrant a place on the album.

So, summing up then...
As an artistic venture, getting in touch with his musical roots and hiring a completely new band and producer worked wonders for Costello. Although not the next logical step after Imperial Bedroom, it's miles better than the two rather tame albums which preceded it. Elvis Costello had officially got his groove back. It's probably not everyone's cuppa tea, but I couldn't recommend it enough to any folk, blues, bluegrass or country fans out there. Anyway...

9/10

Originally Posted by Demonoid (Post 568474) Damn, I still have a lot of catching up to do here. Still need to get Get Happy!!. I'll give it a listen soon. I enjoyed reading most of it...Great reviews.