Elvis Costello is the master of a brutal poetry like no one else. One of the best songwriters of the past fifty years. He did a collaboration with Burt Bacharach about twenty years ago that is quite the towering achievement. If you can find footage of the concert they did for public television on TH-cam it's a thing of tremendous beauty.
Saw him with The Attractions on their first tour of the U.S. (11/23/77) at a club in New Orleans so small I had to sit on the stage...and they let me in free 'cause they had no idea who he was and I had driven 250 miles the night before Thanksgiving to hear him! Damn near every album -- and there are LOTS of 'em! -- is worth a listen or two or more. Read his autobiography...it's actually GOOD. And he's been married to jazz vocalist/pianist Diana Krall for years. Congrats on finally getting around to Mr. Declan McManus!
FINALLY!! ELVIS COSTELLO!!! This is prime post punk “New Wave”!! By 1978, new elements were being added to punk, more melody, keyboards, artists taking punk as the foundation and adding their own colors. Pete Thomas, Steve Nieve (pronounced Naive) and Bruce Thomas are one of the best backing bands ever IMHO. THIS album is a classic, every song, please listen to all of it!!!
JP, great reaction, as usual. Elvis came towards the end of the first wave of Punk in the UK, the term 'New Wave' covered a multitude of music which the music establishment didn't know what to label it as. Tracks that you should check out are: 'Less Than Zero', '(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea', 'Accidents Will Happen', 'New Amsterdam', and many more.
Huge talent. Seen him live several times. My favourite album of his is Get Happy!! which has about 20 two minute songs crammed onto one LP. Anything from that album would be a great choice.
Never enjoyed most of the stuff he did after he left the Attractions, specially the more traditional jazz things he did. I remember he released a chamber music album in the 2000s that was a clear ripoff of Stravinsky and the jazz stuff he released is pretty boring.
"Think back if you still can to when the trumpets sounded and the world began, somebody said we must have won because they started burying the boogie man"
I really appreciate that you go through the lyrics with the correct lyrics in front of you. It's an obvious thing but I've certainly grit my teeth more than a few times when someone just doesn't pay attention or do the research. You do the research and it's appreciated!
So much good music through his whole career. He's so talented, and such a great songwriter (musically and lyrically). He shifts and changes so many times, from punk to pop/rock, to classical to jazz, and it's all great. Nobody does angst and anger like EC.
It's Elvis Costello and the Attractions. They're simply great musicians, at least as important as Costello. Bruce Thomas on bass, Pete Thomas on drums and Steve Nieve on keys.
Elvis Costello got the wrath of Lorne Michaels and was banned from SNL because he halted the band after they began playing "Less Than Zero" then launched into "Radio Radio" which was not what his label wanted - a scathing song against the radio industry.
Seconded. I don’t believe it was included in even on this album at first? I could be wrong, but I thought it was a single only. It is definitely on the current release of the album, so I recommend JP go to the studio version, and then immediately watch the most infamous performance in the history of SNL. It was the most punk rock thing ever. Plus, where else are you going to get a word like “anesthetize” in a song? Okay, besides Genesis.....
@@jayburdification It was definitely on my copy that I bought back in HS. Here's a couple 1978 vinyls on discogs UK www.discogs.com/Elvis-Costello-The-Attractions-This-Years-Model/release/1942857 US www.discogs.com/Elvis-Costello-This-Years-Model/release/4333658
I’m a big Elvis fan through his career, and I love love love the ‘sound’ of this whole album. Armed Forces, and Get Happy are outstanding as well. Great songs and great production.
Hey Justin, I'm so glad you're discovering Elvis Costello, one of the best and most prolific songwriters & lyricists to come out of the UK. New wave was my era when I first got into music. That period between 1977-82 was full of great music like this. New wave emerged out of punk and had much of the same energy but with more musicianship and melody. Many bands/artists like Costello, The Jam, Blondie, Squeeze, etc, were happy to ride the punk explosion on their very early recordings but soon showed there was much more to them with their love of sixties music, the mod movement, power pop, soul, etc, rising to the fore. The punk bands may have dismissed the Beatles as being passé, but people like Paul Weller (The Jam) and Costello cited Lennon, McCartney, etc, as major influences. Costello even went onto write with McCartney in the late eighties. The Attractions were Costello’s backing band from this, his second album, onwards. His first album ('My Aim Is True' 1977) is worth checking out too, particularly for the brilliant singles Watching The Detectives, Alison and Red Shoes. Smug’s a good word for his singing, there’s plenty of bile in there too, although he’s well able to sing a torch song, croon a jazz standard or country song. The range of styles he worked in throughout the nineties and beyond shows what an incredible talent he truly is. A great writer of prose too - check out his autobiography. He always says the gap between his front teeth always makes it sound like he’s spitting the words out! The Attractions who backed him on 10 albums are part of his classic sound and all great musicians. Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas are still part of his current band The Imposters. He had a fractured relationship with bassist Bruce Thomas who no longer plays with him, but Davey Faragher has been an excellent replacement.
Interesting how the co-written songs with McCartney keep coming up as favs. I certainly like them too, but I never feel they're straight Elvis. The first three songs from Mighty Like a Rose (So Like Candy appears later on that one) -- now that sequence is a high-octane dose of Elvis. Probably not the place to start though.
He came out of the Punk scene. His singing style was kind of aggressive, but not shouty. His hits were Watching the Detectives and Oliver's Army, I don't Want to go to Chelsea.
Elvis Costello! Nice! He's an amazing song-writer, but even above that a top-shelf lyricist. (One of my favorite Elvis lyrics: "She said that she was working for the ABC News. It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use." ) He's got an AMAZING catalog of great tunes... My ALL-TIME FAVES: Beyond Belief, New Amsterdam, Riot Act, Strict Time, Lipstick Vogue, and Watching The Detectives. You can't go wrong with any of those brilliant songs. Thanks for dipping into his catalog, Justin, and, again, for the thoughtful commentary. He wasn't really punk, but was right there... more of a ska / punk / pop combo... I think XTC said it best: "What do you call that noise, that you put on? THIS IS POP." Elvis' band, the Attractions, are first-rate musicians.... and he has done everything from the rowdy punk pop to country and even classical light (playing with the Brodsky quartet). He's got an amazing voice, which developed as he went along. Enjoy that ride!
John, your favs list is almost exactly mine, at least through the early albums (though Beyond Belief barely edges out the rest of Imperial Bedroom). But I think there's equal gold in many of the later albums too, esp Spike, Mighty Like a Rose and Brutal Youth. But to each his own Elvis. Certainly one of the bet pop lyricists after Dylan.
@@matrobnew I'd put Andy Partridge on his level... but there's not a lot crowding those two... Agreed about Elvis' later work... but I just don't find the tunes as intoxicating... There are exceptions, of course. Cheers!
Costello was very influential in my music developement. This album was released just weeks before my high school graduation. These two songs were the first I ever heard of is. To me, his first seven albums are his best. Although he is an excellent performer, I think his greatest strength is his songwriting. Many artists have covered his material. He has never let himself be tied down to any particular style or genre. My discovery of him and his music began my long and wonderful path of seeking out other artists that don't play by "Top40" rules. I strongly recommend you continue this album and visit his previous debut classic, "My Aim is True". Further, listening to his albums chronologically, it's fascinating to witness his progression as a singer/songwriter.
Hooray! Elvis is here. The Attractions were his backing band from 1977-87 and then for a couple of albums in the 90s. His on-off band these days is The Imposters and that's basically the Attractions minus Bruce Thomas. Please listen to "Oliver's Army" and "20% Amnesia" though there are so many great songs. He's the post-punk Dylan.
One of the greatest lyricists in the history of pop. ps, Elvis Costello's My Aim is True is one of my favorite debut albums...as is Joe Jackson's Look Sharp.
Another great reaction Justin! Thank you! I saw Elvis back in 1989 while I was at Penn State! It was just Elvis on stage with his acoustic guitar! At one point he started taking some requests! Amazing!
Great choice!!! So many great albums! I could go on about Elvis for hours. So glad you've started to scratch the surface of this iconic songwriter. Wow, so happy for you.
GREAT ALBUM! Elvis was kick ass New Wave. I saw them live snd sang along to every song. All 4 of them are GREAT musicians. Now you can hear him sing/play bluegrass among other things.
One of the most common misunderstandings about Punk is that many associate the genre with a look which is/was aggressive angst where folks had cut their hair into a Mohawk style and applied various dyes, pierced parts of their body with safety pins, wore black leather greaser jackets, tight and torn black jeans with a proto-gothic undertone inspired by bands such as the Sex Pistols and New York Dolls, Bullocks, Buzzcocks, Ramones and others of the era, who in essence were trying to modernize the early look of the Who before they grew their hair out. The Who's first releases were extremely inspirational to the latter Punk movement. (From your friendly neighborhood musicologist)
This album was easily one of the top 5 albums that shaped my musical life journey. Along with TV Marquee Moon. I remember the day it came out i was just 18 and hearing it's debut on wnew with Scott Muni. I was blown away on the first listen. I remember getting my copy as soon as it hit my record store. I was and am an EC fan to this day. I saw him on the tour for this years model at the Capitol Theater in lovely downtown Passaic NJ triple bill Mink DeVille, Nick Lowe with Rockpile, and Elvis with the Attractions!!! One of the BEST shows that i ever attended. And I've seen a lot of great shows!!! Thanks once again . Looking forward to the Lamb!!!
Suggestion: "Veronica" (co-written with Paul McCartney). Any yes, Elvis Costello is certainly known for attitude. Old phones and smaller radio cabinets were made out of Bakelite.
Punk is much more diverse than its reputation makes it seem, and it always has been, from the days of "proto-punk" all the way to post-punk and even hardcore punk and post-hardcore. Part of it is that many musicians and singer-songwriters jumped on the punk wagon and were inspired or reinvigorated by some elements of it despite having already had very different influences from before. That goes to explain why so many pop and indie artists with a range of different flavours came out of the scene. I mean look at Elvis Costello - his first 2 albums are where he was most closely tied to the punk scene, but after that he let all the other influences pop out in his music - soul and funk, folk, musicals and tin pan alley pop and so on (he made an album with Burt Bacharach!). But he's not the only one, that's my point, different artists came out of punk who went in all sorts of directions. That's why it's one of the most interesting musical scenes in history IMO.
A reworked version of This Year's Girl was the theme song for HBO's The Deuce. A few great Elvis Costello tunes are: Secondary Modern, Lovers Walk, Beyond Belief.
I have always said to anyone wanting to listen to El Costello is to start at the beginning and ride the wave. I've loved the cutting lyrics, changing styles of music, not to mention outstanding musicianship from EC and all of the Attractions. You won't be bored. He's up there with the best and has written for and played with the best.
Love Elvis C. I have an old cassette that I recorded on my giant boombox sitting next to the family TV. It’s a George Jones tribute, Emmylou Harris, among others, especially an English bloke named Elvis. He had just done the country tinged Almost Blue album. Yes, this New Wave rocker did a country album. A good one. Another TV favorite is his Crossroads guesting with Lucinda Williams esp. them singing the Stone’s Wild Horses to a country crowd. Very cool and crucial. I’m still delving into the Elvis meeself. So, throw a dart as you said once, you’ll hit something decent, maybe epic. Oh, I also like his Kinks cover of Days, off of the movie soundtrack of Until The End of The World. Peace and TV Music
Watching the Detectives is another great early hit. Later he recorded Veronica, one of his most touching songs. Bakelite was an early form of plastic. Telephones were likely made out of it.
Great that you're digging EC. His back catalogue as an artist is so rich and eclectic musically as well as being one of best lyricists ever. Don't know where to start with recommendations but off the top of my head... Man Out Of Time, Beyond Belief, New Lace Sleeves are all musically very interesting and show off the expertise of all of The Attractions.
What a surprise... Whodathunk Elvis Costello would make the reaction rotation? Always in that heap of albums my college roomies always played when there was a party in the house. Oh.. the other Elvis isn't bad either, JP.
I listen to all genres but I hold Elvis Costello in high esteem. Loved his first two albums cover to cover. Third had some good ones too. Really captures the New Wave sound of the time.
I have some of those super remastered/bonus tracks/Demo release thingies of the early Costello albums. There are a few demos of these songs with him just playing a guitar and singing. Christ, they are amazing. Just him and a guitar singing into a mic. They are jaw dropping.
Elvis Costello (Declan Patrick MacManus was born on 25 August 1954) in London, and is of Irish descent, on his father's side. He is the son of Ross MacManus a jazz trumpeter who sang with the Joe Loss Orchestra and who later performed as a solo cabaret act. Elvis had a hit in Australia (as Day Costello) with his cover version of The Beatles "The Long and Winding Road" in 1970.
Some quality comments here putting EC into context with punk and new wave. He’s a great talent - so much more to explore. Nobody writes a better kiss off song. I especially like the album King of America - one he recorded with some sessions musicians who worked with that other Elvis. Who else could write the lyric “She said that she was working for the ABC News. It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use.”
@@JustJP "Like a Lady in the Chamber and another in the clip..." (Inch by Inch from Goodbye Cruel World---though from that one I'd listen to "Love Field" and the obligatory apocalypse song, in this case "Tokyo Storm Warning")
13:10 Glad to see someone else noticed that. When I first heard "Jessie's Girl", in 1981, my first thought was that it sounded like something from EC's "This Year's Model" album.
Elvis is great and his band is terrific. I saw him in 2017 and they did the whole Imperial Bedroom (1982) album live. Shabby Doll is my fave but he really didn’t put out filler content so anything you cover will be quality.
It's a great live show. I'm really jealous you saw him play Imperial Bedroom in its entirety. A fabulous Beatley album, produced by Beatles longtime engineer Geoff Emerick no-less. I saw him two years running at the Albert Hall with his Spinning Songbook Tour, great nights both. The Imposters were amazing. Pete Thomas' energy on the drums was still explosive and Steve Nieve playing the venue's Grand Pipe Organ was a special moment.
@@jeremyb5640 it was my first time seeing him and I had no idea that he was going to do the Imperial Bedroom show. The keyboard player was highlighted quite a bit and due good reason. He was supposed to come back the next year but developed a sore throat and cancelled CT but then played Boston the next night. I’ve been mad at him ever since but I need to let it go and get back to playing his music again, it’s too darn good. Haha
@@stephenpesta1550 That's a real shame, Stephen. Don't give up on the music though! That happened to me in 2001 when I'd travelled up to Sheffield to see Paul McCartney and he cancelled as he came down with flu and lost his voice. In those days pre smart phones, we didn't find out until we arrived at the venue. He rescheduled thankfully and the replacement gig was superb.
For some reason hearing this made me think of a contemporary artist from my area, Dominic Ierase, whose career on the national charts spanned the early seventies to mid-eighties, although he still produces music with fair regularity and performs locally. He first came to prominence with a group called the Jaggerz with a novelty hit in 1970 called "The Rapper", then played with Wild Cherry for a few years after their heyday with "Play that Funky Music", and reemerged as Donnie Iris with the hits "Ah Leah", "I Can't Hear You" and "Agnes" then the anthem "Love Is Like A Rock" on a later album.
Great reaction. Elvis Costello is a special talent. He came out during the Punk movement, so he has some of that energy and sneer, though as his career progressed, he did a lot of genre hopping. This album was the first with his killer band (the Attractions). His lyrics are known for being a challenging word-salad, which at this stage of his career was done for effect. He has a huge well of great material.
Couldn't click fast enough on this one...Elvis Costello is not only brilliant, he's the ultimate musical shape-shifter. This came from his 2nd album, and at the time it sort of fit in somewhere between punk and new wave, although the musicianship in the attractions (his original band) far exceeded most punk bands. He was interviewed back then and claimed the only emotions he had were guilt and revenge (pretty much describes the landscape of This Year's Model). Fast forward a few albums, and he shocked his fans with a country album. After a few more, he did an album in which he only sang, backed with only a string quartet. After another few, he did an entire album of co-written songs with Burt Bacharach (a famous 60's songwriter of mostly pop standards). He's also collaborated with Paul McCartney on several great tunes. I'll let everyone else pick out specific tunes to react to - there are so many I don't where to begin, although if you want a song that got some radio play, and is nothing like these two, try Alison from his first album. It's a beautiful ballad even if it isn't a traditional love song.
The line up for Elvis Costello was pretty much the same as XTC in 1978. (maybe even The Stranglers?) And they sounded pretty much the same with that old Farfisa organ sound and jagged angular guitar playing. The music being very punk ish and energetic, yet playing down the fact that they could really play their instruments well. Both bands being lyrically smart too. I believe they were both using punk as a way of crowbarring their way into the music industry. But they weren't punk. Not by a country mile, as later albums would reveal. I'm enjoying watching your journey into music expanding. Seeing your reactions remind me of what I must have looked like back in the day when they first came out. (Yes, I'm old enough to remember pretty much everything you've played so far.😆) Keep feeding the ears till the belly of the mind is full.
Elvis Costello is another rabbit hole. Originally pigeonholed as punk, then New Wave, he's turned out to be just one hell of a great performer and a brilliant songwriter. These are actually two of his lesser songs. The Attractions were their own band but they worked with him on much of his early stuff. He's also worked with Clover and The Imposters. He's done jazz, classical, and wrote a number of songs with Paul McCartney at one point. Don't stop here. I envy your journey.
Recommended EC songs: Veronica, Accidents Will Happen, Shipbuilding, Oliver's Army, Beyond Belief (my personal favorite), Uncomplicated, Girls' Talk, Pump It Up, Radio Radio, Alison, Watching the Detectives, Brilliant Mistake...pretty much anything from his debut to the '90s. After that, he gets hit or miss..
Elvis fits more lyrics into his music than anyone ever. You are going down the rabbit hole my friend. He wrote basically 3 albums in 1 1/2 years starting at 22 years old. His first 5 albums were rated 5 stars by Allmusic. Cheers, Chicago Ray
"...but when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands..." He's "...not a telephone junkie." Back then phones were made of Bakelite. Nearly indestructible. "Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely - but I as disconnected in time!" I like your interpretations of both songs. These songs are timeless.
Dude, I came here looking for a Costello review because there are not that many, and he is soooo good! I really liked the way you analyzed the songs! He is an excellent writer, and has a way of turning a phrase. I love the King of America album and All This Useless Beauty album best, but there are several really good albums out there. Subscribed!
Evening, Justin. Dave from London, just picking up on A Remark You Made. You said this sounds like punk to you. Well, punk and new wave in the UK were pretty similar back in the late 70s. The difference for me is that genuine punks were not really musicians; what they did was simple, full of energy and exciting. The cynic in me says that new wave was a con trick, in that these acts masqueraded as three-chorders but were actually accomplished musicians and songwriters, and once they matured and removed the disguise, they produced some great music. Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Squeeze and XTC are good examples of this, and I got to really like them in the 80s, but found them a bit raw and spiky in their early days.
A british DJ (Tony Blackburn) used to do this thing where every second song was by the same artist. One day it was Elvis Costello, an artist I didn't like, and by the end I realised that I was actually an Elvis Csotello fan. Thankyou Elvis, thankyou Tony.
YESSS..Been waiting for this Great evaluation of his lyrics If you plan on doing more Costello here's some lesser known gems of his: Battered Old Bird Harpies Bizarre 20% Amnesia Poor Fractured Atlas Sugar Won't Work Almost Had a Weakness Poison Moon When I was Cruel No. 2
Yup!! All this music between 1976-80+ is called post rock. And Elvis Costello is an absolute gem!!! If you dive into him more, you will not be disappointed!!
"To everything (turn turn turn) / There is a season / And a time to every purpose, under heaven / A time to be born, a time to listen to Elvis Costello". At the time, almost every straight forward song was labeled Punk. We can say that Elvis Costello was Pop Rock with attitude. Well done Justin, and give us more (following some chronological order, please: it will help you to appreciate the evolution of Elvis' songwriting).
In the UK at least, punk barged the door open and a lot of New Wave artists followed on through. So even though you wouldn't (well, I wouldn't) call Elvis punk, he had the attitude, the idea that old certainties were crumbling and he was going to tell you all about it.
Though remember Elvis has said This Years Model was inspired after listening to The Clash’s first album. So although Elvis was not punk it can be said he was a fellow traveller.
EC was a breath of fresh air in the late 70's and that continues to this day. Watching the Detectives was a jaw-dropper when my friends and I first heard it on the radio in '77. His importance as an icon in so many genres should never be underestimated. Also check out videos of the excellent TV series Spectacle: Elvis Costello where he speaks and collaborates (along with his his great band) with other musical legends. More Elvis please!
Hi Justin. You made my weekend posting this. It was the first time I heard Elvis in 1978 when I bought this at the age of 20. Please do the entire album as it's a flawless masterpiece. I think it's his best album. The album I'd take to a desert island if I could only take one. It was the first album he recorded with "The Attractions" who are in my opinion one of the greatest backing bands ever. Pete Thomas on drums was a monster. Complex and intense. Bruce Thomas on Bass (not related by the way) may be my favorite Bass player of all time. His playing is impeccable. Steve Nieve (Pronounced "naïve" as when you didn't know something, LOL). Is a great keyboard player. Together with Elvis's aggressive guitar and intense sneering lyrics it was a chemistry that just "Clicked". He recorded I think 11 albums with them that are his best work in my opinion. I think you noticed how deep Costello's lyrics are. I think he's one of the most talented lyricists that's ever lived. His lyrics are full of incite, intelligence, intensity and complexity. Often sarcastic and and scathing about what he's observed, but always passionate at the same time and often having more than one meaning. When Elvis writes a song out of anger it's because he feels deeply. This is a perfect "Break Up" album. It's been misinterpreted as an misogynist diatribe against women by some, but I remember reading years ago that Elvis just wanted to write an album that had the outlook of a broken hearted lover on some tracks. Again I urge you to do the entire album Just one suggestion though. Please do the North American Version with "Radio, Radio" as the closing track. The UK version had weaker songs on side two and wasn't as good.
Love Elvis Costello. Ever since his first album to his most recent. For me one of the great pop lyricist. Worth exploring more songs off This Years Model, then check out Armed Forces, Imperial Bedroom and King of America. Special mention should be made of his collaboration with Burt Bacharach Painted from Memory. Which has just beautiful melodies against some of Costello’s most exquisite lyrics. .
Justin,you MUST listen "Painted from memory" a marvellous album by Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello published in 1998. Every song is a real masterpiece. Believe me! Cheers from Venezia,Italy.
This Year's Girl was also of the opening theme song to The Deuce for the first season. Punk came slightly first and then New Wave but they were kind of coming around the same time. EC was considered New Wave
Because of my interest in the keys, I've always loved that swirling, 60's transistor organ sound that Steve Nieve gets out of his Vox Super Continental Organ. I also never knew how to pronounce his name. I thought that it was pronounced neeve, like Rupert Neve, the famous mixing console engineer. I just read that it is a stage name, pronounced naive, like inexperienced. Apparently Ian Dury gave him the name because he was unaware of what a groupie was.
I had completely forgotten that This Year's Girl is used for the S2 title credits for the HBO series The Deuce. It's a good, but VERY gritty, series about the rise of the porn industry from the 70s to the mid-80s. So hearing this song surprised me a bit as it took me back to that show. And when you consider the lyrics to the song, it's pretty obvious why they chose it to open the show.
I had/have 3 Elvis Costello Lps. King of America , Imperial Bedroom and Spike. I may have had others but it's foggy. I saw him live in 94 but he failed to pull me out of my tunnel of despair although he was very good. I grew up with his hit singles and matured accordingly thru country music , Ron Sexsmith and his flurting with string quartets. His Voices are on par with other singers' voices thru out career stages and stylistic variety. Here's a Alan Partridge On the Day Today Sports Desk Style Chart to show the type of thing I'm on about: 1st/2nd* LPs Paul Weller* Elvis C* Paddy McAloon aggresive shouty snarl nasal wordy angular mid career: smoother rnb whitesoul richer Celtic/Country American Crooner feminine now: all writing their best / worst songs but sounding great especially Paddy if he would only release the stuff. You won't get these definitions with anyone else only with me and possibly FiFa 22. Q Is It Time for the best 45 this side of Into the Valley by The Skids JP, namely Robert Wyatt's Shipbuilding? - written by Declan McManus himself. Well, sorry I have no more to say only Screen Kiss by Thomas Dolby of course, for today is the first anniversary of Matthew Seligman's death. What A Channel this is. You're doin Good J. Diolch.
Justin, you just found a HUGE rabbit hole to fall in. I hope you eventually hit the Imperial Bedroom album, his last with the Attractions. The last song on it is The Town Crier, my favorite song of all of his, and there's a lot songs. This song makes it apparent he wanted to move on and expand his musical horizons. Mature pop, it's beautiful and a far cry from his early stuff. It's a go to song for me when I'm feeling sorry sad self when I know I'm the problem.
New wave followed swiftly after punk. Punk was about energy and stripped down simplicity. New wave took the energy but felt safe to explore more complex harmonies, rhythms and timbres. In the UK we considered the CBGB bands (Blondie, Talking Hears, Television) to be New Wave along with uk bands xtc, police, Ian dury, stranglers, Gary numan etc. Elvis Costello is New Wave because the songwriting is subtler, the lyric writing more poetic and he used more than three chords!
Justin, to me Elvis Costello never did punk rock. in its beginnings its style could be described as Power pop from my point of view. you said it sounds very current but at the time I found that this sound was more like the sixties with Steve Nieve's Vox Continental organ sound! moreover, the drum beat on "This Year's Girl" is directly inspired by "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles! You can continue with the catchy "Pump It Up" and "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" from the same album !
Well, considering that the industry in 1977 was still in the disco mode, this was very stripped down and so it wasn't punk, but it wasn't pop. I remember how revolutionary it was that these New Wave bands came in with this style.
On this album the famous tracks would be Pump it up, I don't want to go to Chelsea, and Radio Radio. [edit: dammit, just realised Radio Radio is only on the CD versions!]
Radio Radio was on the original 1978 US release in place of I Don’t want to go to Chelsea and Night Rally. The CD version includes it as a bonus track.
If you want to continue with your start and stay away the songs every other reaction channel has done on Costello, while still catching some jems... try Motel Matches, Lipstick Vogue, My Funny Valentine, Pills and Soap, Shipbuilding, Human Touch, Big Sister's clothes, Shabby Doll, My Aim is True, King of Thieves, God Give me Strength... to name a few. Costello was one of my favorites growing up. Some of his songs, like Lipstick Vogue were so different that it took me a few listening-to sessions to begin to appreciate.
Dang. If I stop to comment or give some one a thumbs up, I lose all I had typed for a comment. One of the best concerts I have seen in my life was Elvis, at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, with the Attractions and half way through the set the Lovell Sisters* joined them to do the songs from Sacred, Profane and Sugarcane. It was amazing. There are at least a dozen EC songs I would recommend plus at least two covers. Femme Fatale and Ship Of Fools. You could do worse than listening to more EC and the Attractions. * one of the sisters retired and now the other two carry on as Larkin Poe (pretty awesome still) who do the best cover of Black Betty I have heard (LR Baggs sessions iirc).
Great choice - EC & The Attractions were a really tight integrated band - I especially like Steve Nieve on piano and keyboards. I just did a digital conversion of my Get Happy!! album - lots of fun songs on it! Elvis & The Attractions must have made about 50 two minute songs for 45 rpm single releases, before they were compiled on the Get Happy and Taking Liberty albums in 1980.
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Elvis Costello is the master of a brutal poetry like no one else. One of the best songwriters of the past fifty years. He did a collaboration with Burt Bacharach about twenty years ago that is quite the towering achievement. If you can find footage of the concert they did for public television on TH-cam it's a thing of tremendous beauty.
Saw him with The Attractions on their first tour of the U.S. (11/23/77) at a club in New Orleans so small I had to sit on the stage...and they let me in free 'cause they had no idea who he was and I had driven 250 miles the night before Thanksgiving to hear him! Damn near every album -- and there are LOTS of 'em! -- is worth a listen or two or more. Read his autobiography...it's actually GOOD. And he's been married to jazz vocalist/pianist Diana Krall for years. Congrats on finally getting around to Mr. Declan McManus!
FINALLY!! ELVIS COSTELLO!!! This is prime post punk “New Wave”!! By 1978, new elements were being added to punk, more melody, keyboards, artists taking punk as the foundation and adding their own colors. Pete Thomas, Steve Nieve (pronounced Naive) and Bruce Thomas are one of the best backing bands ever IMHO. THIS album is a classic, every song, please listen to all of it!!!
FINALLY SOME ELVIS COSTELLO
😃
JP, great reaction, as usual.
Elvis came towards the end of the first wave of Punk in the UK, the term 'New Wave' covered a multitude of music which the music establishment didn't know what to label it as. Tracks that you should check out are: 'Less Than Zero', '(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea', 'Accidents Will Happen', 'New Amsterdam', and many more.
Glad to see Elvis Costello getting a little love on the reaction scene. He made a lot of great music.
My Aim is True is one of the best pop/rock albums ever crafted.
Huge talent. Seen him live several times. My favourite album of his is Get Happy!! which has about 20 two minute songs crammed onto one LP. Anything from that album would be a great choice.
Get Happy! or Armed Forces.....there are really 3-4 that I really love....but, Get Happy is so good.
Elvis Costello is a special talent, I can't praise him highly enough, so I won't try!
Never enjoyed most of the stuff he did after he left the Attractions, specially the more traditional jazz things he did. I remember he released a chamber music album in the 2000s that was a clear ripoff of Stravinsky and the jazz stuff he released is pretty boring.
I've been appreciating this album again lately, after buying it back in '78, so your post is very timely! It still sounds great.
"I said I'm so happy baby I could die. She said drop dead and left with another guy." From the Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes.
Great line.
"Think back if you still can to when the trumpets sounded and the world began, somebody said we must have won because they started burying the boogie man"
"I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused" is the phrase that sticks in my head.
“When I step on the brakes to get out of her clutches/When I speak double Dutch to a real double duchess “. New Amsterdam.
“What’s So Funny Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?” was his biggest hit in the U.S. I freaking LOVE him! Explore his stuff for sure.
Written by his producer Nick Lowe.
@@bennettwolf3821 I think "Alison" got more airplay in the U.S.,, because Linda Ronstadt covered it.
I really appreciate that you go through the lyrics with the correct lyrics in front of you. It's an obvious thing but I've certainly grit my teeth more than a few times when someone just doesn't pay attention or do the research. You do the research and it's appreciated!
Thanks zero!
So much good music through his whole career. He's so talented, and such a great songwriter (musically and lyrically). He shifts and changes so many times, from punk to pop/rock, to classical to jazz, and it's all great. Nobody does angst and anger like EC.
Just wait until he gets to the Burt Bacharach stuff.....
It's Elvis Costello and the Attractions. They're simply great musicians, at least as important as Costello. Bruce Thomas on bass, Pete Thomas on drums and Steve Nieve on keys.
Elvis Costello got the wrath of Lorne Michaels and was banned from SNL because he halted the band after they began playing "Less Than Zero" then launched into "Radio Radio" which was not what his label wanted - a scathing song against the radio industry.
Seconded. I don’t believe it was included in even on this album at first? I could be wrong, but I thought it was a single only. It is definitely on the current release of the album, so I recommend JP go to the studio version, and then immediately watch the most infamous performance in the history of SNL. It was the most punk rock thing ever. Plus, where else are you going to get a word like “anesthetize” in a song? Okay, besides Genesis.....
@@jayburdification I think Lorne forgave him for that, because around '89 he came back to SNL and sang the song "Veronica".
@@bobholtzmann Yes - couldn't ban him forever
@@jayburdification It was definitely on my copy that I bought back in HS. Here's a couple 1978 vinyls on discogs
UK www.discogs.com/Elvis-Costello-The-Attractions-This-Years-Model/release/1942857
US www.discogs.com/Elvis-Costello-This-Years-Model/release/4333658
@@jayburdification and make anesthetize fit perfectly :)
I’m a big Elvis fan through his career, and I love love love the ‘sound’ of this whole album. Armed Forces, and Get Happy are outstanding as well. Great songs and great production.
I saw Elvis Costello once with Aztec Camera opening. That was a SHOW!
Elvis C. is one of the greats. So prolific. And his first 5 or 6 albums are all really vital.
My lord, I haven't heard this in forever and a day (probably '95 or so...) Thanks for the trip down memory lane. That second song, especially...
Hey Justin, I'm so glad you're discovering Elvis Costello, one of the best and most prolific songwriters & lyricists to come out of the UK. New wave was my era when I first got into music. That period between 1977-82 was full of great music like this. New wave emerged out of punk and had much of the same energy but with more musicianship and melody. Many bands/artists like Costello, The Jam, Blondie, Squeeze, etc, were happy to ride the punk explosion on their very early recordings but soon showed there was much more to them with their love of sixties music, the mod movement, power pop, soul, etc, rising to the fore. The punk bands may have dismissed the Beatles as being passé, but people like Paul Weller (The Jam) and Costello cited Lennon, McCartney, etc, as major influences. Costello even went onto write with McCartney in the late eighties.
The Attractions were Costello’s backing band from this, his second album, onwards. His first album ('My Aim Is True' 1977) is worth checking out too, particularly for the brilliant singles Watching The Detectives, Alison and Red Shoes.
Smug’s a good word for his singing, there’s plenty of bile in there too, although he’s well able to sing a torch song, croon a jazz standard or country song. The range of styles he worked in throughout the nineties and beyond shows what an incredible talent he truly is. A great writer of prose too - check out his autobiography. He always says the gap between his front teeth always makes it sound like he’s spitting the words out!
The Attractions who backed him on 10 albums are part of his classic sound and all great musicians. Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas are still part of his current band The Imposters. He had a fractured relationship with bassist Bruce Thomas who no longer plays with him, but Davey Faragher has been an excellent replacement.
So like Candy and Shipbuilding are my favorites lately but the album “My aim is true” is a great introduction to Elvis
Interesting how the co-written songs with McCartney keep coming up as favs. I certainly like them too, but I never feel they're straight Elvis. The first three songs from Mighty Like a Rose (So Like Candy appears later on that one) -- now that sequence is a high-octane dose of Elvis. Probably not the place to start though.
He came out of the Punk scene. His singing style was kind of aggressive, but not shouty. His hits were Watching the Detectives and Oliver's Army, I don't Want to go to Chelsea.
Mixed punk with brit pub rock (a la nick lowe/dave edmunds). Came up with a pretty unique sound.
@@michaelkeefe8494 Funny enough the two people you mention; I bought 7" singles of Crackin' Up and Girls Talk
@@steevenfrost nick lowe wrote a ton of great songs.. cruel to be kind.... What's so funny bout peace, love and understanding...
yep.. listen to those three..!
Elvis Costello! Nice! He's an amazing song-writer, but even above that a top-shelf lyricist. (One of my favorite Elvis lyrics: "She said that she was working for the ABC News. It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use." )
He's got an AMAZING catalog of great tunes... My ALL-TIME FAVES: Beyond Belief, New Amsterdam, Riot Act, Strict Time, Lipstick Vogue, and Watching The Detectives. You can't go wrong with any of those brilliant songs.
Thanks for dipping into his catalog, Justin, and, again, for the thoughtful commentary. He wasn't really punk, but was right there... more of a ska / punk / pop combo... I think XTC said it best: "What do you call that noise, that you put on? THIS IS POP."
Elvis' band, the Attractions, are first-rate musicians.... and he has done everything from the rowdy punk pop to country and even classical light (playing with the Brodsky quartet). He's got an amazing voice, which developed as he went along. Enjoy that ride!
John, your favs list is almost exactly mine, at least through the early albums (though Beyond Belief barely edges out the rest of Imperial Bedroom). But I think there's equal gold in many of the later albums too, esp Spike, Mighty Like a Rose and Brutal Youth. But to each his own Elvis. Certainly one of the bet pop lyricists after Dylan.
@@matrobnew I'd put Andy Partridge on his level... but there's not a lot crowding those two... Agreed about Elvis' later work... but I just don't find the tunes as intoxicating... There are exceptions, of course. Cheers!
Costello was very influential in my music developement. This album was released just weeks before my high school graduation. These two songs were the first I ever heard of is. To me, his first seven albums are his best. Although he is an excellent performer, I think his greatest strength is his songwriting. Many artists have covered his material. He has never let himself be tied down to any particular style or genre. My discovery of him and his music began my long and wonderful path of seeking out other artists that don't play by "Top40" rules.
I strongly recommend you continue this album and visit his previous debut classic, "My Aim is True". Further, listening to his albums chronologically, it's fascinating to witness his progression as a singer/songwriter.
This album is TIMELESS! Holds up so well.
Hooray! Elvis is here. The Attractions were his backing band from 1977-87 and then for a couple of albums in the 90s. His on-off band these days is The Imposters and that's basically the Attractions minus Bruce Thomas. Please listen to "Oliver's Army" and "20% Amnesia" though there are so many great songs. He's the post-punk Dylan.
One of the greatest lyricists in the history of pop.
ps, Elvis Costello's My Aim is True is one of my favorite debut albums...as is Joe Jackson's Look Sharp.
“Look Sharp” is a fantastic album.
@@sgtBelson totally agree
Another great reaction Justin! Thank you! I saw Elvis back in 1989 while I was at Penn State! It was just Elvis on stage with his acoustic guitar! At one point he started taking some requests! Amazing!
Elvis has been married to jazz vocalist Diana Krall since 2003, I think you'd like her music.
So jealous. Lucky dude’s peeling her a grape.
Great choice!!! So many great albums! I could go on about Elvis for hours. So glad you've started to scratch the surface of this iconic songwriter. Wow, so happy for you.
Thanks Tim!
Yes.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions were a force back in the day, only saw them once in concert. Have all their albums.
GREAT ALBUM! Elvis was kick ass New Wave. I saw them live snd sang along to every song. All 4 of them are GREAT musicians. Now you can hear him sing/play bluegrass among other things.
Your reactions are sooo good mate
Ty Peter!
One of the most common misunderstandings about Punk is that many associate the genre with a look which is/was aggressive angst where folks had cut their hair into a Mohawk style and applied various dyes, pierced parts of their body with safety pins, wore black leather greaser jackets, tight and torn black jeans with a proto-gothic undertone inspired by bands such as the Sex Pistols and New York Dolls, Bullocks, Buzzcocks, Ramones and others of the era, who in essence were trying to modernize the early look of the Who before they grew their hair out. The Who's first releases were extremely inspirational to the latter Punk movement. (From your friendly neighborhood musicologist)
This album was easily one of the top 5 albums that shaped my musical life journey. Along with TV Marquee Moon. I remember the day it came out i was just 18 and hearing it's debut on wnew with Scott Muni. I was blown away on the first listen. I remember getting my copy as soon as it hit my record store. I was and am an EC fan to this day. I saw him on the tour for this years model at the Capitol Theater in lovely downtown Passaic NJ triple bill Mink DeVille, Nick Lowe with Rockpile, and Elvis with the Attractions!!! One of the BEST shows that i ever attended. And I've seen a lot of great shows!!!
Thanks once again . Looking forward to the Lamb!!!
Elvis was very prolific in his writing. Have seen him 5 times
The best songwriter ever, ranking up there with Bob Dylan
Great review, JP. Spot On interpretation of the lyrics to “This Year’s Girl”
Suggestion: "Veronica" (co-written with Paul McCartney). Any yes, Elvis Costello is certainly known for attitude. Old phones and smaller radio cabinets were made out of Bakelite.
Punk is much more diverse than its reputation makes it seem, and it always has been, from the days of "proto-punk" all the way to post-punk and even hardcore punk and post-hardcore.
Part of it is that many musicians and singer-songwriters jumped on the punk wagon and were inspired or reinvigorated by some elements of it despite having already had very different influences from before.
That goes to explain why so many pop and indie artists with a range of different flavours came out of the scene.
I mean look at Elvis Costello - his first 2 albums are where he was most closely tied to the punk scene, but after that he let all the other influences pop out in his music - soul and funk, folk, musicals and tin pan alley pop and so on (he made an album with Burt Bacharach!).
But he's not the only one, that's my point, different artists came out of punk who went in all sorts of directions. That's why it's one of the most interesting musical scenes in history IMO.
Wow. I just listened to "No Action" while out with my son today. Really glad you're checking this out, and hope you do the whole album.
Perfect timing!
A reworked version of This Year's Girl was the theme song for HBO's The Deuce. A few great Elvis Costello tunes are: Secondary Modern, Lovers Walk, Beyond Belief.
quite possibly his best album
Elvis Costello's "Beyond Belief" is one of my all time favorite songs.
Mine too
Do you have to be so cruel to be callous?
A masterpiece
I have always said to anyone wanting to listen to El Costello is to start at the beginning and ride the wave. I've loved the cutting lyrics, changing styles of music, not to mention outstanding musicianship from EC and all of the Attractions. You won't be bored. He's up there with the best and has written for and played with the best.
Love Elvis C.
I have an old cassette that I recorded on my giant boombox sitting next to the family TV. It’s a George Jones tribute, Emmylou Harris, among others, especially an English bloke named Elvis. He had just done the country tinged Almost Blue album. Yes, this New Wave rocker did a country album. A good one. Another TV favorite is his Crossroads guesting with Lucinda Williams esp. them singing the Stone’s Wild Horses to a country crowd. Very cool and crucial.
I’m still delving into the Elvis meeself. So, throw a dart as you said once, you’ll hit something decent, maybe epic.
Oh, I also like his Kinks cover of Days, off of the movie soundtrack of Until The End of The World.
Peace and TV Music
Nice one David, I enjoyed reading that.
@@markspooner1224
Thx my friend.
Watching the Detectives is another great early hit. Later he recorded Veronica, one of his most touching songs.
Bakelite was an early form of plastic. Telephones were likely made out of it.
Listen to Elvis sing a ballad. Simply gorgeous and heart-wrenching. 💖
Great that you're digging EC. His back catalogue as an artist is so rich and eclectic musically as well as being one of best lyricists ever. Don't know where to start with recommendations but off the top of my head... Man Out Of Time, Beyond Belief, New Lace Sleeves are all musically very interesting and show off the expertise of all of The Attractions.
Those songs are great suggestions
What a surprise... Whodathunk Elvis Costello would make the reaction rotation? Always in that heap of albums my college roomies always played when there was a party in the house.
Oh.. the other Elvis isn't bad either, JP.
You nailed it...Attitude. That’s Elvis. I join with others requesting “Watching the Detectives “ along with “Red Shoes”.
I listen to all genres but I hold Elvis Costello in high esteem. Loved his first two albums cover to cover. Third had some good ones too. Really captures the New Wave sound of the time.
I have some of those super remastered/bonus tracks/Demo release thingies of the early Costello albums. There are a few demos of these songs with him just playing a guitar and singing. Christ, they are amazing. Just him and a guitar singing into a mic. They are jaw dropping.
Elvis Costello (Declan Patrick MacManus was born on 25 August 1954) in London, and is of Irish descent, on his father's side. He is the son of Ross MacManus a jazz trumpeter who sang with the Joe Loss Orchestra and who later performed as a solo cabaret act. Elvis had a hit in Australia (as Day Costello) with his cover version of The Beatles "The Long and Winding Road" in 1970.
Some quality comments here putting EC into context with punk and new wave. He’s a great talent - so much more to explore. Nobody writes a better kiss off song. I especially like the album King of America - one he recorded with some sessions musicians who worked with that other Elvis. Who else could write the lyric “She said that she was working for the ABC News. It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use.”
Ty Rob!
@@JustJP "Like a Lady in the Chamber and another in the clip..." (Inch by Inch from Goodbye Cruel World---though from that one I'd listen to "Love Field" and the obligatory apocalypse song, in this case "Tokyo Storm Warning")
13:10 Glad to see someone else noticed that. When I first heard "Jessie's Girl", in 1981, my first thought was that it sounded like something from EC's "This Year's Model" album.
Elvis is great and his band is terrific. I saw him in 2017 and they did the whole Imperial Bedroom (1982) album live. Shabby Doll is my fave but he really didn’t put out filler content so anything you cover will be quality.
It's a great live show. I'm really jealous you saw him play Imperial Bedroom in its entirety. A fabulous Beatley album, produced by Beatles longtime engineer Geoff Emerick no-less. I saw him two years running at the Albert Hall with his Spinning Songbook Tour, great nights both. The Imposters were amazing. Pete Thomas' energy on the drums was still explosive and Steve Nieve playing the venue's Grand Pipe Organ was a special moment.
@@jeremyb5640 it was my first time seeing him and I had no idea that he was going to do the Imperial Bedroom show. The keyboard player was highlighted quite a bit and due good reason. He was supposed to come back the next year but developed a sore throat and cancelled CT but then played Boston the next night. I’ve been mad at him ever since but I need to let it go and get back to playing his music again, it’s too darn good. Haha
@@stephenpesta1550 That's a real shame, Stephen. Don't give up on the music though! That happened to me in 2001 when I'd travelled up to Sheffield to see Paul McCartney and he cancelled as he came down with flu and lost his voice. In those days pre smart phones, we didn't find out until we arrived at the venue. He rescheduled thankfully and the replacement gig was superb.
@@jeremyb5640 you’ve helped me to forgive Elvis today so I sure hope Elvis comes back around! Man, I really need to see live music again soon.
I saw the Imperial Bedroom show at the Capital in Port Chester NY. Great show! And my favorite album by the Attractions and him.
For some reason hearing this made me think of a contemporary artist from my area, Dominic Ierase, whose career on the national charts spanned the early seventies to mid-eighties, although he still produces music with fair regularity and performs locally. He first came to prominence with a group called the Jaggerz with a novelty hit in 1970 called "The Rapper", then played with Wild Cherry for a few years after their heyday with "Play that Funky Music", and reemerged as Donnie Iris with the hits "Ah Leah", "I Can't Hear You" and "Agnes" then the anthem "Love Is Like A Rock" on a later album.
Great reaction. Elvis Costello is a special talent. He came out during the Punk movement, so he has some of that energy and sneer, though as his career progressed, he did a lot of genre hopping. This album was the first with his killer band (the Attractions). His lyrics are known for being a challenging word-salad, which at this stage of his career was done for effect. He has a huge well of great material.
Couldn't click fast enough on this one...Elvis Costello is not only brilliant, he's the ultimate musical shape-shifter. This came from his 2nd album, and at the time it sort of fit in somewhere between punk and new wave, although the musicianship in the attractions (his original band) far exceeded most punk bands. He was interviewed back then and claimed the only emotions he had were guilt and revenge (pretty much describes the landscape of This Year's Model). Fast forward a few albums, and he shocked his fans with a country album. After a few more, he did an album in which he only sang, backed with only a string quartet. After another few, he did an entire album of co-written songs with Burt Bacharach (a famous 60's songwriter of mostly pop standards). He's also collaborated with Paul McCartney on several great tunes. I'll let everyone else pick out specific tunes to react to - there are so many I don't where to begin, although if you want a song that got some radio play, and is nothing like these two, try Alison from his first album. It's a beautiful ballad even if it isn't a traditional love song.
The line up for Elvis Costello was pretty much the same as XTC in 1978. (maybe even The Stranglers?) And they sounded pretty much the same with that old Farfisa organ sound and jagged angular guitar playing. The music being very punk ish and energetic, yet playing down the fact that they could really play their instruments well. Both bands being lyrically smart too. I believe they were both using punk as a way of crowbarring their way into the music industry. But they weren't punk. Not by a country mile, as later albums would reveal. I'm enjoying watching your journey into music expanding. Seeing your reactions remind me of what I must have looked like back in the day when they first came out. (Yes, I'm old enough to remember pretty much everything you've played so far.😆) Keep feeding the ears till the belly of the mind is full.
Elvis Costello is another rabbit hole. Originally pigeonholed as punk, then New Wave, he's turned out to be just one hell of a great performer and a brilliant songwriter. These are actually two of his lesser songs. The Attractions were their own band but they worked with him on much of his early stuff. He's also worked with Clover and The Imposters. He's done jazz, classical, and wrote a number of songs with Paul McCartney at one point. Don't stop here. I envy your journey.
Recommended EC songs: Veronica, Accidents Will Happen, Shipbuilding, Oliver's Army, Beyond Belief (my personal favorite), Uncomplicated, Girls' Talk, Pump It Up, Radio Radio, Alison, Watching the Detectives, Brilliant Mistake...pretty much anything from his debut to the '90s. After that, he gets hit or miss..
Beyond Belief (and the rest of that album) is a sonic masterpiece.
The Imposters are the Attractions but with a different bass player
Great view by JustJP and great comments by everyone !
Thanks Epiphonium!
"Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down." Ah, good old rotary phone puns. Those were the days.
Elvis fits more lyrics into his music than anyone ever. You are going down the rabbit hole my friend. He wrote basically 3 albums in 1 1/2 years starting at 22 years old. His first 5 albums were rated 5 stars by Allmusic. Cheers, Chicago Ray
"...but when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands..." He's "...not a telephone junkie." Back then phones were made of Bakelite. Nearly indestructible. "Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely - but I as disconnected in time!" I like your interpretations of both songs. These songs are timeless.
Best lyricist ever
Dude, I came here looking for a Costello review because there are not that many, and he is soooo good! I really liked the way you analyzed the songs! He is an excellent writer, and has a way of turning a phrase. I love the King of America album and All This Useless Beauty album best, but there are several really good albums out there. Subscribed!
Evening, Justin. Dave from London, just picking up on A Remark You Made. You said this sounds like punk to you. Well, punk and new wave in the UK were pretty similar back in the late 70s. The difference for me is that genuine punks were not really musicians; what they did was simple, full of energy and exciting. The cynic in me says that new wave was a con trick, in that these acts masqueraded as three-chorders but were actually accomplished musicians and songwriters, and once they matured and removed the disguise, they produced some great music. Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Squeeze and XTC are good examples of this, and I got to really like them in the 80s, but found them a bit raw and spiky in their early days.
That was worth a sub. I imagine you've listened to more Costello since this, and hope 'Trust' with 'White Knuckles' got your attention.
My favorite Elvis album is trust it came a few years after this one great artist
A british DJ (Tony Blackburn) used to do this thing where every second song was by the same artist. One day it was Elvis Costello, an artist I didn't like, and by the end I realised that I was actually an Elvis Csotello fan. Thankyou Elvis, thankyou Tony.
YESSS..Been waiting for this
Great evaluation of his lyrics
If you plan on doing more Costello here's some lesser known gems of his:
Battered Old Bird
Harpies Bizarre
20% Amnesia
Poor Fractured Atlas
Sugar Won't Work
Almost Had a Weakness
Poison Moon
When I was Cruel No. 2
Yup!! All this music between 1976-80+ is called post rock. And Elvis Costello is an absolute gem!!! If you dive into him more, you will not be disappointed!!
"To everything (turn turn turn) / There is a season / And a time to every purpose, under heaven / A time to be born, a time to listen to Elvis Costello".
At the time, almost every straight forward song was labeled Punk. We can say that Elvis Costello was Pop Rock with attitude. Well done Justin, and give us more (following some chronological order, please: it will help you to appreciate the evolution of Elvis' songwriting).
Love this album, the first album I ever bought.
In the UK at least, punk barged the door open and a lot of New Wave artists followed on through. So even though you wouldn't (well, I wouldn't) call Elvis punk, he had the attitude, the idea that old certainties were crumbling and he was going to tell you all about it.
Though remember Elvis has said This Years Model was inspired after listening to The Clash’s first album. So although Elvis was not punk it can be said he was a fellow traveller.
EC was a breath of fresh air in the late 70's and that continues to this day. Watching the Detectives was a jaw-dropper when my friends and I first heard it on the radio in '77. His importance as an icon in so many genres should never be underestimated. Also check out videos of the excellent TV series Spectacle: Elvis Costello where he speaks and collaborates (along with his his great band) with other musical legends. More Elvis please!
'Spectacle' was a great series. The quality of guests he had on that show speaks volumes about how highly he's regarded.
Full Album reactions to This Year’s Model, Armed Forces and Imperial Bedroom are in order lol
Hi Justin. You made my weekend posting this. It was the first time I heard Elvis in 1978 when I bought this at the age of 20. Please do the entire album as it's a flawless masterpiece. I think it's his best album. The album I'd take to a desert island if I could only take one. It was the first album he recorded with "The Attractions" who are in my opinion one of the greatest backing bands ever. Pete Thomas on drums was a monster. Complex and intense. Bruce Thomas on Bass (not related by the way) may be my favorite Bass player of all time. His playing is impeccable. Steve Nieve (Pronounced "naïve" as when you didn't know something, LOL). Is a great keyboard player. Together with Elvis's aggressive guitar and intense sneering lyrics it was a chemistry that just "Clicked".
He recorded I think 11 albums with them that are his best work in my opinion. I think you noticed how deep Costello's lyrics are. I think he's one of the most talented lyricists that's ever lived. His lyrics are full of incite, intelligence, intensity and complexity. Often sarcastic and and scathing about what he's observed, but always passionate at the same time and often having more than one meaning.
When Elvis writes a song out of anger it's because he feels deeply. This is a perfect "Break Up" album. It's been misinterpreted as an misogynist diatribe against women by some, but I remember reading years ago that Elvis just wanted to write an album that had the outlook of a broken hearted lover on some tracks. Again I urge you to do the entire album Just one suggestion though. Please do the North American Version with "Radio, Radio" as the closing track. The UK version had weaker songs on side two and wasn't as good.
You can't go wrong picking early Elvis, keep up the excellent picks
one of my favorite artists, he twists lyrics around,--high fidelity and club land are great songs of his also--buddy holly on acid
Love Elvis Costello. Ever since his first album to his most recent. For me one of the great pop lyricist. Worth exploring more songs off This Years Model, then check out Armed Forces, Imperial Bedroom and King of America. Special mention should be made of his collaboration with Burt Bacharach Painted from Memory. Which has just beautiful melodies against some of Costello’s most exquisite lyrics. .
Painted From Memory... no one saw that one coming! Such a beautiful, romantic record.
Justin,you MUST listen "Painted from memory" a marvellous album by Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello published in 1998. Every song is a real masterpiece. Believe me! Cheers from Venezia,Italy.
Justin getting excited about Pete Thomas's drumming and he hasn't even gotten to Lipstick Vogue
or Chelsea
This Year's Girl was also of the opening theme song to The Deuce for the first season. Punk came slightly first and then New Wave but they were kind of coming around the same time. EC was considered New Wave
Because of my interest in the keys, I've always loved that swirling, 60's transistor organ sound that Steve Nieve gets out of his Vox Super Continental Organ. I also never knew how to pronounce his name. I thought that it was pronounced neeve, like Rupert Neve, the famous mixing console engineer. I just read that it is a stage name, pronounced naive, like inexperienced. Apparently Ian Dury gave him the name because he was unaware of what a groupie was.
I had completely forgotten that This Year's Girl is used for the S2 title credits for the HBO series The Deuce. It's a good, but VERY gritty, series about the rise of the porn industry from the 70s to the mid-80s. So hearing this song surprised me a bit as it took me back to that show. And when you consider the lyrics to the song, it's pretty obvious why they chose it to open the show.
I had/have 3 Elvis Costello Lps. King of America , Imperial Bedroom and Spike.
I may have had others but it's foggy.
I saw him live in 94 but he failed to pull me out of my tunnel of despair although he was very good. I grew up with his hit singles and matured accordingly thru country music , Ron Sexsmith and his flurting with string quartets. His Voices are on par with other singers' voices thru out career stages and stylistic variety. Here's a Alan Partridge On the Day Today Sports Desk Style Chart to show the type of thing I'm on about:
1st/2nd* LPs Paul Weller* Elvis C* Paddy McAloon
aggresive shouty snarl nasal wordy angular
mid career: smoother rnb whitesoul richer Celtic/Country American Crooner feminine
now: all writing their best / worst songs but sounding great especially Paddy if he would only release the stuff.
You won't get these definitions with anyone else only with me and possibly FiFa 22.
Q Is It Time for the best 45 this side of Into the Valley by The Skids JP, namely
Robert Wyatt's Shipbuilding? - written by Declan McManus himself.
Well, sorry I have no more to say only
Screen Kiss by Thomas Dolby of course, for today is the first anniversary of Matthew Seligman's death. What A Channel this is. You're doin Good J. Diolch.
Justin, you just found a HUGE rabbit hole to fall in. I hope you eventually hit the Imperial Bedroom album, his last with the Attractions. The last song on it is The Town Crier, my favorite song of all of his, and there's a lot songs. This song makes it apparent he wanted to move on and expand his musical horizons. Mature pop, it's beautiful and a far cry from his early stuff. It's a go to song for me when I'm feeling sorry sad self when I know I'm the problem.
New wave followed swiftly after punk. Punk was about energy and stripped down simplicity. New wave took the energy but felt safe to explore more complex harmonies, rhythms and timbres. In the UK we considered the CBGB bands (Blondie, Talking Hears, Television) to be New Wave along with uk bands xtc, police, Ian dury, stranglers, Gary numan etc. Elvis Costello is New Wave because the songwriting is subtler, the lyric writing more poetic and he used more than three chords!
Nothing wrong with three chords. Some of the best blues songs only used one!
Gotcha, ty for the explanation Rich!
Justin, to me Elvis Costello never did punk rock. in its beginnings its style could be described as Power pop from my point of view. you said it sounds very current but at the time I found that this sound was more like the sixties with Steve Nieve's Vox Continental organ sound! moreover, the drum beat on "This Year's Girl" is directly inspired by "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles!
You can continue with the catchy "Pump It Up" and "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" from the same album !
Well, considering that the industry in 1977 was still in the disco mode, this was very stripped down and so it wasn't punk, but it wasn't pop. I remember how revolutionary it was that these New Wave bands came in with this style.
On this album the famous tracks would be Pump it up, I don't want to go to Chelsea, and Radio Radio.
[edit: dammit, just realised Radio Radio is only on the CD versions!]
Radio Radio was on the original 1978 US release in place of I Don’t want to go to Chelsea and Night Rally. The CD version includes it as a bonus track.
Lyrical genius
If you want to continue with your start and stay away the songs every other reaction channel has done on Costello, while still catching some jems... try Motel Matches, Lipstick Vogue, My Funny Valentine, Pills and Soap, Shipbuilding, Human Touch, Big Sister's clothes, Shabby Doll, My Aim is True, King of Thieves, God Give me Strength... to name a few.
Costello was one of my favorites growing up. Some of his songs, like Lipstick Vogue were so different that it took me a few listening-to sessions to begin to appreciate.
Dang. If I stop to comment or give some one a thumbs up, I lose all I had typed for a comment.
One of the best concerts I have seen in my life was Elvis, at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, with the Attractions and half way through the set the Lovell Sisters* joined them to do the songs from Sacred, Profane and Sugarcane. It was amazing.
There are at least a dozen EC songs I would recommend plus at least two covers. Femme Fatale and Ship Of Fools.
You could do worse than listening to more EC and the Attractions.
* one of the sisters retired and now the other two carry on as Larkin Poe (pretty awesome still) who do the best cover of Black Betty I have heard (LR Baggs sessions iirc).
Yeah, it’s a quandary. I like to copy/paste when in that sich.
Great choice - EC & The Attractions were a really tight integrated band - I especially like Steve Nieve on piano and keyboards. I just did a digital conversion of my Get Happy!! album - lots of fun songs on it! Elvis & The Attractions must have made about 50 two minute songs for 45 rpm single releases, before they were compiled on the Get Happy and Taking Liberty albums in 1980.
My favorite EC album (Get Happy!!). Where can I listen to that conversation?
@@kevtruth Lots of wonderful songs on that - "Temptation", "Riot Act", and "Opportunity" and "B Movie" just to name a few!
King of America is his best most poetic album... the WHOLE album is incredible.