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This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Rykodisc
- List price: $11.98
- Lowest new price: $11.97
- Lowest used price: $2.00
No Action- This Year's Girl
- The Beat
- Pump It Up
- Little Triggers
- You Belong To Me
- Hand In Hand
- (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
- Lip Service
- Living In Paradise
- Lipstick Vogue
- Night Rally
- Radio, Radio
- Big Tears
- Crawling To The USA
- Running Out Of Angels
- Greenshirt
- Big Boys
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This Year Was Good
In my quest to redisover the bespectaled one, I found a used copy of reissue 1 of Elvis' second album - if you know anything about the latest record biz reissue craze, it's that they keep remastering and reissuing some classic albums over and over again in slightly different forms; for Elvis he is on his third round of reissues, but I'm just buying used for now. This Year's Model found our boy a tad more angry than on his debut and with the help of newly recruited the Attractions, he found some keyboards and jumpy punk rock. Arguably, the roughest and loudest of Elvis' albums, featuring the cynism and adorable aggravation of Elvis, the album contains some of my favorite Elvis songs ever like "Pump It Up", "Little Triggers", "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and with this re-release, the single "Radio Radio". If you haven't started investigating early Costello yet, I may have to stop talking to you... next on our Elvis list is what will probably be my favorite Elvis album Armed Forces if for nothing other than I think "Oliver's Army" is the ultimate Elvis song.
You better listen to the radio
This, the first album Costello recorded with his long running backup band - the Attractions - is a strong contender for the best recording in a long and varied career. Not as tight or melodic as the classic follow-up Armed Forces, this 1978 album is certainly the dirtiest, punkiest album Costello had ever pulled, and the Attractions are given more space here to roam than in any of the latter, more tightly arranged albums; drummer Pete Thomas is especially wonderful here, adding a savage beat to wonderful, infectious songs like This Year's Girl and Pump It Up.
Elvis's excellent debut, My Aim Is True, signaled the arrival of one of the freshest artists of his time; but This Year's Model makes My Aim Is True sound more like practice for the real thing. This Year's Model indeed shows him to be one of the freshest recording artists of the 70's, and though it's generally labeled as punk rock - and punk's influence is certainly there - it remains fresh today like few punk albums have. Like the Beatles in the psychedelic era, Costello was not an integral part of the punk movement but instead used it to create music that's new and fresh; and This Year's Model is true timeless music, more than a bit thanks to Costello's intelligent, sarcastic lyrics. Songs like This Year's Model and the single Radio, Radio are statements that are powerful today as they were back then.
Each and every song on This Year's Model is a classic, successful singles and undiscovered gems alike; Costello drew immense amounts of depth from songs that are akin to punk in their compactness, tightness and simplicity. In less than three minutes of songs he says more than many other artists can in a forty minute album - and the songs on This Year's Model are as infectious and straightforward as they are deep, intricate and intelligent. From the incredibly short, fast and furious No Action, through dark non-conformist anthems like Lipstick Vogue, Night Rally and Lip Service, to the unbelievably catchy classic Pump It Up with its infectious groove and Dylan-ish lyrics, it's an album that flows by quickly and strongly, not leaving any listener indifferent and making them want a whole lot more.
You get some more with the bonus tracks, which are good, though not entirely essential, and the album actually works better as a whole without them. Other than the essential classic Radio, Radio - which was not part of the original album but is there on all CD versions and makes a perfect ending for the album - there's also Big Tears (the Clash's Mick Jones playing guitar), Running Out of Angels and Crawling to the USA - all good songs, though not quite as good as the original album tracks; also included are acoustic demos of two excellent songs from the Armed Forces LP - Big Boys and Green Shirt. All of the bonus tracks are worth having, but on repeated listening I usually tune out after Radio, Radio.
The best work of rock's greatest songwriter
Music critic Gene Santoro says that this is his favorite Costello album because Costello lets the Attractions improvise (whereas later masterpieces such as Imperial Bedroom are tightly arranged). For me, this album's finest songs are "The Beat" and "Lipstick Vogue," both lyrical masterpieces.
("I keep thinking about your mother/ No, I don't want to lick them/ Don't want to be your lover/ Just want to be your victim/ I don't go out much at night/ I don't go out much at all/ Did you think you were the only one/ Who was waiting for a call?")
There's no one better than Elvis, ever.
One of my favorite albums ever
I happened upon a leftover copy of the Rykodisc re-issue of This Year's Model after it had gone out-of-print one day at Borders. Happy I had found this hard-to-find gem (this was a while before the new 2-CD re-issues), I purchased the album and popped it in my car stereo.
Costello opens the disc proclaiming "I don't wanna kiss you, I don't wanna touch" before the Attractions explode into a fit of pop-punk rage. I was blown away. The production was crisp, rich, and full of unbridled chaotic energy. Even when Costello slows it down on this album ("Little Triggers"), the result is no less energetic or passionate. Other such classics include "Pump It Up," "I Don't Wanna Go To Chelsea," and "This Year's Girl. The Attractions are a much stronger band than Clover, who accompained Costello on My Aim Is True, thus making This Year's Model the stronger album (although My Aim Is True is still classic). The bonus tracks are also nice including the indispensible "Radio, Radio," a biting, vicious attack on radio.
This is essential listening. Please purchase.
Don't get your kicks at 66
Listening to This Years Model after 22 years (gasp!), one is struck by how current and urgent it all still sounds. The lyrics are so sharp and the songs are so well structured that I am reminded of Cole Porter. I don't think Elvis Costello ever topped this, even though he came close so many times. Insight, anger and humor are combined into his unique style that cuts through all the hypocrisy in the world like acid poured on metal.