It's Only Rock 'N' Roll, March 1979

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It's Only Rock 'N' Roll

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Armed Forces

Elvis Costello

Ron Young

Third albums by anyone are usually make or break albums and Elvis' is no different, despite the fact that his last one was the first by a new wave artist to go gold. After Elvis' anger began to fester on My Aim Is True and finally spewed forth on This Year's Model one wondered how much more vehement he could get. Armed Forces is the logical third step and displays Costello's growth as both writer and singer.

Elvis has refined his caustic lyric approach somewhat but even though the chip on his shoulder is smaller it's not a mellow Costello here either. Indeed his sharp social barbs still lie hidden inside clever musical hooks. And his main themes of revenge ("Two Little Hitlers"), guilt ("Party Girl"), paranoia ("Goon Squad") and romantic rejection ("Moods For Moderns") are still wielded with the scalpel of authority. Elvis remains a forceful and compelling writer but his palette is no longer limited to black and white; instead he now uses proper shadings to flesh out his targets as well as his own persona in order to make them more human. As in the song "Accidents Will Happen," a beautifully haunting melody in which the role of victim lies somewhere in that gray area of reality. ("It's the damage that we do that we never know / It's the words that we don't say that scares me so.").

As much as Elvis has progressed as a songwriter Nick Lowe has developed his creativeness as a producer and the production work on Armed Forces is indeed masterful and definitely makes as much difference as does Elvis and The Attractions' new growth. Certainly a contender for best album of 1979.

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It's Only Rock 'N' Roll, No. 10, March 1979


Ron Young reviews Armed Forces.


Also includes a photo of Elvis Costello, Friday, Feb. 23, 1979, Austin, Texas.

Images

1979-03-00 It's Only Rock 'N' Roll page 03.jpg 1979-03-00 It's Only Rock 'N' Roll page 12.jpg
Page scans.

Photo by Robbin Cresswell.
1979-03-00 It's Only Rock 'N' Roll photo 01 rc.jpg


1979-03-00 It's Only Rock 'N' Roll cover.jpg
Cover.


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