Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, June 1, 1979

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Papua New GuineaPost-Courier

Oceania publications

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Explosive rock


Tye Hartall

Elvis Costello and the Attraction
Armed Forces

Careful Digger! If you were here since the last shots were fired, or part of the Allied attack force that forced the Japanese to give up their toehold on PNG, you may look at the cover of Armed Forces and think it may be a collection of army bands and military sound-effects or a documentary of the heroic deeds of the Australian 7th Division.

Wouldn't the local RSL be in for a surprise if they bought this album, for Armed Forces contains enough explosive New Wave rock to make the Battle of the Coral Sea as well as the Milne Bay and Kokoda Trail campaigns look like a cap gun attack with faulty caps.

Elvis Costello has simply set England on fire and even Christopher Wren would have difficulty quelling the flames of this underfed upstart.

Decked out in his Buddy Holly glasses and Buddy Holly white socks, one just has to wonder, is Elvis Costello really a great rock hero, a white-sock zero or just a minor eccentric? Is he really one of the boldest of the punk/New Wave performers or just the most marketable?

Whatever, the misanthropic rage his albums have conveyed proves that Elvis hates 1979 as much as he hated 1978 and 1977. Right now he's levelled off as a feisty and furiously-talented middleman suspended halfway between rock's most polished sellouts and the angriest fringes of its New Wave.

Despite his appearance, Costello's music is pure sixties stuff done in an 80's venue. All songs on Armed Forces are so brief they zip right by, finishing before they start but leaving jubilant and spiteful, energies with images etched hard and fast and words like "concertina" and "quisling" thrown in to add to the confusion.

The album is loaded with cleverness; dense the way the old Dylan albums used to be — lending themselves to endless discovery.

Elvis may make you think but he also wants to make you dance, filling the grooves with recycled 60's lounge music, Beatle-like codas, and the trashiest, jangliest keyboard riffs this side of Question Mark and the Mysterians' version of "96 Tears."

The best track by far is "Oliver's Army" which, despite the grisly lyrics, is bound to get you up and dancing with one of the bounciest numbers I've heard since "Here Comes Santa Claus."

Despite the Kinks-sounding vocals, this is an angry song about imperialism and the military written after Costello visited Northern Ireland.

Puns abound throughout the album. For example in "Chemistry Class" Costello asks: "Are you ready for the final solution?" Outrageous but irresistible.

Costello draws very heavily on the recent rock past, so much so that some may say it adds up to a cheapening effect, redolent of phases only recently finished. That's similar to wearing a "Peace and Love" T-shirt. Ok to do ten years ago but now... well.

You may love, like or hate Elvis Costello. He doesn't seem to affect any two people the same way. You have to agree he's very causative and probably leading the assault force of England's New Wave.

You don't need to enlist to get into Armed Forces. Just drop around to the Boroko Music Store and ask for Elvis Costello — it'll blow you away.


Tags:  The AttractionsArmed ForcesWarner Bros.Buddy HollyBob DylanThe BeatlesQuestion Mark & the Mysterians96 TearsOliver's ArmyThe KinksChemistry Class(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?

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Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, June 1, 1979


Tye Hartall reviews Armed Forces.

Images

1979-06-01 Papua New Guinea Post-Courier page 36 clipping.jpg
Clipping.

Page scan.
1979-06-01 Papua New Guinea Post-Courier page 36.jpg


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