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In any type of warfare the best time to strike is when the enemy is dozing, so January (which is the lull following the pre-Christmas bonanza of records) was the logical time for Armed Forces to strike. With his third album in a period of sixteen months, the closest analogy to Elvis Costello's rapid fire delivery is a machine gun.
Armed Forces represents the entrance of the Attractions into the spotlight. Musically, the band has returned to fuller sound which characterized My Aim Is True. Lyrically, it might just be this album that brings social protest back into style. Costello's rendition of producer Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" evokes memories of the Who in the early days. "Oliver's Army" and "Busy Bodies" are the strongest of the self penned tunes. As an added bonus, Columbia is sticking a three-song LP called Live at Hollywood High in the first pressing of Armed Forces. "Alison," "Watching The Detectives," and a new song from Armed Forces, "Accidents Will Happen" are featured on this seven-inch disc taken from a show at Hollywood High on June 4 of last year.
Already having captured the imagination of the American public, Armed Forces could be called Costello's attempt to capture their pocketbooks as well.
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