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Besides the fact that the title makes my girlfriend nauseous, this is one great album. Elvis follows up a masterpiece, King of America, with an album that is not as good but does not disappoint in any way.
Most of the songs deal with the classic Costello theme of rejected love. He gets deeply personal on the sparse, acoustic tortured love of "I Want You," while "I Hope You're Happy Now" shows a pissed-off Elvis stating to his ex-lover, "you make him sound like frozen food / his love will last forever." There is also the lighthearted side demonstrated by the lyrics of "Next Time 'Round," in which Elvis tells his reincarnation-believing girl that, "You'll be someone else's baby / but I'll be underground."
"Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head" explores the classic loser in love, Mr. Misery, who is "Contemplating murder again / he must be in love." "Crimes of Paris" is a great song in which Elvis takes aside a friend to explain that her new love is not what it seems. "Blue Chair" deals with a girl everyone desires, but who also screws everyone up.
This album evokes sentiments of early Costello as well as carrying on the personal manner of last spring's King of America. "Uncomplicated" would fit right in on Elvis' 1978 classic This Year's Model, whereas "I Want You" and "Battered Old Bird" could have easily been King of America tracks.
Costello's wit and sarcasm are very apparent on many of these songs, most notably on the wordy, social commenting "Tokyo Storm Warning." He sings about "The K.K.K. convention are all stranded in the bar / they wear hoods and carry shotguns in the main streets of Montgomery / but they're helpless as babies 'cause they're only here on holiday."
"Battered Old Bird" deals with the characters in an asylum and no matter how often you listen to it, you'll be shocked by "Next door to them is a man so mild / 'til he chopped off the head of a visitor's child."
The best song on this album and one of Elvis' finest ever is "Poor Napoleon." With an incredible bass line and superb percussion, the song seems majestic in a sense. It deals with a mistress of Napoleon's who is a real tease. This is a song which would stand out on anyone's album, and this is an album which would stand out in anyone's collection.
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