|
Although Elvis Costello's latest recording, Armed Forces, was released on New Year's Day in the States, you'll probably have to wait until the end of the month before it reaches The True North. This is unfortunate, because this record is in fine Costello form. As with the previous two platters, the playing is flawless. Costello has in the Attractions one of the best backup units captured on vinyl. They maintain a level of energy and power unequalled in rock music today. The records are almost as exciting as the live performances.
The mention of live performance brings up the matter of the seven-inch E.P. included in the first 200,000 copies. Recorded at Hollywood High (which has also seen the likes of power-pop practitioner and renowned producer, Nick Lowe, as well as several other impressive acts, performing within its hallowed halls), this disk contains live versions of "Accidents Will Happen" (from the new record), "Alison," and "Watching The Detectives." They are nothing impressive. True, they are Costello, but the quality of playing on the respective studio versions, and the fact that better renditions of the tunes exist on various bootlegged live performances, only serves to accentuate the relative flaccidity of the attempts presented here.
This record is a logical progression from This Year's Model. The sound is much, fuller though the minimalist approach which characterized My Aim Is True has been employed to great effect on several of the tracks.
A reviewer of the last album quoted a French novelist: "As we grow older, wounds heal whether we want them to or not." The reviewer was pondering whether Costello Would lose the hard-edged anger which has typified his work. The answer is no.
One such wound is what amounts to a personal vendetta with fascism, particularly Nazi Germany. Costello has previously attacked this political leaning ("Less Than Zero," "Night Rally"). He continues to do so with two pieces here; "Goon Squad" and "Two Little Hitlers."
The targets aimed at and subsequently hit on this record are more numerous and more diverse than before. Some are the corporate structure, the trivialization of human feeling and education. As always, the perspectives are fresh and interesting. most notably on "Moods For Moderns" and "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love And Understanding?"
This album is more sophisticated, both lyrically and musically, than the previous two. Costello has the talent and intelligence to be to the eighties what the Beatles and Dylan were to the sixties. It is unfortunate that the tastes of the record-buying public are either so numbed by mindless AM swill or fragmented into such polarities that they can never rally behind an artist so deserving of attention and admiration.
| 
