Audio, May 1979: Difference between revisions

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Despite that ludicrous stage name, Elvis Costello is for real. Any doubts left lingering after last year's ''This Year's Model'' are totally wiped out by ''Armed Forces'', Elvis' third album. Produced as always by Nick Lowe and backed, as on ''Model'', by his snappy band The Attractions, ''Armed Forces'' exudes so much nervous self-confidence that simultaneously it appears cocky and paranoid. And disturbingly, inescapably unforgettable ... it's that desperate edge his voice has.


This time out most of Costello's songs are not hurt by dream girl images ... instead the real world keeps popping up. "Oliver's Army" is about recruiting mercenary soldiers. "Goon Squad" is a chiller about the limited choices of a lad who has ''"grown up too soon"'' and is determined not to ''"let them make a lampshade out of me."'' "Green Shirt" blurs the edge between real life and television commercials. "Two Little Hitters" could be a description of Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin's two wild and crazy Czechoslovakian Festrunk brothers; a telling line goes ''"I'll face the music, I'll face the facts / Even when we walk in polka dots and checkered slacks."'' then there's the album's closing song, "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" written by Nick Lowe, an anthem for the confused.
The production is very similar to ''This Year's Model''. Lowe has crafted songs around quirky arrangements and textures to heighten their built-in anxiety. Echoes of the pre- and barely psychedelic 60s are commonplace on Costello's records. I think of things like Count Five's "Psychotic Reaction," Paul Revere & the Raiders' "Like Me" and especially "Kicks," The Electric Prunes and others like that, the then-new and slightly dangerous bands. The swirling Farfisa organ sounds, the drum style, the G to A key change in "Oliver's Army," the breathy vocal and arrangement of the poignant "Accidents Will Happen," these sounds all point to that earlier watershed era for pop music. The devices manage to regenerate the drive and excitement of those old hits without the clean test-tube sound that is the current vogue. The edges are rough, but with purpose and effect. Elvis' melodies are so strong and catchy and memorable, his songs so bite-sized that the subversive storylines are almost disguised, which makes the man that much more dangerous.
Incidentally, the original working title of the album was ''Emotional Fascism'', and it still survives on the inner sleeve. One would think the working title scared the record company.
An added bonus for the first 200,000 copies is an enclosed EP. The 7-in. disc is from a June, '78, [[Concert 1978-06-04 Los Angeles|concert]] at Hollywood High, and contains "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives" originally on the first Costello album ''My Aim Is True'' plus another version of "Accidents Will Happen" crooned to a sweeping piano accompaniment. The performances are riveting.
Elvis Costello is not going to go away. His songs and band are so strong that they don't grow stale to me even with saturation listening like the 30-plus listenings, spread over more than two weeks, which I needed to get past my emotions to be able to write about the album. And I'm not yet even beginning to feel burned out on it. Or, for that matter, am I tired of ''This Year's Model'' a whole year later.


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Revision as of 19:30, 19 November 2017

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Audio

US music magazines

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Armed Forces

Elvis Costello

Michael Tearson

Despite that ludicrous stage name, Elvis Costello is for real. Any doubts left lingering after last year's This Year's Model are totally wiped out by Armed Forces, Elvis' third album. Produced as always by Nick Lowe and backed, as on Model, by his snappy band The Attractions, Armed Forces exudes so much nervous self-confidence that simultaneously it appears cocky and paranoid. And disturbingly, inescapably unforgettable ... it's that desperate edge his voice has.

This time out most of Costello's songs are not hurt by dream girl images ... instead the real world keeps popping up. "Oliver's Army" is about recruiting mercenary soldiers. "Goon Squad" is a chiller about the limited choices of a lad who has "grown up too soon" and is determined not to "let them make a lampshade out of me." "Green Shirt" blurs the edge between real life and television commercials. "Two Little Hitters" could be a description of Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin's two wild and crazy Czechoslovakian Festrunk brothers; a telling line goes "I'll face the music, I'll face the facts / Even when we walk in polka dots and checkered slacks." then there's the album's closing song, "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" written by Nick Lowe, an anthem for the confused.

The production is very similar to This Year's Model. Lowe has crafted songs around quirky arrangements and textures to heighten their built-in anxiety. Echoes of the pre- and barely psychedelic 60s are commonplace on Costello's records. I think of things like Count Five's "Psychotic Reaction," Paul Revere & the Raiders' "Like Me" and especially "Kicks," The Electric Prunes and others like that, the then-new and slightly dangerous bands. The swirling Farfisa organ sounds, the drum style, the G to A key change in "Oliver's Army," the breathy vocal and arrangement of the poignant "Accidents Will Happen," these sounds all point to that earlier watershed era for pop music. The devices manage to regenerate the drive and excitement of those old hits without the clean test-tube sound that is the current vogue. The edges are rough, but with purpose and effect. Elvis' melodies are so strong and catchy and memorable, his songs so bite-sized that the subversive storylines are almost disguised, which makes the man that much more dangerous.

Incidentally, the original working title of the album was Emotional Fascism, and it still survives on the inner sleeve. One would think the working title scared the record company.

An added bonus for the first 200,000 copies is an enclosed EP. The 7-in. disc is from a June, '78, concert at Hollywood High, and contains "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives" originally on the first Costello album My Aim Is True plus another version of "Accidents Will Happen" crooned to a sweeping piano accompaniment. The performances are riveting.

Elvis Costello is not going to go away. His songs and band are so strong that they don't grow stale to me even with saturation listening like the 30-plus listenings, spread over more than two weeks, which I needed to get past my emotions to be able to write about the album. And I'm not yet even beginning to feel burned out on it. Or, for that matter, am I tired of This Year's Model a whole year later.

Sound: C
Performance: A

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Audio, August 1978


Michael Tearson reviews Armed Forces.

Images

1979-05-00 Audio page 82.jpg
Page scan.

1979-05-00 Audio cover.jpg 1979-05-00 Audio page 02.jpg 1979-05-00 Audio page 83.jpg
Cover and page scans.

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