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Elvis Costello fancies himself a victim. Not the poor, helpless Linda Ronstadt victim, mind you, but the 90-pound weakling type who goes out with a Smith & Wesson after the muscle boy who kicked sand in his face — sort of an Anthony Perkins type. Blend that with a healthy dose of the resulting paranoia and you have to admit one thing: Elvis is dangerous.
"If I'm gonna go down, you're gonna come with me" are not the words of a suburban yahoo with a cowboy hat and a 12-string, but they do belong to a man who carries an enemies list in a little black book. This Year's Model is chock full of threats and insults that would have kept Chandler and Spillane in heavies forever. He is definitely a man who knows what he wants: revenge. But, who is Elvis Costello and why is he saying those terrible things?
No. 1: Elvis is a victim of hype.
I would say that the album's title, This Year's Model, is a playful jab at the hype that has been generated in his direction, even if it was in his favor. I hesitate, however, to think that he approaches anything from a playful point of view. Humorous, yes... playful, I don't know.
No. 2: Elvis is a victim of radio.
Bound to create controversy is the now-infamous, "Radio, Radio," which reached a great deal of people through Saturday Night Live. It's a great song, but it probably won't get played on the, uh, radio. "You had better do what you are told... you better listen to the radio," says Elvis as he goes on to complain about the limited selection and that "the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools." The background is a hissed "listen, listen, listen." They may play Elvis' songs on the radio, but if they don't play "Radio, Radio," they're not playing Elvis. Non-play of this song will only serve to indict the guilty parties.
No. 3: Elvis is a victim of girls.
Elvis sees his girls "walkin' 'round with physical jerks" and watches through the keyhole while they're makin' whoopee. In return, all he's dishing out is "lip service." While Jackson Browne cries over the ones who blow themselves away, Elvis blows away the ones who cry.
The album captures to a 'T' the live Elvis Costello show, due to the fact that his band is used through out and due to the sparse production of Nick Lowe. There's a step above the anonymity of the first album in that Elvis releases the first names of his band. The back of the Stiffs Live album names them as Steve Naive, Bruce Thompson and Pete Thompson. You can believe that if you want.
Mr. Naive's organ (keyboard type, that is) is the most distinguishable characteristic, musically. He works well with Elvis, who is not a bad guitarist, to inject the sixties-ish Vox/ Far fisa drone that is splashed all over the album. Elvis' musical textures have grown a little more complex since the last album, while continuing to come up with some catchy hooks, as in "The Beat" and "This Year's Girl."
We will all become victims of Elvis, the Bubonic wit. It's like he got up and walked right out of The Big Sleep. This Year's Model is an impressive follow up to My Aim Is True, with no sacrifices or concessions. This man is what you'd call a real hard case. Give him a chance and he'll grab you by the balls faster than you can say, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." "Vengeance is mine," quoth Elvis. Don't let the glasses fool you.
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