|
"Congratulations! You've just bought our worst album!" This pessimistic phrase opened the liner notes of a reissued copy of this CD many years ago and apparently Costello's view hasn't changed with subsequent remasters and re-releases of this album. It's no surprise, especially considering that many fans and critics tend to view this album as his weakest work as well. With tension arising between himself and The Attractions, not to mention the collapse of his first marriage, Goodbye Cruel World is about as bleak as it gets. Many of the lyrics don't even try to hide this and Elvis readily admits that he took a decent bunch of songs and ended up completely missing the mark with them. It's a bleak picture but I personally believe that Costello's being a bit hard on himself. This album certainly isn't his finest work but it has enough gems to warrant a few spins and even ownership.
The opener "The Only Flame in Town" (complete with a guest appearance Daryl Hall) is coated with 80's cheese but it's so catchy and fun that I don't even care. If you can get past the dated production it's a solid track that actually sounds different from most of the album, a rarity for Costello opening numbers. Using the same producers who had worked on Punch the Clock, EC's songs feel a bit too slick this time and many of them lack the personal grittiness stylistically that the lyrics need to really be effective. "The Deportees Club", "Sour Milk-Cow Blues", and "I Wanna Be Loved" aren't bad songs by any means but the overdone production robs them of the intimacy and storytelling finesse that they appear to be going for. Granted, "I Wanna Be Loved" is a cover song but it still could have used a bit more raw intensity. In the end that seems to be the album's biggest flaw: a batch of personal and dark songs that feel too polished and overdone to really hit their mark.
However, there's still plenty to like here. "Home Truth" is a great number about falling out of love with someone you've admired for years and there's little doubt that Elvis's divorce plays a large part in the song's influence. "Inch By Inch" and "Worthless Thing" are both solid pop numbers that have enough hooks to keep you coming back for more while "Room With No Number" is more reminiscent of Costello's earlier work on Trust and Armed Forces. "Peace in Our Time" is a decent closer to the record and "Love Field" features some nice synth effects that manage to hold the song together in an interesting structure. The real gem here is "The Comedians", a song that Roy Orbison would later make famous thanks to his cover at a later time. It's a great song and a classic slice of Costello that everyone should hear if they haven't already.
The biggest problem with Goodbye Cruel World is that it just feels unfocused. Is it a pop record, an RnB record, or something else? It's difficult to tell and ultimately I think that's what hurts it the most. The Attractions feel underused and simply play their parts without much distinction or vigor. The problems in Costello's personal life obviously took their toll but I'm happy to say this record isn't as bad as many will lead you to believe. I was pleasantly surprised upon hearing it to find that I liked a majority of the songs and over the years it's grown on me even more. I'll even go so far as to say that I don't even think it's his weakest album and I'm glad to see that there are other fans out there who appreciate this album for what it is. It's not his best work but even subpar Elvis Costello is better than what many artists can put out on their best days.
| 
