Public Enemy, February 1979

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications Public Enemy   1978 December 1979 January  1979 February 1979 March Fanzines  Alternative Rhythms Alternative Ulster Austin Vanguard Aware Back Door Man Barbed Wire Beat It! Beyond Belief Blaze Blitz! Bucketfull Of Brains Burnt Offering Candybeat 504 Censur City Chains Clubland Costello Fanzine Cripes Despair Deviation Street Elvis Costello Chronicles Elvis Costello Info. Service Final Notice Fröken Äsping Gabba Gabba Gazette Gabba Gabba Hey Ghast Up Grinding Halt Hamburger Orgienpost Hannover Spargel Heat High Roller Hoopla Imagine In The City Jet Lag Juice K-79 Kingdom Come Kvinde Hader Klub Larm Live Wire Living In Paradise Loaded Look At The Time Maximum Rock'N'Roll Moods For Moderns Negative Reaction New Pose Nerve No Fun Noise Noise For Heroes Nürtingen Slit Omaha Rainbow On The Beat Ostrich Overthrow Ox Fanzine Pig Paper Poser Public Enemy Raw Power Record Digest Safety In Numbers Shades Shews Slash Sniffin' Glue Snot Rag Spuno Street Fever Substitute Summer Salt Surfin' Bird Talking In The Dark Terminal Wool City Rocker — Forces launch Elvis Elvis Costello / Armed Forces John Mackie Armed Forces is Elvis Costello's launching point into full fledged genius. The up-front bitterness of This Year's Model hos been replaced with a sophisticated artistry placing stress upon Elvis' pop side. He launches into a scorching slice against the army and its philosophical roots (imperialism, authoritarianism and racism), but cloaks his diatribes in singalong melodies worthy of the most joyous pop, effectively mocking the fun-fun-fun with the boys image projected by army advertisements while celebrating the release of good music. To wit: "Oliver's Army," which offers a prime cut of groove-hook Abba-ish swing with the sarcastic mercenary recruitment messages: "If you're out of luck, you're out of work — we could send you to Johannasburg..." Armed Forces is a political album: Elvis understands the problems confronting society and pits himself against them. Apathy be damned — he's going to get involved. His aim is still true. Armed Forces is a bold step, a step away from the shelter of the new wove scene into the mainstream. Only one with muchos talent can pull if off — Elvis can. Public Enemy, No. 3, February 1979 John Mackie reviews Armed Forces. John Mackie reviews the single for Nick Lowe's "American Squirm." Images Clipping. American Squirm Nick Lowe John Mackie Pop-op-op goes some love for Nick, squirming about so that the just had to write a song about the experience. Which is the world's gain. The flip is Mr. Costello singing the all-time Brinsley Schwarz anthem, "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love & Understanding." Doesn't stand up to the original, which is in the same league as anything the Beatles ever did, but is rather good, nonetheless. Cover and page scan.

External links

• lib.sfu.ca