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Armed Forces
Elvis Costello
Gannett News Service
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Elvis Costello isn't readily typecast.
His debut album amazed a staid listening public with its manic Buddy Holly approach — an onslaught of anger and rebellion propelled by the best in rock basics.
The follow-up, This Year's Model, revealed Costello as a mid-1960s devotee. Bass and drums thundered with the ferocity of the Dave Clark Five and the whole album was permeated with a tinny organ worthy of Question Mark and the Mysterians. Yet another Costello style is unveiled on Armed Forces, his most enjoyable album to date. The cryptic lyrics that made him the 417th candidate for "new Dylan" honors are still present, but now they're enveloped in irresistible melodies and stylish production.
Nick Lowe, whose Pure Pop for Now People was a veritable history of rock 'n' roll styles, produced Armed Forces with a slightly heavier hand than on earlier Costello efforts, and the results are all positive.
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St. Cloud Daily Times, February 17, 1979
Gannett News Service reviews Armed Forces.
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Clipping composite.
Page scan.
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