This Year's Model

[di Maio]

So I got the Deluxe Edition of Elvis Costello's This Year's Model, to compliment the deluxe edition of his debut album that I got a few years ago. Since I'm in the process of digesting all of the music I acquired, I think it'd be interesting to hear your takes on the album. Are there any particular things to listen out for, lyric references, origins or meanings, things happening around this time, etc?

I know that Saturday Night Live didn't want him performing "Radio, Radio" over some controversial lyrics and he started one song and stopped the band a few bars in and told them to play it anyway, which led to him getting banned from performing there for a long time. Wasn't he touring for this album when he said those things about James Brown and Ray Charles?

I do like the Attractions backup better than the News on the earlier recording. It has a bit more in the way of dynamics. "No Action" is a great opener, by the way.

[ChrisB]

My fave Costello. In fact, one of my top 5 albums of all time. The angry young man + a band which can whip up a storm. Fantastic. Think I'll play Lipstick Vogue right now.

[Matty Red Sox]

The only one of the first four that i never personally owned on LP...I sense that this may be remedied soon. I do like Armed Forces better though!

[Matt Wilson]

Perhaps the best album of 1978.*






*And it's not like there were too many better ones in 1977 than My Aim is True either.

[Snarfyguy]

I do like the Attractions backup better than the News on the earlier recording.

Oh hell yeah. Night and day.

[Matty Red Sox]

Perhaps the best album of 1978.*






*And it's not like there were too many better ones in 1977 than My Aim is True either.

Errr the Ramones were kicking serious album ass at this time too!

[Matt Wilson]

Perhaps the best album of 1978.*






*And it's not like there were too many better ones in 1977 than My Aim is True either.

Errr the Ramones were kicking serious album ass at this time too!

Road to Ruin is no This Year's Model.

[Matty Red Sox]

Perhaps the best album of 1978.*






*And it's not like there were too many better ones in 1977 than My Aim is True either.

Errr the Ramones were kicking serious album ass at this time too!

Road to Ruin is no This Year's Model.

And Leave Home & Rocket to Russia easily trump the shit out of My Aim is True.

[tweetybird]

My favourite Costello album. I've been listening to the Deluxe edition a lot over the past 2 weeks. Musically, it holds up very well. Not sure about the lyrics, but perhaps I'm biased in light of what Costello has done since - that is, losing his anger and edge. I would've paid good money to see it done live, at the time of release.

[Snarfyguy]

My favourite Costello album. I've been listening to the Deluxe edition a lot over the past 2 weeks. Musically, it holds up very well. Not sure about the lyrics, but perhaps I'm biased in light of what Costello has done since - that is, losing his anger and edge. I would've paid good money to see it done live, at the time of release.

You should have stopped buying his records ages ago, like I did. To me he's still the angry young geek he started out as.

For a dose of the live experience, you must track down the Rockpalast June 1978 broadcast DVD. It's not commercially available, but it's findable. Sorry, I don't have the means to melt you a copy, tweetybird.

[Matty Red Sox]

My favourite Costello album. I've been listening to the Deluxe edition a lot over the past 2 weeks. Musically, it holds up very well. Not sure about the lyrics, but perhaps I'm biased in light of what Costello has done since - that is, losing his anger and edge. I would've paid good money to see it done live, at the time of release.

You should have stopped buying his records ages ago, like I did. To me he's still the angry young geek he started out as.

For a dose of the live experience, you must track down the Rockpalast June 1978 broadcast. It's not commercially available, but it's findable. Sorry, I don't have the means to melt you a copy, tweetybird.

I am in total agreement here. I really stopped caring after Trust...I still listened to Imperial Bedroom...and made the mistake of getting Spike...but the first four albums are the ones I'll always go back to. I also recommend tracking down the el Mocambo (sp) show. I've got his DVD video collection from a few years ago, and it's incredible how much better the early stuff is.

[Sneelock]

we used to have these stupid K-Tel t.v. commercials for greatest hits records that you could buy mail order for "the four seasons" or somebody like that. well, I liked 'my aim is true' because it had 'watching the detectives' on it but I frankly thought EC was being a little over-hyped by Rolling Stone magazine and stuff like that.

well, they did this t.v. commercial for "this year's model" in the K-Tel style - as though each and every song was already a hit with the spinning album art and everything. I thought this was brilliant. soon I realized the reason I thought it was brilliant is that it had worked like a charm on it's intended audience - ME!

I knew I was being played but I happily played along. they wanted to be huge and they needed people to buy their records to do this. it was fun to play along because it really was good. I think it's always been my favorite. it sounds like Beatlemania or something.

[Matt Wilson]

And Leave Home & Rocket to Russia easily trump the shit out of My Aim is True.

In your opinion, you mean.
Besides, I never said My Aim is True was the best album of 1977 so I have no idea what you're in a tizzy about.

[Matt Wilson]

...but the first four albums are the ones I'll always go back to.

You could be talking about the Ramones too.

[tweetybird]

I stopped somewhere around Imperial Bedroom/Goodbye Cruel World. I may have purchased Spike but don't recall a single song. Still, he's always around somehow.

[Matty Red Sox]

And Leave Home & Rocket to Russia easily trump the shit out of My Aim is True.

In your opinion, you mean.
Besides, I never said My Aim is True was the best album of 1977 so I have no idea what you're in a tizzy about.

I am not "in a tizzy." Why would you say that? I am a chilling with some records and a computer. And you do say "*And it's not like there were too many better ones in 1977 than My Aim is True either." - to which I say the second and third Ramones LPs are better.

[Matt Wilson]

And Leave Home & Rocket to Russia easily trump the shit out of My Aim is True.

In your opinion, you mean.
Besides, I never said My Aim is True was the best album of 1977 so I have no idea what you're in a tizzy about.

I am not "in a tizzy." Why would you say that? I am a chilling with some records and a computer. And you do say "*And it's not like there were too many better ones in 1977 than My Aim is True either." - to which I say the second and third Ramones LPs are better.

Combined they may be better but I'll still say My Aim is True is better than either one.
We'll agree to disagree.
There's also Never Mind the Bollocks..., Talking Heads '77 and The Clash to consider when you're discussing best LPs of '77.

Not to mention Marquee Moon -- all of which give the Ramones a run for their money.

[Bungo the Mungo]

I despise the rambling arrogant fucker and the way he was in thrall to all the old bores, but this is a pretty decent album.

[Matty Red Sox]

I despise the rambling arrogant fucker and the way he was in thrall to all the old bores, but this is a pretty decent album.

Whoa, you scared me there...I thought you were talking about me for a second!

[yomptepi]

I do like the Attractions backup better than the News on the earlier recording.

Oh hell yeah. Night and day.

The band on the first album was Clover. It was recorded at Pathway in Islington by Pete Kerr and Nick Lowe. The studio is the size of a small bedroom, and the drum booth was not really big enough for both the kit and the drummer. The things you can do with an old eight track and the right man behind the desk...