release date: Jan. 5, 1979
format: vinyl (foldout cover - RAD 56 597) / cd (1993 remaster Extended Play)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,42]
producer: Nick Lowe
label: Radar Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Accidents Will Happen" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Senior Service" - 3. "Oliver's Army" (5 / 5) - 4. "Big Boys" - 5. "Green Shirt" - 6. "Party Girl" - 7. "Goon Squad" - 8. "Busy Bodies" - 9. "Sunday's Best" - 10. "Moods for Moderns" - 11. "Chemistry Class" - 12. "Two Little Hitlers" - 13. "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" (5 / 5) - *14. "My Funny Valentine" - *15. "Tiny Steps" - *16. "Clean Money" - *17. "Talking in the Dark" - *18. "Wednesday Week" - *19. "Accidents Will Happen" (Live) - *20. "Alison" (Live) - *21. "Watching the Detectives" (Live)
*Bonus tracks on 1993 Extended Play remaster
3rd studio album by Elvis Costello and the first official album release as Elvis Costello & The Attractions, although, The Attractions also backed Costello on his second studio album This Years Model. Allegedly, the new album had the working title "Emotional Fascism" (this title is printed on the inner sleeve of the vinyl album) and it was originally released on Radar Records with 12 songs and, once again, with Nick Lowe in the producer seat.
With Armed Forces, Costello both continues his wry and energetic new wave thrusts and takes his scores into more complex arrangements, which just sounds like the matured natural progression. The album contains 'the usual' strong and simple 1-2-3-4 rhythms, albeit fewer of them, and he has turned down on the power pop and instead placed more focus on strong ballad-like songs as well as more sophisticated compositions.
The album was one of the very first I encountered with Costello. I recall borrowing it from a friend and playing the copied cassette version over and over. Very quickly, the album was one of my preferred Costello albums and so it has remained throughout the years.
The album was met by critical acclaim and the first single "Oliver's Army" reached number #2 on the UK singles chart list, and soon also the album followed in its footsteps on the albums chart list. The American issue contained the track "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding", (soon to be a Costello staple, although written by Nick Lowe), and on the American issue this replaced the song "Sunday's Best".
The album has found its way to many best of lists including Q's "100 Greatest British Albums Ever", Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" as well as "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The 1993 remastered Extended Play issue (on Demon Records) contains a mix of the EU and the US version of the original (making the original album a 13 track album) with the addition of 8 bonus tracks enlisted as the Extended Play content. First track of the bonus content is a marvellous version of "My Funny Valentine" - I think inspired both by the Chet Baker version but also the appraised Robert Wyatt cover of Costello's own "Shipbuilding", making it a very delicate and haunting piece with much jazz feel. Then follows four tracks that have been associated with the American-only release Taking Liberties from 1980, which includes the songs #15-18, ending with three live songs - a beautiful semi-acoustic live version of "Accidents Will Happen," the fine "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives." All in all, a more than adequate re-issue from Demon with a running time above 63 minutes, and when enlisting the highlights I have enlisted all tracks as they're all more than just ordinarily good. There are simply no fillers on the 21 tracks extended edition.
Armed Forces is perhaps the strongest contender to Costello's finest album, and it's surely one of the best of '79 and naturally, highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]
The album was one of the very first I encountered with Costello. I recall borrowing it from a friend and playing the copied cassette version over and over. Very quickly, the album was one of my preferred Costello albums and so it has remained throughout the years.
The album was met by critical acclaim and the first single "Oliver's Army" reached number #2 on the UK singles chart list, and soon also the album followed in its footsteps on the albums chart list. The American issue contained the track "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding", (soon to be a Costello staple, although written by Nick Lowe), and on the American issue this replaced the song "Sunday's Best".
The album has found its way to many best of lists including Q's "100 Greatest British Albums Ever", Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" as well as "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The 1993 remastered Extended Play issue (on Demon Records) contains a mix of the EU and the US version of the original (making the original album a 13 track album) with the addition of 8 bonus tracks enlisted as the Extended Play content. First track of the bonus content is a marvellous version of "My Funny Valentine" - I think inspired both by the Chet Baker version but also the appraised Robert Wyatt cover of Costello's own "Shipbuilding", making it a very delicate and haunting piece with much jazz feel. Then follows four tracks that have been associated with the American-only release Taking Liberties from 1980, which includes the songs #15-18, ending with three live songs - a beautiful semi-acoustic live version of "Accidents Will Happen," the fine "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives." All in all, a more than adequate re-issue from Demon with a running time above 63 minutes, and when enlisting the highlights I have enlisted all tracks as they're all more than just ordinarily good. There are simply no fillers on the 21 tracks extended edition.
Armed Forces is perhaps the strongest contender to Costello's finest album, and it's surely one of the best of '79 and naturally, highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]
