BrianB
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Does anyone know anything about the /new/ Costello album that Island have on their release schedule for April?
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ELVIS COSTELLO: Reviews of new Rhino re-releases (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Kevin Leonard
- Start date
Kevin Leonard
Supporting Actor
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- Mar 11, 2001
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Does anyone know anything about the /new/ Costello album that Island have on their release schedule for April?
When I Was Cruel will be released on April 23rd. This link will take you to the official site where you can find notes and a tracklisting as well as the chance to listen to a whole song off the new album:
http://www.islandrecords.com/elviscostello/
This link contains another full song from WWIC:
http://www.rollingstone.com/dds/trac...d=37450&listen
It's a return to the more hard-edged rock and pop that made him so famed in the 70's and 80's. Two of the Attractions--Steve Nieve and Bruce Thomas--will be back along with a slew of other musicians; most of these songs were played in concert a couple of years back.
Costello also has second new album--recorded with the Charles Mingus Orchestra--due out in May, I believe. And a DVD of videos and live performances as well. That last bit of info makes me particularly happy.
Scott_G
Second Unit
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BrianB
Senior HTF Member
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Ah, thanks Kevin. Last time I looked there was nothing there on the Island records page.
Kevin Leonard
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 919
THIS YEAR'S MODEL (1978)
The Album
Following the critical success of My Aim is True, Costello recorded This Year's Model amid the "Stiffs Live" package tour, which also included Nick Lowe and Ian Dury, among others. Ditching Clover, Costello recruited three musicians--keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas--who would form the Attractions, Costello's backing band on several of his later albums.
While Aim was grounded in 50's pub and roots rock, Model is heavily influenced by mid-60's rock, especially that of the Rolling Stones and countless garage bands. The Attractions added immeasurably to Costello's songs...the drums smash you mercilessly, the basslines demand your attention and the keyboards grab ahold of your ears and never let go. Costello also cut loose with his guitar playing, keeping it tight and rhythmic, yet also willing to experiment with echo, reverb and tremolo.
The opener "No Action" sets the tone for the rest of the album: tight, melodic and extremely tense, with words spilling out of Costello's mouth while the Attractions frantically play behind him. After the Beatles-meets-Ramones feel of "Action," the album kicks into the lurching drumbeat of "This Year's Girl," which features fantastic interplay between two Thomases. "The Beat" follows, which has Nieve playing sparse, disquieting keyboard fills in between lyrics.
"Pump It Up"--perhaps the album's best-known track--is like the nasty cousin of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Featuring a meaty bassline, circus-like keyboards, forceful drumming and a ragged guitar, Costello spits out word after word before he and the Attractions release the tension in an infectious musical break. "Little Trigger" is the album's only "slow" song, a piano-based ballad that helps to give listeners a breather and also shows off the Attractions' adeptness at genres other than rock. "You Belong to Me," "Hand In Hand" and "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" get us back in a rocking mood, weaving feedback, shifting melodies, snarling vocals, cascading keyboards and echo-like sound into a wonderful mix.
"Lip Service" bops along with infectious guitar-playing and handclaps, disarming the listener with its McCartney-esque pop melody; "Living in Paradise" has a charming reggae/new wave feel, which is augmented by Nieve's bouncy keyboards and Pete Thomas' nimble drumming. The furious and unrelenting "Lipstick Vogue" acts a tension-filled lead into the disturbing "Night Rally," awash in a gentle keyboard sway while Costello belts out the title over and over again before suddenly cutting off.
Instead of "Night Rally," US listeners got "Radio, Radio" as the album closer. A raging tirade against the lack of exciting and diverse music on radio stations, "Radio" pummels away the listener with Costello's desperate vocals, Nieve's nearly psychotic keyboards and Bruce Thomas' thumping bass work.
While the melodies alone would have made this album great, it is Costello's lyrics that push this album into "classic" status. Nearly all the words in sexual in nature, with rants about infidelity ("Lipstick Vogue"), masturbation ("The Beat," "Pump It Up"), being used by your lover ("Hand in Hand"), jealousy ("Living in Paradise") and refusing to let a relationship go ("No Action"). The lyrics are often lines with menacing--and often disturbing--double meanings:
Quote:
from "Hand in Hand"
If I'm gonna go down
You're gonna come with me
Quote:
from "The Beat"
Have you been a good boy
Never played with your toy?
Quote:
from "No Action"
Everytime I phone you
I just wanna put you down
Quote:
from "You Belong to Me"
Your eyes are absent, your mouth is silent
Pumping like a fire hydrant
Quote:
from "Lipstick Vogue"
Sometimes I think that love is a tumor
You've got to cut it out
Not exactly your everyday rock lyrics. A raw, fantastic second effort, This Year's Model is essential for any rock or singer-songwriter collection.
The Discs
The sound is virtually identical to the mix found on Rykodisc's version. However, three tracks have been remixed: "Lip Service," "Living In Paradise" and "Radio, Radio."
"Lip Service," which opens up with some forceful acoustic strumming, now sounds like a completely different guitar was used in the beginning. Plus, Nieve's piano has been pushed into the background, while the backup vocals sound far more prominent than in the Ryko mix.
"Living In Paradise"'s new mix has given far more attention to Costello's guitar twangs on the lines leading up to the chorus, while the drums and keyboards have been mixed slightly so they sound equal to each other.
Perhaps the biggest change is on "Radio, Radio"; Nieve's keyboards have been remixed so it sounds more "liquidy," somewhat diminishing the effect of his playing. Additionally, Costello's voice has been given an echo effect--this is none more noticeable towards the end where he sings the "you better shut up or get up" bridge. Perhaps it's because I'm so accustomed to the Ryko mix, but these three remixes were rather distracting. Those who have never heard the previous reissue shouldn't have this problem, but for those of you who do own Ryko's version, it's my humble opinion that the Rhino sound is slightly inferior to that of Ryko's.
The bonus cuts on the Rhino issue round up all the cuts found on Ryko's version: "Big Tears," which features the Clash's Mick Jones on guitar and a shimmering keyboard melody by Nieve, the frantic "Crawling to the USA" and a trio of acoustic demos for "Running Out of Angels," "Big Boys" and "Greenshirt," the latter two which would be redone for 1979's Armed Forces.
Rhino adds two more demo cuts, "You Belong to Me," which sounds like a lo-fi rockabilly song, and "Radio, Radio" which sounds very gentle and has an almost soothing quality to it...a far cry from the amped-up official version.
A pair of live tunes follow, a sinewy cover of the Damned's "Neat Neat Neat" which features the sleazy, squalling sax playing of Davey Payne (of the Blockheads) and Ian Dury's "The Roadette Song," which is given a funky, reggae-like treatment by Costello and the Attractions.
Two alternate versions of album songs are up next: a driving, pulsating rendition of "This Year's Model" (miles faster than the slower album version) and a recasting of "Chelsea," which slows the frenetic album cut down to a druggy, after-hours pace. The bonus disc closes with a Stax-like "Stranger In the House," which was originally a non-album country single that came out in 1977.
So, is this worth an upgrade? Hard to tell. The remixed sound on some songs bother me, and two of the "exclusive" cuts ("Neat Neat Neat" and "Roadette Song") are available on various compilation discs. On the plus side, this set is handsomely packaged, with detailed liner notes by Costello, rare photos, lyrics to all the songs and a half-dozen bonus tunes which are not relegated to bootleg collectors anymore.
The low price of $14 certainly doesn't hurt, especially when most single CD's are higher than that. If you have the cash, I suggest you pick it up, whether or not you have the Ryko version or not.
And kudos to anyone who made it through this entire review!
The Album
Following the critical success of My Aim is True, Costello recorded This Year's Model amid the "Stiffs Live" package tour, which also included Nick Lowe and Ian Dury, among others. Ditching Clover, Costello recruited three musicians--keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas--who would form the Attractions, Costello's backing band on several of his later albums.
While Aim was grounded in 50's pub and roots rock, Model is heavily influenced by mid-60's rock, especially that of the Rolling Stones and countless garage bands. The Attractions added immeasurably to Costello's songs...the drums smash you mercilessly, the basslines demand your attention and the keyboards grab ahold of your ears and never let go. Costello also cut loose with his guitar playing, keeping it tight and rhythmic, yet also willing to experiment with echo, reverb and tremolo.
The opener "No Action" sets the tone for the rest of the album: tight, melodic and extremely tense, with words spilling out of Costello's mouth while the Attractions frantically play behind him. After the Beatles-meets-Ramones feel of "Action," the album kicks into the lurching drumbeat of "This Year's Girl," which features fantastic interplay between two Thomases. "The Beat" follows, which has Nieve playing sparse, disquieting keyboard fills in between lyrics.
"Pump It Up"--perhaps the album's best-known track--is like the nasty cousin of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Featuring a meaty bassline, circus-like keyboards, forceful drumming and a ragged guitar, Costello spits out word after word before he and the Attractions release the tension in an infectious musical break. "Little Trigger" is the album's only "slow" song, a piano-based ballad that helps to give listeners a breather and also shows off the Attractions' adeptness at genres other than rock. "You Belong to Me," "Hand In Hand" and "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" get us back in a rocking mood, weaving feedback, shifting melodies, snarling vocals, cascading keyboards and echo-like sound into a wonderful mix.
"Lip Service" bops along with infectious guitar-playing and handclaps, disarming the listener with its McCartney-esque pop melody; "Living in Paradise" has a charming reggae/new wave feel, which is augmented by Nieve's bouncy keyboards and Pete Thomas' nimble drumming. The furious and unrelenting "Lipstick Vogue" acts a tension-filled lead into the disturbing "Night Rally," awash in a gentle keyboard sway while Costello belts out the title over and over again before suddenly cutting off.
Instead of "Night Rally," US listeners got "Radio, Radio" as the album closer. A raging tirade against the lack of exciting and diverse music on radio stations, "Radio" pummels away the listener with Costello's desperate vocals, Nieve's nearly psychotic keyboards and Bruce Thomas' thumping bass work.
While the melodies alone would have made this album great, it is Costello's lyrics that push this album into "classic" status. Nearly all the words in sexual in nature, with rants about infidelity ("Lipstick Vogue"), masturbation ("The Beat," "Pump It Up"), being used by your lover ("Hand in Hand"), jealousy ("Living in Paradise") and refusing to let a relationship go ("No Action"). The lyrics are often lines with menacing--and often disturbing--double meanings:
Quote:
from "Hand in Hand"
If I'm gonna go down
You're gonna come with me
Quote:
from "The Beat"
Have you been a good boy
Never played with your toy?
Quote:
from "No Action"
Everytime I phone you
I just wanna put you down
Quote:
from "You Belong to Me"
Your eyes are absent, your mouth is silent
Pumping like a fire hydrant
Quote:
from "Lipstick Vogue"
Sometimes I think that love is a tumor
You've got to cut it out
Not exactly your everyday rock lyrics.
A raw, fantastic second effort, This Year's Model is essential for any rock or singer-songwriter collection.The Discs
The sound is virtually identical to the mix found on Rykodisc's version. However, three tracks have been remixed: "Lip Service," "Living In Paradise" and "Radio, Radio."
"Lip Service," which opens up with some forceful acoustic strumming, now sounds like a completely different guitar was used in the beginning. Plus, Nieve's piano has been pushed into the background, while the backup vocals sound far more prominent than in the Ryko mix.
"Living In Paradise"'s new mix has given far more attention to Costello's guitar twangs on the lines leading up to the chorus, while the drums and keyboards have been mixed slightly so they sound equal to each other.
Perhaps the biggest change is on "Radio, Radio"; Nieve's keyboards have been remixed so it sounds more "liquidy," somewhat diminishing the effect of his playing. Additionally, Costello's voice has been given an echo effect--this is none more noticeable towards the end where he sings the "you better shut up or get up" bridge. Perhaps it's because I'm so accustomed to the Ryko mix, but these three remixes were rather distracting. Those who have never heard the previous reissue shouldn't have this problem, but for those of you who do own Ryko's version, it's my humble opinion that the Rhino sound is slightly inferior to that of Ryko's.
The bonus cuts on the Rhino issue round up all the cuts found on Ryko's version: "Big Tears," which features the Clash's Mick Jones on guitar and a shimmering keyboard melody by Nieve, the frantic "Crawling to the USA" and a trio of acoustic demos for "Running Out of Angels," "Big Boys" and "Greenshirt," the latter two which would be redone for 1979's Armed Forces.
Rhino adds two more demo cuts, "You Belong to Me," which sounds like a lo-fi rockabilly song, and "Radio, Radio" which sounds very gentle and has an almost soothing quality to it...a far cry from the amped-up official version.
A pair of live tunes follow, a sinewy cover of the Damned's "Neat Neat Neat" which features the sleazy, squalling sax playing of Davey Payne (of the Blockheads) and Ian Dury's "The Roadette Song," which is given a funky, reggae-like treatment by Costello and the Attractions.
Two alternate versions of album songs are up next: a driving, pulsating rendition of "This Year's Model" (miles faster than the slower album version) and a recasting of "Chelsea," which slows the frenetic album cut down to a druggy, after-hours pace. The bonus disc closes with a Stax-like "Stranger In the House," which was originally a non-album country single that came out in 1977.
So, is this worth an upgrade? Hard to tell. The remixed sound on some songs bother me, and two of the "exclusive" cuts ("Neat Neat Neat" and "Roadette Song") are available on various compilation discs. On the plus side, this set is handsomely packaged, with detailed liner notes by Costello, rare photos, lyrics to all the songs and a half-dozen bonus tunes which are not relegated to bootleg collectors anymore.
The low price of $14 certainly doesn't hurt, especially when most single CD's are higher than that. If you have the cash, I suggest you pick it up, whether or not you have the Ryko version or not.
And kudos to anyone who made it through this entire review!
Kevin Leonard
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 919
I'm bumping this thread up for anyone who wants to talk about the Costello reissues that are out right now, as well as the new batch coming out on November 19th (see below for the bonus tracks).
You can also talk about Senor Elvis' new album, When I Was Cruel, or the new compilation of Cruel leftovers, Cruel Smile. Hell, I guess you can discuss all things Costello in this thread if you want--like how he had all the best (and funny) lines in the recent "Simpsons" episode.
I'm also aware that I have some long overdue reviews for Rhino's reissues for both Brutal Youth and Blood & Chocolate. Even if you don't like to read 'em, I enjoy making you suffer through 'em!
As promised, the bonus tracks for the new Rhino re-reissues (previously unreleased tracks are in bold italics):
ARMED FORCES
1. Tiny Steps
2. Busy Bodies [alternate version]
3. Talking In the Dark
4. Big Boys [alternate version]
5. Clean Money
6. Wednesday Week
7. My Funny Valentine
8. Accidents Will Happen (live)
9. Mystery Dance (live)
10. Goon Squad (live)
11. Party Girl (live)
12. Stranger In the House (live)
13. Alison (live)
14. Lipstick Vogue (live)
15. Watching the Detectives (live)
16. You Belong to Me (live)
17. Chemistry Class (live)
IMPERIAL BEDROOM
1. The Land of Give and Take [alternate version of "Beyond Belief"]
2. Tears Before Bedtime [alternate]
3. Man Out of Time [alternate]
4. Human Hands [alternate]
5. Kid About It [alternate]
6. Little Savage [alternate]
7. You Little Fool [alternate]
8. Town Cryer [alternate]
9. Little Goody Two Shoes
10. The Town Where Time Stood Still [alternate]
11. ...And In Every Home [alternate]
12. I Turn Around
13. From Head to Toe
14. The World of Broken Hearts
15. Night Time
16. Really Mystified
17. The Stamping Ground
18. Shabby Doll [demo]
19. Man Out of Time [demo]
20. You Little Fool [demo]
21. Town Cryer [demo]
22. Seconds of Pleasure [demo]
23. Imperial Bedroom
MIGHTY LIKE A ROSE
1. Just Another Mystery Train
2. Sweet Pear [demo]
3. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4 (live)
4. Mischievous Ghost (w/ Mary Couglan)
5. St. Stephen's Day Murders (w/ The Chieftans)
6. The Other Side of Summer (live - Unplugged)
7. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (live - Unplugged)
8. Hurry Down Doomsday (live - Unplugged)
9. All Grown Up [demo]
10. Georgie and Her Rival [demo]
11. Forgive Her Anything [demo]
12. It Started to Come to Me [demo]
13. I Still Miss Someone/The Last Town I Painted
14. Put Your Big Toe In the Milk of Human Kindness (w/ Rob Wasserman)
15. Invasion Hit Parade [demo]
16. Just Another Mystery Train [demo]
17. Broken [demo]
You can also talk about Senor Elvis' new album, When I Was Cruel, or the new compilation of Cruel leftovers, Cruel Smile. Hell, I guess you can discuss all things Costello in this thread if you want--like how he had all the best (and funny) lines in the recent "Simpsons" episode.
I'm also aware that I have some long overdue reviews for Rhino's reissues for both Brutal Youth and Blood & Chocolate. Even if you don't like to read 'em, I enjoy making you suffer through 'em!
As promised, the bonus tracks for the new Rhino re-reissues (previously unreleased tracks are in bold italics):
ARMED FORCES
1. Tiny Steps
2. Busy Bodies [alternate version]
3. Talking In the Dark
4. Big Boys [alternate version]
5. Clean Money
6. Wednesday Week
7. My Funny Valentine
8. Accidents Will Happen (live)
9. Mystery Dance (live)
10. Goon Squad (live)
11. Party Girl (live)
12. Stranger In the House (live)
13. Alison (live)
14. Lipstick Vogue (live)
15. Watching the Detectives (live)
16. You Belong to Me (live)
17. Chemistry Class (live)
IMPERIAL BEDROOM
1. The Land of Give and Take [alternate version of "Beyond Belief"]
2. Tears Before Bedtime [alternate]
3. Man Out of Time [alternate]
4. Human Hands [alternate]
5. Kid About It [alternate]
6. Little Savage [alternate]
7. You Little Fool [alternate]
8. Town Cryer [alternate]
9. Little Goody Two Shoes
10. The Town Where Time Stood Still [alternate]
11. ...And In Every Home [alternate]
12. I Turn Around
13. From Head to Toe
14. The World of Broken Hearts
15. Night Time
16. Really Mystified
17. The Stamping Ground
18. Shabby Doll [demo]
19. Man Out of Time [demo]
20. You Little Fool [demo]
21. Town Cryer [demo]
22. Seconds of Pleasure [demo]
23. Imperial Bedroom
MIGHTY LIKE A ROSE
1. Just Another Mystery Train
2. Sweet Pear [demo]
3. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4 (live)
4. Mischievous Ghost (w/ Mary Couglan)
5. St. Stephen's Day Murders (w/ The Chieftans)
6. The Other Side of Summer (live - Unplugged)
7. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (live - Unplugged)
8. Hurry Down Doomsday (live - Unplugged)
9. All Grown Up [demo]
10. Georgie and Her Rival [demo]
11. Forgive Her Anything [demo]
12. It Started to Come to Me [demo]
13. I Still Miss Someone/The Last Town I Painted
14. Put Your Big Toe In the Milk of Human Kindness (w/ Rob Wasserman)
15. Invasion Hit Parade [demo]
16. Just Another Mystery Train [demo]
17. Broken [demo]
Colin Jacobson
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2000
- Messages
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