Review #121: This Year’s Model, Elvis Costello & The Attractions
#121: This Year’s Model, Elvis Costello & The Attractions
This is Elvis Costello’s second album but his first with The Attractions, his new backing band. The release of this album also had an intentional misprint with a printer color bar on the right-hand side, and featured a phone number that would let sharp-eyed buyers get an Elvis Costello badge?!
The RS blurb says that this was Costello’s most “punk” album, and I don’t disagree with that. I didn’t really know anything about Elvis Costello other than that song “What’s So Funny ‘Bout (Peace, Love and Understanding).” This album is MUCH punker than that. There’s several songs about how terrible The Man is, which I just love, of course.
Elvis Costello told photographer Chris Gabrin to put on “Hotel California” by The Eagles while he was getting this cover done. According to the photographer, “[Costello] told me that he loathed the record, but wanted to look really pissed off and angry in the shots.”
Elvis Costello hates The Eagles! That’s so mean, it made me cackle.
FAVORITE SONGS:
“No Action” — Damn, girl, Elvis Costello is OVER you.
“This Year’s Girl” — You want her broken with her mouth wide open. Oof.
“The Beat” — The organ and the phone booth effect on all these songs make it sound like he’s recording at a county fair.
“Pump It Up” — Gross, double entendre! But a great song.
“Little Triggers” — What an insane voice.
“Hand In Hand” — Ooh, backwards talking!
“Lip Service” — YOU LEFT THE MOTOR RUNNING/ BUT I KNOW YOU’RE SO ATTRACTIVE.
“Living In Paradise” — What exactly is a “physical jerk”?
“Lipstick Vogue” — WOW, Elvis Costello has amazing breath control.
“Night Rally” — Short & spooky.
“Radio, Radio” — THIS is a punk song. This song made me question my whole premise, you know? Is Rolling Stone the radio, radio that’s telling me to listen to the voice of reason? This song got them banned from SNL and I’m obsessed with it.
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:
“You Belong To Me” — Obligatory “I-Didn’t-Dislike-A-Single-Song-But-I-Didn’t-Love-It-Enough-To-Let-It-Off-The-Hook-So-Easy” song.
IS RS FULL OF IT?
I was on the fence until “Radio, Radio” came on. Then I thought I better do as I’m told, I better listen to my radio.
