Reviews (page 4 of 8)
I really like some of the songs, some of them just get repetitive. I like Elvis Costello but I don't love Elvis Costello.
Elvis Costello dropping a hard R was unexpected Enjoyable album overall though and sounds ahead of its time
I did like this just not a ton. Its more elvis Costello. Nothing that makes ot stand out from the first record ive heard before through this site. Its more new wave retro inspired stuff. Good to listen to whole its on but not that memorable. Senior service was my favorite track here but its also seems like the least like all the other tracks. Also the bigger song peace love and understanding is pretty decent too. All the other tracks are good and go down smooth. Just not that crazy either. Just decent all around.
Kinda boring. I used to love this band but the more I listen to it as an adult, the less I connect with it
7 / 10
Album 79 Top 3 favorites off the album: Green Shirt, Sunday's Best, Oliver's Army Initial thought: his voice is like if Bob Dylan could actually pick a note, stick to it, and generally carry a tune at all. Points earned! Bop after bop after banger after jam. Oliver's Army had big ABBA vibes instrumentation-wise. I loved Sunday's Best. Very circus. Could be seasick, even. Yet another instance of having a hard time picking just 3 favorites. The album as a whole is a solid listen. It's not one you should just pick songs off of to throw on a playlist (I say, as I throw Green Shirt on my "Faves off 1001 Albums Project" playlist). Experiencing the whole thing is, to me, the only way to interact with this one. Lyrically, a totally different story. Boy, am I glad that we as a society have moved beyond government surveillance, empty relationships, widespread interpersonal and state violence, colonialism, racism, xenophobia, fascism, and other assorted societal ills! Must have been a hard time to live through. I've long wondered what it means for something to be post-punk, specifically whether it relied more on sound or lyrical content. This one feels like it's the sound that's the greater departure while maintaining the punk lyrical content. I'll do my real reading tonight. I liked this one.
Solid energetic rock effort. Not quite my favorite by then but close. Favorite track: Oliver's Army
*1979. *Only 40 mins. *I really like the style/songs, but I really don't like Elvis Costello's voice/vibe. If someone else covered these things, I think I'd dig it. RATING - 6.5/10
I enjoyed the You Never Give Me Your Money refrain to Party Girl. In general the songs are alright. I do just feel it is somewhat lacking in replay value and does it do enough to warrant a place on the list?
couple of excellent songs, but the rest in average
The other Elvis Costello album in my collection.
It sounds like an Elvis Costello record. If you’re into that, you’ll probably love it. Even the one about gooning or the two hitlers one.
Probably my favorite Costello album so far, but he still doesn’t do it for me.
Decent stuff. Elvis Costello sings funny.
If your Elvis is dead, try ours. The anniversary edition has a boatload of live performances.
I don’t necessarily feel good about thinking this is good, or that the song with the slur in it is the best one, but damn it I can’t lie to myself. Maybe you deserved a *few* albums on this list Mr. Costello, but the verdict is still out. Best song: Oliver’s Army
not bad but pretty boring
By far the most tolerable (almost enjoyable) Elvis Costello album I've listened to
Billy Joel if his voice was painful to listen to.
Álbum pop New wave bem competente. Bons vocais e arranjos. Celest Phoenixcall.
A lot of Elvis Costello albums have a handful of absolute classics, interspersed with a lot of boring filler. So it goes with Armed Forces too - "Oliver's Army" and "Two Little Hitlers", for example, among my favourite Costello tracks but there's also a lot of songs I almost never bother listening to (looking at the track listing I can barely conjure up what "Green Shirt" or "Chemistry Class" sound like).
Good album - but this is like the 30th Elvis Costello album on this list.
Place a two album cap on all artists for the next edition of your book. Yes, that includes The Beatles, Bowie, Radiohead, Zep, and this guy. If someone likes those two, they'll check out the others on their own time. This one then. The music is fine, melodies fine. Nothing overly catchy or memorable and it has a few recurring tells and ticks throughout which gives certain songs a repetitive nature. It's not always helped by the dated 80s production and sound - I know it's 79, but it feels distinctly 80s. The vocals also do not help, with Costello mouthing his words - particularly the vowels - like he's cartoonist puckering his lips. It's all very faux-cutesy and off-putting. But it's not bad. Certainly nothing anyone needs to hear, but fine. Good lyrics, somewhat unique subject matter tackled in a somewhat unique way.
It's aight
I wish there was more variety to his music. If you like it, you like it. It’s ok, but I find it too busy and he sings too much.
Oliver's Army was catchy but had a bit jump scare there. Album is a good listen to but not my thing. Don't remember anything of the guy but only remember his unique singing voice.
I think I enjoy everything about Elvis Costello's whole vibe except him as lead singer
I've never really understood Elvis Costello, I always see a picture from the late 70's and he's got the jazzmaster and I'm thinking it's going to be something in my wheelhouse but it never really grabs me. I'm sure there is something great he has done to earn a spot on this list but I am always dismayed by the time I get to the end. Not in that it's really bad or anything but just that it doesn't grab me at all when I expect it to.
Good stuff
Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? ✅
Plenty of hits, good music but nothing special 3 - deserves to be on this list
I like Costello enough but I wouldn't put this particular album on this list. The 2 singles (Oliver's Army and What's So Funny..) are great, but they're the peak of this record, the rest of it is pretty forgettable.
Very solid album. Oliver's Army is great.
it's interesting...it feels like glam rock and reggae fusion a little bit. i could NOT get through this album when i first tried to listen - now that i am getting through it its pretty good... i would say 3.5 but ill round down because it was so hard to listen to at first. oliver's army is a good song but has a little bit of a jumpscare! my favorite was probably sundays best
Not great but not bad ? Voice is mid, production and mixing not good but lyrics are fine execpt for the random slurs??? 2.5/5
Light 3,5
Some interesting ideas and creativity here. I’ve always thought EC was a little overrated but at least he has his own lane and style.
Definitely among the artists on the over saturated side of this list. This didn’t have much that stood out to me, and in general just a touch too cutesy for me to go higher than mid.
I liked it. And I wanted to like it more because I know Elvis gets a lot of love. And I want to be one of those people. But it just doesn’t hit that hard for me. What’s weird is I liked some of the songs on this but maybe not his execution. 3.25
Our 4th Elvis C. album. Surprised this will be my third 3* considering I am not really a fan. Generally meh on this album, but has a couple songs I do enjoy, so he gets another round-up rating. 3/5
As I recall from when it came out, this was a decent but not great EC album. A relisten confirmed it. We still have Imperial Bedroom in the 1,001 — my fave album of his.
how many elvis costello albums are here?
its quite nice but i love how jaunty this year's model is more. so 3.5/5
I bought this CD in the late 90s or early aughts. I like it pretty well, but if I'm wanting to hear Elvis Costello, I'm going to listen to This Year's Model. Until Saturday, I didn't realize that (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding was a Nick Lowe cover. This maybe deserves 4 stars because he writes good songs and his band is tight, but I really don't plan on spending a lot more time with this album in my life.
3.5/5 - I believe this is just the opening salvo of EC on the 1,001 list, so I'll keep my rating powder dry. I was prepared to dislike this for reasons unknown to me, but once I got past Oliver's Army, which I've heard at least 500 times too many on WXRT Chicago when I lived there, I was pretty happy. We'll see if this holds on the first 2 Elvis records, this being the 3rd, but I liked the album cuts more than the hits here. Oh, and Steve Nieve is great.
This guys a little freak isn’t he? On one hand he’s making mom rock but on the other he’s slipping in some pretty twisted shit. This has been my third Elvis Costello album and I will say he’s grown on me but I’m still not really blown away by this.
I’m never entirely certain about Elvis Costello. The music never really excites me that much, but at the same time it’s my era completely, so the sound is one I generally enjoy. There’s just something that makes me not quite get into it entirely. That’s true here. I know the singles obviously, and the sound is one I grew up with. It just never quite does it for me and a lot of it merged together and got lost in the background. I guess that if I really took the time the whole thing might grow on me. As might Elvis. But I doubt I’ll ever do that.
Another Day, another Elvis Costello album. I don’t if they’re actually getting better or I’m finally getting used to his style. I guess it’s a combination of the two. Overall this Elvis Costello album was easier to get through especially the first half. Still not a huge fan but he’s becoming tolerable…I guess.
6/10
3.5/5
It’s fine but I really don’t need to hear anyone’s full discography
Musically decent, but a little boring. Also random n-word thrown in, not cool
3/5
Fine album.
If I could give this negative stars I would
Pretty good Elvis
Solid few min tracks, I dont love nor hate Costello, this is a middle of the road listen for me.
Nothing stood out 6ish
I like the first two Elvis Costello records. By the third one it starts to get less interesting. I like the Attractions as a band, especially the bass player. Costello’s songs have a tendency to be too wordy for me.
This would be 4 but calling yourself Elvis deserves a -1
vubec mi tento interpret neni familiar, ani tu hudbu na prvni poslech neznam, ale je moc prijemna, takova vibey, catchy overall dost solid, jenze mam pocit, ze by se mi to mnohem vic libilo driv, semtam jsem z toho dostal takovej david bowie vibe etc, tedkon preferuju jiny zanry
I would have said 3.5 if I could. Amazingly talented artists and easy to listen to, it is just that nothing really jumped out to me about this one. A few songs that I've heard a lot on the radio and really enjoyed, but I honestly don't see myself queuing it up for repeated listening.
Pretty good album. Several hits. Easy to enjoy.
Another Costello album here that was fine to listen to, but I don’t really remember anything about it upon finishing..
Yeh not much to say here. For some reason all the songs gave me christmas vibes. Probably something to do with a lot of tradition christmas songs being about the war. It was fine. Nothing stood out but it wasn't bad
Elvis Costello is never a bad listen, but nothing on this album was particularly exciting either. It did do a good job getting my head bobbing though, so I will give it that.
one of his better ones
idfk man im giving so many albums 3 idk what to do. I did not hate it. then again i think it all sounded a bit like itself. URNDERSTANDING
It's alright. I recognised one song. Not a massive fan of his vocal style.
I love Veronica…is that album on this list? This is fine, which I feel like I say quite a lot about albums on this list.
Nice
I probably enjoyed this more than I thought, I know Oliver’s Army reasonably well, although not well enough to realise Elvis drops the N bomb here. Party Girl was a genuine high on the album, the production sounded good but overall, I’m not sure when I’d come back for a listen. Onwards.
Can't really get into it. Little bit dull i think?
323/1089 - This guy's 3 streak remains. Nothing more to say. Guess it's cool that I'm halfway done with his albums.
A good album, I liked (What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding the most.
I didn't get around to rating this right away, and while I was considering what to say, I got another Elvis Costello album. I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep track of these. I thought one album was very good, but who even knows which one that is anymore. It’s buried at the bottom of the Elvis Costello pile.
Might have been more open to more EC if I hadnt had this year's model 2 days ago. Some good songs but probably because I grew up with them.
Costello has made many great, great albums, but while this was the Attractions heyday, and two astonishingly good singles are present (“Oliver’s Army” and “Accidents Will Happen”) they do seem to elevate the reputation of Armed Forces a bit above that which it deserves on the whole. There is good material throughout, but he made albums in this era with material beyond the hits that scream “how was this not a single?” So yes, a solid follow up to the previous two albums, but he made several albums about this time that earn the stamp of classic more than this does.
I’m fan of music with a point. This album certainly has a highly political angle within a melodic package.
Lekker rock albumpje is dit hoor. Wel weer heel erg paint by the numbers rockabilly rock. Ik zie gewoon een gast met een vetkuif hierbij voor me; beetje als wanneer de cast van Grease besluit om muziek te maken die iets meer bij de fits past in plaats van 13 in een dozijn musicaltjak.(Geen Grease fan, excuus) Maar waar ik wel weer tegen aan loop bij Elvis Costello is dat hij voor mij de minste is van de band. Hoe de beste man de frontman is geworden, geen idee want zijn band zou echt een veel groter spotlight moeten hebben! Instrumentaal is het loeistrak, het rockt, het funkt! Maar de zang... Ik weet niet man, het is het meestal voor mij gewoon net niet. Of soms gewoon totaal niet. Het is een acquired taste en het vorige Costello album vond ik het meer passen bij de muziek, dat is nog steeds wel het geval, maar dit album vond ik meer mwah dan top. Ik ben wel benieuwd, want er staan nog iets van 5 Elvis Costello albums op de lijst die ik door moet werken, en zo te zien ben ik met de 'beste' begonnen. Ach, ik heb ook nog 8 Dylan albums te gaan waarschijnlijk. FAVO: Goon Squad, Moods for moderns, (Whats so funny about) Peace love and understanding
Why is there so m,uch fucking Elvis Costello? S'okay I suppose
Another Elvis Costello album and another feeling of: this is fun but not exactly a must listen. Olivers Army is great and i see value you in his lyrics and hooks, but ive had about 5 albums where one would do
My favourite was Oliver's Army. Quite catchy album.
I do have a soft spot for this and This Years Model. Phenomenal bass playing
Vocals are an acquired taste i think, bit tight and nasally for me. Chord progressions pretty straightforward and the ska/reggae moments dont particularly inspire me. A few catchy numbers but the album lacks a bit of musical adventurousness in my view. Thematically and lyrically its a bit more interesting but just not my cup of tea. 6/10
It wasn't as bad as the other comments made it out to be. I haven't really listened to a lot of albums of Elvis Costello yet so that's why I don't find him that overrated. There were some tracks that were mediocre but the others were fine to listen to.
I will never get Elvis Costello. This is a good album, but is it actually great?
i just dont think i like his voice :(
This album is good. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought, maybe because I had high expectations, but I've liked it overall. Some songs are not much interesting, most of them are good, but nothing is remarkable enough for me. So, I liked it, but not at the extent to make me love it.
I don't love Elvis Costello's voice, but I can say that "Busy Bodies"' guitars saved the album.
The first and only Elvis Costello album I owned was Spike. For a brief moment, my mom worked at a record store and bought me a bunch of CDs one Christmas. Apart from "Veronica," which was receiving MTV airplay, I was not moved by the album. And that is my basic experience with Armed Forces, except there are no songs that had already pierced my bubble. (Except for "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," which was only included with the album after the 1993 re-release, so it does not count.) While I do like some songs by Elvis Costello, I am generally not moved by his music or this album.
Look, I don’t dislike Elvis Costello. He’s perfectly fine. Listening to this album was a pleasant enough experience. He’s got some fun little songs. But why oh why are there FIVE more albums of his on this list?!? I know there’s worse stuff on here but plenty of good music was left off so we could listen to six full albums from Elvis Costello
Well... this is likely going to be the apex for Mr. Costello, so I guess I should be generous with my rating. In fairness, this album does have a few decent tracks, so I don't feel like I'm being completely & unjustifiably charitable - just lenient.
I would have probably really like this if I was around when it first came out. Overall I didn’t mind this, but nothing really stood out. It all blended together. I imagine that’s most of Elvis’ stuff. And I reckon I will find that out as this is the second of his album. Hesitant to give this a 3, but I will. Next Elvis album I will be less generous.
The good thing about this album is that it's interesting, but it's not my style, be it being a little bit too fast on delivery of instrumentals - instead of trying to grow, they just go, and a new one shows up so quick in the first few songs - or be it Elvis' singing style. I wonder what made authors of the book inspired to add so many albums from Elvis Costello. But still, it's not bad, it's interesting, I'll give it that.
A nice enough sounding collection of pop rock tunes but are we just glossing past the multiple references to Nazism across the album and his use of the N word in one song? Idk that was really weird and pulled me out of what otherwise would've been a higher tier British new wave album. Still not entirely my thing but not bad.
I slowly come to believe that Mr Costello made up the 1001 Albums project to support his own music. I think this is the third Album I listen to. Again, no masterpiece but not too bad either. Fav: Goon Squad
Costello album number 5. Still one to go. Way too much if you ask me. This one was musically somewhere between ok and boring. I am a bit undecided regarding the lyrics. Some are quite good, others are a bit quirky, but not in a good way.
Елвіс Костелло це загадка для мене. Багато разів я намагався слухати, але так і не зміг зрозуміти прикол цієї музики. Звісно ж це не є поганий альбом або щось таке, але і зрозуміти в чому суть я не можу.
The hits were good
A couple of all-time great songs mixed in with classic Elvis Costello jams.
I always forget about this guy. One of my friends in the uk loves him and i tried getting into Costello and this album was the closest I got to understanding the appeal. Opening and closing track are my favourites. Not bad at all.
The more this list forces me to listen to Elvis Costello’s full discography, the less I think I enjoy Elvis Costello. It’s not because it’s being shoved down my throat, though, but because, well, the deeper you go into Costello’s discography, the more you start to realize that maybe he’s not all that great as a musician or as a person. For me, Armed Forces is basically that line in the sand, where those issues start to be more apparent, and can easily distract you from the good on this record. Thankfully (or unfortunately, depending on how sick and tired of Costello you are), there are some really great songs on here– maybe some of the best of his entire career. But then there’s also songs like, “Sunday’s Best,” which, even if they’re a piss-take, are really fucking annoying to listen to, and would be the worst Costello song I’ve ever heard if I didn’t already listen to his later records thanks to this list. Really, though, the defining line starts at “Oliver’s Army,” and we all know why. Which sucks, because the album is really great if you love Costello’s style up until that point. Hell, even the song itself is great up to that point! But that slur ripped me right out. Sure, there were great songs after that point, but it’s really difficult to fully remain in love after that. And the bad songs here don’t help, and they do follow. Honestly, I think I would recommend Armed Forces if you liked Elvis Costello’s first two records. It’s kind of a combo between the two. I would not recommend moving forward from this record, and I wouldn’t necessarily say you’re 100% guaranteed to like this if you liked his first two records– which is how I feel, because, well…see above– but I think a casual fan would find tracks they enjoy here. But even if the record was better and didn’t have the bad songs and the slur, I wouldn’t say it’s different enough from his other two, more essential records to warrant its inclusion on this list. The flaws, however, make matters worse. But I can’t rate it lower because when it works, it does work, and I know what comes next is not good by any measure of the word.
This was a good album! I've never really listened to Elvis Costello but I really enjoyed this one!
Pop orientated Punk Rock reflecting New Wave.
I really thought this was going to be the one. The first 3 tracks are cracking, then it all descends into Costello’s usually slightly irritating. I know he has tried a lot of different styles in his time but somehow there is always the irritation factor, not helped by his voice. There is something smug about him. I could tolerate a Hits collection though. 2.5
A typical Elvis Costello album: simple rock/pop songs, older feel (for its time), bratty-sounding vocals. "Party Girl" is good, and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a solid cover.
What can I say, it's a typical Elvis Costello album. I enjoyed some of the songs and the overall album was pretty decent, if not very impactful to me. I feel that part of the reason Elvis Costello became a bit of a meme on here is because he doesn't just have 7 different albums, but they all sound similar to each other. I've heard 4 of them so far but none of them really sounded all too different from one another. Elvis Costello isn't a Tom Waits or David Bowie who made radical stylistic changes throughout his career. He's just a guy who makes well written pop rock songs.
Why on earth are there six Elvis Costello albums on this list? I am tempted to downvote every one of them on principle alone! Ultimately this one is okay, a reasonable showcase of his ability to write three-minute pop songs, but nothing exceptional
good for background
Decent new wave pop.
Costello continues with his 50's inspired new wave sounds, sounding as effortlessly cool as ever. However, I will say that it's just not really grabbing me. Luckily, they remembered to have hooks this go around (Imperial Bedroom was hookless), but yeah. Just not hitting my ears like Next Year's Model did. It's better than Imperial Bedroom, just Next Year's Model is my benchmark for 4s when it comes to Costello, and this doesn't hit that level. Solid album though.
Fun and easy to listen to, although I can’t see myself going back to it regularly.
It was pretty good. I like his sound, voice and vibe. But a lot of his songs sound similar.
Enjoyable with one or two top songs. Still can’t get Over the fact his voice just bugs me.
Costello number 4 and I feel the same about this one as his previous albums, there are bits that are quite good but the singing and general musical style grate too quickly and I've had enough before the album is over. Think I recognised a couple of these but I kept second guessing myself as another song would come along and I'd think maybe it's this one I actually know. So a bit of sameyness across the album too. There were a couple of decent songs, there was one with a few discordant bits that sort of reminded me of that field music album Graeme recommended. Overall though pretty forgettable, 2.5.
More Elvis Costello! This guy likes him, I kinda agree mostly too, but it's becoming clear that I don't like him as much as I thought I did after blood and chocolate. Incidentally, that is the lowest rated of his albums we've had before, yet it was my favourite.... This was all ok too, bit more poppy than what I prefer. I assume "Oliver's army" is his most famous track, it's weirdly classed as a Christmas song in my head, not sure why. Good pop song about a serious topic. Sunday best was pretty good too. As was the final track. 3, which I've given every one of his albums as I messed up be giving blood and chocolate a 3 and that being my favourite
Pretty cool. Old school vibes.
I like it when Bill Murray sang the karaoke version of "What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding" in Lost in Translation. That song alone bumps this up to a 3/5.
I quite liked it, very rock and rolly, very fun. I didn't realise I hadn't got a clear image of Elvis Costello's sound and production style.
meh, 3 stars
decent album
A decent album, a couple of well-known tracks that are good, but also plenty of filler.
His voice still bugs me the slightest bit, but I guess that's just his style. Overall there wasn't anything weird on the album but there also wasn't anything great.
I still think This Year’s Model is his masterpiece. Everything else is meh.
frekar generic rock bara.... finnst röddin hans costello ekki frábær fyrir svona tónlist
Thought that it was a good listen. Hear a mix of Dylan and Tom Petty in his vocal, and also heard lots of Beatles references within the songs like “Birthday” and “Carry that Weight” which was pretty cool. Each track felt unique and different from what came before.
Oliver's Army is a great song. The rest is also good, if a bit forgettable
I really didn't care for this one as much as his other stuff. Just didn't really do it for me. The lyrics were solid in places but nothing blew me away. Also his voice kinda annoyed me on this one. I can do his voice for about half an hour, but the extra 10 minutes had me a little annoyed.
The start caught me off guard
Better than the last costello
Some of the songs were bops, but this isn’t really my kind of thing.
I liked this better than the other Elvis Costello album
Börjar otippat bra, sen lite jobbig och repetitiv.
While not my favorite Costello record, it’s a banger. Specifically the middle of the album from Green Shirt through Busy Bodies. Pure gold. Of course, the Nick Lowe written Whats So Funny (‘bout Peace, Love & Understanding) ending the album and Accidents Will Happen at the beginning are perfect bookends. Where are the strong? Who are the trusted? Where is the harmony?
Original and thought provoking songwriting and arrangement. You can hear Elvis’s progression from his previous 2 records. More “adult” if you will, though still just as bitter. That being said, for Elvis Costello, there’s a few too many songs on this album that just don’t excite me that much, but it could just be a slow burner for me.
Det är klart att Elvis Costello är fräck och kan snickra låtar, men inte riktigt för mig.
I expected this album to be amazing, but I was wrong. "Armed Forces" turned out to be an average album. I still liked some of the songs on it. "Big Boys" is one of those tracks. I'm disappointed by Costello, who has multiple albums on this list. 3 stars for "Armed Forces".
Elvis Costello has some great tunes and the really great ones become earworms. He had a great presence within the early MTV new wavy scene, but as a full project, I don't think it's entirely strong. Side A offers up the strongest that this record has and Side B sort of lies low. I'll always love him for the SNL incident though (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)
Oliver's Army la la la la shoooooot the whole day down. Always get those two confused. Sunday's Best because he doesn't like Mondays. They were either in cahoots or competition. A lot of this sounds like someone practising vowel sounds to a cute litte tune. Ahhehhihhhohhuuuhhh. Sounds like I hate it, but I don't. It was alright, if a bit long. Unfortunately, instead of humming Costello all day, I had I Don't Like Mondays wedged in my head.
This album really had me up until they had to go and say the n word 🥸
Hard to see past the conflict of 'Oliver's Army' - what has the makings of a brilliant song is tainted. And then he spends the last track of the album ruminating over peace, love and understanding. Well, there you go. It was a better album than the last Elvis Costello album on the list. But, reviews suggest I've got quite a bit more to endure.
Early stuff.
I was excited to get this, as I've seen this LP hundreds of time in my dad's collection, and I always thought Elvis Costello was an artist that I should be paying more attention to. But truth be told, although this album is nice to listen, I was wondering if it's still relevant in 2025. Of course it has good songs, and the punkish pop approach is cool, but doesn't sound so memorable. I really liked that although being from 79 it already has a 80s sound, which can be perceived in the structure of songs like Goon Squad or Moods for Moderns. Also, elephants are cool! Listening notes: Canciones como Goon Squad o Moods for Moderns me han sonado en estructura a hard rock 80tero, lo cual está guay. Por lo demás un disco que se puede oir pero no sé yo qué vigencia tiene en 2025.
Listened to this album while detailing cart 51 at the Ranch. Good vibe, great way to start the 1001 albums.
Dette har nok inspirert mye av musikken jeg liker i dag. Men også noe som er mindre kult på plata, men overall positiv.
Ahead of its time rock with 50’s pop style vocals that are very rocking. His voice reminds me very much of Lenny Kravitz.
5/10
Ah.... fine. His voice is a bit weird / annoying after a while. Can't remember any of the songs.
I'm not the biggest Elvis Costello fan, but it is a solid album with some classics from him that I do enjoy.
nice enough but I don't really like his voice
3-4
3 08.03.2025
Bro said the N word 😳
Still not sold on Elvis Costello, but I did like this one Quite frankly my favorite song on the album was the track added to the US version, and it wasn't even written by him (7.63) ★★★½
It's good, but I don't really get the hype with Elvis Costello. 3.5 stars
It's ok
I gave it a chance, it's just not my thing!
I'm honestly unsure how I feel about Elvis Costello. I got another one of his albums before, and ended up turning it off because I felt so unsure about if I liked it or not, and that was honestly distracting to me. Listening to this album now once through leaves me with more questions than answers. I'm giving this a tentative 3/5, since it's not bad, I just......don't know if I get it? I feel like there is a lot going on with this album, especially in the lyrics, that I need to look into more. I will definitely be coming back to this so I can write a real review.
Decent, but not something which will stick with me for too long. I think it lacks the interesting musicality of some of his other albums.
Fun album
It’s ok, isn’t it? Like his debut better, though. Oliver’s Army and Goon Squad are good. And mots of great bassing all over
Sounds like Elton John, but I like Elton John better. Witty lyrics and geek sound. Could be an album that I learn to love
It’s fine
Are people here really getting filtered by Elvis Costello? This is perfectly solid music, and I'd take it over any of the endless Bowie slop this list loves.
Still a classic all these years later.
By far the best of his albums on this list. Accidents will happen and Olivers Army being the standout tracks.
Not bad, not my favorite Elvis Costello. Olivers Army is the standout to me. 1-2 songs sounded too much like circus music
Well, he's nothing if not consistent. This is a 3. Again.
Decent album. Liked listening to it, but didnt love it Standout songs: Green Shirt
A letdown from his first 2 albums, but still pretty good.
not as bad as expected, but "goon squad" is unintentionally hilarious in 2025.
I could be wrong but it seems that Mr. Costello really likes clenching his throat when he sings. And he focused so much on consonants. Sounds a bit contrived. Music wise, it’s ok. They’re making efforts to entertain.
man, for as much flak that i've given Elvis Costello, I actually had more fun with this album than i thought. the poppy departure from his hyper-stylized punk i think worked in his favor, and some of the songs i found myself jamming to. probably a high 2, low 3. dont really see myself going back to it... but i guess theres a higher chance with this album versus any other we have listened to
I’m not entirely sure about the need for this many Elvis Costello albums, maybe I’m just ignorant but it seems like a lot. Pretty much par for the course with his music: sounds like the guy from That Thing You Do and there’s like two songs of his that I like, neither being on this album. Between a two and a three, I’ll go three to keep my personal average at a 2.5.
I'm finding Elvis Costello increasingly "decent". He's a very "just alright" artist. Third album of his and it pretty much follows in the same vein. There's the odd really good track (this one's being 'Oliver's Army') followed by some "just alright" tracks. There's a pretty cool idea and some more "just alright". There's a catchy hook or melody followed by something "just alright" yet again. If you took all the best bits from Costello's first three albums (the three that I have now reviewed) you'd probably have yourself a damn good five star rated classic. Unfortunately I find him a little hit and miss to be considered a great and this album is no exception. His records are pretty fun, easy to listen to and at times fairly interesting, but for me personally, he's definitely someone you have to be in the mood to listen to.
najbolja pjesma "oliver's army" u kojoj me podsjetio na b. dilana ne samo glasom kao u ostalim pjesmama nego i odabirom određene riječi koju je rimovao sa trigger hahahaha. ovo ostalo je čisti rok prosjek, kao i njegov album koji sam prethodno slušao. ni vanredno dobro ni vanredno loše. al jako fora omot! slonovi!
♫ Listening to "Party Girl" by Elvis Costello & The Attractions (Armed Forces (Remastered 2020), 1979) ♫
Its alright
It was ok
this was fine. i'm not going to be clamoring for more elvis costello. his voice is kind of cool?
2.6 3x catch up week of 11/17 catchy and different than i expected
Hade förväntningar. Det var pop. Första låten var bra. Hörde jag n ordet. Det var konstigt.
Jaha..Costello har visat sig rätt medioker. Denna skiva var dock snäppet bättre än tidigare. Dock inte upp till en fyra.
Det är Elvis Costello, det är samma som vanligt, det är en trea, det är lika obegripligt att han har så många plattor på den här listan.
Still not a big Costello fan. Maybe I will never become one. But it’s ok to listen to his records once.
Some decent tracks but didn't grab me
Another album by Elvis Costello to feel I should like more than I did… really like Oliver’s Army but the rest didn’t leave much trace. 3.5.
It's some of the music of all time
I feel like I should like this more, but it's just not clicking; Except Oliver's Army - great song.
This was a solid rock/new wave album! They definitely have a unique sound that sounds both modern and old fashioned at the same time. I would definitely pick this album up again and recommend others to check it out!
How many albums does he have on this list. I'm going to give it a shot but that's what crossed my mind the second this came up. Maybe I've just gotten a lot close together. For the first time in my life I've heard an album and gone "did this influence the boomtown rats?". Seems like they were contemporaries to this album so it could go either way. This is pretty interesting on the sound choices. It's got an upbeat vibe while also trying to sound a bit more grandiose in moments. I like this more than some of his other work. I don't know if it's incredible but it's good and there's a lot it is doing right.
I have once again rolled my eyes seeing Elvis Costello pop up and slapped my forehead involuntarily. Okay, this one is softening me up. There is something here. Every listen I find something. I'm not sure personally that I can fully get over his voice, but this is a decent album. Poppy songs that don't over stay their welcome. I don't know why but Sunday's Best kept drilling into my brain. I briefly considered a 4. This is the first one of his that I can understand why it's on the list.
Fine.
I might have groaned when I saw Elvis Costello pop up again today... after 'Brutal Youth' a few months ago, I decided that Elvis has a certain style that may be unique, but mostly comes off as annoying. My opinion hasn't really changed after giving this one a listen.' There are some highlights: "(What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace..." is a well-made and fun track, and I also liked the riff in "Goon Quad". The slurs in "Oliver's Army" came out of nowhere and are definitely an interesting songwriting decision, but I guess they work(?) As a whole, the production quality felt lacking, and Elvis's voice mostly came off as pretentious. Please, 1001 Albums, no more Elvis C...
First song and I was jamming. But it did get a little old. Idk. very modernist, but somehow not super deep? Good musical ideas but not explored enough for me.
MAYBE I would score this higher on another day, but not today. It was just okay.
Laatste nummer wel lachen, maar ook veel echt heel mid. Leuke titels
This was a fine listen overall, but none of the Elvis Costello albums have sold me on the fact as to why he needed to be on this list 4 times at least so far. *sigh*
Decent album altogether with one or two very good songs
I found this album pretty bland and I’m not convinced I’m a fan of Costello’s style of singing, a bit grating to me. Didn’t hate it but didn’t especially like it.
Elvis Costello is an artist that I respect without being a massive fan of his music. I always find the lyrics are the best element and can be unexpectedly challenging. They are politically hard hitting but wrapped up in such a palatable presentation they can sometimes run under the radar. Undeniably an influential album but not one for my personal favourites list.
I only really liked one track: "Accidents Will Happen". I was sort of into "Party Girl". The rest is just OK.
I struggle a bit with Costello. Something about his singing and songwriting just doesn't la d for me sometimes. That said, hearing an entire album of his music helps me frame it in a way that I can see the appeal more.
Sometimes he is pretentious and overbearing so I can only take it in small doses.
I thought this was fine and also problematic
Costello tried to fight Len’s 4th wife, Belinda. She was a hard lady. Very firm. She really stood right up to him. ‘Oh yeah Elvis, you and who’s army?’ Without a moments thought, Len piped in and said ‘Oliver’s?’ Diffused the situation in a second! We fell about laughing, Belinda almost soiled herself. But that’s Len Houmous for you - the quick witted hero! 3.2
was surprisingly good
Some stand out tracks that have stood the test of time but overall, fairly samey. Love piano in tracks and Oliver’s Army has that and really adds something
Not listened to the other EC albums yet but surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Even a couple of songs where his singing didn’t grate as much as usual.
A sort of nothing artist that doesn’t really add much to any music genre or offer anything meaningful in his songs. I quite liked bits of this album and think it deserves a generous 2.5
There's some solid tunes on this album with some smaller moments and shifts that do a good job at getting me to lean in, as is usual with his music. I definitely dug the political lyrics too, even if a random "n-word" caught me off guard. I can't help but feel a bit turned off to it though because Elvis Costello is so heavy on this list. I just checked and this is the 6th time that he's on it and he's a nice songwriter and all but do we say things like "The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Elvis Costello?" The songs are good, the production is tight.. my expectations are just a bit off and I don't want to judge this based on that, but I don't know if I would have rated it too differently from this anyway. I do think that he's an artist where his stuff gets better the more you listen to it.
A lovely musing on life and relationships.
I think overall I feel positive about Costello’s work, but I’m just not sure I would ever choose to listen to his albums outside of this list.
This is probably the best Elvis Costello record on the list, or, at least, it was the one that I was the least annoyed by.
Another listen that ended up being unexpectedly cool and fun! Big fan of Costello’s writing in both melody and lyrics. Fun and upbeat tones that remind of a 50’s pop vibe, and are also weirdly modern sounding. Really liked the production and thought that over all it’s a very cohesive piece of work. Feels inventive and crazy and that adds a lot to the almost post-war music vibe that’s going on. Fav Track: Green Shirt
Two belting songs I practically grew up with, and the rest isn't too shabby either. Watch out for these lads...
I liked it well enough. Had me bobbing my head and pretty into the music. Hearing social commentary from the time is also interesting to me. The slur did, like others have said, caught me off guard. I did immediately look up the context though. This perjorative phrase was used against Irish Catholics, and I believe the point of his use was to call attention to their mistreatment at the time. All that said, I don't really think it's much to write home about. Important, some may argue, but just okay in my opinion
Not as enjoyable as the other EC albums on here, but still solid.
Starting to feel like these Costello albums are akin to different bottles of flavored water.
My disappointment was immeasurable when I found out Elvis Costello was a British white guy doing shitty new wave and not an awesome black Jazz Trombonist as his name might suggest. This guy really isn't for me, Goon Squad is the only song I liked off the album and I'm pretty sure that's only cause I'm a Platinum Puller on Jerkmate Ranked. 5/10
I enjoyed it more than I expected. There was a bit of pop sheen (but not too much) on what I expected to be all punk fire and brimstone. Not something I’ll go back to frequently but still a fun listen.
I've come to the conclusion that Costello's sarccasm-made-catchy brand of songs only really clicks when they're either really catchy, or really powerfully sarcastic. Unfortunately, even Elvis is not very strong at his own game, leaving about half of each of his albums to be full of just-alright duds, only occasionally landing a real blow.
This was pretty weak. I HAAATED the first song thought id give it a 1 but then it got better thankfully. Still find his voice annoying. It is worth a very weak 3 though
How many times do we have to go through this, Costello? You’re MID.
Decent rock album but it never grabbed me
3.5/5
It’s like Elvis Costello is the greatest musical genius of every generation according to this list. Enough is enough. Peace love and understanding is a good tune. Three average stars.
Ok. Love Oliver's Army
Nothing particularly impressive but I did not hate it either. His voice is too clear, which makes you pay attention to the lame ass lyrics. Stand-out: Accidents Will Happen
i just have a hard time understanding why he needs to put something racist on every album
I must admit my heart sank when I saw another Elvis Costello album today … but this is pretty good. Oliver’s Army is a great tune, and it isn’t alone here. However, there is a bit of filler, and if there was one less of this and one more good song then I think it would be a 4. As it is it’s a 3, but a high one.
Seems I'm not alone in really wanting to enjoy Elvis Costello, but I apparently don't like him beyond This Year's Model. This is probably the last of his albums that I can stomach, but barely.
I find Elvis costello’s music pleasant if not always groundbreaking. I liked this, didn’t love it. First couple of songs are my faves!
Not that into him
★★¾
This album is consistently good with standout singles. You can see Elvis growing as a songwriter here. Liked Songs Added: Accidents Will Happen Oliver's Army (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
Costellolta taas varsin laadukasta pop-rockia. Kolmoseen jää kuitenkin kun mikään ei salaman lailla iske selkäpiihin.
My second Costello album in a row. Just like yesterdays this is mid tier. Decent enough but nothing extraordinary.
Hmm... OK. So I like Elvis Costello and looked forward to the album. Yet while it was as expected, I felt a kind of creeping thought that "wow, this guy is very distinct and unique." Nothing wrong with that as a rule, but suddenly I had that same old same old "song after song" feeling as he doesn't do a lot of changing up or variance in his singing style. I like when a singer goes from a sort of spoken word to soaring melody or from (say) a country twang to an urban growl... Maybe I felt a little almost "bored" after a while with this album. Still like Elvis Costello, just maybe, as a lot of bands it seems, in smaller doses?
I don't know what to think about Elvis. This is #4
[7/10]
3.5. This is one of his best albums.
Costello is a bit of a Greatest Hits guy for me, but this is a solid batch of songs.
There’s just no need for this when we already have My Aim is True and This Year’s Model. Not bad, much more poppy. A pretty good listen but nothing really stood out to me. High 3. Also did he say the n word?
I've surprisingly never listened to Elvis Costello ever so it was a cool exercise to listen to this full album. I enjoyed it. Nothing was a standout, but the songs were pleasant and I could see myself listening to these at home. I wish I could give this a 3.5 because it's not quite a 4 but it's not middle of the road like some of the others.
I think that these guys can be fun and make a catchy song, but I also don't feel like I'm too invested in these songs. They feel so brief and fast I could barely register what was happening in some of them. Probably one to relisten but as it stands it's ok
I don't hear anything special in this. Maybe it was revolutionary. If so, it doesn't impress now that it's out of its time.
# 410 : They've done a pretty decent job, good album, I like the hit(s) of course, But Elvis Costello is over rated and I find him rather beige. Honourable Mention : Oliver's Army
This was alright
Too many Costello albums on this list.
It's fine. I think I like Elvis Costello singles more than whole albums.
yeah good like
I was surprised this came out in 79, not the mid-90s. Still, entirely forgettable music
This was surprisingly good from start to finish. So close to a 4. 3.95
76% Best: Oliver’s Army; Party Girl; Moods For Moderns Must-Hear? Not quite
had some decent tracks
Good, if overrated.
So I don’t have a lot to say about this one. I like Elvis Costello but I don’t love his voice. So for a pop rock band to have a singer who is just ok makes those songs that are not catchy hit songs even more forgettable. This album just kinda disappointed me, I was excited for what it was gunna sound like cause it has a GREAT album cover. But ultimately I just wasn’t really blown away. Perfectly in the middle not bad and not great just kinda forgettable. Weak 3/5
Solid album, no real weak spots, lots of interesting melodic and rhythmic choices. The only thing is I'm not sure how often I'd feel the urge to put this one on, but I'm also not sure how much it should be penalized for that since I suspect that's going to be an issue with most of the albums in this list.
One of the best elephant-themed album covers ever. And yea, it's a good album.
Nothing stood out except for when he used the N-word.
Didn't mind this.
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would!
Artisti ei vain rakasta omaa ääntään - hän oikein makustelee sillä. Vaikka tämä tekee levyn kuuntelusta astetta hankalampaa, minun on myönnyttävä: EC keksii oikeasti ihan kiinnostavia (ja nautintoa tuottavia) melodian ja soinnun yhdistelmiä (eli biisejä). Ainakin kolme ekaa, Goon Squad ja vika jäävät mieleen.
It’s an excellent Elvis Costello sound with surprisingly politically-charged lyrics. It’s not iconic like albums bookending it, but it’s better than other Elvis Costello albums on this list. And it’s New Wave, so yay!
Wasn't expecting an n-bomb. Perfectly good album. 3-3.5
at first i was like 'pub rock', but then by the end i was like 'pub rock!'
01) Accidents Will Happen - 7,0 02) Senior Service - 7,0 03) Oliver's Army - 7,5 04) Big Boys - 6,5 05) Green Shirt - 7,5 06) Party Girl - 7,0 07) Goon Squad - 6,5 08) Busy Bodies - 6,5 09) Sunday's Best - 7,0 10) Moods for Moderns - 6,5 11) Chemistry Class - 6,5 12) Two Little Hitlers - 6,5 13) (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,85 (69/100) Current ranking: 282/419
Tu odwrotnie, niż z Led Zeppelin. Najpierw nie przypadł mi do gustu ten album. Teksty mi się podobały, ale to szumiące w tle, dosyć ubogie brzmienie mnie irytowało. Brzmiało to jak kiepska produkcja. Ale potem przesłuchałem tego ponownie jakieś dwa razy i jakoś zaczęło to coraz lepiej siedzieć. "Senior Service", "Goon Squad" i "Peace, Love and Understanding" bardzo mi zapadły w pamięć. Zwłaszcza ten ostatni kawałek, bo przy drugim przesłuchaniu zdałem sobie sprawę, że jeden z moich ulubionych zespołów z czasów liceum, A Perfect Circle (side-project wokalisty Tool), coverował ten utwór na jednej swojej płycie. To wciąż nie jest dość, żeby dać temu cztery, bo ta jakość dźwięku (zamierzona, jak mniemam?) jednak mi nie odpowiada. Ale przekonałem się do tego albumu i może jeszcze zdarzy mi się do niego wrócić. Side-note: w jakiś niezrozumiały sposób kojarzy mi się to z The Smiths, chociaż w teorii nie brzmią podobnie. Ale momentami wywołują we mnie podobne emocje.
I would like to give it higher score but the music quality is so bad. Did he record it underwater? Why is everything sounds so muffled? Like lyrics and singing are quite decent and it's his third album. I thought my headphones were broken.
This was fine. Nothing extraordinary.
This was a more enjoyable Elvis Costello album for me. The tighter pop-rock production really hit the right vibe for me
It’s ok
Yeah like he's alright and that
I'm really not bothered by Elvis Costello. It all sounds very much the same. He seems like a really nice turned-on guy. I think we just have different tastes, is all.
Elvis Costello has generally be a good discovery (for me) on the 1001 list, but 6 albums??!! That's enough for the book. Anyway, I did like this one, Oliver's Army is the highlight.
Random thoughts: * I always thought Elvis Costello was kinda nerdy cool. I want to like Elvis Costello. * This was a pleasant listen. I would pick it up and listen again.
Är det fjärde skivan jag får med denna överskattade artist? Här kommer han dock undan med äran i behåll.
Accidents Will Happen, Oliver's Army, What's so funny... were all great then it was diminishing returns for me
tääkin iha
Bien
Always fun, that other Elvis.
One if the better Elvis Costello albums.
Maybe the most I've enjoyed Elvis Costello so far - though I'd still say I'm not won over. Songs like 'Oliver's Army' and the bubbly 'Big Boys' were obvious highlights, but it wasn't long before Elvis' tedious vocals and lyrics started getting to me. 'Goon Squad', for as grand as it yearns to be, is far too cluttered for my liking, I'd say that's true for a good chunk of the songs here. It was still one of the better songs, certainly better than 'Party Girl' and the painfully uninteresting 'Busy Bodies'. It's art rock that is simultaneously not artsy enough to be interesting but too artsy to be fully tolerable. What's left is a decent listen, yeah, but god, it's all so disorienting and messy. It still does have that Costello colorful presentation going for it, which I always somewhat enjoy.
Mid. I hate this album cover.
I schold listen more of EC
It's fun to listen to piano rock like this, and the chords are nice. But every song sounds much the same as the last to me.
Fresh sound but a bit boring
Despite not being an Elvis Costello fan, this album is actually pretty good, possibly his best. Lots of very hooky songs that will stay in your head for days. Key tracks: Accidents Will Happen Senior Service Oliver's Army
Very Elvis Costello and very hummable, but kinda all the same note. Three stars.
Classic
Voces disonantes en las primeras canciones. Al final mejoran.
Fine, easy listening but nothing jumping off the record.
Armed Forces, just like all of Elvis Costello's album is a decent album but doesn't exactly go all the way. This one seems to be much closer in line to how i remember This Year's Model sounding (which makes sense considering the two albums only came out a year apart). This album also really makes me remember how cheesy a lot of Costello's lyrics are and i do think that they can be pretty charming at point and do work well with the music that's being played by The Attractions which i also think sounds pretty good. I don't believe that this album made a huge impression on me but it still remains a decent listen. Best Song: Goon Squad Worst Song: Accidents Will Happen
3.2 - It was okayyyyyy. His other album was a lot better personally, but I was trapped in the car really needing a wee. So his voice was a bit irritating
First few tracks are cool. Oliver's Army has good earworm value. Then for me it really tales off, not much more of any significant substance. 2.7/5
Too Gen X for me by far. I've got nothing against Costello but Tom Petty's whining is more tolerable.
Oliver's Army slaps, as for the rest of this album it simply does not compare.
6/10… new wave / power pop