Armed Forces

An enjoyable album, nothing too special here but still got its moments

I've listened to a few of Elvis Costello's albums and they all sound... the same? Not particularly fond of his voice which I know he can't do anything about, but his music all kind of sounds the same. Not great, but also doesn't make me want to raise the volume, either. 6/10.

Kinda a weird dude

Some great pop rock songs, but a bit too bland for me.

4/13, 31%

🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ mm meh

This was alright. I’ve never listened to Elvis Costello before so I was eager to get in my car and start listening. It felt somewhat repetitive to me but I didn’t hate it. I just can’t see myself listening to it again. Not a big fan of his voice. The only standout track for me was "Moods for Moderns," and I think that’s because it reminded me of Talking Heads.

Not his best period, but a great songwriter

Yeah idk about this one

Oliver’s Army

I just had Randy Neuman surprising me with a certain slur and now Elvis Costello. Does one word ruin an otherwise good song? I mean yeah, kind of. Does it ruin the whole album? No I don't suppose so. I have never listened to an Elvis Costello album all the way through and now I get the hype; I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Musicalement c'est bon, et la production est très bonne. Je pense que mon principal problème avec Costello est son chant, soit dans la voix ou son style de mélodie, mais je ne vois pas comment certains trouvent sa musique unique, ça sonne très rock safe à mon oreille.

3.5. Really great

Reminded me of scrubs.

Timeless classic and very enjoyable.

Not bad, just a little dull for me. Not a fan of his voice though which doesn't help

Fun

.ok, voice a tad much

Elvis had one great album in him and he got it out of the way with My Aim is True. After that he got eaten by his giant ego and pretty much everything else he did was pap. It's not that his stuff was terrible, it was just kind of mundane. I always wondered what would happen if you got Elvis's and Van Morrison's egos together - probably some kind of fusion chain reaction that could destroy civilization.

Was okay, some lovely parts.

ok kinda middling - may be a grower

My palate is not sophisticated enough to truly appreciate Elvis Costello's catalog. Is it blue or periwinkle? My Aim is True or This Year's Model? Which are both better than this.

The lyrics were pretty odd and the music itself was meh.

This is the 3rd Elvis Costello album coming past on my list, and I'm only 140 albums in. Side A has two highlights: opening song "Accidents Will Happen", with its lovely melody, and Party Girl, a somewhat languid song, different from the rest of the album with some nice piano work. On the B-side, Busy Bodies in particular stood out, with a faded intro, uptempo and this albums characteristic organ; again that fresh new wave atmosphere. And yet, the other songs do much less for me, even after repeated rotations. While at the same time, they do rise above the average, I hear that. I don't really understand why they bore me faster than most of the songs on the other 2 albums I've heard. This album is a great, fresh, up-tempo and razor-sharp produced record, to which I nevertheless and to my surprise can only award 3*

i like positive songs

Não me pegou muito, legalzinho só.

Jolly. I really like the album cover (with the title)

Enjoyed it more than other Costello albums

Upbeat but a bit samey

Elvis Costello is just not my thing, but I do think his writing is good.

Denne Elvisen sin stemme irriterer meg litt, når han tydelig gjør til stemmen sin. Synes det er mye kule sekvenser, men så bytter det kjapt over til at noe annet skjer. Skulle gjerne strippet det ned litt, så melodien og hovedtemaene er tydeligere. Ser for meg at dette blir bedre jo mer man hører på det, hvor man klarer å sortere ut melodien bedre. Favoritter: "Peace, love and understanding", "Green shirt" og "Olivers army" - gladsang med tydelig melodi. Har lyst til å gi den 2.5.

This is Elvis Costello's third album and the backing band is The Attractions. This album's music is more commercial, which results in a pop / new wave sound instead of Costello's past albums of punk rock. This album is considered one of Costello's best, and it received many favorable reviews. The production of every song is superb and Costello's lyrics shine through to bring it all together. This was an awesome album to listen to, because the smart, political lyrics give your mind something to think about while your body is dancing to the beautiful pop music.

Similar to the last Elvis Costello album, it doesn't feel like there's anything particularly unusual going on, just good solid songs. I'm definitely more of a fan of his thanks to the generator. The first and last few songs are really strong (the version of Peace, Love & Understanding being the highlight) but there's some more average stuff in the middle. 3.5

Few very good songs and a fair bit of average.

Some good songs and some average but a not bad listen

So, yeah racial epitaphs They weren't ok then, still not ok. Makes it difficult to objectively judge the music. Part of the problem is time and place change and I can't know what the context was without Elvis giving an explanation. From a perspective 30 yrs in the future, they seem out of place and unnecessary in the context of the rest of the lyrics.

3 stars. I just can’t get in to Elvis Costello. I tried. Maybe when I’m older and more wise?

This is now my 2nd Costello album and it's fine. I don't get why this guy is on the list so much. The music is okay but it never really felt challenging at all. The songs just feel a bit bland and meld together.

Good

Armed Forces by Elvis Costello and The Attractions (1979) Elvis Costello’s third album, Armed Forces (1979) is not quite as good as his debut album My Aim Is True (1977) or even close to his next release This Year’s Model (1978), because, in my view, it tries to do too much and still make a broad appeal to mainstream listeners. It’s too pop. The record has been described as “a cross between The Clash and Abba”, which is apt, but I wish he had left both The Clash and Abba out of it (and David Bowie while we’re at it), and just given us Elvis Costello. Lyrics (with the exception of “Oliver’s Army”, which is excellent) don’t have the ‘edge’ of either his earlier albums or his later Imperial Bedroom (1982). His backing band, The Attractions, seems willing to follow Costello wherever he wants to go, and they do it with skill, if not passion. “Hey, guys, as long as we’re getting paid to do pop, let’s do good pop.” But I can’t imagine they were all completely happy about it. It’s no wonder the atmosphere was tense as they toured these tunes in America. And Costello’s use of highly offensive language aimed at the Irish (in “Oliver’s Army”) to drunkenly insult James Brown and Ray Charles didn’t help matters. I won’t go into details. Now the most representative track on the album is the very good song, “Oliver’s Army”, which ponders the internal contradictions and sundry miseries swirling in the minds of young men who find themselves serving in the British armed forces in the late 1970’s (full disclosure: This reviewer spent the mid-1970s in the US armed forces, so that may account for some of the appeal here.) It treats a serious subject in a pop vein, which I think is Costello’s point in this album as a whole. But this song is the only one that does it well. And it does it very well. Without this track, Armed Forces would not rate a 3/5. So the record falls short as pure pop. On some tracks (especially “Accidents Will Happen”), chord progressions and meter are all over the compositional map, even though they are well executed. Hard for kids to follow. Hard for adults to swallow. In short, the album is good (barely), but at the same time it’s perplexing and disappointing. I was hoping for better. 3/5

I'm cautious with yet another Elvis Costello album, as so far they have all been passably average. This, at least, has Oliver's Army on it, which is above average. It's probably the best of the three(!) Costello albums this far. Still very much Everton rather than Man City though - OA and the Nick Lowe cover at the end are the highlights, and between this, there are good, more piano led cuts which don't drag, even if they don't blow you away.

Meh

bättre än elvis costello, men det kanske fortfarande inte är det bästa jag vet.

bit better than the "My Aim is True" for sure. not bad album but I won't relisten it soon; 3-

I enjoyed the last couple of tracks?

I’ve liked Elvis Costello going way back: I don’t think this is his best and forebodes his being another artist who is frustratingly over-represented on this list. His worse tendencies as a writer are on display here: over-written lyrics that fall short as songs per se, resulting in a kind of plodding delivery.

3 1/2

some classics on there. Glad i listened to this.

Concept album, mediocre

Too poppy for my taste, but not bad otherwise. 2.5/5

Did I just hear the n-word?

nondescript

Estilo y voz muy definidos. Especie de mezcla entre pop y rock suave, algo de rockabilly. Buenos temas, pero un tanto parecidos entre sí

Not exactly my cup of tea

promises fun! 3. not my favorite e costello, but great, high energy music overall.

I'm not super familiar with this particular Costello album, I mostly know it as the one with (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding and that song where Costello drops the N bomb. It's pretty good. I would call it mid-tier Costello. A little too smooth to be the top of the barrel for his early work, but it's got some serious highlights.

Elvis Costello is known. His compositions are quite good.

Pop. No está mal

Familiar in places and fun, but not one I'll go back to

First of all, the album cover is EPIC as all hell. It doesn’t open very epic though as the first song “Accidents Will Happen” is kind of a throwaway. “senior Service” is a bit more danceable and then you get the epic feel finally on track three with “Oliver’s Army”. Fave tracks: “Goon Squad” “Green Shirt” “Oliver’s Army”

Okay

The third Elvis Costello album we got and another 3 stars from me. Unlike the other two, Spotify has a remastered version of this one. That helps a lot, considering my main criticism of the other two was horrible production. Most songs on here were decent (and with very good vocals) but unremarkable. Sunday's Best and Moods For Moderns stood out as being annoying, but that's cancelled out by (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding being a five-star song.

A rockstar that has lots of songs (that sounds) the same.

Good album didn't love it but was easy to listen to

eerste is wack, latere zijn beter

Not my cup of tea. Loved the piano on some of the tracks. Poppy yet niche. A fun album.

Not a big Elvis Costello fan, but got further in this album than other previous listening attempts. Just can't get past his nasal delivery, and his song writing seems to come more from the head than the soul.

Half geluisterd, best aardig, maar toch niet echt voor mij.

Costello overkill, dus niet geluisterd.

Het algoritme probeert ons te bekeren tot Elvis Costello. Ik heb een zwak voor het laatste nummer, verder kon ik deze plaat beter hebben dan die van gisteren. Over het algemeen vind ik Elvis Costello prima te hebben maar soms gaat die stem me ineens tegenstaan.

It's alright. Not my favorite album but its decent. Dudes supposed to be woke, but throws around the n-word? one of those weird things that show times have changed for the better. Outside of that it's alright.

Fairly indifferent about this one, neither great nor bad, just bang average

I don't like some of the things I've heard about Elvis Costello as a person, but this is a good album. 3.5, almost 4, but not quite pulling the trigger on that high of a rating yet.

Production-wise very polished. However I really am not into the vocals, which is likely a huge draw for fans of Elvis Costello. I will say it does not sound like 79, it sounds late 90s/early 2000s to me. I can see why people would like it. Kind of reminds me of Prince for some reason. I checked out the music video for Oliver's Army and for some reason watching him makes me like it more, probably cause he has a such a nerdy look that it feels a bit more fun. I could see if I listened to his whole catalog I'd get more into it and go higher, but for now I think 3 is fair.

Очень нормально

Heard before. I like EC, but even though this is one of the “biggies”, it doesn’t land as well as some of the others, either the slightly punkier early ones or the more expansive later ones. Still enjoyed it.

Why are there so many Elvis Costello albums on this list? He’s good at best but never great. Some good songs on this one but nothing that blew me away

Anti-disco in the throughs of the disco era. A rocker when the money was going to others. Not the hero we needed. The hero we deserved

Gotta be in a certain mood to enjoy but I was in that mood so…

Yep, songwriting chops are evident. Something about the sound just winds ms up a bit. Not quite the tempo I’m running in today.

Nice enough album, not sure if I like it or not. But it is promising to grow on me.

Might grow on me with time. Needs a few more listens maybe.

One big hit

Great melodic sensibility on this album. I particularly like the chord changes in the opening track.

Kind of has a pop rock tone to it with an old school vibe.

xd?

Pros: Anche se a tratti sento quelle sfumature fine anni '70, quest'album potrebbe quasi essere spacciato per uno indie-rock moderno. Tecnicamente suonato molto bene. La produzione originale non è nemmeno niente male. Cons: Faccio fatica ad assorbire le canzoni, come se non mi entrassero in testa. Trovo l'album un po' ripetitivo e ho l'impressione che a volte abbia messo troppa carne al fuoco. E poi, scusa Elvis Costello, a un certo punto la tua voce mi ha scocciato. Conclusione: sono combattuto. Non so se premiare per la lungimiranza, l'evidente duro lavoro e l'intuito indie-rock o penalizzare per il fatto che questi 39 minuti sono sembrati 2 ore. Voto con un 3 di cui non sono sicuro.

Sound was good, not a fan of Costellos voice though

Had never listened to Elvis Costello before, but found him to be very listenable. But...not very exciting. Just middle of the road. Moods for Moderns was my favorite though.

Much poppy-er then I was expecting. I feel like I'd need to listen this a dozen times to actually wrap my head around it. I think some context is needed as to why this is a "must listen to" album

Un disco che non mi ha entusiasmato ma neanche schifato. L'ho trovato un pò monocorde.

Too clever - not half pop pickers. It has been many years since I last listened to this album. Feisty when I bought it; it's Elvis!, but just OK now.

To be honest his singing style starts to bug me very quickly. All I can think about is SNL's "The Californians," even though he is English.

Extra star for Olivers Army, but all a bit meh

I liked Elvis Costello in high school and college, and saw him in concert a couple times. Real fun pop with a twist, and he's a solid entertainer. It was nice to revisit and listen to this album again. I don't plan to start listening to his music again--the songs are a little too similar to each other for my taste--but I understand the appeal.

It was fine. Not crazy about the lyrics.

I think it's 30 years since I last listened to it. It doesn't really stand the test of time for me.

Se escucha bien y suena fresco, a pesar de ser hijo de su tiempo, sobresaliendo por encima de todo los arreglos pop que, a mí parecer, le quitan la suciedad al disco que lo hubiera hecho genial. Luminoso y cumplidor pero se queda a las puertas.

I enjoyed this. I like Elvis but never had many of his vinyl. I know there are some tunes of his I like more so will vote in the middle on this one.

Mr. Costello didn't quite click with me on his last album "This Year's Model", but I've found myself enjoying this one! Pretty straight-forward new-wave pop rock stuff; nothing revolutionary, but still a light and fun listenin- wait, did he just drop the n-word with a hard r in Oliver's Army? Oh my god he did. What the fuck?

nice songs with a nice range of instruments in the backing but for some reason the voice just didnt sit right with me and not 100% enjoyable

generic pop rock. probably wouldn't seek out but listened whole thing in 1 sitting

I'm not a big fan of post-punk, but this was a good discovery

I guess this is a bit of a let down after Elvis' simply brilliant debut album - My aim is true. The songs are pleasant enough but don't have the same bite, so this is only a 3 from me.

I like a lot of EC's hits, but all of EC's music sounds identical to me. It's good, peppy, 60s style rock with a more modern sound. But it's so generic. I want to like it more than I do. Also, pretty sure Elvis drops the N bomb on one of these songs. That ain't great!

Correct, genre de pop rock. Les tounes sont bien produites et la musique est bonne mais on dirait qu’il manque quekque chose. Peut etre pas mon style.

peace love and understanding! oliver's army! and...honestly, not much else really leapt out at me, which is weird.

he's the Ben Folds of the 70s so I dig it

Best wel fijn album, prima prima

Solid

More upbeat British rock. Elvis Costello's voice kind of annoys me.

very light and boppy, band sound is catchy even if lyrics aren't

One of those records I heard as a kid that still sends me back. Pretty solid grouping of songs

Hauska levy. Pitänee joskus kuunnella enemmänkin.

He sounds like a frog, but fun jams.

Fun listen. Love the album art

a fun listen but wouldn't miss it if i never heard it again

No.

Upgraded ever so slightly from vitriol to indifference as this album mostly washed over me in a wave. But is it really an improvement? If nothing else this is the third (out of 6) Elvis Costello album I’ve gotten now and I’m not even thirty percent through this list. On the other that means he has three more lying in wait, more of him singing through his nose and no matter how good his lyricism (I do think it decent) the garish noises he makes with his mouth are still my barrier to entry and interest.

Hva er poenget liksom??

Meh. Why so many Elvis Costello albums on this list. Peace love is great but not enough. 2/5

Day 8 If this is meant to be one of his best, I'm not ecstatic for the five more Elvis Costello albums... Fav track: Accidents Will Happen

Under no circumstances do you need to listen to this before you die. Don't get me wrong I like me some Elvis Costello but it's all so average.

Out of all the Elvis Costello albums this project has forcibly baby birded down my throat, this was the most enjoyable.

I like goon squad. nothing else super stood out to me

I don't hate the tunes but there is something profoundly irksome about Costello's voice. Like being an a work party with a man in a novelty tie.

Kind of clowny

Way too many Costello albums on here. He's great, but this one isn't even in the top three of his alone.

11/08/2026 Really do not rate Mr. Costello. I'll be happy when he disappears from my albums. Spotify listeners: 819k

this is an album about imperialism and colonization and Empire Shit and one less white WHAT??? did not do much for me at all. lyrics are okay but delivered with an unpleasant voice. and the instrumentals lack flavor. i will forget what this sounds like by the end of the week probably :/ deserves to be one of the 1001? myeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. probably not.

The music itself is a forgettable 3 stars, but fatigue is starting to set in. Hoping this is my third and final Elvis Costello album.

Ehh, some catchy moments but many of the songs on here sound too similar. Again, not a fan of his voice and the slur was an unpleasant surprise. But I have to say, the album cover is awesome. Glad to know this was the last Elvis Costello album for me.

Кожен раз як мені потрапляється нью вейв альбом, я очікую вторинність. Цей раз не став виключенням. Оцінка: низька-середня 4

Why is he on the list so many times. I keep getting told he's good but I'm not hearing it. Every album so far from him is a swing and a miss.

I was neutral-to-positive on the first two E.C. albums but this one was terrible.

No

Olipa vähän märkä pieru tää levy. Tykkäsin ekasta biisistä, mietin, että okei, tää kuulostaa vähän köyhän miehen Bowielta (ääneltään, ei tyyliltään) tai sitten the Clashin laulajalta. Ja sit joka biisi olikin sama biisi. Eikä mitenkään hyvä biisi. Musta tuntuu, että joku on tehny tän levyn jo ja paremmin.

Blääääh ei mun juttu. Oli jotenki ärsyttävä. Ilmeisesti herra Costello on tietoinen n-sanan epäfressiydestä mutta se silti särähti korvaan. Muutenki jotenki rasittavaa renkutusta XD en oo antanu vieläkään yhtään yhen tähden arviota eikä tää nyt oo varmaan eka sellanen vieläkään mutta pitää ruveta tutkimaan sisintä että oonko liian kiltti

Levyllä oli aivan hyviä hetkiä, mut ei jotenkin säväyttäny sitä kuitenkaan. Parhaimmillaankin tää oli vähän tämmönen pirkkaversio David Bowiesta. En tiiä lähtiskö tää lentoon useammalla kuuntelulla, mut kahen kuuntelun perusteella ei hyvistä hetkistä huolimatta tuu jäämään levylautaselle. N-sana särähti korvaan Oliver’s Armyssä, mut pienen googlailun jälkeen täytyy todeta, että Elvis Costello on aika fiksusti siirtynyt moderniin maailmaan tän biisin osalta ja jopa haistatti vitut anti-woken edustajille, jotka urpoili kun hän ei halua enää ko. biisiä soittaa.

Tää oli vaikee! Musaasa on paljon elementtejä joista pidänn, mutta laulutyylii hiers vähän liikaa vastakarvaan 🥲

ei vaan jaksa

Surprise slur and way less punk too much new wave

Points for an original sound I suppose. But the whole thing seemed aimless and ultimately uninteresting.

Sorry Elvis but I'm over it!

Oh… haven’t been impressed with Declan Patrick MacManus thus far… maybe today? Nope. Today’s no better. I believe among my various projects this is the third time I have encountered Elvis Costello. This is the third of his (6!) album selections I have endured. I have learned: 1. He does not grow on me or get better the more I listen. 2. Six (6) albums is, at least, 4 too many on this list, even if he produced some 24(!) or so thus far in his career. 3. Many consider this - Armed Forces - to be his “best.” Its working title was “Emotional Fascism.” And here’s the thing: I find the constant references to holocaust imagery… for instance from goon squad: You must find the proper place for everything you see But you'll never get to make a lampshade out of me… I find this sort of thing done regularly, not just distasteful and distracting but… lazy. It’s playing with shocking words and ideas without actually putting anything behind them. Yeah. Today was not the day for Declan. 2 Boolean: (this is his best? Well, out of 24, or 6 true I suppose. But if another is selected in its place FALSE)

meh. vocals. all over. different.

What's up with this goofy albums in a row.

Why?

How many albums does this middling dude have on here

A very typical entry in Costello's catalogue. Though he tackled a lot of styles across his long varied career, Costello will always and forever sound like himself and no one else, for better or worse. There's some real effort put into this - check the soundscape attempts on "Green Shirt" - and some other very strong pieces round this album out quite well ("Oliver's Army," "Goon Squad" and the US version-exclusive single "Peace, Love and Understanding," which is vital to getting the full experience out of this album.) However, to my ears, everything beyond that handful of songs stays stuck in second gear, anchored there by Costello's reedy, weird-for-its-own-sake vocal performance; really the difference between the quality of the backing and the singer is night and day. As a result, too much of this album is in one ear and out the other to make this a solid entry in this list.

Elvis is ok but its ridiculous to have what? 4 albums? Why?

I like this very much, thanks for sharing RGP. Towards the top of the two stars. Tom.

Alright I guess.

it was all right, kinda unmemorable, defo heard a slur in there somewhere as well

enword flashbang

Goon Squad

This fucking guy. How many of his albums must we do? I don't think it's particularly worse than the others but I am just fed up with him. He's not worthy of 6 records.

It was fine... better than the last Elvis Costello album i listened to. I'm surprised this came out in '79, it sounds like something from '83. so it was ahead of its time!

Ok i guess. Why is there so much Elvis Costello on the list? I'm closing in on half way, and I've had 6 Costello records and 1 Pink Floyd. Is he super influential or something? I don't really feel like his dna runs in a lot of music after him. I just don't get it.

basta elvis deja de aparecer porfa

Didn't like this much, nothing particularly stood out for me

Beyond the controversies that this album carries, I do not find it as amusing or witty as his other work. It is yet another album from the list that could probably be done without. 7/10 [DROP]

The music is boring and the vocals are an irritating whine. I did not need *5* albums to confirm that Elvis Costello is not talented and I do not like him. What a fucking crime

Oh man…another Elvis Costello album…

its aight

Respect the songwriting, there's a lot going on and it's all very cleverly and melodically put together, but it just does nothing for me. Showtuney, a bit annoying. It sounds good though, very well recorded, the bass rips, and some of the hooks and harmonies really work. But it's all just a big so what. Lyric driven music for music critics.

Nice

never a fan

Really really want to like Elvis's music. But apart from the singles, there is nothing here to inspire me. Sorry Elvis

And there it is. The 5th appearance from Elvis C so far. I still can’t stand his vocal. The songs were slightly better overall than on the other offerings, but there were still some dreadful ones later in this album. A generous 2 as it’s not his worst. Please no more. 🙏

The big problem with artists like this is they spend far too long writing some sort of important story [important to them mostly] into their lyrics and then more often than not forget to write a decent tune to accompany what they consider clever and witty musings. Ok EC does manage to nail both on occasion and when he does he releases them as a single. The rest of this album was just bland as I don't care a fig about whatever story he is going on about. I like Oliver's Army, its a great song. Just for that it gets a 2.

La flemme... Ntm Elvis

I går faldt jeg tilfældigt over et Instagram opslag fra en kvinde der fortalt om hvordan hun onanerede til Elvis Costellos musik. Jeg må erkende at det er helt andre fysiske reaktioner jeg får af hans albums. Jeg finder ingen tiltrækning i hverken Elvis Costello eller The Attractions. Højst mod min seng efter at blive kedet i søvn.

Please let this be the last Elvis Costello album on this list I’m begging you

Eh.

Eh

5/10

I don’t care much for Elvis Costello’s voice, and what was with the random slur thrown in?? Not impressed.

2 seems harsh, but 3 seems too much. Was ok. Had hip old man social club vibes, walking on over to the buffet trying to find the biggest pork pie whilst Oliver’s Army is blasting out. 2.5/5

Meh... just alright innit didn't really intrest me all this

Just ok innit

i really tried, but i don´t like a single song on this album, im so sorry Elvis Costello. 2 out of 5, just not for me.

Elvis’ singing voice is grating to me, the album is kinda quirky and fun if you can get past that (I can’t)

You know... I've never really listened to Elvis Costello at all. Will be interesting. Yeah... this isn't for me. It's not bad... it's just... not anything?

Elvis Costello just isn't for me. Also don't feel like this is his particularly exceptional album?

I hate his voice.

4/10

Meh

guess there's some additional layer in the lyrics (which i haven't checked in detail). apart from that, the music feels trashy. the only thing holding back a one-star review is the fact that A Perfect Circle covered a song of this album (Peace, Love And Understanding) and i love that one...

I have found so many great artists/albums through this list, and now I have also discovered an irrational dislike of Elvis Costello. Can't quite put my finger on why I'm not a fan, despite this album being so highly regarded. It's alright, it's fine. I'm familiar with Oliver's army, I didn't really enjoy it this time, however. Strange one. Favourites: Senior Service Green Shirt

Just one more Elvis Costello album and I'm free. Hopefully, it happens soon so I could get it over with. Although it wouldn't be surprising if just enough time passes for me to forget about him, only for that last album to appear towards the end of the list.

ChatGPT makes annoying pop album.

I really don't enjoy his nasal voice in this one. But I LOVE "what's so funny...", but that can't carry the album. WOW, unexpected slur.

I was sort of looking forward to this knowing the punk roots of Elvis Costello, but it was just okay. His voice was mildly annoying. I got used to it the more the album went on. A couple songs stood out, but the album at large didn’t grab me the way I’d hoped.

too 80s

It’s great, but there’s something that makes me not like it a lot

impressive for the vocals to be both obnoxiously abrasive and uncomfortably unctuous at the same time, so it's a pretty tough listen even without the overly-polished arrangements and deeply questionable lyrical choices.

2.1/5 Look, it was ok. There wasn't any really bad songs oh here but on a couple of good songs on this album. It was mostly middle of the road for me.

What a great way to spend my Monday morning commute. Certainly not the worst Costello album, but it was still unremarkable in many ways. Oddly political too, but doesn't necessarily hit that hard.

Starts off fine, good even. Gradually it runs out of ideas and becomes mostly boring and samey (though there are some alright moments later on like parts of Chemistry Class)

Oi white boy you can’t be saying that

The biggest problem with this album is actually Elvis Costello. The fundamentals of this album are actually really great, with not bad songwriting (apart from that n-word that comes as a complete surprise), as well as the foundations of the songs. If you got someone like Joe Jackson to sing and produce this album, it would actually sound very good. Elvis Costello works best as a background producer, not a singer.

It’s a meh kind of listen, I felt like after I heard a few songs from the album, I had heard them all. I don’t know what sub-genre of music this is or what the sound is but I’m just not really a fan of it. The vocals sort of became a bit annoying and sounding sort of whiny / nasally, there were some interesting lyrics and there was underlying political refences throughout. On the topic of interesting, it was funny to see the title of a song called ‘Goon squad’, I do understand the meaning of the word has changed and get the meaning in the song. Overall, it was alright but became a little bit boring and samey sounding, just another one of these albums I will probably forget about.

I don't know what it is, but I don't really like Costello's voice. Favourite Track(s): Goon Squad, Oliver's Army Least Favourite Track(s): Accidents Will Happen

A rather uninteresting pop rock album that doesn't do anything special, in my opinion.

3/25 Meh

At first I got really excited when I saw an Elvis album. But then I ended up with 40 minutes of this.

Découverte de l'artiste. Vraiment pas fou. Pas ambiancé par l'album. Quelques tentatives mais rien de dingue.

Oui, bon sympa mais sans plus. Ça m’a pas amusé plus que ça. En fond sonore, pourquoi pas. Et encore…

Aware of Costello, but never listened to any of the music. Not loving it. Attractions are allright tho. A bit too glossy. Tossing out one star for using words that are only tolerated if your last name is Tarantino.

Meh. I could take or leave Elvis Costello’s music.

65

I'm starting to think I just don't like Elvis Costello. He's got the right cards for me. I normally like art rock, glam, and blues. I feel this wanted to sound clever, interesting, a novelty, but landed very flat on me. No i didn't like this record.

I liked it at first, but just started to get frustrated after that

I can’t do Elvis Costello. He’s just so corny.

I recognise Oliver's Army but not much else. This album is very 60's sounding to my millennial ears. For example, Oliver's Army has a similar sound to 1957's Peggy Sue. It's a bit cleaner but honestly even for 1979 standards this album must have sounded a bit dated. That said, it's a clean, well produced album. My picks: Oliver's Army, Goon Squad.

Elvis Costello is fine... but this album is just a bunch of the same.

Same old Costello

This list has too much Elvis Costello.

This is my first Elvis Costello project on this albums generator, and I had this LP (with the US cover) in my hands as I was crate-digging early last year. I peeked at the track list and figured I'd leave it behind because I knew none of the songs, but the art was trippy and Elvis Costello is a recognized name. After listening to this in the background all day, I can say I'm glad I left the record behind. It's a pretty solid precursor to pop-rock, which is both impressive and annoying. I think it stands the test of time, modern production techniques might switch up a few details, but for the most part it sounds very relevant to the sounds happening today in 2026. I stopped being drawn to pop-rock in my adolescence, so it wasn't calling me much. There are a few tracks that stand out, but not enough for me to look at my phone as they're playing. I can appreciate this effort as inspiration for future mainstream projects, but that's about it on a personal level. Won't be revisiting this one on purpose. 2.4/5

Yeah I still don't really like Elvis Costello.

listened through twice just to make sure. why did i enjoy the first elvis costello album but find this one so annoying? like the vocals lost their charm and the rhythms turned generic. almost every chorus made my eye twitch. a couple of fun sounds but ultimately i did look forward to it ending. favorite song is Two Little Hitlers, had a good vibe. least favorite song is Green Shirt or Sunday's Best

I think I needed a few more albums in between the Costellos we got. He still sounds the same - I can still hear the costello cadence with a tambourine and snare all on beat in my head. Hard to critique, hard to compliment 4.7/10

Generally didn't enjoy this, too many slurs and not a fan of his singing voice.

Alright nothing special

It's all of his shittiest hits in one album wrapped up in terrible cover art and he threw in an additional racial slur

I simply do not enjoy the way Elvis Costello sings

Did not enjoy this. Couldn't get into his voice.

Trash. Elvis Costello puts out one or two good songs and people eat up the garbage. It gets two stars just because it's not totally unlistenable but, for me, just about.

Way better than Brutal Youth but still... Don't do the vooooiiicceeee

As always...a pity his VOICE IS SO ANNOYING. But that aside: Accidents Will Happen - really cool tune, and cool timings, unexpected tonal shifts, and chord changes. Oliver's Army - adorable tune. As hilarious as it is to make this comparison, I simply must: part of it also reminded me of Hannah Montana's Rock Star. Noticed that Party Girl has a very similar riff to the end of Carry that Weight by the Beatles The songs are grand like?

why is elvis costello so over represented in this list? everything after the first two is not essential

I was told that Elvis Costello is only for people born between 1965 and 1975 (basically Gen X), and I have to agree. I have nothing to relate to in his lyrics, and the music is pretty blasé. I've always found it curious that he was such a prominent social figure.

Two years into his recording career and the bloat has already crept in. My Aim is True is an incredible record. Here, his musical sensibilities and gift for melody are still on display. The production is gorgeous; the whole thing sounds amazing. But the focus of his first album is missing. There are great musical ideas here but they get lost in a river of mediocre digressions and theatrical ornamentation. It makes for a distracting musical experience; an overwrought diversion yanking me out of every emotional flow that develops. On the first two songs the great ideas predominate. But from there he seems to indulge his conceit to the point where the brilliance pops up only briefly, from time to time, like a capsized kayaker desperate to catch a rock or a limb to emerge from the froth. It's interesting that the only unadulterated magical moment is a cover. Too bad he doesn't respect his own brilliant ideas sufficiently to leave them alone to them shine.

It was okay, but I find costello very dry, and this was no different. He has way too many albums on this list.

Didn't do much for me in a first listen unfortunately

Eh 2

Its a good album but I didnt think it was that interesting. But good album!

picks: Oliver's Army, Peace love and understanding.

Hard for me to really enjoy Elvis Costello. The music is goofy (see 'Moods for Moderns') and his vocals aren't great

I'm just not a fan of Elvis Costello. The songs are bland and his voice, while interesting, isn't that great to me. Just not a great album.

if I get another elvis costello album I will scream

Didn’t grab me

Meh. 2.5 rounded down.

Me no like. I got 2 songs in and had to turn it off. I just can't get into Mr. C. I turned on Rhett Miller's new solo album as a palate cleanser, and it is excellent.

I've heard Elvis Costello get a lot of critical acclaim, and I think he has multiple albums on this list. But like? This feels like rather boring pop rock. The writing seems clunky, there's nothing very strong melodically, and it all kinda blends together as mid. Bob Dylan did the trigger/slur rhyme 10000x better. That being said, the first song I ever heard from Elvis Costello was "Alison", which remains an incredible stone-cold classic, so there is hope for him.

Melded into one meh. I don't hate it. But I'm not jumping back in.

I already knew I wouldn’t like it on the first second of the first song. This album has the most unexpected slur, so that’s something

I liked this album. Maybe this is me being very gen z but it somehow feels like an “old” romcom series. The whole vibe of the album gave me that feeling and I loved that.

@ boopidoo said it best, although forgot to add the rule excluding albums that contained more than 2 tracks that featured harmonica. 3rd album, same artist, same sound, same score.

3rd Elvis Costello album of this challenge, I'm still not a fan. Here comes my rant - surprising not really about Elvis Costello I just think there should be rules, rules make sense, I like rules. I know this book isn't called 'The 1001 top albums of all time' - its just a list from some random dude (who must have been a teenager in the early 70s) with what he thinks you should listen to before you die (which apparently is a fucktonne of Elvis Costello) I just think he should have put some parameters in. One rule or parameter I'd have would be no more than 2-3 albums per artists and ONLY if they demonstrated distinct or notable variations in their sound, and NO LIVE ALBUMS. I really really don't need to listen to any more Elvia Costello before I die.

WHAT??????

Oliver’s Army is a classic. But most of rest of album pretty mediocre for me.

Pretty upbeat, wouldn’t choose to listen to. All songs were very similar

I just don’t really care for Costello…

This was hard to rate because i genuinely really liked some of these songs. And I could really hear more contemporary bands I love in this music but idk if it was my mood today or what but most of this album left me feeling agitated and I do not f with his voice. Great lyrics though. Came into this thinking it’d be a hell yes and came out saying no thank you.

I admit the snarling nasal voice does tone down somewhat as he gets older, but on here it's in insufferable overdrive and it cancels out any toleration credits that are earned by the presence of a couple of minor hits (Accidents Will Happen & Oliver's Army). All the other tracks are gratingly similar. Regarded as a generational talent. I just don't get it.

One day Costello is going to grow on me. I appreciate some songs but not on this album…and not a whole album. 1.5

eh, not bad. why'd he say the n word

This is a weird one for me as this reminds me of other artist I like more. Like to me it sits weirdly between bands with more edge, like the The Clash, and more weirder bands, like Talking Heads. I do enjoy the lyrics, and the song writing is solid, standout track for me was Goon Squad.

Underlying music is fine but there's just something about his voice that I don't like.

No és dels que més m'ha agradat, però alguna cançó si q me l'he acabada guardant. Per la portada em pensava q seria hiphop...Li poso un 2 pq no esta molt malament però no crec que me'l torni a escoltar voluntariament.

mega snoozer

Awful

Like a well-tailored suit lined with hidden needles, this new wave album looks sleek and controlled on the surface while constantly jabbing the listener with its sharp edges and clenched hostility.

Could a voice be more annoying?

Did not enjoy this, he’s got a very goofy voice

Bland and average

Starts off sounding a little better than the other Costello album I pulled on this list, Brutal Youth, which isn't saying much. I still hate the affected nerdcore way he sings, but what are you gonna do. Worst is I'm sure he also inspired a bunch of other new wave bands I also hate. First two tracks are ok. Oliver's Army is mostly just annoying, as is Big Boys. Good Squad is a genuinely good track, enough to bring this album up a point from the 1 star I was leaning towards. Moods for Moderns is terrible cheese, and then more cheese follows. 2/5

I try hard to love Elvis Costello. But I think I need to understand music theory. The music is so complex and seems discordant to me. I don’t enjoy it.

Not my cup of tea and found his voice kinda annoying. Crazy that this album came out in '79. Definitely sounds like it belongs in the early 2000s

ironisk, intelligent og sprudlende. Det er New Wave som har inspireret mange store kunstnere som the smiths osv, hvvor det er intelligent lyrik, satire og virkelig smart. Elvis Costello har jeg haft et par gange nu og jeg må bare sige at det ikke siger mig særlig meget, det er simpelthen bare ikke mig. Det er hver gang at det er sådan lidt halvsvært for mig at komme igennem, og jeg værdsætter det bare ikke nok. så jeg giver det en stor TILBAGEVEND/GENBESØG og en 2'er så jeg sikrer mig at jeg får lyttet til det igen på et tidspunkt, hvor jeg måske kan give det mere opmærksomhed som det nok fortjener. Men jeg var nok også bare mere til post-punk end new wave. Selvom det power-pop også kan noget. Det bliver måske bare lidt for sofistikeret til min smag? Jeg ved det ikke.

Annoying album. It actually really feels like this could be covered by Lenny Kravitz and made substantially better. And that's saying a lot, since ole Kravitz isn't exactly my cup of tea.

I did not expect Elvis Costello & The Attractions to come off so much poppier on their follow up album to This Year's Model, but hey I am here for it! As much as I wish I could rave about this project and what I hoped to have been interesting songwriting and production, but this album feels like Elvis and co. really clocking in rather than actually trying to make something meaningful. I get at some point you have to try and make some money rather than committing fulling to artistic visions but did it have to be this plain and unseasoned? This project feels so uninspired and more clocked in than I ever expected Elvis to ever get. I thought there would be at least one or two memorable tracks but this whole albums feels so forgettable despite it coming right after two great projects from the mind of Elvis. Genuinely confused as to what happened here and I hope Elvis learns his lesson for the next couple of albums in his discography because this is not it....

I cannot handle any more of this little dweeb

I know his songs are good…. Just not for me…

hmmm... kind of a weird album for me. like, i should like this??? or, i think i should like it: i don't know too much about elvis costello but there's a handful of songs by him that i adore and ON PAPER there's no reason why i shouldn't like this... but, i don't like this. not all of it at once, anyway: i'm acutely aware of the parts of songs that i enjoy because those are, unfortunately, far and few between. rest of my time with this album i was just... sitting there. confused. highlights - big boys, party girl, (what's so funny 'bout) peace, love and understanding

Meh

I don’t care enough to listen to YET another Costello album. Saved from a 1 by the closing track being decent

I'm tired of this guy's music.

I guess I’m not a Costello fan bc I did not like it at all

The songs are fine and the lyrics seem somewhat thoughtful. The guy's voice gets annoying after a whole album.

Gotta love ‘peace love and understanding’ but I find this Elvis tough to love most of the time. He sure has the sensibility and the songwriting chops, but he just can’t get to the groove of it all enough to bring me on board. 2.5 rounds to 2 for all that came before and after

A strong goal of mine is to make it through the full album for each of these. I was mentally exhausted with this album after like two songs. I made it to Sunday’s Best and quit. In 2025 I don’t know who this shit is for but it’s not me at least. Annoying voice, corny tunes, possibly outdated lyrics. I’m saving 1 star for farting into a mic or some poorly done Noise

This is a pretty boring and uninspiring album for me. I'd even go as far to say that it is borderline annoying at times and I even like some of Elvis Costello's stuff. WOAH! He said that word!?!? The "anti-imperialism" messaging behind this album is something I can get behind, but I can't get behind how it sounds. His voice is pretty corny at times; which I think is what he is trying to do? Sunday's Best was probably my favorite track. I also thought the bass player was really good and had some pretty cool riffs. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding is an okay song too. It was the only song off this album I've heard before. 2/5

Dude dropped the n word?? Fine music but not my cup of tea. Kinda felt like a musical soundtrack without being catchy. Last track I enjoyed though

1979 The curator of this list is clearly intent on forcing us all to listen to their favourite act! No more Costello please. Six albums is far too many, particularly when there are prominent artists missing. 1 point deducted for the album not being available on my chosen streaming platform; I can't be arsed to track it down elsewhere. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ❌️ but I've an idea what I'm missing Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (4/10)

Long and repetitive…

This the 6th (and hopefully last) Costello album on this list. While I don't think his music is that bad, we really didn't need 6 of his albums.

Not my thing

Meh

After listening to this album, I imagine Elvis Costello has a very punchable face. Which is a shame because a couple of his songs were actually catchy tunes between the piano and the drums…and then his voice goes and completely ruins it all. His “singing” is more whining than anything artistic and he sounded a bit flat on every note. I can honestly say that I took absolutely nothing from this album and if someone asked me what it was about, I couldn’t even give them a relevant theme. I was done listening halfway through but I toughed it out for research purposes.

Sometimes the voice is too jarring. 2.

I still don't get it with this Elvis.

Album Art review - Wow!! impressive imagery, love this really. 8/10 Album - don't remember this one, but it is certainly an Elvis Costello album.

Not for me

I think it says a lot that the only part of this album I actually found memorable is when he says the n word.

Monotono

Having had the first 2 Elvis Costello albums recently, here he seems to turn up the poppier sound and fade out any of the punk influence. And the results are worse this time around than previously - it doesn’t have the energy or excitement, just a lot of lyrics. Unfortunately, I found the hooks to be less catchy and memorable in this album than the first 2. The sound is perhaps richer (more synths filling little holes, a bit more dynamics), but also less interesting in my opinion. Some fine stuff but so far at the bottom of the 3 Elvis Costello’s I’ve been assigned.

Elvis Costello still sucks