This is a Random Album Generator.
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1978
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!You'd think a record that's almost assuredly hugely influential and even pioneering would be a little more interesting. You can practically hear new wave being birthed in a lot of tracks, and the Smiths' sound may as well have originated from Lip Service, but the album overall is just kind of, I don't know, milquetoast. I don't really care for Costello's voice, but it doesn't outright grate, and the music is performed well enough (especially by the drummer), but I felt like I was waiting nearly the entire length of the album for things to pick up. It does so by the time Lipstick Vogue starts, but it feels like too little too late. True to its title, This Year's Model was a big deal at the time, but not quite a necessity 40 years later. Key Tracks: Pump It Up, Lipstick Vogue
Of course, the songs on This Year's Model are typically catchy and help the vicious sentiments sink into your skin, but the most remarkable thing about the album is the sound -- Costello and the Attractions never rocked this hard, or this vengefully, ever again.
What was missing every other time I've listened to Elvis Costello (and thought "sheeesh, this guy needs to stop singing for just a couple measures")? This Elvis Costello sounds so much better than the other Elvis Costello I've been listening to. I think The Attractions could be the game changer. Somewhere between punk and pub. Bringing just the right amount of heat to boil over. Enough urgency to feel insecure. They toy with chaos but never take it there. The bass player is all over the neck. Keyboard guy brings some strangely-necessary 7th inning ballpark energy. Drummer is unimpeachable. The whole thing works with Elvis' nonstop intelligent, lyrical sushi train. Toss in some reggae-ish business (Chelsea) for good measure and I'm converted. A+
Elvis Costello possède une voix absolument ignoble. Sa musique s'en trouve forcément impactée, et sa multiple présence dans la liste est donc difficilement explicable. Une émeute a d'ailleurs débuté à ce sujet dans la matinée du Lundi 31 Janvier 2022, vite désamorcée par les multiples CRS envoyés par Robert pour rétablir l'ordre. Vous vous demandez surement également, comme tous ces émeutiers, pourquoi Elvis Costello est autant protégé par Robert? C'est très simple, ces deux hommes, très amis, partagent un lourd secret. Suite à une rixe avec les 15 membres de Stephen Stills dans un bar londonien, Costello se vit contraint de kidnapper Ray Charles. Afin de l'incarcérer, Costello se tourna vers son ami de toujours, Robert, qui fit préparer une celulle pour l'occasion dans la cave de son domicile (mitoyenne à celle des New York Dolls, mais tout ça, vous le saviez déjà si vous lisez mes reviews). En échange, Elvis Costello donna plusieurs de ses albums à la liste des 1001, un échange de bon procédé somme toute. Mais revenons sur cet album. Il est, comme attendu, absolument moyen, Elvis Costello se contentant de tordre sa voix horrible dans tous les sens pendant plusieurs longues dizaines de minutes. Le problème, et ce qui n'aide d'ailleurs pas notre ami Elvis, c'est que je débutais cet album de très mauvaise humeur. Et pour cause. Cela fait plusieurs semaines que je tente de réintégrer le top 10 des meilleurs critiques du générateur. Je vérifie par conséquent régulièrement la 10ème place de ce classement, pour voir si une évolution a eu lieu. Or, à chaque fois que je clique sur le bouton me présentant le 10ème meilleur critique du générateur, la face ridicule de Elvis Costello, prostré derrière son appareil photo apparaît sur mon écran. Et oui, le soit disant 10ème meilleur critique du générateur, ayant abandonné l'aventure depuis longtemps, nous a quitté en laissant un 5/5 final à cet album ridicule de Elvis Costello. Ceci en dit long sur les réels goûts de ce petit con, et sur ses potentiels liens avec Robert. Malgré tout, j'accorde à cet album la note de 3/5, les Attractions n'ayant rien demandé à personne.
This album is wild. Another one I'd only heard the singles from. You might as well classify this as a 1977 record, but I'd really love to play this blind for someone and ask them what year it was recorded. Amidst the elders of the British Invasion, California rock, disco, prog and punk, Elvis decides to just do his own mashup of 60s R&B, vintage Stones, reggae and punk without a hint of The Beatles (consider ELO at the time). But you can still hear the crooner in him that would lead to the Bacharach collab. Quite a flex not to open with "Pump It Up," which has a hint of the MC5. Elvis seems to have a lot in common with Springsteen tonally and lyrically, see "Lip Service." "Chelsea" has that nice reggae groove the Police would use to great effect. Then "Lipstick Vogue" tosses in a Motorhead beat before closing triumphantly on "Radio, Radio." Incredible. The SNL ban is laughable, of course, in hindsight.
It’s like a hybrid of Buddy Holly and Bruce Springsteen and Proto Weezer—if you put distortion on and removed the keys it could be weezer. I’m also hearing King Kahn and The Shrines. Elvis Costello has always been on the periphery for me, I’ve never really dug in so was pleasantly surprised. The Attractions are tight AF. First half was a 5, second half was a 4. A-
The opening track so perfectly encapsulates what Elvis Costello does well - the desperate, breathy opening vocal, the pulsing explosion of sound, the sneer and scorn of "I don't wanna see you 'cause I don't miss you that much", the layered poppy backup vocal on the chorus, the swirly carnivalesque feel of the instrumentation, all this happening in a 2 minute track.. a track that packs in more than most songs in the first 1:40.. but then gives you an extra 20 seconds of vamp and swell and crash to wrap it all up perfectly. I wouldn't even say it's my favorite track on the album but it's such a great encapsulation of his ability to grab you by the collar and take you on a surprising ride. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea is another standout. The rest of the album - I don't think there's a bad song here, though there's some that work better as part of the album than they would as singles. In some ways, I think this might be the strongest complete album of the era for him. There's bigger hits on some of the other ones, but this is the most cohesive feel overall. To own my bias, this is definitely one of the records that got me into him. I think I first discovered him through a good review of Spike (also a great album) when it came out, and then found a copy of this one, maybe on vinyl? Anyhow, I've spent more time with it than either My Aim is True before it or Armed Forces after, but I've definitely given good listens to all three and still think this one is the most compelling. This anecdote (from Wikipedia listing) is a good one: ""The concept of him behind a camera for the sleeve of This Year's Model had already been chosen, so I decided to equip Elvis with exactly the same tripod and camera as I was using to create a 'mirror' for him. Alongside a powerful stereo I kept a large record collection at my Camden Studio, and artists would choose music they enjoyed or were interested in for their sessions. Just as we were about to start shooting, Elvis asked me if I had "Hotel California" by The Eagles, and could I play it? I was puzzled by his choice – until he told me that he loathed the record, but wanted to look really pissed off and angry in the shots! We played the record several times during the session and whilst I directed him, I was also aware of his copying some of my own actions as I took the photographs"" Also from Wikipedia, Robert Smith (from The Cure) listed this as one of his 5 favorite albums on a French TV show in 1985.
Second album from the second Elvis. I definitely liked this one more than the first. I still find his voice to be a little strange and whiny, but there were more engaging songs on this album. Also, I may have heard "Pump It Up" before, that riff sounded very familiar. Overall, still not a fan of Mr. Costello but this album was alright to me. I will say it sounds a few years ahead of its time--I would've guessed this came out in the '80s. Favorite tracks: The Beat, Pump It Up, Lipstick Vogue. Album art: It's a pretty good picture, but he honestly looks like a hipster version of Mr. Bean. Also the color and centering of him in the cover reminds me of that Al Green greatest hits album. 3/5
First time listening: 6/12 songs liked Elvis Costello made me like british new wave. That is quite hard to do. Some songs are a little odd for my tastes perhaps they reference culture I am not familiar with. But all in all, solid. 5 songs saved
Suite aux émeutes qui ont fait rage ces derniers jours dont la raison est évidemment l'omniprésence d'Elvis Costello dans la liste des 1001, je tenais à rappeler le conflit qui a opposé Elvis Costello et Ray Charles le 15 mars 1979. .................... Les personnages: ROBERT DIMERY ELVIS COSTELLO STEPHEN STILLS (LEADER) STEPHEN STILLS (GUITARISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (PIANISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (BATTEUR) STEPHEN STILLS (BASSISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (XYLOPHONISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (VOCALISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (MANDOLINISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (HARMONICISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (VIOLONISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (PERCUSSIONISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (TROMPETTISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (BIOLOGISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (SAXOPHONISTE) STEPHEN STILLS (ANESTHÉSISTE) BONNIE BRAMMLET RAY CHARLES CÉLINE DION Robert Dimery et Elvis Costello sont assis à une table du Holiday Inn bar à Colombus dans l'Ohio. ROBERT.— Je t'en remets une, Elvis ? ELVIS COSTELLO.— T'es fou, je suis complètement bourré mec. Tu veux me tuer ou quoi ? ROBERT.— Allez je vais te chercher une pinte. Robert se dirige vers le comptoir. BONNIE BRAMMLET.— Qu'est-ce qu'il vous fallait ? ROBERT.— Je vais vous prendre deux pintes, s'il vous plaît. BONNIE BRAMMLET.— Ça vous fera onze dollars. ROBERT.— Voilà pour vous. D'ailleurs, j'ai une question, est-ce que vous savez si c'est bien Ray Charles roulé en boule dans le coin là-bas ? BONNIE BRAMMLET.— Oui c'est bien lui. ROBERT, en direction du chanteur.— Eh ça va Ray Charles ?! RAY CHARLES.— Laissez-moi tranquille… Stephen Stills rentre alors à quinze dans le bar. Stephen Stills (harmoniciste) et Stephen Stills (mandoliniste) aperçoivent Elvis Costello et interpellent Stephen Stills (bassiste) qui propose à ses collègues de les rejoindre. STEPHEN STILLS (LEADER).— Alors Costello, t'as trouvé ton premier fan ? ROBERT.— Vous moquez pas de lui, il a du talent... STEPHEN STILLS (BATTEUR).— Ah ouais, elle est bonne celle-là ! STEPHEN STILLS (GUITARISTE).— Excellent ! ELVIS COSTELLO.— Allez vous-en... J'en ai marre que vous me suiviez partout pour me frapper. STEPHEN STILLS (PERCUSSIONISTE).— Tu vas pas te débarrasser de nous si facilement, mon pote. STEPHEN STILLS (BIOLOGISTE).— On va te régler ton compte. ELVIS COSTELLO.— Eh bah vous savez quoi ? Ray Charles je le trouve super timide. STEPHEN STILLS (TROMPETTISTE).— Hein ?! STEPHEN STILLS (PIANISTE).— Quoi ?! CÉLINE DION.— Hein ?! STEPHEN STILLS (VIOLONISTE).— Qu'est-ce que tu viens de dire ?! STEPHEN STILLS (VOCALISTE).— T'es raciste ou quoi, mec ?! RAY CHARLES.— J'ai entendu, hein... Robert va chercher Ray Charles et le traîne jusqu'à la table en le tenant par le col. RAY CHARLES.— Lâchez-moi ! ROBERT.— Viens leur dire qu'Elvis est pas raciste, vas-y, dis-le à tout le monde ! RAY CHARLES.— Mais si vous me forcez à le dire je ne vais pas y arriver, je suis timide. STEPHEN STILLS (SAXOPHONISTE).— Laisse tomber, venez les Stephen Stills, on se tire. STEPHEN STILLS (XYLOPHONISTE).— Ciao les nazes. Ray Charles se recroqueville et fond en larmes. Stephen Stills (anesthésiste) s'approche de lui et le pique avec une seringue. Ray Charles perd alors connaissance. .................... Le lendemain, la presse sera informée de l'intégralité de l'échange par le biais du témoignage de Céline Dion et provoquera un véritable tollé médiatique.
Diamond Dave once said "Music journalists like Elvis Costello because music journalists look like Elvis Costello" and I can not disagree.
This album was excellent. Not a single bad song on the record and I honestly liked how it made me feel.
Sounds like what Pop Punk is obvs inspired by. The guy knows how to play his voice’s character to create these very cheeky niche love lines that feel oddly endearing. Every single song just gets better and better. forsure a classic and the only elvis i’ll prolly ever acknowledge
Love this album! All of it! Favorites: No Action Pump it up The Beat You Belong to me Living in Paradise Radio Radio
tosi hyvä! tykkään! This year's girl oli The Deuce sarjassa ja on ihan huippu ja koko levy on pitkälti samaa settiä
I don’t personally like this one as much as My Aim Is True, but still - it’s Elvis Costello at the peak of his powers and it’s great.
9. good stuff again i liked it about as much as the last one. honestly if i liked his voice more it could be a 10.
The best way to describe this is timeless. Influences from the decades before, sounds yet to come - No Action and Radio Radio feels a bit pop punk in a way? - and production that sounds like it came out in the past few years. Songs are great too of course, everything well played. Chelsea might be the highlight, and Lipstick Vogue is a great energetic track followed by the calmer Night Rally
What an incredible top 10 for me for sure. One great tune after another. And the Attractions COOK! Favorite songs; The Beat, lipstick Vogue, This Year's Girl. 5 BIG STARS
This is a second 5 stars in a row using this project and again it's an album that I knew just by the name before and never gets the necessary incentive to listen to it. This was a great experience. The only drawback here is the short length of the album. I'll sure listen to it again.
Costello is indie rock before it was called that way. Can't believe how recent this album feels. It could come out straight from Weezer
Revenge of the Nerd. Costello comes out swinging on his second album. Spiky punk/new wave with bitter nasty lyrics. It's probably not healthy if you recognise elements of your self within. Best Tracks: No Action; Pump It Up; (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
Caught me off guard. This album was awesome. Sounds like it could have been made today. This sounds like classic punk. I can hear how he may have influenced Bad Religion and the bass style of Flea.
Excellent work, awesome energy and snarling, snarky attitude. I do prefer his 80s stuff, more complex and developed but it was cool to listen to this as a ‘basic’ 4 piece- the organ adding that extra dimension. While I enjoyed everything on here, they do get kind of similar, but I still listened twice in the day and didn’t lose interest for a second.
Had not listened to this album for at least a decade or so but it still great as expected (and I am not a major Elvis Costello fan, only know his late 70s - mid 80s output). Makes me want to finish his 2016 memoir. I also recommend to have a look at his list of "500 Must-Have Albums" on Vanity Fair - lots of interesting music recommendations.
I think this is the best Elvis Costello album that know well, though to be honest I don’t know much past the 80s. It has my tied for first favorite song of his, Lipstick Vogue, and even his worse tendencies (having the persona of a mopey, whiney lover with a pretentious voice, both in the literal and authorial senses) are displayed to at their best here in songs like Chelsea.
Consistently great album Surprised by how many songs I knew Will repay repeated listens I think
All the hits! A little formulaic and not as much fun as the live recordings, but great a great record.
What an incredible top 10 for me for sure. One great tune after another. And the Attractions COOK! Favorite songs; The Beat, lipstick Vogue, This Year's Girl. 5 BIG STARS
The stride is hit in track four when the production switches to something vampy enough to blend with Costello's vocal affect. This is exemplary of the punk side of new wave, with a few references to other genres: I caught country and hard rock on a not-too-careful listen. The attitude is sneering, which is appropriate for the year and genre (I think new wave now is best melancholy). If there's any lack, it's in the relative simplicity of the arrangements. Melodies are spread out nicely across the band: Neither bass nor keyboard nor voice dominates the record.
I like this, usually find his voice annoying, but it's not too affected on this record. Some good, fun tunes.
I always forget that I like Elvis Costello. Peppy and fun, nerdy yet also dumb. Pump It Up is one of my fave pop songs I think?
Theres some real early signs of punk rock here, and according to the internet that is exactly what it is. My mum has always gone on about Elvis Costello and I just assumed he was some buddy holly type that wouldn't be up my street; however this was a surprise winner for me. I really enjoyed the guitar, synth and punky voice, plus I never knew "Pump It Up" was such an early song, it sounds like something from the 1990/2000s
This was far better than I expected. It felt like this could have been released today.
Finally been getting into Elvis recently and I like this one a lot. The guitar tone is so great to my ears. Jazzmasters for everyone!
A solid, early new wave record with some surprising instrumentation. STANDOUTS: -The Beat -Pump It Up -Hand in Hand -(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea -Lip Service -Living in Paradise -Lipstick Vogue -Radio, Radio
Still Elvis Costello, still pretty good. I think I liked it a tad less than the other one but not very significantly. 8
“This Year’s Model” by Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1978) Now here’s some music with a real message: Clever, well-informed anger, with compositional features to match. Costello gets it. He puts the rock in rock & roll (and, of course, ‘rolling’ into it plenty of obscene innuendo). I hope serious listeners of the 21st century will not be misled by his dismissive and sarcastic denunciations of everything that brings power and pleasure to the definers (owners) of culture. Beneath his neo-prophetic blast is a mind seeking the good, the true, and the beautiful. He pisses off all the right people with extreme prejudice. Musically, Costello is fond of the compositional device of ‘bending’ classic rock & roll sonic tropes toward the irrational. It’s more sophisticated than mere mockery. It reflects a redemptive abandonment of mid-60s popular culture’s self inflicted illusion of hopefulness. It’s a musical expression of the reason why a question mark is curvy and an exclamation point is straight. Now, Costello’s voice is so-so, and he overuses cocky stylings to compensate (It would be interesting to hear Henry Rollins cover Costello tunes). But his band, The Attractions, is great, and his own guitar work is more than competent. Given the 1978 date of this album, I think it can be seen as a precursor to intelligent punk and grunge. This album is definitely worth a listen, and probably worth some thoughtful reflection. Unless you’re already familiar with the Book of Jeremiah. 4/5
This was a cool record, solid follow up to my aim is true. I can see how a lot of rock derived from this in the 80s.
Enpä muista että olisi koskaan aiemmin tullut tätä Elvistä kuunneltua, olisi varmaan pitänyt... Mielikuva oli, että Elvis Costello soittaisi jotain nyyhkymusaa keski-ikäisille mammoille. Kaikkea muuta! Menevää musaa tämä levy, melkein kuin punkkia. Lipstick Voguen bassokuviot olisin voinut kuvitella vaikka johonkin Rancidin biisiin.
Olis varmaan pitänyt arvostella sillon kun oli kuunnellut. No, muistaakseni mietin et ihan neloskamaa suhteessa aiempiin. Et mennään sillä. :D
Tuttu nimi, mutta ei ollut käryä musiikista. Yllättävän toimivaa tavaraa ja menevää rytkettä.
I feel mostly good things about this album. I like all the songs and it has a really cool energetic rocky vibe. The singer is pretty over the top with how he expresses himself, and sometimes his lyrics seem a bit weird and problematic. Will take more time to appreciate this, but overall I really dig these jams.
годно, мне зашло. Особенно вместе с фактом того, что это 78-й год. Мне кажется, это вот как раз переломный момент, когда совсем уж обскурная поп-музыка 60х-70х приобрела плюс-минус современные очертания (которые тоже уже уступили место новым трендам, но которые мне хотя бы полностью понятны). На самом деле это очень добротный поп-рок альбом, который вполне спокойно мог выйти и в 90-х и даже, может быть, в начале нулевых, если сдобрить его щепоткой эмо-стайла по принципу Фолаут Бой. Не сказать, что все песни прямо запали, но мотивы прикольные, теперь я понимаю, кем вдохновлялись, например, Weezer. Место среди обязательных к прослушиванию альбомов, на мой взгляд, имеет право занимать. За хорошее настроение поставлю даже 8
Another day, another Elvis Costello album. However, unlike yesterday's middling Brutal Youth, this was excellent. His band The Attractions are super-tight particularly on the jerkier, New Wave tracks (Pump It Up is close to perfect), and I can understand the credit Costello gets as a talented songwriter/lyricist. The production is much crisper than Brutal Youth too, everything sounds clear and sharp rather than the slightly muddy mastering of the later album - really brings out the way the band fit together so perfectly. Didn't tire after a few listens today, will return in the future. It also introduced me to their infamous fuck-you SNL performance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD_24nDzkeo Top Tracks: Pump It Up, (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, Lipstick Vogue
Costello’s best album. The band sounds great together. I love the stab of the organ over the punchy rhythm section and Costello’s breathless vocals. Classic tracks throughout.
Pretty fun an album, nowhere near Budokan but I liked this enough to check out Elvis Costello for his voice and sound. Maybe a few songs that aren't as exciting as the rest, but I vibe to this big time. 4+/5
Instrumentally and vocally felt like a precursor to modern pop punk. Already sold. 4/5
Enjoyed this more than I was expecting to. Good pace and interesting songs throughout.
I enjoyed this one, wouldn’t have thought it was as old as it was - sounded a lot more up to date
Maybe this is blasphemy, but this gave me some poor-man's Spingsteen vibes? Just with a lot less Jersey. This Costello album explains why he should be on the list and has good vibes. Still strongly believe blood and chocolate needs to be removed from the list for excessive mediocrity.
I groaned when I saw another Elvis Costello album pop up, but that was a mistake. In my opinion, this is much better than the others. Good Rock n Roll energy throughout all the tracks. Vocals seemed more immediate, and was musically just all around better/good. Standouts: “Pump it Up” and “Radio Radio” ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Rounding up.
Excellent album. Hard to believe it's only his second album - it sounds much more mature than that. 4 stars.
Enjoyed this more than My Aim Is True, maybe because of the addition of the Attractions which gives the sound more power, Pump It Up the best track
Elvis Costello is one of those musicians that I've never really listened to, but that I've always been curious about. This was certainly the right album for me to listen to to get into him. It's poppy, but still innovative. You can tell right away from listening to this album that it influenced a lot of music that came after it. Solid 4/5, and I could see this being 5/5 with repeated listens
Elvis for sure has a unique sound. This one had a couple I've heard before, they are great, but overall the album is solid.
-"The Beat," "Pump It Up," "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea," "Lipstick Vogue," and "Radio, Radio" are all quite good songs -"Lipstick Vogue" has an awesome drug intro and sweet bass throughout -Solid rock album, I like the bass throughout it
I liked most of the tracks on this album, not all of them. But it's not hard to see the significance this album has had on albums in the future.
This was a fun listen. None of the songs stood out to me, but none of them were uninteresting
Elvis Costello is cool, man. Like in a timeless way. Any of his stuff could have been released at just about any point in time and been just far enough outside the mainstream to be recognizable and relevant, but also way different and cooler than everything else.
I love this record. We own it. I listen to it 3-4 times a year. My favorite time listening was just after new year's in the early moments of a year at a party we were hosting a few years ago. I put this record on and the party that was waning picked up. I saw my friend's Dan and Iris making out in the room by the record player. I guess they like this record too. Elvis Costello has so much spunk. And he fits so many damn lyrics into a single 3-minute song.
Elvis Costello is another one of those artists I just never listened to. I've heard about him my entire life and may have heard a song of his here and there but never investigated. I regret not doing it earlier. This is great music. Nothing much more to say. The vocals really fit with the music and listening to the 2021 remaster, the production sounds really fresh and great. I know there are more Elvis Costello albums on this list but I might go search them out myself. Also a personal touch is that he lives in my home town and my mother has seem and his wife shopping at the local grocery store numerous times. She's interacted with them a little bit since she is a huge Diana Krall fan and
Just an overall good album, classic rock and roll mixed with some new influences and outcomes an album that keeps a good pace and quality throughout its 40 minutes runtime. Costello doesn't amaze but he never disappoints
Elvis never does anything remarkably innovative, but he repackages all the great elements of rock and pop of the 50s and 60s, with a bit of that 70s punk edge, never failing to produce a great album.
There was plenty of energy, some decent songwriting, catchy arrangements and great vocals.
Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Pump It Up Date listened: 08/04/22 Surprisingly energetic and rocky. I enjoyed this a lot. A couple of songs I knew, but had no idea they were Elvis Costello. Love a bit of mellotron.
Some belting tracks - the singles in particular. Tight band and some novel organ parts.
Lekkere up-tempo popmuziek, beetje punk- of ska-achtig. Doet me ook af en toe denken aan een Engelse "Doe Maar". Favorieten zijn het openingsnummer "No Action" en "Chelsea". ****
A very Elvis Costello album. I dig it. I used to think his voice was too whiny, but I guess I've finally aged out of that tone that bothers young people but not old people. It's a solid album--but even more solid in the first half.
Doesn't have the hooks or the moments of brilliance of My Aim is True or Armed Forces, but makes up for it in sheer consistency. No filler, just consistently good songs.
Nearly a year into this generator with my first Elvis Costello album. I hear there's a ton. This exceeds my expectations. Costello manages to condense 14 tracks in a single album, at an average length of 3 minutes each. The production is incredibly polished. Everyone is so clear, I'd be willing to just listen to the instrumental. Yet Costello is such an entertaining vocalist, never boring me for a second. This is one of those albums you can hear the transition from punk to New Wave. Not just the direct vocals and forward lyrics, but in the rhythmic, rapid drumming and the guitar controlled yet full of personality. But there's plenty of other genres fused in, like the power pop of "Little Triggers" and "Hand in Hand." It's a very accessible album, easy on the ears, plenty of hooks, and unique synths and other techniques that make each song stand out for one reason or another. And if you don't like one? Easy, just waiting a minute or two and you get something entirely new. Favorites: No Action, The Beat, Pump It, Chelsea, Lip Service, Living in Paradise, Lipstick Vogue
Wonderful post-punk. I'd forgotten how many of these songs I'd heard independently before and enjoyed so to hear them collected with the rest of the album was great
This album has a small soundstage, but lots of energy. Full of dancey tracks and pop melodies, it sounds a lot like an indie rock record that would have been released in the 2010's. It didn't really blow me away, but it is a very positive listening experience. The record has a super consistent sound and flows well track-to-track. Fave tracks: No Action, Pump It Up, (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
I love all things Elvis. I've often wondered if he was handsome whether he would have been more famous. I real the 33 1/3 for Armed Forces and was surprised to learn he had a racist/xenophobic streak in his past. Great music though. Someday I have to do a deep dive on the whole library.
Sneaky good. I'd never guess this is 44 years old. Curious why this guy didn't have a bigger career...
Everything is just OK in this album. Nothing really bad. Cool bass in this one. Everything is just... ok
Sinänsä potentiaalisesti tarttuvat melodiat mutta vähän vaisuksi jää ja muutaman kuuntelun jälkeenkään ei mikään biisi palaudu mieleen. 70-luvun lopulla julkaistiin aika paljon merkittävämpiäkin levyjä samassa genressä.
Alright, lyrics super heavy on sex. Decent melodies - catchier as you listen to it several times
Wow, this hit the ground running. And I definitely hear the 80s in this so far. I like this one. It’s something I wouldn’t mind hearing on the radio, but I don’t like it enough to actually buy it or search out more.
Pump It Up, all time classic. Elvis sneers his way through a jumpy collection of keyboard-flavored punky tracks. I can appreciate cynicism as much as the next guy! 6/10
While the album does feel a bit ahead of its time, maybe just because Elvis' voice is very iconic, the album felt very middle of the road. Whether it came out in 78 or 21 I'd feel the same way about it. Perfectly alright in which case it makes no sense to be on this list.
One of those guys who, no matter how hard I try, I can never get into. Even having given this a considered listen, I still haven't experienced a eureka moment. Still, 'Pump It Up' is a banger
Enjoyed it. I think it just missed a four stars by a smidge for no quantifiable reason.
snarky and well produced. love myself a horny man in a suit. some really good lines and some really great musical moments. +: pump it up, (i don't want to go to) chelsea, lipstick vogue
Liked this more than I thought I would with a couple of recognisable of tracks in there which I didn’t actually mind all that much.
This was fine. Not as annoying as his other ones on here, but can’t believe we’ve had 3 already!
Was never a particular fan but it was good to hear those hits from back in the day. ***
Pari hyvää rallia, kuten Pump It Up ja You Belong To Me, jotka poimin omalle soittolistalle. Muutenkin ihan kelpo levy ja kokonaisuutta arvoin 3 ja 4 välillä. En niin levyn hidastempoisista biiseistä niin paljoa välittänyt joten 3.
Heard a few of the songs before but enjoyed listening to the whole album. Lots of good basslines in there.
Elvis Costello certainly has an individual voice and I like it quite a lot. The clear standout song on this album is 'Pump It Up' and it is brilliant. That riff has become super famous at this point and I'm pretty sure it's been sampled many times. I thought 'Little Triggers' was actually pretty good to follow it too. Also, 'No Action' was a punchy opener and got me raring to listen to the rest. All in all, I enjoyed this one but it didn't blow me away, maybe it's a creeper.
Definitely fun, and an improvement on his debut, but not quite enough to earn a full star. If his previous was the lowest of the 3s, this is the highest of them. The songs I liked I absolutely loved, but a lot of the ones I didn’t really got on my nerves.
Yeh alright, catchy tunes, bit of an earthed 2 vibe. Pump it Up is a great tune. Lipstick Vogue sounded like inspiration for Arctic Monkeys Age of the Understatement. 3/5
Увидел попытки в оригинальность, но не увидел лица. Навскидку: No Action, The Beat, Lip Service - хорошо, Living In Paradise, Radio, Radio, Living In Paradise - глупость. Видно, что альбом - результат труда сольного исполнителя и аккомпанирующей группы, этот Элвис постоянно что-то наваливает и наваливает, беря пару секунд, чтобы сделать вздох. Вроде бы и неплох, но утомляет. В целом эстетика приятная и понятная, но хорошего музла что-то недостаточно завезли. Между делом краем уха услышать непрочь, но возвращаться - что-то вообще нет.
A good example of Costello. Has flashes of almost frantic energy but always pulls it back to safer pop ground.
This Year's Model sounds like the big brother of what will come for the next 10 years on the pop-rock musical scene. It differs from the '70s musics although doesn't exactly ressembles the '80s ones. Extravagant, some pieces surprises positively and over all the album stays relatively entertaining from start to end. However, once the entertainment is gone, the album doesn't last long in memory. Perhaps too short, without the adequate time to develop the ideas, This Year's Model hardly brings the listener back to it once done.
- not sold on vocal style, - fun, cool, instrumentals, - nice mixing - some standouts but no song likes
Didn't love. Lyrics were weird and simplistic at times, plus the music itself didn't seem to match the tone of the words (but not in an ironic/interesting way). I didn't listen to the whole thing so maybe not a clean break but not for me.
2 seems harsh, 3 is a little generous, still fairly sure Elvis Costello paid to get on this list so many times
Lots of average EC on here, Pump It Up is a great song and Radio, Radio has an interesting case for one of the better last songs on an album. Usually its just junk at the end
Got halfway through this while stripping carpet. Pump It Up will forever be an absolute jam. The rest passed in relatively dry fashion. It's kind of fun, but nothing jumps out - I'm sure I tried to enjoy this before and it's just okay. Ir continues in this vein. It is a good album. It's not a classic.
Meh, some ok some annoying. Funnily the 'similar songs' after on Spotify were quite good.
I am surprised that this is a 1978 album because I feel the sound was mostly unique for the time. Overall it was alright.
Whilst there’s nothing here that has made me want to explore more of his stuff, it’s really hard to dislike any of it - love pump it up and a couple of others
Turn it up and 2-3 other nice ones. I don’t want to go to Chelsea. Sounds like nothing else.
Love the Vox Continental organ. I’ll go (surprisingly) 3.5 considering how unmoved I was by Armed Forces. Did RHCP ever do (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea?
It was a bit boring at first but ‘Pump It Up’ gave it a bit more and the rest of songs from there were better than the ones at the beginning. Overall it was okay.
For some reason Elvis Costello’s sound makes me think of Christmas. This album doesn’t have the edge the Welcome to the Working Week did, and I don’t find it as enjoyable. Still it was a pleasant listen and if I were to hear it again I wouldn’t complain.
My second EC album on the list and this one different than his later Imperial Bedroom - definitely a more raw approach which I think he had for his first ~3/4 albums. One point: I love Costello's bass playing; I thought that warranted more credit than I ever remember hearing - it really drives all of these songs and it's hot in the mix. Overall this album is catchy as hell, with "Pump It Up" always being a radio favourite of mine and the US versions of this album always contained "Radio Radio" which is another classic 70s pop rock tune. Funny though -> I thought I liked his early material more and I think I still do but in retrospect I sometimes grow tired of that organ sound. It's definitely a *sound* and in a lot of ways that's a great thing for an artist to have; to me it is distinctly Elvis/The Attractions, but just something a bit droning at times. Anyways - a fun album that i'm not sure is groundbreaking to me and doesn't necessarily give me chills but I'll always enjoy hearing. 7/10 3 stars.
it honestly was 100% average. Nothing amazing but i didn’t not like it. He has a good fun music vibe.
Still not a big Elvis Costello fan. He’s good at what he does - I’m just not that into this type of rock.
The album sounded fresh at first, but after a few songs I already started getting a little bored. Tight band, good vocals, but I stopped being engaged after a while.
I can appreciate that EC is a talented songwriter, and I truly love some of his songs from other albums, but so so soooo much of his song catalogue sounds very.. well.. very same-ish. That , and the nasal tone of his voice in general , means we're not destined to be pals
I've always known about Elvis Costello but never listened to his records. I remember he was prominent on the scene in the 70's-80's as kind of a new wave MTV staple, but my rock music molecular receptors just didn't bond. Actually, in the wikipedia article I see one of the tags for his style is "pub rock," which does make sense to me. That reminds me of hooligan punk, like The Pogues. I did have some fun with the album and there was one track I was glad to hear - Pump It Up. The guitar whirled around in my brain but I had no idea where it came from. Pretenders, J. Guiles Band? Ignoramus, oh well.
With the exception of Pump It Up, (which is great), I've can't say that I've ever knowingly heard anything else by Elvis Costello, which is strange as surely someone would have recommended his music to me at some point in time - especially given his connections to Liverpool - but no. It makes me wonder who is Elvis Costello's audience? I quite enjoyed this album. Lots of interesting lyrics and compositions, more up-tempo than I expected, good fun.
Wanted to listen to Elvis for a while, I was aware of his works. An interesting album although sounded a little dated good though.
Couple of classics on here, Pump It Up, (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, but the rest blended in to one for me. That organ sound got quite wearing after a while as well.
Still - I think this seals the fate between Elvis Costello and me - we are not compatible. It’s probably me not him - and I do like the occasional Pump It Up and I feel him when he doesn’t want to go to Chelsea - but once I got it into my head his voice sounds like one of the Smurfs (an unfair judgement I know) I just couldn’t see past it. This relationship is finally over. It’s an ok album but 3 stars is the best I can do and we both walk away with our heads up high.
Mmm not sure I get this one. To me this seems like a pretty straightforward pop-rock album. There isn't anything bad about it, the music is well written and the recording is quality, but I don't find it to particularly stand out considering the acclaim it has received. The tracks kind of all sound the same to me, and nothing seems to be that progressive for the era. Talking Heads came out a few months earlier, Parallel Lines came out a couple months later, both I find to be infinitely more interesting albums in the pop/new wave/punk genre. Overall, I think it sits comfortably in it's lane. Never really been a massive fan of Costello to begin with. Fav Tracks: Pump It Up, (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
The opening track 'No action' sounds like an inferior reworking of 'Radio Radio' which is great, as are all the singles. The rest are all unmistakably Elvis Costello in up tempo mood - all jerky aggressive vocal lines and background organ. It's a hard listen.
Oh, le changement de band fait du bien ici. La production est aussi bien meilleure que sur My Aim Is True. Par contre le Remaster de 2021 en MQA sur Tidal est à éviter. La version originale est bien meilleure, beaucoup plus dynamique. On a donc enfin un Elvis Costello qui vaut la peine d'être entendu. Le petit côté punk rock me plait beaucoup plus. On a aussi plus l'impression d'un tout cohérent sur cet album. Pièces préférées: (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, Pump It Up, Lipstick Vogue, The Beat.
Intéressant. On a un petit mélange des genres ici. C’est très produit et très léché comme album. Pour l’année, le côté punk est déjà très propre. Le son de son rack tom est insuportable et attire toute mon attention... Pump it up est un incontournable.
I liked some of this, but not all of it. Not what I expected from Elvis Costello, I was aware of him but didn’t really know his music.
Kind of a meh album. Instrumentation can be interesting, the vocalist's voice is a little annoying. HOWEVER the drum solo in Lipstick Vogue is great
I wasn't super-thrilled about yet another EC&TA album in less than one week, so I did not listen. Next, please
Le tengo cariño como personaje aunque nunca he sido muy fan de su música. En este disco está su mayor éxito en escuchas de Spotify que es "Pump it up" que no me ha gustado especialmente, prefiero: "You belong to me" y "Living in paradise". Un disco normalito en mi opinión.
Done just over 100 albums and 3 of them have been Elvis Costello. I mean really? One Elvis Costello album in the 1001 would have been plenty. 4/10
Ei oikein herättänyt niin minkäänlaisia tuntemuksia. Pari ihan jees tarttuvaa biisiä, mutta siinäpä se.
I absolutely loved the previous album of E.Costello’s named ‘My Aim Is True’ so was extremely keen to listen to this offering. This time though, ‘his aim wasn’t as true’ unfortunately. It’s ok, but it’s more of the same and becomes repetitive very quickly. I would label this album ‘safe’ to be honest. There’s no groundbreaking tunes or hooks as per his solo record and lyrics can sound lazy. Don’t get me wrong, you can still enjoy this album...just not as much. 2 Stars!
Put this on and promptly forgot it was playing until it was almost done. Musically about as interesting as the Jitterbug song from the commercials. The inferior Elvis by far
I stg liked the country album more // Favs: The Beat / Little Triggers Score: Decent 2
Surprisingly modern sound. Lyrics found to be quite witty and catchy. Keyboards are occasionally repetitive and annoying.
A couple of nice songs mired by a collection of what might have once been nice. But most of all, mired by awful sound.
I guess if I were smarter this would probably be genius or something, but really it just reminded me of They Might Be Giants, only not as good.
Not really my cup of tea. I was going to give it a 1 at first, but it got a bit better in the end.
Tras escuchar por primera vez un disco entero de Elvis Costello siento que es como las lechugas, que todo el mundo cree que son buenas pero en realidad aportan poco a tu organismo. Siendo generoso, podría haberle puesto un tres al álbum, pero siendo estricto, no puedo darle más de un dos a pesar de que la escucha es entretenida en algunas canciones, como en “(I don’t want to go to) Chelsea”, la pizpireta “Living in paradise” o la espídica “Lipstick Vogue” que es, con diferencia, la mejor de todas. Lo que más me gusta es que aparezca Berto Romero en la portada de este disco de 1978.
Sorry, I tried. I really, really tried. But Elvis Costello does nothing for me, and this album as a whole did not even interest me enough to make me want to write a complete review. It's not even that it's bad (sometimes it's interesting to explain *why* you think a record is not for you). It's just that, apart from very, very rare highlights towards the end ("Lipstick Vogue", "Night Rally" ), the music on *This Year's Model* is neither groundbreaking nor particularly well written. For an album with such a reputation, I found the whole thing a bit tame, honestly (God, how downright *cheesy* those organ's 7th chords trimmings are sounding now). One quickly suspects that the critical sucess of this rockabilly rehash was just a fluke, Costello being just lucky enough to profit from the convenient coincidence of playing so-called "unpretentious" music at the exact same time punk surged. The problem is that, as unpretentions as the music is, it is neither powerful, nor sophisticated, nor subtle, nor anything else, to be frank (part from "Lipstick Vogue"'s conclusion maybe). And Costello's voice can be annoying at times, even though I admit it may become an acquired taste for some listeners. As for the lyrics, they're fine overall, with some striking one-liners here and there (a lot of them about Elvis' jealous obsessions, which got me worried for his partner, to be honest). Yet most of the compositions are just too linear and predictable to seal the deal for me. They simply don't make me feel anything, and "lip service" won't be something you'll ever get for me here. I always try to keep an open mind, but clearly, I don't see what the fuss was all about. What we have is more than competent musicianship, of course, even talent. But if you want to select a list of 1001 albums you should absolutely listen to, there are probably twice as many albums worthier of your time out there. Life's too short to waste it on stuff you consider bland. My loss, maybe. But that's the way it is for me. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 987 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 5 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 5 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 4 (including this one)]
Just about every Elvis Costello album I've ever listened follows the same pattern: One or two incredible songs, 4 or 5 mediocre songs, and the rest garbage. This one is no exception. 2.5 stars.
What's this, the 5th Elvis Costello album now? More stupid-sounding rockabilly new wave pub jams, just like I didn't want. What a shame I already used the David Lee Roth quote to shit on Costello for an earlier album. 2/5.
No más no termino de engancharme con este disco. O sea, es musiquita agradable, muy alegre, movida, etc. pero en ningún momento me emocionó. No sé si se pasa de simpleo de alegre o qué me faltó, pero fueron cuarenta y pico minutos que no registré en mis oídos aunque lo intenté al menos unas tres veces.
Gar nicht mal so gut. Eines der 5 Lieblingsalben von Robert Smith, lese ich im Wikipedia-Artikel. Kein Wunder, dass ich The Cure ebenso bedeutungslos finde wie dieses Machwerk. Ein ganz und gar überflüssiges Album. Bitte nie wieder.
Not excited by this Elvis. He would be a hit at a prom or bar but nothing struck a chord in me . Sorry Costello 😔 the other Elvis wins by a long shot
Yeah it's pretty cool and all to hear proto ska, but I cannot stand Elvis' voice. I enjoy the organ/keys that come in all the time, but there's not a whole lot to enjoy about this album other than it exists. Highlights: 1, and 4.
I did not enjoy this album primarily due to the singer's voice. I liked the backing track to most of the songs, but the voice made the songs so off putting that I wanted to skip most of them. Favorite Track: The Beat
Is this the original prep music?