This Year's Model

I stg liked the country album more // Favs: The Beat / Little Triggers Score: Decent 2

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.

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.

Meh. Do not like his voice. The songs are decent but not my style.

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.

good album

It was a ride loved it

Really liked this. Cool voice and playing was good. Not a song I would skip.

Ok

Not a fan.

not my thing

Really nice, good vibes. Can listen to in a lot of situations!

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

Ganska bra faktiskt

Very cool album. Costello always sounds modern to me. Crazy.

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.

Nice listen, not much to say except I enjoyed it

Enjoyed it.

Better than his first record but still not an all time great

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

A simple Pop Rock album that was enjoyable to listen to, but also can be forgettable.

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

false

decent pre-punk sound. In general, not the hugest Costello fan, but decent. Would prefer Iggy Pop

A good example of Costello. Has flashes of almost frantic energy but always pulls it back to safer pop ground.

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

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

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.

Loved it

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

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.

Fun to listen to. Not super excited about it but would add to a mix for parties.

Surprisingly modern sounding

Liked his music... easy listening....a few songs I recall back then...

Overall a decent record, but nothing really stood out to me

I enjoyed this one a lot, fun and well made new wave

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!

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.

Not my cup of tea.

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+

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-

Very into this.

Heard a few of the songs before but enjoyed listening to the whole album. Lots of good basslines in there.

aika junnaavia biisiä... muutama ok niin 2 starbaa

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.

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.

Ei oikein herättänyt niin minkäänlaisia tuntemuksia. Pari ihan jees tarttuvaa biisiä, mutta siinäpä se.

Nice but not exciting

Was never a particular fan but it was good to hear those hits from back in the day. ***

Better than I thought.

This was fine. Not as annoying as his other ones on here, but can’t believe we’ve had 3 already!

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.

Tuttu nimi, mutta ei ollut käryä musiikista. Yllättävän toimivaa tavaraa ja menevää rytkettä.

Olis varmaan pitänyt arvostella sillon kun oli kuunnellut. No, muistaakseni mietin et ihan neloskamaa suhteessa aiempiin. Et mennään sillä. :D

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.

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

Enough Elvis bloody Costello now.

As good as it gets for Elvis. Not bad but have had enough 😂

Pretty good

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

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.

Good álbum

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.

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

Enjoyed it. I think it just missed a four stars by a smidge for no quantifiable reason.

Another pretty good album. Around a 7 or an 8.

4

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.

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

“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

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.

Lo volvería escuchar

Meh

Still Elvis Costello, still pretty good. I think I liked it a tad less than the other one but not very significantly. 8

Similar to Kill the Young. Most songs sound too same and too up-beat

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

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.

Not my style or voice, sounds hectic

C’est vraiment pas mon style. Je ne suis pas certain d’aimer ca . 3.25*

This must be the inspiration for a lot of 90s alt stuff

I wasn't super-thrilled about yet another EC&TA album in less than one week, so I did not listen. Next, please

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

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

I liked it

Very nice

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.

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!

Just fine.

Yeah, not bad. Bit of a mixed bag. Nothing transcendental, but listenable enough.

Not for me

tosi hyvä! tykkään! This year's girl oli The Deuce sarjassa ja on ihan huippu ja koko levy on pitkälti samaa settiä

Great melodies! Still iffy on Costello’s voice though.

THIS IS GOOOD

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.

Easy listening

Good background and gettin' things done music

This was far better than I expected. It felt like this could have been released today.

Love this album! All of it! Favorites: No Action Pump it up The Beat You Belong to me Living in Paradise Radio Radio

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

3

Eh not feeling it

Go

not very memorable

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?

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.

The vocals reminded me too much of Joe Jackson, but pump it up was a vibe

Now this is a 3 star album. Lots of beach vibes and good vibes in general

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

7

Very good.

Eh, this just didn’t do anything for me.

Alright, lyrics super heavy on sex. Decent melodies - catchier as you listen to it several times

2.5

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.

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.

I think I finally get him now! He's a punk!

Everything is just OK in this album. Nothing really bad. Cool bass in this one. Everything is just... ok

Pretty good! Wasn't sure how to classify it.

Not for me.

Idk, just wasn't anything that caught my ear in a good or bad way.

Is this the original prep music?

Absolutely amazing start to finish

I like the vibe but a little basic for my taste

Nice collection of songs. Lots of energy, solid hooks, some great musicianship.

Not my cup o' tea.

Aight

3,5

meh

I like this, usually find his voice annoying, but it's not too affected on this record. Some good, fun tunes.

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

Not bad but not really my jam either. Happy dad-adjacent rock

This album was excellent. Not a single bad song on the record and I honestly liked how it made me feel.

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.