This Year's Model

The man loves his keyboard. Thought it was a really good album just don’t know when I’d ever seek out throwing it on again.

I liked this, pleasant for afternoon drive. Vaguely sounded like Lenny Kravitz at points?

Recognized from girl talk. Sounds like Lenny kravitz in little trigger. Didn’t love it at first probably bc I never have listened to Elvis Costello (that punk rock blind spot). But some of it grew on me. Likes the accordio-ish sound, which seems unique. Listened to on drive from Trapani to Agrigento in Sicily

Meh

Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, probably won’t remember it. Also not a massive fan of Costello’s voice for some reason.

Pretty good

I'm really digging this album. It's got a great groove to it that makes me want to keep listening to it.

I might like this more if his voice wasn't so annoying

Great album. Definitely worthy of 3.5. Just not a 4 for me.

Pretty good. Was at a show of his some decades ago where he insulted the audience, along the lines of "Well, you fuckers showed up so let's get this over with". Good times.

elvis costello is at his best when he’s slowly crooning and that really shows in this. he shines the most when he’s really getting down and dirty but other than that, i think it was just mostly solid. definitely do think that this is a lot better than most of the 70s stuff i’ve listened to 1.) chelsea 2.) little triggers 3.) no action

Elvis !!!! No Presley sino Costello, pero aún así otro grande de la escena

3.5/5

I like his sound and distinctive voice. Although I wouldn't put this album in my regular rotation, it's a nice listen.

This is a really solid album, and if I haven't had to listen to ALL his other lesser albums from this list I probably would have given this a 4, but the fact that I physically cringe when I hear/read his name he loses a point.

Was not expecting to like this as much as I did. Great band! Cool album! 3.5stars

A little repetitive and not overly interesting. A couple good songs, but probably won’t revisit

- War sehr cool. Crazy, dass 1978 schon solche Musik gemacht wurde. Hätte ich mindestens 10 Jahre später verordnet. Da ist ja echt alles drin: Rock, Pop, Prog, New Wave, Punk(?), Reggae(?). - Leider stach da kein Song so richtig raus und auch seine Stimme wurde mir während des Durchgangs etwas zu viel. - Dennoch cool arrangiert und komponiert. Hat mich regelmäßig wirklich überrascht. 3,25/5

Good album

Not sure why I don't listen to EC more. This is really good, but I think it lacks a certain "edge" I want to my music. It's power poppy, but not enough?! Does that make sense? Great lyrics and cool sounds, but not something I'm going to go to on a regular basis.

Not bad. Some of these songs could grow on me. Favorites: Big Tears, Radio Radio

Pretty fun listen

- this is not what i expected - not sure what exactly I thought it would be but not upbeat groovy pop - After Listening: Yeah I liked it, didn't super jump out to me but it was a pleasant surprise. Haven't disliked any album so far even remotely, and I think I like this more than The Pretenders album

Another retread with the next several albums by artists we've already heard from is a bummer, but here we are. Not sure what else I can say about this album that is much different than the previous couple Costello reviews. Elvis has the kind of music and voice that you have to be in a mood to hear or it can wear on you after a while. I thought this album was decent enough with enough hits I remember from my younger days. Imo, this is the best of the albums we have heard from Elvis and I enjoyed a number of tunes. Pump It Up, The Beat, Chelsea, Lipstick Vogue and Radio Radio all stand out for me. I didn't find anything real negative to say. Can't say I would normally seek out this guy, but all in all, a pretty solid album. 3

3.5 Lowkey incel music about not getting girls coming from a dude who looks just like Buddy Holly - this is basically Weezer if they took themselves too seriously. I say that as a huge Weezer fan though, and while I’m not proud to admit it, I quite enjoyed this album as well. I don’t know what that says about me, but this is far and away the best of this guy’s stuff I’ve heard. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still not something I feel overly strongly about, but it’s definitely a pleasant surprise after our past couple outings with the guy. There isn’t any one song here I fell in love with or found myself immediately saving, but I did find pretty much all of them to at least be enjoyable - or even borderline danceable in some cases. While I’m familiar with and historically have not been the biggest fan of Pump It Up or Radio, Radio, hearing them within the context of this album actually helped me appreciate them a bit more. However, if you ask me, they’re far from the best of what this album has to offer - No Action, This Year’s Girl, (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea, and You Belong to Me were probably my favorites and all songs that I think deserve a bit more attention among Elvis’ catalog. Though, you really can’t go wrong with anything here. That all to say, as solid as this album is, it’s more of a solidly good than a solidly great - I’m not walking away as any sort of born again Elvis Costello fan, but I will give him credit for putting out something I enjoyed. While I still have quite a bit of his catalog to check out, I feel confident in saying this is probably the dude’s finest hour.

I liked this more than I remembered liking it when I was in college. Pump It Up is a great song, but unfortunately Elvis Costello's vocal delivery style puts me off. 3.5

PUMP IT UP honestly the rest of it is Fine but that song slaps

Nice

Less very Elvis Costello.

There are some good tracks on this, for sure. I have just never really liked Elvis Costello's voice - it's a bit annoying! But that's just my opinion. I appreciate the vibe of this, but not sure I would choose to listen to the whole thing again. Actually, I am sure - I won't!

A decent album that left me with no strong feelings or opinions. Relatively inoffensive with some good tunes sprinkled throughout. Not a massive fan of the lead singers voice and it did break the immersion for me now and then. Recognise a few songs from Dad playing also (the better ones in the track-list of course). Perfectly fine, but wont be returning most likely! Favourite track: Pump It Up

probably my favorite Costello album to date? it was aight actually, and i rather enjoyed some parts. Pump it Up is a dope one, and Radio Radio was also pretty good. i think overall i would have to say that i enjoyed this much more than his other albums, but don't want comparison to be the killer of my joy. ill give it a three, but probably still wont come back to Costello much

#247. 39 minutes of music that is tolerable, but not really much else. 3/5: ok...ish

Okay, but does not hold your attention. Very difficult to get worked up liking or disliking this guy

It is ok but I will never become a big Costello fan.

Segundo disco de Costello, de su excelente serie de 5 (producidos todos por Nick Lowe). Cualquiera de ellos, tal vez este y el siguiente (Armed forces) sean los mejores. Las conocidas (I don´t want to go to) Chelsea y Pump it up son la punta de lanza de este fenomenal disco. Little Triggers es una de las mejores canciones del album. This year´s girl y Lip service no bajan un milímetro el nivel. En la versión estadounidense del álbum, se exluyeron "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" y "Night Rally", y se añadió la vibrante "Radio Radio" para cerrar el álbum. Otros discos editados en 1978: debuts de Kate Bush, Pere Ubu, Magazine, , Public Image Ltd., Dire Straits, Police, The Only Ones, Devo, The Cars y Siouxsie and the banshees, (también Chris Rea y Midnight Oil), así como discos esenciales: The man machine, C´est CHic, Plastic letters y Paralell Lines, Some Girls, This year´s model, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Incantations, Équinoxe, Ambient 1: Music for Airports, All mod cons, Some girls, One Nation Under A Groove, Outlandos d´amour los directos de Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, Bob Marley, AC-DC y The last waltz, e incluso Grease.

The second Elvis Costello album to appear here and the one I've heard the most about. Overall though, I feel the same about 'This Year's Model' as I do about most of Costello's other works. While I admire how colorful and erratic this album is generally, its herky-jerky presentation just comes off as messy rather than eclectic in the scope of the entire album. I will endlessly compliment how good each instrument here sounds, especially on a song like 'Chelsea' with that instrumental interlude with the guitar, bass, and synth. There are some great blends here. It does generally sound like something you'd hear in the late 60s pop scene, though obviously re-vamped and scaled to the sound quality you'd expect from the late 70s new-wave and post-punk era (also more shamelessly artsy). I'd also like to note the way Elvis tackles melody - taking this very linear approach which contrasts the labyrinthian way he approaches generally simple topics lyrically; it fits the music generally. Though I can't say I enjoy the occasionally snotty-relationship'y lyrics here. I still liked a few songs like 'The Beat', 'Living in Paradise', and 'Hand in Hand', but Elvis is just not an artist that resonates with me on a deep level. Rather, he's more a figure in music history that I'll continue to respect from a distance.

A vibe. Costella has a cool voice: quirky but tuneful. The songs are good.

Hmm, nice but also a bit on the boring side. Apparently being named Elvis isn't enough.

Another Elvis Costello album but this one failed to grab my attention in any serious way. It's consistently good but doesn't ever really raise its head much higher than that and I don't think I'll come back to it in any hurry.

I know the movie came out well after the peak of Elvis Costello’s career, but his voice always reminds me of the lead singer in That Thing You Do. Not a bad thing, but I definitely might watch that movie tonight. You can clearly hear all of the influences other bands have picked up from E.C., including Lenny Kravitz who essentially stole his whole vibe while singing. Also not a bad thing, because I really like a lot of the bands that picked up that influence. It was a short, easy listen that'll I'll come back to again for sure.

I hated his voice.... then I loved it.... then I hated it again. I think it works well with the upbeat pop songs, but I really don't like it with the slower songs.

New Wave Pop/Rock Several nice upbeat songs 3/5 ⭐️ favorite: Radio, Radio

A good album by Elvis Costello & The Attractions, I can see why he has and remains popular to that early Gen X crowd. This Year's Model still sounds like an album that could have been produced in the last decade or so, with its alternative new wave sound. Best: Pump It Up Worst: Night Rally

Wrong Elvis. Got a classic in there tho.

This was a pretty mid album. Fav Songs: The Beat Pump It Up You Belong To Me Radio, Radio

I kind of like The Beat, Pump It Up, You Belong to Me

It's fine generic indie rock

I was excited to hear this album and this man, my dad says this is one of his favorite artists. I gave this album a few listens and I just don't see it. I will say, maybe I've spent too much of my life listening to copycats of this guy's style, but the music felt pretty bland. I read some people talking about how this was punk but it just has no teeth. It lacks strong hooks or fancy instrumentation. I just don't know what to think of this album, everything sounds good but none of the songs stuck with me after the tape shut off. I did find it improved upon revisits. I could see this album growing on me, but I guess I just want to like it more than I do.

Thought I liked a song Costello cameo in a movie or TV show. Went digging and was guessing maybe this from Austin Powers: https://youtu.be/k0z498xEtT4?feature=shared But i mixed him up with Buddy Holly- Everyday. Not sure why lol.

The backing band (the Attractions) are the best part of this album. The drumming in particular is really good. The repeated riff on “Pump it up” is one of those guitar licks you hear all over the place; I now know where it came from. Maybe even more recognizeable when it’s the organ/keys doing it. This album is fine. Its the kinda stuff you hear in a brewery or a bar you like to go to after work. It's not bad and you can hear the influences it has on later records in the future. That could be why I didn't rate it higher, the whole concept has been done a lot better by what would come.

Never listened to Elvis Costello knowingly before and I really don’t get what the big deal is tbh When he says “don’t you know I’m an animal” I liked that line and it made me think, but maybe not in the way the song intended

I’ve been meaning to listen to this one for a while and I did quite enjoy it. Didn’t TOTALLY vibe with it but I enjoyed I don’t want to go to Chelsea and pump it up

This was alright a pretty fun listen but nothing too crazy about it

A couple of classics, a few others that basically sound the same, and a few dull moments that would probably not make it onto an album nowadays. Not great, not terrible, but decent

Boy, that was a bit more than I expected. I always thought this guy was a dork. Turns out he's a perverted prick. Interesting album. I don't know if I'll keep it on rotation.

Very middle of the road, inoffensive and unspectacular. 3/5

I'm kind of meh on Elvis Costello. I really liked the first 3 songs on the album, but then it just fell off for me. Not terrible, just not super engaging. I've definitely heard worse on this list and wouldn't turn this off if it came on a playlist, but I wouldn't seek it out either.

Good. Very listenable. Not much that really stood out but plenty that was fun.

meh

Best grappige nummers, maar nou ook weer niet zo heel bijzonder

Another talented song writer lost to a tragic synth addiction. I started out really liking this one. I thought he was a lot like a zanier Joe Jackson but he just kept hammering and hammering and hammering the synth. One album ruined by a synth addiction is a tragedy- a whole decade of them is a statistic.

I really like part of it. Another part of it is generally fine. The rest is… kind of annoying I guess? Some good stuff here, and appreciate the songwriting, but listening to it was a bit of a rollercoaster.

Day 5/1001. 3. I understand the appeal here, and i did enjoy it, but i think this album just caught me on the wrong day. “the beat” was my favorite track.

Why can’t you rate stars and a half on this? Anyways it’s a 3.5/5 but tbh it’s closer to 3 than it is 4

The most listenable Elvis Costello album I've heard. I'm still not sold on his voice/schtick, but there were a couple of tracks I'd come back to.

I really enjoy Costello’s voice, the music is tight, and there isn’t anything majorly wrong with any of the songs. But there also wasn’t much that was distinct within the album. I would find myself surprised that multiple songs had passed and I didn’t realize. The “hits” sounded like every other song. Which again, wasn’t a bad sound, but there wasn’t a single song that stood out that I was eager to listen to again.

This Year's Model is a pretty decent album. It isn't exactly super interesting and it doesn't do anything all too new but the songs are good and catchy in their own right. The songs had some good rhythms and none of them felt too samey or out of place. One of my major complaints with the album is the fact that the song \"Night Rally\" ended far too abruptly but it wasn't a super bad issue. This album isn't amazing but its good at what it does. Best Song: (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea Worst Song: You Belong To Me

A solid 3.5. I would definitely listen to this again

Very energetic and lively. Reminds me of music I’d hear on a TV sitcom.

A few good songs interspersed with a lot of mediocrity.

3/5

Standard early Elvis. I always thought he should have quit after his first album. His debut was brilliant and it's been downhill ever since. Largely driven by his massive ego.

This Year's Model has some of my favorite Elvis Costello songs on it, but I don't think I've ever listened to it all on its own. Pretty good overall, would definitely play again.

Not an Elvis Costello fan- not sure if it’s his voice or the Buddy Holly glasses that turns me off- but this is as good as he gets. Credit where it’s due. C-

There are a few songs I really like. He's unique and a treasure, but I never have gotten into his catalogue. Will give it a few more listens.

Icky

Didn't gripp me but groovy baby

White ska-adjacent Lenny Kravitz with a touch of B-52s.

It was pretty good

Easy listening, picture this stuff on at a dance bar back in the day

A pleasure to hear some more from our friend Mr Costello so soon! Costello > Presley

Sure

This is a pretty good album. I remember once I was writing a paper and I hit play song vs playlist by accident and listened to Pump it Up nonstop for hours and went into a weird mental space.

I think I like this more than the first Elvis Costello. My Aim is True. But it still sounds too sanitized. Feels like music for a liquid dish soap commercial. It's like punk with a Kokomo era Beach Boys vibe. Lipstick Vogue had some interesting bits.

4/14, 29%

Muy bueno

I feel like this album is kind of a prelude to the 80s. If you like New Wave music you'll dig this. Elvis Costello seems like he's probably an interesting guy. I like this album even though it may not be his best work. I'm not really sure what else to say about this record - it's got catchy songs, good lyrics, full sound. It's not something I would play all the time but I definitely enjoyed listening to it. 3/5.

This is a completely fine album. Nice enough to pass 40 minutes with, nothing bad or unpleasant, but also nothing that really stands out. A high 3, but still a 3.

3.5

Bro Elvis Costello has to articulate more like come on. My favorite misheard lyric is on I dont want to go to Chelsea. I dont want to check your "balls" I actually like this The back half is so much stronger than the first half basically lip service to the ending is so so strong and amazing songwriting and the band is immaculate you just have to go through the first half to get there ahhh. After the first song it is hard to listen to but I like costello and if this is apparently his best record then yeesh I am okay

Album was okay, some of the songs were alright. Still find Costello’s voice to be annoying. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again

Fresh sounding for being a 70s album. Never heard any of his work before, I enjoyed it.

Not as good as I remembered, a couple of good tracks but I prefer his debut.

One of the better Elvis Costello albums. The songs 'Pump It Up' and 'Radio Radio' alone make this one worth your time. As with his other albums, there's some filler too, but here are enough hits to ignore them. Here Costello continued the momentum of his strong debut album.

Only ever heard the song watching the detectives by this band - deece album.

Feels frantic

it was fine. nice enough to listen to. just didn't feel super strongly about it!

Really groovy + modern sounding — unique voice and tight sound.

This guy is always just meh to me. 5/10

It’s good. I don’t get the hype on this guy.

I have mixed feelings on this but I will start by saying I overall enjoyed the album. I think the music is really good and it is easy to listen to. What i didn't particularly enjoy, and I think it explains my issues with the last Elvis Costello album, is his voice. He sounds like the embodiment of the whiney main character from an 80's movie who definitely deserved to be bullied because he thinks he is better than everyone else. Give me a different singer and this is probably a 4 or 5.

Average

3.5

While it's not quite my taste, you have to admit that this album sounds ahead of it's time and has some great songs on it. Overall very energetic and driven

Interesting base, singer has annoying voice

Not a fan of his voice, his music is fine

Fun beats, but the singer went to the Tom Petty school of nasally vocals

Not a bad album.

Good danceable new wave sound.

Melodiskt och mycket roligare än det förra EC-albumet. Tyvärr sjunger han bitvis fortfarande asjobbigt. Men helheten är ett mycket bättre album än sist.

Klart bättre än Brutal Youth. Inget mästerverk, men trallvänligt, melodiöst och lätt att gilla.

Was alright, nothing spectacular.

Eh, its alright

Not bad but just kinda background alright vibes for me

Not exactly my cup of tea, but it is clear to see how much the sound of this album influenced the decade to follow.

🎧 Living in paradise 🎧 Radio, Radio

de unaaa! 7.5/10

I think I’ve listened, I’m excited. Ehh slightly dissapointed. I know and like a bunch of the songs, but I don’t think this album was some crazy experience. Could be a 4 maybe if I was in the right mood, I’m calling it a 3

Blind album, know the artist by name thanks to the project. Honestly I feel like the band is ahead of their time but that won't ever make me like the band. At least this album gets a 3.

I just saw him live!!! Yeah just a very fresh incorpation and early new wave stuff into an early incorporation of traditional piano and rock stuff with a little post punk in there

Not a bad album, I'm just not super into Costello.

Sounded surprisingly modern for the year it came out. Very reminiscent of some 90s rock I have heard. Sounds pretty good too

also annoying

Elvis Costello is great - I enjoy this album.

No es de mi estilo pero no está mal

Only got to listen to half but it was great!

"Pump It Up" alone makes this a great album, and it's just that, great, catchy, infectious...

Not bad. There was nothing in this that I hated, but nothing that I loved either. Definitely my second favourite Elvis!

I was ready to give this a 4 after listening to it yesterday morning, but then in the evening it took me a good few minutes to remember what the days album was. So it obviously didn’t make much of an impression. Sorry Elvis, you were a great guest star on The Simpsons.

It's alright but probably won't go back to it.

I liked this, all the songs were a sensible length. Had heard some of his stuff before but never listened to a full album.  Might dig in to some of his other albums if I find time

Surprisingly liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Started strong but got a bit samey half way through.

Some very enjoyable tracks on this album. I was pleasantly surprised by it, as I was never a big elvis costello fan.

Not bad for a computer programmer. Kind of liked most of the songs.

"Pump It Up" reminded me of "Wild, Wild West" by The escape Club.

This was sonically delightful. Surprised to say, having never really listened to Elvis Costello before, that I can see myself putting this on to listen to front to back again. Honestly a huge part of why I like this album is Bruce Thomas, bass lines for days and awesome bass tone, loved the bass on "(I don't Want To Go To) Chelsea." I dig Costello's voice a lot, some songs more than others, and the harmonizing parts in songs like "Lip Service" we're great! I like the dangerous and fierce lyrics, The instrumentation on the album sounds great, the tones, the melodies, the compositions, the production, performances, bravo to everyone involved. "Lipstick Vogue" stands out as one of the best instrumental performances and compositions on the album. Definitely a poppy rock album, I think the catchiest songs are "Lip Service" and "Hand in Hand." Side Note - got a hint of The Monkees on the song "You Belong To Me, specifically the keys and tambourine. Playlist worthy: "The Beat", " Lip Service", & "Lipstick Vogue" Favorite Song Vocally: Pump It Up Favorite Lyric: Hand in Hand - "Don't you know I got the bully boys out Changing someone's facial design" Very Solid 3 / 5 more like a 3.5 / 5

Started slow, but the album grew on me. I actually liked a few of the songs. Not my first choise of listening, but occationally good. Grade 3/5.

I was never a big Elvis Costello fan, but his hits would allways be a high spot in my day. This wasn't an album I could sit all tha way through, but it was good.

It was fine

Not as punchy as I remembered it

Whiny

I think that if I heard this music in 1978 i would have been super impressed. That being said it was not my favorite style of music. The musicians in the band seemed to be really talented; however, i was not a big fan of the singing.

Ok album

Decent enough but very same same.

Niceish

it was fine, not rushing to listen to again

Musically good but his voice is annoying.

I’m probably too young to understand the Elvis Costello lore and that’s okay. His voice is grating enough to be unenjoyable to my hear, but the way he crafts his voice is undoubtedly interesting. Voice as the instrument etc etc. Not for me but clearly a pioneer and I can’t knock that. Probably won’t be returning to listen anytime soon. Also Olivia Rodrigo/her collaborators were very clearly inspired by the Pump It Up riff for Brutal.

Should've listened to all of it but it sounds really original for it's time tbh...

Catchy, good. Not really for me.

This album feels way ahead of its time. Lots of quirky sounds and vibes. Quite an enjoyable listen, if not my favorite overall. Fav tracks: The Beat, Radio, Radio, Living In Paradise

B- No Action 3 This Year's Girl 3 The Beat 3 Pump It Up 3 Little Triggers 3 You Belong to Me 3 Hand in Hand 3 (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea 3 Lip Service 3 Living in Paradise 3 Lipstick Vogue 3 Night Rally 3 This was pretty meh from Fake Elvis. I think he may be better at racial slurs than music.

3.5

A couple interesting, a couple annoying, all in all nothing special

I enjoyed it, and periodically relisten to Elvis C's albums 1-3. Great sound, but the singles don't stand out to me. 3.4 stars rounded down. I also think I enjoyed the Spanish version of this album, "Spanish Model", more than the original.

My third Costello from this list so far. This one didn't really grab me at the start but does pick up around the end. Fave track: Radio, Radio

This is my first Elvis Costello project, and it pretty much fits what I expected. Sure it gets a little bit generic and same-y, but theres some groovy ass songs I found myself nodding my head to. Not exactly my thing, but I would probably revisit and give it another chance. Thoughts: Not bad! Favorite song: Pump It Up

Like this one.

very inconsequential album for me. Doesn't stick.

Not my style. I enjoyed it slightly more than the Bruce Springsteen album. 3/5

This guy again? Hope this is better than “Brutal Youth” … I’ll try to keep an open mind. Okay, this is better so far. I actually like “The Beat.” In the end, still mediocre - 2.5?

Was not expecting that based off the album cover but I like it. It’d probably be closer to 4 but there’s way too many songs.

Not sure what I thought Elvis Costello's music would sound like but this wasn't it. Not bad but not my thing.

Back half of the album had some good instrumental breaks but overall it felt a bit corny

Pretty alright, quite forgettable.

Cat: he’s got a great voice and the music is good. Catchy. I dig it.

I liked it more than I thought I would. Listened to the front half, liked the energy of it.

Some songs I've heard before but good to get their album context, a nice listen

Brani Preferiti: - "No Action" - "Pump It Up" Note: Ho la sensazione che ci sia poca variazione all'interno dell'album e per tale motivo mi dà l'impressione che lo stile rimanga tutto monotono senza mai raggiungere la vetta. La voce di Elvis non mi fa impazzire, ma sin da subito ho apprezzato la batteria per poi approvare la parte strumentale di questo disco.

Aðeins of cool fyrir minn smekk. Steiktar línur stundum og söngstíllinn á það til að pirra mig. Bandið er hins vegar afar þétt og soundið er mjög gott. Alveg fjör í þessu.

Ekki það besta frá Costello. Frekar einsleitt. Pump it up langbesta lagið og Lipstick Vogue líka skemmtilegt pönk.

Nothing special some enjoyable songs though

Not a huge fan of the singer's voice, but the album itself is pretty good. Hard to go wrong with some good classic rock vibe, but at the same time not incredibly special or unique to me. No particular songs really stood out to me. 3

- tacky billy Joel - it’s almost boy band music - but I’m not against it, it’s catchy - some are annoying though - instrumentation is surprisingly enjoyable

Lipstick vogue oli kova, this years gurlista tuli deuce mieleen - muuten 3/5.

Bouncy and upbeat britpop from the turn of the 80s. Unfortunately it really isn't my cup of tea. Perhaps Costello requires multiple listens, but for me each song just bleeds into the next at roughly the same tempo and key. I couldn't really find my way "in."

Not bad but not what I was needing to listen to while working

I actually enjoyed this one. I really wasn't expecting much after the last album from this band, but this was decent. We'll see if I give it another spin. 3.5/5

Not quite what I expected. Only got halfway through

This would be nice good mood music for background but I didn't really get it.

Listened to this once and it’s very well produced and everything, but I feel like Elvis Costello just isn’t totally my thing

Very bad album cover. Also it's kinda fun music, it's lyrics remind me of bon Jovi, but worse - and better bass yes, its bass is pretty great. I probably won't listen to it again, atleast not the whole album

Before listening- I never got the appeal of Elvis costello. First track I’m thinking it’s power pop- is that why he is loved? So far it feels like a vanilla new wave power pop. Pump it up annoys me too. I did like lipstick vogue and I really liked night rally- the latter was an affront to the rise of fascism that could be sung today with just as much immediacy. That was a perfect closer- why did they change it for America? Lame Americans .

Nice album, enjoyable listen. Elvis Costello has a cool sound that tends to resonate with me and doesn't leave me with any lingering "why did he write this song like this?" questions. The flip side is that his records can then tend to be a little forgettable for me unless I'm really tuned into the songs (lyrics mostly i think). I have a feeling that on more listens I'd be rating this one higher. Cool album cover too. His stare and pose is pretty interesting. To me, I thought the album title would be about a car model "This Year's Model" but the album cover makes me think more of a person modelling (and being given direction by him). That's pretty cool- there hasn't been many album covers that have made me think differently so far in this list.

The superior Elvis?? I always liked this album. It’s just a lot of fun, even if it never reaches any particular peaks.

Although poppy, punchy, and, of course, pumped up, the lack of a certain je ne sais quoi will likely keep me from returning.

Not what i was expecting, but lively

Started great, but wore out quickly

Wouldve been a four star but the last 3 songs are not that good.

Huh

Really can hear the influence Elvis Costello had on 90s/00s alternative. This album is ahead of its time.

not bad, didn't leave a lasting impression. Would need to listen to again

Eh

Some Songs i really liked, some rather funky

I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't listen again

Blackcurrant with hints of date

i see the merit for sure but not really my thing. nothing really stood out to me

Very punk rock! Great Organ riffs. Pump it up -Adam Love the organ, but the vocals are a little hard to enjoy - Ari

Not quite sure exactly what genre this album is...maybe just "rock"? It's almost too generic to associate with anything but overall it was a solid album. Has simple melodies and rhythms which is nice.

I think I might just not like his voice... should probably give it another listen

It’s a pretty good album by a pretty good Elvis

This album takes a lot of different ideas and puts them all into one big melting pot. There is a lot on offer here. We've got Ska music, and some new wave, and some pop rock/punk. All genres that are adjacent to each other in some way, but also with their own unique characteristics. And Elvis does his best to blend those elements together on this album. I found that this album also balances two different time periods in music. Elvis' vocals would feel right at home on a 2000's pop punk record. But the instrumentation, especially the keyboards and synths sound straight out of the late 70's and early 80's. This record is just full of interesting combinations of ideas. That doesn't necessarily save the album from repetitiveness. They try a couple new things on each song to keep things interesting. But the variation is minimal. I do think Elvis actually has a really nice singing voice. It fits the aforementioned 2000's vibe really well. But nothing is super special about what the band is playing from song to song. As a songwriter, Elvis might be one of the greats to some people. And I'm not denying that he doesn't write some compelling lyrics on this album. They are eccentric and silly, but also filled with a slight bitterness to whomever he is speaking about. But I don't see this album as the glowing achievement a lot of others claim it is.

Niet echt knallers man, dit is dus dezelfde Guy die ‘she’ heeft geschreven. Dit album is meer oude rock ofzo.

Well crafted, but not my jam. There is a lot of organ. Definitely some bangers, though.

3/5, expected more from british elvis presley

Good music that's certainly been influential to many genres. But still niche and his nasal voice is an acquired taste.

Some really good basslines in this album. Better than I expected from Elvis Costello since I wasn't crazy about the other albums that we have review by him. Definitely a poppy sound to this album. This one approaches 4 territory, but it would be a stretch to put it there.

That was some interesting funky ska punk combo that sounds like it was way produced way more recently than 1978. Not the biggest fan of his voice but the instrumentals were quite good. I did really like The Beat.

I can see some appeal, to me, it’s fine: No Action lots of organ - reminiscent of TMBG; This Year's Girl vocals feel like Billy Joel; Intro to The Beat feels like Vampire Weekend, song is jammy; Pump it Up serious Billy Joel vibes (apparently We Didn't start the fire was 11 years later); Lipstick Vogue the instrumental breakdown is fun. Overall jammy, can feel the influence in lots of other music, feels very modern for 1978

Decent

Lo volvería a escuchar porque es el tipo de sonido que se acerca a lo que suelo elegir, pero no hay mucho que destaque, es un pop rock británico sin grandes lujos o variaciones

Yet another Elvis Costello album. It was one of the better ones. Had life to it. Songs got a little repetitive and I couldn’t quite get into it, but at least he’s original and sounds unique. 3/5

Ehhh it was okay.

I have to agree with the top review, this is the best Elvis Costello I've heard, but I don't mean that in quite as negative of a light! There is quite a bit here to enjoy, with Costello feeling liking he is putting the most effort into the music he's making more than anything else that I've heard, and it doesn't fall into that problem a lot of his music has where he never hooks me with the songs, as there are quite a few songs here that catch my attention. The issue is that even with most of the songs being pretty short they still feel too long and never do anything particularly interesting, at least, most of the time. Good album, I'd say, but still doesn't quite hit that four star mark, and I'm worried if this one doesn't, none of them will.

Best Costello album I have heard

This is really modern for 1978, could quite easily have come out in the 2000s and not felt dated. That said, it's just a bit underwhelming, isn't it? Feels like every song on there is an album track, in a style that is designed to generate singles. There's plenty of energy, all the ingredients are there, but it never quite comes together to make something truly memorable. 3/5.

3, fun

i liked it. nothing too special for my listen experience

catchy late 70s pop rock. elvis costello shines with sharp lyrics and catchy hooks. tight band behind him as well. the version i listened to was the 2021 remaster which contained “big tears” and “radio radio”, the later of which was a brilliant indictment of the radio broadcasting industry. quality stuff. highlights: “this year’s girl”, “pump it up”, “radio radio”.

Pretty good background music for work but not sure I’d be down to listen to it whenever it pops up again.

Certainly the better of the Elvis Costello albums. Some of the songs are catchy and fun, I’ve just realized that it’s not my cup of tea.

Food for thought, is this the inspiration behind pop punk?

catchy tunes, sounds more modern than 1978. I like his voice too, the whole thing feels like an unknown 90s band that someone unearthed in a time capsule. It feels pretty generic if you ignore when it came out, so maybe it was a transitional album for that time period that inspired a bunch of people,don't know. But from this point in time it's not likely blowing anyone away.

# 18: Pump It Up! Nice beats, good vibes

Pretty cool rock album. Sounds quite 90ish for an album of 1978 ! I enjoyed it as well, nothing to crazy either but nice overall. Favorite Songs : You Belong to Me, (I don't Want to Go), Lipstick Vogue Rating 3.5 / 5

Easy to listen to but personally nothing to remember. I think it is an old album and potentially a game changer in the genre / subgenre but I am not really into it. I still liked listening to it. VERY LIGHT 2.5/5.

I'm not a big fan, but he does write some kinda good tunes. Just not my thing. Also, Escape Club stole Pump It Up.

Hand in Hand - 4 Rest of the songs - Meh (2-3)

Thought there was only one Elvis. This album was decent. Dunno why I got some RHCP vibes off it.

rock n' roll for smarty pants white kids So, yeah,

Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: yeah, it’s probably one of the only of his I do like, very nice backing to the tracks and cool effects Favourite song: Track 3 - The Beat

Too gen x

The best of his I’ve heard on this list so far.

I only knew one song on the album. But maybe that was a good thing. I liked it!

Some pretty cool parts to this album.

While this list has too much Elvis Costello I thought this album was generally enjoyable. Pump It Up is a classic. I get tired of his voice but musically this fairly decent.

never heard any music by him exept she when I rewatch notting hill for the millionth time. i liked this music, it sounds good but a bit too dated. didn't like his pretentious voice, he didn't sound like that in she so the only reference I had was that. don't know if he sounds like that on every album...

мало слышала Костелло, но тут после альбома чё-то не вдохновлена

The songs are pretty good, but I think there are too many

I think I've come to the conclusion that j don't like his voice. Some very fun sounds here but yeah the voice was definitely getting to me a bit

in 1978, elvis costello traveled through time to read my 2022 review of his debut album. thank goodness he did, because he made this album with more energy and it's considerably better. costello definitely found more of his sound on this year's model. obviously he's new wave through and through, but there's something that nails his signature sound here. i suspect it's the keyboards! the almost throwaway lyric of "those disco synthesizers" from "this year's girl," the second track, seems to encompass the entire album. but also, really, the higher energy goes a long, long way. "pump it up" is obviously the most fun song on the album, and the other songs benefit from it but are also able to carry the high energy well. 3.5

You know, not only do I hear the birth of new wave in this music, which Elvis Costello and this album are definitely known for, but I hear what was no doubt a huge influence to the early 2000s singer-songwriter and indie rock movements. In parts, this sounds not unlike listening to something like Vampire Weekend. This was definitely better than the previous Costello album I had. In just one year and one album's time, he took a huge leap in style. But I'm still not a firm Costello believer; ultimately, I thought this was just okay-good. There are many more albums of his to go, though, so we will see.

Didn't grab me but good background noise.

this is an objectively great album, tuneful and well-crafted, i only want to listen to 'pump it up' repeatedly though

Not bad for Elvis Costello, better than a lot of the other albums

Fun album, but wouldn't listen to it again. Get a little tired of Costellos voice

I know it was on but I also don't recall it being incredible while also not being bothered by it to much.

It's upbeat, nice music but the voice of Costello gets a bit tiring

"The Beat" is a favorite of mine. For the rest of the album... I guess it's good but it doesn't quite stick

I don't know what it is, but there's sometime about Elvis Costello's vocal delivery that I just don't connect with. On paper he should be the kind of artist I'm really in to, but I just can't get there. It's like he's making up the words as he goes along and just can't stop shoving more words into the rhyme scheme.

Addictive riffs.

Favorite songs: “Pump It Up”, “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea”. I got distracted from this one a few times. The songs I liked the most were the ones I already knew. It was alright, but I don’t have much to say about it.

I enjoyed it but it all sounds so similar. Just ok for me.

Radio-friendly rock/pop meets fledgling New Wave. The songs are OK(ish), but nothing to make me come back to this album. The possible exception is (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, which was fun. But really, the early Elvis Costello probably just isn't for me. 2.5/5

Better than I expected. Way more pop than expected also.

Довольно-таки неплохой альбом, который повлиял на такое жанр, как "нью вейв", но по первым впечатлениям я пока не очень понимаю, нравится ли мне это, или нет, поэтому ставлю 3/5. Прости, Элвис Костелло :(

Bijna 4

Pretty solid as far as the 1230656 Costello albums on this list go. I'd honestly probably dig him if it weren't for the fact that the authors of this book clearly have a hard on for him to a ridiculous degree.

I'm just not an Elvis Costello fan! His lyrics are clever but his style and delivery do nothing for me. It's not that it's bad, it's just not my thing.

gostei do álbum, um pop rock animado, tal qual seu nome me lembrou o estilo musical do Elvis. assim como todos os outros álbuns ouvidos, não vai entrar pra minha playlist, mas foi uma experiência legal.

Acho que as minhas reviews vão começar a ficar repetitivas, visto que o meu sentimento por diversos desses álbuns estão muito parecidos. Mais um álbum que eu definitivamente poderia ter morrido sem escutar. Não é ruim mas é longe de ser essencial - Nada se destacou ou me conquistou para virar um fã do artista/banda. Um álbum mais pop rock fácil de escutar e sólido em todos os aspectos mas nada que eu colocaria em uma lista de 1001 álbuns para se ouvir. Particularmente, não gostei muito da voz dele, parece de alguém que está levemente gripado.

I understand why it's a good album. And I'm glad I listened to it, just not quite my cup of tea.

It's alright. It's definitely better than the other Elvis Costello album I had. The songs in general are at least quite musical and have something about them. 'Pump it Up' is probably the stand out.

haga lo que haga no logro procesar a elvis costello

rock n roll

Not as good as some of his other stuff. I like the grooves, but the organ kind of ruins it for me, it's this silly presence that messes up what could otherwise be a heavy hitting rock thing.

After just having Costello's first album 2 days ago, going right into this is a lot. This album feels completely full-throttle manic energy, it honesty kinda wears me out listening to it. Pump It Up is clearly the standout track. I think with Elvis Costello I've figured out why I can't get into it: an extremely verbose lyrics per song. To be reductive, it's just too many words for my tastes and I latch onto nothing. Maybe the amount of lyrics on a lot of the songs wouldn't turn me off but I find his voice kind of grating as well. Sounds so forced to me, but that could be his natural cadence as well, so who knows.

Still sounds surprisingly good. It’s aged well.

For an album I hear an awful lot about, and see on the internet as a staple to some people, I was left pretty disappointed with this one. It had it's moments, but mostly felt like a representation of the time and not much more. It wasn't at all bad, just a little outdated in presentation. Especially vocally. My favourite song was probably "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea. Personal Enjoyment - 6.5 Songwriting - 8 Lyrics - 7 Originality - 8 Production Value -10 Artwork - 10 Overall - 7.7

A good listen

It is hard to my finger on exactly what I don't like about Elvis Costello. It isn't visceral; I don't hate this album. I like the energy, the drums, the guitars, the flow of the vocals. The bass when it gets going is fabulous (eg Lipstick Vogue) but somehow it all feels joyless, cold. Even without listening too closely to the lyrics the cynicism comes through. Pump It Up is as energetic and hooky as a song can be, but it isn't buoyant, it doesn't soar. Does all music have to be cheerful? No, of course not. Sad music can be nice, angry music can be just what you need sometimes. This isn't either of those, either. I struggle to think of when in my life I would be reaching for music with this particular vibe. TL;DR It's good but I don't like it very much.

ok...

I think this author just hid a bunch of Elvis Costello albums in this list because either: 1) He is trolling us; or 2) He is a huge fan of this Costello and needed some ploy to get the world to listen to him against their will. That being said, this album is certainly better than his other albums.

No Action - A good intro for the album. Sets up the mood of the entire album The Beat - Funky bass! Probably funny lyrics - didn't pay attention that much Pump It Up - Wait a minute, this one has a pretty funky bassline too! Little Triggers - My fav so far. I listened to the remaining songs on the background. Did not really pay attention by I listen enough to know that I will revisit Elvis Costello again. 3.6/5

Enjoyed this one a little.

Probably Elvis Costello’s best album that I’ve hear so far but I also haven’t found one that’s that great in general. This is a bit more enjoyable as it has a soft rock style with good instrumentals. I do find his singing pics to be the hardest thing to like about him. May revisit but doubtful. 5.8/10

Fun catchy poppy post-punky.

Un début d'album plus consistant que la deuxième, mais ça reste très sympa et très bien foutu.

Fine to listen to, nothing amazing

Great album. Really east listening. No bad tracks

Decent, few bits that hooked me although overall not really something I like too much

Two days in a row, a famous, well regarded artist that I've never heard. I mean I thought it was fine, probably not going back for a repeat listen soon but i'll check out some other Elvis Costello stuff.

Varsin mukava levy. Sopi pyöräilyyn ja videopelin taustamusiikiksi. Lienee pakko tutustua paremmin tähän vähemmän tunnettuun Elvisiin kun jo pari levyä on mennyt mukisematta sisään.

Compared to the abysmal Blood And Chocolate that we already heard, This Year’s Model pleasantly reveals that Elvis Costello did have stimulating music worth listening to at one point. I guess he ran out of good ideas in the 8 years, and 9 albums, in between. The aspect that sticks out to me the most is how prominent the bass guitar is throughout the album. I notice it the most, then the keyboard, with the guitar playing a mostly lick filling role. I’m glad for the US version they removed (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea and added Radio, Radio. This does raise the issue of what is an album to me. Clearly there is no one version of this, and many other, albums, which breaks a construct I previously held prior to the 1001 album journey. Multiple versions aren’t bad necessarily, but they do render the album experience less universal. This also makes me think of how albums are typically more Frankenstein productions rather than a band playing songs together from start to finish, another construct I used to hold. I like that Elvis Costello and The Attractions recorded most of these songs “live” with minimal overdubs. That approach is more authentic. The Frankenstein albums result in a more refined, enhanced version of the artist’s and producer’s vision; however, they don’t represent the music a band can produce “live”. It’s kind of like airbrushing photos for a magazine. It’s an artificially produced version of reality made to induce a certain experience in the consumer. The authenticity of the imperfections is better to me. Back to this album, I like it and I’m glad I now know that Elvis Costello doesn’t totally suck.

Nothing too special. Worth to listen once.

I’ve heard of Elvis Costello before but couldn’t name a song. This is good and seems like a precursor to most of the early 2000s bands. Lenny Kravitz seems to pull most of his inspiration from here as well.

This voice annoys me but some of the songs are quite nice . 3 stars

All too similar

This was an enjoyable album with the conventional Three Good Tracks from artists who want albums to be an unobtrusive vessel for singles. However, I do think Costello writes songs quite cheaply and packs in some half-baked musings alongside some solid singer-songwriter pop. I find his American accent grating though and find it hard to pierce the surface level to find any depth.

Probablement l'album j'ai le plus aimé de lui

Zbyt zmanierowany wokal udający Bowiego

This is how all pop should sound ;)

Motivacional, me gustó

This was okay. I can see why people like Elvis Costello and how he made important contributions to the world of music, but this album didn't do much for me personally. I didn't hate it and wouldn't mind having it on in the background but I would never actively listen to it.

Siendo el segundo álbum de Elvis Costello, es el primero de la mano de su banda The Attractions. Nos presenta un pop recargado de energía, con elementos rockeros. Instrumentación distorcionada, sintetización, guitarras rítmicas, baterías cargadas y una voz que nunca desentona. Teniendo idas y venidas el pasar del álbum, cual marea, te va llevando sin ningún sobresalto. Todas las canciones tienen una continuidad genial entre sí. Con sus temas más soft y sus otros más recargados y movidos, hacen que sea entretenido en sus casi 40 minutos de duración. Es una joya histórica, ya que fue elegido cómo mejor álbum de su año de salida y ha quedado inmortalizado en las listas de mejores álbumes de la historia en su género.

The sound of this album is exactly what I think of when I think of dad rock. Not that it was bad, pump it up was good, but a lot of it just made me instinctively roll my eyes.

Not for me

One of his best. 3.5

Kinda punky, mostly enjoyable