Elvis Costello - This Year's Model (With Bonus Disc)

This Years Model

Elvis Costello-This Years Model *****


The toss up between the bug two. By the big two I mean Elvis Costello's two biggest albums, his debut My Aim Is True, and his sophomore effort, This Years Model and which is better. Many will tell you his less famous albums which he realesed after This Years Model were his best. But really I have never understood why with Costello everyone insists on comparing all his albums and constantly ranking them, honestly the man has never mad a bad record. His band, The Atractions is one of the best punk/new wave/post punk bands of all time. His song writing is simply put, prolific. As a guitar player he is fantastic as well, and as for This Years Model, the album is incredible.

It was his second album realesed in 1978 this brit managed to realease two of the greatest albums in rock history with his first two at bats. Songs like 'Lipstick Vougue' evoke images of The Replacements, The Romantics, Clash, and John Lennon. Sexy, comlicated, angry, and somehow meloncolly all at the same time. 'Pump It Up' is the deffinition of new wave. 'Hand In Hand' is touching while the reggea influenced '(I Dont Want To Go To) Chelsea' is both loose and fun, and at times disturbing. Known for his brilliant imagry in his lyrics, songs like 'This Years Girl' 'Little Triggers' and 'Night Rally' dont dissapoint. The albums big hit single, well maybe not big but still hit single 'Radio, Radio' is a classic and propelled this album and The Atractions to major success and right afterward Costello threw it all away to be true to himself, which I will always take my hat of to him for that as long as I live.

The bonus disk which comes with this particular issue is a must have for those who are die hard Costello fans, but not one I would recomend to the average fan.

So is This Years Model better then My Aim Is True or any of Costellos other albums? Does it really matter? well no it doesn't but to answer the question, I must give my opinion and say that this is his most focused album and also his most asseble and varied, but in my opinion this is only his second best album. My Aim Is True is far superior even though This Years Model is a fantastic album! January 16, 2008

A fantastic sophomore release

My Aim is True was a promising debut, but This Year's Model, Elvis Costello's sophomore effort and first album with long-time backing band the Attractions, is an all-out stunner. Everything on this puppy, from the songs to the performances to the cover art (just look at that sneer!) drips with the aggression, menace, and black humor that have become EC trademarks.

For one thing, the Attractions rule. The band packs a sonic punch that Clover (the group that backed Elvis on My Aim Is True) simply couldn't muster. They've got a raucous, full-bodied sound that bridges the gaps between punk, new wave, rock `n' roll, and even 60s garage rock. Steve Nieve's freewheeling keyboard playing is the ideal partner for the compact snarl of Costello's guitar chords, while Bruce Thomas' nimble bass lines duck, weave, and squirm beneath them. Pete Thomas' drumming lends the appropriate sense of straight-ahead urgency to the whole thing, while giving the proceedings a sufficiently rockin' backbone. Thanks to the Attractions, these songs have a certain bite that was buried on My Aim Is True.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that Costello's songwriting is absolutely stellar, He may look like a harmless fellow on his album covers, but his lyrics are anything but: the guy writes with a poison pen, flinging venom-dipped darts in every possible direction without ever missing his mark. His unapologetic cynicism is matched by his dark sense of humor and deliciously twisted worldview.

All of it comes together on "No Action," the album's breathless opener. At just over two minutes in length, it's a juggernaut of warped fifties melodies and pummeling guitars. Costello's vocal is both cheeky and bitter, as he spews forth a series of withering putdowns at some special someone who probably deserves every word of it. "Hand In Hand" and "Lip Service" are equally spiteful tales of derailed romance, and "Living In Paradise" ups the ante with its depictions of wanton betrayal and relentless paranoia- and it has a cheerful, bubbling melody! "This Year's Girl" matches a leering, halting musical assault with lyrics that take a sharp stab at celebrity culture, and "Lipstick Vogue" is pure amphetamine sleaze. "Little Triggers" is a broken doo-wop ballad essaying a crumbling relationship with enough bitter disillusionment to last a lifetime. "You Belong To Me" is a gleefully sardonic look at male aggression, and "Pump It Up" is a rollicking party song... with lyrics about the worthlessness of parties. "Night Rally" is a dark, atmospheric track that sees Costello flirting with images of fascism and revolution. "The Beat" (possibly my favorite track here) is tale of sexual frustration that brims with raw aggression and nervous energy. I'm also in love with the stunning "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea," which uses a taut, crawling, ska-influenced groove to slowly build tension, while Costello's lyrics are pure claustrophobic sexual paranoia.

So, a masterpiece then. Get it. October 24, 2007

More fun from 'little' Elvis

Fun songs on this sophomore effort...'Pump It Up', 'Lipstick Vogue', 'Radio, Radio'. EC rocks harder here than on his debut recording. This solidly rounds out my top 5 standard Costello recordings. August 9, 2007

A rock classic beautifully rendered on cd

The merits of this album need not be discussed here. This Year's Model has been widely regarded as a rock classic for over twenty years now. What does need addressing, however, is the sound Rhino has acheived in rendering this recording on cd.

The 'remastering' game that has been going on for the past decade has yielded mixed results. Record companies promising superior sound have come up short more than half the time when it comes to reissuing classics. Lucky for us, that's hardly the case with Rhino's treatment of Elvis Costello's back catalog.

This Year's Model is what every fan hopes for when plunking down hard earned cash for an album he already owns. The sound is incredibly warm with every instrument coming through distinctly. It is as if the Attractions have set up shop in your living room. Seriously, the immediacy of this recording is so impressive that I had to play it on the cheapest stereo in my house just to make sure I wasn't imagining it.

Revisit a classic and hear what you missed the first time around. This Rhino series will be the death of our pocketbooks. January 30, 2007

elvis's 2nd album, one of the best by about anyone

i had been in a deer hunting accident. i awoke in a hospital and down the hall a boombox was playing this album very loudly. i knew everything was going to be okay. September 13, 2006

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